We are embarking on our virgin trip across the Nullarbor early October with the dog. Any recommendations on good places to stay between Sydney and the south-western corner of WA? We have 8 weeks to get there and back and love to free camp, but may have to hit a CP from time to time if it gets too hot and we need to plug in the AC.
Would love to hear from you, ta
Woody n Sue said
09:43 PM Aug 30, 2015
Welcome Van Gogh to the grey nomad forum having not done that trip I can't help but I am sure that someone will come along soon that can as it sounds like a good trip planed there .
Netco said
06:38 AM Aug 31, 2015
Welcome to the team Van Gogh, enjoy it all and stay safe, see you down the road somewhere.
WobblyNut said
07:12 AM Aug 31, 2015
Looks like a "nice" trip coming up Van Go.
You are looking at around 1,000ks a week , round trip.
for the most of it - Pt Augusta - Norseman you will travel over each way.
But to get to the Gulf . I would do the Hume to Tarcutta , turn to Sturt onto Wagga Wagga
then Renmark SA , 20k on take the Berri by-pass , at Barmera turn right to Burra & weave
your way over to Pt Augusta. Across to Norseman . Turn left to Esperance on to Albany,
Manjimup to Bunbury. Coming back . I like the south way , so back to Esperance to Pt Aug.
Then you could drop into Adel or th Barossa or out of Pt Augusta turn left maybe do Wilpena
Pound on to Broken Hill & head home. Other little detours are there as well , a couple of hrs west
of Pt Aug , turn left to Streaky & on to Ceduna or do that on th return or both . I am biased about
Streaky Bay . I lived there . Even at Bunbury you don't have to come back sth or go nth , do th centre
to Wave Rock . Even in a Semi I had some exciting trips to th West. Enjoy th ride .
Yep nice destination . Great Journey too .
Have a SAFE one.
Delta18 said
11:41 AM Aug 31, 2015
WobblyNut wrote:
I am biased about Streaky Bay . I lived there.
How long ago? You would know my sister maybe, she lived there for 40 odd years til a couple years ago when she moved to Lincoln.
We called in to visit every trip from WA to SA, some 30 return trips, usually both ways.
I love Streaky Bay.
You may know .....crikey, forgot his name now, drives an all black Kenny & Drop-deck east- west. Came from Haslam.
Cheers Neil
Bruce and Bev said
09:49 PM Aug 31, 2015
Ceduna and Pt Augusta CP's are expensive - although if you have a grey water tank the Pt Augusta racecourse is cheap - about $5 a night.
Echlua on the Nullaboor (the "Boor) is good. Servo, motel, restaurant, CP and swimming pool (which is icy cold all year round) is free if staying there. $1 to operate showers. Nice flat sites. Most of the road houses on the Boor are much the same - dusty and noisy (road trains 24/7), ho hum food, cold beer and fuel prices pretty much the same right across.
On the SA side there are few or no proper free camping areas - but there are quite a few heading West which are rest areas and people stay there - but no water and few with toilets.
At the SA end there is a community run low cost (donation) camp in Iron Knob. Flat sites, tank water which is ok to drink if boiled, kitchen, toilets and a shower. Usually at least 3-4 others stopping overnight there.
Once you cross into WA, there are heaps of good free camping areas. Stop just off the road and take a walk back into the bush - many have proper tracks you can drive or tow your RV through and get well off the road (up to a km) and the truck noise.
MAKE sure to adhere to WA's food importation rules. At the road check, they will empty your RV right out onto the road if they find any prohibited items - like a carrot or honey. There is a web site which tells you each States food importation rules are and lists out allowed and prohibited items
Lastly, download the wikicamps App. You get full use of it for 14 days and then if you like it, pay $7 a year. If youre not techo, get a young person to set it up for you with the filters set correctly. About 99% of free, low cost and caravan parks are listed on there with the directions, pics and comments from people who have used them and prices
Delta18 said
11:11 PM Aug 31, 2015
Bruce and Bev wrote:
Lastly, download the wikicamps App. You get full use of it for 14 days and then if you like it, pay $7 a year. If youre not techo, get a young person to set it up for you with the filters set correctly. About 99% of free, low cost and caravan parks are listed on there with the directions, pics and comments from people who have used them and prices
Wiki is not an annual cost, it is a 'one off' fee.
Van Gogh said
11:36 PM Aug 31, 2015
Thanks guys! Absorbing all this great info. We have Wikicamps - isn't it fantastic!
Keep the comments coming - really useful and much appreciated
We are embarking on our virgin trip across the Nullarbor early October with the dog. Any recommendations on good places to stay between Sydney and the south-western corner of WA? We have 8 weeks to get there and back and love to free camp, but may have to hit a CP from time to time if it gets too hot and we need to plug in the AC.
Would love to hear from you, ta
Looks like a "nice" trip coming up Van Go.
You are looking at around 1,000ks a week , round trip.
for the most of it - Pt Augusta - Norseman you will travel over each way.
But to get to the Gulf . I would do the Hume to Tarcutta , turn to Sturt onto Wagga Wagga
then Renmark SA , 20k on take the Berri by-pass , at Barmera turn right to Burra & weave
your way over to Pt Augusta. Across to Norseman . Turn left to Esperance on to Albany,
Manjimup to Bunbury. Coming back . I like the south way , so back to Esperance to Pt Aug.
Then you could drop into Adel or th Barossa or out of Pt Augusta turn left maybe do Wilpena
Pound on to Broken Hill & head home. Other little detours are there as well , a couple of hrs west
of Pt Aug , turn left to Streaky & on to Ceduna or do that on th return or both . I am biased about
Streaky Bay . I lived there . Even at Bunbury you don't have to come back sth or go nth , do th centre
to Wave Rock . Even in a Semi I had some exciting trips to th West. Enjoy th ride .
Yep nice destination . Great Journey too .
Have a SAFE one.
Echlua on the Nullaboor (the "Boor) is good. Servo, motel, restaurant, CP and swimming pool (which is icy cold all year round) is free if staying there. $1 to operate showers. Nice flat sites. Most of the road houses on the Boor are much the same - dusty and noisy (road trains 24/7), ho hum food, cold beer and fuel prices pretty much the same right across.
On the SA side there are few or no proper free camping areas - but there are quite a few heading West which are rest areas and people stay there - but no water and few with toilets.
At the SA end there is a community run low cost (donation) camp in Iron Knob. Flat sites, tank water which is ok to drink if boiled, kitchen, toilets and a shower. Usually at least 3-4 others stopping overnight there.
Once you cross into WA, there are heaps of good free camping areas. Stop just off the road and take a walk back into the bush - many have proper tracks you can drive or tow your RV through and get well off the road (up to a km) and the truck noise.
MAKE sure to adhere to WA's food importation rules. At the road check, they will empty your RV right out onto the road if they find any prohibited items - like a carrot or honey. There is a web site which tells you each States food importation rules are and lists out allowed and prohibited items
Lastly, download the wikicamps App. You get full use of it for 14 days and then if you like it, pay $7 a year. If youre not techo, get a young person to set it up for you with the filters set correctly. About 99% of free, low cost and caravan parks are listed on there with the directions, pics and comments from people who have used them and prices
Wiki is not an annual cost, it is a 'one off' fee.
Thanks guys! Absorbing all this great info. We have Wikicamps - isn't it fantastic!
Keep the comments coming - really useful and much appreciated