Semi Lap for 2011
Submitted: Monday, Feb 01, 2010 at 22:29
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Kanga1
Hi all,, we are kicking around a trip for next year and are wondering if we have set aside enough time to get through it without missing out on too much. Basically we are looking for opinions from folk who have travelled these parts and time/days it took you to do. Here goes.
Leaving
Perth mid to late March next year for
Laverton, Anne Beadell Hwy to
Coober Pedy, from there to
Oodnadatta and a West-East crossing of the
Simpson desert to
Birdsville, next bit will be up to
the tip of
Cape York (probably via Dig tree and some Dinosaur fossils) , possibly the
Savannah way into the Territory, ( we want to see
Mataranka,
Kakadu,
Litchfield NP,
Darwin). Next down to Keep River NP to
Halls Creek finally heading home on the CSR back to
Perth.
2
well prepared vehicles at this stage each towing an off road Camper trailer, and we are thinking 10 to 12 weeks for the drive and sightseeing.
Looking forward to replies from people who have travelled these areas. Cheers. Kanga1
Reply By: Motherhen - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 00:01
Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 00:01
Not quite the same route Kanga, but probably roughly the same distance: Last year we were away five months, travelling by ourselves. From SW of WA to
Pilbara,
Gary Junction Route to
Alice Springs, north including
Mataranka (
Bitter Springs),
Kakadu, Ltichfield and
Darwin. Then east to Qld via the Tablelands and Barkly highways instead of the
Savannah Way,
Lawn Hill, Mt Isa, and as it was getting too hot we turned south instead of north and the Cape, through fossil country. Fairly straight south including
Carnarvon Gorge and Mt Moffat section, to
Granite country; Girraween and in NSW
Bald Rock and adjacent parks. Spent a few day visiting near Cessnock, then west and some of Wollemi NP, south west through NSW,
Parkes, West Wyalong,
Hay,
Mildura, Mungo NP,
Wentworth then into SA. Travelled quite quickly through SA and home on the familiar Nullarbor route. Our favoured short cut
Norseman Lake King road was closed, so went via
Hyden. Almost three weeks could be considered 'down time' - waiting for parts on two occasions.
Motherhen
AnswerID:
402190
Follow Up By: Kanga1 - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 00:45
Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 00:45
Cheers MH, unfortunately our travelling companions are still working and need to book leave for the trip, so we will have to be on a schedule to make it possible. Sounds like you had a pretty good trip yourselves, I assume the parts were for the Effie not the Bushtrakker, ba humbug, lol. See you down the track. Kanga1
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 00:52
Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 00:52
Hi Kanga
I am still a great believer in spending more time in a place and travelling less distance. I do think your plan is a bit ambitious; it is a long way to travel and not to spend the time seeing each place thoroughly when you get there.
Murphy says - Spring hanger bolts can break on both!
Cheers
Mh
FollowupID:
671649
Follow Up By: CJ - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 18:43
Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 18:43
MH,
Horses for courses, I am with Kanga - definiately doable and able to see more country
I do believe in smelling the roses, but I too want to do one lap sometime
Ahhh dreaming
CJ
FollowupID:
671793
Reply By: Michael A (VIC) - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 08:22
Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 08:22
lets see....
in 3wk legs
-
Perth to
Birdsville
-
Birdsville up to
Karumba via Cape
-
Karumba to
Halls Creek
-
Halls Creek -
Perth
definitely doable, plenty of driving but awesome country !!!!!
Enjoy.
Michael A
AnswerID:
402211
Follow Up By: Kanga1 - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 10:29
Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 10:29
Cheers Michael, we like to be on an open time slot for this, but, unless our friends retire from work, this isn't to be. Anyhow, thanks for for your input. Kanga1
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - John and Val - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 12:00
Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 12:00
Kanga,
It might be doable but will it really be enjoyable? Suggest you need to keep plans very flexible to allow for Murphy who seems to lurk in many of the
places you propose to visit. Its not just vehicle mishaps, but weather and road conditions and your own state of mind that could require a change of plan.
Also agree with the comments about staying longer in one place rather than always pushing on - that can become a real drag on a lengthy trip.
Cheers,
Val
| J and V
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Follow Up By: Kanga1 - Wednesday, Feb 03, 2010 at 16:20
Wednesday, Feb 03, 2010 at 16:20
Thanks for the reply J & V, if we were able, it would be a "we get home when we get home" trip, but our travelling companions have to get leave from work, so we will have to do what we can in the time we have. Still have a big question mark over the CSR that early in the season, anyhow we'll see how we go. Cheers, Kanga1.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - Scrubby (VIC) - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 21:07
Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 21:07
G`day Kanga1,
My wife and I did our first big trip together last winter towing an offroad c`van with our 60 series L`cruiser.
We started from
Bendigo Vic. via
Mildura,
Burra, Flinders Rangers, Lake Eyre,
Coober Pedy, Ripoff Rock, Kings Canyon,
Alice Springs,
Katherine, Kakadont,
Darwin,
Litchfield NP,
Roper Bar, Nathan River Road,
Borroloola, Hells
Gate (
Savannah Way),
Normanton ,
Karumba,
Cooktown,
Cairns, East coast Qld south to Gympie,
St George, Dubbo, HOME.
17,012 klm`s in 20 weeks @ $735.00 / wk
Your plans look to be a far greater distance than what we did and you are allowing about half the time.
May I suggest that you calculate the road distance and get some idea of the Kilometres you will need to average each day. You will have to be a younger and fitter person than me as I found I needed the occasional rest day.
Any way just do it and if you find you are running out of time you can always skip some parts and do them another time..
Enjoy it that is the main thing.
cheers
Scrubby
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Kanga1 - Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 22:48
Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010 at 22:48
Hi Scrubby, I haven't totalled up the Kms yet as the Queensland section from
Birdsville to
the tip and over to the NT we haven't finalised yet, I do have a worry that the CSR may be impassable around mid May ish, we will have to see what the weather does next year, cheers, Kanga1
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