We purchased a new jayco conquest /fiat ducato RV ( diesel) recently and took it on a trial trip north. Have done this trip before many times, it can be done as a straight non stop in about 14hrs, or in 2 days with overnight at
Carnarvon, or longer. We took 3 days each way to allow for easier drive and to avoid dawn-dusk driving ( roos and cattle)
Details: Dep
Perth late in the day (0945 hrs..... ) weds 14/12/12 , full 90L
tank of diesel. ODO was 167 km (new)
Stopover in
Geraldton ( 1600 hrs.) , 576km ODO for fuel top up. We didn't check on where was cheapest, just used woollies card- 67.8L @ $1.52 per L. We had used about a 1/2
tank. Filled a spare Jerry with 20L as
well.
1st overnight stop at
Billabong ( 810 km ODO). powered sites for most of these roadhouses quite economical-about $20-35 a nite, at this time of year it quickly got hot north of
Geraldton, so power for all nite air con is a bonus
Dep 0700 Thurs , had about 3/4
tank. Arrive Canarvon about 1150hrs ( 1057 ODO)
Fuelled up at Woolies, in town,51.9 L @ $1.67 a Litre. Good size shopping centre here for food etc. City has most features, business, fruit industry,airport,ATM's etc...
If staying o/nite has 2-3 c/van parks.
Stop for the nite, Fortescue RH (1584 ODO) on Fri , about 1/4
tank left. Large mining donga
camp here behind roadhouse. Keep eye out for animals, cattle, emu,goat on roads.
Pushed on (dep 0800) to
Karratha arr about 10 am. Fuel at Woolies again, $ 1.66 for 75.8 L. ( 1740 k ODO) Very big centre, lots of developement going on. Fair bit of truck activity on roads for mines.
Karratha to hedland only about 2hr drive. Arr at PH on about 1/2
tank with time to spare. Spent 2 days here with family, fair bit of development here as
well, all mining related.
Dep (via inland route) 0800 Mon . Fuel before dep at Woolies, $1.60 a L for 40.9 L.
Had about 1/2
tank. Stopped at Auski for early lunch. Fuel at BP
Cue roadhouse, $115 for a full
tank.
Overnight stop at Kumarina. Dep 0600 for early start,pushed home. Home via
Meekatharra,
New Norcia. From
Newman on ,look out for cattle and lots of trucks coming north with big loads for the mines. Ran low on fuel near Pearce, topped up with 20 L at Gingers
truck stop on G.N Hwy $ 1.49 /L . Arr here about 1800hrs.
Summary: Approx $520 in Diesel for close to 4,000 km trip- average speed 90khm. very good economy. Would recomend this RV, has electronic systems though. Long drive,
miles of bush. need regular rest stops for leg stretches -can use roadhouses or free stops (or anywhre you want!). food on the way can be a bit costly. Lots of mining related activity in NWest. NW Roadhouses quite good, many have bars, good menus, o/nite stay facility. Note some may close after about 7pm. Recommend take (telstra) phone cards for most country phones are non coin.
MG.