Here are the apps that make life on the road so much easier for us. Especially whilst Free camping around Australia.
Top 4 travel apps for everyone
Wikicamps
A great app to invest in is the Wikicamps app, which not only shares details on Australia wide rest stops and points of interest but also plenty of free and paid camping options. It list's features of the locations combined with site reviews, ratings and a section of photos to see it (these are all keep up to date from the visitors using the app). Another great feature of Wikicamps is that it also has a great point to point tracking option for both intended and completed routes (unless your remote and trekking off the mapped tracks). This is Trekking Downunder’s camping travel bible.
Australia post
Parcel collect- Receive parcels whilst you are travelling. To use this service all you need to do is go onto the Aust Post app, register and you will receive a unique ID. Once you are needing to provide a delivery address to anyone- you can select an Australia Post collection office in Australia and have family, friends or online/ shop purchases sent to you. If your sending it a few weeks ahead of you to make sure it is there when you arrive, (and it does) you can contact the post office to let them know- most country towns will be happy to hold for a month or so if you get stuck. But if you miss it or change routes, redirection is easy and free too.
We have received no less than 20 maybe even 25 parcels over 5 months since being on the road, having this access has been invaluable for us. Check out the video we put together to show just how easy it is to use Parcel Collect......
Fuel Map
Where ever you are if your looking for fuel, you will always come across an array of petrol prices and often there are big outliers. Fuel app is a way to compare prices before you stop. Firstly once the app is downloaded- you log in and fill in your car details. Starting with a few specifics like the initial kms for easy tracking, car type, petrol or diesel etc. Then once the app is opened the Fuel Map shows you all the petrol stations in the area you are in (a current GPS tracked map pinpoints your location) and then lists all the prices for your selected type of fuel (petrol or diesel) and even lists the specific types of fuel- ie; Vortex, 91, 95 E10 etc.
These prices have been entered by other users of the app and updated regularly by them- the app will let you know when the price was last updated to help it be as accurate as possible. We will often drop in the new price of diesel but if we can we will even update the prices for the petrol too.
Gas Finder
If your in a small country town and your stumped for a regular gas bottle fill point- because the town is without the traditional BCF or a servo with the big gas bottle sign- it can be hard to know where to find one. We discovered in the smaller country towns- its typically the Home Hardware or Mitre 10’s. This app, like Fuel Map shows the locations around you using a current GPS traced map and is a user based app- so when you fill up you can share the location and update the current price $/L, allowing others to compare if there are more than one in the area.
Apps we personally use
Earth Mate
This app is linked to our In-Reach Explorer satellite phone. The device has an added tracking option which we can, and do use as our location travel map tracker. For us this is more detailed than Wikicamps as it allows us to plot our off the regular bitumen routes, picking up our on the dirt road travel adventures. If we are out of reception, this app allows us to pair our phone with the satellite phone and we can send and receive brief text messages/emails.
The added bonus with this app and sat phone is we have a set up link which we can share with people so they can look up were we have been and were we are currently located (to a close proximity pinpoint via satellite detection). Here is our trip link.
Black Knight
This is a global tracking system we opted to have fitted into our van during the build. The app allows us to remotely set a digital geo-fence which sends immediate alerts to ur phones if our van moves outside the fence and shows continuous monitoring of the vans location.
Scanner Pro
Linked to iCloud, Scanner Pro allows us to scan important paperwork, receipts, contracts, legal documents, school work etc, that we don’t want or need to keep or store. Just by taking a photo with the phone- it saves and stores all these documents in personally created files for easy access at anytime whilst we are away (or at home). This is a great space saver!
Go-pro and CameraConnect (cannon EOS)
Using a wifi connection, both our Go-pro and our Cannon SLR can connect remotely to our phones using these apps. This allows us to be able to set up the device/ camera on a tripod or surface and from where we are positioned, take the photo or start recording by pressing the REC/ capture button on the phone. The app also allows easy access to view and download the images or videos from the device directly to the smart phone- very handy and fuss free for uploading or sending without the need for cables or computers!
Snapseed
A great photo editing app which allows quick and easy touch ups of photos for social media or personal use. Providing a good variety of filters and also a large tool bar that covers things like contrast, saturation, ambiance, shadow, warmth etc, the Snapseed app helps us get the exact effect we are after. This app also allows you to personalise further with options like adding text to your photos, paint brush, crop, rotate plus numerous other features.
Social Media Apps
For easy sharing of photos and adventures on your social pages, keeping family, friends or the social community up to date. These include apps like; Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Page Manager etc.
*One thing we always keep in mind is that sometimes having easy access can also be a hazard.... If your are finding your on socials too often- limit how many you have quick app link access to and don’t forget to get out there and experience this amazing country with you partner and/or kids too!
Follower app recommendations
Free range camping- Wikicamps alternative.
Mudmaps- Hema device alternative.
Polarsteps- A trip location tracking app
