Practical Tips

A combination of pre-prepared frozen meals and fresh food can be a great way to go for your evening meal. Some days are long and gruelling, so a quick and easy dinner appeals when you’ve been hard at it. This of course depends on your fridge/freezer capabilities.

There’s always a fire for cooking and sitting around to share a yarn and recount the day’s challenges. Lunches breaks are usually relatively brief so have some quick and easy supplies accessible. Depending on progress, morning tea provides a welcome breather.

Some days start early so on those days you probably won’t want a cooked breakfast unless you’re an early riser. Again, quicker options will make your mornings more relaxed. The northern Kookaburras sound the alarm at sunrise so there’s usually plenty of time to wake up gently in the peace and quiet of your own private paradise.  Click here for some meal suggestions.

Sufficient drinking water for the whole trip is essential. There is water along the way in the rivers, creeks and billabongs but quality will vary. We suggest you use this water for washing up and bathing and carry sufficient fresh water for drinking and cooking to allow at least 5L per person per day. It gets hot and you’ll be sweating so hydration is important and you’ll definitely be drinking more water than normal.

Depending on your set up and the trip you choose, you’ll need a mozzie proof tent or swag, unless you are going to luxuriate in the breezy comfort of a rooftop tent.

A comfy mattress will ensure plenty of deep rest. More information about appropriate bedding can be provided based on the time of year you are travelling.

You are being welcomed into our pristine wilderness. While you’re there, it’s yours to immerse yourself in and enjoy. We’ve been traversing this land for thousands of years – you’re not the first to visit and others will follow. So they can enjoy it as much as you, the philosophy of take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints (and tyre tracks) applies. Toileting is an awkward subject, but it shouldn’t be. We all do it every day. On our traditional lands a few firm rules apply:

1. Walk away from water courses with your shovel, toilet paper and matches or a lighter
2. Find a private, clear space away from the track and away from dry grass
   If you can’t find clear ground, clear yourself a space
3. Dig a hole. If you can’t find sand or soil, keep walking – there’s always a spot that’s not all rock
4. Do your business. When you’re finished, light the toilet paper in the hole and let it burn until there is nothing but poo and ashes. Fill in the hole and tamp the ground down so there’s no evidence of your presence.

Be careful not to set the surrounding grass on fire! This can happen very quickly if you don’t find or create a clearing and makes for an unpleasant and embarrassing experience. The reason we ask you to burn your toilet paper is that despite common misconceptions, it doesn’t break down. We don’t like seeing used toilet paper blowing across our landscape, papier-mâchéd on to rocks, or flapping in trees. We hate having to clean it up. These five steps to toileting are non-negotiable. If you can’t follow them, don’t come.

Toileting essentials:

• shovel
• lighter or matches
• toilet paper
• common sense

It’s important to remember you’re an invited guest on traditional Balanggarra Lands and therefore we request you respect not only the environment, but also any cultural requirements. Your guide will let you know what these are, such as when it’s appropriate to take photos or swim in a waterway, and when it’s not. You’ll have ample opportunity for activities like these, but in a few instances there will be some important cultural protocols to be aware of. At times we’ll explain the ways in which we invoke the spirit ancestors for permission so you can participate in the experience.