Australia 2002, travel and nature photography

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Australia 2002

© Mill House

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Trip reports:

Across Australia in a Series 3 Land Rover part 1 - Preparation

Across Australia in a Series 3 Land Rover part 2 - Challenging the Simspon

Coming soon: Across Australia in a Series 3 Land Rover part 3 - The Gunbarrel Highway

Our trip of 2002 took us along the wild coast of South Australia and Victoria, into the pristine wilderness of Tasmania, through the challenging Simspon Desert and remote Gunbarrel Highway, and finally to the West coast. The itinerary is shown on the map above. Click on the route to see the photos of the placed we visited.

We used an original 1979 Series 3 Land Rover 4 cylinder petrol. The only modification was a long range fuel tank of 46 litres, bringing the total fuel capacity at 120 litres. With an extra 3 jerry cans on the roof rack, this gave us a range of approximately 1200 km (less in soft sand). The vehicle was chosen for its simplicity (very important in remote areas where you're basically on your own to fix your car) and its excellent off road capabilities. You're basically one with the elements in a series 3 Land Rover, and that applies to both 45°C desert environments as well as to icy cold and wet mountain ranges. We had both of course, the Australian continent having such a diverse climate.

The car was supplied by Len's Land Rovers in Pooraaka (near Adelaide), who have extensive knowledge of these vehicles and who gave us excellent support througout our trip.

With thanks to Barbagallo Motors

Some special precautions were taken to travel into the extremely remote areas of outback Australia (see advice below for travelling in remote areas).

USEFUL TIPS AND LINKS FOR TRAVELLING IN REMOTE AREAS:

When you travel in remote areas, you have to bear in mind that in the event of a car breakdown or accident, you may be days away from civilisation. A few hours in a 4WD, could be a number of days on foot!

Here are some recommendations from the Australian government (which apply worldwide):

carry adequate fuel, water, food, current road maps, two spare tyres
two jacks, shovel, first aid kit and tow rope
drink water at regular intervals to avoid dehydration
travel at speeds appropriate to road conditions
avoid night driving when wildlife and livestock may be active
in the event of breakdown - NEVER LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE
do not camp in waterways - flash floods may occur without warning
avoid wet weather driving - roads can become dangerous and impassable
keep friends or relatives informed of your outback travel itinerary

In addition to the list above, we always carry the following items:

a comprehensive set of hand tools (spanners, sockets, screw drivers, pliers, etc.), ty-raps and tank tape
recovery gear: snatch strap with large D-shackles, hand winch with tree protector
a tyre pressure gauge and 12V air compressor as well as a backup foot pump
two additional spare tubes and tyre repair kit (including a bead breaker!)
a small compass/topo maps
a satellite phone (check the coverage for a specific area)
an emergency radio beacon (EPIRB or PLB) monitored by Cospas-Sarsat (EPIRBs can be obtained from Sartech Engineering Ltd.)
Garmin GPS receiver
12V NiMH fast battery charger and 6 sets of high capacity NiMH AA batteries
spare radiator hoses and fan belts
a CV joint
a set of contact points and spark plugs (our car is a petrol)