Home / Road trip guide

Spot it on an Australian road trip

The signs, trees, farm animals and traffic that make a drive in Australia feel like nowhere else. All of them are in Roo Road Rescue, so you can learn them in the game and spot them on a real trip.

• Road signs
• Trees and plants
• In the paddocks
• On the move

Road signs

Australian road signs are easy to read once you know the colours: yellow warns you, green tells you where to go, blue shows services.

Wildlife warning signs

Yellow diamonds · Every road trip

• These signs mark places where animals often cross the road.
• The animal changes with the region: kangaroos almost everywhere, wombats in the high country, koalas in gum forests, emus in the outback and cassowaries in far north Queensland.

On the roadSlow down when you see one, most of all at dawn and dusk.

Next fuel

Green distance signs · Outback and Nullarbor

• In the outback, towns and roadhouses can be hundreds of kilometres apart.
• A green sign tells you how far it is to the next place to fill up.

On the roadFill up whenever you can, and carry extra water.

Rest areas and fatigue signs

Blue and yellow signs · Long country roads

• Tired drivers cause many crashes on long country drives.
• Road safety experts say to take a break at least every 2 hours.

On the roadStop, stretch, have a drink, and swap drivers if you can.

Fire danger rating

Roadside dial · Bush and farm country

• Since 2022 every state uses the same four levels: Moderate, High, Extreme and Catastrophic.
• The arrow shows the danger for that area today.

On the roadOn Extreme and Catastrophic days, check the warnings before you travel.

Floodways and depth posts

Yellow sign and white post · Dips in the road

• A floodway is a low part of the road where water flows across after heavy rain.
• The white post shows how deep the water is.

On the roadIf it's flooded, forget it. Never drive into flood water.

Cattle grids

GRID sign and steel bars · Farm roads

• Steel bars over a shallow pit stop cattle and sheep from walking off a farm, while cars roll straight across.
• You find them where a road passes through farmland without a gate.

On the roadSlow down: grids are bumpy, and stock may be on the road nearby.

Trees and plants

Australia has plants found nowhere else on Earth, and you see them right beside the road.

Gum trees and koalas

Eucalyptus · Snowy Mountains, Blue Mountains, farm country

• There are more than 700 kinds of eucalyptus, and almost all of them grow only in Australia.
• Koalas eat almost nothing but gum leaves and sleep up to 20 hours a day.

On the roadIn the game, look up into the fork of a gum tree. You might spot a koala.

Grass trees

Xanthorrhoea · Heath and dry bush

• Grass trees grow very slowly, only a centimetre or two a year, so a tall one can be hundreds of years old.
• After a bushfire they often send up a tall flower spike.

On the roadSpot them along Indian Ocean Drive and on the way to Lucky Bay.

In the paddocks

Australians call farm fields paddocks. Look past the fence and you will see who lives there.

Angus cattle

Black beef cattle · Dairy and farm country

• Angus cattle first came from Scotland and are one of the most common beef breeds in Australia.
• A farm that runs cattle is called a station when it is very large.

On the roadWhere you see a GRID sign, cattle can be close to the road.

Merino sheep

Fine wool · Monaro, wheat belt

• Merino sheep arrived in Australia in 1797.
• Australia grows most of the world's fine Merino wool.

On the roadBig flocks graze on the Monaro on the way to the Snowy Mountains.

Horses

Stock horses · Farm country

• The Australian Stock Horse was bred for long days of mustering cattle.
• Many farms and stations still use horses today.

On the roadOn real roads, slow down and give horse riders plenty of room.

Green tractors

Paddock King, our made-up brand · Farm and wheat country

• Tractors pull ploughs and seeders and carry hay out to the animals.
• On country roads they move slowly and often have a flashing amber light.

On the roadOnly overtake a tractor when you can see the road ahead is clear.

On the move

Some of the most Australian things on the road are moving.

Emus

Running beside the road · Outback, Nullarbor, wheat belt

• The emu is Australia's tallest bird and can run at about 50 km/h.
• The dad sits on the eggs for about eight weeks until they hatch.

On the roadEmus can run beside a car and then turn suddenly. Slow right down.

Utes

Oncoming traffic · Country roads

• The ute was invented in Australia: Ford built the first one in Geelong in 1934.
• Farm dogs often ride in the tray. In most states they must be tied on or kept in a cage.

On the roadKeep left. In the game, hitting an oncoming ute costs a life.

Caravans and grey nomads

Oncoming traffic · Every long trip

• Grey nomads are retirees who tour Australia with a caravan, sometimes for months.
• Caravans are long and heavy, so they climb hills slowly.

On the roadBe patient behind a caravan and only pass where it is safe.

Roo Route coaches and road trains

Oncoming traffic · Long rural roads

• Roo Route is our made-up coach company in the game.
• On real outback highways, road trains pull up to four trailers and can be over 50 metres long.

On the roadGive big vehicles lots of room. In the game, hitting the coach costs a life.

Big Things and town landmarks

Australia has more than 150 giant roadside statues, like the Big Prawn and the Big Merino. Roo Road Rescue has fifteen Big Things and town landmarks of its own, and each one is a postcard to collect. See all the Big Things and landmarks.

Meet the animals up close on the wildlife page, or drive the Big Lap around Highway 1.