Driving around Australia

g-fish

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I'm about to set off in a little under a month to do this with my girl. The plan is to be back for uni next year (march).

Has anyone done it? Have you got any tips? There isn't much of a plan at the moment, except to be in Robe, SA for Chrissy with the family and then head up north towards Alice springs/tennant creek from there. It'll obviously be the middle of summer, so my thinking is to avoid Darwin (I used to live in indonesia, the summer felt like you were constantly having a shower in boiling water). And I'm thinking to avoid WA too, it adds to much time and expense. Though it is supposed to be very beautiful.. I can do it another year (maybe on a bike?).

And any tips for gear? What sleeping arrangements do people suggest? We've got a mitsubishi challenger, which is quite long, so I can sleep in it if the weather is nasty. But I'm 6'4'' so I don't fit particularly well. Tents vs Swags? I've got a good tent, but would have to buy a swag..

Anyone have some recommendations of a place to go? We've got a 4wd, so we can venture off the beaten path a little..

And of course, this is a mtb forum, so I'm taking a bike.. As an easy way of getting around. And hopefully I can get a ride or two in with a few farkiners. Who wants to show me around?
 
I'm running a little off memory, I was pretty young at the time, but my family went from Vic, to SA, then up north to Darwin then down the east coast back home. At the time we had a Mutsubishi Triton ute that we towed a camper trailer behind. One problem we had was, in the middle of the country, the a-frame broke rendering the trailer useless. Fortunately for us, there was a farmer out in a nearby paddock who came to our assistance and let us use his welder to fix it.

A 4WD will get you almost anywhere. Last holidays I went on a uni field trip to Arkaroola in the Flinders Ranges and took a mini bus on some pretty rugged tracks so something properly equipped would get through there with ease. On that note, the Flinders Ranges would be one suggestion to stop at. Even if you don't care about rocks at all, the views are amazing.

Seeing as though you're going with your girl, I'd be looking at taking a tent. They're usually pretty easy to set up and, if you find yourself in some trouble, you can always set up on the side of the road. I mean, you can with a swag, but you can share a tent better and it can be used as shelter if need be. Swags are nothing more than a waterproof bed.

As always, keep in mind the safety stuff. Take plenty of water and fuel and ensure you have spares of items you may need, like wheels and other basics. In the middle is really one of those places where it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Most safety stuff is self explanitory, but if you need more info, just ask.

One thing to remember is although it will be hot during the day, it does get cold at night in the middle of nowhere, so it's worth having a decent sleeping bag and some warm pyjamas/clothes.

Uluru is definately worth the visit. You'd be stupid to drive all that way and not go. Other places such as Coober Pedy are worth the visit. One thing to try and do is be a tourist. It may seem odd being an Aussie visiting a bunch of touristy places, but they're the places you want to go.

As I said, it's been a while since I've been higher than the Flinders' in the center but up to there, and along the east coast, I can name a bunch of places to stop at. Parks, for instance, is a good stop along the eastern side. I'm sure there's a bunch of people on here that have done more recent trips that can elude to other places to go and give better tips than I have.
 

steve24

Likes Bikes and Dirt
It's a bit of a hard call with weather to make the best plan... I guess you are thinking down thru Vic along the coast to Robe and on from there??
SA & NT are going to be pretty hot and as you say going in to tropics you may get stoped by floods in Feb....

How about heading to the rock thru the Simpson 1st, down to Robe via Eyre Peninsula then on to Tassie after Christmas so you take best advantage of the weather??
Leave the West and North for another time....

I would take your tent + a big tarp, weather good put down tarp and sleep outside. You may be forced to do some caravan pk camping where you can leave the tent set up for some days...
A good table, chairs, kitchen is a must. Doesn't have to be fancy, as long as it works for you. Good screw on lids, no glass.

Staying in backpackers now and then can be a great source of info on local things to see and do as well as a bit more comfort, they often have double rooms too....

Let me know when you hit SA and i can show you a few great tracks....
 

driftking

Wheel size expert
I haven't done trips that significant myself but For me the first thing is think about necessities incase of breakdowns or loses. If you will be doing like outback or isolated driving it can be good to have someone you check in with at points and let them know the Days plan. That way if you do break down or forbid it get lost you won't be lost for long. Always have a few days more food and water. Best to be over prepared than under.

Petrol Planning might be important too if you are heading into scarce areas and toilet paper can't run out of that aha.

If your heading into heat think over heating too. Coolant, spare hoses Or engine bands are easy to if you can carry them. Quick plug putty etc incase of any leaks need a quick patch up.
 
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downhillar

Likes Dirt
Personally I'd be focusing a lot on your vehicle and making sure it's prepared for the trip. Is it a stock challenger? Suspension? Wheels/tyres? How many spare wheels/tyres do you have? Jerry cans, UHF radio, spotlights, long range fuel tank, spare hoses etc as driftking mentioned. For me that would be the number 1 priority, making sure the vehicle is up to the task. My worst nightmare would be breaking down in the middle of nowhere not knowing how many days it will be before someone else drives past.
 

tc2233

Likes Dirt
Most importantly, if a guy named Mick offers to fix your car, run in the opposite direction

[video=youtube;nT2qFx9iSlM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT2qFx9iSlM[/video]
 

disappearin

Likes Dirt
I done a similar trip last year around this time. I headed down the east coast of nsw, cut across to jindabyne for some riding then down to Melbourne, onto the great ocean road, back up to the Grampians, across to SA then onto WA and back through the the NT and home. Are plenty of places to ride along the way and plenty to see.

As for accommodation I camped in national parks and state forests mostly as they are free or really cheap. I'd occasionally stop at a caravan park or backpackers. Prices here ranged from $14-32 a night for campsite/bed.

As for highlights, jindabyne is amazing place. Heaps riding, and Mt Kosciusko & blue lake up near charlottes pass are amazing, I could of spent months exploring around this place. Great ocean road, phillip island and the Grampians in Vic were great, wave rock in wa is spectacular, mt Gambia in as is worth a look, was an amazing lake near there (cant remember the name)...

As for tips: making sure your car is reliable is obviously a given on that sort of trip. Stay off the freeways, not much to see or explore on them. Make sure you take clothes for all conditions (near jindabyne had snow on the ground in December while SA had 40+). Carry plenty of water, just in case. And probably the best tip I can give is take your time, stay off the main roads (especially in nsw, vic and sa) and explore. Drop into the little pubs for lunch/dinner, you can usually gain some local knowledge of places to see you wont find at the tourist info centre. You will be surprised at some of the places you find. Half the fun of a trip like this is the unknown.
 
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