Become a Professional Weather Dodger: Your Seasonal Guide to RV Travel

Too Cold? Head North. Too Hot? Head South.

One of the great things about having a home on wheels is that, theoretically, you never have to put up with bad weather again.

Too cold? Head north. Too hot? Point the van south. Rain coming? Well… Australia is a big country. Surely there's some sunshine somewhere.

If you've got the flexibility, planning your travels around the seasons can mean better weather, fewer miserable days stuck inside the van and a very convincing reason to spend more of the year on the road.

Here's how to become a professional weather dodger.

Spring: time to get moving

Spring might just be an RVers favourite season, and for good reason. As the winter chill starts disappearing, a whole lot more of Australia lands back on the road-trip radar. The days are getting longer, temperatures are warming without hitting summer extremes and plenty of places that were a little too chilly a few months ago suddenly look very inviting.

It's a great time to take the RV to southern and inland Australia. Think country NSW and Victoria, South Australia's regional towns or Western Australia's famous spring wildflowers. National parks are coming back to life, walking weather is much more agreeable and you can generally sit outside the van without needing either a puffer jacket or industrial-strength air-conditioning.

If you've spent winter chasing warmth in the north, spring is also a good time to start making your way south. Slowly, of course. There's no prize for getting there first.

Summer: keep heading south

As spring rolls into summer and the temperatures start climbing, it's time to keep following the cooler weather south. 

Tasmania comes into its own, with long summer days and generally milder temperatures making December to February prime time for exploring. Victoria's High Country, the NSW alpine region and South Australia's cooler southern reaches can also provide some relief when other parts of the country start feeling like somebody left the oven door open.

The catch? You're not the only person who's had this idea. Summer coincides with school holidays and peak travel season in plenty of southern destinations, so popular caravan parks and campgrounds can fill quickly. If there's somewhere you really want to stay, booking ahead is a good idea, particularly around Christmas and January.

Autumn: start wandering north

Once the summer crowds thin out and the temperatures begin to drop, you've hit the Goldilocks season of RVing. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right for taking your time.

Autumn is a great opportunity to explore inland NSW and Victoria, wander through South Australia's wine and farming regions or start gradually making your way north ahead of winter.

You don't need to rush the migration. Take the scenic route, stop in the little towns and enjoy that glorious window where you can sit outside without either sweating or shivering. Before long, though, those cooler nights will start creeping in. That's your cue to keep heading north.

Winter: chase the warmth

By winter, the great RVing migration north is well and truly underway.

While southern Australia digs out the puffer jackets, northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia are enjoying their dry seasons. Think warm days, cooler nights, lower humidity and much more comfortable conditions for exploring places that can become extremely hot or wet at other times of year. It's prime time for destinations such as the Kimberley, Kakadu, the Top End and Tropical North Queensland.

Of course, thousands of other caravanners have reached exactly the same conclusion. So while winter might be about escaping the cold, don't leave everything to chance. If there's somewhere you're desperate to stay, book ahead where possible.

Then, as the weather starts warming again, you know what to do: turn the van south and start the whole glorious cycle again.