Hi,
Just want to add my little bit...
My wife an I just got back today from a 17 day 4600k trip in our off-road cub supamatic from newcastle to marree and back via a few towns along the Murray River. We saw heaps of small jayco vans on the road, some off-road but mainly on-road vans. Your finch should handle most of the roads we travelled, though maybe Bunyeroo/Brachina Gorges and the road from Parachilna to Blinman might test your van. These could be done without your van if you stay somewhere in the Flinders. We spent 4 nights at rawnsley park station which is about 20 k south of wilpena pound. I liked camping at Farina Station, just past the ruins of the town of farina and just over 50 k south of marree - $5 per person per night - watch out for the frogs and geckos in the toilets.
We took a comprehensive toolkit but never opened it. I have probably now cursed future trips..
Maree was pretty ordinary. We spent a night in the pub, which seems to be the heart and soul of the town. Floorboards were very creeky aand beer was $60 /carton. We also took a helicopter flight from marree over some of lake eyre. The southern lake is mostly dry and all the birds are in coopers creek as the lake is too salty for the fish they eat. The 80 minute flight cost $595 per person but was great. For $995 we could have also covered coopers creek but this cost was well beyond my budget.
Warning. There is possibly the worst mice plague ever at the moment. Be very careful to secure food and make your van mouse proof. We had mice problems all the way from Broken Hill to Maree. We threw out so much food that had been sampled by the mice. They got into the van, the slide out kitchen and pantry, the enclosed tray of our BT50 dual cab and we even found some chewed chip packets inside our car!!!
Mosquitoes were a problem, but only at night if we were outside and when we were trying to sleep.
Diesel prices in most places we went were not too bad. Maree cost $2.00 per litre, but most other places were between $1.50 - $1.70 / litre.
Traffic on the outback roads was very light and we had no issues at all when travelling from 80 - 110 kph. Overtaking or being overtaken was so easy.
Grasshoppers were also a problem is some places. Our radiator was absolutely smothered with squashed insects by the time we got to the flinders. While at rawnsley, I made a radiator cover out of a bit of fly screen mesh I had cunningly (luckily) left in the back of my ute. I used a kitchen knife to cut the bottomend in a W shape, which I wrapped from the inside of the grill and secured by screwing it under the number plate. The top end I just lashed to the top of the grill using one of my joggers' boot laces, cut in half. Crude but very effective and still functioning perfectly.
My first dinner is being served since arriving home. Plan your trip both for the trip there and also the trip back. It is such a long way to drive home if you have not left yourself things to do or places to visit on the return trip.
cheers
