Road Trip
Submitted: Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 14:10
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Member - LYNETTE B (NSW)
Hi, just very new to this site however have been caravanning for some years staying in caravan parks. My family and I are thinking of heading off on a 4 week trip. We live in Wagga Wagga and wanted to cover
Alice Springs and then across to
Longreach and from there over to the East Coast and follow it all the way down to
Sydney and then across to
home again (or the other way around). My questions are:-
1. Is 4 weeks enough time (we have two children 9 & 8)
2. Is it best to go clockwise or anti-clockwise (we are hoping to leave in July)
3. We don't have an Off-road van but have one with slightly higher clearance. Is this going to be ok (we are towing with a Toyota Hilux)
I would appreciate any input and look forward to your comments. I am very excited about our first big trip but don't want to go into it totally blind.
Cheers
Lyn
Reply By: Notso - Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 14:28
Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 14:28
It's a long trip.
There are those among us who say Anti Clockwise is best, but personal preference is the way to go.
Bitumen roads all the way, unless you choose to go off road. Then again a mate followed me up the
Oodnadatta track in a highway van, no problems except his
water tank bracket broke, good thing I was behind him for the first time and saw it drop.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Notso - Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 14:33
Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 14:33
I make the total distance around 6000 kilometres, that's an average of over 200ks per day.
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Reply By: DIO - Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 14:49
Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 14:49
Hi, Wagga to
Longreach via
Alice Springs, then
Rockhampton and down the east cost
home again is about 6,500 km without any side trips. If you just want to drive directly and not see any attractions at say 600 km per day (reasonable with younger children) then it would take about 11 days. That leaves you 17 days for 'whatever'.
Perhaps overnight at
Mildura 1 day travel & 1night no sightseeing,
Pt
Augusta 1 day travel & 1 night no sightseeing,
Marla 1 day travel & 1 night no sightseeing,
Alice Springs 1 day travel & 5 - 7 day sightseeing & resting,
Longreach at least 2 days travel and 1 night no sightseeing,
Rockhampton 1 day travelling and 1 nightno sightseeing,
Sydney 2 days travelling and 1 night no sightseeing,
Wagga Wagga 1 day travelling no sightseeing.
All of the days listed 'no sight seeing' are for you to decide on what you do. However say you decide on 1 day
Mildura, 1 day Pt
Augusta, 7 days Alice, 1 day
Longreach, 1 day
Rockhampton, 1 day
Gold Coast, 1 day
Sydney that amounts to 13 days plus at least 11 days travelling totals 24 days and you only have 28. Very ambitious and unless you or your partner really like long distance driving you will proabably be looking forward to getting back
home for a rest.
Good luck woith whatever you decide.
Have a look at this travel planner, it might help you to do some planning
LINK to suit your particular requirements.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Notso - Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 15:04
Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 15:04
Even 600ks is a lot of driving with a van and two kids. I try to keep my daily drives to around 300 to 350, though I must admit the old
grey horse he ain't what he used to be???
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Follow Up By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 19:04
Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 19:04
I agree Notso, 300ks a day is plenty when you are touring, we make a practice of pulling over to stretch the legs every hour, or sooner if you want to stop and look at something, we can do more ks if we want to but why make it a torture
test, I like to walk around the van to make sure every thing is still where it should be, especially on rough roads ect.
FollowupID:
671587
Reply By: Richard W (NSW) - Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 18:43
Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 18:43
Lyn,
The
Bourke Outback Trek covers these distances in 2 weeks each year with up to 80 vehicles, many towing different types of campers and vans, most with at least semi off road
suspension. Some of the dirt roads can get corrugated and can be tough on
suspension. On these trips there is no time to stop and smell the daisy's however 4 weeks should be fine but you won't have much time to stop for any period. I'd do it clockwise to avoid the holiday traffic on the east coast although in winter it shouldn't be too bad.
My Blog 'Back to the Outback' may give you some insite to travelling some of these roads.
Have fun.
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