Thoughts to help plan our round Australia trip.

The first thing to realise is that you can not possibly see Australia in one year.
My advise is to pick 2 or 3 areas that are at the top of your list and to join the dots around the optimum time of the year to see those.

We like to be in the Kimberley as early as we can get in. That means keeping a watch on the weather and the roads and maybe finding a deviation for a few weeks on the way. You will have no problem at all doing that.

There are plenty of summer destinations. Coastal SA, High Country Vic, SW WA could occupy a year each. We still aim to spend a wet somewhere marooned in the Kimberley.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Hi bks,

If you could start your travels in NSW, SW /Mid QLD from February and work your way up to Cairns, April up to Cape York, then along the Savannah Hwy to Darwin.


I would leave it till early May until seeing Kakadu, main reason for that time is a lot would still be closed after the wet like Jim Jim falls etc. That will put you in the Kimberley around late May early June, Early July at Broom and take your time heading South. Their is a lot to see on the west coast.Perth around September, Adelaide October Vic in November and Tas in December




Now you have done the outside you have all the inside to do next time.

Cheers Andy

bks
My advice would be to not place anything in concrete, be very flexible with your itinerary.


If you are leaving Sydney Feb/March I would suggest making your way towards the high country SE NSW and from there down to the Murray River for a while (plenty of good low cost free camping) then head towards Mount Gambier (low cost camping in the showgrounds, and free entry to any events that may be on there). I would then head towards Adelaide and Port Augusta making sure that you visit the Yorke Peninsular. By this time you should be into June which is a good time to be heading north so a visit to Coober Pedy, Uluru (purchase your 3 day pass) and Alice Springs, Mataranka and the Hot Springs (2 off), Katherine to Darwin.

If you are in Kakadu late August you may be lucky enough to visit Ooenpelli for their annual Open Day (in Arnhem Land, and the only time that you can get in without either knowing someone who lives there, or working there yourself). Plan on being in Kakadu for a minimum of 4 days, 6 would be better, and whilst in that area be sure to visit Litchfield NP which can be done as a day trip from Darwin.

Unfortunately you can not avoid the 300km return drive to Katherine and whilst there visit the Nitmiluk NP (Katherine Gorge). I would then proceed west and basically follow the highway to Perth, but with side tracks in to Broome, Barn Hill Station, Onslow (one of the few places in Australia where you can stand on the one spot and watch the sun both rise and set over water with no land on the horizon ), Exmouth and Coral Bay, Denham and Monkey Mia, Cervantes (Numbung NP and The Pinnacles) .

Whilst in Kununurra pick up your WA National Parks Pass which gives you entry to most of their parks (NOT Monkey Mia or Rottnest Island), you do still pay camping fees and there are plenty of parks to visit, too numerous to list here.

From Perth I would suggest basically follow the coast to Esperance, then north to Kalgoorlie, follow the Golden Pipeline east to about Northam, then work your way to Hayden (Wave Rock), then continue east to Norseman to cross the Nullarbor (plenty to see and plenty of camping both free and at roadhouses, we took 6 days last year) on your way to Ceduna. From there visit the Eyre Peninsular and decide where to from Port Augusta to make your way back home.

Have a great trip and see you on the road.

Regards
Athol

I would suggest going anti-clockwise. Pass through Katherine late May/early June. That will give you the southern coastline in summer.

You will not have time for Tasmania. You need at least two months there to see it properly and 4-6 weeks at least to make the ferry fare viable (comparing travelling solo and using on site accommodation Vs site fees for van.)

You have a delemer on your hands, most of Aus is best travelled and seen during the cooler months apart from Tassy.
I'd bypass Adelaide, you won't miss much. The Flinders Ranges is a must see but only during the cooler months.

I don't think you will be able to "not" back track on a few routes if you want to see the good stuff.

I'd be getting info on what is really not worth travelling too, like Adelaide.

Bks

Just do your own thing .
Pick a direction and just go.
where ever you go I bet you will love it.
Tassie in the hotter months is about the only thing I would recommend.



Cheers

Looks like closer to 2 years, thinking leave Feb/ March do the coast Qld Nt Gibb river road broome down the coast to sw WA over the nullarbor back inSydney december. Leave again March central Qld central australia down to flinders ranges, innamincka birdsville then down to the Darling river run then along the murray through the snowy and high country then back to sydney.

Any way just throwing ideas around.

Thank you every one for your input.

We left ACT in Feb, went clockwise, and finished in Tas for Xmas. Had great weather all the way, covered 34,000k and did not back track very much at all.

You can always spend a month or two over the hottest part of the year in Tasmania which is the most beautiful place. The berries and cherries alone make it worth going there in January or February. We have been there a few times now, the last trip was with the van and we spent two months there from late January. Missed a number of 40 degrees plus days at home in NSW and had mostly glorious weather and a great diversity of landscapes with short distances to travel. We even saw some snow fall when walking in the alpine country.
Even in peak season it is rarely very busy most places although in the week over Christmas NY it would pay to book into parks or wherever you plan to stay, if you happened to be there then.

We have only ventured to the far north tropical regions once, in 2013, and found the heat and humidity oppressive despite it being July and August. We have wonderful memories of Kakadu and the Kimberley but while we were walking in the heat and sweating like pigs to see the sights, or pulling up in the van for lunch to find temperatures inside of 40 degrees, it was not all that much fun. I guess it depends on how well you tolerate the heat as to when you go. We are obviously not good but at least both of us feel this way!

hope this helps you a little in your planning.
regards,
Heather

Tassie is great between beginning of Feb and Easter - good weather when much of the rest of Aus is too hot or too wet; kids are back at school so plenty of good camp spots. Fantastic bushwalking and beaches, and some interesting history. Great golf courses too, if that's your thing.
I'm biased, but we make sure we are never away from our home State between Christmas and May.
Happy travelling !

Hi bks; when the climate becomes unpleasant in the north, and before the risk of cyclones, head south. When you can get back into the north, head north again. If you zigzag over two years, you will fit in a lot of different regions including Central Australia. You might even need three summers; one for the north of Western Australia, one for the north of Northern Territory and another for far north Queensland. Central Australia is also one to visit in the winter months although it can get cold, it can also be very hot in summer.

Summer tours for us have included the south coast of Western Australia, the Eyre Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road.