Cross country east to west

Hi Alan

There has been talk about eventually sealing the Gibb River Road, the Tanami, and the Great Central Road. Huge costs (proposal to seal Tanami based on funding from the transport industry). Will it happen? Probably eventually - give it thirty years.

Motherhen

Alan,

A lot of push from some of the councils in western, and SW Qld, to get the Donohue/Plenty h'ways sealed, and eventually the GCR as well. Think it's called the "Outback Way" (The longest short cut in Australia)

Recently there was $23M allocated for roads in SW Qld, and of this $11M was for sealing of the Donohue. Not sure if this would complete sealing to the NT border, but would certainly fill in a lot of gaps. Will never be an all weather road because of the nature of floods in the Georgina River.

Can't help you with your other question. What about Qantas......TIC :-)

Bob

Alan

People have been talking about a sealed highway across Central Australia for decades. Just like the fast train from Melbourne to brisbane and the second Sydney airport ( though it seems that might happen now the have finally decided on a site).

The last thing I read was the language been downgraded a bit to an "all weather highway"' which doesn't necessarily mean bitumen.

I normally would defer to Motherhen on all things, but this time I'll disagree. I think it is a fantasy.

I dont know about a full route from Newcastle, but once you get to WA the Great Central Road is usually good dirt. You can travel fromLaverton toMeekatharra on bitumen and from there on mt Augustus
is reasonable dirt roads with the proviso that they might be closed if it has been raining.

Cheers

Alan,

I think economics will dictate that such a road never happens (or at least not for a very long time). Such undertakings only occur if there is a need to truck primary produce or minerals to the coast, or if a politician is repaying a favour. As the road crosses many states and electorates, the chances of that happening are very small.

Personally, I think it would be a tragedy. The Australian wilderness is a national treasure. A bitumen road will destroy it for ever. Some who live in remote places demand a road to make their lives easier, and to give them economic opportunities - well here is a cheaper alternative - move to a city.

In November 1998 my brother I drove from Maroochydore to Carnarvon. The first part of the trip was seriously rain affected, and the Georgina was in flood. We were forced to follow the bitumen through QLD up to Mt Isa, then across to Tennant Creek and down to Alice Springs. The Todd was flowing.

From Alice Springs we headed out through Haasts Bluff, Camels Hump, Kings Canyon, then Uluru, Docker River, Warakurna, Gun Barrel Hwy, Wiluna, Meekatharra, Gascoyne Junction, Carnarvon. I regret not going to Mt Augustus when we were so close.

In April this year our trip took us from Alice Springs west as far as the Telfer Mine before we headed south to the Rudall River.

This was a far easier track than the GBH. So if I were looking for the easiest way from Newcastle to Carnarvon I'd drive to Alice via the Plenty, then out the Desert Road to Kintore, Kiwirrkurra, Kunawarritji, Punmu, Marble Bar, Paraburdoo, Mt Augustus, Carnarvon. Or maybe head south before you reach Marble Bar and go through Newman to Mt Augustus.

Sounds like a great trip. Plenty to see along the way, especially through the West Macdonnells, and the Pilbara.

Bob

Looking at the "easiest" way, the quickest and shortest is via the Nullarbor. You will have unsealed road getting to Mount Augustus from any direction.

This Google map Newcastle to Mount Augustus shows the shortest highway route, but Google does not compute the road I would choose from Meekatharra to Mount Augustus via Landor. This also uses the unsealed road between Wiluna and Meekatharra. Upgrades are being undertaken on this road but it will only be sealed in patches such as floodways during this work. The sealed alternative to Meekatharra is via Sandstone to Mount Magnet.

Mh

theres only one fully sealed road that goes east/west and it does so in 2 spots along the north of australia and the south

An old prospector at Higginsville, said to me in the late 1970's - whilst pointing out the new, upgraded Coolgardie-Norseman Hwy;

"You know, they reckon that highway cost a million dollars a km. You wanna know something? It's worth every cent of it!!
When I first came here in 1923, the 'highway' was just two wheel ruts through the bush - and you spent more time driving IN the bush, than ON the 'highway'!
That old 'highway' wrecked thousands of cars and trucks, and cost us a fortune in slow deliveries, damaged goods, high cost goods, and hundreds of injuries and deaths in unnecessary crashes!"

You can't beat good roads. Mind you, I'm a little biased - I've built thousands of kms of good roads. [;-)

Cheers, Ron.

Gday
If Victoria has anything to do with the bitumen road it will have toll gates.