The Beginner's Guide to Planning an Outback Adventure

The Beginner's Guide to Planning an Outback Adventure

It's been a while that you've been thinking about it, the adventure bug has caught you, and you're itching to break out the mundane routine and set yourself to explore the great outback. Whether it's cruising through the lush of the tropical zones or drifting in the bone-dry interiors; an adventure out in this massive span of land will sure be an experience of a life time.

Being new to this, you might be intimidated on what to do to set course on the trip. It's likely that you'll be going with a group, such as family or friends, and that you want the process to be as simple as possible.

Transport-wise, you can hire a high passenger-volume vehicle such as a coaster, where you can choose one that's had custom coaster conversions done on it. This way, instead of traveling by standard 2WD, you'll get to experience going by 4WD, which is more suitable for the rough terrains. This way you'll get the comfort plus the power of an off-road vehicle.

There are other measures you can take to heighten the smoothness of your jaunt. You can take the following into consideration:

  • Knowing the weather and geography: There are three separate climates in different parts of the outback being:
  • The Semi-Tropical Zones:
  • The Arid Zones:
  • The Desert Zones:

Depending on what time of the year it is, and whether you'll be setting up a tent camp or sleeping in an RV, you'll want to have an accurate forecast of the conditions you can expect during your stay there, depending on which zone you're in.

  • Tour company selection: Various tour companies will provide different tour packages. Some will accommodate you in their “permanent campsites” in the remote areas, and others will even have (for the lazy among us) the tour-guide cooking for you along the trip.

It's advisable that you choose a credible company that's been around for many years, since they'd likely be more familiar with the areas. This way you can get a personalised experience with a knowledgeable tour-guide, who can educate you with greater depth on various spectacles on your journey.

  • Health and Safety: This is the primary concern when you're out there. It's best you seek trip advice from your local tourist companies. They should have a checklist of important precautions to consider, a few of them being:
  • Sun protection: use sunscreen lotion to guard against sunburn, and take a hat with you for…well your head.
  • Vehicle: people shoot themselves in the foot in many ways before even going on the trip. Choosing the wrong type of vehicle (such as a 2WD) can end your trip very quickly. 4WD vehicles are always the best option for these kinds of terrains since they're engineered to handle it.

Doing a full service check is less painful than crisping in the sun for hours. Replacing all your belts, filters, hoses, hose clamps; and the oil and coolants, along with having top notch tires should set you off to a good trip.

  • Water: with the extreme heat levels out there, you'll be losing a lot of water and should thus make sure you're constantly hydrated. Each person should have at least 3 litres a day.
  • Emergency contact: you can rent a satellite phone to maintain contact. In case you get stranded, ensure you let a select number of people constantly know your whereabouts, including those at the places you're expected to arrive.

Hopefully now that you have a few pointers on where to start, you have a better idea on what you can do to ensure a smooth journey. Visiting the outback doesn't have to be a complicated process, with the right preparation and research on your various options, you can set yourself up for memorable times ahead.


Posted By JenniferA

Updated : 27th July 2015 | Words : 628 | Views : 3006

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