Outback travel tips for remote area tourers

Accessing remote parts of Australia in a 4WD is an incredible experience, particularly when you've got your accommodation always close at hand.

The terrain is ever-changing as the miles wear on, etching unforgettable vistas into the mind.

However, driving in such areas – whether on sealed or unsealed roads – requires certain skills and attitudes if you're going to make it an enjoyable holiday.

We’re assuming here that you’re new to Aussie Outback travel, so before doing anything else you’ll have done a 4x4 driver training course and have done all the trip preparation needed.

This includes equipping your vehicle with the recovery gear, comms gear and sufficient food and water for you and your fellow travellers.

The foundations for any successful Outback trip are in the preparations for it.

See the links below for advice articles we’ve already run in this series on planning and preparation, and before heading out make sure you’ve undertaken some basic safety and mechanical checks on your 4WD.

These should also become a routine part of your journey, such as checking tyre inflation (see the tyre placard on the vehicle for manufacturer recommendations) and under-bonnet fluid levels.

The best time to do this is before starting out for the day. Tyre pressures should be cold when checked, and while checking engine oil is preferably done when the engine is hot (but a few minutes after engine shut-down), a dipstick check after an overnight stop will still give some indication of engine oil level.

In both cases, make sure the vehicle is parked on level ground.

Of course, coolant and power steering fluid should be checked too. Don’t dismiss the importance of topping up the windscreen washer fluid as part of the daily check routine; experience a bad day on the road with windscreen bug splatter and you’ll be grateful you did.

If you’re driving long distances in a day to get to an Outback starting point, the refuelling stop is a good time to do tyre and fluid checks.

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Related: Beginners guide to 4WD mud driving

If you're planning a trip into remote country, particularly your first trip, the best advice we can give is to not go alone – that is, go with a group of others in 4WDs, preferably experienced, such as a tag-along operation.

Yes, it will cost you more money than travelling solo, but that is cheap insurance if something goes wrong.

And there is much that can go wrong in the remote bush.

It’s best to go with those with better experience until you’re up to speed. Even seasoned Outback travellers rarely head out in one vehicle alone in remote areas.

Part of your trip planning should have involved knowing how far you plan to drive – and if it’s going to take more than a day, where you expect to overnight on the way – and where you can, or will need to refuel.

When you’re travelling in the Outback, regular checks on what the fuel gauge is reading – and having contingencies in place already for refuelling – are also important.

Fuel consumption can unexpectedly change, due to headwinds or other circumstances, and so your vehicle might be using more fuel than you had expected or planned for.

When passing through a town, don’t assume you’ll make it to the next one without running out of fuel first.

It’s not unusual to have to travel 200-300km between refuelling stops in the Outback.

It always pays to top-off the fuel tank whenever possible when driving in remote areas, and having a jerry or two of spare fuel with you is also an advantage.

Remember that in the Outback you will be travelling big distances no matter where you go, and that it will take time.

If you head off on a big Outback journey on the clock, this will be a recipe for disaster. If you do not have a relaxed attitude and allow plenty of time, it will be no fun for you or anyone else at the least, and downright dangerous at the worst.

Allow extra travel time – driving long distances in the Outback can be more tiring than you’d first think – especially if you have several long days of transport stages in the saddle to get to your destination.

When driving on a sunny day on tarmac, be wary of mirages. A mirage is simply refraction of light affected by different air temperature off (in this case) the road surface.

This often makes it appear as if there are pools of water on the road further ahead when there are not.

Mirages can also distort or obscure what is on the road ahead, whether that’s an oncoming vehicle or wildlife.

Road trains – those three-trailered trucks that are a unique feature on Outback roads – measure more than 50 metres long and can take an eternity to overtake.

While there are many long, straight stretches in the Outback that should present ample overtaking opportunity, the risks are very much still present for a head-on crash.

Be aware that any oncoming vehicle will loom faster than you might first think, and be conscious of any adjoining roads that might present you with a vehicle turning onto the road in your path.

Driving on gravel roads also need special attention. Even if the road is flat, smooth, wide and has very good sightlines, keep speed down.

Remember that you’re not a rally driver on a special stage; you’re driving a top-heavy 4WD that realistically won’t power out of trouble at speed.

You don’t need to go more than about 80km/h. This also gives you a better chance of avoiding a kangaroo or stock that has wandered onto the road.

If you haven’t done much gravel road driving, they can seem daunting at first: your vehicle will shift around much more than you’re used to.

Pay particular attention to surface changes, such as potholes, gravel berms and corrugations. You may have to slow down for potholes, so you can safely swerve to miss the worst of them and not damage your vehicle.

A good 4x4 wagon or dual-cab ute will soak up bumps much better than a car, but don’t get complacent – you can still do damage to a 4WD by going too fast over a rough road.

Bulldust is a particular concern when driving on Outback dirt roads, most often seen on those with a clay-like fine soil structure.

This fine powder forms when the road surface – usually in an area that has been very dry for a long time – breaks up into tiny dust particles.

Bulldust is more often found in hollows in the road where the fine dust particles have settled after being washed there in previous rains. Heavy vehicles pounding over this dust also adds to the volume of it.

When driving though bulldust, it is akin to someone cracking open a container of talcum powder and throwing it around. The fine power-like dust explodes all around you.

This at the very least can cause visibility problems for those travelling behind, or oncoming traffic. Travel too close and you will not be able to see past your bonnet.

Leave plenty of space between vehicles in a convoy for the ‘hanging’ bulldust to settle, so that you can see the road ahead. That clear visibility becomes very important in bulldust, as we will see.

You can often pick a bulldust hole by the defined ridges left by preceding vehicles’ tyres. They will be in obvious contrast to the rest of the track. Some of these bulldust holes are shallow – and therefore do not present much of a threat.

Driving though such bulldust is a bit like driving though relatively hard-packed sand, in terms of how your 4WD will feel. You will have reduced steering feel and the 4WD will be slower to react to a change of direction. Grip is usually not an issue in shallow tracks.

However, deeper bulldust holes can be like a very long and deep pothole, filled with slippery, powdery dirt. They will often have a sharp ridge at their periphery that when hit at speed can do a lot of damage to your 4WD.

If it’s safe to do so (no approaching blind corners, no traffic, either oncoming or overtaking) then it’s best to drive around such bulldust holes.

If not, then slow down and try to pick a line though the hole so that the wheels avoid the deepest section that will also have the sharpest ridge at the exit.

Ensure high-range 4WD is selected and keep up some momentum – avoid stopping in a bulldust hole, as you can get bogged.

If you spot debris such as a block of wood in the bulldust hole and can’t drive around it, the safest thing to do is stop before the bulldust and check what is there and remove it if necessary.

Driving in the remote Outback – Quick reference do’s and don’ts
• Do prepare you and your vehicle for remote travel
• Do take your time when en route, stopping often for breaks
• Do be prepared for mirages and overtaking road trains
• Don’t pass through towns in remote areas without refuelling first
• Don’t drive fast on gravel
• Don’t drive though bulldust at speed or too close behind another vehicle