I've been lucky enough to visit Kangaroo Island at least once a year since I moved to Australia, and have quite a few tips for visitors. This isn't the place for museum or cafe culture, but it's great if you're looking for a bit of solitude and stunning natural surroundings.

First tip - You should not attempt to do Kangaroo Island in one day! We've seen many a tour group heading over early in the morning, loading onto a coach bus, and then back on the latest possible boat. It's an effort to get to, so you may as well make it worth your while.

Here's my recommended 4 day itinerary on Kangaroo Island.

Getting to Kangaroo Island

There are 2 ways to get to Kangaroo Island.

1. There are flights to the island but they are quite expensive, even when factoring in the difference in travel time. We look every time, and it has just never been worth it for us.

2. The more popular way to get to the island is by boat, most commonly via the Sealink Ferry. You can take a shuttle from Adelaide and walk on to the boat, but there's no public transit on either side. We would recommend renting a car in Adelaide and driving it over on the ferry. This is much quicker and actually not much more expensive than the shuttle + walk on fees.

Note that place names on the island are half British and half French. The story goes that the island was discovered and explored on two sides simultaneously, with British explorer Matthew Flinders meeting Nicolas Baudin (sent by Napoleon on a mapping expedition) at Encounter Bay in 1802. Why is it called Kangaroo Island? Let's just say the explorers were really hungry... But I digress.

Day 1

Getting to KI is a bit of journey (well, not compared to the one in 1802, it's all relative), so I'd recommend getting an early ferry. It's usually a smooth crossing but depends on the weather. On rare occasions the ferry can be delayed or cancelled due to weather or maintenance issues. Watch for dolphins!

American River

One of the stranger sites for an American in Australia is a U.S. flag flying in the breeze. American River has a flag at the turnoff from the highway as well as one in town.

The Deck cafe has great food with a sea view, and stop by the boat building museum and workshop next door to see the Independence reconstruction! If there are volunteers around they will often give you a tour, and you can buy a board to help fund the project.

There's also an oyster shop and tour place in American River, but Bobby and I are not huge fans so haven't made an effort to stop by.

There is some accommodation here if you don't want to travel too far on Day 1. If you're staying further along, hit the road towards Kingscote, with a few more stops along the way.

I love the tree tunnels on KI!

Clifford's Honey

Clifford's Honey is hidden away, but well worth a visit just for the honey ice cream (let's just say I'm lactose-intolerant and I eat some every visit).

You'll learn about Ligurian bees, imported from Italy and brought to KI in 1884.

- Clifford's Honey

You can view bee hives and bee product harvesting techniques in the back before browsing the gift shop. We'd also recommend the honey mustard salad dressing (yum!).

Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery

Emu Ridge is somewhere we stop on every visit to KI. I don't have any photos of the interior, but this spot has an introductory video showing how the eucalyptus has been refined for many years, a self-guided walking tour, a large gift shop, and a small cafe.

They usually foster wallaby babies, who are quite feisty but also adorable! Yes, they have emus too. We always take home some eucalyptus oil, and often pick up some small gift items like soap and hand cream.

The Island Beehive

On the way into Kingscote is the Island Beehive - local honey, wool, and other local products. I love the kalamata olives and some of the spice mixes.

Kingscote

Since Kingscote is Bobby's hometown, this is where I've spent a majority of my time on KI. Unless you're planning to camp, I would recommend this as a base for some day trips!

Recommendations in Kingscote:

• Take a walk along Main Street

• Walk out along the newly-refurbished jetty

• Old Mulberry Tree (historical site)

• Bay of Shoals Wines

• Kingscote Silo Art

• Big Quince Print has a nice selection of books and novelty gifts

There aren't a huge amount of options for eating out in Kingscote, but there are enough for a few days. Make sure you check the hours, not much is open late here.

My favorites:

• Cactus - Cafe with excellent breakfast/brunch and fresh juices.

• Kangaroo Island Fresh Seafoods - A selection of fish and tons of chips, along with assorted other fried food.

• Queenscliffe Hotel - Hang out in the front bar to get some really Aussie pub culture, or eat in the restaurant for a classier experience. This is the first place I tried kangaroo.

• For groceries, Drakes is your best bet. They have a surprisingly good gluten free section!

Day 2

If you feel like a morning swim, visit the Kingscote Tidal Pool or Kangaroo Island Yacht Club.

There is a short trail that goes between these two places, and it's one of my favorite places to spend time while on the island.

If you're feeling really adventurous, you can dive under the jetty for fresh scallops! There is reportedly good diving here, but you'll have to bring equipment over as there is nowhere to rent it on the island.

Emu Bay Lavender Farm

Emu Bay Lavender is a great spot for lunch, and they often have a band on the weekends in the busy season. There's a full menu, with seating inside and outside and a gift shop full of lavender items and local products and crafts.

Make sure you split an order of the massive lavender scones for dessert (seriously, do not attempt on your own)!

Emu Bay Beach

I don't have pics of this spot but it's lovely for a swim, and you can drive on this beach if you have a capable vehicle (would not recommend in a rental!).

Stokes Bay

This area has a nice trail under large boulders to a hidden beach. Bobby says it can be a good snorkeling spot, depending on the weather.

Kangaroo Island Brewery

The Kangaroo Island Brewery is always busy, being fairly close to Kingscote. Make sure you check opening hours, and for closings for events such as weddings.

Day 3

Flinders Chase

The drive out to Flinders Chase National Park is long but scenic. We'd recommend going first thing to beat the day tours. If you're in need of a coffee or bathroom break, stop halfway at the Vivonne Bay General Store.

There is an entry fee for the park. Some accommodation is available here, as well as camping.

The main highlight is Remark­able Rocks, an iconic rock formation you'll see on tourism ads for South Australia and Kangaroo Island. It's well worth driving for a few hours!

Weirs Cove and Cape du Couedic Lightstation

After you've taken in as much as you can handle of the Remarkable Rocks, drive around the cove to the old lighthouse keeper's cottage at Weirs Cove. The inhabitants had supplies delivered by ship every few months, hauled up a chute along the rocky cliff with a pulley system. The lighthouse is up and around a bend in the road.

Admirals Arch

The final must-see destination in the park is Admirals Arch. Walk down a winding boardwalk and look for the ever-present colony of long-nosed fur seals. They blend in with the rocks, so look carefully!

There are a few options to fill your day, depending on how early you start and how much time you have left!

Hanson Bay or Vivonne Bay

These are both glorious beaches. Usually when I visit it seems to be cloudy and I don't really feel like a swim, but they are stunning to look at.

Little Sahara

Despite my many visits, there are also places I haven't been yet! I've actually never been to Little Sahara Sand Dunes, but Bobby went often as a kid and says it's a good spot for sandboarding. There's also Kelly Hill Caves and Seal Bay Conservation Park nearby, neither of which I have visited yet.

Raptor Domain

I thought this bird show at Raptor Domain would be really cheesy when Bobby took me for the first time, but it was actually really cool! We haven't been back since they changed ownership (after the bushfires).

Note that they close at 4pm most days, so if you're having too much fun exploring Flinders Chase you'll have to do this another day.

Day 4

This is the last planned day, but you could spend a lot more time exploring the island! If you need to get back to the mainland, book a late ferry to squeeze in some more exploring.

Kangaroo Island Spirits

Make a stop at Kangaroo Island Spirits, newly-renovated with award-winning gin.

Duck Lagoon

Koalas!!! Need I say more? There is also a campground here, and a bird hide if you're into birdwatching.

Pennington Bay

Make sure you stop at my favorite place on Kangaroo Island, Pennington Bay. It's stunning in any weather, and different every time we visit.

This Midwesterner still can't believe people surf here...

Penneshaw

If you have a little time to kill in Penneshaw before the ferry leaves, there is a sculpture trail up in the hills. Sunset Food and Wine is a good spot to grab a bite to eat with a great view of the ocean.

The gift shop at the ferry port has a nice selection of local goods (KI gin, eucalyptus and lavender products, etc.), and you can grab a last honey ice cream from the cooler at the cafe.

The Kangaroo Island Fires

Bobby and I were actually on KI when the initial 2020 fires started from a lightning strike. The Christmas parade was a bit smoky, and the local fire crew was on standby. It was only after we got back to Brisbane that the fires took off, engulfing a third of the island. Luckily Bobby's family was in Kingscote which remained untouched, although a cruise ship was anchored offshore in case the worst happened. The rest of the island was not so lucky.

210,000 hectares (518,921 acres) were burned in the fires. 87 homes were destroyed. An estimated 60,000 sheep died, which was a crushing blow to the farmers who depend on livestock for their livelihood. I remember my American relatives telling me that the poor koalas made the news, but I have to admit, I was feeling too bad for the people. Read more and see the devastation here. Thousands of kilometres of fencing needed to be rebuilt, which is pretty important when you're a sheep farmer. A charity called BlazeAid lent a hand.

On our next visit to KI, we could see the leftover pink fire retardant used to save the town of Parndana. Everything outside of the town was black. The fire burned so hot that it killed everything, and the undergrowth was just starting to come back. We tried to drive out to Flinders Chase, but high winds plus roadsides full of dead trees made it unsafe. Before turning back, we snapped a few shots of the yacca (not yucca, a different plant), which rely on fires to germinate. For scale, Bobby is 6' 4"!

On our most recent visit, we traveled out to Flinders Chase, which was badly damaged by the fires. All of the boardwalks have been replaced, and the Visitor's Centre burned so there is a temporary building for ticket sales. As you can see below, the undergrowth has come back, but the trees are still pretty crispy. See before and after photos of the park here.

Read more about the bushfire recovery efforts here.

Want more adventure? Check out our trip to rarely-visited Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory.

This hike was logistically the most challenging (and most expensive) trek I've done in quite a while. To get to Hinchinbrook Island, we flew into Townsville (2 hours), took a shuttle to Lucinda (2 hours), stayed overnight, then took a ferry around to the hike's starting point. If you're interested in completing the trek, you can find more information at the bottom of the post.

Day 1 - 6.5km to Little Ramsay Bay

We spent the night before the hike at the Lucinda Wanderers Holiday Park, a newly-renovated park with great facilities. We made sure to pack our backpacks the night before, discarding extra items to try cut down on weight, but those starting packs are always heavy!

We boarded a small boat with one other person, a solo hiker who left us in the dust as soon as we landed.

Our first view of the island was stunning. For the entire ferry ride, we felt a bit like we were headed to Jurassic Park!

The ocean wasn't too rough, but it was a long ride.

We eventually turned off into a mangrove swamp (we sadly did not spot any dugongs). It was surprising to see a manmade dock after so long looking at pure wilderness. We were immediately attacked by sandflies and it started raining... Not an auspicious start.

The hike begins! Thankfully the skies cleared shortly afterward and we left the sandflies behind as we started hiking.

Our first beach walk beckoned, and the skies cleared.

We got to the turnoff for Nina Peak. I really didn't want to hike up to this lookout because it was HOT and I was already tired. I'm glad I did, but I forgot my wide angle lens!

Then back down it was, to collect our big packs and continue along to the next beach!

The theme of this trail was UP and then DOWN and then UP... you get the idea.

We took a lunch break at a lovely beachside spot in Nina Bay. Here we found our first pit toilet, and a campground for people with a bit more time on the trail. It was an idyllic spot, but no swimming in the ocean here due to the risk of crocodiles. The waves taunted the hot and sweaty hikers.

Then it was back to following the blazes.

Here's where the true work began, as we had to climb over many rocks. It was beautiful, but exhausting. Luckily we didn't have to worry about the tide times for our hike, as the low tide was in the middle of the day.

After a hot afternoon of rock hopping, we arrived at Little Ramsay Bay.

Just before the campground was a small inlet with picturesque reflections of the mountains. The water source was up to the right, from a rocky but clear-flowing stream. Again, we were tortured by the ocean and inlet, which were off-limits due to crocs.

We rested up a bit and then got into camp mode, putting up our tents and getting water to filter.

Trail tip: Keep in mind that there are rodents on the island, so keep any food or trash in your pack and hang it up when you are away from camp and at night. The pack rack is also a handy hook for your water filter bag.

We chatted with some of the other hiking groups, made dinner, and hit the hay early because we were all wiped.

Day 2 - 10.5 km to Zoe Bay

We were all a bit stiff and sore after our first full day of hiking, but we were also excited to see what Day 2 would bring!

The views back towards camp were pretty spectacular.

Right after this was a bit of vertical rock scrambling. Not easy with a big pack on!

After the rock scrambling, our first swim of the hike was in a teeny tiny waterfall. It was refreshing, but we were excited for the bigger ones!

We stopped for lunch, staying well away from the water as "Beware of Crocodile" signs were present.

The stream crossings continued, with us carefully stepping in some areas and removing boots for wading through others.

A hiker who'd done the trail previously tipped us off to the Blue Pools, which we would never have noticed on our own. It was the perfect spot for another swim!

After a very long day due to our many swim detours, we finally made it to Zoe Bay.

The ferry guy warned us about the sandflies here, and he was right. I covered up head to toe and still got eaten alive. The only solution was DEET. We were told about a campsite that's closer to Zoe Falls and less insect-infested, but it was already taken.

We strung up hammocks, explored the nearby waterfall (worth it if you want a post-hike swim), and had dinner on the beach.

We saw the same knowledgeable hiker again, who came over after dark with her crew and we went croc-spotting in the lagoon near the campground. Yep, we saw some big eyes shining... Surprisingly, no one had nightmares. In the morning we saw drag marks and prints in the same area, and oh boy, the croc threat is real!

Day 3 - 7.5km to Mulligan Falls

The next morning we packed up as quickly as we could to avoid the bugs and headed to Zoe Falls. We couldn't resist a swim in the lower pool, which was a good cool-off before the super steep ascent to the upper pools (there's one part where you use a chain to get up).

Well worth the trip, just for this view!

You can swim in the top of the falls, or in a pool below the first rim.

We had a very scenic breakfast.

We spent a few hours swimming, but knew we had to get moving or we wouldn't make camp before dark.

The day following was the hardest of the lot. It was mostly open trail, with the hot sun beating down. We wet our shirts and Buffs as often as possible, but there wasn't much shade.

It was long, it was hot, but when we got to the top of the ridgeline, we got 180 degree ocean views the whole way.

After a lot of down, we made it to a flat, tree-covered trail. Our final campground was nestled in a thick grove.

We hopped into the last waterfall of the trip before dinner. Ahh, refreshing.

We read our books for a bit and feasted on our favourite backpacking meal, Backpacker's Pantry pad thai, courtesty of Andrea's last trip to the U.S. and of course, REI.

Day 4 - 7.5km to George Point (2.5 hours)

A final trail breakfast was eaten at the top of the waterfall, and a final dip before the hot hike out.

After how long it took us to get to the campgrounds on the previous days, I was confused about the time estimate for Day 4 (2.5 hours). It also was still rated as "difficult". I think this has to do with the tides. The tidal river crossings here can be quite dangerous (read: crocs), but for our hike it was low tide and we cruised our way to the pickup point.

The last 5 kilometres were an easy walk along the beach. Someone's phone made a notification sound and we all groaned a bit... It was so nice to be disconnected for a few days.

Delirium or joy?

We made it to George Point, the end of the trail!

There was a campground and pit toilet here, but as there's nowhere safe to swim and you can actually see Lucinda, most people choose to do the final day in one push.

Our ferry was waiting to take us back to the mainland. I think we were all happy to put down the packs and take a shower!

We made it back to the caravan park, got our luggage, and took a long shower in the big shower block. A change of clothes, off to the pub for a feed, and then our transfer back to Townsville. The crew enjoyed sitting down and watching the world go by, and they dropped me off at the airport for my earlier flight back to Brisbane.

Extra kudos to our friend's mom who was a legend for hiking this trail with us! You can adventure with us anytime, Gaye. To Andrea for doing the bulk of travel planning. To Talia for endless stoke and carrying capacity. To Bek for being great company. And a shoutout to Janine who had a concussion and couldn't come along... Let's plan the next one soon, huh?

The Hike

• Trail length: 32 kilometres (~20 miles)

• Minimum time: 4 days, 3 nights

• Suggested season: April-September

• Max group size: 6 people

• The trail can be walked north from George Point or south from Ramsay Bay. We liked the southbound option as we would get the long ferry over with first.

I was surprised to see so much of the hike rated as difficult. The mileage each day seemed easy enough, even with a big pack. But once on the trail, I understood why. The trail is marked well most of the way, but the entire hike wanders along rocky outcroppings, sandy beaches, wet marshy areas, and countless stream crossings. Our group is very fit (2 ultra-runners) and I found it to be do-able but I was glad we didn't go any later in the year (we went in mid-October). It was really stinkin' hot, which makes the croc-infested waters even more of a tease on the days without safe swimming holes.

This is the most useful resource we found for the hike, especially for pre-planning. There is also a paid app you can download to use on the trail. Maps can be found on the national park website.

The most frustrating part of this trip logistically was getting gas for our stove. You aren't allowed to fly with gas, and we were pretty crunched for time on the way up. I made a very expensive Uber detour to Anaconda to pick up fuel. I suggested to the holiday park that they sell stove gas to hikers, but not sure if they were keen on the idea.

Must-haves for the hike:

• Assorted hiking gear

• Water filter and treatment tablets as a backup

• Camp stove

• First aid kit

• Sunscreen

• Bug spray (I hate using DEET but would recommend on this trail)

• Dehydrated meals or food that won't spoil in multiple days of heat

• PLB

Permits

To keep Hinchinbrook wild, only 40 people are allowed to hike the trail at one time. You must have a permit to hike the trail. Kayakers who stay overnight have different permit booking options. Some people also come explore by boat, usually as day trips from the mainland.

• Permits are released on a rolling 6 month basis, so each day you can book permits for any day up to six months in advance. However, between around April and October, they book up right away.

• You can book more than 6 permits, but you are only supposed to hike in groups of 6 to limit environmental impact.

• If you're not going to use a permit, please return it. We returned the permit for our friend who got a concussion before the trip, and we're pretty sure the solo hiker we met on the ferry took it.

It took us a long time and a lot of effort to get permits; kudos to Andrea for staying up at odd hours to book them!

Getting to the Thorsborne Trail

Getting to Townsville

We chose to meet up in Townsville, as we all had varying days we could get off work. I flew Virgin and the others flew Jetstar. Keep in mind that you'll need to check a bag, and you cannot fly with stove gas so you'll have to find some before you start the trail.

Alternatively, you can fly/drive to Cairns, then Cardwell, and take a different ferry from Cardwell.

Shuttle to Lucinda

We looked into renting a car that could fit all of us (originally 6), but it worked out to be about the same cost to get a shuttle. We preferred that as none of us would need to drive, and we wouldn't leave a rental car sitting in unfamiliar territory for 4 days.

A shuttle with Helloworld Travel Ingham was arranged and was exactly as advertised.

Accommodation in Lucinda

We stayed at the Lucinda Wanderers Holiday Park, in 2 cottages on the property. The staff will store excess luggage for hikers and give you a towel and a shower upon return. I would highly recommend them as they were super responsive to my many questions, and were flexible with bookings after one of our friends couldn't make the trip.

We ate at the Lucinda Hotel, which is a block away from the holiday park and is also quite nice. The portions were huge, the drinks were cold, and the staff were very entertaining.

Ferry to Hinchinbrook

You can do the trail in 2 directions, but we thought it made more sense to do it north to south. This means we had a long ferry ride on the way over, but the return ferry was only about 10 minutes.

We booked with Absolute North Charters. They got us where we needed to go, but the guy that runs it is pretty crabby and technology-averse. However, he does know the trail backwards and forwards, and the app he helped develop is well worth purchasing for the trek. He did also give us some mosquito coils for the really bad areas, which was nice.

Questions?

Would you like to know anything about the Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island that I haven't mentioned above? Comment below and I'll try give you an answer!

The circuit can be done clockwise or counter clockwise. We chose to do the falls first and end with the Border Track.

The circuit track slowly descends further into sub-tropical rainforest, with Jurassic Park-like foliage and enormous buttress root trees. The track can be quite muddy, but luckily for us it hadn't rained for a while.

After a long descent, the first landmark to appear is the Coomera Falls lookout. From here it's an impossibly steep drop to Yarrabilgong Falls and Coomera Falls.

Next is a walk through Coomera Gorge. There are quite a few falls that aren't on the national parks map, and each is unique.

The river crossings are apparently intense after rain, but we had no trouble keeping our boots dry.

The waterfalls just kept coming! Make sure you do all of the side trails, which offer unexpected views.

This was the last substantial waterfall before we headed back to Binna Burra on the Border Track.

It took about 2 hours to hike the mostly flat section back. The only standout was the Joalah Lookout a few kilometres after the turnoff.

We spotted a few pademelons near dusk, and arrived back at the parking lot just in time for sunset. We were all tired from a long day, but agreed this hike was well worth it. Find the most complete list I found of the waterfalls here.

Thanks for the hike, adventure ladies!

Happy trails!

Groote Eylandt - Dutch for "Big Island"

Groote Eylandt is the fourth-largest island in Australia, named by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1644. Part of the Northern Territory, Groote Eylandt lies 630 kilometres (390 miles) from Darwin, which is a 1.5 hour flight or a 10+ hour drive and a ferry ride. We flew from Darwin to Groote Eylandt for 3 days, which was just long enough to see the surface of what this island has to offer its visitors. The island is known for its pristine waters and world-class fishing, as well as Aboriginal art and culture.

Bobby's mom sent some photos for us to compare the 1990's to present day. Bobby is the cute blonde baby on the top right. He's grown a little bit since then!

When we told people in Darwin we were visiting Groote, most of them had heard of it but didn't really know where it was, or asked why the heck we wanted to go all the way out there! It's quite a trek, as the island is located in remote Arnhem Land, renowned for its untouched wilderness.

The Traditional Owners

The traditional owners of the Groote Eylandt archipelago are the Warnindilyakwa Aboriginal people, referred to by their language name, Anindilyakwa. It's estimated that they have inhabited Groote Eylandt for about 8,000 years. It's extremely uncommon for 14 tribes to speak the same language, and the Anindilyakwa language is reportedly one of the oldest in Australia.

The first outsiders to reach Groote are thought to be Macassan (Indonesian) sailors in the 1600's. Read more about the early history of Groote.

The Groote Eylandt archipelago was declared an Indigenous Protected Area in 2006. This means the traditional owners granted a lease on the land to the government, mainly for the purpose of manganese mining.

Aboriginal motifs and artwork are featured throughout the Groote Eylandt Lodge.

Next door is the Anindilyakwa Arts Gallery, which supports Anindilyakwa artists wishing to live on traditional homelands. The gallery assists with artistic development and cultural preservation, and provides a source of income.

You can find many forms of Indigenous art here, including didgeridoos, jewelry, basket weaving, and hand-dyed clothing. I was particularly interested by Bush Medijina, a natural beauty product company on the island. I really wanted to visit them in nearby Angurugu, but we didn't have quite enough time to arrange it.

Groote Eylandt Lodge

There's only one place for visitors to stay on Groote, and that's the Groote Eylandt Lodge. Built in 2008, the lodge has waterfront cabins, a swimming pool, full-service bar and restaurant, conference centre, and more.

Most people come for the world-class fishing tours, but if you're not into lots of time on the water, the lodge also offers cultural visits and 4WDing tours. We hopped into the lodge's Troopy and hit the (sandy) road!

The cave art on the island is truly stunning. It puts Kakadu to shame.

We were shown around by Jon, who is also the main fishing guide. What a legend!

Groote Eylandt Fishing

The main attraction on Groote is the world-class fishing. Jon was telling us he's hosted clients from all over, most recently Japan and England.

Every tropical species is here, including Sailfish, Marlin, Spanish Mackerel, Giant Trevallys, Red Emperor, Golden Snapper, and the mighty Barramundi.

The fishing charters leave from the lodge, taking passengers in 2 fiberglass boats imported from Florida. They have the capacity to take out 4 people in each boat, plus a fishing guide.

The day started out a bit cloudy, and the fish weren't biting yet.

We tried a new spot, and... success! The sun peeked out and we kept searching for bites.

Something I hadn't thought about before our tour started... As I found out a few hours into the trip, the ladies on board have to pee in a bucket. Anywhere else in the world you'd just jump in the water, but here if you skip a rock you'll hit at least one shark!

We talked to Jon a bit more about past trips. He usually takes people out for multiple days so they can catch The Big One. These tours are more popular with men, but Jon claims the women are more patient and often catch bigger fish than the guys!

An hour or so later, Jon took us to one of his favourite spots.

Jon caught a few little ones, but the big ones kept getting sharked, which means we'd hook 'em and then the sharks would take them off the line. It was pretty crazy... We stuck the GoPro down into the water at one point and there were 5 sharks circling the boat. They're a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Jon said they'll often tail fishing boats all day, hoping for an easy feast.

The pristine water and untouched islands out here looked like something out of a movie. You wouldn't want to get shipwrecked out here, though! There's no safe swimming to shore. Like most places in the Northern Territory, the views are incredible but the ocean can be deadly.

If you come back with a big catch, the chef will cook it up for dinner. Sadly the sharks got most of ours, but there's always next time! Thanks for the tour, Jon.

We had a great time on Groote, and wish we'd had just a little more time on the island. See some of what's on offer in the video below!

Additional Thoughts

I was very disappointed that we didn't get to do a cultural tour. We really didn't have that much time on the island, and an elder had passed away, meaning (to my best understanding) that most of the Anindilyakwa people were on another part of the island that we could not visit.

Apparently it's difficult for the staff at Groote Eylandt Lodge to schedule cultural tours, because the Indigenous people don't value "time is money" the same way that us Westerners do. They would often rather spend time with their children and community members than show people around the island, and the frequency and unpredictability of events such as the elder's death means it's hard to plan tours in advance. It was really interesting to learn about a culture where earning money is not the biggest motivator.

During our time on Groote we learned as much as we could from the staff at the lodge and the others we met on the island. While they seem to respect the Indigenous, there is a divide in the community. Most people we spoke to had little interest in learning about the local culture, which I found rather sad. The miners and their families are content fishing and spending time within their community.

Mining

In 1962, large manganese ore deposits were discovered on Groote. The Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO) was formed in 1964, and the land has been mined ever since. The mining operations are on the Western side of the island, and the manganese is shipped by barge to Tasmania. The 1,500 Aboriginals on the island receive yearly compensation, much like Alaskans getting an annual payout from the government for harvesting resources.

We were driven past the mining operations and company housing many times during our stay here. Although these were factors that brought Bobby's family to the island in the first place, one has to wonder how the locals feel about generations of white people tearing up their land. However, on our 4WD tour we saw how untouched much of the island is, even after decades of mining operations.

Some of the miners here are 2nd generation. There is a school on the island for the children, although most of them go to boarding school after a certain age.

MJD

Before visiting the island, I wasn't aware that there was a lot of charity work taking place. There is a hereditary neuro-degenerative condition called Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD) among the Indigenous people, thought to have come from the Macassan people of Indonesia.

"Previously known as “Groote Eylandt Syndrome”, the effects of MJD have been known to the Aboriginal people of this region for at least four generations.

MJD is an inherited, autosomal dominant disorder, meaning that each child of a person who carries the defective gene has a 50% chance of developing the disease. In addition, the mutation is typically expanded when it is passed to the next generation (known as an anticipation effect) which means that symptoms of the disease appear around 8-10 years earlier and are more severe. There is no known cure for MJD. Progression to dependence occurs over 5 to 10 years and most people are wheelchair-bound and fully dependent for activities of daily living within 10-15 years of the first symptoms emerging.

Although it is impossible to predict the number of people who will develop MJD, there are currently around 650 people alive today thought to be at risk of developing the disease across the Top End."

- MJD Foundation

People with this disease are offered home care in the villages, and flights for medical treatment back in Darwin. I just found this to be so very sad, and to my limited Australian knowledge, not well-known.

Hope you learned something, and that someday you'll get to experience the wonders of an island in the N.T.! If you're curious about other islands in Northern Australia, check out our posts on 4WD Camping on Fraser Island or Day Trips in the Whitsundays.

Florence Falls

The campground at Florence Falls had spacious camp sites, plenty big for our rig plus a campervan. It's first come, first served, with a pay envelope station in the centre. There is a central unit with bathrooms, cold showers, and a sink for doing dishes.

The walk from the campground to Florence Falls is down a steep set of metal stairs. Watch your step! It's only about a 10 minute walk to the falls.

The view from the lookout is worth an extra minute of walking! There's a longer loop trail if you're feeling energetic. We used the Florence Falls Campground as our jumping-off point to explore the rest of the park.

Blyth Homestead

We were sad to find the road to The Lost City was closed. This 10km track ending in spectacular sandstone formations is one of the highlights of the park. We weren't sure if this was due to the recent rain, upcoming wet season, or another reason.

Continuing on to the Reynolds River 4WD Track, we found the roads were very wet and muddy from frequent afternoon rainstorms.

We found a few deep river crossings, with one all the way up to the bonnet (hood for you Americans)! The road was in good condition most of the way, but we definitely needed our lifted 4WD and a snorkel to do the water crossings.

We stopped in at the Blyth Homestead, built by the Sargent Family in 1928. The family of sixteen operated a tin mine out back. Being so far from civilisation, they had to be very self-sufficient. Read more here.

The homestead was abandoned in 1960, and the land was later donated to the national park.

Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek)

After another 20 minutes of driving and about a 15 minute walk through the valley, we came to Tjaynera Falls. And we had it all to ourselves!

The parking area here doubles as a campground if you're interested in spending the night, but make sure you're well-supplied as you'll be in the middle of nowhere.

Magnetic Termite Mounds

There's a small pull-off near Florence Falls where you can see the magnetic termite mounds. This type of termite mound can only be found in parts of Northern Australia, characterised by thin edges pointing north to south and broad sides facing east to west. This regulates the inside temperature, and they grow to around 2 metres (6.5 ft) high.

The more common reddish-coloured catherdral termite mounds can grow to more than double that height!

Wangi Falls

Our final waterfall stop in Litchfield was Wangi Falls. With a cafe, barbecue area, and one minute walk in to the falls, this is the most accessible waterfall.

After a final dip, we made our way back to Darwin! We were very ready for a real shower and some air conditioning.

Check out the sights in nearby Kakadu National Park or Katherine. Questions about road tripping in this area? Comment below, contact us, or send us a message on our social media!

Day 1

I'd highlighted a few spots in the park to visit from blogs and Instagram, but we didn't have a park map or much cultural information on hand. Since we were coming up from the south, we stopped at the Mary River Ranger Station to double check on some closures. This station had restrooms and some signage, but surprisingly no park information brochures. There was a map with campgrounds, but it had no information about how long the hikes in were or road condition reports.

The ranger station did have signage that mentioned the Gunlom Falls upper pools are closed due to a request from the native tribe. We were told by a park ranger that the trail goes though a sacred ceremonial site, so it will be closed for the forseeable future. If you still want to visit, the lower pool is open, and so is the campground. We decided to skip Gunlom and headed to Maguk instead!

Maguk Waterfall

This waterfall is accessible to 4WD vehicles via a 10km unsealed road. It might be accessible to 2WDs if it's dry and you're not driving a rental! We saw a few vans that made it in here, but the road is quite rough in spots and we saw quite a few lost hubcaps. Our friends parked their campervan at the turnoff and hopped into our rig. We flew through a mud puddle expecting it to be quite shallow but almost lost a wheel down there, so go carefully!

Once you park, there's about a 20 minute rock scramble to the waterfall. It was hot when we were there, but so worth it.

The water wasn't very cold, but it was great to be able to take a dip here. Make sure you don't swim in the river!

There is a campground at Maguk but we decided to get a bit further north. We drove back out, stopping at a pull-off with some massive termite mounds! They're HUGE!

Mardukal Campground also looked nice but we needed to charge up our batteries in the trailer to keep the fridge running. We camped at the Cooinda Lodge, which has a bar and restaurant and multiple swimming pools. Would recommend if you're not looking to go bush!

Day 2

I was crushed to find that the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre was closed due to renovations, and there's no planned reopening date. We considered the Yellow Water boat tour which gets rave reviews, but at $90 per person it was a bit out of our budget. So we continued on to the Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) heritage site.

The Anbangbang Rock Shelter was a highlight, offering insight into the traditions and stories surrounding this area. The Indigenous tribes used to take shelter here during the pre-monsoon season (which is when we visited) to avoid frequent lightning strikes.

The art along the rest of the Nourlangie Trail tells stories of the people that have been coming here for over 6,000 years.

There are normally ranger-guided hikes during the busy season, but due to COVID these were not available.

The storm clouds started rolling in as we got to the lookout, so we made our way back to the cars.

Bowali Visitor Centre

This visitor centre was more what I was looking for, with a park ranger on hand to answer questions, park brochures and maps, and a cultural exhibit. You'd normally pay a $40 entrance fee here, but the fees were waived when we visited.

There were many interesting displays in the little musuem. One was about the region's six seasons - Monsoon (Gudjewg), Knock 'em down (Banggerreng), Cooler but still humid (Yegge), Cold weather (Wurrgeng), Hot dry (Gurrung), and Pre-monsoon storm (Gunumeleng), which is when we visited. Read more about the seasons here.

We were also fascinated to learn some ancient legends about the sickness land, which has since been found to be a radioactive area rich in uranium. Even though the Indigenous peoples didn't have a scientific reason to avoid that area, they knew not to eat or drink anything from there, and told stories to keep people out.

After having a browse around, we headed to Jabiru to set up camp for the night. We stayed at Aurora Kakadu Lodge & Caravan Park, jumped in the pool for a cool down, and had a lazy restaurant meal since we were pretty much out of groceries. If you need to stock up in Jabiru, be aware that the grocery store prices are exorbitant but there's nothing else available for a long way.

Day 3

If you want to witness crocodiles in the wild, head a half hour north of Jabiru to Cahills Crossing.

Cahills Crossing

If you've done any research about the N.T. you've most likely heard about Cahills Crossing. This is a rite of passage for any 4WD, with crocodiles lurking in the murky water and a strong current at higher tides. There are hundreds here at any time, but we only saw a few tracks through the mud and the occasional head above the water.

The tides affect the river level, and the most crocs can be viewed at high tide. People have died here, so only cross if your vehicle is capable and do not leave your vehicle in the middle. Take note that the other side of the crossing is native land, so you can only go further than the turnaround with a permit.

Ubirr Rock Art Site

Just north of Cahills Crossing is Ubirr. This rock art site is one of the best in the world, with rare examples of x-ray paintings (see below).

The trail goes past many areas of rock art, and eventually winds its way up to a scenic lookout.

The sunset is supposed to be spectacular from up here, but since it was raining we opted to head back to camp.

The next day we drove back towards Darwin. There's not much along the road, and very little mobile service, so we kept in touch with our friends using our radios.

Our next stop was Litchfield National Park, which we actually liked a lot better than Kakadu... Subscribe below to get a notification when the next blog is posted!

Tips and Tricks

• Take note when leaving Katherine or Darwin that there's not much along the way! Fuel up and have plenty of supplies with you.

• If you want to truly explore Kakadu, you'll need a 4WD and you will need to visit during the drier parts of the year.

• There's honestly not a lot in Jabiru. There's a small grocery store with exorbitantly-priced food, a servo, a few caravan parks, and the famous crocodile-shaped hotel. I wouldn't make this a destination, just a stopping-over point to leave plenty of time for Ubirr and Cahills Crossing.

Alice Springs

There is no free or cheap camping near Alice, unless you camp at one of the rest stops which are quite loud as they are right next to the road. The best free camping spot we found was Redbank Waterhole about an hour south of Alice, but the road in was quite rough. We were fine going in with our 4WD rig but our friends just managed it with 2 camper vans. We'd recommend G'Day Mate Tourist Park if you're in need of something in town.

We stopped in Alice Springs to stock up on groceries and cold drinks, and continued on to Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve. There are plenty of quirky roadhouses along the way. Our favourite was Wycliffe Well, which apparently is the U.F.O capital of Australia. Look, we found Elvis!!!

Our least favourite road house on this stretch? Ti-Tree with $1.95 per litre diesel fuel... Ouch.

Devils Marbles / Karlu Karlu

From Alice Springs: 4 hours

Camping here is $7.70 per person. There are drop toilets and a few shelters, but no other facilities. It's stunning at sunset, but very hot during the day with little shade available.

You can walk among the boulders on several trails and read a bit about the stories surrounding this place.

There are a few areas of this park you're not supposed to photograph, so please be respectful.

Tennant Creek (1 hour north) has plenty of fuel and an IGA for a restock if you're driving through to Daly Waters.

Daly Waters Historic Pub

From Devils Marbles: 5 hours

We stopped here at the recommendation of some fellow road trippers. Camping is $16 per person. While it was a cool pub, we were disappointed that they'd stopped doing live music just 2 weeks prior. There's live music here every night during the dry season, but we were just coming into the wet. Regardless, it's a very "Outback" place to stop for a night.

Check out all of the funny signage, old military helicopters and trucks, and best of all, the swimming pool out back. There's a bunch of merch here as well, where our Canadian friends loaded up on C.U. in the N.T. stubby holders.

Mataranka Thermal Pool

From Daly Waters: 2 hours

We'd heard rave reviews about this spot. It was so hot the day we visited that the water wasn't really refreshing, but it was crystal clear and a beautiful spot for a swim. There are bathrooms and a cafe here, and it's about a 10 minute walk from the parking lot to the pools.

Look, my ring matches!

We soaked for a bit and then headed back to our cars for some lunch.

A lot of reviews of this place complained about the bats. They were rather loud, but since we were there around midday, most of them were sleeping. Just wear a hat and you'll be fine!

Bitter Springs

From Mataranka Hot Springs: 10 minutes

I couldn't quite capture the beauty of this place, but the water was so clear and it was such a brilliant blue! There is a campground within walking distance of the springs, but we decided to push on to Katherine.

Bring an inflatable if you have one to float down the river, which has a mild current. There's a platform at the end, leading up to a pathway that takes you back to the beginning. The best part about this place is that (like all of the hot springs) entry is free, so you can stay as long as you like!

Katherine Hot Springs

From Bitter Springs: 1 hour

We camped at the Riverview Tourist Village in Katherine as our friends were having some mechanical issues with their van. It was a decent caravan park, although very close to the road.

It's about a 10 minute walk through the back of the park to the hot springs. We explored the upper pool first, which was gorgeous and not "hot" but lukewarm. There's a metal ladder to get down into the pool and a platform to observe from above.

The lower pools are more built-up, with stone walls and stairs and platforms to sit on.

What a lovely place! It wasn't too busy at the lower pools, so we had it mostly to ourselves.

Katherine Gorge, Nitmiluk National Park

From Katherine: 25 minutes

The next morning we drove half an hour north of Katherine to visit Nitmiluk National Park and the beautiful Katherine Gorge. We'd recommend booking your boat tour ahead of time as they fill up. Because of COVID they were only offering the 9am and 11am tours, and a kayak tour that was far out of our price range.

We took a short hike between gorges and boarded a smaller boat for the second section of the tour.

If you want to see the gorge this is the only way, other than the more expensive kayak tour. The hiking trails were closed when we were here due to extreme heat. Everyone says this is the best thing to do in the area, but in our opinion $100 is way too much to sit in a boat for 2 hours. We got a little background history from our guide, but not enough to warrant that amount of money.

If you want to see something spectacular without paying through the nose, visit one of the NT's incredible hot springs or waterfalls for free.

Edith Falls, Nitmiluk National Park

From Katherine: 45 minutes

This was our favourite stop on this leg of the trip.

The lower pool is just 2 minutes from the parking lot and campground. Bring your floaties! You can swim up to the waterfall, but climbing isn't allowed as it's very slippery.

We camped at the Leliyn Campground, which is $12 per person and well worth it. There are showers and BBQs in lovely, quiet wooded campground. The bugs were pretty bad at night but we just hunkered down in the trailer to play some board games.

We got up early in the morning to hike to the upper pool, which we'd highly recommend. The hike itself was stunning and the upper pool was a great spot for a swim.

After climbing down to the lower pool for a dip, we headed north.

On to Darwin!

From Katherine you can head straight up to Darwin, or detour to some amazing national parks. We chose to visit a few national parks with our friends before they headed back to Canada!

We hope this gives you some ideas if you'll be driving from Alice Springs to Darwin. Subscribe below or follow us on social media to see photos of Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks, coming soon!

All of the turnoffs are well-signed, but make sure you do a little research before you go as there's no mobile service out here!

Simpsons Gap

Drive time from Alice Springs: 25 mins

The closest spot to Alice Springs, Simpsons Gap gives you a taste of things to come. There’s a short walk to the gap, which contains a little water during the dry season. You cannot camp or swim here, but the rock formations are stunning.

From Simpsons Gap you can walk sections 1 or 2 of the Larapinta Trail.

Standley Chasm

Drive time from Alice Springs: 40 mins

Standley Chasm is the second stop in the West MacDonnell area, although there is an entry fee as this land is privately owned. We were surprised by the amount of infrastructure here after driving through a whole lot of nothing. There are bathrooms and a cafe, and you can pay to camp here, although it’s literally a parking lot. Entry to the gorge is $12 and camping is an additional $6.80 per person.

After paying your entry free and guzzling down a cold drink, you'll push through a metal gate and walk along a hot, dry trail for about 15 minutes before getting to the chasm.

If you're in the chasm around midday, you'll spot the orange glow in the distance.

While we got some cool photos here, if you’re short on time and/or funds consider skipping this one in favour of Ormiston or Redbank Gorge.

Ellery Creek Big Hole

Drive time from Alice Springs: 1 hour

Ellery Creek is a popular swimming spot as it's not too far from Alice Springs. It's icy cold, and you can venture further into the submerged canyon if you're brave!

We met one of the locals on our way back to the ute... This goanna slithered across the trail while we waited patiently.

There is camping available here for $6.60 per person. There's not much shade in the campground, so be sure if you'll be staying here you bring some kind of shade cover or plan on spending time under the shelters.

From Ellery Creek you can access sections 6 and 7 of the Larapinta trail.

Serpentine Gorge

Drive time from Alice Springs: 1 hour, 10 minutes

This gorge isn’t anything special, but the lookout hike is well worth your time! It's not far but it's very steep with lots of steps. Take your camera!

Neil Hargrave Lookout

Drive time from Alice Springs: 1 hour, 10 mins

We read about this spot on a blog, and stayed here because Wikicamps and the travel blog we read claimed it had Telstra reception so we could do some work. What we think they meant was that it has a little amplifier box if you need to make a phone call. Oh well!

The sunset here was glorious, and so were the stars.

It was quite windy, something to keep in mind if you're not in a hard-sided camper. You may only camp here for 24 hours, and there is no bathroom.

Ormiston Gorge

Drive time from Alice Springs: 1 hour, 30 mins

Ormiston Gorge would logically be next but we did this one last because Bobby had planned a surprise engagement! See the post here.

You can camp at Ormiston Gorge for $10 per person. There more amenities here than most of the other campgrounds, with showers and BBQs. The water hole is quite close to the camping, about a 5 minute walk away. There’s also a loop hike to the lookout and then down to the gorge.

From Ormiston Gorge you can access sections 9 and 10 of the Larapinta Trail.

Mount Sonder Lookout

Drive time from Alice Springs: 1 hour, 25 mins

This lookout is gorgeous at sunset, and a favourite engagement photo from our session with Lisa Hatz Photography! There's a free 4WD camp just past here, Finke River 2 Mile Campground. We didn't get the chance to camp here, but it looked beautiful.

Glen Helen

The Glen Helen Lodge and gorge were closed when we were here. This means there's no petrol out this way. Take a spare fuel canister, or be sure you have enough to make it back to Alice Springs.

Redbank Gorge

Drive time from Alice Springs: 1 hour, 45 mins

The furthest point on this tour is by far the best. If you’re short on time, we’d recommend driving out to this one straightaway.

This was our favourite spot for camping in the MacDonnell Ranges. We camped at the Woodland Camping Area, which has toilets, firepits, picnic tables, and BBQs. There's also a camping area on top of the ridge, which is great for sunset but can be more windy. Cost is $3.80 per person.

There's a hot, sandy, rocky scramble ahead of you. It took us about 20 minutes to get to the gorge. There's no official trail, just keep aiming toward the distant gap in the cliffs.

You come over the last pile of rocks to see the water, which doesn't look super appealing but is icy cold. There are warnings at the trailhead about the risk of hypothermia, even in the middle of summer. There's also no shade here, so cover up on the hike and in the water to avoid overheating.

If you're brave or hardy enough to stand the water, head back into the gorge for some beautiful slot canyon views.

We were told you can keep going for about 40 minutes before reaching an impassable wall, but we were too cold to go that far! We'd recommend wearing a rash guard or wetsuit (really, we're not kidding) and bringing along floaties if you want to do a lot of exploring.

Return or Keep Going?

After our engagement at Ormiston we headed back to civilisation to celebrate, but you can turn camping in the MacDonnell Ranges into a full loop (by traveling to Gosses Bluff Crater, Palm Valley, and Finke Gorge National Park), or add on Kings Canyon and travel down to Uluru.

Camping in the MacDonnell Ranges is a great way to see the best the Red Centre has to offer. Even if you don't have time to spend a few nights out this way, head out to some of the closer spots for some good views and maybe a swim! Subscribe or follow us on social media to see more photos from the Red Centre and the Top End.

He asked me to stand out on this ledge so he could take my photo, and then...

Bobby popped the question! He surprised me by having a photographer waiting below to snap a shot of the big moment. We walked right past her, and I did think it was rather odd that someone would be sitting up there wearing jeans on such a hot day, haha! But I was still definitely surprised, as I thought he'd wait until we were closer to Darwin.

To make the story even better, Bobby had set this up a week earlier when we'd been waiting out some rain in Alice Springs. We found a photo in a travel blog that he just loved and decided that was the place. He posted on an Alice Springs locals Facebook page, where a lot of people recommended the same photographer. ABC Radio actually interviewed us about the story after we got back into town! Lisa the photographer was able to track down the spot using the photo, and they planned it all out.

Poor Bobby had been sweating it out the entire 3 days we'd been camping in the MacDonnells without mobile service, just hoping everything would line up perfectly! I thought he was acting a little strange but he played it off well and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment, and what a view!

Lisa the photographer met us up at the lookout, and then took us down to the water at the bottom of the gorge.

The gorge was even better than the lookout! What a place, huh?

We got some cute photos, and then some that are a little more "us"!

And of course we had to get a photo with our home the last few months...

As the sun dipped down further, Lisa showed us a few more picturesque spots around Ormiston.

The light was just perfect!

If you're looking for a photographer around Alice Springs, we highly recommend Lisa Hatz Photography! She was friendly and personable, and an absolutely brilliant photographer.

The ring was also local, an Australian opal from NSW purchased from The Gem Cave.

We couldn't be happier with our memorable Outback proposal!

Read our post - Camping in the MacDonnell Ranges - for more information about spending a few days in this beautiful Outback mountain range.

Click on this post to see all of the modifications we did on our Black Series Dominator off-road camper trailer.

First things first - Where do you buy all of this stuff?

Where to buy affordable 4WD accessories

Depending on your budget, you’ll likely be adding a lot of accessories to your rig. The cheapest option is often to buy online, but if you’re short on time or in a city there are many stores catering to camping and sporting accessories.

Here’s what we bought from the following stores:

• 4WD Supacentre/Kings – Roof rack, solar panel blanket, winch, recovery gear, radio accessories, light bar, high lift jack, air compressor, shovel rack, seat covers, original 70L fridge (for the trailer)

• Anaconda – Pop-up gazebo, camp chairs, inflatable kayak

• BCF – Fridge, extra water and fuel tanks, Maxtrax

• Supercheap – Hema Navigator GPS, sand trays, bike rack

• RTM – 12 V ceiling fan, interior LED lighting bar and dimmer

• Bunnings – Gas canisters, large green storage tub for all of our food

• Jaycar – 15L fridge, handheld radios, misc. electronics

Some of the Kings stuff is great, and some is hit or miss. Our Kings solar panel has served us well for 3 months, as have the light bar and air compressor. However, we had major issues with our Kings 70L fridge (for the trailer) and had to replace it with one from BCF. We also had our seat covers rip almost immediately. Kings offers free replacement on some items, but there aren’t any Kings stores north of Townsville, so these two items we’d recommend purchasing elsewhere. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.

If you’re unsure of the quality of something, buy it from a BCF or Supercheap, or another store that’s found more frequently across the county.

4WD Add-Ons

Some items we've added to/modified on the ute specifically for 4WDing:

Electronics

• UHF Radio

• USB charging hubs on console

• Fridge in ute (for cold drinks of course)

4WD Gear

• Roo bar

• Winch

• Light bar

• 2 spare tyres

• Maxtrax

• High lift jack

• Long handled shovel

• Hema Navigator GPS

• Handheld radios

• Seat covers and sand trays

Organisation

• Seat back organisers

• False floor for tool/spare part storage

• Green tub for food storage

• Roof rack

• Rooftop storage bags

Misc.

• After-market cruise control (Glenna refused to drive across Australia without this! Expensive but definitely worth it)

• GoPro on dash

More about electronics

Batteries - One of the best things the ute came with was an extra battery. When the ute wouldn’t start one morning, Bobby just jumped it from the other one! The wiring was backwards but Bobby got it sorted. The ute also came with wiring for a fridge and solar panel in the back canopy, which Bobby was able to work with. We like having a fridge in the ute, in case we leave the trailer behind and camp out of the ute for a few days. It’s currently being used as our freezer to store frozen meat and veg, and the fridge in the trailer is our regular fridge. The extra battery allows us to run the fridge without worrying about the battery getting drained overnight.

Radios - Bobby got the non-functioning UHF radio working again with parts from Kings. This is important when you’re in the Outback and 4WDing so you can communicate with other drivers, especially the big road trains. We purchased a handheld UHF/VHF Radio so a passenger can get out and communicate with the driver. This is a must if you’re headed into intense 4WD situations, as you’ll need eyes outside of the vehicle. We also appreciated these while caravanning with our friends who had camper vans, as it made it easy to communicate when we didn't have mobile service.

Charging hubs - Bobby installed a USB hub in the centre console so we can charge our phones, camera, and GoPro while we’re driving. We thought about adding an inverter but since we have one in the trailer it wasn’t really necessary.

GPS - We got a great deal on a Hema Navigator off road GPS. This thing struggles a bit in cities, but it’s an excellent addition if you’re going to be doing a lot of off roading. We wouldn’t recommend using Google, as we did this once and ended up on a road that definitely shouldn’t have been marked as one! The Hema also gives more accurate arrival times, as it factors in stops for petrol and often slower-than-usual speeds created by hauling a big rig. A helpful but sometimes annoying feature is the announcement of railroad crossings, town entry points, and other points of note. If you were wondering, our GPS is named Hamish. We really like alliteration...

Our Favourite Nissan Navara Modifications

The USB charging hubs and Hema Navigator GPS have been the most valuable additions for us so far. We'd also highly recommend getting a second battery if you don't already have one, and an inverter if you'll be charging a lot of tech on the road. We charge our laptops and drone from the inverter in our trailer.

Things we would’ve loved but couldn’t afford:

• Lithium batteries ($900 and up, 3x the price of regular batteries)

• Storage system and sliding drawers for back of ute (tray kit out) - Instead we made these straps to hold some of our duffels in place. They don't work as well as drawers, but we had to cut costs somewhere.

4WD Resources

The best resource on a trip around Australia is word of mouth, but people often have very different standards. For example, if someone is used to city life they’ll probably tell you an unsealed road between two Outback towns is terrible, while someone used to country life will tell you it’s fine. This is also tricky when there are river crossings, as someone more experienced or used to the road will tell you a river crossing is no problem, but it might be a challenge for a novice. So collect all the info you can, but take it with a grain of salt.

Our favourite app for free and paid camping is Wikicamps. Trust us, it’s worth $8. In New Zealand Campermate is also popular, but in Australia it's pretty outdated.

We also got a lot of information from our Hema 4WD book, which is a fantastic source of information for most 4WD routes across Australia. It lists everything from difficulty to campsites to distance between petrol stations. And it never hurts to have some background information on the parks in case you don't have time to do much research before you leave a mobile data coverage area.

Time to hit the road!

So there you have it, some of the best affordable 4WD Nissan Navara modifications for an Outback road trip. We hope you’ve done plenty of research and kitted out your rig to the best of your ability. Let us know if you have any questions, and safe travels!

For more information on buying a used 4WD, check out this post. If you've got an offroad trailer to kit out, check out this post.

Subscribe below or follow us on social media for more!

About the Park

We were so lucky to be able to visit Uluru during a time without many visitors, and we had the place practically to ourselves. Park entry is normally $25 per person for a 3 day pass, but this was waived until the end of 2020 due to COVID.

The only downside of visiting during this time was the closure of the cultural centre, which I really wanted to visit to get some background knowledge on the history and culture of this famous place. Instead we read through our parks brochure and read some articles online, but I hope to go back for the full experience in a few years.

Some facts about the park:

• Aboriginal people have inhabited Central Australia for more than 30,000 years

• Explorer William Gosse became the first European to see Uluru in 1873

• Ayers Rock was first declared a national park in 1950

• After more than 35 years of campaigning, in 1985 the Anangu people were recognised as the traditional owners of the park and handed back the deeds to their homelands

• The park was officially renamed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in 1993

• The Anangu people own Uluru and Kata Tjuta and lease the land to the Australian Government

• Parks Australia and Anangu jointly manage the national park

Top things to do at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

See the rock at sunset

If you roll up to Ayers Rock Resort mid afternoon, set up camp or unpack your suitcase and get to the rock an hour before sunset. There’s a dedicated sunset lookout, about 20 minutes from the resort. Leave a little extra time to get your entry ticket and park information from the entry gate.

Settle in for the show, stick around and watch the light change. If you’re lucky, Uluru will glow! We didn't get to see it go totally red, but kind of orange.

We met up with some friends from other travels who are touring Australia in their campervans. To see more information about where we stayed, scroll down to Staying near Uluru.

Walk or bike around the base

This is your only option to get up close and personal with the rock since climbing was banned in 2019. You can still see the worn path where the chain used to be. While climbing up the rock would’ve been a very cool experience, we understand that Uluru is sacred to the native people and climbing the rock is disrespectful.

Start early in the morning to avoid the heat, because there is zero shade out here. We chose to ride our mountain bikes and found the path to be flat and easy to navigate, with just a few sections of loose gravel.

Make sure you stop to read the signs and do all of the side trails. There are bike racks in a few spots so you can walk into the water holes.

As you get further around the rock, there are areas you're asked not to photograph. It was a bit hard for me to understand at first, but after reading the signs and asking around I started to get it. The Anangu (Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people, the traditional landowners) ask you not to take photos of certain areas because the rock tells a story.

Uluru is seen as a sort of sacred text, and that script should only be viewed in person. The Anangu tribal elders keep their culture alive by passing on oral histories to younger generations. If visitors to Uluru photograph and spread images of these places around, these stories may be interpreted the wrong way. To learn more about this, read this article.

Uluru looks smaller from some angles, but then you get closer again and marvel at this huge monolith.

The rock's angles change as you go, offering a new perspective every few minutes.

Keep an eye out for the caves with rock art and the signage telling the Dreamtime stories.

We did see some Segway tours rolling around Uluru. While I understand that some people might not be able to hike the 10km trail around the base, it seemed a bit inappropriate to have something so futuristic-looking somewhere you go to appreciate ancient history and culture.

The base hike is a must-do for any visitor to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Visit Kata Tjuta/The Olgas

Perhaps even more picturesque than Uluru is nearby Kata Tjuta ("Many Heads"), otherwise known as The Olgas. There's a sunrise viewing platform, from which you can also see Uluru.

We did the Valley of the Winds hike, which took us about 2.5 hours. There are dire warnings on this trail but if you're an experienced hiker this one isn't too much of a challenge. The hike is closed after 11am on days over 36 degrees, but we'd recommend going much earlier. We finished at about 8:30am and it was already really hot.

The terrain here reminds of hiking in Utah or another desert area of the U.S. The rock formations at Kata Tjuta were amazing, and well worth a few hours. It's about a 40 minute drive from the Ayers Rock Resort.

Get a birds eye view

Since drones are prohibited here, there’s only one way to see the rock from above. We hopped onto a mid morning flight around the rock with Ayers Rock Scenic Flights. You can’t fly directly over the rock as there are sacred sites on top, but the pilot gives you a few different angles on both sides of the plane.

There's not a lot out here...

The flight itself is only half an hour, but that's plenty of time. There are longer options that go out to Kata Tjuta if you're looking for a more extensive experience.

The most interesting part about this flight for Bobby (who has a recreational pilot's license) was learning that Ayers Rock Airport has no air traffic control!

Say g‘day to some camels

Even if you don’t have the urge to ride one, Chris Hill’s Uluru Camel Tours is the largest camel farm in the area. Full of adult and baby camels, barnyard creatures, and some more unique critters such as a water buffalo, this is a nice family-friendly stop.

Our Canadian friends made some local acquaintances!

There are a few red kangaroos here, which are much bigger than the ones found closer to the coast. We all thought the baby camel was super cute...

Don't worry, these animals are fine, they had just gotten rained on!

The camel farm also has a very cool outdoor space which is used for an annual camel race. There was a massive storm rolling through while we were here. Check out those storm clouds! You can just catch a glimpse of Uluru through the brush.

We went back to the sunset spot to catch a better view of Uluru surrounded by storm clouds.

And then we started the 5 hour drive back to Alice Springs!

Staying near Uluru

There are very limited options out here. Most people stay at Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara. We stayed at the campground, which is actually part of the resort complex. We found it to be super clean, with spacious sites, great amenities, and an ice-cold swimming pool which comes in handy on those hot summer afternoons.

There's also a lookout in the middle of the campground which offers views of Uluru and far-off Kata Tjuta on clear days, and distant storm clouds on rainy ones.

Your other options are the resort hotels (which range from $470-$700/night) or the ultra-luxe Longitude 131 (which our scenic flight pilot told us costs $6,000 per couple for 2 nights).

We would've loved to go to the Sounds of Silence dinner under the stars, but at $300 per person it wasn't quite within our budget. Instead we made group meals from groceries we'd bought in Alice Springs and cooled off with the occasional ice cream from the campground reception office. There is an IGA and a petrol station/grocery here if you need anything, but everything is a bit more expensive due to the remote location.

Getting to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

We took a few months to drive out here, but most visitors don’t have quite that much time.

You can fly from large cities into Alice Springs or directly to Ayers Rock Airport. If you fly into Alice, be warned that it’s still a 5 hour drive to the park, and there’s not a whole lot to do or see on the way. Take extra supplies and spare petrol if you can, just in case.

Drive time to Uluru from:

Sydney - 29 hours

Brisbane - 32 hours

Darwin - 20 hours

Adelaide - 16 hours

Alice Springs - 5 hours

Here’s the map to show that it really is in the middle of nowhere:

If you’re traveling through Alice Springs, we're working on a post about the town. Subscribe below to be notified when it's published!

Visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is an experience not to be missed if you have enough time to explore the Red Centre.

Let us know if you have any questions, and subscribe below to follow our upcoming posts about traveling from Alice Springs to Darwin.

This area is home to the Waanyi people, who know it as Boodjamulla, or Rainbow Serpent country. The park was part of Lawn Hill Station until December 1984, when the owner released 122 square kilometres (47 sq mi) to the state, on the condition it be managed for the public's benefit.

The road out to Lawn Hill NP from Gregory Downs is hot and dry and seems a lot longer than the 1.5 hours claimed by Google Maps. But once you arrive at this desert oasis, you'll be willing to do it all over again! See our impressions of Lawn Hill Gorge (and why it's worth the drive!) in the video below.

A Desert Oasis

After brushing off the dust from our drive and setting up camp, we walked just 30 metres away to the nearest stairwell leading down into the gorge. The orange and red hues of the desert turned to cool water and quiet jungle, a bit of pure bliss.

We ran back to the ute to blow up our floaties with the air compressor. Our hot tip for traveling through the Top End? Always keep a few $10 Kmart floaties on hand!

The red cliffs in the distance beckoning, I had a lady told me I probably wouldn't make it all the way down there in my "craft"....

Bring it on! Just kidding, we took the inflatable kayak. To see waterfalls, red cliffs, and more imagery from the gorge, watch our video at the top of this post.

If you paddle all the way to the end of the gorge, there are pretty trickling waterfalls and some platforms to tie up your watercraft if you feel like going for a swim. Boats can be rented from Adels Grove, but if you can, bring your own kayak, canoe, or paddle board and hang out in the water all day.

Be warned that there are freshies (freshwater crocodiles) here, although the ones we saw were pretty small. They are usually non-aggressive, but still best to be aware and avoid them.

Guide to Camping at Lawn Hill National Park

Getting here - The Lawn Hill Gorge section of the park can be accessed from the south via Mount Isa or Camooweal, from the east via Gregory Downs, or from the north. We camped at Gregory River (AMAZING free camp, definitely stop for a night if you can) the night before to get the lowdown on the road out to the park.

The road condition depends who you ask. People towing huge caravans will tell you it's the worst road they've ever done, while people just driving out for the day say it's fine. The road is mostly unsealed and does have some big potholes, but for the most part it's manageable until you get past Adels Grove. The last 10 minutes of the drive have some pretty bad corrugations, and large rocks you definitely want to avoid. We didn't have any issues, but our rig is designed to go off-road. Do make sure you lower your tyre pressure by 20% to avoid blowing a tyre on the drive.

If you're driving through to the national park, Adels Grove has petrol (limited to 20 litres per customer) and a limited range of food and drinks.

Camping - There are 2 options for camping in the gorge:

• Lawn Hill National Park campground - about $7 per person, per night

• Adels Grove Station - $20 per person, per night

The national parks campground here is notoriously hard to get into. We were only able to book one night, yet on the night we stayed, half of the sites were empty. We can only assume the no-shows just didn't bother to cancel their bookings, which really is a shame. There are tent sites as well as camper trailer sites, and we had no problem finding one big enough for the rig. There are only a few spots with shade, on the far end near the river, so make sure you're prepared for the heat. We popped up our gazebo to have some cover.

The campground has flush toilets, showers, and water spigots, although it's suggested that you boil before drinking. The gorge is less than a minute's walk from the camping sites, so it's easy to spend all day in the water.

Don't miss camping at Lawn Hill National Park! Comment below with any questions.

Want to hear about more of our adventures? Subscribe at the bottom of the page!

Check out this post to see the modifications we made to our Nissan Navara before starting our road trip.

Black Series Dominator modifications

Electronics

• Inverter

• New batteries

• USB Points

• Solar panel

• Hard-wired fridge

• Frosted LED lights w/ dimmer switch

The inverter, extra battery, and solar panel allows us to work on the road. Our Kings solar panel pumps enough through on a sunny day to run the fridge and charge whatever needs charging. The inverter does take a lot of juice, but as long as we do a long drive every other day it keeps us charged up.

The stock wiring isn’t the best in the Black Series Dominator. We hard-wired the fridge as it was having lots of issues getting disconnected and not getting enough power. Yay for learning how to solder!

The LED lighting is way too bright. We installed a dimmer switch which helped, and also got a frosted light bar to help diffuse the light.

Mods

• Flipping trailer hitch

• Shower/water heater

• Door hinge switch

• PVC pole holder on boat rack

• Bike rack

• Tropical canopy flapper stoppers

The guy we bought the trailer from had the water heater but never hooked it up. You can connect hot water to the kitchen sink, but we just use it for showering. Bobby installed it on a side door for easy access. We bought a pop-up shower tent to use when there are people around, but there’s nothing quite like a remote bush shower to make you appreciate life on the road!

One of the side compartments doesn't open when the fridge drawer is out. Since this compartment is the most convenient spot to keep cooking gear, it doesn't make much sense. Bobby read on a forum that people were switching the hinges (so the door flips down instead of out to the side), so he did the same.

To hold the awning poles (and any fishing rods you might be bringing along), a PVC pipe holder is easy to install.

Our bike rack was $100 from Supercheap Auto. Usually people purchase an extended hitch pole to attach the bike rack, but Bobby was able to modify the back spare tyre holder to create a more secure option.

Accessories

• New mattress (Clarks Rubber)

• 3x3m pop-up gazebo

• 12V portable ceiling fan

• Fuel tanks

• Water jerry cans

• Collapsible shower tent

• Battery-powered fairy lights

• Folding sink, collapsible containers, and dish drainer

• Small vacuum cleaner

Probably one of our most useful purchases for the trailer has been a 12V ceiling fan. We bought one from RTM for $35 and it’s been keeping us cool in the shade with the windows open, even in 38 degree heat. We also purchased a clip-on directional fan if we need it. These all plug into the 12V charger and can run off the batteries for hours at a time.

A pop-up gazebo from Anaconda has been our favourite purchase when it’s super hot or raining. It goes up quickly, covers the kitchen or the fridge, and leaves room for a few camp chairs and a table. We’d recommend buying a side wall because the rain rarely comes down straight! If it's raining we tie the wall behind the kitchen to block the wind and make for easier cooking.

The most random useful thing we brought along? A small, rechargeable hand vacuum for easy cleanup.

Want to know where we bought more of our accessories? Check out this post.

Other tips

• Usually you use a winch to unfold the trailer, which is a bit clunky. Bobby is strong enough that with a little help, he can just grab the whole thing and pull it over, so we haven’t used the winch in ages.

• We'd highly recommend ditching the rock hard mattress that comes with the Dominator. Since we switched to a better (and slightly taller) mattress, the straps holding the mattress down don’t stay clipped. This means the mattress shifts while the trailer is being closed and then opened. To solve this, move the mattress over to the living room side before closing.

• We sold our canvas awning, which was super heavy. It also took an hour to set up! If you’ll be using the trailer for a 2 week holiday and not moving, this awning is worth it. If you’ll be moving every few days like we do, get a pop-up awning and your life will be much easier.

Additional recommended gear

We already had a ton of camping gear, as Bobby worked as a trekking guide for many years and I spend a lot of time in the outdoors. We’d recommend always having a tent as a backup shelter, especially if you take just the ute out exploring, leaving the trailer behind.

Some gear we’d recommend purchasing (but we already had):

• Folding table

• Camp chairs

• Rooftop storage bags

• Backup shelter and cooking gear

  • Tent

  • Sleeping pads and bags

  • Propane stove and cooking gear

What we love about the Black Series Dominator

There is a lot to love with this trailer.

• Off road capability and durability

• Has a bedroom and living area

• Sleeps 4, with 2 sides that can be separated into rooms with a zip-up divider

• Plenty of storage

• Spending time outside but still having inside protection when we want it (shade, mosquito screens, etc.)

Some thoughts if you're considering purchasing something similar:

• The Black Series Dominator is a beast. We've had this thing bouncing along behind the Navara on some crazy corrugations and hefty potholes and it hasn't complained. The most we've rattled apart has been one screw on the pull-out kitchen which was easily fixed. The only maintenance we've done after 6,000kms is having the wheel bearings greased.

• The living space is comfortable and spacious enough for at least 4 adults to comfortably hang out and play cards, unless you have long legs (sit in front of the door!).

• This trailer looks compact but it's heavy. Make sure you have something rated to the proper towing capacity.

• The boat rack is nice for added storage, but you have to move it every time you set up or fold down the trailer. If you won't be carrying lots of gear, might be worth finding a trailer without this feature.

• We love that the trailer is easy to set up and it's pretty sturdy, but it's not as soundproof or tough as a hard-sided caravan. If you'll be staying in lots of places near the road or places it's super windy, you might want to think about something that's not made of canvas.

• When it rains, we have to wait for the trailer to dry off before putting it away. If you're anticipating camping a lot in wet places, just be aware that you'll need some extra time for drying, or may be stuck folding away something that's soaking wet. The one time we put away a soaked trailer plus the full canvas awning, it took us 3 days to get everything dried out.

Back to that red dirt... We're currently exploring the Red Centre of Australia, starting with some of the incredibly scenic parks around Alice Springs. Wish us luck!

Comment below if you have any tips for Black Series Dominator modifications. We hope to see you on the road with your own camper trailer setup, or whatever keeps you on the road!

From what we could find, all of the day tours are pretty much the same. If you want to go diving, make sure you book a tour that isn’t just snorkeling (which is most of the cheaper ones). The itinerary is generally leave early in the morning, visit 2 sites on the Great Barrier Reef with lunch in between, and head back. Most include a talk by a marine biologist, meals and snorkel gear, and the first dive (if offered). You can sometimes do an exploratory dive if you haven't been certified.

We ended up going out 3 times, twice with Reef Experience and once with Passions of Paradise thanks to the ExperienceOz voucher I won in the RACQ 150 Must-Do’s in Queensland photo contest!

We liked both diving tours, although they had some slight differences. Pros and cons are found below with photos of amazing life under the sea!

Reef Experience

We found this one after Passions was booked out for the first day we wanted to go out. This outfit also has a live aboard dive boat, which we would’ve loved to do but it was ridiculously expensive. Like, over a thousand dollars for two people for 1 night expensive, so we decided to do 2 day trips instead.

The Reef Experience boat stops at the live aboard to transfer passengers on the way out to the reef. Otherwise, much was the same as Passions - Made sure to prioritize reef conservation, decent food with a chef on board, underwater photographers (photos for purchase), and friendly staff.

Pro or Con? - Reef Experience has more of a “she’ll be right” attitude about diving. If you’re experienced, this is awesome as you can get a navigation briefing and go off on your own. If not, you have to hire a dive guide for $15pp.

Pros

• A floating platform at the back allows for easy entry and water exits, especially with heavy dive gear.

• Comfy black couches on the top deck offer a nice place to warm up after your dive or snorkel.

• Fun crew, a bit younger than Passions, but this might have just been the crew on the days we went out. Also, the marine biologist on our first outing was absolutely hilarious!

Cons

• The dive gear on this boat was a bit... well-loved. On our first dive trip with them, Bobby’s regulator was leaking a bit of air. We came back up to check it but the dive master didn’t seem concerned so we kept going. On our second dive trip, we kept getting dive watches that weren’t working. Thankfully one of us always had a functioning one or we would’ve had to return to the surface or rely on our built-in dive computers, which aren’t as accurate.

• They do have a very strict time dive time limit of 40 minutes if you go off on your own, so don’t go too far!

Sights

Our first dive outing with Reef Experience was probably the best of the three trips we took due to low winds and fantastic visibility. We saw so many fish, and both times spotted white-tipped reef sharks.

The second time out wasn't the best visibility, and on our second dive we battled a massive rip current on the way back to the boat! Just a reminder that every site is different, and every day is different.

We were happy to see the reef looking so healthy here! If you're interesting in learning more about the reef and coral bleaching, check out Chasing Coral.

Passions of Paradise

This dive boat was recommended to us by a friend as an eco-friendly option that really cares about preserving the Great Barrier Reef.

Pros

• A much more professional dive setup in terms of gear and safety. We were given a very thorough briefing and had to go out with a dive guide. If you’re a beginner diver or haven’t been out for a while, I’d highly recommend this outfit.

• We had our longest dive of the trip here, with a time of 60 minutes!

• Passions use a sailboat, so they try sail at least one way, depending on the wind to cut down on emissions and save the planet!

• This boat has a more comfortable interior with soft benches instead of hard seats.

Cons

• We didn’t like having to go with the guide, as we felt really rushed the whole time trying to keep up with him. Reef Experience didn’t make us take one, just gave us a dive navigation briefing.

• We had an extremely short surface time (time between dives) where we ate lunch. This might just have been because the spots we visited were close together, but it was so short that we didn’t feel great on the second dive.

• The crew also wasn’t quite as fun as Reef Experience, but that might have just been the crew on that day.

Sights

The coolest thing we saw when we were out with these guys was a HUGE turtle! The underwater photographer kept signing “BIG turtle this way!!!” and we were like, sure dude. But then we saw its head pop over the reef and we all freaked out a little.

Afterward the dive master checked photos and said they hadn’t seen that one before. He and the marine biologist estimated it was at least 100 years old. Crazy!

The Great Barrier Reef from above

We were also lucky enough to get a view of the reef from above with GSL Aviation. Did you know you can see the Great Barrier Reef from outer space?

As beautiful as it was, we like it even more from below!

Hope you find this post useful when choosing the best diving day tour from Cairns. Whichever you pick, you'll be visiting a World Heritage Site, the state icon of Queensland, and a place that has inspired many to help conserve the ocean's creatures. Let us know if you have any questions about Reef Experience, Passions of Paradise, ExperienceOz, or other things to do in Cairns.

Start with a solid base

When heading to remote parts of the country, having a mechanically sound vehicle is the most important part of any adventure. There’s no point having all the accessories in the world if the car can't make it to where you want to go.

When buying a used 4WD, make sure you get it checked over by a certified vehicle inspector before purchasing. Used car dealers will tell you it has already been checked, but ALWAYS get a second opinion from a third party. I use State Roads and they have always been honest and reliable. They'll send a mechanic out to the dealership to give the car a proper inspection, usually within a few hours. It's an added expense that is definitely worth it for peace of mind, especially if you are buying a brand or type of vehicle you don't know too much about.

A benefit of going to a dealership instead of private sale is that the dealership is somewhat responsible for the vehicle for a limited amount of time after purchase (check with the dealership about warranties). You also have a bit of power by way of leaving reviews. If you purchase from a private seller the price may be lower, but the lemon law is harder to put into effect.

Know your purpose

Do you plan to tow a trailer? Are you going fully off road or just sticking to bitumen and occasional dirt roads? How far away from towns do you plan on heading? These are all questions you need to consider as it will greatly impact vehicle setup.

If you plan on being completely off grid and not seeing civilization for weeks at a time, you are going to need a completely different vehicle than someone sticking to the typical tourist track. At a minimum, if you’re looking to go Outback or off road you’ll need spare tyres, extra fuel tanks, plenty of water storage, and a UHF radio. These all add in extra cost which is worth considering from the very beginning.

If you're going far Outback, consider purchasing a vehicle that's commonly found. These include Toyota, Nissan, and Mitsubishi 4WDs. If you have a make or model that's a bit less common, make sure you are carrying spare parts or you'll likely be waiting weeks for one to be delivered.

Coming soon - We’re working on a blog post about the modifications we've made to our Nissan Navara 4WD and Black Series Dominator camper trailer. These mods allow us to go off-grid for a few days at a time, and be entirely self-sufficient while traveling through the Outback.

Be prepared to compromise

We all want the best but sometimes the budget just doesn't stretch that far! Often most of the budget is blown on the non-negotiables and compromises have to be made on the other items. It's important to work out what you are willing to compromise on BEFORE you start budgeting and then purchasing.

Our Nissan Navara came lifted and with some helpful extras, like the rooftop solar panel, aluminium back canopy, and wiring in the back for a fridge. These helped us stay on budget, and saved us some time.

Our advice is to work out your non-negotiables and then once you have them sorted, if there is budget left you can start on the “nice-to-haves”. For us, safety is a non-negotiable and the other things always come second. We also wanted a camper trailer, which meant we couldn't put all of the bells and whistles on the ute.

For a list of what we've added to our Nissan Navara, stay tuned for another post.

You will lose money

I think this one is pretty self explanatory. Some people think that by adding extras onto the vehicle, it greatly increases the value. Unfortunately, this is not the case. All the extras that you add are likely to be overlooked when determining a resale value, especially if it is getting traded in or sold to a dealer. Have a think about how much money you are willing to spend, knowing that you may not get it back.

Learn how to do things yourself

I have saved literally THOUSANDS by doing things myself instead of paying people. On vehicles there is so much that can be serviced or installed yourself. YouTube is an incredible resource for learning how things need to be installed, and most companies selling car parts these days will have videos showing installation methods. It may be frustrating, hard work, dirty, and all around just a pain in the ass, but you can save yourself enough money to keep yourself traveling for a number of months!

It will take longer than expected

The first few times that I fitted out a 4WD for an adventure, I had very ambitious timelines. I thought I could get it all sorted in a couple of weeks. I was wrong! If you are doing things yourself it will take you a lot longer than you expect. Add onto that ordering times if you’re finding good deals online and it can take months to get your 4WD ready for its first long adventure. Make sure you give yourself enough time to make the right decisions and it will benefit you in the long run.

Get the highest coverage insurance you can afford

In 2013 I took a group out to the Australian outback for a 3 week road trip showing them the best parts of what Australia has to offer. This all came to a grinding halt when the car blew its engine and we were forced home by plane, with great expense! Thankfully my business was properly insured, and I didn’t have to pay anything out of pocket.

On this road trip so far we’ve needed 2 tows and multiple mechanic visits for things that really weren’t supposed to break. We had all of the proper checks and servicing done on our vehicle, but towing a heavy trailer for thousands of kilometres took its toll. Our platinum RACQ membership has saved us thousands of dollars, and has been worth every penny.

Do your research

In the age of the Internet, resources are endless. Subscribe to some YouTube channels, follow some 4WD enthusiasts on Instagram, find a group for your particular vehicle, and follow one of the Big Lap pages on Facebook. The information you can get from social media and forums is all absolutely free!

Experience is priceless

One thing we wish we’d done before we left (but we ran out of time and cash) was taking a 4WDing course. If you don’t want to spend big bucks, ask a friend to take you out for the day. Get yourself stuck and make sure your vehicle and recovery equipment are up to the task, before it’s a matter of serious consequence.

Questions about purchasing a used 4WD? Comment below!

Learn more about our setup!

We’re working on a blog about improvements we’ve made to our ute and camper trailer for our trip across Australia. Subscribe below or follow us on social media to learn more about getting ready to go off road in a used 4WD.

Balanced Rock

We got to Chillagoe in the early afternoon and had a picnic at Bogey Hole, a swimming area just outside of town (see below). Rocky recommended we explore Balanced Rock at sunset, and so far these photos are some of our favourites from the entire trip! I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Bogey Hole

If you're in need of a cool-down in Chillagoe (which you will be, even in winter it was hot!), take the 2 minute drive off the main road to Bogey Hole. This little oasis looks small but has enough waterfalls and Tarzan ropes to entertain everyone. There's a picnic table in the parking lot and another next to the water, but bring your mosquito repellent!

Self-Guided Caves

There are 3 self-guided caves in the park. 2 of them are right by the ranger-guided caves, perfect to kill some time while you wait. Drive to the Donna Cave car park, and follow the paved sidewalk until it ends. Don't forget your headlamps!

The furthest cave is Pompeii, with a short scramble into a large cavern full of boulders.

Climb to the bottom and into a low squeeze if you dare!

Bauhinia Cave is a steep, slippery scramble down a narrow chute with a few large caverns below.

The 3rd self-guided cave is a bit further out of town, so we didn't stop by this time around.

Ranger-Guided Cave Tours

Ranger-guided cave tours run daily to Donna, Trezkinn and Royal Arch caves. Tickets must be purchased from The Hub in the Chillagoe township. It's about $30 for adult entry to one of the caves. We arrived the day before and were only able to book Trezkinn. If you're coming during the busy season, we'd recommend calling ahead. Collect your tickets at The Hub and arrive on time to meet your ranger.

No headlamps are necessary, as the caves are lit by electrical lighting. Trezkinn went down a steep, narrow shaft with quite a few steps before opening up into a large cavern with intricate formations.

The ranger gave us some background on the cave. To be honest, the narrative wasn't the best but seeing the cave was worth the money.

We'd recommend booking at least one guided tour while you're here, because everything else is free!

Getting to Chillagoe

A little under 3 hours from Cairns, Chillagoe is the perfect detour if you're looking to spend a few days in Outback Queensland. The tropical scenery turns to dry brush before Mareeba. There's not a lot out this way, but make sure if you do take the trip, stop at Granite Gorge, a private nature park with a swimming hole and the cutest little rock wallabies you've ever had the pleasure of meeting!

Admission is $12 for adults, and camping is an additional $6. Stop at the camp office to sign in, and they'll give you a trail map.

Be warned that the road out to Chillagoe is not entirely sealed. We did fine in our big RV, but a ute would be recommended. There's not much in Chillagoe itself, but there are 2 general stores and a few pubs. Definitely visit if you're in Cairns and looking for a taste of Outback Queensland!

Getting here

A 2 hour drive from Townsville, this a worthwhile detour if you're traveling north to Cairns. Fill up with fuel in Ingham, as there's nothing nearby the park.

Once you're off the A1, watch out for cows! Be warned that once you reach the park the road up is steep and fairly narrow in places. We saw quite a few caravans here, despite signs warning them away.

Stop at the picnic area on the way up for some great panoramic views of the forests and farmland below, and to give your engine a rest! There is large vehicle parking on the left, if needed.

Wallaman Falls camping area

There is a national park campground at the top, a short drive from the falls. Book online before you arrive, as there's no mobile reception here. The spaces are plenty big enough for any size van, trailer, or camper.

We found the campground to be lovely and quiet, except for some annoyingly bold bush turkeys who knocked dishes off the kitchen and stole whatever food was left unattended! There are fire rings and BBQs provided, a well-kept bathroom, and even a free (cold) shower.

Visiting Wallaman Falls

A 10 minute drive from the campground is the Wallaman Falls lookout. We appreciated the falls from above before hiking down to see them from below.

The falls themselves are worth a few hours, despite being a relatively short walk down. It took us about 40 minutes each way. There's a sign at the second platform with dire warnings... We're prepared, confident hikers so weren't too concerned, but the trail is narrow and rocky in places.

The walk quickly turns to thick rainforest, with glimpses of the falls in between the trees. You'll know once you reach the bottom!

Wallaman Falls is magnificent, and even being quite far away we could feel the misty spray of the hundreds of gallons of water thundering down. I'm not sure even these photos can illustrate the scale of this waterfall.

It took Rocky quite a while to pick her way down to the pool below the falls. The rocks here are slippery, and the water quite cold. None of us went for a swim, as the shadows were deepening toward sunset.

The hike back up was steep but not too painful. We returned to the trailer, ready for a meal.

We made a fire at the campground, enjoying baked potatoes cooked in foil, with only one stolen by a bush turkey. We threatened to eat the roving turkeys, but they didn't seem to care!

Stony Creek hike

I could've stayed here for days, but the road was long and time was short. We did a short hike along Stony Creek, accessible from the campground. The hike offered some information about the flora with the highlight being this massive strangler fig.

Despite the beauty, we felt bad for the tree, as the fig will kill it slowly over many years.

An epiphytic fern (growing naturally in a totally soilless condition) up in the branches of the tree was also massive, and beautiful.

Stony Creek would've been a great swimming spot if the weather hadn't been turning. We snapped a few pics before the ominous rainclouds and high humidity chased us away.

We could feel a storm about to blow through, so we high-tailed it back to the truck to get back down the mountain.

I'd highly recommend a stop at Wallaman Falls if you can spare the time, even as a day trip from Townsville. I'm not often wowed by waterfalls after visiting such beauties as Havasu Falls in the States, but the sheer size of this gorge blew me away.

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Airlie Beach has quite the reputation for being a party town. Luckily for us, due to COVID the usual hordes of backpackers were absent, making the town oddly clean and quiet. Although this limited our day tour options a bit, we really didn't mind getting the place mostly to ourselves.

Planning the Whitsundays

We did very little pre-planning for the Whitsundays. We’d spoken with Salty Dog Sea Kayaking, which offers day trips as well as shuttles out to the islands. We were planning on booking this when we arrived, but because of the delay in Yeppoon we didn’t have our camping gear sorted or enough days to do it all. We also thought perhaps we’d book a dive, maybe even a live-aboard (multi-day sailing with dives and snorkeling included), but after talking to multiple people they said not to bother. There isn’t great coral here due to a cyclone that hit in 2017, and the big fish in the outer reef weren’t enough of a draw for us.

We wandered the main street, picking up brochures from GSL Whitsundays and then visiting Sailing Whitsundays, where we found some answers to our questions. The day tours are all pretty similar, and there were limited options because of COVID. After getting some direction from Dave, a hilarious guy from the UK wearing an epic party shirt, we booked a full day tour on the Whitsunday Bullet.

In hindsight I wish I'd also booked the scenic flight with GSL as the weather was perfect and it was half the regular price... Maybe next time! We also considered a jet ski tour, since I've never been on one. GSL does a package including both of these, if you're looking for something extra. Shop around until you find exactly what you want, as there are many storefronts along the main drag owned by different companies.

Just a Casual Sail

Want to know the best (and possibly cheapest) DIY activity in Airlie Beach? Sailing a dinghy in Airlie Bay! After booking our tour for the next day, we spent a few hours on the water.

The Whitsunday Sailing Club is right smack in the middle of town, and will rent you a boat for $30 + 1 day membership for $10. We had a blast thanks to Bobby's sailing expertise, and somehow managed to not run into the 5 million boats moored in the harbor.

It was a fun day out, and we returned to the apartment for some delicious homemade gnocchi (thanks Chef Andrea!).

Day trip to Whitsunday Island

A shuttle for the Whitsunday Bullet trip picked us up around 7:30am and we were dropped off at the main marina, which is lovely, especially in the early morning light. The water was smooth as glass.

We admired the massive sailboat pictured below and the super yacht behind it. Renting super yacht Mischief is just $15,000AU per hour or $495,000 per week! Totally affordable! Did we mention it comes with jet skis and a rock climbing wall?!?

We grabbed wetsuits, boarded the boat, and were given morning tea. After a brief safety induction, we cruised over to a snorkeling spot on an island about 40 minutes away. It was a perfect day, cloudless with almost no wind.

The coral was pretty, and the water wasn't too cold with wetsuits. It was very weird snorkeling without fins, which I assume are too much hassle for the tour guides to keep track of. We do wish the company had been a bit more emphatic about preserving the coral, as a few of the girls were seen standing on it.

South Whitehaven Lookout

After another scenic drive, our boat dropped anchor at the southern end of Whitehaven, where most of our group stayed put and enjoyed the beach. We opted to hike to the lookout, which was about a 20 minute walk with lots of stairs.

Well worth the hike. The water and surrounding islands created a great backdrop for the hundreds of butterflies flitting about!

Bobby made some friends who invited us to come sailing in their yacht, which we still hope we can tag on to our road trip at some point... We got back to the beach too late for paddle boarding, so hopped back onto the boat for lunch and the trip around to the other side of the island.

Hill Inlet

Hill Inlet deserves to be famous. I really wish I’d done the scenic fight to view it from the air, as the different shades of blue are mesmerizing. Whitehaven is probably the most stunning beach I’ve seen so far in Aus.

There's a series of 3 lookouts, the views getting better with each one. Sadly we did not have much time here, as the changing tides meant we had to get back to the boat. I could've used another day here just to photograph the water from every angle. Our guide also told us that the colors change with the tides and with the weather. I'll be back, Whitehaven!

I was very disappointed that our tour didn’t stop at this end of Whitehaven beach, because I really would’ve loved to go for a swim here instead of the less-pretty beach near the South Whitehaven Lookout. Because of this, if given the option I'd choose a tour other than the Whitsunday Bullet.

Our captain made a brief detour to watch a whale and her calf before heading back to the marina. We passed a few sailboat day tours that were motoring in, due to lack of wind.

After changing out of our swimsuits, we treated ourselves to some Italian food, and headed back to watch Farmer Wants A Wife, which is like a country version of The Bachelor with A LOT more contestants.

Sadly the next morning it was already time for Andrea to head back to Brisbane. After almost 3 weeks together we were sad to say goodbye! We walked her to the airport shuttle and went to relax at a fancy resort for one last night in Airlie.

Sunset Cruise

Of course after getting back on the water in a little sailboat, Bobby had to go for a real sail! He booked us a sunset cruise on the Providence. It was a lovely evening, with just enough wind for us to glide across the water.

Romantic? Only if your boyfriend doesn't spend the entire trip swapping stories with the skipper...

We really didn’t want to leave Airlie... But it was time to head back to Yeppoon and pick up the truck and trailer to continue our road trip!

Next destination? Platypus spotting at Eungella National Park - Coming Soon!

Where to Stay in Airlie

With Andrea, we stayed at the Seaview Apartments in the center of town. They were a bit expensive but for us the location and access to a kitchen were worth it. The apartment was huge, with 2 bedrooms, a large kitchen and living room, and patio next to the pool. Would recommend for a family or group of friends looking for something a little more private.

After Andrea left, Bobby and I treated ourselves to a night in a fancy resort. The Club Wyndham Airlie Beach blew us away, with a spacious ocean-view apartment, jacuzzi tub big enough for 6’ 4” Bobby, and gorgeous infinity pool and spa.

What else is there to do in Airlie Beach other than drinking?

• Tours galore!

• Visit the waterfront and lagoon

• Markets and live music on Saturdays

• Shopping - Found some decent swimwear deals at Ripcurl and City Beach

• Playing on the most intense playground I've ever seen

Yeppoon is the jumping-off point for traveling the Keppel Islands, but if you have time, here are some of the highlights of this pretty little beach town.

Where to Eat

Stuck without our fridge and stove, we ate out a lot.

• Lure Living - Our favorite spot, with delicious brunch. Very Insta-worthy if that's your thing.

• The Spinnaker - Surprised us with amazing steak. We may have spent a little on Pokies as well (for you non-Aussies, that's slot machines!).

• Pumped Juice Bar & Cafe - Great smoothies and raw baked goods. They also had gluten free/dairy free pies and other treats in the freezer, which I can say were pretty close to the real deal!

• Pie Alley Blues - Live music and a really good menu. They had GF fried chicken and fish and chips! This place had some Americana decor, which I always find hilarious...

• The Strand Hotel - Decent food, but best for a bevvie and a round of pool.

• Keppel Bakery - Cheap and delicious pies.

• Thai Takeaway - Andrea loved her pad see ew from here.

Where to Stay

Surfside Motel

RACQ booked us into the Surfside Motel while our ute was getting repaired. It was a very pleasant stay, and the staff were so friendly and accommodating with our ever-changing plans. They even have custom-made postcards you can send back home!

Rating: ★★★★★

• Great location across from the main beach, short walk to multiple restaurants

• Spotlessly clean

• Lovely staff

• Super fast Wi-Fi

• Lots of amenities available for longer stays - electric frypan, etc.

NRMA Capricorn Yeppoon Holiday Park

We found the NRMA Capricorn Yeppoon on Wikicamps, and the ratings were so good we decided to book it and treat ourselves to a few nights of power hookups and showers before heading to the islands.

Rating: ★★★★★

• Gorgeous caravan park with lots of trees and open spaces

• Decent location across from a beach, 5 minutes from the Keppel Bay Marina, and 15 minutes from Yeppoon

• Surprisingly quiet for a park that was pretty full

• As the reviews said, amazing showers. And they play music in the bathrooms which sounds weird but was actually pretty great!

• Friendly staff - They let us leave our trailer in the back lot while the ute was getting fixed, and we were able to use the night we'd already paid for at a later date.

What to see

Yeppoon Lagoon

Modern art or swimming pool?

Make sure to stop by the town's FREE swimming pool, right next to the ocean with stunning views of the Keppel Islands. It was a little chilly for swimming when we were here, but we can only imagine how blissful it is in summertime! There's also a cafe if you're feeling peckish.⁠

Random, but it's also really fun to say "Yeppoon Lagoon"...⁠

Art

If you go looking for them, Yeppoon has murals galore.

Yeppoon Beach Walk

Visiting Yeppoon

We didn't expect to enjoy our time here so much! But, after being stuck for a few days with rainclouds looming, we decided to head up the coast and come back for the ute later.

On to the Whitsundays! Coming soon.

Getting there

If we’d had enough time and money we definitely would’ve chartered a boat here. Alas, we took the quicker, cheaper way over.

After a relaxing few days camping at NRMA Yeppoon, we hopped aboard the 7:30 ferry to Great Keppel Island. There are 2 ferry companies that leave from Keppel Bay Marina. We went on the earlier boat with Keppel Konnections.

The ferry ride was about half an hour, and the sea was very calm. The gloriously clear water and distant island peaks got us even more excited to leave civilization behind for a few days!

An Impromptu Dive

We’d been put on a wait list for diving at Keppel Dive, and after chatting to the staff going over on the same ferry, were pleased to learn they had space for us! We dropped our bags behind the dive shop and shimmied into double wetsuits for 2 dives out among the reef.

Only having dived 4 times to get my Open Water certification in Bali last year, I was a bit nervous. Resident PADI dive expert Aemon made me feel very comfortable, helping me descend slowly and safely to a depth of 10 meters.

With a water temp of 16°C (60°F), Andrea and I had a major case of the shakes, but Bobby was loving it so much he started doing somersaults in the water. I was a bit too focused on breathing and not freezing to death on the first dive, but on the second the coral and fish were so pretty I barely felt the cold. I also borrowed a diving hood (made out of the same material as wetsuits) but it was too big, ballooning with air and making it extremely difficult for me to stay down. Bobby held my hand for the dive in a romantic but also necessary gesture. Lesson learned - Don’t use new gear underwater unless you’re sure it will work!

Getting to Middle Island

There are no ferries over to the other islands, so you'll need to charter a boat or book a private ferry. Keppel Dive was able to arrange this for us.

After warming up on dry land, we grabbed burgers with a new friend from the dive boat until the tide was high enough to ferry us over to Middle Island. I was happy about food but even happier to FINALLY see an echidna in the wild! He was just so darn cute!

Camping on the Keppel Islands

You can camp on Great Keppel Island, but at $25 per person there are far better options. 13 out of the 18 Keppel Islands are reserved as national park land, so if you’re willing to take your own supplies you can camp for less than $7/night. Book online here.

Keppel Bay Islands National Park has a few great options, but after chatting with the staff at the dive shop we decided on Middle Island. North Keppel and Humpy are more popular, but Middle Island is limited to 3 camp sites (1 on each beach, with a max of 6 people) so we had the whole place to ourselves! Read more about the different islands here.

We brought all of our food over from the mainland and paid $10 for the resort to fill up our portable water tank. Fresh water is ferried over to the island, so bring it from the mainland or be prepared to pay. We also had all of our camping gear, snorkeling gear, and an inflatable kayak. Keppel Dive ferried us over and we had a few days to explore.

Bobby had some fun flying his new drone, with great results...

The pristine beach was white and smooth, and the only footprints were ours. The sunset was lovely and we enjoyed the view until the sand flies chased us into our tents. We slept well, cozy above the dunes, with the crashing tide erasing our footprints along the nearby beach.

We spent the entire next day lazing around reading our books. It was heavenly.

I wish I'd felt warm enough to go snorkeling but the water was so cold I just went in for a few quick dips. No one landed on our beach, although a boat did anchor off shore a bit. From the screaming we heard, it was too cold for them too! Next time we'll come back in summer for the full experience.

Bobby and I did take his inflatable kayak out for a paddle around to one of the other beaches. We floated over the best snorkeling spot on the island, looking for fish and coral below the water.

And that night Andrea gave me an astrophotography tutorial that turned out better than I ever could've expected. I have to say my new camera is living up to expectations! Check out that Milky Way, huh?!?

The next day we hung out and explored the cliffs and tide pools until our dive friends came to give us a ride back to Great Keppel. We got some food at the Hideaway resort before our ferry back to the mainland.

We made a wildlife friend, the Queensland Bush Stone-curlew. Less aggressive than the gulls, he was still checking out our fries...

We were sad to leave after such a short time, but sun-kissed and ready to sleep somewhere a bit less sandy.

Yeppoon

We got back to the marina and our ute (Aussie for truck), driving the 10 minutes to Yeppoon to get takeaway before heading back to camp and our trailer. Instead of an easy trip back, disaster struck, and the ute started leaking diesel. RACQ was there in what felt like 2 seconds flat, towing the truck to a mechanic for a closer look in the morning. We were all a bit crushed that our trip had been delayed...

Read more about our unexpected but lovely stay in beachfront Yeppoon.

Tips and tricks

• Middle Island has mobile service in some places. Do yourself a favor and pretend it doesn't. Unplug for a few days!

• Great Keppel Hideaway is the main resort on the island, with great food, cold drinks, and a lovely view while you wait for the ferry back to the mainland. They were doing a $5 add-on breakfast deal when we booked our ferry. Bargain!

• There are sand flies here, so bring bug spray and layers, and have the itch cream ready when you get back to the mainland.

• Be sun safe. We covered up and climbed into the hills to get shade in the hottest parts of the day.

• Watch out for seagulls. They will steal your food and rip apart your trash bags if you leave anything out.

Drone photography © Bobby Hale