The best Ausie bite Pitstop

Submitted: Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 15:56
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Hi all, I have bought a fairly detailed laminated map of OZ and was blown away at the distances between towns ,I live in Penrith Western SYD and intend to head straight towards Port Augusta and then across the Nullarbor to get to Esperance,I know I will have to stop at least once and I don't intend to drive unsafe distances and if there is any good sights to be seen on the way I will pull in with van and kids and check it out as I am hoping to do a lap around the block over about 9 months and will kick myself if I had the chance to see something but drove straight past but having said that I don't want to stop in any unsavoury places as well if you all now what I mean so some feedback would be great.

regards John.
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Reply By: Member - Richard H (NSW) - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:17

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:17
Check out the Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo if you are going that way. You will need a full day.

There are a couple of decent caravan parks in Dubbo.

Also there is Broken Hill. It's worth a look, and it's a days drive from Dubbo, though I would suggest you stop at Silverton, 25 km off the highway. There is a good caravan park there with all of the facilities and great for kids.

You can get to Port Augutta easily from here in one day.

Dick
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Follow Up By: Member - Richard H (NSW) - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:33

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:33
Smee again,

It will take you about 4 days to get from Port Augusta to Esperance.

There's not that much to see on the way other than the sea near the SA/WA Border, a whale watching place near Nullarbor Roadhouse. Don't get me wrong though, it's a trip well worth doing, if a bit boring at times.

I suggest you invest in a publication called Camps Australia Wide. You should be able to get it at any reputable book store in Penrith Plaza. It has all of the rest areas listed, plus other information. It sells for about $40.

Be prepared to pay a lot for fuel, we always fill up at Port Augusta, there are Woolies & Coles fuel outlets there, and fuel up at Ceduna, where there ain't. If you are driving into the wind you will use up a fair bit more fuel, so be mindful of the fact that it is some distance between servo's.

The only place I reckon you need to concern yourself about is Wilcannia & Yalata. Advice is not to camp near there, give yourself at least 20 km distance.Ceduna & Thevenard is worth seeing, as is Smokey Bay.

Don't forget, travelling into S.A. you can't have fruit, & tomatoes are classed as fruit, and at times they take some veggies. W.A. is deadly, and at Border Village will check your rig thoroughly for fruit, last visit they took honey off us too.

What we do is cut the fruit up and place it in a Tupperware container, similarly tomatoes. It is then classed as processed food & not susceptible to seizure. This was on the advice of a bloke working the fruit fly block at Oodlawirra on the Barrier Highway near Peterborough.
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Follow Up By: Johnny boy - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:45

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:45
Hi Richard, yes I think that would be a good Idea but Dubbo is something we can do with family and friends when we get back I don't want to do anything on the east coast from Mackay to Port Augusta because we know that it wll all be doable once our older son starts high school in extended school holidays and I feel that I would prefer to start our adventure from P/A its just the bite that I will be taking on first and I don't know anyone that has done that trip so I'm curios.

Cheers John.
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Follow Up By: Member - William H (WA) - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:50

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:50
John also at the border into WA, they will take the "FRUIT" boxes of you, if you have any stuff stored in them, that's if you have any with you.......Have a safe trip.

Cheers for now...William H...Bunbury...WA.
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Reply By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:26

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:26
John,

Is that one stop between Penrith and Port Augusta or between Penrith and Esperance?

One is rather over ambitious, the other is impossible!

Don't forget there are other things than fish equipped with scales!

Geoff

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Follow Up By: Johnny boy - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 17:41

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 17:41
Hi Geoff, I was thinking only one stop between Penrith and P/A but I'm not going to be unsafe about it so if I need two so be it and from P/A to Esperance well that is what I need to know and I will consider any advice given....OH and what's this about Scales you kinda lost me there mate LOL!

Regards John.
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Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 20:53

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 20:53
Hi John,

I was a little worried about your post as it could have read one step between Penrith and Port a Gutter or one stop between Penrith and Esperance!

Great to hear you are planning plenty of stops, you and your family will have a much more enjoyable trip that way!

The scales, Iwas having a bad joke about fish and maps both having scales. Something a lot of people forget!

Geoff

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Reply By: Member - William H (WA) - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:43

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 16:43
John....how big is your van, and what are you pulling it with,
You will have a good trip over to Esperance, take your time, and have a good look at everything as you go along, this ExplorOz site, has a wealth of information on here, have a good read of it, i lived in Campbelltown years ago, and left their in 69,havent been back and never will go back, once i got to WA, that was it, and im still here enjoying it. Also take some Jerry cans of fuel with you, you will need them.

Cheers for now...William H...Bunbury...WA.
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Follow Up By: Johnny boy - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 19:08

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 19:08
Hi William, I have a 14 windsor rapid and Im pulling it with a T/D landcruiser I can carry a jerry can on the rear swingout but I spoke to one guy who drove a tarago van accross so I thought HMMM, Thanks for your reply Im already learning lots.

Regards John.
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Reply By: Roughasguts - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 22:40

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 22:40
Pt Augusta to Ceduna is around a 5-6 hour trip and really boring nothing to see along the way just the setting sun in your eyes as you head West. Mind you there is Kimba the town ship said to be mid way across Australia.

Anyway if time permits head down from Pt Augusta, to Pt Lincoln that would be my pick of the towns on the Eyre peninsula and the coastal drive is much better than cutting across the top as the coastal towns are all worth a look and some nice places to stay.

From Ceduna there is Pt Sinclair and Cactus beach just out from Penong there worth a look if only to drive along the pink salt lakes.

Then theres Fowlers bay also worth a look.
AnswerID: 357154

Reply By: humie - Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 23:42

Monday, Mar 30, 2009 at 23:42
Hey John,
We just left Esperance heading for wave rock at Hyden then back down to the coast.Having just travelled the Nullarbor in an 80 series petrol with a 17 foot off road van i suggest you wait in Ceduna for a tail wind. lol. We had a tail wind all the way across and it sure did save on fuel. Worst price $1.70 per litre but no problem getting it long before we needed it. There are lots of places to fill up and quite a few places to see. Cactus beach,point fitzgerald,the old telegraph station ruins near Eucla and balladonia roadhouse and museum - its free too. If you can take a trip to Coober Pedy and see the mines and underground houses, my kids loved it. Whichever way you go take your time and be safe, you'll have a ball. We are !

Happy Trails,
Humie and family
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Reply By: Member -Signman - Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 at 08:54

Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 at 08:54
Hi John
Also from Penrith.
I'm allowing 3 days to Woomera (just N of Port Augusta).
Home-Lake Cargellico- Broken Hill then thru P/A to Woomera...

AnswerID: 357202

Follow Up By: Member -Signman - Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 at 08:56

Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 at 08:56
And that's not pulling a van...and I try to avoid staying at Port Augusta if I don't have to...

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Follow Up By: Johnny boy - Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 at 09:53

Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 at 09:53
Hi signman,why do you avoid P/A ?

Regards John.
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Reply By: Member - Duncs - Wednesday, Apr 01, 2009 at 13:53

Wednesday, Apr 01, 2009 at 13:53
Johnny boy,

If you think about your trip you can make good distance without being silly.

If you drive about 2 hours then have a half hour stop you can go about 800km in a day without too much drama.

PA is only about 4hrs30min west of Broken Hill. On a big trip I always plan to do about 3 days and then stop for a couple of nights somewhere, it's nice to have a day off, especially if you have kids with you. The CV park in Cobar is not bad and there are a couple of places you can overnight between there and Broken Hill. If you can make Broken Hill in the day that could be good but it is a big day. Still if you can do that you can get from Broken Hill to Ceduna in a day too, again a big day and I would not do them as consecutive days on the road. Have a couple of nights in Ceduna, look at the beach and relax before taking on the run to Esperance, I did not find it boring but if you are tired the drive will be harder.

Get away from Ceduna early and keep the sun behind you for as long as possible, it just makes the drive easier.Penong, about 90km west of Ceduna is not a bad fuel stop and makes a good place for breakfast after the early start out of Ceduna.

Fruit and veg are a real problem as others have said. There is a fruit bin 10km east of Broken Hill it is patrolled and those who fail to comply get fined. Then when you leave Broken Hill there is an inspection station at Oodla Wirra, just before the Peterborough turn and as others have said the inspection station at the WA border lets nothing through.

I like your thinking on how to do this trip. The stuff close to Sydney can be covered on shorter outings. Just remember, you will never see it all. Enjoy what you can see and don't agonise over the stuff you miss.

Duncs

AnswerID: 357426

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