Great Central Road

Hi...

We travelled to Perth in 2003/04 summer holidays. Our travels were Sydney to Perth (Eyre Hwy) and 4 weeks travelling from Esperance to Kalbarri. Coastal travel (from Ceduna to Cocklebiddy) was beautiful with moderate temperatures. The inland stuff (anything more than about 100-200km from the coast) was VERY DRY and HOT.

You might save some time going thru the centre but beware the temperatures and the impact on you and your car.

Regardless of which way you go, have a great trip...

I did the gcr in may o3 it can be horrifically corrigated if not graded but ok otherwise keep speed down to about 80 as when you speed up for good sections sandy ot rougher sections sneak up on you. Otherwise it is a doddle but very boring you need 2 permits to cross it and there is limited legal camping one of the high lights was camping at the docker river campgrounds and going to the lookout at dawn to see the sunrise on the peterman ranges. The only othe rexitment was the giles weatherstation and playing gues the wrecked indiginous australian car on the side of the road (5 per km) as for weather mid jan what do you reckon ?

My view is to envisage the worst case scenario and if I'm happy with that as a possibility, then I decide. It could rain heavily and you might be on the roadside for a week (or more)..... those damned cyclones have a habit of sweeping SE and dumping .... or.....the heat could be fierce and you might have a breakdown. The locals deal with it in their stride - question is can we ? That said, many people would just do it. Not for me ...... I hate sweating over flat tyres and other adversities in high heat levels. Maybe you could suss the weather at the time in Yulara and decide then.

In Nov 98 there was a lot (Todd in flood) of rain up to about the eleventh, but within a few days it was 45 at Warburton. I remember it well as I nearly karked it at Kings Canyon. I was between cycles of chemo, crook as rookwood, and did the Canyon walk in 40 plus heat. So it can be hot, but then is was 42 at Eucla on the way back East.

Hi cwynn,

We did the great central towing a camper trailer just recently. Left Kalgoorlie(WA Feb 2nd and went via 'connie sue' to Warburton. Took six days and never saw a single person until Warburton. Threre was only avgas available then(8/2/05) Don't know what's there now. Most of the other places have unleaded. You'll need to negotiate about 800 ks without unleaded if you don't want to use avgas. The road to Yalara wasn't too bad. Very coorugated and very rough in two sections (Did 2 tyres) Lots of road works so road is getting better by the minute. Was extremely hot but no rain. We had a ball.

Rod