[Danack (Dan Ackroyd)]

Hi guys,

I'm currently out of the country at the moment (due to visa issues) and am planning to come back at the end of October to do some wildlife photography and watch the eclipse whilst my permanent residency visa application goes through.

My rough plan is to buy a 2nd hand campervan in either Sydney or Brisbane and then get to Cairns for the eclipse, before driving back to Sydney, stopping off for interesting wildlife spots on the way there and back.

So I'm hoping you guys can give me some advice:

1) The best route to Cairns from Brisbane goes along the coast, whilst the route from Sydney goes inland away from the coast. Would either of these be significantly more dangerous to drive e.g. because of heavy transport traffic?

2) Can you get satellite phones for emergency use only? While I'm not totally mechanically incompetent, I would have almost no idea how to fix a engine that suddenly stopped working in the middle of nowhere, so having a satellite phone for emergency use only sounds like a Good Idea.

3) Is it worth getting break-down cover ahead of time, or does it work out to the same cost if you have a break down and actually need someone to come out to you?

tia for any advice.

cheers
Dan