Please note: The incidents mentioned below occurred during extreme heat on some of our most remote roads in outback Australia, but many of the lessons apply to anyone driving in the heat.
I started making notes about this for my son, who was travelling North across inland Australia with his family at the time, but thought they might be useful for others too, especially tourists who may never have encountered such conditions before. Australia’s inland regions can reach temperatures well above 45°C in summer. As I write Melbourne is having 45 o C degrees and a little place called Ouyen, along the Murray is having 48.9o C. Long distances, limited services, and intense heat all mean that what is merely uncomfortable in towns and cities, can be positively dangerous beyond them.
Avoid Travel if Possible
The best thing is of course, to avoid travel during heatwaves if at all possible, but if you must travel, here’s a list of things which certainly apply to Australia. Kangaroos rest during the day and become active only at dusk and dawn during hot weather, so do the same if you can. Be on the lookout though for kangaroos and other wildlife on the road at those times. Our wildlife often comes to the roadsides to graze because the run -off means there's usually more greenery there.
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| This is a stretch near the start of the Nullabor - there are still a few trees here but none beyond |
Prepare Your Vehicle Before You Go
Extreme heat puts extra stress on cars, so get a good check before you set off.
- Make sure coolant and engine oil levels are correct.
- Check tyre pressure while the tyres are still cool.
- Inspect tyres for wear, as hot bitumen increases the risk of blowouts.*
- Confirm that the air-conditioning is working properly.
- Ensure your spare tyre, jack, and tools are in good condition.
- Fill the fuel tank before leaving major towns, as distances between stops can be long.
- Be sure to carry a good First Aid Kit, you never know when you or someone else might need it. I also carry a small fire extinguisher.
*Nothing can prepare you for what happened to us on a trip through the Centre from Darwin to Adelaide one November. The bitumen melted not one, but three of our tyres, so not even having a spare or two helped and we were stuck in open desert country a long way from any kind of shelter or help. About three hours later - in searing heat, a road train picked us up and took us to the nearest roadhouse which just happened to have a few assorted tyres we could have, but this could have ended very badly.
If you have a choice, try to drive one of the more popular vehicle brands such as a Toyota - the mining companies which frequent these parts all drive those, or you might be waiting a long time for spares. Used to have a terrible time getting parts for our old Volvo. We once had to drive from the Daintree in Far North Queensland to Hobart with plastic in the rear window and red lolly wrappers over the rear tail lights before we could get a replacements.
Talk to people who have recently travelled the route. Ask local people and fellow travellers what lies ahead. It could be anything - a car accident, a road closure, a bushfire.
• Tell someone your planned route and expected arrival time.
• Download offline maps in case reception drops out. It's often not very good outside major centres.
• Check for bushfire warnings or road closures before you leave.
Tune your radio to the ABC if you are leaving town. It will alert you of potential hazards such as bushfires and storms and generally has good coverage throughout Australia.
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| Australian Alps via Jindabyne |
Keep Yourself and Your Passengers Comfortable
Heat affects people just as much as vehicles, and staying cool and hydrated is essential.
- Carry plenty of water — several litres per person.
- Bring electrolyte drinks for long stretches.
- Pack snacks that won’t melt or spoil. For longer trips also take some non-perishable food such as small tins of tuna, beans, and things which don’t need refrigeration or cooking. The reasons for this will become clear.
- Keep hats, sunscreen, and light clothing within reach.
- Carry a small misting bottle for quick cooling during stops or if the car gets warm.
- Use sunshades when parked and let the car air out before loading passengers.
Travelling With Children
Children feel the effects of heat more quickly than adults.
• Check seatbelt buckles before fastening — they can become extremely hot.
• Offer water regularly, even if they don’t ask and bring lots of snacks
• Plan more frequent breaks to let everyone cool down.
When I was travelling a lot with my children, unless there was something we particularly wanted to see, we would try to find swimming pools, waterholes or beaches during the day and I would do most of the driving at night.
Travelling With Pets
Pets can overheat very quickly in cars too.
• Make sure airflow reaches the back of the vehicle.
• Offer water at every stop.
• Never leave pets in a parked car, even for a short time.
How to Recognise Heat Stroke
• Hot, dry skin or skin that is very sweaty but not cooling down
• Headache, dizziness, or confusion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Rapid breathing or a racing pulse
• Muscle cramps or weakness
• Behaviour that seems “not quite right” — irritability, disorientation, or poor coordination
• In severe cases, fainting or collapse
If someone is showing these signs in extreme heat, treat it as urgent.
What to do About it
• Move the person to shade or the coolest place available.
• Loosen or remove excess clothing.
• Cool the body using whatever you have:
• Offer small sips of water if the person is fully conscious.
• Avoid giving large amounts of water all at once.
• If you have reception, call for help.
• If you’re in a remote area without reception, continue cooling the person and stay with them until help arrives or you can reach assistance safely.
Fatigue
I can't stress this too strongly. Heat can make everyone tired and irritable, so pacing yourself matters.
• Take breaks every one to two hours.
• Don’t push through fatigue. You know it's past time to stop when you start seeing things.
Fuel and Supplies
Know where your fuel stops are and check their opening hours. This doesn’t always work and even Google can be wrong, that's if you get a signal at all. Take paper maps if the area is unknown to you and unlikely to have cell phone coverage.
When I was travelling across the Nullarbor, one of the road houses I had been counting on was closed, quite a few refused to allow me to fill up the van’s water tank and places shown as major towns, were in fact little more than a service station or a defunct railhead. Those that are open usually carry very limited stock and you can expect to pay exorbitant prices for basic things – understandable since they probably have to pay a lot for freight, and bring your own toilet paper.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are often hard to come by, but be aware if crossing state lines you may have to give them up for biosecurity reasons. Fruit flies are present in NSW for example, but not in Victoria, so that border crossing is very strict, as is the one when you cross from South to Western Australia.
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| Going South from Canberra to Melbourne over the Ranges - there are places on this road where you wouldn't wanrto be stuck either. There isn't much traffic and hamlets are few and far between. It may be somewhat cooler at elevation, but the UV is more intense |
What to Do if Your Car Starts to Overheat
Even well‑maintained vehicles can struggle in extreme temperatures.
• Turn off the air‑conditioning and switch the heater on to draw heat away from the engine.
• Pull over safely if the temperature continues to rise.
• Wait for the engine to cool before checking coolant levels.
• Never open a radiator cap while it’s hot and never pour cold water into a hot motor.
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| Inland NSW - Broken Hill to Dubbo |
Road Conditions to Expect
Australian heat can change the way the road behaves.
• Softening bitumen can affect braking and handling.
• Mirages can obscure hazards in the distance.
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| Roads North of Perth can be very unforgiving too |
If you Break Down, Stay with the Vehicle
Call for help if you have reception, and if not, wait. Moving away from the vehicle drastically reduces your chances of being found. A car is far easier for rescuers to spot from the air than a person on foot, and walking in extreme heat is extremely dangerous. If you have no reception, flag down any passing cars. If they can’t take you with them or are travelling in the wrong direction, just tell them the problem and ask them to please take a message to the nearest roadhouse. Even if there's no traffic, remain with the vehicle, use whatever shade it provides, and conserve your water.
If you have let someone know where you are going and when you expect to arrive, and haven't done so, presumably your contact will alert the authorities and you will soon be found. There have been a number of incidents where people have perished by trying to seek help, rather than staying with their vehicle. Any kind of exertion in the heat can hasten heat stroke, even if young and fit.
Two recent examples come to mind. In 2023, a couple became bogged on a remote road in outback South Australia. The man began walking for help and his partner stayed behind in the car and was rescued. He perished a few kilometres down the road. In 2023 a family's car broke down in the Northern Territory. One adult left in 40 o C heat but died of heat exposure shortly after, but those who remained with the car survived. If you are seriously going to tackle our inland regions, you must be well prepared, especially in summer.
The Big Lap - Travelling around Australia
My daughter could tell you a lot about travelling with children, towing a caravan, when not to ford rivers* and how to dodge cyclones, but if you seriously want to find out what lies beyond the cities, you will find many useful tips from Nigel and Sue who've been doing it for three years, including Budgets and Things that Sucked. (Be warned lots of expletives in this!) It's very down to earth and doesn't glamorise things.
*Even if you are driving a four -wheel drive don't attempt this during floods! The road beneath could have washed away or the current may simply be too strong.
Thank you to Copilot for adding to my list and to Ecosia AI for fixing the usual html glitches, also with helping me to label my 1008 posts which were no longer findable by a simple search.
PS: If you were wondering why one place might have a higher recorded temperature than another close by, there are two main reasons. One is that not every town has a weather station, the other is that the surroundings will determine how otherwise similar weather conditions will be experienced.
For example, a body of water such as a lake or a river, will help to cool the air. Likewise, mountains may either block hot winds or bring cool air from elsewhere. The direction of the wind will matter. Lastly, even whether the wind travels over grassland and vegetation which contain some moisture will cool the air more than when it has travelled over barren ground. [I just learnt that from our ABC].
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