Just the facts Mamm;

Riders – 4 to start, a fifth to join halfway

Distance – about 3000 km depending on which national parks we decide to see

Time – 8-10 weeks depending on how casually we ride

Road type – about half bitumen and half dirt

Temperature and weather – 26-30 C during the day, down to freezing sometimes at night, no rain expected

Main hazards – snakes, crocodiles, spiders, scorpions, irukandji and box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, dingos, dogs, pigs, buffalo, bulls, dengue fever, Ross River virus, encephalitis, melioidosus, roadtrains

Things to see – limestone caves, lava tubes, fossils, gorges, anthills, crocodiles, Morning Glory rollclouds