Hello Hugh and Annette

May I be one of the first to welcome you to this great forum

The most important piece of advice I can give is, go at your own speed, drive to the conditions, and do not forget to enjoy yourself

Try and do a few small trips, before you start the big lap
You will then find out what you need, or forgot to take with you, and what you can throw away to lighten the load

I shall attempt to answer your questions, in the order you have asked them

• What to bring
  Spare fuses, fan belt/s and hoses (even if you can not fit them yourself, someone else can). Spare parts outside the bigger towns are few and far between
  Try to carry the minimum amount of personal stuff, clothes etc, as they say that lighter is better than heavier
  None iron clothes, means that you will not have to iron them
  Collapsible table and camping chairs, as most people sit outside in the hot weather
  If you plan to travel slower than the truckies, then a (cheap hand held will do), UHF radio will assist them to overtake you and get on with their job
  If you are going to use a UHF radio to talk to the truckies, then a name on the back of your rig will be handy
  A good reading/puzzle book is always handy, for when you just want to sit back and relax

• Phone
  The consensus is that Telstra although the most expensive, is the carrier which covers more area than other carriers

• TV
  Normal TV reception is only near the towns
  If you wish to have TV everywhere in Australia then you must have a satellite system
  If you require a satellite system, then I can recommend, that you have a talk with Access Antennas at 61 Albert Rd Bunbury. I have their system and it is OK
  There are other systems out there, which do not seem to work up the north

• Free camping
  I can recommend Camps Australia Wide (latest is book 9) $51 from a Perth seller on EBay
  I can also recommend the WikiCamps apps, a one off charge of less than $10
  
  I can also recommend the following site on this forum.
  Just click on the link below, it is free/budget camp sites recommended by some of the members, and is set out for each state/territory
  
  http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/f474339/freebudget-campsites-suggested-by-our-contributors/

Bunbury WA mmmmm, that name rings a bell
I know someone there who was born very close to me, but I can not say who it is, in case I incriminate myself

I am sure that there will be others who will come along, who can give much better advice than me, as I have only been a part time traveller since 2013, and I am still learning

I wish you both a happy and enjoyable road trip

Many thanks Tony. That is exactly the sort of advice I was hoping for.  I was thinking that being minimalist is best.  will check out the antenna place.

Hugh

G'day Hugh and Annette,  and welcome you to the forum.  Plenty of great advice and folks on here.  Don't forget to try out the two games - Who is This in the I digress section and Pick This Place in the general section.  'Pick this place' is a great way to find new places to explore.  

Pete & Marion