Follow these 7 essential tips to make any outback road trip a success

I'm not going to lie. There were times during my 3000-kilometre road trip through outback Queensland when I wondered if I'd bitten off more than I could chew. I've driven on plenty of unsealed roads in my time, but it's hard not to feel out of my depth when, chugging along in my 2WD SUV with my six-year-old son in the back, I see humongous troop carriers with menacing-looking bull bars heading towards me, sending stones flying at the windscreen.

But I didn't just survive to tell the tale, I returned with a swag of tips for others undertaking a similar journey. Here's what to consider before your own adventure.

When embarking on a trip like this, the more prepared you are the better. For peace of mind, get your car serviced before you set off. Let your mechanic know where you are going and the kind of roads you will be travelling on so they can ensure that your tyre pressure is correct.

You know those spare water bottles you've accumulated over the years? Fill them all up and pack them in your vehicle.

You don't want to find yourself broken down on a remote road with nothing to quench your thirst. If you have kids in tow download as many TV shows, movies and songs on every device you can, and ensure you have portable or in-car chargers with leads that reach the back seat.

I thought I had the system down pat. Driving on a single lane road between Eromanga and Longreach, I soon came to realise that when you see another vehicle approaching the thing to do is move to the side and continue with half your car on the road and half off until you have passed.

That's until I see a vehicle coming at me at speed, refusing to budge. It's one Mexican stand-off I am quite happy to lose. I veer further off the road onto the red gravel as a road train passes me in a whoosh, the tailwind causing the car to swerve and leaving us covered in dust.

It turns out that in these parts, it's customary to get entirely off the road to make way for road trains and other heavy vehicles if it is safe to do so. It's a good reminder that driving in this part of the world is not for the faint hearted.

Roadkill is rife in Australia's outback. If you don't want to contribute to the lost Skippy count, slow down. But it's not just 'roos you have to worry about here. Wild goats are abundant, and in many places there are no fences to keep cattle at bay. "What the hell is a weaner?" I think, when I see a sign warning of them on roads. A young animal recently weaned from its mother, I later discover.

I also have a Crocodile Dundee-esque moment when a stubborn bull standing in front of my car refuses to move, until I toot my horn several times.

The further you get away from the big cities, the patchier mobile-phone reception and internet coverage becomes. Whilst Telstra generally offers the best coverage in regional and remote areas, there are still loads of dead zones.

It's advisable to hire a satellite phone in case of emergencies, and test that it's working before you set off. EPIRBhire will post a phone to your home address with a return envelope. There are also signs warning you to ignore your GPS in places, so it's a good idea to have an old-school paper map as well.

This is not the type of trip where you want to pack too much into your itinerary. You never know when you are going to get stuck behind a road train or an oversized farming vehicle that's unsafe to overtake. It can be frustrating at times, but that's just the way it is in the outback. Make sure you factor in extra time to allow for these common occurrences.

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Petrol stations and roadhouses can be few and far between out here, so fill up whenever you get the chance - even if your tank is still half full. You don't want to add unnecessary travel time having to detour to fuel up at a town that is several kilometres off your route. Some towns, such as Eromanga, have petrol bowsers but no actual station. Download the Fuelcharge app before you go and you can pay online.

Stories of travellers getting cut off by floodwater are a dime a dozen in these parts, so it's important to get the timing right. The best time of year to travel to Outback Queensland is between May and October. At other times, heavy downpours cause rivers to swell, and this red dirt country transforms into an inland sea.

The writer was a guest of Tourism and Events Queensland. For more tips on driving in Outback Queensland, visit outbackqueensland.com.au

Pictures: Shutterstock; Getty Images; Tourism & Events Queensland