The World Rally Championship heads for the Southern Hemisphere in order to take on its tenth round of the season, Rally Australia. Returning to the WRC calendar for the first time since 2006 and having switched coastlines, the event reappears under an all-new guise.

Originally hosted in Perth, Western Australia, the event has moved all the way east and established its base in the upper northern region of New South Wales. The renewed Rally Australia will therefore be a radical change and a thorough voyage of discovery for the WRC crews as they attack a succession of mostly short gravel stages.

The schedule runs from September 3rd to 6th, beginning with two passes upon the super special stage situated in Murwillumbah, which will also present the ceremonial start.

On Friday, drivers will need to make their way through no less than 14 stages, the majority counting less than 10 kilometres in length. 573km are to be covered on Day One, of which 106km are timed.

Eight runs appear on Saturday's programme, followed by two more passages within the super special setting. The day's itinerary counts 619km, with 113km against the clock.

Sunday's fourth and final day of action presents 10 stages; 541km of driving are planned, including 124km in racing mode.

New South Wales is in the GMT + 10 time zone. Most European countries must retract eight hours, UK residents must retract nine hours. The times indicated below represent the event's local time.

IMAGE: BP FORD