I did an overnighter before my first two-week tour back in 2000. What I learned that day is that it's easier to practice setting up a new tent in your lounge room before you leave, than it is to try to set it up on the first day of the tour when the temperature hits 47 degrees C (and that was only the "official" temperature, so the real one was probably closer to 50). Oh, and I also learned the value of having a creek flowing near the campsite when it gets that hot.

On the tour itself I got stuck in the town of Glen Innes (look it up on a map if you want) for a couple of days after having an ATM swallow a plastic card on a Saturday morning. The lessons: Have another account activated by another card so you can still get money, and have some "slack" in your itinerary just in case something like that happens.