DRIVING ACROSS NULLABOR NEED SOME HELP

Submitted: Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 13:47
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Hi all, Im new here Im driving from SA to WA through the centre to Kalgoorlie. Can any one tell me where I can get a bed as I will be in a car not camping.
Is there anyone heading that way in November after the14th or so that I might be able to travel with for my security and sanity.
Im female and never been out of a country town. What should I know about this journey. Hope you can help me. Cheers
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Reply By: Steve63 - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:07

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:07
Interesting. I assume you mean somewhere in SA to Uluru, then down the Great Central road to Laverton to Kalgoorlie? That is a fair way. You need at least two permits that I can think of off the top of my head. On the Great Central Road the only non camping accomodation I can think of is at Warakurna (near Giles weather station) and I would check as it has appeared to be booked out the few times I have been through there. It is possible but they are longish drives and you would want to check you can get from one fuel stop to the next. It would be a bad place to be stuck in November so a bit of planning would not go astray.
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Follow Up By: gap57 - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:12

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:12
Hi leaving from South east SA travelling on the eyre highway then the Great eastern highway to perth. Just wanted to know if theyre any beds along that stretch thanks Steve. I didnt make myself clear
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Reply By: Vivid Adventures - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:12

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:12
It depends on your planned itinerary.

If you're going from Adelaide the sort of interesting options would be:
* Ceduna - Foreshore Hotel is really the only sensible option in my experience.. Wudinna's Gawler Ranges Motel if you don't want to go that far in one day.
* Try to avoid anywhere until you get to Eucla - but book if you're intending on sleeping there
* if you're up to Kalgoorlie on one day - 900ks or so then go direct or if you have to stop then stop at at:
* Norseman - there's a hotel and a motel and a caravan park with units... again booking might be in order.

In my experience the rest of the accommodation options on the Nullarbor are too dingy or too expensive and mostly both.

Now if you really meant "through the Centre" I guess the answer is rather different...
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Follow Up By: gap57 - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:17

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:17
Hi Vivid travelling the eyre highway Ceduna sounds good . Is there anywhere to sleep between there and Noresman, I,l give Kalgoorlie a miss.
Also if anyone is interested in sharing the ride with me let me know thanks
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Follow Up By: Member - Footloose - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:33

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:33
Hiya Gappy. Eucla is a good bed...book ahead. Also Coolgardie has a decent motel and is about a day from Perth if you travel slowly and carefully.
Plenty of traffic on that road, many vans and trucks. Be wary of the wildlife if you travel around dawn and dusk (you already know this). You wouldn't be the only single female on that road but it's just as well to consider personal security in any case...as per usual.
It's a long drive for most of us so take it easy and get there in 1 piece. If you can, stop and take a peek at the attractions along the way.
Have fun and stay safe :))
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Follow Up By: Member - Footloose - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:39

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:39
PS. You have to be careful posting about going through the "centre", as it means a few different things to those of us who travel through Uluru to Perth, or across through to the Canning Stock Route etc.
But the moment you said "car" I figured that you were doing the Eyre Highway, and not the GCR or the Great Desert Highway :)))
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Follow Up By: gap57 - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:40

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:40
Thankyou footy. How many hours would a insane person drive in one day. Would it be hot in November I have that much to do and no time to do it ha ha...
Im a little worried about doing this on my own. What do you do if you breakdown any rescourse available I should know of Cheers
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Follow Up By: gap57 - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:42

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:42
Going through the centre what does it mean !!!!!
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Follow Up By: Member - Footloose - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:55

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:55
Nov can be hot but it will be much hotter in January there. So you should be right, it shouldn't be furnace-like in Nov.
It all depends how fast you drive I guess. I'm a slower driver and I've driven for 8 to 9 hours a day. But it all depends where I'm headed for.
If I were younger I'd drive for longer, but these days I'd rather take it easy and try and enjoy the drive.
Going through the Centre means driving around through the Alice Springs area to the WA coast, centre meaning the (very roughly) centre of Australia.
Fill up at Ceduna and Eucla/ Mundrabilla and again at Norseman. Fuel anywhere else is usually more expensive. If you run into mech trouble then your state motoring organization is a great thing to belong to...get into an extended scheme. Costs more but will pay for itself if you get into strife.
A UHF radio can be handy to chat to the trucks and vans and if you need a hand in an emergency. Some police (SA and WA) use the UHF in their patrol cars.

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Follow Up By: Vivid Adventures - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:05

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:05
Footy's on the mark. Another thing, make sure your vehicle is properly serviced and that your tyres, aircon and cooling system are in good condition.

Nearer to the date you should be able to find a travelling companion or convoy companion of some sort however. Try asking on here a few weeks before.

Cheers
Andrew.
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Reply By: Member - Doug T NT - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:42

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:42
Most of the Roadhouses have overnight accommodation cabins, overnight Vans , Motel rooms etc, November ....very few tourists then so should be no need to book , that's your choice.

.
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Follow Up By: Member - Footloose - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:58

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 14:58
Hi Doug. Yes, that roadhouse accommodation as you know better than I, can vary from comfortable through to somewhere you wouldn't put your dog overnight.
Some are no place for a single female I rekkon.
How's the Creek?
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Follow Up By: Member - Doug T NT - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:06

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:06
Footloose
Roadhouses would be better than for a young Lady than sleeping in the car , but one could in a car bypass all them in a day, and my suggestion would Ceduna, Border Village, Norseman , from there to Perth a piece of P*ss.

The Creek.....Hmmmm bloody cold at night,windy and dusty, gusting to 44Kph SE , pity the poor buggers heading South or East with Caravans..fuel.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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Follow Up By: Member - Footloose - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:33

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:33
Doug, yes you're right. They probably aren't too bad along there...now in the Pilbera, that's another story !
Yep, those van owners can't all be retired millionaires. And if they were when they left home, they sure aren't by the time they get back!
Keep that wind in the Centre, mate, don't want it here.

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Reply By: gap57 - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:01

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:01
Hi Footy thanks for info. Yes Im slow driver, but am just reading about the road trains people say they go very very fast across there. Dont have a uhf, but surely someone would have
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Reply By: Member - Duncs - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:04

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:04
We got a comfy bed and a good feed at Cocklebiddy.

The roadhouses are about 150km apart once you leave Ceduna and as Doug suggests most offer accommodation.

Even an insane person will need a stop overnight between Ceduna and Norseman. Set off from Ceduna early and keep the sun behind you for as long as you can. Once it is in front of you the drive is a lot less comfortable. It could be very hot so be prepared for that, carry plenty of drinking water in the car.

Even though there won't be many tourists there will be plenty of traffic so breakdowns whilst inconvenient are not likely to be life threatening.

Duncs
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Follow Up By: gap57 - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:11

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:11
Thanks dunc, I should be ok, just a luittle anxious about going alone and breakdowns. I will map it out before I go and leave Ceduna very early, nothing worse than driving into the sun. Thanks for reply
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Reply By: Member - Davoe (Yalgoo) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:45

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:45
all theroadhouses along the nullabor have accomadation butiven never usd them except at Norsman which were great cheap rooms. Try and avoid the ones with atached pubs as if you strike them on pension day the comunitys will drive along way for there fix and turn them into zoos
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Follow Up By: gap57 - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:51

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 15:51
Hi Daveo That very useful info as Im female that is good to know. Certainly make you nervous on your own. I might stay at eula then noresman probally be a better choice for me Thanku
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Reply By: TritonChris - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:33

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 20:33
IF you plan on sleeping in your car make sure you have plenty of blankets to keep you warm as i have crossed the Nullarbor and slept in my car and it was very cold i have done the trip a few times and i would say the best was when i went alone hope you have a good trip
AnswerID: 320312

Follow Up By: gap57 - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 10:56

Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 10:56
Hi Triton, I wont be sleeping in car as it will be loaded with my personal things as Ive come from Tassie, but currently In SA. So id have to sleep in my seat and dont sleep well. thanks for email
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Reply By: Tim HJ61 (WA) - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 22:08

Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 22:08
I'd highly recommend the Fraser Range Station as an excellent place to stay for at least one night on your journey.

It is about 90km east of Norseman, or about half way between Balladonia and Norseman.

The owners are running a sheep station but have rebuilt some of the old accommodation quarters and it is a nice place, only a km or so off the road. by far the nicest accommodation across the nullabor.

http://www.fraserrangestation.com.au/

I've stayed there once, been there a couple of times. I drove from Eucla to Fraser Range in a day as a sole driver with two kids in my Landcruiser travelling at 100km/hr in July, short days.

Enjoy your adventure.

Tim
AnswerID: 320343

Follow Up By: gap57 - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 10:59

Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 10:59
Hi Tim thanks for that. I would only go around 100km so I wont be in a hurry . Thinking about 700 km a day at this time is that a lot on that road.thanku
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Follow Up By: Member - Madfisher - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 22:48

Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 22:48
700ks a day should be fine, if you are use to driving 900ks should be possible.
I note you are from Tassie, down their it takes all day to do a few hundred ks because of the windey roads, so you will cover a lot more ks out their.
Goodluck Pete
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Reply By: cityslicker - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 09:47

Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 09:47
Every town/roadhouse will have simple rooms with your own bathroom and mini fridge, tea coffee and tv. I've never bothered booking ahead and just pull up when I'm ready to stop. The cost is generally around $100 per night which I don't mind for a good sleep, coffee and shower. As others have said they are nothing flash but I don't sleep well in a car.

I reckon if you broke down the longest you'd wait for the next car/truck would be 10 minutes so I wouldn't worry about uhf if you're staying on the bitumen.

There are plenty of things to see along the way if you are in no rush.
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