You may love adventure and be looking forward to your trip to Australia next month. You've got visions of the outback and many an enjoyable day exploring this vast land. However, you'll want to make sure that you enjoy your annual holiday and that you and all of your fellow travellers return unscathed. What are some of the things you need to think about as you're planning the transportation for this big trip?

Renting Four-Wheel-Drive

It almost goes without saying, but if you are planning to travel into very rural areas, you need to rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle. If you're going to be really adventurous and try exploring off the beaten track, then you need to get a very large and well equipped four-wheel-drive vehicle as well, with a number of "additions" should you need them.

Being Prepared for All Circumstances

As you will discover, when the sign at the entrance to a road says "4WD only," it really means it. You are likely to encounter a variety of different surfaces and steep inclines, and if it's been raining fairly recently, these surfaces could be very variable. You may need special boards to help you extricate yourself from a sticky situation, together with a long bar and an axe to get rid of anything that may get stuck underneath the vehicle. In certain circumstances, you may have to deflate and then reinflate your tyres, so you should make sure that you have the right equipment to do this, as well. In short, just remember to be fully prepared both physically and mentally for the challenge ahead.

When driving in a rural location, be especially careful whenever you come across a creek or a stream. These can become hazardous if there's been a lot of rain recently, and you shouldn't underestimate the force of the flow. It's best if your four-wheel-drive vehicle has a highly placed exhaust to get through deep water, but if you're not sure just how deep it is or whether you can make it across, wait for a local to do so first or retrace your path. Be especially careful of the sandy substance that has a bright orange colour and is called bull dust, as this can be very slippery.

Bringing Supplies

Finally, make sure that you have a number of different jerry cans in the back of the vehicle, "just in case." You should take gallons of water for each individual and also petrol in case you cannot find a station when you absolutely need it.

Sorting out the Details

Have a word with 4wd hire specialists to make sure that you are fully prepared for your trip and enjoy your grand adventure ahead.