An Adventurer's Guide To The Australian Outback

The Australian outback is perhaps the most isolated place in the Western world. Nowhere else can you stray so far from civilization yet still be in a Western country, with all its wealth, transport services and pizza restaurants.

Going to the outback can be a very mystical experience. It’s not like other parts of the planet. There’s a certain uniqueness about it that you don’t find elsewhere. One minute, you’re hiking through the bush, and the next, you’re in a giant forest with spectacular wildlife.

Conditions in the outback are surprisingly harsh. Daytime temperatures can reach more than 45 C, which is too hot for most people out of the shade. And rain is minimal. Plus, you have to deal with the constant sun beating down on you. But, at the same time, trekking across it can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have on vacation.

Here’s what you need to know to prepare and keep you safe.

Table of Contents

Take An Alarm And Set It For Early In The Morning

Trekking across the Australian outback is an enchanting experience. However, to get the most out of it, you need to wake up in the early morning, just as the sun rises above the horizon. This is because it generally feels quite cool between 5 am, and 8 am, allowing you to cover a lot more ground. But then, by the time you approach 10 am, temperatures are soaring, and you need to take shelter. Remember, on some summer days, you may wake up to temperatures in the mid-30s. And it only gets hotter from there.

Hire A Reliable Vehicle

If you’re planning on driving along tracks in the outback, then you’ll need to hire a reliable vehicle from an outlet like Sydney Ute Van Hire. While the Australian government paves the cities and coastal areas, the country’s interior is almost entirely wild. Hardly anyone lives there. And so, once you start travelling inland, pavements give way to dusty, rocky tracks.

Conditions like these are not ideal for zippy city cars. So your best bet is to hire a 4X4 or pickup truck, depending on the kind of luggage you want to bring with you.

Prepare Your Food In Advance

Getting food in the outback is expensive. That’s because specialist delivery vehicles have to drive it in on refrigerated lorries from the coast, pushing up prices. Sometimes you can’t get any food at all because you’re in the middle of nowhere.

The easiest approach here is to take freeze-dried meals with you in your backpack and heat them on an open fire. Meals are usually relatively light, so you don’t have to worry about them weighing you down as you travel. Just make sure that you have plenty of water and a fire to heat them on.

Be Prepared For Vast Distances

The outback is gigantic – far more extensive than you could ever imagine possible. So it would help if you prepared yourself for this. Hikers may cover as much as 30 miles per day as they make their way around. So a basic level of fitness is essential.

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Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I hope this post has given you the information you need. If you have any recommendations, tips or travel advice, I would love for you to share them in the comment section below!