When you’re caravanning and road tripping around Australia you’ll see a whole lot of signs, which are going to be specific to the region you’re travelling in.

Apart from the regular road signs, there are signs warning to watch out for wildlife, dangerous natural environments and hazards that people not from an area, may not be used to seeing.

Take for instance our last caravan trip to Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, and some of the signs that caught my attention during the time.

Yorke Peninsula is a dryland farming region, known for production of wheat and barley in particular, so it’s not uncommon to see tractors, harvesters, sprayers and other farming equipment travelling between paddocks. Road signs remind drivers to take care and look out for these big machines which you have to share the roads with sometimes.

There are the regular road signs to watch for, but these two welcome swallows added an extra meaning to this Give Way sign – give way to wildlife.

Dhilba Guuranda – Innes National Park at the bottom of Yorke Peninsula, is co-managed with the Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation and the park was renamed in 2020 to signify the agreement. Throughout the park you’ll find signs which honour stories and language of the traditional owners.

The park is also a haven for all sorts of wildlife so there are plenty of signs alerting visitors to drive slowly and watch out for all types of birds, kangaroos and even lizards.

Emus especially frequently wander at will across the roads and are very good at holding up drivers, staring them down until their brood of chicks have crossed the road.

In Australia it’s a given to always be on the lookout for snakes, especially in areas surrounded with scrub, on a hot sunny day, with a path where one could be sunning itself. That’s exactly where we spotted a small snake just before it quickly slithered away on hearing us approaching. That always keeps you on your toes and draws your attention back to the path you’re following rather than distant views.

Any signs that point to the coast and a beach grab our attention but it is always worth stopping to read the signs at Australian beaches. As well as critters in the water that you need to avoid, there can be rogue waves, and other environmental factors to heed before you go anywhere near the water.

Unfortunately some people just don’t read signs despite them being in clearly obvious positions and even in different languages, and sadly rescuers are still put in dangerous situations when people assume the signs don’t apply to them.

If in doubt always get trusted information from locals, information centres and National Park Ranger stations, and please always READ THE SIGNS!

Cheers

Glenys