Hey guys in a few weeks il be making the long drive to Kalgoorlie, started packing my stuff from now. Any tips on the drive? what type of spares should I bring along? My GU is 2013 with 40xxxkms on the odometor, so still pretty new
Melbourne to Kalgoorlie
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Which way are you going? Ayre highway or great central road?
Haven't really had a chance to sit down and work it out because I have been so busy with other preperations like licences for work, accomadation etc for the move down. What do you suggest would be more road freindly?
Joined
·
9,510 Posts
So with only a few weeks to go it probably rules out the great Central road as it can take a few weeks to get a permit. From WA I found it easy to get the permit for the WA side and Gun-barrel Hwy but was really slow to get a permit for the NT side from Uluru to Docker River and the border. http://www.outbackway.org.au/get-permits.html
But if you have the time and want a bit of outback adventure, it is quite an interesting drive. All dirt/gravel road 1200 km from Uluru to Laverton before you see bitumen again.
The Ayre Highway is a fairly cruisy drive, just long. Lots of big trucks and slow caravans, plenty of places to stop for looking at scenery and for fuel but it is expensive. Many camp sites where you can just pull over in a truck bay and camp the night. Watch out for roos if you are driving early morning or evening. Particularly around Madura Pass and for the next few hundred km on the WA side seems pretty bad.
Spares and such will depend on which way you go. By the highway is the easy way and not much needed other than normal spare tyre, fan belt etc depending on the reliability and load of your vehicle.
But if you have the time and want a bit of outback adventure, it is quite an interesting drive. All dirt/gravel road 1200 km from Uluru to Laverton before you see bitumen again.
The Ayre Highway is a fairly cruisy drive, just long. Lots of big trucks and slow caravans, plenty of places to stop for looking at scenery and for fuel but it is expensive. Many camp sites where you can just pull over in a truck bay and camp the night. Watch out for roos if you are driving early morning or evening. Particularly around Madura Pass and for the next few hundred km on the WA side seems pretty bad.
Spares and such will depend on which way you go. By the highway is the easy way and not much needed other than normal spare tyre, fan belt etc depending on the reliability and load of your vehicle.
Joined
·
526 Posts
We did it a couple of years ago and loved it. Went across on the tar and came home on the GCR. I would do the GCR again in a flash, a great drive. We had no issues getting the permits either, happened in a day (unlike Geordie), must have been lucky.
Striven, are you moving to Kalgoorlie, and if you are and you are towing half a house, then head across on the black stuff. It is still an interesting drive and we stopped heaps to look at all sorts of things. We were also lucky with the wind as well because it was an easterly, and it pushed us across. Beginners luck I am sure.
Striven, are you moving to Kalgoorlie, and if you are and you are towing half a house, then head across on the black stuff. It is still an interesting drive and we stopped heaps to look at all sorts of things. We were also lucky with the wind as well because it was an easterly, and it pushed us across. Beginners luck I am sure.
Not exactly sure but I think lucky 13 was my last crossing. As mentioned take a few spares (tyre, belts hoses, water, oil )and the old RACV total care if your really worried. It showed 36 hrs drive on my GPS and did it in 38 hours stopping twice once to sleep for 30mints and the next an hour and a half.
Having done the drive so many times I was not interested in tourist sight seeing but there is many great things to see out there if you know where to look. I don't think you really need to worry about much at all its not the Canning stock and should only need to fill up at the bigger service stations. Given your moving across I think it would be in your best interest to take the black top.
Surprised you have found work over there and thats a good sign, I know a lot of good miners out of work or having an extended break at the moment due to a quite patch.
Having done the drive so many times I was not interested in tourist sight seeing but there is many great things to see out there if you know where to look. I don't think you really need to worry about much at all its not the Canning stock and should only need to fill up at the bigger service stations. Given your moving across I think it would be in your best interest to take the black top.
Surprised you have found work over there and thats a good sign, I know a lot of good miners out of work or having an extended break at the moment due to a quite patch.
Just did Perth to Sydney on the Eyre Hwy.
Fuel up at Penong (after Ceduna) as it was the same price around 1.34 for diesel then depending on your range you can fuel up at Eucla which was 1.69 then once again in Norseman (not at the BP) which was 1.34
Spares just your normal.
Water between Ceduna and Norseman is scarse so have a Jerry etc.
I came across no wildlife except once into NSW which was horrendous.
The eyre hwy was no way as busy as I had expected.
Can camp anywhere I shot off the hwy to get away from night time truck noise
The head of the bight is not worth the fee they charge just pull off anywhere at the cliffs to have a look.
Caves just above the nullabor roadhouse are cool.
Fuel up at Penong (after Ceduna) as it was the same price around 1.34 for diesel then depending on your range you can fuel up at Eucla which was 1.69 then once again in Norseman (not at the BP) which was 1.34
Spares just your normal.
Water between Ceduna and Norseman is scarse so have a Jerry etc.
I came across no wildlife except once into NSW which was horrendous.
The eyre hwy was no way as busy as I had expected.
Can camp anywhere I shot off the hwy to get away from night time truck noise
The head of the bight is not worth the fee they charge just pull off anywhere at the cliffs to have a look.
Caves just above the nullabor roadhouse are cool.
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!