Hitchhiking, a travel method that was more common in the 1970s and 80s, is showing signs of a potential resurgence. This comes despite its reputation being affected by its association with serial killer Ivan Milat and legal restrictions in many Australian states and territories.
While most Australian jurisdictions prohibit pedestrians from standing on or moving onto a road to hitchhike, the wording and definition of "the road" can vary. However, hitchhiking is legal in most circumstances in the ACT, and Tasmania removed references to it from its road rules in 2019.
Online communities such as Hitchwiki and Trustroots, which has over 120,000 members, are experiencing steady growth. Dr Fang Liu of the University of Western Australia, who studies adventure tourism, notes that social media accounts sharing extreme travel methods are helping to normalise hitchhiking. However, Dr Liu cautions that young international travellers may be unprepared for risks such as lack of phone signal or dehydration, as these are often not conveyed on social media.