Canberra - Post Report Question and Answers
What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Anything you'd like - except not really because you can only bring a right hand drive car - so you'll probably have to buy one when you arrive. We picked up a Toyota when we arrived and sold it when we left. Easy peasy. - Aug 2020
Unless you are DOD and not a Diplomat you have to buy a vehicle here. It has to be right-hand drive. You can get some super deals on Diplomatic car sales through BMW, Volvo and so on. - May 2012
Must be right-hand drive unless you are in the military. Any make or model will work. - May 2011
You can't bring one, so you will have to buy. Something good for offroad if that is an interest. But there are lots of highways in Australia. - Dec 2010
Diplomats can't bring in a car unless the steering wheel is on the right-hand size. - Nov 2010
Don't even think about bringing a car here -- even if you're from the UK. They have very strict rules for cars here, and they must have been made to Australian specifications. We bought a Toyota RAV4 when we got here, but we wish we'd bought one with a bit more power. Australians are very aggressive drivers, even outside the city. Think of driving in DC or London to get an idea. Car repairs are very expensive here, so I'd suggest buying a model that is also available in the US. Then you can order parts from the US and save a lot of money. I have heard that car-jackings have been a problem in Melbourne and in some of the more remote outback locations (bike gangs). - Apr 2010
We bought our car here (2nd hand). There are a lot of restrictions on bringing in a car. The steering wheel is on the right side, and you are driving the the left side of the road. V6 is nice because of hills, and that's what we have. - Oct 2009
You are not allowed to bring a left hand drive vehicle so will have to buy one here. We are not the offroadign type so just have a people mover.(station wagon). Gas is expensive about US$1.20 per liter at the moment. - Apr 2009
