Driving in the Out Back

Once you get past driving on the right side car and the left side of the road, you begin to notice other differences to driving in Australia and especially the outback.

Although there are plenty of normal cars around Alice, you can’t help but notice the utes and Land Cruisers. These are the quintessential Aussie bush vehicles. The American pickup, even jeeps and hummers don’t hold a candle to these beasts. They are built for utility and durability with little emphasis on appearance or passenger comforts. American style pickups are extremely rare in Australia. Their equivalent is the ute (short for utility vehicle). Instead of a truck bed with sides, they have flat beds, often with low side boards that can be lowered and even removed.

Most of these creatures are diesel powered and automatic transmissions are reserved for wimps and the handicapped. There is no such thing as doughnut spare times out here. Anyone going off the highway for more than a few miles will have multiple spare tires.

Roo bars (Yanks call them bush guards) are standard equipment. And yes, they are used to bounce kangaroos and cattle off the front of the vehicle.

The snorkels aren’t just for looks. The desert is prone to flash floods and even when it’s dry, the snorkel provides an additional filter for the bull dust that coats the country side. Bull dust is FINELY ground sand that has the consistency of talcum powder. It will bog down a vehicle, ruin a paint job and slowly destroy an engine. It can coat your teeth, sting your eyes and clog your nose. Use your imagination on where else it can get and how uncomfortable it can be!

I couldn’t resist throwing this picture in. I don’t know the owner of the car, but will bet there’s a story to go along with what’s left of the tire.