The prospect of learning to drive is very exciting. After all, once you pass your test, Australia is your oyster!
Despite being a city of 5.3 million people, Sydney has plenty of roadways with manageable traffic, wide-open spaces, and, most importantly, hardly anyone around to judge you!
If you are just starting out and looking for the best places to learn to drive in Sydney, here are 6 great options for where to go.
1. Car Park
It can be quite nerve-wracking to get behind the wheel of a car. So, until such time as you are able to handle it more confidently, it is a good idea to drive around a car park.
There are plenty in every suburb, including shopping malls, supermarkets and big leisure centres. Hence, when you are just starting out, it is a good idea to practice in these places to familiarise yourself with the vehicle – especially before you attempt to tackle public roads.
Depending on the car park, the best times to go there are early in the morning or later in the evening when they are not so busy. Weekends might also be a good time to go to one as well. That way, you won’t have too much in the way of distractions from other people and cars, and you can cruise around at your own pace. Of course, you can compare Sydney driving instructors with EZLicence to book a lesson to help with your first drive.
During this period of acclimatisation with your vehicle, you will be able to develop a good understanding of the car, how it works, i.e. braking, indicating, accelerating, and its functions, including windscreen wipers, indicators and which side of the vehicle the petrol cap is on.
This will provide you with a good basic grounding, which you can then take onto the open road.
2. Macquarie University
We wouldn’t recommend driving here on weekdays or until you have a bit more competence and confidence behind the wheel. However, at the weekends, Macquarie University is a good place to practice, as there is very little traffic on those days.
The good thing about this area is that it has a mix of small streets and bigger main roads, which will enable you to practice several different manoeuvres and skills in quick succession.
3. University Of Western Sydney
Another good spot to head to at the weekends is the campus around Western Sydney University.
Remarkably, this area is almost like a ghost town on a Saturday and Sunday and there is hardly any traffic to be seen anywhere!
You will find a decent number of big-sized car parks here, as well as plenty of local roads that will enable you to get used to testing yourself on ‘proper’ roads.
4. Sydney Olympic Park
If you want to challenge yourself a bit more, you should head on over to Sydney Olympic Park.
This is an excellent place to brush up on your skills due to its layout and sheer size. During the week, it is also virtually abandoned, with the only cars you are likely to see being other learner drivers!
You will really be able to test your skills here, as it will challenge you to do everything from navigating high-speed roads and reverse parking to turnoffs and intersections with roundabouts and traffic lights.
If you do decide to practice here, just make sure there isn’t a major event on, as that is likely to result in heavy foot traffic and lots of cars in the area.
5. Industrial Areas
If you are feeling confident and want to test yourself a bit more, it is worth heading to one of the city’s industrial areas – such as Padstow, Silverwater, Artarmon and Milperra.
In these areas, you are likely to encounter larger vehicles and trucks without a huge volume of traffic to contend with. Therefore, you can more easily get accustomed to sharing the road with them.
