• Know basic First Aid
• Prepare for your trip
• Prepare your vehicle/s
• Travel with your health documentation

Before travelling it is important to ensure you are well prepared and equipped to handle the harsh travel conditions and potential limited health service access.

When preparing to travel, consider the following:

CHECK your overall well being

• undertake pre-travel health checks to assess any underlying health risk factors or illnesses.

LEARN and gain valuable knowledge and understanding of health related topics

• gain valuable knowledge and understanding of any potential condition you may be suffering from, as well as helpful advice on how to deal with it while travelling.

FIND assistance while on the road

Know basic First Aid

Access to health services in rural and remote areas of Australia can be difficult. It is important to ensure you are able to apply basic first aid measures incase health services are not available and there is a medical emergency.

While there is no substitute for undertaking a First Aid course, you can gain some information via general first aid information from relevant organisations to assist you to provide first aid, if necessary.

First Aid Kit

It is important when travelling to carry a first aid kit.

Pre packaged kits can be purchased from first aid suppliers (such as St. Johns Ambulance), pharmacies, camping stores and even supermarkets.

It is important to ensure your first aid kit is well maintained to enable you to provide appropriate first aid while away.

Ensuring you have replaced, previously used products (if required) and ensuring that all materials are sealed and still within their used by dates.

A basic first aid kit should include:

• Adhesive surgical tape
• Alcohol swabs
• Antihistamine tablets
• Antiseptic
• Bandages
• Band-aids
• Cotton wool
• Disposable gloves
• Eyebath and eye drops
• First aid manual
• Gauze
• Insect bite cream
• Pain-relief tablets
• Motion Sickness tablets
• Safety pins
• Saline sachets or ampoules for wound cleaning
• Scissors
• Sterile, non-stick dressings
• Sunscreen
• Thermometer
• Torch
• Tweezers

First Aid Course

Consider taking a first aid course before you travel. There are a number of relevant organisations that offer first aid courses in Australia such as St Johns Ambulance, Queensland First Aid, and Queensland Ambulance Service.

Links

• St Johns ambulance
• Queensland first aid
  
• Queensland Ambulance service
  

Prepare for your trip

Prepare your vehicle/s

Click here for tips on how to prepare your vehicle for the road

Travel with your health documentation

Incase of a medical emergency it is important for you to carry the appropriate health documentation to ensure you can be adequately treated.

This documentation may include:

• Current health records
• Vaccination history
• Medication lists
• Health assessments
  

 It is also important that you consider taking out adequate travel insurance to ensure you have appropriate cover to suit health needs and travel requirements.