The Australian Outback is a vast expanse that is mostly desolate but still holds a sense of wonder and majesty, making any who travel through it feel dwarfed by nature’s awesome scale. Driving in the Outback is a challenge, the incredibly long distances are sparsely dotted by just a few remote outposts, so arriving safely requires a lot of planning and care.
In addition to its remoteness, the Outback is also home to some of the most extreme weather conditions to be found anywhere on the continent! The number one threat is the scorching heat, and a car sun visor is an absolute requirement to prevent your car from becoming an oven! With the days so terribly hot people are amazed at how cold it can get at night, the temperatures can plummet to dangerous levels if one is not properly sheltered! The Outback is a rugged, hostile country and it must be treated with utmost respect and caution!
Those who play the Outback’s long stretches of empty highway regularly will tell you that there are two rules that can save your life when you venture into its remote regions:
1. Always be sure to let someone trustworthy know where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
2. Always stay with your vehicle if you should happen to break down- don’t try to walk for help, there isn’t any, the road is the safest place so just wait there for rescue!
Driving through the Outback isn’t like going down the coast or a jaunt across town, it’s more like an epic journey through a dangerous land that has no conscience, you need to be prepared with the proper survival gear before you begin! The following is a list of the items you need to take with you:
Detailed maps of the area that are as current as possible
A Compass
Matches, lighter, and fire-lighter blocks
Water, and lots of it, bring along twice as much as you think you might need!
Food, enough for each person for at least two days
Clothes, two changes, one for the heat and one for the cold
A loud whistle
Medicine, A first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic cream, band-aids, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, insect repellent, pain killers, antihistamine, sunblock, and a week’s worth of any prescriptions you have
Tools, a set of basic automotive tools, a tyre jack (two if venturing into the remote Outback), two spare tyres that you have checked to see are properly inflated, spare fan belt, spare fuses, spare headlight bulbs, a tow rope, road flares, and a long-handled shovel.
Torches, one large, one smaller for close-up work
Radio, to keep track of approaching weather
If you are heading off road into the remote outback it’s essential to have a 2-way HF radio with Flying Doctor and Telstra frequencies. Your mobile phone signal coverage is going to be limited at best and often simply non-existent, so you can’t rely on it. A satellite phone would be a better option, they are expensive, but can be rented.
No matter how skilled a driver you may be, driving in the Outback is no Sunday jaunt, it’s a real adventure and being prepared could very well save your life!
