The Tanami track

[stockyjack]

We are thinking of going up the Tanimi next July. After reading some reports of the track I am a little reluctant to go.I have a D max fwd and an off road CT. Does anyone have any advice on what to carry and how badly corrugated the track is

[areyonga]

While the road can be corrugated each time I have travelled on it it has been mostly better than a bitumen road, it depends on when the grader has been through.  Don't let that worry you or you will miss out on a great drive, its generally very good with small section of corrugations which are OK at the right speed and tyre pressure.  I will be going up that way this year with my 100 series and camper trailer.

Trevor

[SteveandViv]

Agreed, don't let rumors put you off. it is not that tough most of the time. it is a Fairly well used through road and is graded quite often. There is one section that is rock and other rubbish that they just don't seem to be able to grade.

Keep the tyre pressure nice a low and that will take the edge off. We took two days to do it and as there are no real stops along                     the way we found  spot where we could just drive off the track for a bit and felt nice and safe.

We then had a night at Wolf Creek Crater which was quite nice, well thought so, it's a bit hit and miss I hear these days. You'll have fun...

[Joff]

Track??    You mean road train haul road don't you  It's 30m wide and gets chopped to peices by truck traffic. It's one of those dirt highways in Oz that should have been tarred 20 years ago.

Like it has been said, depends on where you hit the road crew.. When we came down it in 2010, as dirt highways go, it was bloody awfull.

[outbackogre]

Did it in July 2011 - NP diesel Pajero towing an offroad Cub Supamatic.  Camped at Tillmouth (waiting for a mate to catch up), then a fairly long drive to the WA border, sitting on about 80kph.  Road conditions quite varied but never that bad.  Great camp at the border, then pushed on to Wolfe Creek Crater for lunch and Hall's Creek by the end of the day.  I did see a couple of older trailers with axle and suspension problems.  My only problem - the 7 pin flat plug came adrift and self destructed on the track;  cost me 12 bucks at Hall's Creek and 10 minutes to fit     

[Moto Mech]

Drove it three times and each time it took us differant times to do it due to differant road conditions. Just simply drive to the conditions and in doing this you can drive any road in Australia without damaging anything.

[Mandrake]

Just as a matter of interest - How's the fuel situation now that the roadhouse has closed ?
Carry enough for 1200 Kms ? Or is there some other alternative ?
Cheers
Steve

[SteveandViv]

Fill up now much before you used to. There's a few stops before Rabbit Flat (Timlouth)(Yuendumu) so you can fill up there or make it through to Balgo (Which you should go into anyway and have a look at the art work)

[areyonga]

The longest stretch is from Tilmouth Well to Halls Creek, 994 klm but you have the option of calling into Yuendumu which brings it back to 757 klm.  With the option of calling into Balgo this shortens it again by several hundred klm,s but Im not sure how much, Steve do you know how far its from Balgo to Halls Creek?

Trevor

[Paul and Bern]

  I hope a Dmax can do it, we're looking at doing Tanami, July next year but going from Hall's to Alice, after doing GRR and Savanah Way.  If we do it will be in a '98 Patrol 2.8 dsl and with a CT as well, so it would a concern if the Dmax won't do it.    Prepare for a head on assault ..... Never know, might catch you up for a midway camp, stranger things would have happened, but we're still in the early planning stages as yet, and don't know how we will be for time by then.
  Paul
oh thanks for the fuel info all, will probably have to look at a slight increase in fuel capacity. 

[Boo Boo]

Yogi and I are also planning a trip next year leaving sometime in July (work permitting) Tanami is on our list along with many other tracks etc. of WA.  We will be driving our 80 series Turbo Diesel Landcruiser towing our Trackabout.

Can't wait 

Amanda

[Joff]

The longest stretch is from Tilmouth Well to Halls Creek, 994 klm but you have the option of calling into Yuendumu which brings it back to 757 klm.  With the option of calling into Balgo this shortens it again by several hundred klm,s but Im not sure how much, Steve do you know how far its from Balgo to Halls Creek?

Trevor

did someone close Billiluna?

[marvellous_matt]

Balgo to Yuendumu is the longest distance between fuel(560 km), However Balgo is 33 km off the Tanami Trk.Balgo as an amazing gallery there if its open. We timed our trip to visit it, however you will need very deep pockets to purchase anything there( thousand/s) as it is of the very highest quality.
Billiluna to Yuendumu is (576 km) and 49 km closer to Halls creek than Balgo, and is only about 1km off the track.

Last year we travelled from Alice (home) to the Kimberley this way, in a Pathfinder with a swag on the roof. Part of our planning was calling ahead to Yuendumu and Balgo to check that a) they had fuel, b) they were open on the days we were traveling through.

The road is mostly sealed to Yuendumu, and then often graded, through into WA, I cant quite remember where its sealed again. It was far better than we imagined, about 140 km of rougher stuff, then we met the graders and while I'm a very conservative driver I was happy to sit on 90 mostly. HOWEVER we met some people who traveled it a day after us in a Izuzu 4WD truck come bus and they had nasty things to say, damaged their suspension. 

We did try to stop to smell the desert roses, camped close to Mt Tanami by the side of the road, and then camped at stretch lagoon near billiluna. My wife was too scared to camp at Wolfe creek crator (even though she has never seen the movie) however it was an excellent detour and walk there, and great looking campground.

[SteveandViv]

The longest stretch is from Tilmouth Well to Halls Creek, 994 klm but you have the option of calling into Yuendumu which brings it back to 757 klm.  With the option of calling into Balgo this shortens it again by several hundred klm,s but Im not sure how much, Steve do you know how far its from Balgo to Halls Creek?

Trevor

239 k

[SteveandViv]

Balgo to Yuendumu is the longest distance between fuel(560 km), However Balgo is 33 km off the Tanami Trk.Balgo as an amazing gallery there if its open. We timed our trip to visit it, however you will need very deep pockets to purchase anything there( thousand/s) as it is of the very highest quality.
Billiluna to Yuendumu is (576 km) and 49 km closer to Halls creek than Balgo, and is only about 1km off the track.

Last year we travelled from Alice (home) to the Kimberley this way, in a Pathfinder with a swag on the roof. Part of our planning was calling ahead to Yuendumu and Balgo to check that a) they had fuel, b) they were open on the days we were traveling through.

The road is mostly sealed to Yuendumu, and then often graded, through into WA, I cant quite remember where its sealed again. It was far better than we imagined, about 140 km of rougher stuff, then we met the graders and while I'm a very conservative driver I was happy to sit on 90 mostly. HOWEVER we met some people who traveled it a day after us in a Izuzu 4WD truck come bus and they had nasty things to say, damaged their suspension. 

We did try to stop to smell the desert roses, camped close to Mt Tanami by the side of the road, and then camped at stretch lagoon near billiluna. My wife was too scared to camp at Wolfe creek crator (even though she has never seen the movie) however it was an excellent detour and walk there, and great looking campground.

Sorry but that's rubbish, you don't need thousands, please don't put people off with those comments.That community counts on visitors to survive along with a great little shop and fuel. I have some great paintings at for $450. Yes you can spend thousands but you don't have to to get art that will give you a return in time. All pieces come with a story of the artist and what it is about. I have several paintings as I fly out there ever couple of weeks for work.

While your there don't forget to ask to get a look at Balgo Pound, magic spot

[olddigger]

Idle question: The Tanami is on the list for this year.
How is it pronounced: Tan-Ah-Me . . . or
Tan-Ah-My
Cheers, Tony

[SteveandViv]

Idle question: The Tanami is on the list for this year.
How is it pronounced: Tan-Ah-Me . . . or
Tan-Ah-My
Cheers, Tony

Tan Ah My

[marvellous_matt]

Sorry but that's rubbish, you don't need thousands, please don't put people off with those comments.That community counts on visitors to survive along with a great little shop and fuel. I have some great paintings at for $450. Yes you can spend thousands but you don't have to to get art that will give you a return in time. All pieces come with a story of the artist and what it is about. I have several paintings as I fly out there ever couple of weeks for work.

While your there don't forget to ask to get a look at Balgo Pound, magic spot

I'm sorry my experience was different to yours, most of the staff and some of the artists were in Perth at a show when we visited, perhaps all the cheaper items were with them. We did however spend hours there with a staff member we had known for a while. We see (and buy) quite a bit of art, my wife has has done a day trip to Yulara on a whim to purchase art, so we went to Balgo and were VERY impressed, in no way did I intend to put any one of visiting, I apologize if anyone took my comments in this way.

[olddigger]

Thanks, SteveandViv.
As I said, it was an idle question, but good to know the answer. Best to know how to say where you are lost!
Cheers, Tony