Brisbane
We’re not a tour. We’re a shared rental! You share the rental of our minibus, trailer and camping equipment with other likeminded backpackers. The start and end date is set, but the rest is flexible to modify as you like. This way of travelling is cheaper than a tour and more flexible, but you get a group of travel mates and everything you need for a camping road trip.
You’ll have 14 days to explore the beautiful beaches, mountains and hinterland of Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales as you travel up the east coast with Share Bus.
You’ll start in Brisbane, venture to the hippy town of Byron Bay and explore beachside towns like Noosa and Rainbow Beach as you travel up the east coast. There will be National Parks, and Everglades as well as the option to travel to K’Gari on a 4WD tour. You will also get the chance to see a little of the Southern Great Barrier Reef and have the option to join a snorkelling tour to Lady Musgrave Island. As you head back towards Brisbane, you’ll head inland for a change of scenery. You’ll head along the Blackall Tourist Drive between Mapleton and Maleny – a scenic route containing gorges, waterfalls, and a breathtaking mountain view. Finally return to Brisbane, explore the city, and reflect on the amazing memories you have made with your new mates!
Expect to get fit with lots of hiking, snorkelling and exercise as you appreciate the natural sights. This is a no-frills adventure – you’ll be setting up your own tents, sharing the driving, cooking your own dinner and sharing your tent with other 1 or 2 travellers. The target age group is 18-35. It’s a fun and social option for backpacking the east coast.
The trip departs from YHA Brisbane City in the centre of Brisbane CBD at 9:30am on the noted date of departure.
And the bus is returned to our detailers in Brisbane on the 14th day after departure, usually around 5pm, but this time is fairly flexible.
The only additional costs you'll need incur on this trip are food and campsite related! Food will normally work it's way out at $10-$15 a day as you'll normally bulk buy as a group, eating and cooking meals together! Although if working on a budget you can definitely do it for less.
With regards to campsites the majority of the groups opt to free camp most of the time; it normally works it's way out as being 2/3rds free camps. When paying for campsites this normally works out at an average of $15 per night per person.
There is a $350 security deposit made per person at the start of the trip incase any damage to either the vehicle or the equipment provided that doesn't come under fair wear and tear occurs. This will be returned within 2 weeks of the trip ending.
Is Sharebus a tour company?
No, they are a rental company. They rent a fully equipped minibus and trailer to
drivers and passengers wishing to travel in Australia. The start and finish dates
and places are set, but the route in between is not. So choose the route you like
the most and then start your own adventure with your new friends on the bus.
How does it work?
Share Bus is a shared rental of a minibus and trailer with camping equipment.
Basically, you’ll have everything you need, a group of people to travel with and
it's pretty affordable.
It is completely self-guided by the backpackers on the trip. So, you share camp-
ing, cooking, driving, set-up, etc. It's a really beautiful experience. We give you a
guidebook to help you decide what to do (including day by day location, recom-
mended free camps and pay camps and activities), the trailer is organised in an
awesome way to find everything, and you have advice.
Pretty much everything is included (i.e. fuel, national park entry, tolls, all equip-
ment, insurance and roadside assistance, consumables like cleaning stuff and
sunscreen, camping equipment like tents, mattresses, pillows, lanterns, tables,
benches, games, snorkels, inverter for electricity, gas cooker, grill, etc.)
How does the rental deposit work?
You will each sign an individual rental contract with us and either choose to be a
non-driver or a driver. A $350 deposit/bond will be paid by each person via debit or
credit card, to be returned after the rental. You can expect your deposit to be re-
turned about 1-2 weeks after the end of the rental. This allows us time to check the
vehicle, trailer and every piece of equipment, as well as allow processing time for
the banks.
If there is an accident, fine, damage to the vehicle, trailer or equipment or the set-
up is returned unclean, you may lose part of your deposit to pay for the repair/
replacement costs. However, you will not lose any of your deposit for regular wear
and tear. If there is an accident, we are covered by insurance, however a $5,000
excess applies if the driver is at fault.
As a group you will decide whether the driver will pay for the excess, or you will split
it between yourselves, or a combination of the two. If you do not come to an agree-
ment you could all lose part of your $350 deposit. Its possible to buy excess reduc-
tion insurance from a third-party company to reduce the excess to $300 or $0. It’s a
good idea to help each other with parking.
