Tips
Stay safe outdoors
Hidden spots are hidden for a reason: fewer people, fewer facilities and conditions that can change fast. Read this before you head out, and check local advice on the day. This is general guidance, not professional advice (see our disclaimer).
In an emergency
Before you go
Most hidden spots have no phone signal, no facilities and nobody else around. A few minutes of planning makes the day.
- Tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
- Download offline maps, and save the spot in Google Maps before you lose signal.
- Check the weather, park alerts and closures on the day.
- Pack water, snacks, sun protection, a first-aid kit and a charged phone.
- For remote trips, carry a personal locator beacon (PLB).
Waterfalls and swim holes
- Never jump or dive in. Depth changes after rain, and rocks and logs can sit just under the surface.
- Wet rocks are slippery. Move slowly, wear shoes with grip and keep off the top of falls.
- Don't swim alone, and skip it if the water looks murky, stagnant or fast.
- Follow the signs. Some freshwater carries bacteria or amoeba warnings, so keep your head above water where advised.
Cold water shock
UK rivers and lakes stay cold even in summer. Sudden cold makes you gasp and can stop you swimming. If you end up in trouble, remember the RNLI's advice: Float to Live. Tilt your head back with your ears under the water, breathe slowly and use your hands and legs only to stay up. After a minute or two your breathing settles and you can call for help or swim to safety.
Beaches, coves and tides
- Check the tide times. Rising tides can cover the way back and cut you off in a cove or cave.
- Never turn your back on the ocean on rock platforms. Big sets can arrive without warning.
- Swim at patrolled beaches where you can, between the red and yellow flags.
Stingers in the tropics
In tropical northern Australia, stinger season usually runs from about November to May, when box jellyfish and Irukandji are around. Swim at patrolled beaches inside the stinger nets and wear a full-body stinger suit, because the nets stop box jellyfish but not the tiny Irukandji.
Big tides
The UK has some of the biggest tidal ranges in the world, and the sea can come in faster than you can walk. Always know when high tide is, and leave a cove well before it.
Walks, cliffs and heat
- Stay back from cliff edges. They can crumble without warning, especially after rain.
- Stick to tracks where there are some, and turn back if it gets beyond you.
- Start early and allow more time than you think, so you're not walking out in the dark.
Heat
Australian heat can be extreme. Carry more water than you think you need, wear a hat and long sleeves, and avoid long walks in the middle of a hot day.
Cold and fog
Hills and coasts can turn cold, wet and foggy fast, even in summer. Pack a waterproof and a warm layer, and know your way back without your phone.
Weather
- Check the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecast and warnings before you go.
- Check your state's fire service for fire danger ratings and total fire bans, and never light a fire where it isn't allowed.
- After heavy rain, expect closed roads, landslips and swollen waterfalls.
- Check the Met Office forecast and weather warnings before you go.
- On hills and coasts, check the mountain or inshore forecast as well.
- After heavy rain, rivers rise fast and paths near water can wash out.
Wildlife
Give animals space, never feed them, and watch where you put your hands and feet.
- Snakes: stick to clear paths, wear covered shoes and back away slowly if you see one.
- Crocodiles: in the north, never swim where there are croc warning signs, and stay well back from the water's edge.
- Stingrays: shuffle your feet in shallow water.
- Ticks: cover your legs in long grass and bracken, and check yourself after a walk.
- Adders: the UK's only venomous snake. Leave it alone and it will leave you alone.
- Livestock: give cows a wide berth, especially with calves or a dog.
Roads and access
- Never drive through floodwater. If it's flooded, forget it.
- Respect private land and closed tracks, and park only where it's allowed.
Dirt roads and 4WD tracks
Check road conditions first, carry recovery gear and extra water, and travel with a second vehicle on remote tracks.
Single-track roads
Use passing places, never park in them, and don't block gateways or farm tracks.
Your safety, your call
This page and everything on Sole Drift is general information to help you discover places. It isn't professional safety advice, and it can't cover every risk or every change in conditions. Information about a spot may be out of date, incomplete or wrong, and access, tracks and conditions change without notice.
Visiting any location is at your own risk. You're responsible for checking conditions on the day, following official advice, signs and closures, and deciding what's safe for you and anyone with you. To the extent permitted by law, Sole Drift Pty Ltd isn't responsible for any injury, loss or damage that happens while you visit or travel to a location. See our terms of service.
Look after the places you visit too: read our Leave No Trace guide.
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