Posted by Jason Hall | Posted in Travel & Tourism | Posted on 10-01-2010
Your first step for getting prepared is to rent your vehicle from a reliable source. The vehicle that you are renting should be able to withstand the travels that you are planning to do with it. You want to make sure that the company your are utilizing have a vehicle for you that can safely get you through the all your Outback adventures. Many of the companies that you are familiar with, in the states, also have rental locations in Australia. These companies may make you feel more secure with your rental than going with a company that you have never heard of before.
Once you have yourself a reliable vehicle, you should then begin to prepare yourself in case of an emergency. Start by getting some current maps of the
areas you will be visiting. Then you will want to put some extra water in your vehicle, in case your car brakes down and you need to wait for an extended period of time for a tow truck or roadside service. Then you will want to make sure that you have a first aid kit available at all times, nothing to elaborate, just the basics.
The last thing that you need to be sure to have is a cell phone with an overseas SIM card. This will allow you to make international phone calls with your phone, as well as local calls while you are on your vacation. A cell phone is also great to have on hand should you have an emergency or your car brakes down and you need to contact roadside services. Before you depart to your destination you will also want to save your emergency contacts, hotel information and car hire company in case there is an emergency and you are unable to get this information across to the emergency assistant.

In the event that you do break down or experience difficulties while driving in the Tropical North make sure to stay with your vehicle. Do not wander off to seek help, doing so can be very risky since there is a lot of land to cover and many regions are very desolate. Staying with your vehicle until help arrives is always your best move and will help keep you safe. Traveling in this region can be a wonderful adventure, but make sure if you take off on a day trip that you let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return, this will help authorities to find you if you can’t call for help yourself.
photo credit: Lauri Väin
photo credit: liam.jon_d
photo credit: Imaxandco



These days, there is only a very small percentage of the population that is Aboriginal (3%) Many have health problems or alcohol related problems. There are however still areas within Australia where Aboriginals abide by their old values and beliefs and it is a wonderful experience to spend some time with them. Sacred places such as Ayers Rock are steeped in Aboriginal tradition and as such are a good place to uncover the Aboriginal belief system.
Rock Art is the oldest of the Aboriginal Arts and can be found in places such as Ayers Rock and Kakadu National Parks as these are sacred Aboriginal lands. It is the dot paintings that are particularly popular with tourists and these are generally easy to find throughout Australia.
There are lots of places you can go to learn about the Aboriginal Culture. There is not room in this article to explore them all. Arnhem Land which is near Darwin in the top end of Australia is in my opinion the best place to go. Numbers are restricted to this sacred area so you can guarantee a less touristy approach. You really do get to appreciate the real culture and see real Aboriginals dot painting and making crafts. You can easily incorporate a day trip here as part of your trip to Darwin or Kakadu National Park and I highly recommend it. Remember that this area has defined seasons so only come here between May and October.
If you want to incorporate some Aborigine experience into the more visited areas try the blue mountains walkabout as part of your trip to Sydney. The Rocks Half Day Dreaming tour which is taken by an Aboriginal Elder, Margaret Campbell is also very good. Don’t forget a detour to the Olgas if you’re driving a four-wheel drive – they are a strange yet eerie sight that Aboriginals from this region hold sacred