2025 Beadell Roads Desert Loop – Alice to Coober Pedy, The Long Way Round (AUG 25)

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🏜️🚙 2025 Beadell Roads – Great Desert Loop 🏜️🚙

Alice to Coober Pedy — The Long Way Round

Gary Junction Road – Sandy Blight Junction Road – Great Central Road – Connie Sue Hwy – Anne Beadell Hwy

🏜️ August 25–September 12, 2025 | 4WD Tag-Along Adventure | 19 Days

Moon Tours invites you to join us for one of Australia’s last true desert adventures.

If you dream of wide open spaces, endless desert horizons, and tackling some of the most remote tracks in the country — this is your trip.

The Great Desert Loop isn’t just a drive — it’s a journey through the heart of Australia’s vast and rugged outback, a true test of self-sufficiency, and an experience that will leave you with stories for life.
We’ll be carving a path from Alice Springs to Coober Pedy the long way round, linking iconic remote routes — the Sandy Blight Junction Road, the Great Central Road, the Connie Sue Highway, and the Anne Beadell Highway — all packed into one epic 19-day expedition.

This is a tour for proper 4WD adventurers towing real Australian-made off-road trailers and hybrids — AOR, Track Trailer, Lifestyle Campers and similar — built tough for the remote desert conditions.

Small group. Expert guides. Remote locations few ever get to experience.

If you’re looking for the ultimate outback tag-along…
Your adventure starts here.

Trip Highlights

  • 🇦🇺 Designed for Aussie-made off-road campers & hybrids

  • 🚙 Full 4WD tag-along tour with expert guides and recovery vehicles

  • 📡 Starlink satellite internet for communications

  • 🛠️ Mechanical and electrical support on tour

  • 🥘 Welcome Dinner (Alice Springs) and Final Dinner (Coober Pedy)

  • ⛺ All camping fees included

  • 🛣️ Enroute 4WD training and guidance through remote terrains

  • ❤️ Defibrillator and full first aid kit on board

  • 📜 Permits and access fees included

Is This Trip Right for You?

This tour is suitable only for well-prepared vehicles and Aussie-made off-road trailers and hybrids built for true remote touring.
If you’re towing a high-quality setup from AOR, Track Trailer, Lifestyle Campers, or similar, you’re in the right place.

Not sure if your setup is ready?
👉 Get in touch with us — we’re happy to chat and help you decide.

Group Size

  • 🔥 Maximum 10 guest vehicles

  • 🛻 Supported by 2 fully equipped Moon Tours guide vehicles

Join us for a true desert odyssey — rugged, remote, real.
19 days, 1 great desert loop, memories for a lifetime.

  • Experienced remote travel guides
  • Suitable for novice & experienced travellers
  • Suits quality Aussie made off-road campers and hybrid vans
  • Gain on road 4WD experience
  • Extensive first aid medical kit
  • No age limits
  • Small intimate group size
  • Friendly & like minded travellers

Journey Across the Outback – 19-Day Beadell Roads – Great Desert Loop

Example Itinerary – The Great Desert Loop

This is a rough guide only. Each trip is fluid and may vary to suit weather, track conditions, and group needs. Expect the unexpected!

Day 1 – Alice Springs 🏜️

Meet your fellow adventurers in the heart of Australia. Welcome dinner and pre-trip briefing.

Day 2 – West MacDonnell Ranges ➔ Kintore 🚙

Travel west through the stunning West MacDonnell Ranges before heading into remote country toward the small Aboriginal community of Kintore (fuel and supplies may be limited).

Days 3–5 – Sandy Blight Junction Road 🏞️

One of Len Beadell’s classic tracks. Expect red dunes, spinifex plains, rocky outcrops, and big skies. A true off-grid adventure with remote bush camping along the way.

Day 6 – Great Central Road ➔ Warburton ⛽

Join the Great Central Road. Stop at Warakurna or Warburton Roadhouses for fuel and basic supplies.

Days 8–11 – Connie Sue Highway ➔ Neale Junction 🌵

Enter true outback isolation. Cross vast desert plains, salt lakes, and endless mulga scrub. Remote bush camping and wide open spaces.

Days 12–17 – Anne Beadell Highway 🛤️

Take on one of Australia’s toughest and most remote tracks. Pass through Emu Field (atomic test history), massive salt lakes, and endless spinifex country. Expect rough conditions and pure adventure.

Days 18–19 – Coober Pedy 💎

Arrive in the legendary underground town of Coober Pedy. Explore opal mines, underground homes, and quirky outback history. Farewell dinner and celebration.

🛣️ Fuel Planning Overview: Alice Springs ➔ Coober Pedy

  1. Alice Springs ➔ Kintore (520 km)
  • Fuel Availability: Alice Springs has multiple fuel stations, including Shell, BP, and Caltex.
  • Kintore: Fuel available .  
  1. Kintore ➔ Warburton (610 km)
  • Fuel Availability: Warburton Roadhouse offers fuel services.
  1. Warburton ➔ Ilkurlka (500 km)
  • Current Status: The Anne Beadell is now open with graders expected to reach Ilkurlka Roadhouse by the end of May – allowing fuel trucks to resupply
  1.  Ilkurlka ➔ Coober Pedy (770 km)
  • Fuel Availability: Coober Pedy has multiple fuel stations with full services.

(Itinerary may shift depending on weather, track conditions, and wherever the adventure leads us.)

About Your Guides

(For the full backstory, check out the Our Story tab in the main menu.)

The crew behind the wheel.

At the core is Trent Moon, with the branch not growing far from his father’s tree. Ron Moon, a true icon of Australian remote travel, still joins tours well into his late 70s. Trent grew up with red dirt under his boots and a steering wheel in hand. His parents, Ron and Viv Moon, helped pioneer modern Australian remote travel, publishing guidebooks and mapping some of the country’s toughest tracks. Ron remains Editor-at-Large of 4×4 Australia Magazine. For Trent, it’s the family business. Raised in the bush and behind the wheel before his teens (don’t try this now, kids!), he’s led countless Simpson crossings and adventures across Australia, Africa, and the sea.

Trent, Matt, Ben, and Bertus—best mates for over 30 years—have explored just about every corner of Australia together (Vic High Country, Cape York, Simpson Desert, the Kimberley… you name it), plus half a dozen African countries. Their friendship and experience set the tone for every trip: fun, safe, capable, and full of great stories.

Matt is an exceptional leader and long-time guest favourite. He’s towed his AOR Q+ with his family into the country’s harshest conditions, combining great bush mechanic skills with top-notch problem-solving. Matt regularly leads desert trips for Moon Tours and is a huge part of the quality and value guests experience on tour.

Ben rounds out the trio. Another high school mate, he’s been on countless trips with Trent and Matt. Ben is the ultimate team player—a fan favourite who’s always ready to lend a hand, get stuck in, and share the experience with plenty of humour and care. A great mate to have by your side on any adventure.

Bertus, originally from South Africa and now calling Kununurra home, has guided in 36 countries, led expeditions with Australian Geographic, and trained Gurkhas in bush survival. He took Trent under his wing back in 1996 and has been an essential part of the team ever since.

Chief Jimmy is the engine room of Moon Tours. He works side by side with Trent at HQ and out on the road. Known for his calm presence, dry humour, and exceptional mechanical skills (especially on Toyotas—he’ll reluctantly fix “the others”), Jimmy is a guest favourite and keeps the wheels turning and the adventure rolling.

Corey & Sophie are a powerhouse team. Sophie runs much of the admin and guest communication, while Corey, a heavy diesel mechanic, is your “hands-on, get-it-done” guide. They’ve led multiple Moon Tours into Cape York, the Simpson, Victorian High Country, and the epic Coast 2 Coast. When they’re on tour—you’re in safe hands.

Harris & Bri are the ultimate fix-it duo. Harris loves a mechanical challenge and usually finds something to weld or repair. Bri is right there backing him up, both happy to dive in and help out wherever needed. Guests love their energy and enthusiasm.

Cam, based in Alice Springs, is a full-time mechanic and shop manager with Terrain Tamer. With plenty of Simpson crossings and Coast 2 Coast tours under his belt, Cam’s a loveable country bloke who keeps everything running smoothly (and always with a smile).

Together, we don’t just guide—we make sure you have the confidence, capability, and backup to enjoy every minute of the journey.

You’re in very good hands out there

🚙 ARE YOU AND YOUR VEHICLE READY FOR THE GREAT DESERT LOOP?

🔥 Minimum Requirements

Suspension and tyres are your most crucial upgrades, and mandatory if you intend to join this tour. Protecting your engine from dust with a snorkel is highly recommended although not mandatory.
This isn’t a hardcore rock-crawling trip with winches and crazy angles — it’s the long distances, heavy loads, corrugations along with some slow rough terrain – and the remoteness that will test you and your gear.

🚗 Vehicle Prep

🔧 Pre-trip service by a reputable 4WD workshop

  • Book a full inspection with an experienced 4WD specialist (not a general mechanic)

  • Check and replace worn suspension components, bushes, shocks, and steering

  • Inspect brakes, brake lines, and pads for wear

  • Thoroughly inspect all aftermarket accessories (bull bar, rear bar, roof racks, awnings, spotlights, aerials, etc.)

  • Check all aftermarket wiring for wear, damage, correct fusing, and safe routing

  • Inspect wheel bearings and repack or replace if needed

  • Service diff, transfer case, gearbox oils, and engine oil

  • Check for any leaks or loose fittings under vehicle and under bonnet

  • Test battery health and electrical system load

  • Confirm tyre pressures and inspect for uneven wear or damage

  • Re-torque critical bolts (suspension, wheels, tow hitch, recovery points)

🚚 Trailer Prep

  • 🛠️ Pre-trip inspection + service

    • Book a full inspection with a specialist camper trailer service centre

    • Check all suspension components, bolts, bushes, and shackles for wear or cracking

    • Test all external lights, brake lights, indicators, and number plate lights

    • Inspect handbrake operation and brake cable condition

  • 🛞 Check/replace wheel bearings

    • Remove and inspect all trailer wheel bearings

    • Repack with high-quality wheel bearing grease or replace if any wear or damage

    • Carry at least one full spare bearing kit for each axle

  • 🔌 Check electrics

    • Test 12V circuits, Anderson plug connections, and trailer plug wiring

    • Inspect all wiring for chafing, loose connections, or corrosion

    • Confirm battery condition and charging system

    • Test water pump, fridge wiring, and any other 12V accessories

  • 🔩 Structural integrity

    • Inspect chassis rails, A-frame, drawbar, coupling, and welds for cracks or fatigue

    • Check the condition and mounting of all external accessories (jerry can holders, stone guards, spare wheel carriers, gas bottle holders)

    • Ensure all hatches, latches, locks, and hinges are secure and working properly

    • Check condition and pressure of airbag suspension systems if fitted

Spare Parts & Gear for Touring

Being well-prepared with the right spare parts and gear is essential for a safe and successful trip, whether you’re touring with us or exploring on your own. Even if you don’t know how to replace these items, having them in your kit essential if you want help from those that do. Here’s what we recommend! Some of these spares must be carried when travelling with Moon Tours – others are highly recommended.

All of these items are common to be replaced on tour. 

Of course, each vehicle and trailer differs in terms of parts and what can be serviced in the field versus what requires specialised tools and a workshop. For example, if a LandCruiser 200 snaps wheel studs and nuts, the vehicle becomes undriveable without spares. However, with the necessary spares on hand, this issue is an easy fix, and you’ll be back on the road in no time. These spare parts take up very little space but can make a huge difference in saving your trip. We strongly recommend researching common issues specific to your vehicle or trailer and carrying the appropriate spare parts to help prevent potential breakdowns.

 🛠️ Spare Parts

  • 🏎️ Serpentine Belt – mandatory

  • Radiator Hoses – recommended 

  • Tensioner Pulley – highly recommended. Car will not run without one

  • 🛞 Shock Bushes – some are serviceable, some are not. Check yours and carry spares if they are. 

  • Misc Bolt & Nuts 

  • 🔩 Wheel studs and nuts for vehicle and trailer – mandatory
    (This is a common issue and easily repaired. Ensure you have the correct studs and nuts for steel and alloy wheels on both vehicle and trailer.)

  • 🛑 Brake Pads / Brake Shoes – A set for Front & Rear & Trailer – mandatory

  • 🚛 Prop Shaft / UNI Joint – At least x1 Front and x1 Rear – recommended 
    (They may differ front to back. When towing, your UNI Joints are operating under extreme conditions. If one were to fail, you would lose the drive to that entire axle making you 2WD. Towing in 2WD in an off-road environment will put a massive strain on that axle. Carrying a spare could save a lot of heartache, but they’re easy to replace if one fails, and they’re not very big to store in your spare parts kit.)

🛞 Wheel Bearings

  • Wheel Bearings For All Your Trailer Axles/Wheels – mandatory

  • Wheel bearings for your vehicle?
    It is rare these days to have original equipment bearings fail on a vehicle; however, when it does, it can be catastrophic. If an engine blows up, we can always tow a vehicle out. Without wheels…well. The best cure is prevention. A vehicle’s wheel bearings last a long time, but they don’t last forever and, in some instances, can be almost impossible to replace in the bush. It is absolutely essential that you have a reputable mechanic maintain and check these properly.

  • It is super important that your vehicle and trailer wheel bearings are thoroughly checked before any travel.
    (Any free play or rumbling from the bearing is a clear indicator that it is on its way out and must be addressed as soon as possible. In newer vehicles, it is increasingly common to have sealed and pressed wheel bearings, which are more durable but significantly harder to service or replace in remote areas. However, if your wheel bearings are serviceable in the bush, such as with the LandCruiser 79 series, they can be easily greased and/or replaced, making them a practical spare part for remote travel.)

  • Adding spare parts like wheel bearings to your remote travel kit is highly recommended.
    (Some of these parts take up very little room in your spare kit but can make a massive difference in saving your trip. We personally carry enough bearings for one side of the vehicle, both front and rear, as part of our spare parts kit.)

🛡️ Filters

  • Oil, Fuel, Air, and Cabin Filters – mandatory

  • 🧽 Snorkel filter socks (great for convoys, just clean regularly)

🛢️ Fluids

  • Oil For Top Ups – mandatory

Engine, Diff/Transfer Case, Transmission, Power Steering (may be the same as your auto trans oil), and Brake Fluid. You don’t need to carry enough for a full change, 500mm – 1L top up bottles are fine and essential to your remote touring kit.

🛞 Spare Tyres and Repair Kit

  • Heavy-duty plug kit (avoid plastic handles) – mandatory

  • Tyre slime – mandatory

  • Minimum Two Good Spares on Rims if wheels are interchangeable between 4WD and Van – mandatory

Highly recommend carrying an additional spare tyre (no rim). If we destroy a tyre and have a spare carcass – we will throw it on when we get somewhere like Warburton – giving us two spares on rims once again. 

If the vehicle and van are not interchangeable:

  • Two spares on rims for the car
  • At least one spare on a rim for the van

🔥 Fire Extinguishers

  • Bring more than one – mandatory 

  • Ensure the powder is loose and the pressure is good

🔌 12V Electrical Spares

  • Cable ties – mandatory

  • Spare Anderson plugs – mandatory

  • Spare Trailer plug and Cigarette lighter plug – highly recommended

  • Fuses – mandatory

A mix of large blade 40–60A for compressors and Anderson plugs, standard and mini blade, glass fuses and inline heavy-duty fusible links

  • 30A Relay (know your own vehicle and electrical set up – you may need bigger relays) – mandatory

  • Electrical Tape – mandatory

  • Multimeter and Test Light – we have these of course but we highly recommend you carry your own. Even if you don’t know how to use it. 

  • Solder and Small Gas Torch work well – we carry this also and highly recommend you carry some too. 12V issues are more common than anything else on tour. 

  • Electrical connectors and joiners – mandatory

  • Label wiring under the bonnet and inside the canopy for easier troubleshooting.
    If everyone did this, it would make our life so much easier in the bush.

🛢️ Sealants & Cleaners

  • Sprays: lubricant, brake clean, contact cleaner, degreaser – mandatory

  • Radiator stop-leak – recommended

  • Fuel additives / injector cleaner – mandatory

  • JB-Weld essentials kit – mandatory

  • Gasket Maker / Sealant – recommended

  • Loctite – recommended

  • Grease / Wheel Bearing Grease – mandatory (a small tub or tube is fine)

🛠️ Tools: Be Prepared for Anything

Basic tool kit – shifters, spanners, sockets, screw drivers, pliers, wire cutters, vice grip, hammer, Allen keys, sharp knife, hack saw, hex keys, cloth tape, gloves and rags.

  • Decent Jack – mandatory

A reliable jack and a jacking plate for stability on uneven terrain

  • Pry Bar or Tyre Lever – highly recommended

  • Rubber Mallet and Hammer – highly recommended

  • Cold Chisel and Punches

  • Cordless Tools – highly recommended

    • Impact Driver

    • Drill and

    • Grinder – With cutting and grinding discs

  • Rivet Gun and Rivets  
  • Pick Set

🛟 Recovery Gear

  • Rated Recovery Points – Front & Rear – mandatory

  • MaxTrax – min set of 4 – should be mandatory but highly recommended
    (One for each wheel on the ground is recommended; having two in a pickle is not helpful.)

  • Kinetic Rope or Snatch Strap – mandatory

  • **Shackles (recommend soft shackles) – mandatory

  • Shovel – mandatory

  • Axe / splitter combo – recommended

  • Chainsaw – highly recommended 

🧗‍♂️ Winch Essentials: if you have one – not mandatory

  • Winch ring

  • Tree protector

  • Winch extension strap

  • A couple of additional soft shackles

  • Dampener

🧳 Gear for Touring

  • UHF Radio with External Aerial – mandatory

  • Air Compressor – mandatory

  • Tyre Gauge / Deflator – mandatory

  • Jumper Leads and/or Jump Pack – mandatory

🚐 Van & Trailer Spares

  • Water hose, joiners and tap fittings – mandatory

  • Brake pads / shoes – mandatory

  • Wheel Bearings – mandatory

  • Wheel Studs and Nuts – mandatory

  • Spare Airbag for air suspension  – recommended 

  • Airbag hose and fittings – mandatory

  • D Shackles – mandatory

Safety is priority #1. Reliability is everything.
Be prepared & have the trip of a lifetime!

🛡️ Moon Tours Safety Equipment

  • 📡 Satellite phone

  • StarLink Internet

  • 🆘 EPIRB

  • 🩺 First aid kit (broad spectrum antibiotics, painkillers, relaxants, morphine whistles – bring your own basic kit too)

  • ❤️‍🩹 Defibrillator

  • 🛠️ Winch

  • 🔥 Welding equipment

  • ⚙️ Grinder / Power Tools

  • 🔧 Tools

🛢️ Fuel & Water

  • ⛽ Enough for a 1000km

  • 💧 100L minimum per vehicle – max 200L

🏕️ Camping Gear

  • 🪑 Camp chairs

  • 🍳 Cooking kit

  • 🍴 Cutlery + dishwashing gear

  • 🔦 Head torch + lights

  • 🪓 Axe + shovel

🇦🇺 Aussie-Made Trailer Brands We’ve Tested 

  • AOR (Australian Off Road)

  • Lifestyle Camper

  • Track Trailer (Tvan)

  • Trakmaster

  • Patriot Campers

  • Cub Campers

  • Pioneer Campers

  • Kimberley Kampers

  • Ultimate Campers

  • Vista RV

  • RhinoMax

  • To name a few

Safety is priority #1. Reliability is everything.
Be prepared & have the trip of a lifetime!

Rates & Inclusions

Tour Price:

AUD $9000 (incl. GST) per vehicle – covers up to 2 people.

Deposit Terms:

A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 or 30% of the trip value (whichever is greater) is required to secure your place. Balance due as per invoice terms.

We recommend reviewing our Terms & Conditions and taking out domestic travel insurance to protect your holiday investment.

Why We Charge a Premium – And Why It’s Worth It

We run two fully equipped support vehicles and travel with a highly experienced team dedicated to looking after you and your rig every step of the way.

From on-tour mechanical repairs and recoveries to managing tight, technical tracks and the rigours of truly remote rugged outback travel, we’re prepared for it all. We’ve towed campers through this country for years and know exactly how to manage these specialised trips,, ensuring every trip is challenging, scenic, and safe.

The central deserts and these remote tracks really put pressure on gear which is why we are so particular about what we take. Exceptionally heavy loads, rough terrain, soft sand, rocky and washed out tracks. You want a team beside you who understands what’s ahead – not just from a map, but from real, hands-on experience.

Our past guests will tell you:

We under promise and over deliver.

You’ll get more than what’s listed here – because that’s just how we operate.

This is what we do. It’s our passion, and our business is built around it.

This is one of our favourite trips in outback Australia with lots of history, culture and some of Australia’s most iconic tracks put in by Len Beadell back in the 50s-60s and of course because it is so remote.

Moon Tours will arrange all your permits for the trip and any bookings required. We will need your vehicle make, model, colour and registration number.

The trip requires a well-set-up vehicle and if towing, a well-built and suitable Australian-made camper trailer or hybrid off-road van. Maintenance and preparation are the keys to tough remote touring like this. Most of this information is on our website and probably more.
The crux of it though, almost without exception, you’re vehicle needs to have a thorough going over by a 4WD specialist to check everything and replace anything that is on the way out. You are travelling huge distances so regular service intervals hardly apply. Wheels bearings, I can’t stress this enough, have them replaced, repacked, properly checked and serviced. We can deal with most things and if we have to tow someone we can do that if all four wheels are attached. The same goes, perhaps, especially the camper trailers.
Ok yep, these are all different things. You are not covered by Moon Tours at all on a tag-along.
 
You do need to protect your holiday investment like you would any overseas holiday with domestic travel insurance in the event you need to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. It happens quite a lot and I know if you were going overseas you would purchase travel insurance for exactly that reason, this is no difference as outlined in our terms and conditions, website and invoices. Deposits are non-refundable with terms of balance payments in our Ts & C’s. A quick google search and you will find plenty of options for domestic travel insurance, we can’t advise you.
 
We recommend everyone take out roadside assistance top cover. In Victoria we have RACV total care, it’s less than a few hundred a year, covers me for any vehicle I drive and has saved many a headache every year for clients with similar. This won’t help you if you’re broken down off-road but in general, if we get you to a main road you will be covered.
 
Remote recovery. This is somewhat new and as far as we know is only available with Club 4×4 vehicle insurance which we have. You can choose up to $30,000 of remote recovery coverage with your insurance. It has nothing to do with roadside assistance, rather it is like an amount allowed to recover a vehicle from anywhere by any means (not really, you need to read up on the terms).
 
It goes without saying your vehicle and trailer need to be well-insured for accidents. Here’s something interesting though, let’s say you’re in the bush and you hit a rock, log, hole or water (you need to check what your insurance covers you for) that damages your vehicle or you run into a tree for example and you can’t drive it. This wouldn’t be covered by roadside assistance but the towing and recovery may be covered by insurance as an accident as opposed to a breakdown.
Spare parts, belts, hoses, tensioner pulleys, wheel bearings, especially for the trailer, it is pretty rare for vehicle bearings to go if they’re well maintained but I still carry them and recommend you carry a spare set when touring to do a front and rear wheel. Oil, fuel, air and cabin filters (carry a couple of each air and cabin). We run snorkel filter socks although they’re not everyone’s cup of tea we have never had an issue and they work well in convoy, the key is cleaning them regularly. Oil for your vehicle, half a dozen wheel studs to suit your vehicle (they may be different front to rear), tie downs, cable ties, cloth tape, 12v electrical spares (elec tape, Anderson plugs (grab a few of these), fuses, relays, globes, multi-meter, wire, joiners if you don’t know how to solder. Radiators stop leaks, fuel treatment additives for bad fuel and products like Liquid Metal to repair things like radiators and fuel tanks are all essential items to carry.  Silicone or sika flex, lubricants WD40 style, degreaser, contact cleaner, brake cleaner, grease, filter cleaner and filter oil if you are using a filter sock or reusable air filter.
 
Shock bushes. Definitely carry some of them.
Personally, I don’t carry spare shocks, a leaking shock is not a show stopper and I haven’t seen a snapped or broken beyond drivable after-market shock on tour for years. That is not to say it doesn’t happen. If you’re going to carry a spare for your vehicle throw in a rear.
Most vehicles have independent front suspension (strut with shock inside the coil spring), even if you are carrying a spare we ain’t changing that in the bush.
*Tvans or camper trailers running on single shocks, BRING A SPARE.
 
A grinder (grinding and cutting discs), drill (drill bits), impact gun, screws, nuts and bolts are all good things to carry while touring.
 
Air compressor, tyre plug repair kit and tyre slime, a decent jack and base you can lift the car and camper with, wheel brace and basic tools for the job along with some spanners, screwdrivers, pliers, hammer, socket set and breaker bar.
 
Invest in an engine scan tool that displays the code, description and possible causes. You can pick these up for as low as a couple of hundred bucks. Try Autophix which Ron and Trent use as a basic tool. A full-on mechanics tool will give a lot more detail but for the most part, a basic one will do the job. You will probably use this more than any other tool these days. Importantly you can clear engine codes and take vehicles out of limp mode and it may help you find and fix issues with your vehicle.
 
A workshop manual for your vehicle is a must.
It is essential you carry at least two fire extinguishers in working order and a fire blanket. ARB fire sticks are also a good idea.  Be sure to check your fire extinguishers, we have found that old units may not work when you want them to. Generally, if you can hear and feel the powder moving around when you shake it should work. The powder settles and hardens so extinguishers should be shaken up regularly. Tapping the cylinder with a rubber mallet can help loosen up the powder.
We’ve also found that the small ones do not go far when you need them.
You will be required to have heavy-duty aftermarket suspension in good condition, and light truck-rated all-terrain tyres, most of the big-name brands are pretty good, for what it’s worth Ron and I now both run Mickey Thompson AT and MT Baja Boss although I have seen the new Baja Legend (less aggressive) perform well. (Please don’t roll up with Goodride or any other cheap Chinese-made tyre), you will need two spares on the rims. All your tyres should have 75% tread life in them when you leave home.
 
If your camper or hybrid runs the same rims, meaning you can interchange wheels and tyres between van and vehicle then two tyres on rims is enough. Having a third carcass only or on a rim is even better for this trip but we understand weight is an issue which is why your tyres need to be in good condition. If you need to carry individual spares for your trailer then I recommend one on a rim and one carcass (no rim) which could be put on the roof rack and still two spares on rims for your vehicle.
UHF radio with external aerial (no hand-held without an external aerial), the ability to carry enough fuel for 1100km and generally if you work on 25L / 100km that will give you a good idea of how much you need to carry.
 
We want you to have some maxtrax, two aint much good but better than nothing if everyone has some. I recommend you carry maxtrax for every wheel you have on the ground but that is not mandatory. For some recovery gear, you do not have to have a winch but you should be carrying a snatch strap or kinetic rope, a tow rope/winch extension strap does the job, some shackles (preferably soft) and a shovel.
 
Fuel is an issue for everyone so don’t freak out. We need to be creative when it comes to fitting it all on board. First of all, jerry cans weigh next to nothing when empty and you don’t need them full when you leave home or for all legs of the trip. We fill them when required and empty them as quickly as possible. For example, if we can not get fuel at Oak Valley it’s about 1000km from Nundroo to Ilkurlka, on the first day you might be able to empty three jerry cans and a couple the next day. That takes care of your burden pretty quickly. If you have water tanks and water jerry cans on your camper trailer we recommend swapping them out for fuel jerry cans if you are struggling to fit it on board. We like to use the 10L cask-style water boxes for extra drinking water which can be easily stowed somewhere in the vehicle or camper.
Supplies and quarantine borders. You can not enter South Australia with certain fruit and vegetables, same goes for Western Australia so be sure to check the links below for what you can and can not carry across borders.
 
 
During the tour you will have the opportunity for basic supplies, fuel, water and groceries, don’t let your expectations get too carried away. You can generally get meat, fruit and vegetables of some kind along with snacks, milk and bread. Five days after leaving Ceduna you will roll into Ilkurlka Roadhouse on the Anne Beadell, followed by Tjukayirla or Warburton a few days later, after that you can expect 7-10 days without supplies depending on access to one of the remote aboriginal communities. That’s if everything goes to plan but gives you an idea.
Do not leave toilet paper buried or otherwise in the bush, animals will dig it up and it floats around the bush for months, longer in dry areas. There’s not much worse than rolling into a camp to find toilet paper everywhere.
 
1/ dig a hole for your business
2/ burn paper in a hole
3/ fill the hole in with dirt once the paper is burnt
 
If you chose not to burn your paper in the hole you can bag it and burn it with rubbish at the end of the night.
 
It’s going to be a heck of an adventure and if you’ve got this far you have invested in all the right gear and equipment, you are set up for the job. Now time to get prepared.

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