Driving Laws Australians drive on the left hand side of the road. The maximum speed limit in cities and towns is 60km/h (35mph) and on country roads and highways, 100km/h (62mph) - 110 km/h (68 mph) unless signs indicate otherwise. Strict drInk-driving laws apply. Seat belts must be worn by drivers and passengers at all times.
Driving Licenses Tourists may drive in Australia on a valid overseas drivers license for the same class of vehicle. Licenses must be carried when driving, in addition to a valid passport. An International Drivers Permit is not sufficient by itself and must be accompanied by a valid drivers permit.
Gasoline (Petrol) Leaded and unleaded grades are sold by the litre. Gas (petrol) costs between A$0.85 - A$1.10 per litre. Prices are often higher in country areas.
Roadmanner
There’s no mystery to safe driving on dirt roads, just use your common sense. 1. Slow down, relax, take it easy. Most fatal accidents in the bush are related to people driving too fast, often drunk. 2. When another vehicle is approaching, slow down and stop. Wait and see what the other person does. Then act. 3. Get out of the way for road trains, there’s no way they can stop for you. 4. If someone is standing by the roadside with their car, slow down and try to find out if they need help. The next time it might be you. 5. The same applies to people walking or bicycling.
How to Drive The first obstacle with driving a 4WD in Australia is to get used to driving a car that is much higher and bigger than a conventional car. A 4WD does not do too great in sharp corners. A diesel engine is nothing you race hoons with at traffic lights. Once you get used to driving on the left and driving a big car, the rest is easier.
The 2WD machos Even if the 4WD-transmission is very handy in many difficult conditions, it’s basically the sturdy build, the big tyres and high clearance that makes it possible to drive a 4WD in rough terrain. It will not take you long before you bump into a 2WD macho who will tell you that they never use the 4WD. Agree and shout these 2WD machos a beer at the pub, then use the 4WD as much as you please. Driving in 4WD is further less damaging to the fragile desert environment. How the 4WD works A conventional car has transmission to either the front or the rear diff. A 4WD has transmission to both. Normally with a 4WD vehicle you have power only to the rear diff, mostly you drive the car in 2WD. After the hubs are locked, you get back in the car and move a lever to either "high ratio 4WD" or "low ratio 4WD". Now you have transmission to both the front and rear diff and you’re prepared to tackle many obstacles that you wouldn’t have thought possible to overcome. Basic Rules There are some basic rules for driving on dirt roads: 1. Slow down (except on corrugations) 2. If you come to a difficult spot like a river crossing, stop the car, get out, walk the obstacle, assess the situation and then act. 3. Don’t shift gears in the middle of a difficult patch (mud), sand or a river crossing. 4. It’s very easy to start sliding if you break too hard. Drive slowly. Corrugations Corrugations, when the road looks like a washboard, is the only time when you should speed up. If you drive in 60-80 km/h, you will find that the rattling and shaking in the car will get better (but it does not disappear). I found that high 3:rd was a very versatile gear for these situations in lower speeds. If you drive in higher speeds, then of course you shift to a higher gear so that you don’t rev up the engine. A combination of corrugations and sand is tricky, but driving in high ratio 4WD will mostly solve the problem. Potholes and Washouts There’s only one remedy for potholes and washouts: SLOW DOWN! Dry Riverbeds and other nasty dips Keep you eyes open for dry riverbeds. If you see a line of trees in front of you, slow down. If you hit a dip too fast, everything in the car will jump around, things will break, and you might loose control of the car and hit a tree.
Sand If you drive in sands, try to slow down and go up to a higher gear. Keep an even speed. Try to keep a straight line. High 4WD is very useful in sand. Drive straight ahead up onto sand dunes. Don’t break on the way down. Deflating your tyre pressures will help you get a better grip in sand (all though I could seldom be bothered and I only got stuck twice...). Deflating the tyres helps save sandy tracks, just as using the 4WD does. Don’t drive on sandy beaches or up and down untouched sand dunes. Steep Hills On steep hills, use low 2:nd up and low 1:st down. Keep an even speed uphill, so that you don’t stall. When driving down a very steep hill or rock, you use low 1:st and keep you foot off the accelerator. Let the engine scream, it will do the walking for you. Just concentrate on steering and not falling of the cliff. :-) Mud Mud is the most disgusting road surface you will come across. Try to avoid to get into it in the first place. If you do come across mud, even high speed in low 2:nd or 3:rd will do the job. Maybe.
River Crossings Before crossing a river, stop the car, get out and assess the situation. If the water is raging past, then don’t even think about driving or walking it. If it’s crocodile free water, walk it. Use steady shoes, not thongs since the stones in the river bed might be slippery. Look out for markers, stones etc. that people might have put up to help you. If the water isn’t deeper than 0,5 to 1 m, then you can probably drive (at least if you have a snorkel). Use low 2:nd or 1:st to get through. Choose the gear that you think you will need to get up on the other riverbank. If the riverbank on the other side is very steep, then you use low 1:st. To keep an even speed, you can pull out the throttle. Don’t touch the clutch and don’t attempt to shift gears in the middle of the river. Easy does it. Oncoming Traffic Stop for oncoming traffic, pull out to the left and wait and see what the other vehicle does.
Road Trains When a road train approaches, get well out of the way. Wait until the dust settles, before you start driving again.
Overtaking If you want to overtake someone on a dirt road, drive into the other vehicles dust and then turn on the lights. If he observes you, he slows down and gets out of the way if he is polite. If you see someone in the mirror flashing his lights, then slow down, get out of the way and let the other vehicle pass.
Driving in Convoy If you drive two or more vehicle in a convoy (which is a good idea for safety), make sure you keep distances. Don’t drive in the other vehicles dust. If you have a CB-radio, the people in the front vehicle can warn the followers about dangers on the road.
