With tour operators absolutely everywhere, there's no reason why you can't consider your vehicle to be your mobile
home and when you get to a place you really want to explore, pick up a tag-along tour or even a day tour with someone that knows that region
well. That way you will do more than tick off the major highlights from your guidebook or brochure and you'll see the place for what it really is.
I can think of a recent trip in the Kimberly to a
cave we have visited twice before, but I had never noticed an aboriginal painting on the
cave ceiling, nor would I have noticed it except for the tour guide giving a talk and shining his torch upon it. My thoughts are if you're going to pay for someone to take you, make sure they can offer you something more than just the driving experience.