Read about Ron & Viv's pre-trip planning and preparation for the big trip.
Water
Money
Currency Conversion
SecurityCommunications & Phones
Other Travelling Info
Informative Web Sites
GO TO PAGE 1 for
PLANNING THE ROUTEPASSPORT & VISAS
RED TAPE & PAPER WORK
COUNTRY & TRAVEL INFO
PRACTICAL DETAILS
VEHICLE MATTERS3rd PARTY INSURANCE
FUEL
MAPS
SHIPPING
COURIER SERVICES
OTHERE TRAVELLING INFO
PAGE 3 - Pre-trip Planning & Preparation
Medical and Health matters
We again relied on our Travellers Medical Clinic for the latest medical requirements.
A Health Guide for International Travellers found at www.traveldoctor.com.au, is a handy little booklet.
Vaccinations and Injections
You'll feel like a pin cushion and be several hundred dollars out of pocket by the time this is over. As we travelled through Africa last year we were current on most vaccinations.
Check out the web site at: www.health.gov.a. Then there's a number you really should have. These include:
• Tetanus; Typhoid; Cholera;
• Hep A ; Hep B; Hep C;
• Rabies; Meningitis.
There could be more - talk to your Travel Medical Doctor or visit: www.tmvc.com.au_or the Travel Clinic at: www.travelclinic.com.au/
Water and Water Filtration
We'll be using the same water filtration system we used last year through Africa, which proved to be okay.
The system we have fitted to our expedition Patrol consists of an in-line strainer ($20 and washable) before the 12-volt Flojet water pump ($135). After that comes a 10-inch CDL polypropylene sediment filter ($25 and good for a couple of thousand litres of cleanish water). A 1-micron activated-carbon filter ($65) that’s also good for 1-2 thousand litres of water comes next.
In Australia and most civilized places, that is all you need. However for Africa and for the very best water, where bad bugs are common, I’ve added a Trav-L-Pure purifier ($125) for those times I want to produce water good enough to drink without boiling. These are good for around 600-litres of water.
For sterilizing a small amount of water on the spot, we plan to use a Steripen.
For more info:
Purifiers Australia - Ph: 1300 303 605; web: www.purifiersaustralia.com.au
Water Wise - Ph: 1300 880 303; web: www.aqualease.com.au
MSR - www.msrcorp.com/filters/
Steripen - www.hydro-photon.com
First Need - www.generalecology.com/portablesystem.htm
Water filter Comparisons: www.waterfiltercomparisons.com.au
Environmental Health Guide - Water Filters: www.population.health.wa.gov.au/pdfs/Files/Waterfilters.pdf
The Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs NSW Incorporated: www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Water.htmVisaAfter a number of overseas trips we've found a mix of cash, travellers cheques (both in Euro & US Dollars) and credit cards are the best way to go.
ATMs are also a convenient way to access your bank accounts overseas, but not all countries have the same ATM system. To avoid any problems, make sure:
• You have a four digit PIN
• Your desired accounts are linked correctly to your cards
• You are aware that 'debit' on most foreign ATMs is equivalent to 'savings' in Australia.
You can access your savings/cheque account using Cirrus & Visa Plus ATMs.
Many places take only cash when buying fuel and/or supplies.
Here's a handy web site for working out what your money is worth in any country and for quick currency conversion: www.xe.com/ucc/full.shtml
Security
There's safety in numbers and with three vehicles in our little traveling group we'll be playing it pretty safe, wherever we go.
Be prepared and don't do anything rash has worked for us on our previous trips and that's what we'll be doing this time!
Vehicle
Lock it up, lock it down.
That includes:
Lockable canopy;
Lockable boxes for roofracks;
Locking Wheel nuts.
I've fitted a couple of Hide-Away Safes on my vehicle which will be good for carrying documents, money, etc, etc. I've had one for at least 10 years and now have had that old one upgraded and another one big enough for a laptop fitted. Check out: www.hideawaysafe.com.au. They are based in Wangaratta, Victoria.
If your vehicle isn't fitted with an alarm and/or immobilizer then it may pay to secure it with a gear shift lock or foot pedal lock.
Personal
Some handy security items, such as flexible steel mesh protection for backpacks, neck straps and hand bags are available through PacSafe. See: www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php
A good idea for credit card security and more, check out:
Secure Sentinel: www.securesentinel.com.au .
Think about carry a dummy wallet. A few old credit cards, a colour photocopy of a drivers licence and a few Euro notes or cash make a good sacrifice.
Self defence and taking physical action to defend yourself is something that will depend on the situation. Check out:
www.womensdefensecenter.com/self1.htm
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/robbery_avoidance.html
The information may be aimed more at women but it is just as relevant for men.
Language
We never learnt much Russian but got a reasonable handle on the Russian Cyrillic Alphabet – that helped a lot when trying to decipher town names on the maps. The Mongolian Cyrillic alphabet has more letters so that confuses you even more. Still we got by with a rudimentary knowledge and a lot of hand waving. Knowing a bit of Russian will help you in both Kazakhstan and Mongolia which were once under Soviet rule.
We found the Berlitz Russian Phrasebook & Dictionary and we thought it better than the Lonely Planet phrasebook as it had a bit more info for vehicle repairs and the like – and less on how express love and sex!
The Russian-English Dictionary we bought in St Petersburgh was a great help.
We also had an electronic translator – which we hardly used as it was not much help!
Communications and Phones
Keeping in touch with home is fairly easy. GSM phones work in most countries across Europe & central Asia.
For info on your mobile phone and where it will work and who the roaming partners are, check out:
GSM World - International roaming: www.gsmworld.com/index.shtml
International Roaming for Telstra (Australia) Mobiles:
www.telstra.com.au/mobile/networks/internat_roaming.cfm
Internet Cafes have sprung up in every major city and holiday destination. So take your laptop, and cables, and connect to family, friends and business acquaintances.
Phonecards, such as the 'eKit', available thru Qantas Airlines - make phonecalls from a fixed line phone very affordable and easy.
Sat phones are another option but can be expensive. We've got an Iridium sat phone and have bought 6-months worth of prepaid calls through Tech-Rentals. Check out: www.bearcom.net.au .
HF and UHF Radios are frowned on in some countries, while in others you need a licence to operate them. Our HF radios we're leaving at home. Hopefully we can use our UHF radios (hand helds) for inter-vehicle communication without being branded a spy. We will see.
A normal AM radio with the short-wave frequencies (for BBC Worldwide Service, Voice of America, etc) is a good way to stay in touch with what is happening in the outside world.
Other Travelling Info
You'll get more idea of shipping, Carnets, Security and health Insurance, etc, from the African Overland section of www.guidebooks.com.au.
Other informative web sites
World time
To check out the time in any place in Africa see: www.worldtimeserver.com
World Weather
For up-to-date info on the weather in Africa and elsewhere in the world, check out the BBC Weather site: www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world
See our web site: www.guidebooks.com.au for more details on our vehicles, or for any of our books as well as tips and travel information for traveling remote Outback Australia.
Our water purifiers from
Purifiers Australia help give
us clean, safe, drinking water.
