portable radios

Neville
FM reception is limited to about 150km from the most powerful transmitters, and is blocked by terrain. Most country based FM stations use low power FM if at all, so unless you are staying close to towns, forget FM.
AM transmissions on the broadcast band (0.5 to 1.6 MHz) are limited during the day similar distances. At night AM signals can travel several hundred kms (by skipping off the ionosphere), but signals are susceptible to interference, and fading.
To stay i touch by radio you will need to consider shortwave. Territory radio (ABC) is on shortwave, but whether you will receive this in the West is uncertain. Your best bet would be Radio Australia or the BBC, the optimum frequency being governed by the time of day, and sunspot activity at the time.
Radios have improved, but they will never be able to pick up signals that don't exist.

Subject to the limitations of radio (as mentioned in the previous post) the best radio I have found is the Sangean ATS909 (they have some cheaper models too that I haven't tried).

On a really good day for propagation I heard a 27 MHz SSB CB transmission from perth (in cairns) on the built-in telescopic antenna (it has a socket for a external antenna which is also supplied).

It can also pickup weak FM signals much better than the average radio due to it's PLL circuitry and very selective receiver.

It covers all broadcasts bands plus SW and can receive FM, AM, USB and LSB.

Hope this helps.