What is the best insurance for trips like the Madigan Line?

best bet is to get a newest map of the area ,an check if it is marked on the map
if not , that will probably will be the deciding factor , I think with insurance
cover , my thoughts
I know ya said no opinions .
cheers mechpete

The best insurance is money in the bank, a PLB and a sat. phone.
If you can find anyone to accept the breakdown risks for this country, you won't want to pay the premiums.
That said, some policies will contribute a little. It is important to read the fine print very carefully as many have an "off road" exclusion clause of some sort. Some don't and you need to find one of those to protect against total loss.
I would advise going through a broker to select a policy. His responsibility is to you, not the insurer, but he must understand what you need or want.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Hi Christine & Lindsay,

Look for an insurance policy that has the wording "no geographic limits" included as a starting point. There are some brokers around who will provide this. Whether they cover recovery from the middle of the Simpson Desert (track/road not shown on any maps) is a specific question you'll need to ask the broker and/or the insurance company. Otherwise, like already said - have plenty of money because a recovery will not be easy. You could be days away from the nearest help having been along the Madigan recently. Contact Mt Dare for possible recovery costs and you'll get the idea.

Good luck with your query.

Rob K

Christine and Lindsay

Try not to over-think the insurance aspect, especially if you have comprehensive insurance.

Check the PDS that accompanies your policy and you will find the wording almost identical with most insurers as they are written to general underwriting standards.

For example, Alliance has the following wording.

“We will insure you for accidental physical loss or damage or legal liability which happens within Australia arising out of the events set out in your policy during the period of insurance.”

It goes on to say;

Comprehensive cover – provides cover for:

“Accidental loss or damage to your vehicle up to an agreed value, or market value…”

Now it will also tell you what they won’t cover. In most cases this will indicate, claims that result from blood alcohol limit above the law, unlicenced drivers, overloaded vehicles and there are other standard type of exclusions.

But the key words are within Australia – the Madigan Line is within Australia. Often people look for insurance companies to qualify what they mean by “within Australia” – it leads to all kinds of confusion, especially when you ring a call centre and talk to a person that will have limited legal and underwriting experience.

PDS documentation is designed to be written in plain simple language under Financial Sector Regulations, which in essence means for dummies like us!Well, me at least…

A quick look at NRMA policy wording says “we don’t cover incidents that take place outside Australia” – which means they cover within Australia.

My best advice is spare the heartache of ringing the insurance company, go to a legal firm and ask them if you are concerned whether it will cover the Madigan Line. After all, it is a legal document...

We do complete off-track work in the desert and will be doing more this year – we are covered as it is within Australia…

Do your own due diligence but be careful you do not dilute the policy wording that is already quiet clear about the “where they will cover you” by asking them to qualify what they mean by “anywhere in Australia”…

If they don’t intend to cover the Madigan Line or off-road and off-track driving they need to tell you that as an “exclusion” when you take out the policy.

Enjoy your trip...


Cheers, Baz – The Landy

If you're talking about vehicle insurance, my insurance when I did the Madigan Line covered me (my vehicle) anywhere in Aust as long as I was legally there. Whether or not the vehicle would be recovered in the event of an incident is another question. Recovery costs will be huge, so it would depend on the insured value of the car. If the damage and recovery costs reach 75% of the insured value - the insurance company will probably just payout and leave it there.

Also, I believe you may now need a permit to travel the Colson Track from the SA/NT border north, and from camps 4 (maybe 5) until you exit NT from the CLC. There was a determination of that area several years ago and it is now Aboriginal land. This would come back to being legally there. Last time I checked the CLC web site, the map of CLC controlled land hadn't been updated, but I have read the court determination finding.

It is a fantastic trip, one that I would love to do again with a bit more time. We found some interesting areas that I would like to explore a bit, including a graded road and air strip near well 6. Can't find any info on it so I don't know why it was there.

I would suggest you go sooner rather than later - I expect soon it will be totally out of bounds.

I have crossed the Madigan Line twice in 2011 & 2013. Its not the Insurance Policy you need to worry about but the ability to retreive yourself due to breakdown. I would consider the following.

Carry a SATPHONE have all the appropriate numbers
Travel with at least 2 other vehicles who can help with towing
Study the route closely to determine the various exit points. There is only 2 The Colson Track and the Hay River Track unfortunately both at either end on the Line
Mt Dare has a retrieval and Rescue Service ans does Birdsville
Take plenty of spares, 2 spare tyres and plenty of plugs.
Speak to your Road service Provider and ask the the Question then take out the best cover available.

Its not a difficult trip but the remoteness is the issue. In 2011 the crossing was quite hard as there was basicly no track. In 2013 it was a well used track and easy as

Jeff

The Landy is pretty much spot on. There is an incredible amount of urban myth and hearsay around insurance and 4wd. One of the popular mags did an article last month and acknowledged this point. Their research revealed the lack of restrictions around geographics, water crossings, recovery and more. What people don't realise though is the need to have urgent and accurate advice when the ship hits the span. You don't need lengthy delays or someone telling you to get some quotes when you are out there. As someone with a long insurance history I would suggest you use a reputable broker. He /she will be your advocate when you need one most. Don't get drawn in to the cheap online only policies. They might do the job but you will be dealing with a different voice every time you call.
I envy you your trip and I am confident you won't be be left hanging by an insurer if things go bang.
Ken

A few months back, I was wondering much the same (Insurance and what's available) and I found these guys;-

http://www.tcis.com.au/index.php/four-wheel-drive-insurance/4wd-vehicle/c_174.html

This is NOT recommendation, I haven't even contacted them (as yet), but hey, it's only a phone call to find out what's what. I'd suggest you put some very pointed questions / scenarios to them, be interested to see what they have to say.

I was looking in to this type of Insurance for a Simpson Crossing, I have been informed that the major tracks across the desert are gazetted roads- at least within SA (I am guess to give the Ranger's power to breathalyse drivers and also be able to hand out speeding fines - it's only a 40 kmh limit through there these days), if this is correct, then your NRMA (or equivalent) roadside cover should cover any recovery operation to the limits of the normal cover.

As a follow-up to my earlier comment…

When it comes to insurance risk, rejection of a claim won’t usually come from the geographical location of an incident or accident, after all most comprehensive policies say they will cover you “within Australia”.


That is fairly clear…


The greater risk comes from non-disclosure of modifications on vehicles to the insurance company.


And a simple review of this forum from time-to-time indicates many have modified vehicles.


When taking out insurance you don’t have to disclose information that is reasonable for an insurer to already know. For example, four-wheel drive vehicles are designed for off-road use – so it is highly probable a claim could arise from off-road activity, an insurance company should reasonably understand that . If the insurance company has concerns over where you might use the vehicle it is up to them to ask you prior to accepting your business.


Equally it is the responsibility of the person taking insurance to declare information that might influence the insurance company as to whether it is willing to offer insurance cover to you. This includes all modifications and whether they meet the State registration requirements and ADRs.


Performance chips, suspension modifications and lifts, bigger wheel sizes, to name just a couple are all classed as modifications which are more likely to cause consternation and possibly a rejection of an insurance claim, or reduced pay-out, than where an incident or accident occurs geographically.


Importantly, always read the PDS document of the company offering insurance and understand the responsibilities of all parties to the agreement…

Cheers, Baz – The Landy

As others have mentioned - the recovery costs are the biggy. And insurance doesn't cover breakdown. My son-in-law had problems on the Canning not long back and the recovery quote was $15000.

:) I think prayer is probably the best value for money.

Affinity Insurance Brokers located in Cheltenham Vic are specialists in insurance for 4WD's. They currently use CGU insurance. Using a broker is best as while they will have their preferred insurers they are more independent and should be able to tailor the insurance to suit you. Once your vehicle is 3 years old the insured value is market value which is usually less than what we recon its worth. While it cost more to nominate an agreed value I would always do this as it gives certainty about what you will get in the event of a total loss. As a guide for a 2006 Cruiser with lots of mods etc for an agreed value of $62k premium is $1440 on best driver rating. If you get a quote from anyone that is less than that you need to ensure the conditions and benefits are the same. Any policy should be specific to 4WD's and cover the WHOLE of Australia with NO exceptions.