Perth to Rockhampton

Submitted: Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 19:37
ThreadID: 143133 Views:4542 Replies:9 FollowUps:13
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Towards the end of February, I have to make a long delayed road trip from Perth to Rockhampton, and return about a month later.

I'll be towing my small Golf Savannah 16ft van behind my 200 Series. The van has the good quality Alko coil and double shock suspension so gravel roads are not an issue at all. The 200 has the OME BP51 suspension. Tyres are Falken Wildpeaks in very good nick (2 spares). I am a very experienced long time remote traveller. I carry a lot of water and food, spares, sat comms etc etc. I will be very well prepared.

I would prefer to give NSW a miss entirely, if it's practical to do so. (It's not super critical, just a strong preference) So I'm thinking of heading north from Pt Augusta, up to Lyndhurst along the bitumen, then onto the Strezlecki to Innamincka, Cunnamulla, Charleville to Roma then wind my way through and up to Rocky. Never been that way before.

Can anyone advise on the practicality of that route vs the Pt Augusta - Broken Hill - Bourke etc option. And can can anyone advise on the quality of the roads along that Strezlecki route option?

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Reply By: Zippo - Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 20:03

Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 20:03
Why not the GCR outbound? You are/will be still allowed OUT that way under the latest changes to rules.
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Follow Up By: Rusty Iron - Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 20:30

Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 20:30
Thanks Zippo. I briefly considered that but no, I'd rather not. Have done it plenty of times already, and it can be a chore if the corrugations are bad.
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Follow Up By: Zippo - Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 22:34

Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 22:34
Fair enough, Rusty. I've done the Nullarboring to death over the decades, and the GCR after four times in the last eight years is still "refreshing" by comparison.
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Reply By: RMD - Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 20:12

Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 20:12
Rusty
You won't be able to return home to the hermit kingdom will you? At the least you will need multiple injections, ie, pincushion syndrome, stuff jammed up your nose at every turn and a Rat or two before the quarantine period. Have you considered never going home?
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Follow Up By: Rusty Iron - Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 20:41

Friday, Jan 21, 2022 at 20:41
Not being able to get home for possibly many months is something I have to risk. That is a measure of how important this trip is. It simply has to happen, it's just a matter of which way I go.

And to be fully transparent, I'm all for Mark McGowan and what he's done so far.
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Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:17

Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:17
Haven’t been up the Strezlecki since Nov, ‘15, so my advice might be a bit dated, Rusty?
I understand that there are more sections of bitumen now from Lyndhurst north, but when I did it, conditions varied from good to ordinary, and road gangs were working on a couple of sections.

Don’t be in a hurry, as there’s plenty to see. A stop at the Moomba viewing area is worthwhile, with some good reading, but be careful where you walk! Have never seen so much discarded toot paper in one small area. If Covid had been around then, I would have discovered where all that hoarded date roll had gone. LOL

Good $2 showers at Innamincka, but you’ll find the worst part of the road is from there to the border!

Perhaps you could turn off near Noccundra & head up through Erromanga, to Quilpie? All bitumen, and looks to be a bit more direct than the Cunnamulla route.
Good drive north of Roma, between Carnarvon Range & Expedition NP, then Leichhardt H’way from Banana, Dululu & into Rocky.

Bob

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Follow Up By: Rusty Iron - Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:29

Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:29
Thanks very much Bob, that's exactly the type of info I'm after. I'm leaning more towards going this way, it looks quite good. The only thing that might stop me is the weather at the time. I hate the heat....
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Follow Up By: Rod N - Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 12:53

Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 12:53
"but you’ll find the worst part of the road is from there to the border!"
From Innaminka to the Qld border is now sealed, as of course is the road from there on.
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Follow Up By: luxtourer - Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 22:57

Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 22:57
We did the last bit of this (in reverse) last year as per Bob's suggested route, except we went down the Leichhardt to Taroom, then across to Roma via Peek-A-Doo, which is now a good bitumen road. All tar to Innamincka, but I only remember one section of bitumen on the Strz after Innamincka to the Moolawatana/Flinders Ranges turnoff. The Strz was in good condition then, but of course may be vastly different now.
Plenty of possible problems in Feb with floods, etc.
John
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Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:21

Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:21
The Strz is certainly a practical option. We drive it on a regular basis. There are bits of it bitumen these days, but it can be a bit stony or corrugated too of course, but it is not that far if it is bad.
February could be stinking hot though.

EDIT: A little vid from 2012.
https://youtu.be/XyqmLd_GowQ
Cheers,
Peter
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Follow Up By: Rusty Iron - Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:34

Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:34
Yeah, I think the route would be ok, but I will definitely be checking forecasts once I get closer. I absolutely hate the heat and will avoid it wherever possible. Although this time around I'll have a brand new Honda 2.2 gennie to run the AC if need be. Also travelling by myself and want to baby the tyres as much as I can. I've given myself 6 days to go Perth to Rocky, and I have another two days up my sleeve as well. So I won't be in any big hurry.
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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:50

Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 09:50

We would usually take the Old Strz north of Merty Merty. It gets a lot less traffic so is usually more plesant.
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Peter
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Reply By: Member - Jim S1 - Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 14:11

Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 14:11
Moomba to Innaminka was bad ........ very corrugated ......... when we last travelled it ...... in 2019.

Rest of Strezlecki was just fine. Great to travel through the centre areas though.

Best of luck
Jim
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Reply By: qldcamper - Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 18:50

Saturday, Jan 22, 2022 at 18:50
Spent 17 years in Broken hill and 7 days at Innaminka, id choose the latter any time.

Try to avoid events like the fink race or big red bash, roads go from well graded hi speed to absolute crap in a week and stay that way for ages. Feb should be reasonably low traffic but could be a long time between blades.

Dont ever go in with gravel roads will be no issue at all attitude, always treat them with respect especially when the temps could be in the high 40s
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Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 08:10

Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 08:10
Hi Rusty Iron,

Given the amount of rain that far Norther S.A. and western Qld. has had in the past few weeks, those roads you speak of may be a bit of a gamble. Have you thought of going straight up the Stuart Highway to “three ways” then the Barkly Highway across to the East Coast? I realise you are looking end of Feb. which is still a few weeks away and road conditions may have changed.

Macca.
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Follow Up By: Rusty Iron - Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 08:22

Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 08:22
Hi Macca
Unfortunately, that would change an approx. 4500 km trip into a nearly 5700 km trip. I'm keen to avoid NSW, but not quite that keen!
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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 08:37

Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 08:37
Last August '21, we came home from Brisbane to Adelaide via Mt Isa and Alice Springs due to covid.
Long way.
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Peter
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Reply By: Member - peter g28 - Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 13:43

Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 13:43
In respect of what the statement of the WA State Government has made within the last 48hrs regarding opening up WA....
I think I would delay this tip and wait until WA opens up fully and there is no going back on any political statements.
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Follow Up By: Rusty Iron - Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 13:48

Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 13:48
Unfortunately, delaying the trip is not an option at the moment. Things may change (for me) in the next few weeks but it's very unlikely.
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Reply By: Member - peter g28 - Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 15:18

Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 15:18
I understand.
In that case...outback SA has received plenty of rain in the last week and so the tracks out there are going to be marginal at best if you are towing.
The Darling River run...flooded and all roads in the general area are closed until further notice..I came back through Bourke about a month ago and tracks around there were really a day to day proposition..so with the "dry flood" they have received in the last 10 days...I would give the area a miss...you are looking at late Feb..50/50 at this stage...check on theBourke Shire
Bourke Shire Road Conditions
This may mean...a blacktop run..either north across the top, down and then across through Queensland..or east through SA...over to NSW into Brokenhill..then Cobar and head north to Bourke..and up.
If the road from Bourke north into QLD to Cunnamula is not open...then you might have to go from Bourke across to Moree and then head into QLD.
Hope it works out.
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Follow Up By: Rusty Iron - Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 15:22

Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 15:22
Yep, I think you may be right, the BH, Bourke etc route may be the best option. That Strezlecki area has copped a real hammering. As I said at the start, it's not super critical to avoid NSW, just a "nice to if possible" I'll check road reports once the trip gets closer.
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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 17:12

Sunday, Jan 23, 2022 at 17:12
Every dirt or gravel road in northern SA is currently closed.
https://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/OutbackRoads
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Peter
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