Hitchhiking for Beginners




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In New Zealand we were used to comfortable travelling by van. In Australia -cheap- is what we are going for, which means hitchhiking. Here our personal top 5 of hitchhiking rules:

#1Take plenty of water, sugar & smokes!

The hardest part is to get out of city centers & to an ideal spot to hitchhike from. To get to that spot means passing the industrial quarters & heading to the highway by foot. Our record: 3 hours of walking just to get started.

#2Leave early!

Generally we don’t have a problem to get where we wanted to go to. But sometimes we had to pitch the tent in the dark. Although we can do that by now, it’s nicer to see where you’re actually lying down.

#3Interesting, nice & harmless...the perfect hitchhiker look!

It only takes seconds for the drivers to decide whether to pick you up or not. These poses worked for us:

Put the guitar somewhere drivers can easily spot it or let the partner play with it.

Keep your left thumb out at all times.

Use your right hand to wave at passing cars.

Look at the drivers & give them a smile just as if they were old friends.

Very important: never ever let them see when you are frustrated. Add a little bit of hope to your facial expression but wipe all negative emotions off your face. (No offensive gestures either of course!)

#4 Stay awake...

that’s the golden rule as soon as you take a seat in the air-conditioned car. The day might have been long, hot & exhausting but quite often you get picked up because the driver wants you to keep him/her awake. When you’re hitchhiking with a partner though, one of you might have a nap. (To be honest, it’s usually me who is napping.) Whoever sits in front will be the entertainer.

#5Entertain!

Our personal strategy for hitchhike conversations: meet the needs of your driver. Some play the Q & A game, some wanna hear your story (vary your storytelling, otherwise you’ll bore yourself) and some wanna tell their story (or at least bitch about their boss). If you’re doing well, your driver might even take you all the way.

Never give up - that's the spirit!