thribble

We're planning on travelling a bit round Oz before I start work. Can anybody give me any comments on our proposed route - is it mad, bad or dangerous?!

Plan is to start in Perth at Christmas, do a bit of southern WA, head over and up to Uluru, down to Adelaide, over to Sydney and down to Melbourne in time to start work on 6th March. Hubby also wants to do the Coast Road or Ocean Road or whatever it's called, but I'm not sure where that runs and what it involves.

Comments? We'll be in a car with tents at the ready!

Centurion

We didnt want you in Queensland anyway!

Sounds rather a cool road trip! Best of luck with it!

NickyP

Sounds cool
The Ocean Road will get you along Adelaide to Melbourne so might be less easy if you are going Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne. Have fun.
Nicky

Ialibu

Be aware its Summer and bloody hot inland!

Take the southern road from Albany to Esperance. The scenery out that way is magic.

You dont have much choice transitting the Nullarbor. On the actual plain all bar one of the fuel stations are owned (well were this time last year) by the one company and they don't mind using their monoply status. That one exception is on the left side heading east some km before you climb off the coastal plain near Eucla, I think it is called Mundrubilla. It is/was owned by an Aborigine co-op and their fuel is cheaper than the other 3. If you are pulling a trailer take a 20l jerry can of fuel and fill it in Perth but dont use it until you get onto the Nullarbor. Then dont refill it until at least Port Augusta.

Once past Ceduna, don't head directly for Port Augusta, go via the coast road to Port Lincoln then travel up to Port Augusta and up to Uluru.

When you leave Adelaide bound for Sydney, go down the Murray Valley Highway. Go all the way. It takes you right into the Snowy Mountains and you can head for Sydney via the Princes Highway along the South Coast or via Canberra.

When you head for Melbourne go that way via the way you didn't come in. If you came in to Sydney Via Canberra, go to Melbourne by the Princes Highway along the coast.

You do miss out on the Great Ocean Road but if you want to go to Sydney from Adelaide, it s a bit silly going via the GOR as that takes you to Melbourne. You are better off getting to Melbourne a week or so early and just for the sheer hell of it, going for a drive

And take a day or two along the GOR. You wont see the 12 Apostles any more. Its more like 10 Apostles and 2 Martyrs. Several have met their natural end due to erosion etc.

If you follow that route you will see a hell of a lot. Renmark is great for fruit and just down the Murray Valley Highway you hit the Vineyards

Hell,between this post and the other one, I have just circumnavigated Australia! Anyone want to know about New Guinea (as it was :-)

thribble

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed

And the reason we're not going up to Queensland etc this time round is mostly timing - we only have the 2 months, and I gather you can't swim in the seas this time of year up there due to the stingers. We're saving that for a summer holiday.

PS If I could get my ticker to work, it'd say "20 days until we leave".

Welshie

Oh you are going to have a ball!! I'm sooo jealous..been ages since I travelled around Oz..we've done an old army truck and tents across deserts from WA to uluru to Cairns to Melbourne etc....its just the best as long as you have all the necessary supplies etc and more importantly common sense before heading off in the outback. I find my Lonely Planet Australia book invaluable when doing the long trip across. It really is like my bible when I'm on the road. Would recommend one!

Good luck...am soooo jealous...have fun....