Scallops' big lap - open for comment

[Scallops]

Distinguished Colleagues,

As some may know, Katrina and I are heading off on a around Australia Long Service Leave trip this May - in this...

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3574/dsc0204nj3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Now, I know you blokes have plenty of experience doing this sort of thing, so I thought I'd run my intended trip past you all for comment - specifically, are we biting off too much or should we be right? :angel:

So - we have done quite a bit of planning for the trip and have put together an itinerary which we won't obviously 100% stick to (unless nothing goes wrong!) but are using as a guide.

Basically we are heading out to Carnarvon Gorge - then up through Western Queensland - up to the Savannah - across to Roper Bar - on to Katherine Gorge, then Kakadu, Darwin and Litchfield. From there we head down to Gregory NP an our way to the Kimberleys. From there we head further south to Karajini NP (near Newman), before heading to Meekathara and back east across the Gunbarrel Highway. From there we will see the Olgas, Yuluru, Kings Canyon and Alice. We then head south to Chambers Pillar and Mt Dare - then following the Oodnadatta and Birdsville tracks around to the Corner country. We then go down to White Cliffs before heading back to the Qld border at Hungerford - from there following the border home.

We will average about 200-300 km most days when on the road - and have at least a 2 night stay in one place per week. We will be using our trusty touring tent...

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/5116/dsc0202io8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

So - tell me - does this trip sound like a reasonable undertaking over 12-14 weeks?

I attach our full itinerary if anyone is interested.

[cucinadio]

mate sounds great, im jel as, good time to go as well!

cheers

[Rosco]

Sounds like a top trip. Only comment I would make is ... a while back we did 10,000Km in 30 days out through the centre, so had to average about 333.333333333Km per day.
That's all well and good, but when you introduce stop overs for a few days here and there, we found it was more like hard work than a holiday just keeping up.

You mention 300 Km per day on the road which, with lay days would be fine. But I would caution against exceeding that figure.

ENJOY ... YA LUCKY, LUCKY BASTARD.

Cheers

[Scallops]

Thanks for the feedback fellas - I thought 200-300kms most days wouldn't be too much - I think it's important to get that 2 nights somewhere per week in too.

Any other tips from anyone? - I know a lot of you have done this sort of thing before so don't be shy! :D

[weeds]

wish it was me

i did around 8000k in and around the simpson desert over 18 or so days, cannot really comment on yours....never travelled that far in one go

chambers pillar - nice spot....good campsite, a stoney/rocky drive in, great sunset/sunrise pics

chambers pillar to mt dare - old ghan railway line at a guess, find the right speed and tyre pressures, SA has great information billboards along the way, a good chance to stop and stretch the legs, read the signs re: taking alcohol through finke, i had to sneak 4-5 30packs through, don't forget to grab a railway spike/dog along the way, hopefully one won'y end up in your tyre

3 nights mt dare...maybe a night at dalhousie springs, great swimming hole

william creek, we took a flight over the edge of lake ayre and over the painted?? desert

innaminka - plenty to explore....dare you to take a swim in the cooper river

hungerford - some nice places to camp, i worked with a guy that carved the sandstone enterance to the bibly enclosure, wonder if my army hat is still hanging behind the bar

diranbandi - home of the les norton bar.....best you not upset him unlss you can blue

condamine gorge, if you come down the head road onto carney creek road hop on ch 14 and say g'day to steve and leanne for me, there dairy farm is on the other side of the creek to the right at the intersection, you will be turning left toward boonah

if you don't get back in time what the worst that can happen.....you get the sack......have a great trip

[isuzu110]

My wife, 9mth old son and I did a lap in 2001 in our County in about 15 weeks.

My comments:

* Lawn Hill - yes. We believe NP campground was better as friends stayed at Adels and found it very dusty
* No Kakadu ? Yellow water cruise, Ubirr at sunset, Jim Jim Falls ?
* Exmouth and Cape Range (Ningaloo) would have been good
* Karajini - we missed that and now regret it. Good pick
* Bungle Bungles and Wolfe Creek Crater ?

We did quite a few days at 500-600ks per day.

I know, so many places, so little time

Enjoy

[Blknight.aus]

not a bad trip the only thing Id change is pulling a day out of either litchfield or darwin and holding over at kakadu a bit longer

300K per day isnt too bad if you dont have kids ESP up around the top end it averages out to about 5 hours on the road at a comfortable cruise speed with a couple of breaks. If you break it up with about a 3 on one off ratio of driving to being stationary (which you pretty much seem to be) it'll still be a holiday and not a tour mission.

enjoy it.

[Scallops]

OK thanks again chaps :D - I'm feeling better about the distance/time relationship - my sister in law (who might be coming in her truck) felt it was way too much for 12-14 weeks.

But I calculate it as being around 14,000km tops - so over this time frame I reckon it will be cruisy rather than a mission - which is important - it is a holiday after all.

PS - isuzu_110 - I am going to Kakadu, but can't do some of the other spots you mention - otherwise it will revert to a mission. ;)

[BigJon]

I did a half lap about 5 years ago (Adelaide to Adelaide, north up the centre then anti clocwise through WA). We ended up doing about 15 000 km in 6 weeks. Not a lot of mucking around, plenty of bums in seats time! Having said that, I don't think it was excessive. I was a bit younger then and there were no kids involved.

[Scallops]

I did a half lap about 5 years ago (Adelaide to Adelaide, north up the centre then anti clocwise through WA). We ended up doing about 15 000 km in 6 weeks. Not a lot of mucking around, plenty of bums in seats time! Having said that, I don't think it was excessive. I was a bit younger then and there were no kids involved.

No kids on our trip either - should be good. I will probably need a service by the time I get to Alice too - can I get it done by you, mate?