Touring the harsh environment of the Australian Outback is best done in a robust vehicle designed for the job.

Mind you, in days long gone people travelled the Australian Outback in old Model T Fords…

The Landy - straight from the farm — *The Landy – Straight from the farm*

The Landy - Straight out of the workshop — *The Landy – Straight out of the workshop*

Our vehicle is a Landrover Defender 130 Twin Cab manufactured in 1995, and completely rebuilt from scratch in 2006. Up until the time we purchased the vehicle it had been used as a farm vehicle in the wine growing region of the Hunter Valley just to the north of Sydney. We reconfigured it for long-range travel and it can cover a distance of around 1,800 kilometres without the need to refuel.

Strewth, that would be 1,100 miles…

We intentionally chose an older vehicle so we didn’t have to deal with a “computer failure” disabling the vehicle in the middle of no-where. A rare occurrence mind you, but it is a long walk from the middle of no-where in the Australian Outback!

It uses solar panels for power management and has a High-Frequency Radio for long-range communication that enables us to stay in contact even in the most remote parts of Australia.

And it can carry 100 litres of water in a specially designed stainless steel water tank.

Inside the canopy we carry an inflatable boat and outboard motor for touring the creeks and billabongs we come across in our travels, has a 60 litre fridge, and we carry a comprehensive range of spare parts, tools and tyre repair equipment.

The Landy - packed ready for adventure — *The Landy – packed ready for adventure*

The Landy - acked ready for adventure — *The Landy – packed ready for adventure*

After all, in the event of a break-down help can be hundred’s of kilometres away. We also carry a substantial medical kit.

And to enable it to cope with the harsh environment we travel in, it has specialist suspension.

*The Landy and T-Van, no show ponies here!*

The camper-trailer, a Track T-Van, is every bit as tough as the vehicle and was designed by a company that makes trailer equipment for the Australian army. It doesn’t come on all our trips, but crikey, we need to find a good reason not to take it, as it makes for a very comfortable night’s sleep.