As for trucks – this is so different to town driving.

When driving in the outback there is one rule for the road. ROAD TRAINS have right of way! When you think about it these guys are big and heavy and take some stopping. They are up to 53m long, can have 4 trailers and we have seen some with 20 axles – no exaggeration. So our CB radio is on CH40, full lights on and advisable to just pull over on the narrow roads to let them through.Believe it or not the same applies when they are passing as it makes for an easy ride behind them – far behind them to save the dust.

We now know what everyone says about the fine red dust is true! It finds it’s way into every vent and crevice in the van the truck. Every time we stop it’s out with the brush and shovel and wet cloth to clean all surfaces. John has taped up all our vents, except for the fridge which needs to breath, At times we feel quite gritty but luckily it all washes off when you can have a good shower.

FREEDOM CAMPING

Interestingly we have been able to do a lot of free camping in Queensland. ‘Free’ camping is short for ‘Freedom’ camping – it’s often not free, just not in a crowded commercial caravan park. There are hundreds of ‘pull offs’ on the highways, some with toilets and showers and others with nothing. This is the beauty of being fully self contained with our own solar, water and toilet. We have also found some great places in the QLD National Parks which charge a flat $6.75 pp per night. Another source of great stops has been the Showgrounds which every small town has, where the councils allow self contained RVs to park and it’s usually free or a minimal amount – the idea being that the travellers spend money in the town so its a win/win. We’ve also had some lovely Golf Course stays in small towns where you can park in their parking, wake up early, and get a quick 9 holes in before heading off.