river crossing issues Burketown to Booraloola

Submitted: Monday, Jun 11, 2018 at 16:21
ThreadID: 136818 Views:3011 Replies:2 FollowUps:3
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I am about to travel from Lawn Hill north to Savanah Way and then west on to Booraloola/Daly Waters in a 4WD Merc Sprinter 7.5m motorhome for the first time. Understand road is generally pretty good except for near NT border with bad corrugations so that shouldn't be too much of a problem, but there is apparently a potentially difficult river crossing somewhere due to submerged rocks on the causeway which might give me a clearance problem (on front/rear diffs but otherwise) if I cannot navigate around or over them. Would much appreciate any advice that anyone can give me.
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Reply By: KevinE - Monday, Jun 11, 2018 at 17:25

Monday, Jun 11, 2018 at 17:25
Hi Graham,

I just had a look through our videos & found 3 water crossings on the Savannah Way in that stretch; there are some small rocks in 2 of them, about the size of large potatoes. We were in a stock Navara, towing a camper trailer. I idled through in a low gear & the Ute was rocking a bit in the videos, but other than that, no dramas.

If there were other crossings, my co-pilot didn't video them lol! But I can't recall any difficulty getting through there.

The road itself was an absolute cracker of a dirt road when we went through! Especially on the NT side.

Have a great trip mate! :)
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Follow Up By: GrahamM - Monday, Jun 11, 2018 at 17:37

Monday, Jun 11, 2018 at 17:37
Thank you Kevin - very helpful and reassuring. We had been told that there were large rocks and that they had bottomed out on them like I recall the river crossing going into the Bungle Bungles (or at least as it was a decade ago) - hence my query. Maybe their experience was post major flooding or whatever. Thanks for going to the trouble of going through your videos - OTT assistance!! Much appreciated
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Follow Up By: mike39 - Tuesday, Jun 12, 2018 at 08:31

Tuesday, Jun 12, 2018 at 08:31
What can be a trap are the numerous Bulldust patches. The road suddenly looks smooth but 20cm. down can be very harsh bedrock which can give your rig a nasty shake up if you have not been aware and slowed.
Have been across several times but never had problems with large rocks in river crossings.
mike
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Follow Up By: KevinE - Tuesday, Jun 12, 2018 at 17:07

Tuesday, Jun 12, 2018 at 17:07
Ah, good point about the bulldust Mike!

We did strike a rather deep bulldust wallow in the only gorge we went through. Going from memory, it was near Hells Gate?
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Reply By: Member - Raymond J - Tuesday, Jun 12, 2018 at 12:19

Tuesday, Jun 12, 2018 at 12:19
Hi Graham,

Went from Mangoora Station 4 weeks ago towing a 4.7mtr tinny and the road was quite well graded to the boarder of NT and QLD. River crossing were well graded and in saying that travel through at a slow pace to protect the under parts of the motothome. I'd head through Gregory Downs and not the back way as the number of gates might send the misses mad but still a good drive in a Cruiser.

Regards Ray.

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