French Hitchhikers Detail 5,000km Outback Journey, Highlighting Resurgence of Practice

Ten hours waiting for a lift outside an outback Australian service station is not for everyone.

But for two young Frenchmen, it's their preferred way of travel.

Friends William Pertek and Manek Miquel have journeyed more than 5,000 kilometres from Queensland to Western Australia, largely by standing on roadsides holding cardboard signs in a bid to hitch a ride to their next destination.

The pair, who have landed in Broome in WA's far north, said resilience and faith in the kindness of strangers were key to their preferred mode of travel.

Hesitant to spend money on flights, bus tickets or hire cars, the 21-year-olds said they wanted to challenge themselves, improve their English and seek out adventure.

Mr Pertek said hitchhiking was not as common in Australia as in other countries, and was more difficult.

"At the beginning of our adventure, our friend told us, 'You will not do it, it's not possible,'" he said.

"We had the tricks … we cannot just keep our thumb up; we get cardboard, we write a town or petrol station on that and we just show it next to the road."

Free tent and sleeping bags

Carrying only a shared tent and belongings in a backpack, the men said hitchhiking allowed them to stop at memorable places, including small country towns.

They said Larrimah, a Northern Territory town at the centre of several true-crime documentaries and podcasts was one of their highlights, as well as Camooweal, near the Queensland–Northern Territory border.

Mr Pertek said Camooweal was one of the most difficult places to hitch a ride, with a population of about 230 people.

"This famous town, empty town — we [waited] 10 hours," he said.

But a free ride in the cab of a truck or passenger seat is far from stress-free.

While they acknowledged they could not guarantee their safety, the pair said taking time to speak with potential drivers was imperative.

"[By] talking to lots of people before you get in the car, you feel safer," Mr Miquel said.

The friends said they were amazed by the generosity of strangers.

"Almost everyone [offered] food, drink, or help for something," Mr Pertek said.

One driver even bought them a new tent.

Two women also gave the men $40 for new sleeping bags.

'Tech-savvy hitchhikers'

Once more common across Australia, the crimes of killer Ivan Milat highlighted the risks faced by hitchhikers and sparked a decline in the practice.

But Fang Liu, a marketing expert from the University of Western Australia's Business School, said the practice was having a resurgence.

Dr Liu, who studies tourist experiences in Australia and how destinations are perceived, said a growing number of younger travellers were hitchhiking and promoting it on social media.

"If you're looking at 20 years ago, you may hear less on the hitchhiking in the travel space," she said.

"But because of social media in the last 10 years, I've heard a lot about hitchhiking."

Dr Liu said shared knowledge, improved internet reliability and phone tracking apps made hitchhiking appear safer.

"They will give tips, like the places where you can safely hitchhike," she said.

The mode of travel proved worrisome for Mr Pertek's mother back in France.

"My mum is very scared about that because I'm very young," Mr Pertek said.

Meanwhile, Mr Miquel's parents saw it as an great opportunity.

"My father was almost jealous because he wanted to do the same thing," he said.

Different rules, different states

Hitchhiking is illegal in Queensland and Victoria, while other states and territories have different rules as to where pedestrians should stand and solicit a free ride.

Dr Liu said due to the increased number of people promoting hitchhiking online, more communication about the laws was needed.

"Check with the authorities or the police," she said.

"If an international tourist is coming from a country where hitchhiking is allowed, then they sort of assume other countries are okay with it."

Kimberley Police Superintendent John Hutchison said he had noticed more people hitchhiking.

While it is legal in WA, he said his advice was "pretty simple".

"Don't do it," Superintendent Hutchison said.

"You don't know who the driver is, could be somebody who's quite a dangerous person, could be anybody that you get in that vehicle [with]."