DO's AND DO NOTS FOR OUTBACK TRAVEL

TRAVELLING AUSTRALIA'S OUTBACK ROADS

  • Before leaving, always notify a friend or somebody responsible that you are leaving,and what time you expect to arrive. Ask them to wait a reasonable time for youto contact them after your arrival at your destination before they notify authorities you are missing. Be sure to contact them to let them know you have arrived safely.
  • Make sure your car is roadworthy and you have basic spare parts, a tow rope, fan belts,extra spare tyre and an adequate tool kit.
  • Be sure you have adequate supplies of water and food in case you get isolated by flash floods. Flash flooding of creeks and rivers can occur even though the area you are in seems dry. If you encounter waterways with flowing water always walk through first to establish the depth and flow of the water. If you must drive through with a petrol fuelled car, do it slowly. The biggest problem you will encounter is water thrown up from the spinning crank-shaft onto electrical components, particularly the distributor. You can put pin pricks into a rubber glove and put the wires though the holes while covering the distributor body with the glove. This may help but is not perfect.
  • A hole in the sump can be temporarily filled with muffler glue or paste, even chewing gum. Petrol tanks can be temporarily repaired with a slurry of soap and water packed into the hole - but with tanks generally within the car hese days it is not as big a problem as it used to be.
  • It is possible (but difficult) to stuff a deflated tyre with grass to get you a few kilometres but it is a lot easier to carry an additional spare. I have actually changed a (tubed) tyre with screwdrivers near Normanton - but don't recommend it.
  • If you break a windscreen remove all the glass and drive with all the windows closed to prevent air flowing through the car.
  • If you burst a fuel line or have a faulty fuel pump, it is usually possible to put a container on the bonnet to distribute fuel to the carburetor by gravity flow.

  • Be sure you have adequate fuel and spare oil and brake and clutch fluid to carry you an additional several hundred kilometres. Low gear work on slippery surfaces or through sand can use up petrol rapidly. Brake lines and oil sumps can be easily holed by loose rocks on unsealed surfaces.
  • Do not leave the main road or leave your vehicle if you break down, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem. Your car provides shelter and is easier spotted by searchers than a walking figure. These days there are usually a couple of dozen vehicles a day using outback tracks and you shouldn't need to wait too long before help comes.
  • Leave areas where you might camp as you found them. Take your rubbish with you or put it in a bin if it is provided.
  • Do not use soap or detergents in outback waterholes.
  • Make sure any fires you use are properly extinguished.
  • Always close gates you may have to open.
  • Campers in National Parks or Conservation areas will need a permit or Desert Parks Pass. Telephone: (61 8) 8648 5328 for information.
    FURTHER INFORMATION:
    DEH Information Line Office
    Level 1, 100 Pirie Street, Adelaide
    Phone: (61 8) 8204 1910

    NDEH Outback Regional Office
    9 Mackay Street, Port Augusta
    Phone: (61 8) 8648 5328

    Wilpena Pound Visitor Information Centre
    Flinders Ranges National Park Phone: (61 8) 8648 0048

    SOME TIPS IF YOU ARE REALLY STUCK:
    In the event you are stranded in an isolated area and are aware there is a search.
    Build a mound of sand or stones and break your rear vision mirror. Place the pieces around the mound facing as many directions as possible. The reflection from the mirror could be easier spotted from a distance. Use another mirror to signal in the direction of any plane you may hear.
    If you have destroyed a tyre beyond use, pouring petrol on it and setting it alight will create a pall of black smoke which can be seen from quite a distance.
    If there are rocks or other materials available you can use them to make a large S.O.S. on the ground near your car.
    Water can usually be obtained by digging a hole and stretching transparent plastic across the top, sealing it around the edges with dirt. A small pebble placed in the centre will direct condensed moisture from the earth to a container placed under the pebble low point. If there is succulent foliage nearby, place this in the hole to extract the moisture it contains.

    It is not adviseable to tow caravans along the road, but if you must, make sure you have a 4WD or a powerful vehicle to ensure you get a firm grip on the loose surface. Also tie everything down in the van which might fall and break.Corrugated surfaces have a devastating effect on loose items and they will eventually succumb to Newton's theory unless secured.
    There are only scattered homesteads along the way and the only fuel available between Marree and Birdsville is at the Mungerannie Roadhouse, 204 km. north of Marree.
    Despite all this, a journey along Australia's Outback Tracks is one of the greatest opportunities to see the real outback.

    Peter Wilkins 2017


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