Uluru Kalgoorlie Road/ Central Highway

Submitted: Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:01
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We have a light offroad Camper Trailer are we likely to experience any difficulties travelling this route over the Winter months?
We have a 4 x 4 Pajero vehicle although it does not have high clearance
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Reply By: Member - Alan H (QLD) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:03

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:03
No problems at all. The road is getting better each year.
Watch the weather and fuel range.

Alan
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Follow Up By: Member - John H (SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:52

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:52
Thanks for your info Alan H. We had a caravan like yours but now as we are older thought we would try a more basic back to earth style of camping
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Reply By: Member - Warren R- Karratha - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:28

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:28
We came across in August, it's a great road. Bad weather aside, you will have no probs. Lots of holdens, falcons and semi trailers going to and fro between the communities.
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Follow Up By: Member - John H (SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:57

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:57
Thanks for your comments.It is interesting to see you have a similar setup to our son and his wife.They have a Heaslip slide on, on a NissanNavar King Cab vehicle.
Do you have any comments re Opel fuel as we have a petrol powered vehicle
Safe Journeys
John
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Follow Up By: Stu & "Bob" - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 20:27

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 20:27
We were at Yulara last winter when a current model Falcon arrived from Leonora via the Central Road. He had to refuel with Opal fuel at one of the communities (not sure which one), and arrived at Yulara with an emission fault on his vehicle.

I have heard (unconfirmed-perhaps someone can enlighten me) that Opal fuel is detrimental to catalytic converters.


HTH
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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:29

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 15:29
Hi John

Like Alan has said, the road is a great drive and you should have no problems and we have driven it a good number of times. You will find the worst section just inside of the WA Border. Make sure that you keep your tyre pressures down and some cardboard on your back window to stop a rogue stone from breaking it.

There are many great places to see along the way, including the Giles Weather Station, Tjukayirla Art Caves, Empress Springs (60km north up the David Carnegie Road and the best dirt road that you will drive on)

Best and safest places to stay along the way are Warakurna Roadhouse, and Tjukayirla Roadhouse. Make sure that you collect your firewood along the way, as there are no supplies at these roadhouses. You will have no problems collecting wood, as there is always lots along the way. You can apply for your permits online and will have no problems at all. You will need 2 permits, one for the NT side and one for the WA side.


Have a Great Trip.


Cheers

Stephen

Stephen
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Follow Up By: Member - John H (SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 16:11

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 16:11
Hello neighbour we are down in the Valley,Thanks a million for your informative comments I have filed it away for when we take off.
As I have asked previouslydo you have any comment on Opel fuel,yes we have petrol powered vehicle and I believe you can only get opel fuel at Warakurna Roadhouse.
Thanks for your info once again John
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 16:58

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 16:58
Hi John
You can get fuel right along the Great Central, so you will have no problems at all. You can Opal fuel at:

Docker River
Warakurna
Warburton
Tjukayirla
Cosmo Newberry

Most people judge there fuel requirements, as you can get normal ULP at Laverton.

Cheers

Stephen
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Follow Up By: Rip64 - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 17:26

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 17:26
Hi Stephen, what did you mean best and safest, which part do you consider un-safe ?
Thanks
Brian
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Follow Up By: Rip64 - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 17:27

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 17:27
Hi Stephen, what did you mean best and safest, which place do you consider un-safe ?
Thanks
Brian
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 18:14

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 18:14
Hi Brian

I mean best and safest in the terms of your vehicle and its contents will be the same as you left them the night before next morning, while the same can not be said for Warburton. Having said that you could have not problems at all, but that would be a long chance and a chance that I would not want to find out about again. I could tell you many stories about Warburton, but I do not have the time to complete such a task.

When you see the place and the very high security fence at Warburton, complete with rows of barb wire, it is there for a reason and not the good looks...LOL

Cheers

Stephen
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Follow Up By: Rip64 - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 18:55

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 18:55
Thanks Stephen, reckon I know what you mean, have not been through Warburton yet.
Brian
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Follow Up By: Member - John H (SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 19:47

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 19:47
Thanks Stephen,
I thought that opel fuel was only available at Warakurna and Warburton.
Keep up the good work
John
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Follow Up By: Old Dave - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 21:38

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 21:38
We stayed at Warburton and although there was a fence around the caravan park and security gates we did not have any problems during the night. We went into the service station shop and met some very polite locals from the community and one very polite young boy who held the door open for us to enter before himself.
Must admit we felt safer stopping at Warburton than stopping for fuel at Docker River community.
Dave
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 22:00

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 22:00
Hi Dave

Good to hear that you did not have any problems at Warburton, you must have been lucky. As for fuel at Docker River, we never get fuel there, as it is less 340 kilometres from Yulara to Warakurna.

The good thing about Warakurna, the community is some distance from the Roadhouse and the manager there keeps a very close eye on things. He told us that there were only about 6 petrol sniffer at the Warakurna Community, compared to lots at Warburton and that makes a very big difference to petty type crimes.

Cheers

Stephen
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Follow Up By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 23:51

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 23:51
Hi John, a couple of years ago we had an unplanned stay at Warburton behind the barbed wire fence that Stephen spoke about. We didn't have any problems at all. We had an offer from an Elder earlier in the day to stay at a special camp spot on the way to Warburton after we had been held up all day at a fatal accident with two injured, one seriously, so wanted to at least get to Warburton, our planned stop was Warakurna.

Cheers

Deanna


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Reply By: Motherhen - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 17:39

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 17:39
Hi John

While the road does not normally require engaging four wheel drive or high clearance, it will have sections of corrugations. So long as your trailer can stand up to long runs of corrugations you should have no problems.

Motherhen
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Follow Up By: Member - John H (SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 19:54

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 19:54
Thanks very much Motherhen, I will certainly take that information on board.We have done the Oodnadatta and Birdsville track and also the Dalhousie Springs trip with our Camper trailer and it stood up very well to those conditions.
Thanks once again
John
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 21:38

Monday, Jan 03, 2011 at 21:38
John
If it stood up to the corrugations going into Dalhousie, then it will be a walk in the park on the Great Central. I reckon that the corrugations going into Dalhousie are worse than the Anne Beadell.


Cheers

Stephen
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Reply By: D200Dug- Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 15:28

Tuesday, Jan 04, 2011 at 15:28
we did the road in 2001 in a 4x2 hilux ute

We thought we were adventurous untill we met a heap of Citroen 2CVs coming the other way :-)

It is a great trip

Take it slow and stop often to enjoy the scenery
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