Some lingo explainers

Ok some folks reading this are not quite so familiar with Aussie terms and lingo so here's a few explainers...

Salty

A bloody big scary estaurine crocodile anything from 3-12m and it will eat you after it's snappy jaws have crushed you then it'll drag you into the water and do a few death rolls just to make sure your well and truly dead. Lurks under water in the cloudy depths so stay away from banks and over hanging trees. 

Freshy

Much smaller 1-2m that lives in freshwater (fancy that) that only lives in northern Australia. Probably wouldn't kill you but could take a massive chunk out if you mess with them. 

Grey Nomads

Australian retirees who set off into the sunset and follow the seasons around Australia. Travel in singles, couples or even in groups. Mode of transport typically is large 4wd towing large caravans but you do see some with really really big setups including tinnies (see below)  on the roof top or those massive American style trailer caravans that extend out and up and have sat dishes and all sorts of stuff attached. Some thou just have a more modest rooftop tent or a camp trailer or even single customised vehicle fitted out with bed, etc or ute with canopy fitted out with living space. Rarely spotted is one in a standard tent. Actually that's kind of true for most people traveling around here. Mostly found in the North of Oz from may-oct then they move south for the summer. Covid has messed up the whole flow thou so there's parts of the country over run with them as they wait for borders between states to open up. They hate corrugated roads (see below) which is fair given the hammering a caravan gets on those roads. 

Corrugations

This is what happens to unsealed aka dirt roads after a few weeks of traffic. Basically tyres cause waves or ripples to develop on the road surface. These can range from teenie 3cm high ones to massive maybe 30cm. You have to find the right speed to kind of float across them but they tend to throw your vehicle out sideways on corners so need to be super careful. Drive too slow thou and the vibrations are just horrendous. Cant hear anything and it rattles the hell out of everything in the vehicle. Most destructive force on the road. We had 2 beer tins leak cos they vibrated against a tiny protruding stud head in the fridge. Plus broken roof rack, headlights, nearly lost front rego plate, etc.

Tinnie

Beer Can or small aluminium fishing boat about 2*4m in size. 

Roads in the outback

Main routes sealed but sometimes especially in Qld just one car width sealed in the middle and the sides are dirt or not sealed. Unsealed means no bitumen on top. These roads are graded by a big grader (obviously duh) which has a huge metal plate in front that skims the top (lose rocks, corrugations, etc) filling in potholes and leveling the surface. Sometimes done at the end of the wet season when roads accessible again and then not again for the rest of the year so by the end of the dry season some awful corrugations. Can also be covered in gravel which is good for driving but crap for windscreens. Unsealed roads are very dusty.

Bull dust

A fine layer of deep dust that develops in some sections. Screws your ability to steer. Can be deep enough to get bogged!! Very dusty obviously. 

Drop loo

A hole in the ground with a toilet on top. No flushing needed. If properly used so  close the lid and don't put anything other then poo/pee down there, then usually fine. Bad stuff happens when the insects get in or rubbish kills the composting bacteria or simply the hole isn't deep enough. Never ever approach with your head torch on full at night. Nightmares for sure. Usually found in national parks. 

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