Moonfish

Has anyone ever driven from Sydney to Perth?
I know it is a ridiculously long drive, but its an option for us at the moment, not a very enticing one tho,gotta say.
Wondered if anyone here has evr done it, if so, was it as bad as I imagine it to be?

Kim67

Done Brisbane to Perth. Nice drive, would do it again - just not with two dogs and an eight month old.

deb68

This is a nice little distance calculator http://www.travelmath.com/driving-di...ane,+Australia
I bet the views are amazing

JBJ14

I haven't driven, but I did take the train. It's good for the first 12 hours or so, and then it's the same thing, same view of nothing for about 18 hours, then the last 6 - 8 hours were ok too.

I would personally fly in a heartbeat and won't be crossing the dusty oven again

Kim67

But on the train you can't deviate into coastal spots etc if you want to. We went in winter and the whales were migrating across the bite. You can drive down into National Park and get the rangers permission to walk down the the lookouts on the cliffs etc. Much more fun when you're driving and can do and see what you want.

Bermudashorts

If it's not very enticing to you and you are imagining it to be very bad, then just get the plane.

Moonfish

Ahhh, I will be taking the plane, me n the kids . But OH is considering driving. We are moving to Perth soon. We have stuff, not loads of it, but all our clothes,bits n pieces,enough to fill the car, with most probably a box or 2 that we wont be able to even fit in the car. To hire a container is 3,000 plus. Our stuff probably isnt even worth $3k, (the stuff that we are planning to take with us) We knew we wernt planning on staying here too long, so bought most of our stuff cheap on ebay to see us through.
Were hoping to put the car on the train, and load it up, then pick it up in Perth, but they said its too tall, but we can put it on at Adelaide.
By which time your sorta on your way, might as well just carry on. My main fear is someone passing a loaded up car at night, and nicking the car, OH getting lost in the desert (watching WOLF CREEK did me no favours on that score !!!!). So you see, we are dealing with the thought of how to actually get our stuff there, hence the question about the drive
Told OH i would love to have come with him ,all of us spending a bit of family time together, but there just isnt the room,what with all our stuff and Son gets car sick, Im gutted, really.....I am

Bermudashorts

Ah I see. Sort of on your way by Adelaide though? Just another 3k miles to go.

I think I would quite like the drive, but only with plenty of stops along the way.

Moonfish

. Yep, Its that just another 3k miles to go that would so make me not want to do it. If hes good Ill give him a week to get there. I can see it now "what do u mean u stopped for a look round"

Kim67

My husband drove by himself with our old dog (she was too old to fly) last time we moved to Perth. He drove via Albany because we were at a family reunion. Left Brisbane on Thursday night and got to Esperance on the Saturday evening (had to camp there as the petrol station closed to 6pm). He just made a bee line and stopped every now and then for a couple of hours sleep.

saveme

God, I like to take things a touch more leisurely - for eg. eight nights from Gympie to Sydney, and, on a separate trip, fifteen nights from Sydney to Port Pirie. I was on my own, don't like getting up early, and stop EVERYWHERE.

derren7

I did this about 12 years ago on my WHV. Started off in Perth and went up through WA , NT QLD. The Sydney to Perth stretch was quite boring as I was on my own and had 2 weeks to get back to Perth before my visa expired.
It's a bit weird driving at night as you see headlights coming towards you, disappearing and reappearing, and it could be a couple of hours before you actually passed each other. Also remember driving through a locust storm which was highly amusing. Remember to close the air vents as a couple came through and splatted me on the face.
I also remember talking to a road train driver who reckoned that a mate of his fell asleep at the wheel of his road train and was driving off road in the Nullarbor Plain for around an hour! He knew he was asleep for around that time because by the time he woke up and turned his wagon round it took around an hour to follow his tracks back to the highway.
Good job he came off the right side as otherwise he would have ended up in the Southern Ocean! Don't know how true it was but it was a good story nonetheless.

moneypenny20

I'd love to do it once at least, make a proper trip out of it like Kim did.

steen1976

I'd love it me. Drove from Adelaide to Darwin once and that was great.

NickyC

I'd love it too.

We've driven all over the place through QLD, NSW, SA and Vic on some really long trips. Thirty years ago I did the trip to Perth on the train and came back by bus, so I've already seen the miles go by but I'd love to go again in the car.

It's an adventure.