Melbourne to Darwin - How Long?

[wardy1]

May have a need to do a quick trip to Darwin, no sight seeing etc, just straight up and back. Will be driving the D2. How long do I need?

[Basil135]

Really really roughly, you have about 48hrs driving time ahead of you.

This isnt including breaks, o/night stays etc.

So, you are probably looking at 5 solid days driving each way.

Now, by the time you factor in fuel, food, and possibly some accomadation, you might be better off flying.

[The ho har's]

A bloody long time...sorry no help there so ...I suggest at least 4 days..though it is all bitumen...3,750kms to do:(

Mrs hh:angel:

[wardy1]

Hmmm.... I agree with the flying idea but... I might need to tow something back.... OR.... change of direction in the thread!
How much to get a Camper trucked from there to Melb? Any ideas?

[Basil135]

Hmmm.... I agree with the flying idea but... I might need to tow something back.... OR.... change of direction in the thread!
How much to get a Camper trucked from there to Melb? Any ideas?

Probably a damn sight cheaper than going and getting it yourself.

I would expect around the $1000 mark as a top end, but you could probably find it much cheaper.

If you work out fuel at $1.50 / l, and you get 10l / 100km, you are looking at $1100 straight up. And anywhere north of Pt Augusta, you are up over the $1.60 / l mark, and climbing.

Why not see if it can go on the Ghan to Adelaide, and then the Overland to Melbourne?

[Squatdog]

done it twice in my defender now round bout 2.5 days it take me roughly if ur keen one day darwin to alice, then alice to adelade can be done nxt day easily enough adelade to melb is easy i live 300kms east of melb its boren drive

[V8Ian]

Four days easy, drive 1000 km a day in daylight hours. Also get a price from Darwin to Adelaide, it could be considerabley cheaper than Melbourne.

[UncleHo]

Stick it on the train and pick up in Adelaide ;) there may even somebody in Darwin that could arrange the loading etc. and somebody to collect and notify you on it's arrival in Adelaide :D

[Ean Austral]

Northline do freight from Darwin to Adel and Melb, they aren't the cheapest, but would be cheaper than the drive, facter in wear and tear and the possibility of an animal strike and freight will be cheap.

You may be able to look at backloading also, im at sea at the moment, but will be in unloading and fueling on friday, I know a few companies advertise backloading in the NT News, can check it our if you like and PM you if they still are in there.

Let me know.

Cheers Ean

[The ho har's]

Hmmm.... I agree with the flying idea but... I might need to tow something back.... OR.... change of direction in the thread!
How much to get a Camper trucked from there to Melb? Any ideas?


Ask in the NT/LR courier forum is anyone coming down..they often migrate this time of year;)


Mrs hh:angel:

[justinc]

In a Lockhead SR-71, about 12 minutes:D

JC

[Blknight.aus]

four days of solid safe driving.

or a days haul to adelaide then on the gahn up.

[V8Ian]

four days of solid safe driving.

or a days haul to adelaide then on the gahn up.
I didn't realise he had a Series, Dave. ;)

[Michael2]

3.5 days in a SIII.

I reckon 3 days in a D2 if you drive at night (no day lights saving this time of year).

But it would be cheaper have it trucked back, but if you drive you'll have a story to tell.

[Blknight.aus]

I didn't realise he had a Series, Dave. ;)

I said safe which mean more or less complying with the 2 hour breaks and not going over 10 hours at the wheel in a day.

you can do it in 2. Its not fun and you will be wrecked when you get to the other end.

[V8Ian]

I said safe which mean more or less complying with the 2 hour breaks and not going over 10 hours at the wheel in a day.

you can do it in 2. Its not fun and you will be wrecked when you get to the other end.
I would be looking at driving between 07.00 and 17.00, with fuel/drink stops you can cover 1000 easily in a day. Night driving and high speed increase the chance of animal strikes.

[4runnernomore]

I did the same trip about two months ago to pick up my D2 from Geelong and drove back to Darwin.

Three long days and 3 hours saw me home.

Approx 13 hours behind the wheel each of the three days.

cheers, Chris

[spudboy]

If you work out fuel at $1.50 / l, and you get 10l / 100km, you are looking at $1100 straight up. And anywhere north of Pt Augusta, you are up over the $1.60 / l mark, and climbing.
...

My brother just brought a 'van down from Darwin to Adelaide last week.

They were paying $1.99/L out in the middle.

Took him 5 days BTW....

[roverrescue]

Id be taking the commie and a good mate, a buck twenty all the way to the border then maybe a buck forty to the big smoke of Darwin. Should be able to knock it off in a day and a bit. Its easy to sleep when a good mate has the tiller and your reclining.

But if you choose to take a D2 maybe you should read Tombies cannonball run thread... I believe D2s have a nasty magnetic atraction for large macropods when on crazy 'Ill-just-go-pick-up-missions'

S

[Michael2]

Even if you don't drive at night, you can still leave Melbourne in the early hours (0400), miss all the traffic and be in Adelaide before lunch, and make Coober Pedy that night. I've made it to Port Augusta in a day with a 3 month old, where every 2 hours we stopped for an hour to feed & change the baby. So with 2 drivers and an early start, you can get a long way.

Day 2 you get somewhere north of Tennant Creek

Day 3 you get to Darwin

Be well rested, swap drivers every 3 hours, minimise stops, don't waste time when you stop. Carry Sandwiches & a thermos. Have good music, or better still, a book to listen to on the CD player.

Road Trips a therapeutic.

[Mick_Marsh]

When are you planning on moving this camper?

[DeeJay]

Even if you don't drive at night, you can still leave Melbourne in the early hours (0400), miss all the traffic and be in Adelaide before lunch, and make Coober Pedy that night. I've made it to Port Augusta in a day with a 3 month old, where every 2 hours we stopped for an hour to feed & change the baby. So with 2 drivers and an early start, you can get a long way.

Day 2 you get somewhere north of Tennant Creek

Day 3 you get to Darwin

Be well rested, swap drivers every 3 hours, minimise stops, don't waste time when you stop. Carry Sandwiches & a thermos. Have good music, or better still, a book to listen to on the CD player.

Road Trips a therapeutic.

Ditto,
2 Drivers in 3 days, I've done it & my brother in law has often done it in that time. Once towing a 4.5m boat.
Fuel is the xxy part.

[TerryO]

In a Lockhead SR-71, about 12 minutes:D

JC


I'm guessing if you were planning on using a SR-71 Blackbird to bring back a camper trailer that you would need to buy a sturdy well built Aussie camper as I don't think a Chinese built one would last to well being towed at mach3 + :eek:


cheers,
Terry ;)

[Mudnut]

I thought the SR-71 was no longer used, and the US uses one code named "Aurora" apparently much faster. Could even be scram jet technology. It would have to be pretty special to get rid of the SR-71, as it is an amazing plane. Have walked around one at the Houston space centre. Was sitting there for months, and still dripping fluids from various pipes, that are designed to expand when flying at supersonic speeds, and temperatures.

[TerryO]

The last flight of the SR-71 was roughly around 1999 from memory. ;) If I remember rightly the Yanks got rid of them because they cost so much to keep flying.

Bloody amazing plane though considering how long ago it was designed and built.

cheers,
Terry