Hi,

I'm over in late May, and thinking of taking 6 mounths out and doing the Giant loop coastal drive right round Australia, before deciding where to finally settle. (as suggested by"The Loneley Planet Guide")

I've just started a thread for a good road atlas recommendation, but not sure whether the roads are all passable on my current favorite mode, being 4X4 and caravan combination.

Anyone done it, or can share good info ??

All appreciated.

Alan.

Shikes what an adventure.

The major major issue you will have, as I see it, will be gaining passes to places like , The Kimberleys.

Also the wet season, in far NQLD will and can prevent you from getting thru.

Friends of ours went, via Uluru, over to WA then headed North to the Kimberleys.
He went thru 6 tyres, and countless breakdowns, in a 2005 cruiser !
If you go the journey, it may be advisable to go with a secondary vehicle.

In goodi, cpl of years back, we were having a evening barby, out in the bush.. and a fella come thru the trees, asking for help...

we followed him, he had traversed a dry creek, and got his caravan, pitched on the crown of the creekbed, and so the wheels were floating off the ground.

He had his wife and 2 very small children, a landcruiser ute, and a poptop ( 4x4 van )

Be thrilling, but bloody perilous !!! on ya TOD !

Ste

Erm...I take it you've not seen "wolf creek"

Wow nice one! any room for a little one?

My Uncle and Aunt did it in just over 3 months.
Nambour to Cairns;
over to Darwin;
down through Kathrine (and Kathrine Gorge) to Alice Springs;
back to Darwin;
across to Broome;
down to Perth;
across the Nullabor Plain to Adelaide;
then to Melbourne;
then Sydney;
and finally back to Nambour.
You'd need at least 6 months to see more, as most of the real interesting things are off the beaten track.

Some suggestion on what to see:

Ballarat Goldfields/Eureka Stockade
Historic sites in Melbourne: Old Melbourne Gaol for example
Great Ocean Road
Katherine Gorge
Tassie
Great Barrier Reef
Agnes Waters/Town of 1770 (near Bundy as well)
Mystery Craters near Bundaberg Qld
Atherton Tablelands FNQ

Generally the best places are not on the regular tourist routes but off the beaten track. Ask the locals and then decide if you want to go and see them.

I doubt we will ever do it but the missus and I talk about selling the house when we retire, buying a Winnebago and strapping a small 4x4 on the back. Then we will become "grey nomads" and circle Australia every 12 months. We have no intention of going off-road in the "bus" but the fourby will get us into national parks etc.

We talk about the same thing. We always wanted to do it in Canada and the US, but it's too cold in Canada in the winter and to American in the US all the time, so won't.

Thanks all for the suggestions and warnings, makes great reading.

I just started a thread for a good detailed road atlas as well, and in the first instance needed assurance that it could actually be done.

Without the road info to hand, can someone say whether it can be done using "good" roads??

I'm not really that adventurous, and the idea of serious outback type stuff is off the adgenda.

Has Australia got a "proper" black top loop. I would imagine Perth to Cairns round the south and up the east would be fine, but after that and back to Perth along the North in a 4x4 and caravan ?????

I assumed anti clockwise, but given it starts in May, and the heat /cold/ rain situation at that time of year would, I be better thinking clockwise from Perth ??

Alan.

Blimey, was that a Toyota Lancruiser ??

Is he an unlucky sort !!

Alan.

Maybe a little one who can cook.......

only joking ?????

Alan.

I am sure you can do it all on good quality sealed roads. My company uses road trains and low loaders to get stuff from Perth to Karratha so that bit I know. I am also 99.99% certain you can get across the top to Darwin and Cairns from there.

The bit to watch for is cyclone season - Jan to March. For that reason as well as the heat you would probably want to arrange your trip to be in the south mid-summer.

Yes, you can definitely go right round on normal tarmac roads. Buses (Greyhound and others) and normal cars do it so it's not that bad.

That's not to say that you'd see much from the highway - you definitely need to leave the highway for the interesting bits and those roads are most likely to be dirt (the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley is a must-see up that way and that's dirt).

Also, plan your trip carefully so you're not up north during the wet.

buy yourself a landcruiser and a jayco offroad caravan and you can go almost anywhere that ive seen. invest in the correct recovery gear and you will never (maybe nearly never) have any problems. the main thing when travelling in remote areas is to do it at the correct time of year. do that and there are scores of people who travel these routes. there are nearly always alternative routes to destinations. it really depends on how hardcore you want to be. for instance we live in cairns and i have driven to bamaga (the tip of cape york in 10 1/2 hours (1000kms of mostly dirt road). whereas you can take some of the more adventurous routes or it may be raining and might take several days thats if you can get through at all.

You will be travelling through a lot of Aboriginal land so be respectful of local Aboriginal customs.

Remember that you are not allowed to venture more than 200m of road ways without a permit in certain areas.

If you are going remote, make sure you inform authorities in the next major town of your eta so they can look for you if you are in difficulties. Don't forget to 'check in' when you arrive!

Stay with your vehicle if you break down.

Some Aboriginal communities are no go zones.

Make sure you are aware of fueling zones as some Aboriginal communities don't allow petrol to be stored at their communities.

Most important of all! Squash as many cane toads as you can!

That scared the sh*te out of me