I decided to escape the terrible Sydney winter and take my family to see the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef for a spontaneous “once in a lifetime” holiday.
After all, nothing screams adventure more than traversing thick forests in search of cassowaries, sailing along rivers in the hope of spotting a giant crocodile, or gazing into the turquoise waters of the Coral Sea imagining the colourful world beneath.
But as nice as all this sounds, anyone with small children (mine are five and ten) knows that vacations are not that… easy.
In fact, even as an avid adventurer and seasoned traveler, I can admit that traveling with kids can be daunting.
Travelling on public transport after a long plane ride can certainly test a parent’s nerves, especially if they happen to be the one carrying the luggage as well.
And the thought of walking through an airport, crossing a parking lot, and waiting while a rental car company employee slowly makes his way through a long line of customers can make endless rainy weekends at home seem appealing by comparison.
I have never taken the kids to North Queensland, despite having a soft spot for Cairns, simply because everything is too far away and renting a car never seemed like the best option.
So Turo He came over and explained how easy the transition can be from getting off the plane to being behind the wheel.
I used Turo to rent this Porsche for a recent holiday to North Queensland.
The interaction with the car owner, which included being picked up and dropped off at the airport, made me feel like I had borrowed a friend’s car.
Their unique model also allows customers to choose the car that best suits them, rather than simply booking a generic “small, medium or large” car from a traditional rental company and hoping for the best.
I opted for a Porsche Macan. I love that there are high-end options that can enhance the holiday experience. Must-see attractions are spread across North Queensland, as they are in much of Australia, so since we were going to be spending a lot of time in the car, I thought it would be the most suitable choice for our family.
Our host picked us up at Cairns airport. They had been keeping an eye on our flight, which had been delayed, so that we wouldn’t have to wait once we landed.
This was a relief to me as I had once been late and missed the local car rental dealer’s opening hours, leaving me stranded at the airport, alone, along with other disgruntled customers.
He then parked around the corner, showed me all the buttons and features of his 2016 model vehicle, took a few photos to capture its condition, and then sent me on my way.
The entire process from pickup to takeoff took less than five minutes. And that included some great local tips for our stay.
The car had been recently detailed and looked much more cared for than any other rental car I had driven before.
And the price for three days (Saturday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon) was competitive: $868 with extras included. The base rate was $594.
Extras were a $50 fee for a child seat, three days of premium insurance coverage worth $169, and a $50 drop-off fee, which meant the host would pick us up at the airport and drop us off again days later.
There was also a ‘travel fee’ of $16.04 and GST of $18.53.
Since we had a car, especially one with generous mileage, we were able to drive between Cairns and Cape Tribulation.
This gave us greater flexibility to see what the region had to offer.
A generous 900km allowance was included, of which we only used 300. We did the tourist routes, winding our way from Cairns to Kuranda, across the grasslands to Port Douglas and further north to the Daintree River.
Having a car on hand for our trip meant we were able to make impromptu stops along the way, such as the beautiful butterfly farm in Kuranda and a crocodile cruise on the Daintree River.
And it also took away the stress of thinking “do we have enough snacks?” and the mental burden of “have I packed everything the kids need today?” which meant I was able to enjoy our “summer in winter” getaway too.
If we had gone without a car, we would have had to stay in Cairns the whole time and take day trips to each destination, which can be exhausting for everyone and also limits spontaneous opportunities.
We wouldn’t have been able to go and experience Quicksilver Reef off Port Douglas, where we could snorkel and go out in a semi-submersible to see sea creatures up close.
We would not have had the opportunity to take off for a helicopter tour over the extraordinary outer reef.
We wouldn’t have gone all the way to the Daintree River (one of the wettest places in Australia) to see the stunning local reptiles sunning themselves on the riverbank.
And we probably wouldn’t have been able to take winding paths through the rainforest where we saw bright blue butterflies on the way to the tropical plateaus.
The car was comfortable and its owner explained its features to me in detail.
My host, Zoltan, had his car on the platform for a few years and was very helpful, even heading to the airport early on the day of return when I decided we should give ourselves some extra time before the flight.
It was more like borrowing a car from a friend than renting something, which also made me less stressed about the whole experience.
Turo Australia vice president and managing director Tim Rossanis told FEMAIL that they have more than 1,500 models available with everything from luxury sports cars, electric vehicles and family vehicles.
Offering luxury cars sets Turo, the world’s largest car-sharing marketplace, apart from other similar offerings.
“We offer a maximum vehicle value of AUD$200,000, giving guests access to more luxurious and unique vehicles,” he said.
‘Our competitors only offer a maximum vehicle value of up to $60,000 and are more focused on functional use cases where a car is needed for a few hours or a day.’
“That’s not to say we don’t offer vehicles for everyday use, of course we do. But the beauty of our range is that we can offer a much greater diversity,” he added.
For people on a tighter budget or who don’t really want to travel in a luxury vehicle, there are other more affordable options.
They can rent a Kia Picanto for $195, a Mazda 3 for $287 (not including child seat or insurance) and a Mitsubishi ASX for $345.
I have never flown at the start of a road trip with my kids, because I have often been disappointed by the car rental process.
We were able to take the scenic route which included fun winding roads and beautiful scenery.
For larger groups there are also extra-large options, including a 7-seater Mitsubishi Outlander for $433, and of course there are Teslas and hybrid vehicles available too.
Since the range of cars varies by city, customers should head to the Turo app to see what’s on offer and when.
It could even help influence your vacation.
In Sydney there is everything from Corollas to the latest model Land Rovers, Porsches, Bentleys and BMWs available.
In Melbourne, luxury tastes include Mustangs, Maseratis and Jaguars, while Perth drivers can arrive in style in G-Wagons, Teslas and Audis.
Turo’s luxury range is only available to drivers over 25 years old and the super luxury range is available to those over 30 years old.
At home I drive a Toyota Corolla, but I love getting behind the wheel of something new and I think getting into a luxury car on holiday definitely added to the overall experience.