road trip
Submitted: Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 18:47
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jack1971
Hi all
Am planning to do a trip from
Ballarat to
Darwin via
Adelaide. My question is: Are the roads all sealed from
Adelaide to Uluru and are they sealed from Uluru to
Darwin? I am hoping to take my family of 4 girls (including my wife) and they're not looking forward to it!! but l am hoping they will come along for the experience to look back on. Car is a Landcruiser 105 series diesel, so l'm looking forward to taking in a few of the sights along the way if we take the car.
If l can't get this to happen, l'm looking to do the trip by myself on BMW K1200LT (very heavy road bike - like a goldwing) - hence why l need to know what the road conditions are like -sealed or not.
Probably go in winter but would love to go near the start/end of summer (with car) as the weather is unpredictable and if the main roads are ok, it would be great to experience the tropical rains that can happen in that time period. I have no experience at all with these areas of Australia so l'm open to all opinions from people who have done this before.
Thank you all
Nick
Reply By: Bigfish - Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 18:56
Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 18:56
All bitumen. Your car will do it easy. I actually have a few mates heading up to Ayres
Rock then to
Darwin,
Broome,
Perth and
Melbourne next week. All on harleys. Ayres
rock is expensive if staying there( best to
camp out)..nights will be cold, so take doonas!! Have done the roads a few times and they are easy. Just be aware of morning and evening wildlife. Drive steadily and dont rush the trip. Take good camera and most of all...enjoy.
cheers
AnswerID:
598453
Reply By: Member - rooster350 - Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 19:02
Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 19:02
The road is sealed all the way to both locations, as are most of the roads in the N.T...except for a few minor roads to more remote
places..our winter is the best time to go, you would probably not like it to much in the summer, it is very ,very humid
AnswerID:
598454
Reply By: Motherhen - Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 19:16
Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 19:16
Hi Nick, as said by Bigfish and Rooster you can do it on good sealed roads. You are welcome to read
My Blogs from 2008 and 2009 covering a trip around the
Alice Springs region, then returning on the following year to tour our way to
Darwin.
We chose to stay three nights at the Ayres
Rock caravan park in
Yulara rather than add extra time and running costs commuting from outside the National Park.
AnswerID:
598455
Reply By: jack1971 - Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 19:31
Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 19:31
Thanks for the replies - was thinking it all sealed going on maps that l have but asking people who/ve actually done it is always better/safer to know.
Well l'll be going regardless family/no family - l'd assume there would be fuel stops every 300kms ish? No issue with the Cruiser but going on the amount of bikes that do the trip l'd be fairly safe.
Ta, Nick
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 20:31
Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 at 20:31
Yes, no problems with distances between fuel outlets Nick.
FollowupID:
867651
Reply By: Member - Cuppa - Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 08:34
Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 08:34
Hi Nick,
You may enjoy reading my account of a similar trip on a motorcycle some years ago.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/lock
Have also covered that route as part of a figure 8 around Australia in a small bus towing a couple of trail bikes.
http://www.cuppa500.com/_Big_Trip/Archive.html
We moved to just outside
Ballarat a couple of years ago, so if you’re interested in swinging by for a chat let me know. Nothing I enjoy more than sharing travel stories.
AnswerID:
598477
Follow Up By: jack1971 - Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 09:24
Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 09:24
Just read your article - just a bit jeaulous. My family are NOT travellers 'groan' and l can't wait to get out of the house.......
Yes, would be good to meet you in the next couple of days
FollowupID:
867663
Reply By: vk1dx - Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 09:42
Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 09:42
All good ideas and information already posted Nick.
It may be worthwhile to actually stay a couple of nights at Uluru. And as this is a suck-it-and see trip for the family, then do it the easy way. Book your accommodation at Uluru and give them a comfortable introduction to the "outback". I would suggest taking a cabin. At $160 a night (depending on season) it is a good compromise.
Cabins here:
Ayers Rock Campground
Spend a penny now and it may help the rest of your family to gain a healthy interest in doing more trips. And as time goes you may even venture into the relaxed world of desert trips. We love them. Didn't see another car for five days when we crossed the Simpson last year. (photo below) So peaceful and surreal.
Also note that distances are huge. Those in the back
seat will need full batteries in the toys and plenty of patience. Stop at any time at all especially when the may be something to look at. A night in an undergeround motel in
Coober Pedy is an experience. Our grand kids love it.
Some reading:
Adelaide to Darwin
Phil
AnswerID:
598481
Follow Up By: jack1971 - Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 11:23
Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 11:23
Perfect! My thoughts also, take cabins and ease them into it and take it from there.
I just sold a camper trailer through lack of use (it was just a soft floor/canvas setup to see what it would be like) - used it 3 times in 3 years but it's the experience of the outback and memories that l'm after.
I'm planning an overseas trip on a motorbike in 10 years Pillion - solo/daughter/wife not sure - 10 years is a few years away yet, things and people change.... - start in Europe and see how far my budget enables me to go i.e. other countries. The HU site has been a good read.
Ta again, Nick
FollowupID:
867671
Reply By: Life Member-Doug T NSW - Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 14:43
Monday, Apr 11, 2016 at 14:43
It'll be a piece of cake Nick, I did those roads 1966 and 1967 in a 1962 EK Holden, not much Bitumen South of Alice back then,
Entrance to Ayres Rock Pk 1966
Have a wonderful time and enjoy the Top End, make sure to visit the Midil Markets in
Darwin Thursdays and Sundays
Mindil Markets
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: LAZYLUX16 - Wednesday, Apr 13, 2016 at 00:29
Wednesday, Apr 13, 2016 at 00:29
Doug T love to have done it back tgen heard stories pretty tough after rain.I been stuck out in
Tanami desert and had 4wd .It rained for 5 days straight it was like being in tropics ..They werd thinking of bitumising Tanami track and linking upto to Qld .That would make it pretty undadventurious to say ygd least and be a busy route ...
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Michael H9 - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2016 at 08:18
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2016 at 08:18
My wife isn't much of a traveller. I did Uluru twice solo (or with the kids), before she indicated she might come along. After the first day's drive I almost flew her
home due to the whinging, but she got into the groove and actually ended up enjoying it. I don't take her unless she indicates she really wants to go. Trying to talk your wife into having a good time.....? Good luck with that. :-)
AnswerID:
598529
Follow Up By: jack1971 - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2016 at 10:35
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2016 at 10:35
I'm not the only one.........
She does see it as a good thing though but yeah "them's the breaks". It's the same on the bike that l have (the pillion
seat is the most comfy
dam thing l ever sat on! and has heated seats/backrest) - she's not fussed but one cannot force another to do what they don't want to do, they wouldn't and you wouldn't enjoy it, works both ways.
FollowupID:
867712
Reply By: Member - larsy - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2016 at 16:12
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2016 at 16:12
Hi, I'm heading to the big
rock late June with the family, wife and three boys. We use a camper and the kids love it now, I started with camping in the back yard and showed them
All the good/fun things to do. (Ie marshmallows/dampers etc. my wife is a 5star aircon kinda girl, but once we started she would whinge and carry on, so I compromised. Few nights camping and a night of luxury. Ie hotel.
Also, give her a list of things that there is to do, do a google search and with her and compile a list todo, so this with the girls, I love the outback, but to do it with family is so much more worthwhile, so I do the boring things the family wants to do, after all it's about time together.
Hope this helps!
Btw they all love the camper now!!
Cheers
Lars
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: LAZYLUX16 - Wednesday, Apr 13, 2016 at 00:36
Wednesday, Apr 13, 2016 at 00:36
Hi larsy Took my Thai wife first time camping near
Broken Hill first night got shot at by roo shooters unitentionally I gather or bit of fun.Now we are going around Aus and goin to some remote
places and have 5 year old son so see how it goes.I have been to some crazy
places alone but the beauty in Australia is overwhelming especially
Simpson Desert .e.g.But one thing missing was I had no one to share it with .So this trip will hopefully be full of shared memories and digital cameras to preserve the memories are fantastic.I only had film cameras before and on my travels lost a lot of photos or too many crappy shots ..cheers
FollowupID:
867753
Reply By: LAZYLUX16 - Wednesday, Apr 13, 2016 at 00:46
Wednesday, Apr 13, 2016 at 00:46
Sad part is technology taken over our lives (Ienstien spoke of that happening )but maybe its a godsend for your trip.But plenty to do and see for your kids in
Alice Springs,
Katherine ,
Mataranka is really nice, and then
Darwin is like no other .Great atmosphere.Good you going do it while you can.Its taken me 9 years to get back traveling in Oz...I cant wait to go remember take a few deep breaths dont rush and enjoy the sunrises and sunsets ...
AnswerID:
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Reply By: jack1971 - Saturday, Apr 16, 2016 at 07:54
Saturday, Apr 16, 2016 at 07:54
Ta for the replies,
think l'll just play it by ear and see how it pans out. Have tried the "let's do the small trips first and camping in the backyard first" and my wife is just as happy to stay at
home for the holidays - she's just not a traveller - a homebody, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.......
Here's hoping
AnswerID:
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