Magnus replied:

Hi Rick

Don't think 2 weeks along the East Coast is anywhere near enough. You will have to drive fairly hard every day and it would not be enjoyable. Have done the Darwin Brisbane leg a few times and the Brisbane Melbourne leg a few and Brisbane Perth just last year.

Any case do your sums with some good maps and it will soon be easy to see which way to go to have max enjoyment and time to spend seeing the sights

Cheers

Magnus

Hilly replied:

Rick, I took my 3 kids and the boss to Darwin along the Great Centrl Road via Laverton, Leonora, Warburton etc, and through to "The Rock" towing a similar trailer, mine was a Coromal, and we had a ball.
We were stuck in Alice for a week because we arrived there the day they closed the highways to try and catch Peter Falconio's murderer and there was more than a weeks worth of stuff to do just around there. Another week to mosy up to Darwin making sure that you spend some time at the campsite in Mataranka near the thermal springs. Darwin has plenty to do as you know and then your 2 week return would let you amble your way back down the west coast.

We turned right at Darwin and saw a bit of the east coast as well but we had 4 months all up and we still had to rush some spots and missed heaps.

I enjoyed the cental route because we could stop pretty much where we wanted and just pull a few hundred metres of the road to set up camp. We set our own pace and it was a relaxing journey. We did have all the permits that were required but they were free and the lady from the Lands Council was really helpful in sorting us out. We had the paperwork done within a week or so.

I live in Kwinana if you want to have a look at a few maps or just have a yack.

I'm sure you'll have a ball no matter which way you go.

Cheers,

Hilly

Coops (Pilbara) replied:

let me know if Port Hedland's an option

Member - Bob replied:

Rick,
if it were me I'd start by looking at the map and deciding on a general route. The choices are:
NW Coastal Hwy
Grt Northern Hwy
CSR
Grt Central Rd then either Tanami or Stuart.

Your choice will be determined by how rough you want to go, whether you are a coastal or desert person, the road you have already travelled etc.

Perhaps the CSR is out, given the camper, but the other options are all open.

Once you have chosen the general route people can help you with places to see/stay.

My pref would be to go to the Centre via GCR, spend some time around Alice, then mosey up the Stuart to Darwin. On the way home you could head off through the Kimberley, then from Broome along the coast back to Perth.

You lucky bugger