Australia is the perfect place to complete your 4×4 adventure because of its wild mountains, deserts, rain forests, and coastline.
It is the ideal destination when exploring and pushing your driving skills to the limit.
Off Road Driving Tips when in Australia
Australia is the perfect place to complete your 4×4 adventure because of its wild mountains, deserts, rain forests, and coastline.
It is the ideal destination when exploring and pushing your driving skills to the limit.
However, aside from considering the adventure, thrill and excitement brought by 4WD, you should never take for granted your safety. Thus, we have come up with some helpful and safety tips for your off road driving adventure in Australia.
Get to Know Your 4WD
Before anything else, you have to know the fragile parts of your 4WD vehicle.
You need to understand your vehicle’s off-road capability. Each detail should be checked and reviewed including its approach and departure angles, and break-over angles.
Knowing these things will help you discover and get to know even more your four-wheel as you start your adventure. The following are some of the other things you need to know:
- Fuel Tank
It is a storage tank or safety container for flammable fluids. It is where fuel is stored and propelled or released into an engine.
- Gearbox
It is used to increase torque while reducing the speed of a prime mover output shaft. Here output shaft of a gearbox rotates at a slower rate than the input shaft and this reduction in speed produces a mechanical advantage increasing torque.
- Engine sump
Also known as engine oil, it is a place that collects undesirable liquids located in the bottom part of engine.
This gives you better insight on what to avoid to ensure less damages to your vehicle when doing and outdoor adventure ride.
Is your car new?
It is best to read the car manual that goes with it to know more about the vehicle’s capacity. This will give you a good mental picture of the underside of your car. Only after you have this in your mind can you safely say that you are good to go.
Do you need additional help? Call us on (07) 4696 7116.
Seek Advice and Inform Others
Always ask for directions. Chat to locals who are familiar in the area to know what to expect, to avoid and what you shouldn’t missed.
Further, inform someone about your itinerary. This makes it easier for someone to monitor you and know your location if a breakdown happens.
Inform those that should know where you are going, when you are leaving and when you are coming back. It is also important to give them your contact details just in case they’ll be needing it.
Get the Necessary Permits
It is essential to have permits to drive in the areas you are eyeing to traverse. Some areas in Australia that need permits for 4WD off road adventures includes:
- Garig Gunak Barlu National Park
- National Parks and Coastal Cities in New South Wales
- Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory
- South Australia’s Parks
Permits may take some time to process so you have to work on it weeks before your scheduled off-road trip.
Avoid Driving at Night
Unless absolutely necessary, never drive in the evening.
Wildlife area in these off road areas are easily attracted by headlights. This makes you more prone to wildlife collision, which can cause serious damage to your vehicle.
Watch this video how some cars have accidentally hit animals on the road while driving, even in the morning:
Be Aware of Road Trains
If you are driving in the Northern Territory, Western and South Australia, you should be ready for inevitable encounters with colossal road trains.
Allow at least 1.5km of open road ahead of you and always see to it have a plenty of space between you when you pass. Just take a look at some of these road trains.
Always Have a Stock of Supplies
Do you know there are people every year who die because they come unprepared when travelling?
Bring with you an emergency stash of fuel, food and water when you are up for an Australian 4×4 adventure to survive.
Call us 07 4596 3716 and we’ll give you the right advice.
Don’t Crash
Drive as slowly as possible and as fast as necessary to prevent accidents from happening.
Avoid gear changes in the middle of difficult terrain and be prepared to drive a different route. Watch some of these recorded dashcam videos of trucks while driving at the outback.
Contact Highfields Offroad at (07) 4696 7116 to start your 4×4 adventure.
We offer a choice of suspension, tyres, accessories and the right advice to ensure a fun and exciting off road trip without compromising your safety.