Secondary Bitumen Roads
Most secondary bitumen roads now have a white line painted on the extreme outside edge of the bitumen and most of the damage or “ dodgy ” patching seems to be along the outside metre of road surface . If you “ read ” this white line and by observing carefully , it gives an indication of the condition of the road surface . If the line goes in & out , up & down or disappears altogether it tells me that the surface has been repaired ( usually badly ) or is otherwise in a bad way . To combat this I usually drive with the roads centre line underneath my ( the drivers ) seat so keeping away from all the damage along the side . Obviously you have to watch to the rear for cars coming up behind . If they overtake they will have to have their outside wheels in the dirt and will shower you with stones and of course , move to the left for oncoming cars . If you decide to use this method you need to take extra care with the other traffic .
Single Lane Bitumen Roads
On single lane bitumen roads I always slow down and pull completely off the bitumen as far as possible to encourage the on coming driver to stay on the bitumen so as not to shower us with stones ( doesn ’ t always work ). Same for overtaking vehicles . For on coming trucks I also pull off and stop well off the road and well before they get to us for the same reasons .
Care needs to be taken where you drop off the edge of the bitumen as often there can be a large drop which could easily upset whatever you are towing .
Gravel Highways like the Oodnadatta Track / Birdsville Track
Slow down and drive to the conditions . If the road is very wet , go back to where you started from that morning and allow time for the road to dry out ( sometimes many days ).
If there is a road closed sign across the road DO NOT proceed . It is there for a reason .
If you have to drive on a wet road as sometimes it is unavoidable , let your tyres down to low 20 ’ s and travel slowly being careful on corners and hills . I have found it better to straddle the centre of the road surface as most roads are formed with the centre being a bit higher to allow any water to drain off to the sides . If you are towing definitely go back or just stop and camp near the side of the road . The extra weight of your trailer will push the tow vehicle around making the driving impossible .
On dry roads also let your tyres down to mid to high 20 ’ s and watch for any change in colour as this indicates differences in the road surface . I find the darker the colour of the surface the rougher it is .
Dirt Tracks and Station Tracks
Drive at a speed to suit the conditions especially station tracks . Most of these tracks in the outback are maintained by the land holder for their own use and at their own expense , so they won ’ t appreciate it if you damage their tracks .
Again , keep a careful watch on the colour of the surface as colour changes mean a change in conditions . Also watch for shadows as they can indicate a washaway or even a raised section or a root sticking up from a nearby tree . I have found the best road surface colour is a nice creamy / yellow or a dull red in the red dirt country . The darker the colour is usually indicating a much rougher surface and if there is a sudden darker colour change BEWARE .
Keep out of the loose gravel and debris that builds up on the side of the track as this is where all the nails and other nasties end up . Stay in the wheel tracks .