Domestic travel safety tips incoming. With state borders opening around the country (with the notable exceptions) and COVID-19 restrictions easing, there’s never been a better time to explore Australia than right now.

Here’s 4 expert approved ways to experience the very best of the Great Southern Land, and stay safe while you do it.

There are loads of great reasons to travel domestically, besides the obvious facts that there’s plenty to see and do here at home while international travel remains on pause. Exploring your own backyard also holds a host of benefits for the local economy. Last year, 10 million Australians spent about $65 billion on overseas travel. The more of us that travel locally, the more money that can be injected into the domestic tourism market, helping support regional communities that rely on travel to sustain them.

1. Start with a staycation

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on Australian businesses, with data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing two-thirds of businesses across all sectors took a hit to their revenue. The tourism and hospitality sectors have been the most affected, with the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing about three in 10 accommodation and food sector jobs have been lost since mid-March. With local hotels and restaurants now open for business, there’s never been a better time for a staycation. So, no matter where you live, find a local hotel or B&B and take a break for the weekend.

2. Find ways to get around

People are still looking to practice social distancing when they travel however rather than driving everywhere, get creative and explore your chosen destination from a new perspective. During the lockdown, there’s been a rise in active travel with more of us walking, cycling or scooting around, and we expect this to continue while people avoid public transport. If you’re visiting a rural town, get on a bike and take in the scenery while you get some fresh air.

If you’re in the city, many metro areas have shared e-scooters available for hire. Not only are they a convenient and fun way to explore with friends and family, they’re also a great way to support local businesses. Described as an ‘economic multiplier’ by the City of Darwin, they extend the range of tourists, allowing them to do more, see more, and spend more which helps boost the local economy. Since Neuron e-scooters were introduced in Darwin, the Waterfront area has become the number one e-scooter station in the city, highlighting that people are using them to connect to local businesses, particularly restaurants, bars and cafes

Jason Hanna, owner of Chow Restaurant on the Waterfront said: “We’ve seen that the e-scooters are bringing more people down to the precinct, and giving us all a boost to help the recovery process. This hasn’t just impacted my restaurants but also every other business on the waterfront. I’m always seeing e-scooters parked outside bars and restaurants, and even if someone is just going for one drink, they are making an impact.”

3. Be a happy camper

Tourism Research Australia has found over 500,000 Australians are willing to take a camping or caravan trip in the next couple of months. Additionally, campers are around seven times more likely to take a holiday in the next three months than the broader population, providing a huge opportunity for domestic tourism. If you’re planning a camping trip, it’s important to call ahead to secure your place, as the booking rules and maximum capacity at your chosen destination may have changed as a result of coronavirus. For instance, you are now required to make a booking for all campgrounds and campsites in NSW national parks, even locations that were previously available without a booking.

4. Rediscover wine country

People connect over food and wine, so it’s no surprise Australia’s wine regions are so popular for day trips and long weekends. Qantas recently announced new flights to routes such as Orange, providing more options for tourists who want to visit wine country. Given there are incredible vineyards in every state and territory, people can visit food and wine destinations without crossing state borders – which is especially important as restrictions can change rapidly. If you’re stuck on ideas for where to go, Tourism Australia has created a series of road trips on interactive maps to help people discover places in regional areas.

Still confused about where you can and can’t travel? There’s now an interactive live map for that.