I'm going to Perth! Route advice, stops and sights and D40 set up tips :)

[Vigilante]

So the missus and I are planning a massive road trip for the end of the year. See this link: http://goo.gl/maps/i2q9n

Basically we are starting from our place in East Bentleigh, stopping by my old mans place and then off we go! The specifics haven't been sorted yet (i.e. accommodation etc) however as we will be using the old mans camper we should be able to get around this.

Note we are looking to take out time so if anybody has some sweet ass suggestions on must-see things it would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I am looking to set up the D40 a bit in order to make the most of the trip. I am hoping to prioritise a list of mods, including:

• bullbar
• snorkel
• 2 inch lift
• UHF radio
• roof bars + luggage carrier

As we are not looking to go and do SERIOUS 4x4'ing, just dirt tracks and easy access roads due to the camper trailer, I am thinking as a priority the lift kit can wait and the other things will be more important for touring. IF you have any other things to add to this list please do, as I am open to suggestions!

Cheers
Lynton

PS - I know I said in another thread that I can't go a bull bar at the moment for money costs... but I would rather buy a bull bar than a lift kit if it would be more beneficial to this trip

 

[d22dave]

Still a bullbar first IMO, the more you travel the back roads or open country rds the more risk of animal strike. Not everyone plans on driving early or late evening but when your touring it happens, then you have a place to mount spotlights and a UHF ariel,

 

[bullwinkle]

What Dave said. I wouldn't tackle that drive without a bull bar, preferably steel.

 

[Micmac71]

Done plenty of long trips with the family, IMO;
Bullbar with spotties
UHF
Engle full of beer

 

[gadgets]

Make sure to get a bull bar, helps to protect yourself while merging on freeways!

 

[jjohn]

Don't get on the road until sun up and plan to be off well before dusk to avoid picking up Skippy n his mates. In WA you will come across wombats, not talking about the people. The Emu's are rarer but bolt out in front of you, day or night. Plenty of heavy vehicles, some wide loads with escorts. They will indicate when to overtake. Fuel can be expensive but not far between.

 

[Vigilante]

Loving the tips - cheers and keep em coming

 

[KraftyPg]

I do that trip yearly and providing you stay off the road between dusk and dawn you don't need any mods, you don't even need driving lights. That's not to say you can't have them but the Nullarbor crossing is just a long drive these days and I do it without a lift, without a bullar and without a snorkel.

Carry water, carry food (be aware of the quarantine rules) and know and understand how fatigue effects you and you'll be fine. I carry tools with me but I don't bother taking a truck load of spare parts or anything stupid like that and I get in the car every morning around 8 and travel at my own speed more interested in economy than getting anywhere fast, stop where I want when I want and hit the motels for a bed and a feed at night.

I do Home>Renmark>Wuddina>Border Village>Norseman>Perth I drive at about 95kph and fuel up at Renmark (full tank), Port Augusta (top up), Ceduna (top up), Border Village (top up) Norseman (full tank). I haven't done the south in the Nav but I've done it in my old Forestor and had no issues reaching fishing spots and stuff off the bitumen, obviously there was some places I couldn't go but I also wasn't silly enough to try.

If you can do it avoid SAFF servos because they use biodiesel but from memory the only two places are Nundroo (worth avoiding if you can anyway) and Mundrabilla both of which are close enough to other towns you shouldn't need to stop there. The staff at Nundroo and fine but the locals and the flies are not very inviting. Also no matter what paperwork and maps you read don't rely on Yalata being open, it's a settlement only and there is no shop/servo there and in general the public aren't welcome.

 

[Rumpig]

Do D40s have cruise control as standard? Best mod for long trips.
And a good selection of tunes.
And you'll be driving into the sun every day, maybe get a strip of tint across the top of the windscreen.

 

[KraftyPg]

Sun goes across the northern part of the sky so will spend most of it's time on the drivers side of the car and across the Nullarbor it's not really until late afternoon where it's close to setting where it's totally blinding and by then a strip wont do much.

If you've got kids it is well worth getting a shade on the back door window to protect the kid a bit and don't be surprised if your legs get sunburnt in the drivers seat if you wear shorts, then you'll need the shade on the passenger side on the way home because the sun will still be in the northern sky, morning sun heading east is harsher than the daily sun heading west.

 

[d22dave]

I do that trip yearly and providing you stay off the road between dusk and dawn you don't need any mods, you don't even need driving lights. .

I can't help myself when travelling set a target town, and then push on a little further, so I find for me the driving lights are great.

 

[KraftyPg]

That's all good and well on a short trip where you can push on 'a little further' but when you hit a place like Belladonia after you've been on the road for 12 hours and the choice is hitting the farter for a few hours and getting a feed or driving on tired and in the dark risking being hit by camels, roos, emus and idiot drivers and knowing that there is no other places to stop for 240ks you soon realise that it's just not worth risking what you don't have too.

 

[d22dave]

Even the times I drove ballarat to Townsville, I pushed on but I was young and dumb,

 

[KraftyPg]

Driving trucks I used to push on beyond what a normal person could even contemplate, many times I pushed on way too far but the two biggest factors that would stop me doing that on the Nullarbor is that it's my vehicle that I wreck if things go arse up and if things do go arse up in a big way out there and you have an accident at 9pm it could easily be the next day before someone finds your sorry arse still strapped into the seat.

When a route has stops or even just little sleepy towns 30 mins apart pushing on is easy because you break your trip, even dropping for a 60 zone is often enough of a break on a long trip but when it's 200+ks between towns and there is nothing but darkness and wildlife the loneliness of the place gets you before fatigue and if you don't feel or see that fatigue creep up it can end quite badly.

These days 90% of the night traffic on the Nullarbor is hero drivers who want to get across in the quickest possible time, there is still a few trucks that go all night but in general thanks to large companies controlling fatigued drivers better and drivers not willing to risk damage to their rigs even most of the trucks stop for certain hours of darkness.

 

[nakedape]

My two cents!

- Be careful of skippy from Renmark to Burra.
- The Koo'a'burra (in Burra - you see what they did there!) do a decent take away feed.
- Some gentle hippy types own the old blacksmith shop in Melrose which is now a cafe that does a great coffee -- If'n you're taking the back way up to Port Augusta (i'd recommend it over Highway 1 which can be like Sesame st)
- Fuel is always reasonable in Port Augusta -- so fill up there. PA is also a big place with all the usual food outlets/ super markets etc. If you have time head into the arid lands gardens as they're worth a look
- From here the distances between towns start to increase, the concentration of grey nomads increases (many not knowing how to use mirrors and/or get scared at the sight of a road train), there are also plenty of road trains and oversize cargo. This is also where the Gawler and Flinders Ranges meet -- you'll spend the next few hours next to the Gawler ranges. Don't miss Iron Knob. Don't go there, but be sure to have a look at the hill that One Steel has shipped to Whyalla.
- At Iron Knob you get another choice. 1) Drive on to Kimba (geographic halfway point across Aus, and the most expensive fuel, worst food), then on to Kyancutta (most stable/ predictable weather in the country) and then Wuddinna (check out their statue in the main drag! They have a kick-arse bakery too). OR 2) Drive the Iron Knob-Hiltaba Rd all the way up to the Gawler Ranges NP for a bit of adventure. You pass through ~5 Stations including MT Ive -- many of the Stations are 40 -60km gate to gate. Mt Ive backs onto Lake Gairdner, they also have accommodation. BUT, this is a remote road, subject to closure after rain (massive fines in the order of $1k per wheel), it is hot & poorly traveled -- if you crash you'll be there a while. From Gawler Ranges NP head back down to Wuddinna.
- Make sure you get a feed of oysters in streaky bay and take your rods
- After that, do as for Krafty


Some attractions at Mt Ive

 

[nakedape]

Some other things to see along the Iron-Knob Hiltaba Rd and surrounds


walking on water at Lake Gairdner


says it all by itself


Gawler Ranges NP

 

[KraftyPg]

^ I've seen that hill

If one is inclined one can also go to World's End in SA it's not far from Burra and just up the road from Halleluiah Hills, I haven't been there myself incase there was no return.

I haven't been into the shopping center at the Gutta for a few years but last time I was there it was in terrible shape, looked like those run down shop centers you see in Hollywood movies about slums. And it's always friggen windy there so I tend to only stop for food and fuel and get the hell out.

I agree about Kimba too, expensive food and arrogant residents but there is a park a few streets north of the shops which if you've got kids they will love to play in as a break from the road. I also agree about the Wuddina Bakery that's part of the reason we stop at Wuddina over night and not push on to Ceduna.

Don't forget to go and look at 'the secret' at Wirulla. Honestly you can look it up on the net and see what it is before you get there but not knowing until you get there is just one of those little quirks of the road. Also look out for the Thunderbox.

The Head of Bight is worth looking at, the fat fck at Nullarbor RH is responsible for opening the gate and claims it's open every day but we've seen it shut a few times so it does pay to ask at Nullarbor, although if you're coming back the same way you do get two chances. it's only about 20ks round trip but you should factor in an extra hour to your day just incase you want to stop for a bit.

Seriously I could write a book on what I've seen and which places to avoid across the Nullarbor and I still wouldn't know the half of it.

 

[joe2006]

Talking books are good for a long drive. Just don't get porn because with all the stops you will never get there (ha ha).

Seriously if you havent tried talking books I think they are great. Either download or borrow from a library.

 

[KraftyPg]

Actually on the idea of talking books. The ABC did a series of podcasts for the Nullarbor, from memory there was a podcast for each town and it explained what was there to see and a bit of history about it. I have no idea if it still exists on line but it could be something worth taking with you.

Edit: I think this is the site I was thinking about.
http://www.abc.net.au/eyre/nullarbor/

 

[nakedape]

^ I've seen that hill

If one is inclined one can also go to World's End in SA it's not far from Burra and just up the road from Halleluiah Hills, I haven't been there myself incase there was no return.

Been to World's End -- it's not really worth the detour