Nullabor crossing in Sept. East to West

[beigewagon]

Hi all,

My partner and I are going to travel from Melbourne to Perth in September this year. We have three weeks for our trip. The first two will be driving accross, and the third will be the return trip via the Indian Pacific to Adelaide, then the last leg driving back to Melbourne. The setup (pic below) is a 1986 Cub Vacationer towed by a 1990 Subaru L-
Series.

We have general thoughts about what to see, and where to go (ie SW of Perth on the trip over)

We have had the Cub for about 4-5 years, but have only really used it on long weekends, generally standing camps.

I have a list of lists, of things to prepare for, take, and consider before and during the trip, but any further thoughts or tips from more experienced CTers would be helpful.

Beigewagon.

[speewa158]

1st thing is " in the paddock " comfy walking shoes are a must & a box of matchers . If it all turns to sh1t light the rig up & walk away . Good insurence cover is important . Cover all the bases re hoses & belts a service before you go & spare tyres . Spare bearings for the CT & greese could be handy . The road houses are not really that far apart carry spare fuel , water & food , only drive in daylight . Settle early as you will be driving into the sun & wont see much . Free camp well off the road , small fires , start early to make the most of your day .
Have fun out there , keep an eye open for wildlife  .

[beigewagon]

Thanks Speewa,

Car has just had its major service, all belts, hoses, and the likes changed. Will change the CT bearings before I go, and already have spares and grease in the CT. Have good insurance for the car, will check the CT insurance though. Will also upgrade RACV roadside, to Total care.

Thanks

Beigewagon.

[tonyw]

Hi Peter 

We need to do a shake down when i get the goose ready, back of Baw Baw maybe 

haha.

Going to be doing a few weekends away after winter, Tara Bulga around the corner from you or Langhi maybe? speak to you down the track about it.

Been awhile since we went away eh.. Paddys Beach i think was the last a few years ago?

 

[blaze]

Ok I will try this again, typed a reply out earier and had just about finished and hit a wrong key and it disa peared.
It takes 40 hrs to drive from melbourne to perth, break that up how ever you like. What I normal do is pick a must do something, like 2009 I decided I was going to do the Gunbarrell Highway, so I drove to perth in 3 days, spent a couple of days with my daughter in Perth, spent a day to wiluna. Then I started the gunbarrell at my leisure, after completing the gunbarrell I also did the Olgas, Ayres rock, Lambient centre, oonandatta track, Lake ayre, coober pedy and back home to tassie. I am currently in Albany, WA and have been here a month, Its a great little central located country city to tour from as a base with heaps to do and see. So my advice is to pick a place at the furthest destination you wish to travel, do what you want there as your must do thing and any thing you pick on the way back is a bonus remembering that every thing closer to home is easier to do at a later stage. Must do in Albany are the Kalgan Queen river trip and if into history the Princess Royal Fort (where the diggers left from in world war one) bring a tear to you eye when you think about all the great aussies and kiwis that never come home again. Would love to be here in November 2014 as they are having a reinactment/celabration of some sort. Any way we are going to stay inn Albany for a while longer yet on our big trip around the block
cheers
blaze

[Johnno convert]

Ok I will try this again, typed a reply out earier and had just about finished and hit a wrong key and it disa peared.

You must be typing on a laptop as that happens to me frequently. If I know it will be a lengthy reply I use the copy function ever couple of lines just in case I somehow touch the touch pad and send it all to oblivion.
We are also going to do a west coast trip from up near Newcastle but that will be probably mid to late next year. I am also open to what time would be best to do the Nullabor and Coral Coast trip. We are hoping to spend at least 6 weeks. Some good tips there Speewa (apart from the matches). Traveling west into the setting sun with a lot of large mammals hanging around is not my idea of fun.
Likewise the Hay plain at sunrise is a PITA. I think that with a 2WD it may be safer on the black stuff and staying in a camping ground.

[tonyw]

I think that with a 2WD it may be safer on the black stuff and staying in a camping ground.

The car Peter has is a very capable 4WD, i have seen and been some places with this car others would fear to tread, so crossing a desert or 2 offroad is nothing really to this car and experienced driver. I think Peter is just after ideas of where to go in the limited time frame more so than wether his car can handle the conditions.

Maybe i should post pics  haha

[Farquo]

We did that trip, all driving, about 8 years ago in sept/oct. Express to Ceduna. Anything this side of Ceduna is candidate for shorter trips. Mostly travel but looked around Ceduna, head of the Bight, Eucla. Went express from Nullabor to Esperance due to equipment failure. Cape Arid was beautiful, Lucky Bay nice as were lots of south coast places - Bremer Bay, Albany, Stirling Ranges, Pemberton, Augusta. Lots of whales about. Had 5 days in Perth. Rottnest Is & Fremantle worthwhile.
With hindsight I would do it in reverse as the Eastern locations were more photogenic. This meant the really nice places to the west suffered a bit in our eyes - quite unjustly.
Travel in daylight when west of Port Augusta. Camels are hard to see at dusk   We had to dodge 5 near Nullabor. Roos and wombats a risk too.
Strict fruit / vege / soil quarantine going in to WA.
The fungus causing dieback likes to spread via dirty vehicles and footwear so it needs care within WA.
Great variation in fuel costs. SAFF fuel outlets cheaper but with a small fuel tank you might not have much choice.
Have fun.

[blaze]

Funny thing about large animals, I have driven the nulaboor a few times now. Most noted I suppose is 2009 because most of the trip was done in the times they say not to travel. Left the barrossa at 12.30 am and arrived at border village about 3.30pm, now there is a period of about 7 hrs they advise not to travel in, animals seen in this section was 1 wallaby and 3 rabbits. Left Border Village at midnight and drove to Perth arriving around 6.30pm from memory, animals seen was one small grey about half grown. Seen a few dead ones on the side of the road though. Pull into the roadhouses and have a coffee and ask if there has been reports of camels or mobs of roo as the truckies normal leave that sort of info from my experience. Being quite keen with the camera I am always on the lookout for life animals for photo opurtunities (ask my wife who is always saying why are we stopping now). Have some exelent vidio of brumbies (got caught in the mob), dingos, goats, camels. Also had an exelent pic of a dingo siloetted on a rise just as the sun was rising, lost it in a comp crash.
Look its a big country and it all has bueaty in one way or another, take your timee and enjoy your destination where ever it may be
cheers
blaze

[blackstump]

I used to do this drive every week for a long time.

Dusk and dawn is the worst for wild life. The animals drink the dew off the white lines on the road, so alot of wild life will hang around the fog line.

Be wary of the eagles,( no not the west coast variety), they move slowly if eating road kill. They just hop out of the way at the last minute. Saw camels a couple of times, and black cows between Eucla and Mundrabilla, but mainly roos, wombats, eagles etc..

To me, the drive only gets interesting after Penong to Norseman. The country seems to change from there. Looooong hills, loooong straights, a couple of bends here and there.

Check out the coast line cliffs along the bight, really cool.

If it were me, I wouldnt drive at night in a car if you were un familiar with the road, but driving out there at night can be a bit of buzz.

If your car and trailer are reliable, and up to scratch then you will be fine. Its a top drive.

[Estelle]

We will be doing a similar trip around that time so had a look at the South Australian tourist site -Nullarbor.

They will send you out a package if you like. Map and brochure. Things to do and see, accomodation etc.  A start anyway.

http://www.southaustralia.com/EyrePeninsulaNullarbor.aspx

http://www.southaustralia.com/Nullarbor_Map.pdf

Edit -  also the WA tourism

http://www.westernaustralia.com/au/Things_to_See_and_Do/Forest_and_Flowers/Pages/Forests_and_Flowers.aspx

Things to See and Do.!  Pick what you would like to see. Also looked at organised tours just to get an idea of what is of interest in various areas.

Also  as an example

http://www.australiassouthwest.com/en/Things_to_See_and_Do/Wildflowers/Pages/RecommendedViewingLocations.aspx

[beigewagon]

OK,

Lots of comments to consider. We picked up heaps of brochures for WA and SA at the Caravan and Camping show in Melbourne the other week. Lots of places to visit and things to see and do, probably too many. Melbourne to Port Augusta will most likley be stop free, as several have said, can do it later as it is so close.

I have been warned by one of the People I have worked with in the past, not to travel at dawn or dusk (or carefully if you have too). He has done the trip several times, as he has family in WA.

Had not considered that it would be driving into the sun, so will keep this in mind when planning daily distances and side trips. The reason for driving over, and training back, was mostly because it gives a rest on the way home, and the train fare is much cheaper West to East than vice versa.

Most of the trip will be main roads, but the Subie is Dual Range 4WD with two inch lift, and Hd rear coils. The camper has heaps of clearance, though only using a regular tow ball, so articualtion would be the biggist obstacle. Still, quite capable of side track jaunts, and out of the way campsites.

Fuel range is not too bad. 60lt tank will normaill get me 550-600kms with out CT. Will also be carrying extra 20lt on the back, so should still be able to travel about 550 kms per fuel load as a max. I will do a test tank range trip around home before leaving home, full fuel, and full load, and drive 'til she stops.

Tonyw. If you want to go for a shake down before then with your van, let me know.

Beigewagon.

[two+four]

Although you are driving into the sun, you are also driving with it so you do get more driving time if you want to do long hauls. Driving back the other way is the pain with less daylight to use, but you don't have worry about that with the train trip

[Blue Bravo]

Travelling east to west means you will driving into the prevailing wind and this can mess up your fuel calculations. However there is fuel every 150 ks or so, so not a major problem. The drive itself is the best part of the trip. There is not a lot to visit on the crossing other than to see the Whales at Head Of Bight. When we last crossed most of the free camp spots on the cliffs had been closed for safety reasons. Turn left at Norseman and work your way along the south coast from Esperance to Perth. A lot of top spots to visit.

[Johnno convert]

So how safe are the camping sites off the road on the way across?

[beigewagon]

Blue Bravo,

That is the general plan we have, but we hope to have time for a quick dash up to the Kalgoorlie area first, before going back down to Esperance then round the coast to Perth.

Beigewagon.

[DX grunt]

"What's to see in WA"? Glad you asked.
G'day. Welcome to Western Australia.

To help you decide where to go and what to do, I've made up some handy info to help you. The list isn't exhaustive, so feel free to add to it.

Google the Regions and check out the websites and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Kimberley Region of WA
East Kimberley Region of WA
Pilbara Region of WA
East Pilbara Region of WA
Gascoyne Region of WA
Murchison Region of WA
Mid West Region of WA
Wheatbelt North Region of WA
Wheatbelt South Region of WA
Central Wheatbelt Region of WA
Midlands Region of WA
Goldfields-Esperance Region of WA
Perth WA
Peel Region of WA
South West Region of WA
Great Southern Region of WA

Some of these Regions overlap, because we're such a big place.

Helpful websites include:
www.mainroads.wa.gov.au
www.dpi.wa.gov.au/
www.transport.wa.gov.au/
http://rac.com.au/Travel/Journey-planner.aspx

We're much like your State in many ways. We have total fire bans, water restrictions, havest movement bans and vehicle movement bans (including vehicle movement bans for hoons - LOL  ). We don't have daylight savings, and won't be for many, many years (because we had a referendum).

We look forward seeing you visit WA and hope you enjoy your stay.

Take care out there.

Ross
DX grunt

[Toey]

How did the trip go?

A mate has to get 8000Ks up on his lease GU, so we are planning on doing sprint to from Melbourne to Perth.  4 days there, 4 days back.

Any tips from you trip?

[crackacoldie]

How did the trip go?

A mate has to get 8000Ks up on his lease GU, so we are planning on doing sprint to from Melbourne to Perth.  4 days there, 4 days back.

Any tips from you trip?

One tip, allow more time 4 days is not enough, you will drive but not see anything.  It is 2 twelve hour days from Adelaide to Kalgoorlie in a truck, with only log book stops.

  Cracka

[WilSurf]

It took us 4 days driving from Perth to Port Augusta, with only the first day 750 kms driving.
We stayed at most free camping spot along the road which were great.
If you have time, go on the Old Eyre Highway, more interesting then bitumen.