Corner Country & Northern Flinders - Traveling Times

Submitted: Sunday, Feb 05, 2012 at 22:01

ThreadID: 91687 Views:2897 Replies:7 FollowUps:3

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Noel W (Qld)

Hi All

I recently used "Google Directions" to have an indication of travel time between the following locations (approximate results shown):

Hungerford (Qld) to Tibooburra (NSW) - 7 hours 30 mins

Tibooburra to Cameron Corner - 4 hours

Cameron Corner to Arkaroola Village (SA) - 17 hours

Arkaroola Village to Coober Pedy - 13 hours 30 mins

Can anyone confirm any of the sections of road and times taken to travel from personal experiences?

Thanks in advance for comments.

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Reply By: Mick O - Sunday, Feb 05, 2012 at 22:10

Sunday, Feb 05, 2012 at 22:10

G'day Noel. I've never used that aspect of the Google program and must give it a crack. I'm wondering what they are basing their travel time assumptions on. On those sort of roads I simply look at the actual distance and divide it by 70 or 80 (and maybe a fraction less if towing). Then add at least an hour in every 5 hours of travel for stops etc. Naturally that's allowing for a road in reasonable condition and unaffected by weather. Bitumen based distances I work on a division factor of 80-90 (that usually caters for stops) and all the rest, generally a lot less dependent upon current conditions usually revealed by EO members who have recently travelled that way.

Cheers Mick

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trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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AnswerID: 477050

Follow Up By: Noel W (Qld) - Sunday, Feb 05, 2012 at 22:13

Sunday, Feb 05, 2012 at 22:13

G'day Mick

Thanks for the quick response. Good to hear of other ways of doing the calculations.

Cheers - Noel

FollowupID: 752217

Reply By: mikehzz - Sunday, Feb 05, 2012 at 22:20

Sunday, Feb 05, 2012 at 22:20

Cameron Corner to Arkaroola looks very "conservative". It's a bit over 400kms and 17 hours seems extreme considering the Strzelecki Track is a gravel super highway :-) Maybe if the weather is bad? I reckon 7-8 hours wouldn't be rushing. Cheers.

AnswerID: 477053

Reply By: Member - Bucky - Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 05:24

Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 05:24

Noel
Bloody hell mate
Approximate times yes...... real approximate !

Tibooburra to Cameron Corner, 4 hrs
No way .... in dry 2 hrs, in wet 2 1/2-3hrs

Hungerford to Tibooburra Just 4 hrs
Travelling speed 80 km/hr, less when necessary

The others I cannot say
Cheers
Bucky

AnswerID: 477069

Reply By: vk1dx - Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 15:30

Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 15:30

Noel

Google maps may be fine for the biutmen etc but for the outback it is next to useless. The 4 hours was a round about way via QLD and the Noccundra Road.

Check out the screen dump from the Hema - Great Deserts - South East Map. Go to Camerons via the Sturt NP and its about 2 hours.

Phil

AnswerID: 477127

Reply By: Noel W (Qld) - Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 16:45

Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 16:45

Thanks guys.

You have confirmed my suspicions.

It appears that most major roads in question could be traveled at 70-80+kph under normal circumstances. The detour off the Strzlecki Track into Gammon Ranges might be a little slower going.

Additional responses appreciated.

Even with 6 weeks to travel, planning is of the essence.

Cheers - Noel

AnswerID: 477128

Follow Up By: Member - John and Val - Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 19:04

Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 19:04

Hi Noel,

Have to admit that it took us 2 sleeps to get from Cameron Corner to Arkaroola going down the Strzelecki Track, turning off near Mt Hopeless to go down the eastern side of the Gammon Ranges then up to Arkaroola. That track is OK but a bit slow in places. However we do stop a lot to take photos and explore side tracks. There is some great scenery around the Gammon Ranges and going up to Arkaroola.

The Strz itself is like a highway with bitumen stretches here and there.

Cheers,

Val.

J and V
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Follow Up By: On Patrol & TONI - Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 19:21

Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 19:21

Noel

"Even with 6 weeks to travel, planning is of the essence".

I well understand your reasoning to plan, however you understand that outback travel is ever dependent on conditions & weather, meaning that best laid plans can be totally altered by a flooded creek that takes days, weeks & in the case of Coopers Creek even months to drop to the point of safe travel.

Road damage following such floods can drastically change driving times also.

Therefore your plans MAY be totally upset. With the La Nina effect we have seen for the last three years, this scenario could easily happen again this year, in fact it is happening right now out west Queensland with St George 13.5 under water & the Bollon river draining out west. The Barcoo is draining Longreach & Charleville floods into the Cooper basin.

This post is intended to give you fuel for thought. I like to have plan A to G giving me options when these scenario's occur.
Enjoy, Colin.

FollowupID: 752311

Reply By: Member - Duncs - Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 19:37

Monday, Feb 06, 2012 at 19:37

Noel,

As others have said travel times in that part of the world can vary wildly, affected by a number of factors, not least of which is the weather.

Hungerford to Tib could be about right depending on which way you go. I have travelled from Wanaaring to Tib in about 2 hours and on another trip it took me over 6.

Tib to Cameron Corner I would allow 2 hours driving time.

The travel times you quote for the trips involving Arkaroola are the ones that really surprise me. I would suggest you get a very good, large scale map of the area and look at it carefully. More than one option exists for both of those trips. I am guessing but I don't think I would be following Google for either trip.

Generally I look at the various trip planners and divide the time by two to get an idea of the real trip time.

Duncs

AnswerID: 477140

Reply By: Sigmund - Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 12:25

Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 at 12:25

Have a look at the Treks posted on this site. Lots of useful info.

Eg.Strez Tk link, Innamincka to Arkaroola, about 7 hours at 63 kmh, all other things equal.

I've found Google maps unreliable too often even down to wrong distances on established bitumen roads.

That said, this site estimates CC to Ark at 17 hours too. Go to Places, search for your place, Open place, then select Directions, From Here. But that's an estimate whereas Treks are GPS records.

AnswerID: 477181