Lawn Hill

Was there a bit over a month ago and it was pretty rough. Caravaners were struggling and the mechanic was repairing 12 tyres a day we heard. Its a broken single lane bitumen road for about the first 30ks and that isn't real flash before it deteriorates to an overused gravel road - rock hard in places and corrugated. A lot were choosing to camp on the river at Gregory and leave their vans there and do a day trip into Lawn Hill. I dropped tyres down to mid 20s and took it reasonably slow and I was towing an off road camper. No problems. When you come out stop and have a coffee at the little shop opposite the pub. He charges $10 to use his compressor to air up and you get 2 free coffees !!

Rob,
I suspect you mean Lorella Springs. The road into there is as bad or worse than Lawn Hill. Magic place when you get there but the last 32 ks is rough. We went up from Cape Crawford and it wasn't too bad until the turn in. I understand it isn't too bad from Roper Bar - again until the turn into Lorella.

We came out this morning. Travelling from the NP via Riversleigh to the Camooweal - Gregory Downs Road and then on the Thorntonia - Yelverton Road to the Barkly Highway took 3 hours towing a camper. The condition was good to very good. Graders are working in the area. We also came in this way so can’t comment on other routes. You can maintain 70-80 Kph for most of this route. The Yelverton Road is good bitumen too.

Hi Rob

Regardless of where you are travelling in this wide, brown land of ours in Australia, you will never get a correct answer for a number of reasons.....

Experience

Vehicle Setup

Tyre Pressures

How fast you are travelling


Over the years, we have driven countless tens of thousands of outback dirt roads and the first thing we will all ask fellow travellers is what is the condition of the road you are about to travel on like.

I could not tell you how many times we have been told the road is horrific, you will ruin your vehicle and the usual type of stories, yet as we progress further, we say to ourselves when is the horror sections going to appear, and then many times never does.

We will all have a different story to tell about various roads, and basicly, get out there yourself, and drive to the conditions, as what I might call a good dirt road, you might interpret as shocking.

The actual road that you are referring to coming in from Gregory, we found it no problems at all, yet others will tell you it is shocking.


Cheers



Stephen