DESTINATIONS
Places to go, things to see and do. We’re very lucky to live in a country where it’s possible to use a 4WD’s potential to explore nearby and remote Outback areas. We give you the low-down on trip preparation and planning and suggest places you might like to visit. There are also useful hints on what you need to take with you and how to keep safe in the bush.
If you don’t own a 4WD, camping equipment, camper trailer, campervan, motorhome or caravan, hiring is a great option. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your Aussie Road Trip now.
There’s also some fun stuff: tall bush tales and some interesting characters we’ve met along the way.
LATEST ARTICLES
BUSH CHARACTERS, YARNS & POETRY
Character: Tim Bowden
Tim Bowden was a valued contributor to the Outback Travel Australia website. Several of his travel stories appear in the Destinations section of the website.
Bush Poetry: Verna’s slow-cooked scones
The late David Hosking was OTA’s sales manager for many years and joined the team on several bush trips. He was’t impressed with the firewood supply that compromised Verna McKenzie’s camp oven scones.
EVERYTHING LITTLE TOWN HAS SOMETHING
Quilpie
Quilpie Shire won a gold National Qantas Australian Tourism Award on March 17, 2023 in the ‘Visitor Information Services’ category and Quilpeta – Quilpie Night Show Experience – took out the Best New Visitor Experience Award at the Outback Queensland Tourism awards.
140 Years of the Birdsville Races
As this iconic outback town saddled up for the 140th anniversary of the Birdsville Races in September 2022, we took a look back at some of the historic moments, milestones and characters that have made this regular event Australia’s oldest and most iconic outback race.
HIRE – 4WD, CAMPERS & CAMPING GEAR
Camper trailer hire for holiday or pre-purchase
Many people are unsure of their exact camper trailer needs, or they simply want to enhance their camping flexibility by hiring a trailer when required. Some others are unsure if the camping life is for them and hiring a camper trailer is a much cheaper exercise than buying one and having to sell it if the experience isn’t a good one!
Motorhome and camper relocations
Hiring a motorhome can be an expensive business, especially when you factor in relocation fees and the onerous charges the major hire companies like to impose, but there is a cheaper alternative for those who are flexible with dates and timing for a motorhome trip.
OUTDOORS HEALTH & SAFETY
Safety – Items You Shouldn’t Leave Home Without
Every 4WD on every trip needs to carry safety equipment. Here’s a list of basic necessities.
Essential outdoor gear list
Every few weeks, someone goes missing in Australia’s great outdoors. Here some survival gear tips from Gordo Dedman, founder of Bushcraft Survival Australia and consultant on the SBS’ Alone TV series.
PLANNING & PACKING
Preparing physically for 4WD adventures
Although modern 4WDs make relatively light work of ploughing through sand, breasting creeks, climbing rocky tracks and conquering long stretches of corrugated roads there’s still a need for the vehicle occupants to have degree of’ ‘match fitness’. Margot Mora spells out a gentle fitness regime for all of us.
Travel insurance basics
Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) has put together a must-read guide on the most common mistakes to avoid when buying travel insurance.
TAG-ALONG TOURS & TOUR OPERATORS
Back to the Track
A Lake Macquarie (NSW) couple has returned from an outback odyssey of more than 11,000 kilometres in a World War II-era truck, driving into the past and racing against time. We’re indebted to the South Australian chapter of the Wartime Vehicle Conservation Group for permission to publish this unusual Outback Travel story.
Part-rail-coach, part off-road-bus
This 2022 tour bus is fitted with a road-rail wheel kit that allows it to run on historic railway tracks and on roads and bush tracks in Tasmania’s wild west.
TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
Gawler Ranges
South Australia’s Gawler Ranges is a place where history, pastoralism, conservation and Aboriginal culture come together.
Earthcruisers do a Simpson double cross
When you buy a new or used Earthcruiser 4×4 motorhome you get bonus membership of a tight-knit group of fellow-minded bush travellers. Just how supportive that group can be was evident on a double crossing of the Simpson Desert.
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