Savannah Way

Do you mean going via the Gibb River Road? Haven'
t done it all but I wouldn't take our caravan - we had a camper trailer which was pretty tough when we did part of it and it was ok - you have the option of travelling on the tar - and doing trips off - say to Windjana Gorge - Tunnell Creek etc - and leaving your vans etc at caravan parks on the way - know a lot of people who have done that - but I am sure if you go into "treks" on this site, there will be articles to look at and they should give you some good info -
happy travelin"
jules

Thanks Jules - Looking at Savannah Way website - it looks like black top Cns - Normanton and then dirt through to Mataranka (via Hells Gate, Doomagee etc) From Mataranka - it looks like bitumen all the way. Doesn't sound good to be towing on the dirt. I will check out the site as suggested.
Many thanks .. Frank

Went from Cape Crawford to Roper Bar and Mataranka in 08 with a Phoenix tandem axle, despite being advised at CC not to attempt it. Squillions of corrugations but managed it unscathed other than a bit of a mess in some cupboards. Saw a Bushtracker with suspension damage, another Phoenix with its fridge door fallen off (messy, but easily fixed) and an older van with plumbing that had fallen apart, saturating all the van contents (forgot to switch the pumps off).
It's a worthwhile trip, but just drive to the conditions, drop your tyre pressures and be prepared to cope with any breakages.

Michael

Hi Smokee,
We returned from driving Roper Bar to Karumba last week in a 4wd camper. We stayed at Butterfly Springs, Cape Crawford, Borroloola, Kingfisher Camp, Adels Grove, Burketown and Karumba. Where there was dirt road, we did not see many conventional caravans. There were a few off road caravans but most people had off road trailers. The road was not too bad, few water crossings and one tricky one between Kingfisher Camp and Adels Grove, but we had been warned. However, in May the river crossings and many of the ones that we encountered that were dry, would have much more water. We were told that they had had a lot of rain at Easter (April) and had been cut off in places for days. There were some parts where the dry muddy ruts would have been difficult if the ground had been wetter. At Adels Grove we came across a couple who had left their 24foot van at Burke and Wills RH and driven in to Adels and were staying in the accom there. We had a lot of trouble getting information before we went. Even the Visitor Info centre in Katherine didn't know where Butterfly Springs was, and it is in the National Park! Where there is bitumen, there are a lot of people - Cape Crawford, Karumba. You needed to book ahead to get a site in Karumba caravan parks - they were like "Pitt Street". Don't buy diesel at Cape Crawford - $2.30 litre! or at the first of the 2 petrol stations coming into Borroloola - $1.79 v/s $1.55. We were told not to stay at Borroloola, but rather to go out to one of the fishing camps. We decided to give it a go and found it fine at the caravan park. Walked to the pub for barra and chips - it is only open 6-8pm. It is a dry town and we felt it was much better than Katherine. Only problem was we thought the supermarket may have had more things, but maybe we were there close to when next stock up was. If you get to Cape Crawford and the Heartbreak Hotel - caravan park fine to stay at, then it is worth going approx 50 kms towards Burketown and visiting the Caranbrini National Park - similar to the Southern Lost City but on a smaller scale and you will likely have it to yourself.
Hope this is of help.
Regards,
Paul

Paul F1 -
Many,many thanks for the info. Greatly appreciated and will certainly come in handy. Obviously, general census is to remain on the black top and drive into the scenic areas.
Many thanks once again. . . . . Frank