Australia
DifficultOutback Way — Laverton to Boulia via the Great Central Road and Plenty Highway
2,700 km of red dirt through the dead centre.
Surface: Sand
Botswana
ExpertSavute Channel Road — Kasane to Savute via Chobe Riverfront and Mababe Depression
Deep sand, dense elephants, zero margin for error.
California
ModerateMojave Road — Afton Canyon to Rock Springs via Soda Lake and Government Holes
138 miles of wagon-track desert. Bring water. Lots of it.
Kunene Region
ExpertHuab River Conservancy Track — Palmwag to Sesfontein via the Uniab River Desert Spine
Desert elephant country. No phone. No backup.
California
ModerateMojave Road — Piute Creek to Rock Springs via Mid Hills and Hole-in-the-Wall
California's oldest road. Still no pavement.
Canterbury
DifficultMordor Road — Arrowsmith Range to Lake Heron via Mesopotamia Station
Canterbury's volcanic wasteland by another name.
California
ModerateMojave Road East — Piute Spring to Fort Piute via Lanfair Valley and Fenner Wash
Army ruins, volcanic rock, and no cell signal.
Namibia
ModerateSossusvlei Red Dune Road — Sesriem to Dead Vlei via Elim Dune and Big Daddy
300-metre dunes. No second chances in soft sand.
Mauritania
ExtremePiste du Tichit — Tidjikja to Tichit via the Aoukar Depression
Medieval caravan route. Zero margin for error.
Kunene Region
ExpertHuab River Conservancy Track — Palmwag to Sesfontein via the Damaraland Desert Spine
Desert elephants, soft sand, zero backup.