In the first part of this article, we looked at the big picture issues regarding your choice of vehicle and accommodation. Apart from gypsy wagons and solar powered go carts, we took a reasonable look around. Today we’re going to look at some of the other issues that may inform your choice.

Colour

There are pretty good reasons why most long term travellers choose white or light coloured cars. The most important consideration is safety. Dark vehicles are a major hazard. Even in normal visibility, they can be temporarily lost against a dark background.

Light vehicles are also cooler and this is an important factor when you’re going to be in the vehicle for long stretches of time and using it to carry food, cameras and drinks. They also look cleaner for longer periods between washes and many places have water restrictions in place.

Age and Popularity

Popular vehicles have more extensive support networks and you are less likely to be stranded for long waiting for spare parts. The same consideration applies to motors if you are using a truck or bus as a platform. Go with a major manufacturer who’s likely to have engines in all kinds of commercial vehicles circulating on the highways and byways.

Brand new vehicles can also be a risk. I recall being stranded in a campground for two weeks when a mate’s brand new motorcycle needed parts which were unavailable in Australia. The quickest solution turned out to be finding an engineer to recondition the damaged parts at many times the cost of replacement parts.

Avoid the latest and greatest. Wait for the second year of a new model when the bugs have been sorted and the spares are in the country.

In any case, seriously consider the extended warranties and back up services on offer. They may present excellent value especially if you’re buying a new vehicle.

Dimensions

If you are going bush, ground clearance is one of your most important considerations. Whether you plan to go seriously off road or not, there will be times when you will take bad roads and rough tracks. Avoid any vehicle with less than 200mm clearance when fully loaded. That’s high enough if you are staying on a solid surface. Adventurous souls will need more.

Clearance should be measured at the lowest point and you should get under the car on a hoist or put it over a pit and familiarize yourself with the dangly bits. Typically, the low point is going to be a differential, exhaust or muffler. You may be able to protect it with a sump guard or plate but only in exchange for some of your valuable clearance. In any case, if you know which bit is going to touch down first, you can often manoeuvre to take this into account.

Width is also a factor to think about. While a Hummer would be a pretty impressive tow vehicle, there won’t be much paint left after you take it down a bush track the first time. Given a choice of similar vehicles, narrower bodies are of some value in preserving paintwork from bush scratches. They won’t all polish out, trust me.

If you are ‘vertically challenged’, make sure you are going to be able to reach the roof either to clean it or retrieve items from the roof rack.

Loading and Towing Limits

When towing and carrying loads, you are required to stay within the manufacturer’s guidelines for your vehicle. Manufacturers are pretty clear what you are allowed to carry and tow with their vehicles. You just need to locate the relevant information on a compliance plate or in a manual.

As you are evaluating different options you will need to consider:

Load Capacity: The combined weight of passengers, accessories, fuel and contents must not exceed the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) which will be shown on the manufacturers compliance plate. This plate will also advise of the Gross Axle Laden Rating (GALR) which will tell you how much weight may be carried over the rear axle. The latter will include the downforce of a towed vehicle on the tow ball.

Towing Capacity: You need to ensure that the vehicle’s permitted limits for towing braked or unbraked vans or trailers will safely meet your needs. This will require an assessment of the tow bar limits as well as the tow vehicle’s specifications.

If you get any of these wrong, you may void your warranty and will also break the law.

Manual vs Automatic

For ease of driving most people will prefer to drive an automatic. I’m personally not one of them.

In exchange for ease and simplicity, you get higher fuel consumption and a loss of control of how the vehicle adapts to some challenges such as hill climbing and hill descent.

For serious off road work, you can’t really beat a manual without going really high tech and risking high tech breakdowns. In sand, for example there have been numerous reports of automatic transmissions overheating on SUVs.

At the end of the day, it’s a personal preference and you need to take into account the needs of your co-driver, too.

Fuel

LPG is not a great idea as there will be many places in the bush where it is difficult to obtain. Not a bad choice if you have a dual fuel set up but ensure there’s good capacity for petrol.

Diesel continues to draw ahead of petrol as modern motors provide impressive fuel consumption figures with good power thanks to turbo chargers, superchargers and so forth. Check with your vehicle’s manufacturer before adopting bio-diesel as older motors cannot use it without some modifications to seals.

Unleaded petrol is fine and will suit many travellers very well. Petrol powered vehicles may pose an additional fire hazard in areas prone to bush fires so travel and park carefully. Be especially aware of the location of your catalytic converter if fitted and ensure that your exhaust system is sound and fitted with a spark arrester.

Cars that run best on Premium unleaded will encounter many remote locations that don’t stock it. It’s best to avoid these vehicles unless you are prepared to carry additional fuel.

In the proximity of Aboriginal communities, you may need to use Opal fuel. This is a BP fuel product that does not include the chemicals sought by petrol sniffers and should not harm your vehicle. You can review the fact sheets here.

Cruise Control and Trip Computers

An accurate trip computer may be a real comfort as you try to estimate if you can reach that next destination as darkness falls. On the other hand, mental arithmetic is good for the brain’s longevity.

Cruise control? Don’t leave home without it.

People wander the Wallaby Track using all kinds of weird and wonderful modes of transportation. I can’t help but admire the hardy souls who walk, ride bicycles and use miscellaneous livestock to get from A to B. However, most of these modes of travel require a support team and we’re more interested in self-sufficiency here.

Motor Cycles

Motor cycles have their fans and we’ve certainly been amongst them in the past. In fact, two of the best preparations for life on the road are motorcycle touring and cruising on a small sailing vessel. You learn to maximise your comfort with minimal equipment and also how to be very creative with limited cooking supplies.

With careful preparation, it’s possible for two people to live off the back of a suitable motorcycle for months on end. A modern motorcycle in the right hands is very safe, reliable and the most economical form of motorised transport available. It is even possible for a larger bike to tow a purpose built trailer if you really want to take the kitchen sink but we’ve never found either to be necessary.

While there used to be a stigma against motorcyclists, the image has been totally softened by annual Toy Runs and groups like the Ulysses Club. So if you want to “Grow Old Disgracefully”, go right ahead.

Motorcycling will not suit everyone. It takes a level of fitness just to get on and off a big bike and if your joints are starting to go or if you suffer from poor circulation, it’s probably not the best option. If you’re keen, try shorter trips first of at least a couple of weeks at a time first and see how you get on. Read the rest

What does it mean to travel like a local? We’re all shy to some degree and it’s always tempting to spend most of our time travelling in the company of friends or to seek birds of a feather to yarn around the campfire.

Being part of a social group is great and such friendships will be part of the special blessings of your journey. On the other hand, beware the risk of isolating yourself too much from the local population.

The tourists around your campsite often merely visit the places that the locals wish to make public and generally pay full commercial rates for accommodation, meals and other services.

By contrast, the locals know where the better, more private and free campsites are to be found. They know how to find cheap local produce at a good price or the best catered meals. They know who to go to when things break down and who to avoid.

The locals know the shortcuts, the bad roads and the best routes. And they know where and when the hazards are likely to appear on the roadside.

So to travel Australia like a local, the first thing you need to do is connect with the locals. Read the rest

Welcome to On the Wallaby Track.

This site is a resource for travellers of all kinds visiting the Australian bush.

On the Wallaby Track will collect the stories of expert travellers and will help you to connect with generous Aussies throughout this country who are prepared to share their part of the world with you.

We will monitor new products of interest to travellers and will publish reviews of the ones we consider useful and good value.

If your idea of travel is a quick fang around capital cities then you’ve come to the wrong place but stick around for a while in case we can tempt you to to visit some of the nicer parts of our world.

The Australian bush is not a place to take for granted but it’s not unsafe if you pay attention to some commonsense guidelines and follow them to the letter.

Welcome one and all.