Cyclone Safety for Caravanners: What We Got Right (and Wrong)

Cyclone Safety for Caravanners is not something on your radar when you are planning a lap of Australia.

Travelling around Australia in a caravan gives you freedom, flexibility, and the ability to change plans whenever you want. But there are times when that freedom disappears very quickly.

A cyclone will do that.

This episode of Big Lap Chats came from a real experience we had in Western Australia when a cyclone tracked down the coast and crossed near Exmouth. We were staying in Kalbarri at the time, and although we didn’t want to leave, we were told we had to.

That moment changes everything. You go from relaxed travel mode to decision-making under pressure, and the reality is there is no perfect answer. There is only the decision you make with the information you have at the time.

What follows is exactly what happened, what we learned, and what I would want you to know if you ever find yourself in the same situation.

Cyclone Safety for Caravanners: When You’re Told to Leave, It’s Not Optional

We arrived in Kalbarri on the Tuesday. The weather was calm, slightly overcast, with a bit of breeze. The cyclone was in the news, but it didn’t feel like an immediate concern.

When we checked into the caravan park, the staff mentioned they would know more by Thursday and would let everyone know if we needed to leave. At that stage, it didn’t feel urgent.

By Thursday morning, that changed and we received a message telling us we had to leave.

That decision didn’t come from us. It came from authorities, and this is something that needs to be taken seriously. When you are told to leave due to a natural event, it is not the time to second guess whether you should go or stay.

You leave.

Because once conditions shift, your ability to move safely can disappear very quickly. Roads close, fuel becomes limited, and traffic builds in ways you can’t control.

Why Following the Crowd Isn’t Always the Best Move

The advice we were given was to head south. At the same time, the cyclone was predicted to cross and then track south along the coast.

That raised a red flag for us.

We also knew that people further north, including those around Ningaloo and Exmouth, were being told to leave as well. That meant a large volume of caravans would be funnelling into the same direction.

When you’re travelling with a caravan, you need to think beyond direction. You need to think about movement, congestion, fuel access, and how quickly conditions can change.

We made the decision to look at alternatives rather than follow the expected route.

Why We Chose to Head Inland Instead

We pulled out the maps and looked at what made sense based on the cyclone’s projected path. Heading inland gave us distance from the coast and reduced the likelihood of getting caught in a bottleneck of traffic.

We decided to head east, even though it meant travelling on gravel roads.

This wasn’t a decision made lightly. We knew our setup could handle it, and we had already started thinking about alternative routes in the days leading up to being told to leave.

That preparation made the decision easier when the time came.

When the Situation Changes Again

We reached Murchison after several hours on gravel roads, dealing with strong winds and dust conditions that at times made visibility difficult. At that point, we thought we had made the right call.

Then we were told to leave again.

The cyclone had shifted, and Murchison was now expected to be within its path once it crossed the coast.

This is something you need to understand about cyclones and weather events in general. They are unpredictable. They can change direction, speed, and intensity faster than you expect.

What felt like a safe decision a few hours earlier was no longer the right one. So we packed up again and kept moving.

The Mistake That Could Have Been Avoided

This is where experience really comes into play.

We rushed.

When you’re told to leave and you want to put distance between you and the situation, it’s very easy to skip your normal pack-up routine. That’s exactly what we did.

In that rush, we left our Starlink cable out and ended up running over it. That left us without communication and without reliable access to maps in a remote area.

It’s a small mistake, but in the wrong situation, it can create much bigger problems.

Even under pressure, your routine matters. It exists for a reason, and skipping steps is where things go wrong.

Why Offline Navigation Is Not Optional

Losing Starlink meant we lost access to our usual navigation tools. In remote parts of Australia, that’s not something you want to rely on.

This is where having the Hema Maps app already downloaded made all the difference.

We were travelling on gravel roads with limited signage, and some of the signs that were there had faded to the point they were unreadable. Without an offline map, it would have been very easy to take a wrong turn.

If you are planning a lap of Australia, this is something you need sorted before you leave. Not after something goes wrong.

Fuel Becomes a Bigger Issue Than You Expect

Fuel is one of those things that doesn’t feel urgent until it suddenly is, especially when there is a fuel crisis and/or shortages.

When we reached Murchison, fuel was limited to 50 litres per vehicle. That restriction alone changes how you plan your next move.

Prices were also significantly higher than the usual high prices during the fuel crisis, and availability wasn’t guaranteed.

When large numbers of travellers are moving at once, supply gets tight. That’s something many people don’t factor in when they think about leaving an area. Keeping your tank topped up and not assuming the next stop will have fuel becomes critical in these situations.

What Actually Matters in These Situations

Looking back, a few things made the biggest difference for us.

• We left when we were told to leave. We didn’t delay that decision.
• We assessed the situation ourselves rather than following the crowd without thinking it through.
• We created distance from the coastline, which reduced our exposure to the worst of the weather.
• We stayed flexible because we didn’t have fixed bookings locking us into a location.
• And we had a setup capable of handling the roads we chose to take.

None of these decisions were perfect, but they gave us options. And options are what you need when conditions are changing quickly.

Would We Do Anything Differently?

Interestingly, not much. Ok - we wouldn't have snapped the Starlink cable!

We wouldn’t leave earlier because there was no indication to do so at the time. We wouldn’t follow the same route south, and we would still choose to head inland.

The main thing we would change is how we handled the pack-up under pressure. Slowing down for those few extra minutes would have prevented a problem that didn’t need to happen.

The Reality of Travelling Australia

This experience reinforced something that applies to every Big Lap.

Things will not always go to plan.

Weather events, road closures, fuel shortages, and unexpected changes are all part of travelling around Australia. You can’t eliminate those risks completely, but you can prepare for them.

The biggest issue I see is people waiting until everything feels perfect before they leave.

That moment doesn’t come.

Instead, what matters is your ability to make decisions when things change.

Practical Advice If You’re Caught in a Cyclone While Travelling

If you’re on the road or planning to be, there are a few things worth having in place before you need them.

Having multiple weather apps, including BOM and Windy, gives you a clearer picture of what’s happening and how quickly it’s changing. Relying on one source of information is not enough.

Offline navigation is essential. Apps like Hema Maps give you access to routes and tracks that standard navigation apps may not cover, especially in remote areas.

Fuel management becomes critical when large numbers of travellers are moving at once. Keeping your tank topped up and planning for limited availability will reduce stress when you need to make decisions quickly.

Being ready to pack up and leave at short notice makes a big difference. Even simple things like putting away outdoor gear early can save time when it matters.

And finally, while it’s important to listen to official advice, it’s equally important to understand what is happening around you and make decisions that suit your setup, your location, and your situation.

Final Thoughts

We didn’t want to leave Kalbarri.

But we had to.

And that’s the difference when you’re travelling in a caravan. You are constantly balancing freedom with responsibility.

Sometimes that means making a call you didn’t expect to make.

If you ever find yourself in that position, don’t focus on making the perfect decision. Focus on making a safe, informed one and acting early enough that you still have options.