Tanami Track in a hire fourby

[fatcat]

Hi all,

Looking at getting a hire car a (lux):( . drive it to broome the catch is i want to leave from alice springs.

The reason for this mission is my grey mad parents are traveling around the country and keen to get back to the pilbra.

the track i'd take is the tanami track to halls creek.(the bush tucker man book says it's an easyish track and a good 2wd will make it but will struggle on the last 300ks.)

The reason i will not be taking the td5 is it's just to far to get there and back and bastads i work for only allow short breaks.

would a hire car let me take this track as well?

be great to see the start of the canning stock route which i want to concor as well but in my vehicle.

thanks.

.

[abaddonxi]

Most of the hire companies say which roads you are covered for and which you are not. In those cases if you take a small 4wd or a 2wd on them you are liable for all damage, no insurance.

Often they stipulate what size of 4wd they will let drive on those roads - usually large 4wd - Patrol, Landcruiser.

hth

Cheers
Simon

[Broome Defender]

Fatcat, I travelled the Tanami 2 years ago. The first thirty ks were behind a Hilux hired from Trailmaster, I think. I think that most of these types of companies have a depot in Broome, I don't know about Alice though. If you need to find out I could get the number in Broome for you. It'd be more comfortable in a 4x4, especially a landie!

[Michael2]

When I was in Kununurra (11 years ago) the AVIS depot in Broome was operated by one of the aboriginal corporations which was owned by some of the communities in the Tanami. They also owned an air charter company and had the fuel contracts for mines in the Tanami, plus other business interests. I imagine they'd allow some vehicles into the desert.

However going through Katherine and Kununurra along the highway will probably be faster and afford you more scenic stops. But I must agree, the desert drive holds more attraction and a detour to Wolf Creek Crater will more than make up for the other lost photo opportunities.

What do you do for work? Maybe we can come up with an excuse to allow you to take the Defender up.;)

[BigJon]

A couple of years ago I was heading towards Alice down the Tanami and a rental Hiace camper van went the other way. Three young fellas in the front, I think they probably looked at a map and saw the shortest route to Broome. I don't know if they made it through or if they are still out there somewhere...:p

[fatcat]

thanks for that guys it sounds great,

just have to hop on the net and do some searches at least the tracks not to hard core ,the trip is not till 08 i think.

always good to have a trip in mind

p.s sales rep

[LandyAndy]

Hi Fatcat
try this mob,they advertised you can take their 4bys on ANY gazetted rd,they mention a few kimberly destinations in their add,ph 1800077353 or 4wdhire.com.au
they have 1/2 price specials nov06 to end feb 07 $99 day with unlimited ks/freedom of use.
Andrew

[away]

My wife and I flew to Broome in August and hired a Nissan Patrol from Avis. I made a casual, passing remark to the guy at the counter "I'm really looking forward to driving down onto Cable Beach to watch the sunset".

He looked at me, horrified and said "You aren't allowed to take the vehicle onto Cable Beach, or any other beach. Read it. It's in the exclusions."

Geez, driving onto the beach was the only reason why we hired a fourby in the first place!! Turns out that any road that was even remotely rough was in the list of exclusions and "off road" use was not allowed!

Apparently we could have hired a Tojo HJ78, complete with roll bars, flashing lights, bench seat, AM radio and no airconditioning if we wanted to go "bush bashing". What a joke!

[weeds]

earlier this year we hired a dual cab hilux, never again, at broome, wanted to cruise up cable beach until we were told we were not allowed:mad:

we were however allowed to drive upto cape leveque, this road is up there with the worst that i have driven, if only the hire guy could have told me that the hi-lux could not do a return trip on one tank, if you have a day or two i can explain the dramas of trying to get fuel on a weekend in the cape leveque area, wish i had my fender with a longrange fuel tank and decent fuel economy

apparently the hire company pays spotter fees to the locals who spot hire cars on the beach, thats if you believe pub talk

[cartm58]

all rental companies pay for information on people taking vehicles where they are not supposed to be whether it be WA or Daintree in Qld.

[fatcat]

thanks LandyAndy ill give them a ring see what the word is ,

yeah hire car companys.... i always love the story were i drove the 2wd on the beach i could see it was low tide good enough track down.
but **** once i got down there. the only 4rbs on the beach were com fisherman, and hundreds of peaple walking on the beach we had to go a fair while before could do a u bolt . i felt like 007 cruising the beach. cheers

[LSBob]

The Tanimi Track was badly cut up a few months ago and the mines were not using it due to some bad washaways. I have been down it 4 times, back in the 70s it was rarely used so it was not a bad set of wheel tracks but now with the increase in traffic the road can be in poor conditions in parts. Don't forget that Rabbit Flat is only opened certain days for fuel and if the trucks cannot get in, he has no fuel.
Aborigines regularly drive 2wd cars over it, so be aware on corners as their brakes may not be the best.
Before you go check the NT Government web site on road conditions, they are updated nearly daily during the Wet season.

[Utemad]

all rental companies pay for information on people taking vehicles where they are not supposed to be whether it be WA or Daintree in Qld.

We were told that by the Daintree River barge operator too. Funny because we watched a hire car (Hertz???) get snatched out of the first creek crossing after Cape Tribulation carpark. You should have seen the water flooding out of it when they opened the doors. I've got it on video somewhere. I think it was a Hyundai Getz