Five apps every RV traveller should have on their phone
Need to fill the tank, find the perfect place to camp, or want to keep an eye on the weather? These six essential apps and websites share expert and local knowledge information for smooth and safe travels when you’re on the road.
CMCA Traveller
Gotta dump and pump, but need local knowledge? The CMCA Traveller app helps you plan your trip and find your spot, whether it’s your first or fiftieth time on the road. The app has more than 220,000 points of interest around Australia, backed up with essentials such as fuel stops and campgrounds, which you can filter to add your requirements. And it knows you won’t always be online; tap into Traveller’s offline maps so you’re always on track, customised to your vehicle’s height, weight and road capabilities. The app is free for CMCA members.
BOM Weather
With a recent, hefty investment into the Bureau of Meteorology’s website, it’s got to be Australia’s most reliable weather forecaster in a world of unpredictable weather. With rain radar maps and hourly forecasts, it includes minute-by-minute information on bushfire, flood and cyclone emergencies. Weather watchers, dig deep into the site to learn about Indigenous seasonal calendars, and the site includes tide predictions, and you can even set up aurora alerts if you’re spotting the southern lights through its space weather forecasting centre, which includes cloud cover and moon phase, essential for sweet stargazing.
Petrol Spy
No one likes to fill the tank, only to find the place next door is five cents cheaper. Simple and easy to use, compare fuel prices by map, drop in the postcode or the town name, and you’ll be able to compare prices from Andamooka to Zeehan. Filters let you set the fuel type, with historical price data. Available on Apple and Google Play as well as on its website.
Hipcamp
Want to get away from the big campgrounds? Hipcamp’s original aim was to connect travellers with owners of private land, for campsites in vineyards, on beachfronts, in forests or on farms. Think of it as an Airbnb for campsites; the app and website include photos, the price per night, how many sites and the types of sites. Owners can spell out what to expect, whether there’s lodging, tents or RVs, a description of the surface, water, and whether pets are allowed. Hipcamp also includes a rating system by users; it’s free to download, with no subscription fee.
WillyWeather
Fisherfolk, surfers, boaties and rockpoolers know Willy Weather, which tracks tides around Australia. It also runs weather warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology, essential during summer when heatwaves, floods and cyclones all have their say in our lives. Jump on for sunrise and sunset times, moon phases, swells, wind and even UV ratings. Free and available as an app and website.
