Towing camper trailer up the Tanami Track
Submitted: Tuesday, Jun 12, 2001 at 00:00
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Mark Wilson
We are planning on travelling up the Tanami to
Halls Creek in May June 2002. We have plenty of time and are wondering if we will be able to tow a camper trailer. Our original plan was to travel in an anti clockwise direction visiting
Alice springs, Hall Creek,
Broome the coast of WA and then roung the bottom of
Albany and across the nullabor back to
Mildura. Is it better to travel anticlockwise or clockwise?
Reply By: Sally & Matt - Saturday, Jun 16, 2001 at 00:00
Saturday, Jun 16, 2001 at 00:00
Hi Mark, we're towing a trailer round Oz on our trip & are planning to go south from
Halls Creek to Alice on the Tanami in November 2001. All the people I've spoken to supplemented with all the research I've been doing suggest that it's okay to tow along the Tanami. As for travelling clockwise or anti clockwise, that's a personal decision & it seems your plans are right on track given the season you're starting your travels. We're leaving Gisborne (60 kms north-west Melb) in August 01, heading to Mungo NP, then to
Broken Hill, then
Peterborough to meet up with a convoy, to
Marree (leaving trailer with Andrew Dale the local copper for 2 weeks), then
Birdsville, across the Simpson (east to west), then back down the
Oodnadatta to
Marree to collect trailer, back up the
Oodnadatta to Finke, onto
Darwin for a couple of months, back down the Tanami to Alice, then south for Xmas to Eyre Penninsula, then clockwise across the Nullabor, south coast of WA,
Perth & so on & so on until we get to
Cape York on June/July 02.
Home in Aug/Sept 02 down the east coast! It seems as though we're doing it a strange way, but is there really a "right" way to go? Whatever suits you I say! Hope you have a great trip! Sal & Matt.
AnswerID:
639
Follow Up By: Mark Wilson - Monday, Jun 18, 2001 at 00:00
Monday, Jun 18, 2001 at 00:00
Sally & Matt,
Thanks for the reply. Sounds like we're on the right track. I anticipate it will take us 6 months to travel anti clockwise around the left hand half of Australia.( sounds a bit Irish doesn't it). We're looking forward to it and while we're not trying to wish our life away we hope that May 2002 arrives as soon as it can.
Regards Mark
Wilson
FollowupID:
181
Reply By: Stephen Frawley - Saturday, Jun 16, 2001 at 00:00
Saturday, Jun 16, 2001 at 00:00
Anticlockwise is best as you are travelling with
the winds that blow out in an anticlockwise
direction from the high pressure ridge that sits
over the continent at that time of year.
The most likely chance of headwinds are the
south/southwest seabreezes along the western WA
coast in the afternoons.
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640
Follow Up By: Mark Wilson - Monday, Jun 18, 2001 at 00:00
Monday, Jun 18, 2001 at 00:00
Stephen, Thanks for the time taken in replying to my queery. I can vaguely remember reading something about prevailing wind patterns but I couldn't recall what it was.
Regards Mark
Wilson
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Follow Up By: Stephen Frawley - Tuesday, Jun 19, 2001 at 00:00
Tuesday, Jun 19, 2001 at 00:00
You might be interested in an article I did for
the Australian Caravan Touring site at
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~adryan/caravan/big/param.htm
FollowupID:
185
Reply By: joseph baz - Saturday, Jun 16, 2001 at 00:00
Saturday, Jun 16, 2001 at 00:00
Mark I lived in
Halls Creek for nearly eight Years
crossed the Tanamy at least 8 or 10 times and there is no problem in crossing it towing a trailer with a reasonable clearance,I allways done it over the two day period,driving only during daylight,and if u r like me and enjoy a bit of day dreaming it is a beatifull place to do it
Enjoy it
Cheers
Joe
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Follow Up By: Mark Wilson - Monday, Jun 18, 2001 at 00:00
Monday, Jun 18, 2001 at 00:00
Joseph, Thanks for taking the time to reply. The camper trailer we have will be up to the task. I'm hoping to take quite a few more days as I too enjoying the dreaming part of holidays. This time next year we will be underway.
Regards mark
wilson
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179
Reply By: Graham Comitti - Saturday, Jun 23, 2001 at 00:00
Saturday, Jun 23, 2001 at 00:00
Most reports seem to favour the anti clockwise route when towing becasue of the winds..and if it fits your plans then fine, I can tell you we towed into some pretty strong headwinds towing van back down south to Sunbury from up FNQ year before last. Sometimes you haven't got the choice of following the winds.....In 3 years time we're off for a 3 year or so trip around/criss crossing Oz, and we will be going about 50% in each direction but hopefully with the ind mostly...
Enjoy the trip
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672
Reply By: Brian Noyes - Wednesday, Jul 11, 2001 at 00:00
Wednesday, Jul 11, 2001 at 00:00
I came across the Tanami this time twelve months ago and you will have no trouble towing a trailer. I have done a fair bit of travelling and don't have a 4WD but a VS Commodore Station Wagon. I admit I did not have it on the Tanami but I have a
Camp-O-Matic Converter camper trailer and I would take on the Tanami in the Commodore. A few
places would slow you down but you will tow a camper trailer with no worries. Just
check on what days Rabbit Flat Roadhouse are open as it closes for three days and WILL NOT OPEN so either carry extra fuel or plan your trip around Rabbit Flat. Most of all enjoy the Tanami as it is a beautiful part of the world.
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