Australia is huge! Australia is hot! Australia is wild! But Australia is also beautiful. To ensure you're not negatively surprised by the first three characteristics, it's extremely important that your car is prepared for all conditions. And it doesn't matter what kind of car you have. Whether you have a van that you mostly keep on paved roads or a 4x4 that takes you far off the beaten path... Of course, being prepared for anything is even more crucial in off-road mode, but even in a van, you can suddenly have a breakdown and not see a soul for hours. I don't want to scare you; I just want to emphasize how important preparation is.
My girlfriend Georgie and I originally planned to drive my Mitsubishi Pajero around the country, but unfortunately, the transmission blew up 3 months before the trip. Long story short: I fulfilled a shared dream for myself and us by buying a Toyota Land Cruiser (Troopy for short), which would now be our touring vehicle. Today, I'll explain how and what I did to make the Troopy Outback-ready.
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Your Camping Set-Up
Sleeping arrangements
If you're traveling around Australia in a car, you'll certainly need a bed. This really depends on your budget and your DIY skills. You can make anything from a simple air mattress to a space-efficient folding bed. Or you can do what we did and simply put a rooftop tent on the car and use the interior as storage and a rain shelter. If you need inspiration, Pinterest can be a great help.
Cooking Equipment
If you don't want to live on canned tuna and rice cakes, you'll need a way to cook. K-Mart offers a lot of camping equipment, including gas stoves, for very little money. These certainly do the job and work well. If you want more than just one burner, you'll find what you're looking for at Anaconda, BCF, and Bunnings. However, prices can quickly go up, so it's always worth checking Facebook Marketplace. This is basically Australia's equivalent of Craigslist. Cutlery, pots, and other items can be found very cheaply in op-shops (secondhand stores).
Fridge or Cooler
A fridge makes travel life much more pleasant, but it's not an absolute must. Six years ago, I lived in a van for almost 8 months without electricity or a cooler. At the time, I simply didn't know how easily I could have installed a power system, so I never considered it. The consequence was that I more or less became a vegetarian for a certain period. Anyway, if you simply want your own fridge, then "4wd Supa Centre" can certainly help you. There you'll find everything from the "Kings" brand that a camper's heart desires. Tents, rooftop tents, awnings, but also complete 12V power systems and suitable cool boxes for them.
This time, however, we had a complete 12V power system with a second battery and solar, and it was really worth it. And as I said, you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to run a fridge and a few USB plugs.
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Safety First
Water and Food Reserves
Of course, we don't assume this will happen, but if, in the worst case, you get stranded in the Australian Outback somewhere in the middle of nowhere, off the more frequented roads, things can quickly get uncomfortable. Therefore, it is always an absolute MUST to have at least 10 liters of water as a reserve in your car. Store it somewhere where you only need to access it in an emergency, preferably with a few canned meals such as tuna, beans, ravioli, or other canned food. As I said, only for emergencies. Better to have it and not need it than to not have it and need it.
First Aid Kit
You might think, "Wow, what an alarmist," but imagine you're surfing in South Australia, far from the nearest town with a pharmacy, and you cut your foot on a sharp rock or reef. On your way back to the car, a snake attacks and bites your leg. It would be really great if you had a first aid kit with a snakebite kit in the car right now, wouldn't it? Yes, exactly, it would be great!
Quick disclaimer: cutting your foot isn't that unlikely, but the snakebite story is. But you never know.
Off-road Equipment
Since Georgie and I definitely wanted to explore a lot off the paved roads, some off-road gadgets were necessary for us. You should have the following if you plan to go off-roading:
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MaxTrax, in case you get stuck
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Shovel, to dig your car out of the sand
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Jumpstart power bank, in case your battery is dead and no one is around to jumpstart it
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Tow rope, in case you need to pull someone else out, or someone else needs to pull you out of soft sand, for example
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Spare jerry can with diesel or petrol
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Air compressor, so you can reinflate your tires
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Deflator, so you can let air out of your tires
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Axe for firewood
The Final Engine Check
Before you really get going, I recommend having your car checked one last time by a mechanic. Have the oil and all filters changed again so that everything is truly fresh. And don't forget to give your car an inspection every 10,000 kilometers, even while traveling. Oh, and always having some spare oil with you has often paid off for us.
If you've considered all of this, you can be sure that you're well-prepared.
Safe Travels!
Cheers
Jesko
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