Outback driving tips: how to tackle Australia’s remote roads

Australia’s Outback isn’t just a place, it’s a rite of passage for adventurous travellers. But while the red dirt and wide horizons are iconic, they can also be unforgiving if you’re not properly prepared. Whether you’re heading into the heart of the country for the first time or brushing up before your next remote road trip, these Outback driving tips will help you plan, pack, and drive with confidence.

Outback driving tips for your vehicle

You need a ‘proper’ 4WD

The most important Outback driving tip is first and foremost, do not head into the outback in the wrong vehicle. You need a real 4WD, and that’ll (almost) always mean a transfer case. With the exception of some Amarok models, every heavy-duty 4WD will have high and low range 4WD.

In the outback, you can consider low range to be like an insurance policy. You probably won’t need it, but if and when you do, it’ll get you out of trouble. Right up until you find yourself clambering up and over some desert sand dunes. This is where that transfer case comes into its own. Shifting into low range multiplies the torque output of your vehicle whilst also reducing your wheel speed. In soft sand, both of these are a necessity.

Protection

You’ll want to equip your 4X4 with a bit of protection. A solid front bar is required. Side rails and sliders are helpful, and underbody bash plates are a good idea. You might be thinking, ‘there’s nothing in the outback, what’s all this for?’, and in a way, you’re right. In some parts of the country, you’ll see nothing more significant than a small pebble as far as the eye can see. But no matter how harsh and unforgiving the landscape, there will be animals out there.

You’ll almost certainly encounter roos. There are emus, goats, pigs and cattle. Big birds will be cleaning up roadkill. And don’t forget wombats and camels; they leave a dent. The point is, there’s a huge amount of wildlife out there, and you need to put more than just a bonnet and windscreen between them and your face.

Fuel range

It wouldn’t be much of an Outback driving tips article if we didn’t mention fuel range, would it? The distance between stops can be hundreds and hundreds of kilometres. Thousands if your travel is remote. Long-range fuel tanks and/or jerry cans are your friend. Calculate your expected fuel usage at worst case scenario, add a safety margin, and carry the corresponding amount of fuel.

Communication

In the city, a UHF isn’t all that useful for the average person. In the outback, it’ll save your life. If you travel solo, having a UHF on scan will pick up any localised radio chatter and alert you of upcoming obstacles. You can communicate with other passing travellers, and even truckies. They’re more than happy to call you round when it is safe to overtake. If you travel in convoy, oftentimes a UHF will be your only comms, as phone reception is far from a guarantee.

Tyres

How are your tyres? If they’re factory-fitted highway terrains with 1mm of tread left and coming up ten years old, make a beeline for the nearest tyre shop. You want a decent set of All-Terrains at a minimum. Look for a tyre that’s built on a solid carcass and has strong sidewalls. The tread pattern itself is a personal preference. Don’t neglect your spare here, and carry two if you have the option.

Suspension

You’ll need decent suspension to carry the extra weight of a bull bar, a second spare and that big fuel tank. You also don’t want factory gear trying to soak up what can be pretty aggressive corrugations. You don’t need to go wild here, but you need suspension that’ll cope.

Plan your route

The idea of this Outback driving tip is simple, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Plan your route, and let your loved ones know. If you go missing, someone needs to know where to look. But you won’t go missing, because you’ll read this twice and prepare accordingly, right?

Create a rough itinerary and even a plan B. If you’re using Google Maps, just be aware that travel times aren’t always accurate. It’s good practice to plan your routes using a mixture of online maps and specialist localised mapping, like HEMA maps. Remember to check in with whoever knows your itinerary when you can, so they can keep up with how you are tracking.

Be prepared for wild weather in your planning

The outback can suffer quickly from adverse weather, even if it’s hundreds of kilometres away. You might make it into your planned destination for the night, retire to your swag by the creek, and wake up to the water lapping at your tyres. That’ll mean you’re probably in for a detour to get to your next stop.

There are a lot of resources at your disposal here. Use your preferred weather forecasting source to plan. If you get caught out anywhere, the local police and National Parks office are a great help when you need to know what roads are open or closed. Local councils are a good help, and service stations and roadhouses are gold. They’ve spoken to everyone passing through, so they’ve got good sources.

Know your fuel usage, and ensure your route works for your vehicle. Outside of the small towns of the outback, there aren’t a lot of fuel stops. In fact, many towns exist only because of the local roadhouse.

Outback driving tips for hitting the red dirt

Drop your tyre pressure

Alright, so it’s not exclusively red dirt out there, but it’s hard not to feel like the red stuff is the real outback. Once you leave the black top for a substantial period of time, drop your tyre pressure a little. You want to let your tyre flex a little over the uneven surface. This has a few benefits; it allows your tyres to share a bit of the suspension load, and it reduces your risk of a puncture.

Corrugations

Travel at a speed that feels comfortable. Your 4WD will find a good balance between sitting on top of the corrugations and maintaining control. Go too fast and your tyres aren’t making much contact with the ground; stopping and steering becomes a question you ask of your car rather than a directive. Too slow and you’ll be in for a horribly uncomfortable, bouncy ride.

Oncoming traffic

When you inevitably encounter oncoming traffic, the most important Outback driving tips is to slow down to reduce the amount of debris your tyres are throwing out. Move to the left as far as you can, and give each other plenty of room. Pass too quickly, and you’ll probably both end up with broken windscreens. If the oncoming vehicle is a truck or road train, pull right over as far as possible and stop completely until the dust clears. You have no way of knowing if there’s a second truck in the dust, or a fellow traveller going the same way as you stopped in the middle of the road.

Overtaking

If you find you need to overtake, be patient. There’ll be long straight stretches that’ll give you ample overtaking opportunity, so don’t try and pass when it’s narrow or windy. Initiate contact on the UHF if you can; that way, it won’t come as a surprise when you come up and drive beside them on your way past. 

Take a break

Don’t forget to stop, revive, survive. The regular road rules apply when you leave the black top, as does common sense. If you’re showing signs of fatigue, stop and rest. The consequences of making a mistake due to fatigue can be catastrophic.

It’s not all doom and gloom out here. Take your time to see the sights; Australia is a pretty magnificent place. Be sure to stop and check out the small towns as you pass by. There’s usually a pub overflowing with character, and littered with locals to impart their knowledge on you if you desire. 

Avoid driving at dawn, dusk and night

Try not to travel at dawn or dusk. These are peak animal strike times, and hitting even a small animal can end your trip, let alone the injury to the animal. As well as the wildlife being more prevalent at these times, visibility is reduced, and glare can render you momentarily blind. Especially when combined with how dirty your windscreen will get. Take every chance you can to refill your wiper fluid. You’ll need it.

Gates, cattle grids and washouts

Inevitably, you’ll encounter gates. The rule of thumb with gates across the track is to leave them the way you found them. In lieu of gates, there’ll often be cattle grids. Usually, you can maintain your speed and cross them without issue. Occasionally, the track before and after the grid can be damaged, leaving a large lip. Slow down for these, as a lip can be fatal to wheels and tyres. Washouts will also have the same effect, so keep your wits about you in any low spots or where you can see a watercourse crossing the track.

Essential gear for Outback driving

The Aussie outback is a bit of a ‘choose your own adventure’ sort of deal. If you stick to the black top and hop from town to town, you can do it in a Commodore. If you, like us, crave a bit more adventure, you’ll need to be more prepared. Here’s a list of what we carry on any Outback driving trip.

• First aid kit
• Traction boards
• Long-handled shovel
• Sunscreen
• Water
• Recovery gear
• 12v compressor
• Tyre repair kit
• Fire extinguisher
• Cold weather gear

While not a comprehensive list, that’s a great starting point. If you’re camping, you’ll need to be fully self-sufficient. All camping gear, and plenty of food and water. A good 12v set-up or Portable Power Station is valuable here to make life as easy as possible. But as we said earlier, you can choose your own adventure. You can do the outback with a swag, an esky and a tarp like ‘the good old days’, or you can go the extra mile with your set-up to make it easy.

Frequently Asked Questions about Outback driving

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