South Australia to Darwin

Bloody good advice

G'day Vince

A number of years ago I successfully completed a tourism course to help with running my outback 4wd and motorcycle tour business. One thing that was drummed into us was that something like 90% of bookings, visits and stopovers etc get cancelled or " let's not worry about it " on the return journey because nearly everyone just wants to get home !

I saw this time and time again on my trips so I would recommend seeing and doing as much as possible on the way up coz when that last week comes around you will be in " Home Mode "

Enjoy your trip

Cheers
Gazz

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I agree Gazz.
Invariably, when we turned the Troopy's nose for home we made a run for it.

G'day Allan

Yeah - I often do that myself - especially after a few weeks away from facilities !

About 20 years ago we did a six week enduro bike ride clocking up 9000 k's with as little bitumen as possible as it totally stuffs up dirt bike tyres. Ride about six hours a day, drink beer six hours a night, pack up swag in the morning and do it again and again and again, great fun with great blokes ! But towards the end most of the guys started talking about a decent shower and a decent sleep in their own bed.

So that last week consisted of more riding and less drinking to get home lol

Cheers
Gazz

Took me many years Alan when leaving Ceduna for home with a van on the back to overcome the " well what the hell, it's only another 800 to Adelaide" mind set. :)
Dave.

Allan B : that may be the case if your heading back to the sunshine coast.. But us southerner will be hanging on to every little bit of sunshine we can find hahaha on the way home to wet & windy winter :)))

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Yes Nick, it is almost an embarrassment to be living in Camelot. lol

But I did do my time as a Crow Eater. So I do understand your dilemma.

That sort of mentality depends upon how you plan your trip. On a short trip like the OP is proposing, if you reach Darwin halfway through the time period then that sort of mindset should not set in until you get back as far as Alice Springs. By that time most of his allotted time will have passed so it will be time to hightail it home.

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Well Peter, I don't "plan" many trips with much detail. We head off in a general direction, say Great Victoria Desert, and go where the wind takes us. "Planning" is ensuring we have enough food, water and fuel then we enjoy it as it comes.
Not everyone's idea of trekking, but it's ours.
But I do not make judgement on those who do it differently.

As a matter of keen interest Alan do you turn left or right out of the driveway. I find " where the wind takes us" to work well except when I reach Norseman when both my 75 and100 have refused to turn left over the years. So much for Margaret River.
Dave.

I turn right at Norseman because it is ALWAYS raining in Esperance.

Regards

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To answer factually David, I turn right. I have no alternative..... my driveway is at the end of a cul-de-sac.
But the Sunshine Coast is far from the deserts with many paths to access them so the route varies with my caprice.

In truth, time marches on, and the Troopy has been traded in for a MB Sprinter being fitted out as a motorhome. It is 4WD and will be capable of being self sufficient to some degree, but some tracks will be off limits I'm afraid, so a little more route planning may become necessary.

Thanks for that tip
we are looking to free camp where possible, but not firm and just enjoy the experience come what may, people, walking, landscapes, we are not fussy, just looking forward to the drive.
We are hoping to wing it really, and not book too many places, hoping that works.

Why Katherine Gorge in preference to other parks in Katherine, seems to be pretty exy, or is there a free camp somewhere close?

Agreed, I just treat the George CP as one of the parks in Katherine. When you look at things that way there are better value parks in town. It is too far to commute back into town for use as a place for a few days.

Edith Falls is an excellent place for a night or two stopover on the return trip.

If going to Alice Springs ensure you hide all valuables out of sight, Dont leave car unattended after dark in the streets and be prepared to be humbugged by the local black fella population. Worked there quite often and travelled around the area frequently.

ASP, I'd go further and say if you want stay overnight *only do this* if you can have your vehicle totally off street, in a secure cara pk for example.
Most have decent fencing and nearby people to reduce risk of damage, though some camp areas in cara parks are at the boundary, and night time fence shenanigans can happen (bashing of the fences seems to be a local sport at one of them).

Even last visit a few years ago, early morning walks led me past several vehicles parked in random streets with windows smashed.
I believe it still happens a lot from news reports, and probably worse now.

Of course it's a matter of wrong time / wrong place for any sort of vandalism, damage, violence, etc, anywhere, just you are probably more likely to encounter any of these outside daylight hours in ASP.

G'day Mate Cara Pk is a good un in ASP, nice fencing . . .

If staying in a camper should be ok, they don't get put in the camping area I recall.
The night time fence bashing happens sometimes in that boundary area.