First Off-road Venture
Submitted: Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 at 18:00
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kiasen
Hi Guys,
Can do with a bit of helpful advice here if poss.
My wife and I are planning our first major off-road venture for about this time next year. We will be driving a Kia Sorento 4x4 with camper trailer. Have taken on board all your info & suggestions on taking extra tyres -
water - petrol etc.
Up until now our plan was to go from
Copley -
Balcanoona - Innaminka -
Birdsville - Maree -
Oodnadatta. We want to do
The Painted Desert &
The Breakaways as
well.
Having talked to friends they have suggested going to
Birdsville then up to
Boulia and across The Plenty H/way to Alice and down to
Oodnadatta etc.. If this way is an option we would like to visit Mt Dare on the way.
Time will not be a problem as we can take 'as long as it takes' (lucky us !!)
We would like your thoughts - good & bad on which would be a more interesting way to go as we would like to see as much as possible while we are there, also any maps or books that you could reccomend to help us on this trip.
Thanks in advance for all help &
views received.
Regards
Kiasen
Reply By: Alan H (Narangba QLD) - Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 at 18:52
Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 at 18:52
Kaisen
If you go the plenty hwy option, you can come back from Alice through Finke to Mt Dare and then down the
Oodnadatta track (which is just great, lots of history).
Would recommend a detour from Mt Dare go to Ooodnadatta via
Dalhousie Springs and then back out to
Oodnadatta.
If this really is your first trip, I suggest doing a small trip to say Chambers Gorge to sort out what you want and what you need so that on a long trip you have fewer regrets regarding
water storage, amount of food to carry etc.
Sounds like a great trip and wish you
well.
AnswerID:
183207
Follow Up By: kiasen - Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 at 23:45
Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 at 23:45
Hi Alan,
We forgot to mention that we would be travelling from
Melbourne to
Copley to start our trip.
And Yes, this really is our first off-road venture. We have had our caravan for several years now but have recently acquired a camper-trailer for this coming trip.
Thanks for your reply and suggestions - especially to
Dalhousie Springs.
Cheers Kiasen
FollowupID:
439776
Reply By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 at 19:01
Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 at 19:01
It sounds as if you'll be on tracks with regular (if infrequent) traffic nevertheless for anybody heading into remote areas in Oz for the first time I could do no better than to recommend you purchase the following book:
Australian Bush Survival Skills
Kevin Casey
Kimberley Publications
ISBN 0 9587628 1 3
About $25.
Mike Harding
PS. I wonder how many newbies every buy it?
AnswerID:
183208
Follow Up By: Member - Brian H (QLD) - Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 06:14
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 06:14
Sounds like a good investment to me .......... never knew it exited to be honest. May just track a copy down.
Brian
FollowupID:
439785
Follow Up By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 12:01
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 12:01
That's a grea book even just for the
first aid section, keep it in the glove box. Of course even the best
first aid instruction is not good unless you have the
first aid gear!
You'd be amazed how many people head off lucky to have a pack of bandaids and some panadol with them! Just mad I reckon...
FollowupID:
439841
Reply By: Member - Oldplodder (QLD) - Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 07:57
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 07:57
Sounds like a good trip.
Been on most of those roads.
If you have the time and can afford the fuel, go the plenty.
You are already in the right frame of mind, being cautious and driving to your limits, so you shouldn't have any major problems with that approach.
If you do have a problem, be sensible and sit it out until help arrives.
You will already have packed enough food and
water for a week, I know I shouldn't have mentioned it.
Always found the Ron & Viv Moon books good. I tihnk there is one for central Oz.
AnswerID:
183278
Reply By: Laura B - Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 10:42
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 10:42
Ron moon 4wd guide to oz is brilliant $40 from book
shop will do the trick.....got all those little tracks info of where fuel and
water is plus where to go and
what to take.......
do one thing at a time in getting ready and you'll be right!!
Have fun - wish we could have "as much time as we want" !!!! aaaaahhhhhh the life!!
Laura
AnswerID:
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Reply By: ian - Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 12:33
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 12:33
Kiasen,
I reckon you have had some good advice already on this post. I would go on the Plenty Hwy, lots of good things out there. Once you have done this trip you will wonder why you hesitated.
Make sure you have ample spare tyres for car and trailer (plus bearings, etc)
Accept that your car is not as robust as the big 4x4 and take your time.
Accept that rainfall will mean that some of these roads will not be passable for you foa a few days or so.
Have fun
Ian
AnswerID:
183327
Reply By: Crackles - Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 20:11
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006 at 20:11
Just came back accross the
Plenty highway recently & would class it as one of the more featureless outback roads around Oz. By sticking to your original plan you could have a good look on the
Birdsville &
Oodnadatta tracks, far more to see & some great
camp spots. If you have the time do a loop up to
Dalhousie springs, Mt Dare, Old
Andado, then back via Eringa. Westprint maps have some excellent detail showing camps & points of interest in this area to help you plan. If you think you may stay in the SA parks for a few nights they come included with
the Desert Parks Pass.
Cheers Craig.........
AnswerID:
183397