Driving to Darwin

Is it safe outside the car? Yes with sensible precautions as anywhere. IMO snakes are your biggest concern this time I year. Don't pull up near a "local" community 30km at least. Plenty of places / rest stops for you to pull in and share with the Nomads and vast number of back packers if you felt safer in numbers. Safety in the NT isn't an issue but you still need to be sensible about it. I do Adelaide Alice in a tedious day ( keeping speed limits) and Alice Darwin in an easy day. With time on my side I'd take 4 days for the whole trip and do Adelaide - Cadney Homestead and camp there ( good food etc) then Cadney Alice. Then Alice -Helen Springs or Daley Waters- Darwin.

When you planning on being in Darwin Mr Whippy ? I am going 2 up in a road train this friday and back the following tuesday, but after that will be around.

You will notice all the road side stops that have water will have people camped, there has been a migration of backpackers out of darwin in the last few weeks , and they normally camp on the side of the road, as said not to close to any communities, and you should be fine. I always found that you can hear the cars/trucks coming anyway, and when you hear them slow down or stop you generally wake up and check. Its the one that goes past then slows down you worry about.

Make sure you stop and check out Wycliff well on you way, just south of Tennent creek.

Cheers Ean

Wet season now=sweat. Intermittent rains at the moment. Mossie net (forget pup tents) in NT a must unlessyou want to risk viral infection (remote but possible). Mind you the heat is probably only a problem from 3 Ways to Dwn - you can do that in a day easy. Camp with grey nomads - only danger is long discussions about fuel and tyre economy :)

most of us here on the forum like driving.
there are plenty of people who would find driving from adel to darwin, quite boring. there isnt much to look at, and if you're just transiting, flying is a much better option.

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Originally Posted by Mr Whippy

Is it safe to sleep out side the car?

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It is fine. I have done it more times than I can remember.

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Originally Posted by Eevo

there isnt much to look at

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You must go a different way to me.

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Originally Posted by BigJon

It is fine. I have done it more times than I can remember.

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Same here. Pat

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Originally Posted by Ean Austral

When you planning on being in Darwin Mr Whippy ? I am going 2 up in a road train this friday and back the following tuesday, but after that will be around.

You will notice all the road side stops that have water will have people camped, there has been a migration of backpackers out of darwin in the last few weeks , and they normally camp on the side of the road, as said not to close to any communities, and you should be fine. I always found that you can hear the cars/trucks coming anyway, and when you hear them slow down or stop you generally wake up and check. Its the one that goes past then slows down you worry about.

Make sure you stop and check out Wycliff well on you way, just south of Tennent creek.

Cheers Ean

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I will be there around the 23rd of this month. No time for sight seeing, although I might have a day or two in Darwin. Probably watch sons first match.

Once I am asleep I hear nothing. I was many years ago asleep in a car that rolled(driver decided to join me in a snooze) and slept through it. Woke up when we hit a tree.

On another occasion in a hired motor home my top bunk collapsed onto my friend below. I did not wake up.

So after a 16 hour drive I don't expect to hear cars coming in to my camp.

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Originally Posted by BigJon

It is fine. I have done it more times than I can remember.

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What about snakes as someone else mentioned?

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Originally Posted by Mr Whippy

What about snakes as someone else mentioned?

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I am still alive :D. I have never had a snake in my camp.