Summer in the outback

Summer day temps on the Birdsville Track and the Corner Country can reach 50 degrees

It probably isnt advisable to drive that way over the summer but people do.

Your vehicle must be in good condition and you must carry plenty of water and extra spare tyres and decent communications(not just UHF radio or mobile phone which do not work well out there)

Cheers

Allan
I have been up the Birdsville Track in January with no problems,Yes it will be hot but don't push it too hard, if your vehicle is in good condition you should be right,Just make sure you check the weather reports for rain , if it's wet don't go .

Doug

Hi Allen,

There is a slight exaggeration about heat in the Outback. Having said that:

Summer it's certainly uncomfortable and not recommend. I've done it a couple of times and its been bloody hot to the point whereby, the trip is overtaken by the need to constantly cool down. Its not enjoyable.

Can I suggest you consider a trip in the winter months. Even then, depending on where you intend to travel, the temperature range can be considerable.

Ask any old Stockman about " freezing his balls off in a swag" and then being "fried during the day".

Regards

Kim

The arid regions are very hot in summer. You need to consider also that the temperatures are recorded from under shade. In the sun, with heat radiating off of the bare dirt can add 20 degrees to the reading. I personally wouldn't do it. If you have to ask this question i would assume you are not experienced with outback travel and should think hard about it. Also how enjoyable would it be?

Hi Allan,
For many years through the 80's and 90's I was a commercial opal buyer for 3 very high turnover opal shops in Surfers Paradise.
Generally it was a race for the buyers to be first out to the opal fields after the heat of summer to buy up whatever the miners had found through the hot season.
Eventually we said stuff it and would start our buying run in the middle of January and go through to the end of February. Distances with 2 drivers would exceed 3000km per week.
We were in a 75 series Landcruiser Ute and regularly had days between 46 & 50 degrees. It is hard on the vehicle and as mentioned above I would only consider with a good quality reliable vehicle with good communications for an emergency. Generally it was too hot and the A/C wouldn't work in the daytime but would work at night. Carry heaps of water and the ability to create yourself plenty of shade if you need to.
In saying that, with preparation I think that many more people should experience the extremes within our own country. I don't believe we should wrap ourselves in bubble wrap to protect us from being too hot or too cold but just be prepared. Heck, there are not only people living out there but working out there in that heat. Some of the commercial opal miners after scraping another 4 inches of the top of an area larger than a footy field with their dozer, would be walking out in that heat all day smashing rocks with a hammer.
Too many people only ever see a skinny green strip near the coastline of Australia and I think that it sad as that would be less than 10% of what there is to see in Oz. Get out there, but as you have done, ask the right questions, get good advice, and prepare yourselves and your vehicle for the worst. When you have done all of these things, the risks are lowered significantly.

Cheers,
Brett

Thanks all, in fact I have travelled the outback quite a bit over the last 30 years but never in the summer. I knew it would be hot but just wondered if anyone had done it and what their experiences were. As I said I can only get time off at Xmas this year so may look at somewhere else.
Cheers

Tinted windows another necessity!

Allan,

I live and work in Broken Hill. Summer can be extremely uncomfortable. Most of the advice given above is pretty good.

We travelled out into the Straz Desert in December 2002 to watch the solar eclipse. Many of the locals here in town thought we were mad to head out there at that time of year, but we did anyway. We had a great time and I would readily travel out that way again in summer if I had a half decent reason.

Last January we travelled from Broken Hill to Ballina in one day. At 10am it was 42 in Coonabarrabran and it got hotter as we headed up towards Narrabri and across to Glenn Innes. I drive a 2001 GU 4.2 TD (yeah the one that overheats) I was towing a camper trailer and enough gear for 5 people for a month on the road.

Take it easy, travel early in the day and try to plan your camp sites to be near water. Yes it is possible. Depot Glen near Millparinka, Monte Colina Bore on the Strezlecki Track just off the top of my head. If you can't get near water then get under some shade early in the afternoon and take it easy.

The roads are good but the distances are big, don;t try to do too much. I would recommend that you plan to do no more than 75% of the driving you would normally do in winter. Carry LOTS of water in a number of containers (see the posts about Glen Vic) if you need a reason.

Take the advice of the locals. The shops in places like Tibooburra will love you and keep a close eye on the weather forcast. It is pretty accurate up to about 4 days in advance. As was suggested earlier if rain is forecast get off the dirt and if it is forcast to be bl...y, hot as it can be, find somewhere comfy, in the shade and sit it out. Won't last much more than about a week.

Have a good trip.
Duncs

I am going to get poo pooed here, and suggest that you try and stay on the green bits in summer. I've been there and done that, didn't like it one bit. I also only had hols at that time.
A minor problem in winter can become a major survival exercise in winter.
At what time of the year do we lose more people in the outback ?
Yes, the locals live and work there. There are accustomed to it, and have ways of keeping their cool. I once asked how one worked in Darwin during summer. "With a can in one hand and verrry slowly" was the reply. Most locals are human, and try and avoid the hottest part of the day, something thats difficult to do while driving in areas with few trees (and where do flies live in summer ? ..guess!)
Even resting during the day means you might have to drive at night (get lost, hit animal).
Yes it is possible, and some get away with summer touring. But its not for the faint hearted or ill prepared. Nor for the lone traveller.
Travel safely.

Apart from the other good reasons posted Allan.

The place (birdsville) almost shuts down over Xmas , there's only one place to get a good cappicino there and it shuts its door for 4 months over summer.

Robin Miller