Everyone wants to visit Australia - it's true! Whether it is the gorgeous photos and stories of marine adventures, the allure of the outback, or the cities, this is one country that is intruiging and creates a great deal of travel inspiration. But here's the hard part - Australia is HUGE. Visiting there and seeing cool things? It could take YEARS. Michela Fantinel is a Solo Traveller and Outdoor addict, who has been travelling alone around Australia for over 10 years. She shares her Australian Adventures on Rocky Travel, an Australia Travel Blog for budget travellers who want to discover Australia independently. Luckily, Michela has created an extremely useful ebook to help travelers make the most of their time in Australia.

Your Australia Itinerary is a treasure trove of planning information. I have never seen a planning book that is this comprehensive - it truly covers everything you need to think about to plan a great trip to Australia. I'm extremely impressed - and inspired - so much so that I asked Michela to talk about her book, and give some of her best tips for solo travelers in Australia. Here's what she had to say...

Please tell us about your book!

Your Australia Itinerary is a book for budget travellers who love to discover Australia on their own, explore new places, and immerse themselves into the local culture by maximising their time and their money. It’s not about story-telling, but rather a comprehensive guide for planning your trip and creating the trip itinerary. The book is divided into three main sections, the how-to and where-to provides the reader with detailed knowledge on how to select destinations, get around and allocate the right time to each place, as well as tips and advice on peculiar aspects of Australia. The second section is focused on four detailed itineraries and nine customisation options to adjust it to your personal needs/wants. Each itinerary is provided with resources/tools and useful links to website for practical use. The book includes also 15 minutes of free consultation with me to help you firm up your itinerary. Moreover, by purchasing of the book you are entitled to discounts on selected tours which have been tested and reviewed by myself.

on Kangaroo Island

Why did you write this book and who is the book for?

Because I went through all this in 2004 when I organised my first solo trip to Australia. At that time, there were no good resources on the internet. So how did I prepared my trip? I bought two guides, a Lonely Planet guide and a German guide, and they were my bibles. It took me six months to make my detailed itinerary. Nowadays there is a lot of free information on the internet, however it takes a lot of time to wade through. The idea behind Your Australia Itinerary is to take off you the hard work while researching, assessing, planning a trip, and condense it into a practical guide. The book is an easy read, in less than one hour you are through, then you may need extra time to mold it into your own itinerary.  In addition, the resources provide an immense help. They are tools that I personally use for my travels and they help make a cost-effective travel plan. The book is the perfect guide for everyone who loves to be independent and be a protagonist of their travels also in the preparation and planning; my book is for travellers who don’t like tours and is ideal for female solo travellers and couples with no kids.

What are some of the issues that solo travelers should keep in mind, when going to Australia?

Distances and timing are the major issue travellers face in Australia, because they underestimate the vastness of the country - which is twice the size of Europe and is scarcely populated (24 Million). Unless you are well prepared and have a thought-out plan that allows you to make the most of your time, you may end spending lots of time on the go. You need to know how you can get around and how to visit a place. Moreover, with a tight time frame, it’s not easy to make a choice. Usually people tend to cram way too much into their travel plan. For your Australia trip, you need to remember that less is more. With two weeks, you cannot possibly traverse the country from east to west. You need to pick one area or two within reasonable distances and have a good look at it.

Can you please share some of your best tips for solo travelers in Australia?

In 10 years of solo travel around Australia, I have covered over 80,000 km by air, land, and sea.

These are my best tips for discovering the sunburnt continent:

1. Book your flight to Australia at least 2 or 3 months ahead to get a cheap flight. The same for internal flights, book them 2-3 months ahead because this is the only way to save 30-50% money on the rates.

2. Set a time frame and stick to this. Make a list of your must-dos and must-sees. Then calculate distances and see if it’s viable, choose transportation modes that work within your time frame.

3. You need to have your itinerary ready before leaving to Australia. You can’t waste time doing extra research when in Australia, nor make substantial changes to your original plan, as this would increase the cost of 100-200%.

4. Avoid too much flying, and instead, do self-driving - it’s a more rewarding way to travel around Australia. Pick one or two road trips that suits your driving skills and preferred sightseeing and activities.

5. Choose wisely your destinations in Australia. Iconic places may not necessarily be the best pick for you. Choose places with a focus on what you really like and interest you, adjust it to your timeframe and preferred way of travel.

6. Choose the most cost-effective transportation modes that allow you to maximize your time and your money.

7. Fix a budget and stay on track by making 80% of frame arrangements beforehand, and leave 20% to be decided upon spontaneously, like all of the daily activities.

Cottesloe Beach, Perth.

What are some of the challenges for solo travelers in Australia?

If you are travelling alone, you will find it hard to drive long distances on your own. 300-1000 is doable, everything above this distance can be really challenging. Bus travel or a tour can be good options to self-driving in Outback areas. Moreover, accommodation in remote areas can be expensive as a solo traveller, so I prefer home-stay or hostels. Join a female travel network and stay with other women or try out housesitting, these are great options of free-stay, especially for long-term travellers. Apart from these points, I cannot really see many challenges for solo travellers. Australia is a safe country for solo travellers.

Enjoying housesitting in Mona Vale.

Is there anything else you'd like to share? How can you learn more about the book?

You can download a free chapter of Your Australia Itinerary by subscribing to the free Rocky Travel Newsletter here

To purchase the book you can view this page: http://www.rockytravel.net/australia-solo-travel-book/

All photos courtesy and copyright Michela Fantinel