trekking from peth to sunshine coast qld advice needed fast

[omnibus]

I will be flying to perth tomorrow night and driving my bro and his rig back to qld and I am after advice on routes stops and all that as I only got the call today and flight is booked for tomorrow I am needing advice real quick, the things you do for family hey. Also looking for anyone in the group that might allow us to crash in our swags on your property although having swags we can stop anywhere, anytime.

[eddy]

You can stop over at our place if you intend heading along the SW coast before the Nullabor.Drop down through Margaret River,Augusta,Denmark,Albany ,Esperance,Norseman.We are about 60kms south of Perth.

[JDNSW]

Also welcome to drop off here. I suggest (assuming you are in a bit of a hurry) planning on Port Augusta - Broken Hill - Dubbo - Goondiwindi - Warwick - Brisbane.

There are a few alternatives to this, but that is what I would suggest if you want to do it in the minimum time.

Keep an eye (or ear) on the weather - a lot of Western NSW is susceptible to being blocked by heavy rain, even on sealed roads, because it is so flat. However, at present, despite the rain a week or so ago, it is still so dry it will take a lot of rain, although this can happen, and storms are forecast next weekend.

[omnibus]

thanks so much i really appreciate the offers, JD i think from my preliminary look ups of version of routes to take you are on the money, and eddy I will see what bro thinks about heading south first but that sounds great i would love to check out margaret as i am a keen surfer and margaret river is a bit of a legendary spot. it is my first time in WA and can't see me getting back there real soon so I will post up progress we will probably leave perth wednesday some time. ty guys

[LandyAndy]

thanks so much i really appreciate the offers, JD i think from my preliminary look ups of version of routes to take you are on the money, and eddy I will see what bro thinks about heading south first but that sounds great i would love to check out margaret as i am a keen surfer and margaret river is a bit of a legendary spot. it is my first time in WA and can't see me getting back there real soon so I will post up progress we will probably leave perth wednesday some time. ty guys

I would definately follow the coast until Esperance,then head for the Nullabor.Its bloody hot over here at the moment,and that part of our coastline is spectacular.Pretty dull and boring heading out to Kal,thats why BMKal slithers around the city so much;);););););)
Andrew

[omnibus]

sounds like a plan i reckon if i do go that way i will take some pics and post em for all to see... watch this space

[JDNSW]

I suggest from Port Augusta, plan on travelling through Wilmington, and have a look at the toy museum (and the yard behind it).

John

[BMKal]

I would definately follow the coast until Esperance,then head for the Nullabor.Its bloody hot over here at the moment,and that part of our coastline is spectacular.Pretty dull and boring heading out to Kal,thats why BMKal slithers around the city so much;);););););)
Andrew

I'll bet the "night life" in Kalgoorlie is a bit better than what you might find down south of Perth. :twisted:

You can find some very interesting "entertainment" in Kal at night (especially if there are no wives in the travelling party).

LandyAndy is just jealous because we've got bigger graders up in Kal than what he gets to play on. :p

[BMKal]

I suggest from Port Augusta, plan on travelling through Wilmington, and have a look at the toy museum (and the yard behind it).

John

x2.

This place is a must. A couple of great working "scale models" of a Landrover and a Jeep in the yard out the back at the moment. ;)

[omnibus]

this is the trip without the south run which we will be doing as the surf report for margaret river is looking favourable, not big but favourable, 3ft and off shore WOOHOO

[gavinwibrow]

If after Margs you are not going to Bremer Bay and Esperance (beautiful places) do something different and use the Hyden/Norseman Road. Its 300 km of excellent gravel road (used in part by mining road trains) and with a couple of historical points of interest along the way (rabbit proof fence/ failed early soldier settlements etc). I used it again about 6 weeks ago coming back from the east and there is a great camping site at the Breakaways at about the 200 km from Hyden mark.

[omnibus]

going to do my very best not to go on gravel and steering as far away as i can from road trains (impossible i know) but ty for the advice and the tips bud

[V8Ian]

going to do my very best not to go on gravel and steering as far away as i can from road trains (impossible i know) but ty for the advice and the tips bud
In that case I won't suggest the Strez and a night at Noccundra. It's now bitumen all the way from Brisbane to Noccundra. :o

[gusthedog]

going to do my very best not to go on gravel and steering as far away as i can from road trains (impossible i know) but ty for the advice and the tips bud

You do know this is a 4wd based forum? Scared of gravel? Well I never :p

[omnibus]

always one in a crowd

[omnibus]

says he with the soccer mum vehicle, auto ? hhmmmm you got me good bro scared of gravel, i don't think so, have a brain and wanna get home in one piece I think so
gravel + road train = dangerous beside if gravel is your version of offroad good luck to u bud:p

[FeatherWeightDriver]

going to do my very best not to go on gravel and steering as far away as i can from road trains (impossible i know) but ty for the advice and the tips bud

Hehe I know the feeling.

I have done trips where I went out of my way to stay on dirt, and other times where I just wanted to get where I needed to be and it was solid roads all the way.

Then again, some of the smoothest roads I have driven on have been dirt roads out the back of NSW... :eek:

[gavinwibrow]

says he with the soccer mum vehicle, auto ? hhmmmm you got me good bro scared of gravel, i don't think so, have a brain and wanna get home in one piece I think so
gravel + road train = dangerous beside if gravel is your version of offroad good luck to u bud:p
You have made your decision, but for the record, I sat on 100 most of the way pulling a 1K camper trailer The gravel is in better nick than many bitumen roads. The so called road trains are limited to 70, very infrequent and will arrange to let you pass if you call them on CB.
In this case gravel and road train does not = danger

[BMKal]

You have made your decision, but for the record, I sat on 100 most of the way pulling a 1K camper trailer The gravel is in better nick than many bitumen roads. The so called road trains are limited to 70, very infrequent and will arrange to let you pass if you call them on CB.
In this case gravel and road train does not = danger

Yep - I went home to Kal that way a while back when the main highway was closed due to a road train of cyanide rolling over.

Unless it's been raining - that road is generally in pretty good condition and you can comfortably travel along it at the speed limit. Road trains are few and far between - but they use the road enough that it is well maintained.

There are some very scenic spots along that route that not many get to see.

Mobile phone doesn't work out there thoug - even with a decent car kit and aerial. I see that as a good thing - work can't get hold of me when I'm travelling. Unfortunately they've figured out that I'm in phone range all the way home when I travel up the highway. :(

[superquag]

Got to agree with Gavin, having learned to drive on gravel. I've always found a reasonbly maintained one is far more pleasant - overall - to travel on than a boring, hypnotic sealed highway. Sure it's noisier, and you're more engaged in the task of piloting... but oddly enough, less stressful.

I'd certainly seriously consider at least some gravel transits, if for no other reason than to counter mental fatigue. Driving slower...you tend to see and enjoy more of the countryside. Plus, the trucks will get your bonnet dirty, which cuts down the sun-glare.:D

Either way, a 101% clean windscreen makes a huge (Safety-wise) differance. - Especially the inside surface, as you'll be driving into the sun at the start of your day's drive.

[gusthedog]

You have made your decision, but for the record, I sat on 100 most of the way pulling a 1K camper trailer The gravel is in better nick than many bitumen roads. The so called road trains are limited to 70, very infrequent and will arrange to let you pass if you call them on CB.
In this case gravel and road train does not = danger

^ what he said :D

I prefer gravel over bitumen every time, particularly in WA and SA. But each to their own. And I'll let Tombie know you said auto D2s were for soccer mums. :)

[NomadicD3]

Hey, This may be too late but if you read this before you leave, remember to fill up at Norseman and try to do as few fuel stops as possible between Norseman and Penong. the fuel price jumps about 30 cents/ltr for all the servo's in between and it's about 1000K's. Also get a list of all the servo operating hours from the counter at the BP in Norseman. I think there may only be 1 24hour servo at the border and a few of the other close rather early. Oh and this time of year you will probably get a lot of head winds going east so best be conservative on your fuel consumption calculations.
Safe travels mate.
P.S. a Uhf on channel forty is really handy if you've got one ;)

[omnibus]

yeh we are home now, we did kojonup WA to sunshine coast QLD in 52 hrs, fuel cost wasn't really an issue as availability became more important as the times we drove thru towns meant some of em were shut we had 3 jerry cans just in case and only had to use one between port augusta and broken hill as the servo's along there don't always have fuel but that got us to the next one nws

[LandyAndy]

You have made your decision, but for the record, I sat on 100 most of the way pulling a 1K camper trailer The gravel is in better nick than many bitumen roads. The so called road trains are limited to 70, very infrequent and will arrange to let you pass if you call them on CB.
In this case gravel and road train does not = danger

60kmh is their speed they are supposed to do according to their permits.100kmh+ is the reality.
Before V8Ian pipes up out traffic counters proove it.
Andrew

[Tombie]

^ what he said :D



I prefer gravel over bitumen every time, particularly in WA and SA. But each to their own. And I'll let Tombie know you said auto D2s were for soccer mums. :)


My wife doesn't play soccer :)