A lesson learned the hard way

[Redneck in training]

HF radio is fairly popular in the outback.. For those of you not familiar with the characteristics of HF radio, you can talk for thousands of miles without infrastructure of any kind.

Friend of mine used to be amateur radio operator in Czech republic. He told me (about 35 years ago) he could often hear taxi drivers talking on radios in New York.
People living or working in Australian bush used to get state subsidy for satellite phone but it was discontinued last year due to falling cost of the handsets and the service. I think.

The Toyota Prado we were renting had radio installed but I have never used it. The car had so called mining standard emergency equipment: Bull bar (heavy duty front bumper made by ARB you could actually hit something with), some trucks had a winch bolted to it, roll cage, fire extinguisher, two spares, above mentioned radio and two fuel tanks about 75 liters each, 3L turbo diesel engine and rotating light on top.
Toyota Prado looks tough but it isn't so. Almost every other driven on gravel road had cracked windshield caused by twisting of the body after a jump.

 

[Jim Shooz]

There's a TV program about the Outback Truckers which will give you some idea of the size, distance and conditions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jiiH4a8-7U