Big Lap travel safety

My first reaction is that we would not contemplate such a trip with less than 5 or 6 months available.
Second is that we would happily do it alone. There is nothing "remote" in your description.

How are you getting from the WA west coast to Yalara? The "Great Western Highway" is in NSW.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

As Peter said there is nothing really remote in your plans. We have done most of that solo with a van and later with our motorhome. Just take a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) if you are really worried. For phone/internet Starlink is the way to go, although the mobile network is getting better. Telstra or Boost is the best

Hi Steve,
I don't think you have to worry about personal safety.
A few thoughts from me are
- carry extra fuel in jerry cans
- Get full coverage from your RAC
-Get a WA nat parks annual pass to save money, and book any camps in nat parks that you want to visit as they can get very busy.
-If you haven't booked your spot in Broome you might have a problem finding one.
Ian

Steve
I concur with above comments, namely getting complete/extra/premium cover from NRMA making sure you pay extra for towing a van over 2T (as you are from NSW).
Keep your travel plans as flexible as possible.
A 100 series Cruiser is likely to be getting on in age and subject to unplanned mechanical issues.
I've been known to drive from Tamworth to Cairns in 2 days (2000km) towing a camper a couple of times to then maximise time in the Cape, but realistically I wouldn't consider doing any more than half of your itinerary in just 3 months.
I've not driven west of Uluru, but everywhere you mention east of there is well travelled.
Mark

Along with booking at Broome you will need to book Karijini in advance as it is very popular, as are other places you mention.

The social issues associated with excessive alcohol consumption in the Kimberley towns are getting another run in the WA media this week.

You are likely to feel much safer bush camped on the Great Central Road .

Otherwise enjoy the journey.

Cheers

Broome is a major tourist trap, but you have to go there once.
Check out the pearling history, the little museum and Cable Beach. 2 days tops.
We prefer to shop/restock in Derby.
And go north along the west coast of the Dampier Peninsula to James Price Point - Coulomb Point for some stunning coastal free camping, if the van is not too big/wide. Several days at least, more if you fish.

The Kimberley is the most stunning part of Australia, and the most difficult to see. It deserves weeks or months, not days.

Ignore the "Kakadon't" brigade. As an Australian icon it is embarrassingly run down, but enjoy it for what it has. It is stunning country. We spent another 2 weeks there exploring on our last visit recently.

Forget everything else on your plan in Queensland, NT and SA. If you are driving across to the west, make the most of it and maximise your time there. The rest can be done in shorter trips from home later.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

The responses posted to date in the thread cover all that I was going to post. You have received excellent advice. In particular the need to extend your 3 month timeframe, have RAC recovery cover, to carry a PLB & remote comms & to be flexible with your intinerary.

Note that nowhere is remote until something goes wrong, but you should have that well covered with the PLB & Starlink. Just make sure that you have a list of appropriate 'emergency contact numbers' before you head off.

The only thing I would choose to do differently to what some have suggested is the booking ahead malarky.

The more flexible you can be with your intinerary the less need to book everything ahead.

I certainly wouldn't book anything before leaving home, & would only book a max of a week or two in advance for the 'absolute must see' places. (Mornington Wilderness Camp, if open, off the Gibb River Road, is a must & does need to be booked - but even that we were able to book just 3 weeks before arriving).

Our experience is that even without booking it is generally possible to get into most places if prepared to free camp a bit whilst waiting for a vacancy, or, dare I say it, to take advantage of the 'ghost bookings' in many NP's.

The online/all fully booked booking system is a joke, with many sites fully booked for months but frequently not used. In addition most NP's have a few 'unofficial' overflow spaces.

I'm not advocating blocking booked sites from those who have booked, but I do advocate utilising booked sites with a willingness to move if need be, generally to one of the unofficial spaces, if someone who has booked turns up & is unwilling or unable to share the space. Eg. We stayed in a NP (not on your route) for 10 nights at 4 or 5 different sites in the park. Online booking said *every* site in the park was fully booked for several months ahead. We found that more than 90% of the sites were not utilised (& we checked multiple sites). Of the 10 nights only on one night did someone who had booked turned up, but it was a large site suitable for multiple vehicles, & they were happy for us to remain, but had they not have been we would simply have moved to another unused site nearby. At one site we stayed for several days. On the morning we were packing to leave a ranger turned up. He was not interested in whether we had booked or not, but in conversation it was he we learned the term 'ghost bookings' from. Folk who happily book a week+ with maybe the possibility of being there for one of the nights, if there plans haven't changed beforehand.

Certainly camping like this can add a degree of uncertainty, but in my view it is preferable to having to tie our intinerary down months ahead of travel time. Some will be critical of the position I advocate I'm sure, but I'm a bit of a rebel with regard to what I perceive as a bean counter driven, long term traveller-unfriendly booking system in NP's. I have no problem with paying my way, my problem is with the requirement to book in advance making free & easy travel into something too rigid which significantly detracts from a major reason that we travel. As it is, with no way to pay when utilising a site that is 'ghost booked' but not utilised we have been thankful to the unknown travellers who have unknowingly paid our camp fees for us on multiple occasions.

The bottom line is - if you're planning to travel through an area, or on a little-used road without backup/support, it is good policy (and a recommended procedure) to report your movements and expected date/time of arrival at the next civilisation, to the local Police at the last place of habitation you visit.

The rescue of stranded travellers who leave no information on their whereabouts or travel plans, is a major headache for Police and SES and other rescuers, when travellers are reported as missing - so it is merely good manners and good planning to contact the local Police, and advise them accordingly as to your travel plans, equipment and experience, when you plan to travel through remote and lightly populated areas.

Extreme weather events when travelling on remote roads and tracks, that are not built to withstand extreme weather events, means that you may become stranded (and need rescuing), despite lots of good planning.

Cheers, Ron.