Many young people have seen movies and photos of the vast Australian outback and endless untouched coastline Australia has to offer. It very quickly becomes a dream to come and see these wonders of nature and come and meet the easy going friendly locals.

With little understanding of just how vast Australia is it is easy to assume from our population figures that you could circumnavigate the whole country in a week or two, however the full lap is up around 40,000km and will take nearly one full year to complete.

Here are our top tips for seeing as much of this country as you can on a budget;

 Vehicle Choice

Despite what the brochures show, not all major roads are navigable in a 2WD vehicle.

If you are looking for the perfect touring rig to tour Australia with, you’ll need to assess your budget and prioritize a hardy vehicle. We suggest you try and find yourself a reasonably priced 4WD preferably with a turbo diesel engine as they usually have better fuel economy than equivalent petrol-powered models. This will get you further offroad for less money, and will also assure you certainty of fuel in even the most remote fuel stops, where distances between fuel sometimes ranges up to 400+km.

Driving offroad

Television makes 4WDing look easy, there are many pitfalls if you are new, and have no solid experience taking your new 4WD offroad. So follow these tips and you should be sorted.

Firstly let down your tyres, by releasing some air with a Kwiky Tyre Deflator. A vehicle which has had its tyre pressures decreased to around 15 -16psi has double the contact patch. The drop in pressure will give more floatation through soft sand and mud, but will also allow the sidewall of the tyre to conform to the surface allowing the tyre to bend and mould to whatever the terrain throws at it.

Tyre pressure is the one contributing factor to most vehicles getting stuck in mud and sand. But just in case, don’t forget a shovel and a pair of Maxtrax, these two tools together will aid in gaining traction in even the slipperiest terrain.

When you have passed all of the tough obstacles, and are hitting paved surfaces, it is time to re-inflate your tyres with a car compressor like a Thumper  MkII. A good quality compressor has the ability to inflate all 4 tyres to highway pressure in just a few minutes and will mean your tyres survive abuse at highway speeds without any damage.

Cooking setup

When driving in remote areas, there are plenty of opportunities to pull up in peaceful and scenic places where you won’t have to pay a cent to camp. Remote free camping will reward you with million dollar views on a shoestring budget, however, you will need to bring your own amenities.

Important things like clean drinking water and a place to cook your food will need to be considered, particularly in more remote areas, drinking water is a must.

During the hotter months, a ration of 5-6L of fresh drinking water per person per day is a minimum essential, whilst also carrying an emergency ration of about 4 days worth should be kept available.

Cooking can be very easy and as simple as baking and frying over an open fire, (smoke will keep the insects away too) but be aware of ‘fire bans’ as when in place, there is increased risk of dangerous fires, and massive fines can be issued for starting fires even in a controlled environment.

A simple gas BBQ like the Voyager BBQ will run for many hours on a 9kg gas bottle and provide you with weeks of cooked breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Running on gas means you will have no problems during fire bans and can even do roasts if you choose!

Camping setup

A good camp setup will become your home away from home. And can be as simple as a swag (a traditional Australian self-contained bed roll) or as complex as a roof top tent tourer with an included annex. You can add an awning or gazebo for added shelter from the harsh sun and driving rain.

There are benefits to nearly any setup, with a rooftop tent you’ll be elevated away from the ground, and in the hot summer sun, lifted into the cool breeze. A rooftop tent also will have windows on all sides allowing for commanding views of sunrise and sunset, wherever you camp.

A swag is fast to setup and pack away, and now days can be quite roomy unlike the more traditional envelope style, like with a Kings Big Daddy Deluxe Double Swag, in just a few minutes you can be kicking back at camp.

With all of these tricks and tips we’re sure you’ll be well ahead of the rest with getting your trip organised for traveling around the great land down under!