Travel advice, Winton to Alice via Tobemorey.

Greg

Winton to Boulia is bitumen. Boulia to Tobermorey to Alice is good gravel road when it has been graded.

Did the run from Tobermory to Boulia in August 07 and could sit on 100kmh with trailer in tow.

Most of these outback roads vary though. If there has been a bit of trucking over a period of time then bulldust patches and corrugations may be prevalent. If it rains you will slip and slide.

Just take it easy and drive to conditions and take in the vastness of the outback.

Cheers

Done it quite a few times. In the dry it's just another long bush track. It has a reputation for eating tyres, so lower them according to what you're carrying, you know the drill. It has rocky sections but not much bulldust. Tobermary station is now closed to travellers, so the next place where you can get fuel AFAIK is Jervois where you can also camp (but don't expect too much in the shop). Stop in at Jemfields, its a pleasant spot to spend a night, before arriving in Alice the next morning.
The 80 series will do it effortlessly as long as it doesn't rain. Try and stay out of that area if it does.
Keep a camera handy for eagles, dingos and suchlike. Also keep a wary eye out for tracks, and kamakazee 4wds travelling at speed, you'll probably meet them on the roadside later.
Get pleanty of sleep before you embark at Boulia..I can recommend the motel there. And fill both tanks at the roadhouse, it's a long way to the next one.
If you take it easy you'll enjoy the drive.

Mid Dec 2007, we traveled from Alice to Boulia along the Plenty and Donohue Hwy. Almost 700kms of dirt. It was hot, over 40C during most of the daylight hours. The Plenty has had a lot of road work done to it and was a good run. The Donohue hwy section was also quite good and not as rough as I was expecting from what I’ve read or had been told.

We towed a Jayco Outback Dove camper behind a 2003 Prado TD. The trip from Gemtree to Boulia took us 10 hours. We had intended to camp just past Tobermorey but the rain clouds were brewing around Queensland and we didn’t want to get caught with rising water before we got through to Winton.

You can get fuel at Jervois but Tobermorey stopped selling fuel on 30 Nov 2007. We used about 95 litres of diesel between Jervois and Boulia and only spotted four other 4wd’s between Gemtree and Jervois and one between Jervois and Boulia.

If you think your 8o series could do the Oodnadatta track then it should be fine for the Boulia to Alice run. Just carry a few more spares and supplies for the trip.

Cheers Anthony

Greg,

Did it in July 07 and there were some good and some rough sections but the graders were working on it so it seems from the other posts they have done a good job and the road is currently in pretty good nic. Hope it's like this when I do it again this July.