I've saved this thread in my favourites. Thanks ET for doing all the 'homework'. lol
Take care and enjoy your trip, wherever you decide to go.
Rossco
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I've saved this thread in my favourites. Thanks ET for doing all the 'homework'. lol
Take care and enjoy your trip, wherever you decide to go.
Rossco
thanks a lot for all this information gonna get my brain into gear and try to find out wot s best. when you rent a truck it s not the same as having your own stuff.
for the telephone i v already seen that there s a telstra shop near our hotel upon arrival. need for phoning and to put into laptop you never know google maps might become one of my best friends.
Got a couple of maps from my sister who lives in Fremantle so with all that no problem
With all the above good advice, plan and prepare well. It's all hostile when things go belly up out there. Enjoy your trip.
If you are renting a truck it is up to you if you tell them you want to travel the Great Central Road
Some companies will be OK with it and some won't so play it close to your chest.
You only need 4WD if it rains but you do need the higher clearance and tougher suspension is needed.
Telstra have the best coverage of NT, SA and WA.
But... that is because the other companies have virtually zero outside the cap cities or major towns
To give you an idea of coverage... in the 2,000 odd kilometres after you leave Alice Springs to Laverton you will have about 3 or 4 patches of Telstra and zero of anyone else unless that carrier is using the Telstra Cellular Network
Hermansburg is good for about 20 K's
Erldunda about 5 K's
Yulara about 20 K's
Warburton about 5 K's
so after all the good advice we got changed plans. still flying into Darwin getting over jetlag for 2 days then flight down to Alice Springs where we re picking up ou 4wd rented from Britz so either a Toy Land Cruiser or a VW Amarok.
alice Springs, Yulura, Coober Pedy, when we get to around Glendambo turn right towards Kingoonya then straight south through the lake with ou without water in. carry on to Caduna and Fitzgerald Park, Wave Rock then try to get to Pinjarra to see family before finishing in Fremantle.
Does that sound more sensible for you guys instead of going up north.
If you have any suggestions about places to stop off on the way all is welcome
only 21 sleeps before leaving
Sounds quite sensible, the first of the big wet season floods have just started up in the Kimberley.
Won't be long before all but the major highways are affected
Huge Bush fires in South Australia and it was 44 degrees here in Perth yest.
Dunno how much time you have but after getting the car I would leave Alice and do the West McDonnells then the Meereenie Loop Road to Kings Canyon. If you are early and lucky the rim walk may be open (they close it if it is too hot, same as Uluru climb).
Take Luritja Road to get to Yulara for Uluru and Kata Juta.
On the way down the Stuart Highway to Coober Pedy you can turn off at Cadney Park and do the Painted Desert then pick up the Oodnadatta Track to get to Coober Pedy.
Don't turn off at Glendambo with checking the road conditions thru Lake Gairdner National Park with the locals.
If the tracks are suss then stay on the highway and head lower down to Port Augusta
There are heaps and heaps of awesome places to see along the Coast and the Fitzgerald.
Local tourist mobs will be the best source of info, just google the towns and look for the visitor info tabs on their websites
I agree with ET ( again ), and think that you should try and visit these spots on the way down the Stuart highway, as the highway drive can be long and tedious. Kings Canyon is my favourite place in the southern end of the Territory, that and Ruby Gap, Redbank Gorge, Chambers Pillar, and Boggy Hole, but depending on time constraints, Ruby Gap is a days drive out and back to the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges, and if you aren't staying out there, and spending some time, you may not see it the same way.
Rainbow Valley is 70 Klms straight down the Highway from Alice, with an additional short drive to the left down a side track, and worth a look, but you will miss this if you do the Meereenie Loop Drive. Chambers Pillar is a fair chunk further in to the southeast from there ( different access road - check your maps for distances )
On the Meereenie Loop, Redbank Gorge is on the way, so you can see it and try and swim in the waterhole ... even though it will be 40 degrees outside .... Ellery Big Hole is great for a swim too, and the temperature is a bit more agreeable to the human body. Boggy Hole is only worth going to if you stay out there, and is part way along the Meereenie Loop Drive and a fair drive in and I would be hesitant on going out there solo in the middle of summer. Palm Valley is also on the way, a better prospect for you, and it is awesome too ... there are a couple of very soft sand sections, which will be harder in the summer heat, so if you add this to your plans, I would get there and wait in the shade for someone to tag along with .... once you are through the sand sections the rest is just rough track. Rim Walk at Kings Canyon is spectacular, but the full walk will take you around 4 hours, so start early to escape the heat.
If you want to see Lake Eyre, the Oodnadatta Track although dirt is like a massive highway - the turnoff from William Creek is different though - a lot rougher and tracklike. You can see Lake Eyre straight off the Oodnadatta around the southern end of the lake - you will see a bend in the road towards Marree on the map where the road goes close to the lake - it is only then a short walk on the lake surface from there. Coward Springs is a great campground close to there too.....
There is a bit of info for you to contemplate
Brill good job i m not working today think i m gonna spend my time looking at where all these places are on the map lol and if they fit into our planning and if not we ll find time anyway
Here we are back in France, Some pictures of our travels ... Thanks all for your advice and a question comes back when ???
https://plus.google.com/117603591873...91873980225402
They are great photos, looks like you had a really good trip.
Thank you for sharing.