10 Top Tips For Visitors to Australia's Outback

Visiting the Australian Outback can be a unique and exciting experience, particularly for those living outside Australia.

Many go there for adventure, others seeking jobs working in a strange environment so different to home. But it also has its hazards.

Here are 10 suggestions to help you with your planning. They might even save your life!

1. Visit the northern part of Australia in the months from April to October when the weather is much cooler and more pleasant.

Many visitors find the heat to be very tiring and overpowering, particularly after leaving a Northern Hemisphere winter.

The southern states and cities are great in the warmer months from November to March. The ideal time to enjoy those Aussie beaches.

2. Be prepared for totally new experiences to those back home. If the locals invite you to go spotlighting, a barbaric "sport" involving shooting kangaroos at night, using a spotlight -go!. Just think of the stories you can tell when you return home.

3. Always take sun protection, including a broad rim hat, sunglasses and sunburn cream.

4. Always take plenty of drinking water, particularly if you are driving over long distances. Dehydration can be a major health hazard in the Outback in Summer

5. Take insect repellent. Mosquitoes love girls with fair skin. Bush flies can sometimes be a pest and many Outback people wear a fly net over their hats.

6. Obtain a Working Holiday Visa before you leave home, particularly if you are planning to work in the Outback.

This allows you to visit Australia for up to 12 months and undertake temporary employment. A Second Working Holiday Visa can extend the Visa period by a further 12 months.

Applicants must have completed a minimum of three months seasonal work in an eligible regional area.

7. If you are driving, take particular care at sunset, when kangaroos, blinded by car headlights may stop in the middle of the road. If you are driving on gravel roads, restrict your speed to 80 kph.

8. Listen to the weather forecasts. After heavy rain in the Outback, some roads may be closed for weeks and you could be stranded.

In December 2009 and January 2010, heavy rains closed many roads in Outback NSW and Outback Queensland. Some motorists were stranded without food and water for days, before they were rescued.

9. If you are driving, never, ever pick up hitchhikers. Not only is it illegal, but can be dangerous, particularly if you are travelling alone.

10. Finally, enjoy yourself. Some of the experiences you have may put you out of your "comfort zone", but they are part of the adventures of travel, experiences you may never have again.

By : Graeme_Lanham