I decided to escape Sydney's woeful winter washout and take my family to see the Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef for a spontaneous 'once in a lifetime' holiday.
After all, nothing screams adventure like winding through thick forests on the lookout for cassowaries, cruising past rivers hoping for a glimpse of a giant croc, or gazing out at the turquoise waters of the coral sea imagining the colourful world below.
But as lovely as that all sounds, anyone with small kids - mine are five and ten - knows holidays aren't quite... that... easy.
In fact, even as an avid adventurer and experienced traveller I can admit that heading away with children can be daunting.
Navigating public transport after a long plane ride can definitely tickle a parent's last nerve - especially if they also happen to be playing the packhorse.
And the idea of walking through an airport, crossing the car park and waiting while a hire car company clerk slowly works their way through a long line of customers can make endless weekends of rain 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 hiring a car never felt like the right fit.
Then Turo reached out and explained how easy they can make the transition from getting off the plane to behind the wheel.
I used Turo to rent this Porsche for a recent holiday to North Queensland
The interaction with the car's owner, which included being picked up and dropped off at the airport, made it feel like borrowing a friend's car
Their unique model also allows customers to pick a car that suits them best - instead of just booking a generic 'small, medium, large' car at a traditional hire company and hoping for the best.
I opted for a Porsche Macan - I love that there are higher-end options which can elevate the holiday experience. Must-see attractions are spread out in North Queensland as they are in much of Australia, so given we were to spend a lot of time in the car I figured it would be the best fit for our family.
Our host picked us up at Cairns Airport. They had been keeping an eye on our flight, which was delayed, so we wouldn't have to wait around once we landed.
This was a relief for me as I was once delayed and then missed the local car hire dealer's opening hours. This left me stranded at the airport by myself alongside other disgruntled customers.
He then parked around the corner, showed me all of the buttons and features of his 2016 ride, took a few photos to capture its condition, then sent me on my way.
The whole process - from pick-up to take-off - took less than five minutes. And that included some great local tips for our stay.
The car had been freshly detailed, and felt much more cared-for than any hire cars I've ever driven.
And the price for three days - Saturday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon - was competitive at $868 with extras included. The base fee was $594.
The extras werea $50 fee for a child seat, top-tier insurance cover for the three days worth $169, and a delivery fee of $50, which meant the host would pick us up from the airport and drop us off again days later.
There was also a 'trip fee' of $16.04 and GST of $18.53.
Because we had a car - especially one with generous kilometres included - we were able to drive between Cairns and Cape Tribulation
This gave us greater flexibility to see what the region had to offer
A very generous 900km allowance was included - of which we used just 300km. We took the tourist drives, weaving our way from Cairns to Kuranda, over the grasslands to Port Douglas and further north to the Daintree River.
Having a car on hand for our trip meant we could make impromptu stops on the way - like the beautiful butterfly farm at Kuranda - and at a crocodile cruise on the Daintree River.
And it also took the stress of 'do we have enough snacks?' and mental load of 'have I packed everything the kids need today?' away, meaning I could also enjoy our 'summer in winter' getaway.
If we had gone without a car we would have had to stay in Cairns the whole time and do day trips to each destination which can be exhausting for everyone and also limits spontaneous opportunities.
We wouldn't have been able to head out to the Quicksilver Reef experience off Port Douglas where we were able to go snorkelling and head out on a semi-sub to see ocean creatures up close.
We wouldn't have had the opportunity to take off for a helicopter tour over the extraordinary outer reef.
We wouldn't have made it up as far as the Daintree River - and one of the wettest spots in Australia - to see the impressive local reptiles sunning themselves on the river bank.
And we likely wouldn't have been able to take winding roads through the rainforest where we saw bright blue butterflies on the way to the tropical tablelands.
The car was comfortable and I was given a rundown of its features by its owner
My host, Zoltan, has had his car on the platform for a few years and was very helpful - even heading to the airport early on the return day when I decided we should give ourselves some extra time before the flight.
It felt more like borrowing a car from a friend than hiring something which also made me stress less throughout the whole experience.
Turo Australia's VP and Managing Director Tim Rossanis told FEMAIL they have more than 1500 models available with everything fromluxury sports cars, electric vehicles and family friendly rides.
Being able to offer luxury cars sets Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, apart from similar offerings.
'We offer a maximum vehicle value of $200,000 AUD giving guests access to more luxurious and unique vehicles,' he said.
'Our competitors only offer a maximum vehicle value up to $60,000 and focus more on functional use cases where you need a car for a few hours or a day.'
'That's not to say we don't offer daily drivers, we absolutely do. But the beauty of our range is that we can offer substantially more 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 hire a Kia Picanto for $195, Mazda 3 for $287 (not including the kid's seat or insurance), a Mitsubishi ASX for $345.
I have never flown to the start of a road trip with my children - because I have often been left disappointed by the car hire process
We were able to take the scenic route which included fun winding roads and beautiful scenery
For big groups there are also extra large options including a $433 7-seater Mitsubishi Outlander and there are of course Teslas and hybrid vehicles available as well.
Because the range of cars differ from each town or city customers should head to the Turo app to see what's on offer and when.
It could even help influence their holiday.
In Sydney there's everything from Corollas to Late-model Land Rovers, Porsches, Bentleys and BMWs available.
In Melbourne the luxury tastes include Mustangs, Maserati's and Jaguars, while Perth drivers can arrive in style in G-Wagons, Teslas and Audi's.
Turo's deluxe range is only available to drivers over 25 and the super deluxe are on offer to those over 30.
I rock around in a Toyota Corolla at home - but love hopping behind the wheel of something new - and think jumping in a luxury car on holiday definitely added to the overall experience.
