Northern WA trip
Submitted: Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 16:04
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Austravel
Hi,
Recently completed a 4 month trip around the top end of WA. Still don't have convenient web access so a trip report maybe months away. However if anyone has specific questions regarding access, cost, road conditions etc etc please just ask.
We did- Plenty Hwy, Tanami, around
Kununurra, across the Gibb including
the gorge run and ELQ,
Mitchell Plateau including
Walsh Point,
Kalumburu, northern beaches of
Broome,
Port Smith, then back to
Halls Creek calling into all the NP's, to Cape Dommitt, Keep River NP,
Gregory NP then started to head home.
Did a bit of damage to the Patrol and lots to the camper. Found everything to be much dearer in WA compared to Qld. Encountered lots of idiot drivers obviously with no time to drive safely but also plenty of courteous ones.
Saw plenty of great spots but over all was a little dissapointed that the trip didn't meet my expectations. Couldn't honestly say I found anywhere I'd want to return to in the near future (5-10 yrs). Don't jump down my throat it's just my opinion. I much prefer the top end of Qld,
Simpson Desert and NT.
Had a couple of bad experiences in
Broome and hope never to return. If you break down be very, very careful of the main RACWA agent there. May get in strife for telling you this but I can back up the comment and have witnesses including the RACQ. Am only passing this on to save you stacks of stress and $$$$$$$$. Hope it's not deleted as my intention is to help other travellers.
If you want to see fewer people get off the Gibb and the numbers reduce considerably. On the Gibb and around
Broome and you'll be one of thousands, might suit some but not us.
Anyhow let me know if I can answer any specific question or help in anyway.
Reply By: zook - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 16:16
Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 16:16
hey Austravel,
Just wondering what the condition of the
plenty highway (including the donohugh) is. I am planning on driving it in not too distant future. Would a suzuki handle it? (aside from the complaints about size etc. - and I have enough fuel for journey)
Was it corrugated (how badly?) many pot holes? much bull dust?
I was also trying to figure out how long I should plan to do the plenty, did you find it interesting?
Thanks in advance
zook
AnswerID:
200504
Follow Up By: Austravel - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 18:29
Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 18:29
Hi Zook,
Would be no dramas in a suzuki, not that rough and virtually no deep bull dust. I found the Plenty better and more interesting than the Tanami. Time wise we took 2 days at a reasonable pace. It's all black top to
Boulia now. Just outside of
Boulia there's a great spot to
camp beside a
creek, just of the main drag.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: zook - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 21:17
Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 21:17
thanks for the feedback,
was there anything that really stood out for you - I don't know where you came from in Queesnland, but I'll be heading from SE Queensland and just wondering if any towns really stood out?
On the plenty, in 2 days did you just go straight through or stop and do any of the detours etc?
zook
FollowupID:
459667
Follow Up By: Austravel - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 10:26
Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 10:26
Longreach is great if your into history, the QANTUS museum and Hall of fame is top value.
Went straight across the Plenty no detours.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Teabag - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 17:08
Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 17:08
Austravel,
You sound like a hard man to please, though each to his own? I did the
Gibb River Rd last year (not this late) and found it to be one of the best trips I have ever done and over the years I have done many. It was awesome but hey, I'm easily pleased....Sounds like it was interesting either way......Good luck on your next adventure.......
AnswerID:
200515
Follow Up By: Austravel - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 18:38
Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 18:38
Could be the case but I guess I was comparing it to the top of QLD. In comparassion didn't find the Gibb to be remote, had a lot more people, further between destinations and didn't meet the hype/advertising. I'm told the Pilbra is much better but we didn't get the time to get that far down.
As you say each to their own I just didn't get out of it what I thought I would. Yep there's some nice spots but the gorges along the Gibb where either full of people or basically
water falls that every state has. ELQ,
Mitchell Plateau,
Walsh Point and a couple of other
places were great but it's a long way to them and not much inbetween. Don't mind the distances, we loved the Simpson but this just wasn't my cup of tea. I'm sure there's many like yourself who loved the area.
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Reply By: Kumunara (NT) - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 18:23
Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 18:23
Austravel
We all have different taste and that prevents the world from becoming too boring. I have however been to the North of WA and love it. I will be returning ASAP.
Did you have a look at the
Dampier Peninsula?
Did you catch any mud crabs?
Did you go fishing for Barra?
I had my fifth gear repaired in
Broome. I couldn't complain about the customer service of the approved Nissan repairer. They had not customer service. You can't complain about something that doesn't exist.
I however found other businesses to be excellent in their customer service.
AnswerID:
200528
Follow Up By: Austravel - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 18:47
Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 18:47
Too true.
Yes to all.
Yep Middle
Lagoon was very pretty but damn there were some people on the Peninsula it was like a highway. Middle and most of the popular areas had hundreds of people I guess that was a put off to us.
Not knocking the area just didn't meet my expectations after reading so much about it, must just be me.
As for
Broome I guess I just found a couple of business that were not after repeat business and saw tourist written across me. I'm sure most are just like any other businesses and have top service. Though I don't think much of most touristy towns and can't wait to get out of them and
Broome is a full on tourist town. Some love it some hate it.
Just out of interest and for others researching the area, what did you like so much about it????
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Reply By: Footloose - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 19:43
Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 19:43
Mate, you went the wrong way :))
Had you turned left off the Tanami onto the
Gary Junction Road, and continued through the
Well 33 community and up the Kidson track, you might have enjoyed seeing a few people, once you got to
Broome etc.
Seriously, I know what you mean. I was lucky enough to travel that way in the days when you didn't have to book accommodation. There was a resort in
Broome but no boardwalk, online cameras and yuppies.
The guy at the
shop opposite
Cable beach said his worst problem he had were nudists wandering in to buy stuff, forgetting that clothed families also shopped there.
We ended up having connections to the area. I've only been back once, and from what I read I'd be dreadfully disappointed if I went back again.
AnswerID:
200541
Follow Up By: Austravel - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 10:45
Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 10:45
Will keep that in mind, may have to plan the trips around more remote areas next time.
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Reply By: Motherhen - Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 23:06
Monday, Oct 23, 2006 at 23:06
Broome used to be a beautiful sleepy little town - now it's just too touristy, noisy and overcrowded. The rest of the
places you went I've yet to see, and am sure i will love them all, as
well as NT and FNQ (where i loved the little bit I've seen). How and what was the damage to the Patrol and the camper?
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Austravel - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 19:01
Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 19:01
Yep, maybe just me, having one of those years/decades.
Patrol- only one but pretty big, cracked the chassis pretty badly. Probably due to air bags.
Fridge died, near new and an engel. Not sure about buying another have had 2 and both have caused dramas plus mates SS verion kicked the bucket.
Camper- damn it's a big list. Struts failed,
water tap broke, rear legs fell off, brake bleeder nipple fell out, main bolt on brake master cyl fell out, leaks dust in kitchen badly, leaks
water very badly at rear, broke spring at eye, major stone damge from poor stone deflector, etc, etc. Brand new and wouldn't recommend it.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Blaze - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 00:35
Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 00:35
Would have to agree with quite a lot of what you say above, and what others say also, but the scenery on GRR (gorges etc) and the bungles are pretty impressive though, but your right about
Broome, the "tourist town". I actually prefered
Derby and Windham. As for isolation, I felt more alone between Alice and
Coober Pedy on the way home. Of course this is happening everywhere throughout this great country, just seen a video shot by a mate a few months ago of the OTL and then
Fruit Bat Falls, and I have seen less vehicles in our local woolwrths car
park. It is hoped I can get to see a bit more of the OFF ROAD area's before they all become highways..
AnswerID:
200613
Follow Up By: Austravel - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 10:41
Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 10:41
I agree.
OTL was fine when we did it a few years ago but without a doubt I'm sure it will do the same.
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Follow Up By: Platz - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 10:50
Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 10:50
Hi Blaze,
We got back about 6 weeks ago after 3 months away. Absolutely loved GRR and esp.
Mitchell Falls. Also loved
Wyndham but as far as
Derby goes, spent 1 day there and it was 1 day too long. Apart form the main caravan
park there, I found the people the most unhelpful of any place I visited. The guy at the BP would not even fill my gas bottles becauase he couldn't be bothered when he was the only guy in town with gas due to late deliveries. The bloke at the diesel depot sometimes takes EFTPOS and some days doesn't... I guess it depends on what side of the bed he gets out of. The day I was there he had approx 8 cars lined up and wasn't serving anybody.. people ended up driving off. It is also the only plce I have been where a caravan
park doesn't allow children. Lucky
Derby wasn't my only stop up in that direction as the rest of the trip was everything and more than what we had hoped.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Blaze - Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 11:55
Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 at 11:55
Can't comment on the troubles you had at
Derby with the locals, We new people there so that may have been a benefit and I wasn't actually talking about people in the area's we went, just the look of the place compared to
Broome etc and at least it wasn't over run with tourism. If I had to comment on the human varities that we met all the way from Bungles,
Broome, GRR right through to
Lawn Hill. The worse by far were the tour operators that believe the area is theirs and theirs only, next is the low flying tourists in the Britz Tojo Campers. All people have different likes and dis-likes, my idea is like it used to be in the Simpson, spent 5 days out there about 6 years ago and didn't see another person.
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Reply By: andreab63 - Friday, Oct 27, 2006 at 21:47
Friday, Oct 27, 2006 at 21:47
I lived in
Fitzroy Crossing working at the Hospital 1993, arrived in Oct before the wet, and left as it was ending. Not too good for sight seeing. I saw some of the gorges, windjana,
tunnel creek, ElQuestro, bungles and few other
places. There was no-one around, everybody leaves, all the local ringers head out.
. I did nN.T. heaps of times for work, about 15 years ago when ayers rock road was all dirt and no resort, it was great.
I'm in
Brisbane now., my husbands hasn't seen much of australia and I haven't travelled since
fitzroy crossing, due to the old ball and chain. just jokng of course, in case he reads this. so we were planning a trip in 2008, up across the plenty, alice, maybe stop in on an aboriginal community where I worked.
THEN up Tanami, down through Pilbarra, up the coast, then round the GRR and down the bitumen home through
winton,
longreach. So hearing it's elbow room only out there is a bit of a downer. But if I go expecting the worst, I spose I can only be pleasently suprised. the kids will love it any way.
Hope to hear more details of your trip particularly the Donaghue-Plenty, and see some pics,later on when you get the chance,
thanks andrea
AnswerID:
201340
Reply By: Bilbo - Friday, Oct 27, 2006 at 22:14
Friday, Oct 27, 2006 at 22:14
I retired last year and my wife and I set out on the "Round Australia" thing from
Perth. 3 months later we're in
Karratha and we'd had enough of people, caravan parks, tourist trappers, can't
camp here, can't
camp there, no fires, no dogs, no fishing, no stopping, no this, no that etc.
We went back to prospecting in The Goldfeilds and have never been happier.
Longest I've ever been bush without seeing anyone? 7 weeks! Flamin' fantastic! Peace, solitude and no "NO,,,"
Prospecting? Love it.
Bilbo
AnswerID:
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