We are planning a trip from Sydney to Western Australia ( and along the WA coast all the way to Broome), across to Darwin and down to Adelaide and back to Sydney. i keep hearing that you need to travel the right way otherwise youre travelling against the wind and you double your fuel consumption BUT no one knows which way to travel. We would be leaving Sydney, about April 2020. can somebody help please
peter
Meredith said
10:48 PM May 12, 2019
Winds in all parts of Australia vary all the time, there is no one right direction that will mean you are always going with the wind, and its silly in my mind to use it as a major factor in your planning. After going to WA several times we have tail/head/side winds on the Nullabor and the coast when travelling in both directions. Instead plan to travel with the weather. You don't say how long you are going for, but leaving Sydney in April would suggest heading north and seeing northern NT and WA in the cooler months then heading down the coast as the weather warms up. Not much use finding yourself in Darwin in the summer and southern WA is not much fun in winter.
travelyounger said
11:15 PM May 12, 2019
Hi I would not worry about the wind on your travels ,just go with the flow and like the band (the eagles) take it easy take it easy take this great land slowly as you miss all the best bits and you may not get to see the bits if you go to fast and worry about the winds especially the west coast of wa the wind is just with you or against you and it will always will be
Whenarewethere said
01:53 AM May 13, 2019
From Norseman to the border we had a tailwind. Then to Ceduna we had a headwind. You will double your fuel from 95 to 135 in NT.
Duck into Karijini NP but not in the school holidays.
As already said better to go anticlockwise based on the date you are going. That's what we did but we went up through Bourke, Longreach etc.
We did the Nullabour in February last year heading West and had a very strong tail wind. So strong in fact that we averaged 11litres per 100km. But later in our trip on the big lap heading from 3 ways to the east copped extreme head winds and the fuel consumption went up to 21 litres per 100km. We tow a 21ft 2.8 ton van with a Nissan Navara V6 diesel. It is just luck of the draw. Just go when you are ready.
-- Edited by cjt55 on Monday 13th of May 2019 02:13:06 AM
-- Edited by cjt55 on Monday 13th of May 2019 02:14:46 AM
Olive Oil said
06:10 AM May 13, 2019
Weather (wind) flows are predominantly from the West heading East, stronger in the Winter months. You're heading East to West so you'll be going into it.
woolman said
07:15 AM May 13, 2019
You would have a greater chance of head wind heading west this time of the year. I would be heading to Darwin first as that way you would be heading into the warmer weather as you head south down the west coast.
Neil
erad said
08:37 AM May 13, 2019
It doesn't matter which way you travel, or which you do so - Murphy's Law says that it will be a headwind. And it sis all uphill as well....
Seriously, there is a general prevailing westerly wind which blows across the continent. High pressure and low pressure cells are embedded in the windstream. A high pressure system has an anti-clockwise circulation around it. Depending on the latitude of the high pressure systems, you may find either a headwind or a tailwind, or no wind. Not much you can do about it - you just have to adjust your speed if you are that concerned about fuel consumption. Speed has a much greater effect on fuel consumption. If you travel at 100 km/hr, your fuel consumption due to aerodynamic drag will be X L/100 km. If you drop the speed to 90, the consumption due to drag will be 0.73 X. If you go at 110 km/h the consumption due to drag will be 1.33 X. Aerodynamic drag is not the only factor in fuel consumption - friction losses in tyres, engine, transmission etc all add up, but drag becomes a major factor, especially when towing something with the aerodynamics of a brick.
In 2006, we did a trip around the block. On our way back, the weather down South was dreadful, so we waited around Geraldton few weeks, Eventually we had to go, so we headed off. One day, we had horrendous winds coming from about 45 degrees over my right shoulder - a sort of tailwind. We got to Penong and camped the night there. Next day I heard the weather report and there were winds averaging 85 km/h, gusting to over 100 km/h. Fuel consumption was awesome! I chose that trip well - for the whole 22000 km, I had headwinds only on 3 days, and they were way up North. I have never been as lucky since.
-- Edited by erad on Monday 13th of May 2019 08:38:14 AM
-- Edited by erad on Monday 13th of May 2019 08:45:22 AM
Stefdogs said
09:02 AM May 13, 2019
Thank you very much. Very helpful info.
peter
Stefdogs said
09:04 AM May 13, 2019
Thank you
Stefdogs said
09:05 AM May 13, 2019
Thank you
Aus-Kiwi said
03:55 PM May 14, 2019
If run into head wind ? I find stopping overnight early is best ., We mainly free camp . Can pretty much bet itll be gone by next morning . On the Nullarbor, Best for Roos and wildlife anyway !
I have been east west quite a few times, and I agree with the other posters, the wind is unpredictable
I do not take this into my calculations/budget when planning a trip, apart from the worst scenario, of having headwinds, somewhere along the road
I also agree with others, to plan your trip according to the seasons, and not the winds
I have had both head and tail winds, on the same sections of road, in the same months, but different years
TheHeaths said
01:42 PM May 15, 2019
Peter,
as others have said, it is often pot luck, and changes from day to day. Some days you win, and some you lose with respect to wind direction. One thing that doesn't happen is doubling the fuel usage!
To put it into perspective, we have a poverty pack 100 series Landcruiser, with after market turbo. With a tail wind while towing, we are at ~ 17l/100 km while the van is on. With a head wind, we are at ~ 22l/100 km. Actual cost increase between $8 and $10 per 100 km depending on fuel cost per litre. Easily controlled by either not driving, or pulling up earlier if wind starts to increase. And bear this in mind. It is a rare day when you have a straight on head, or straight behind tail, wind for the day. I suggest more than 80% of the time, it is coming from either a rear or front quarter, and the increase/decrease in fuel is less than I quote.
Honestly, over the course of the trip you are planning, the additional cost for the sectors where you face a head wind will be a minor part of the overall cost of the trip. Just get out and do it, because you only live once.
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Wednesday 15th of May 2019 01:44:41 PM
We are planning a trip from Sydney to Western Australia ( and along the WA coast all the way to Broome), across to Darwin and down to Adelaide and back to Sydney. i keep hearing that you need to travel the right way otherwise youre travelling against the wind and you double your fuel consumption BUT no one knows which way to travel. We would be leaving Sydney, about April 2020. can somebody help please
peter
From Norseman to the border we had a tailwind. Then to Ceduna we had a headwind. You will double your fuel from 95 to 135 in NT.
Duck into Karijini NP but not in the school holidays.
As already said better to go anticlockwise based on the date you are going. That's what we did but we went up through Bourke, Longreach etc.
We did the Nullabour in February last year heading West and had a very strong tail wind. So strong in fact that we averaged 11litres per 100km. But later in our trip on the big lap heading from 3 ways to the east copped extreme head winds and the fuel consumption went up to 21 litres per 100km. We tow a 21ft 2.8 ton van with a Nissan Navara V6 diesel. It is just luck of the draw. Just go when you are ready.
-- Edited by cjt55 on Monday 13th of May 2019 02:13:06 AM
-- Edited by cjt55 on Monday 13th of May 2019 02:14:46 AM
Weather (wind) flows are predominantly from the West heading East, stronger in the Winter months. You're heading East to West so you'll be going into it.
You would have a greater chance of head wind heading west this time of the year. I would be heading to Darwin first as that way you would be heading into the warmer weather as you head south down the west coast.
Neil
It doesn't matter which way you travel, or which you do so - Murphy's Law says that it will be a headwind. And it sis all uphill as well....
Seriously, there is a general prevailing westerly wind which blows across the continent. High pressure and low pressure cells are embedded in the windstream. A high pressure system has an anti-clockwise circulation around it. Depending on the latitude of the high pressure systems, you may find either a headwind or a tailwind, or no wind. Not much you can do about it - you just have to adjust your speed if you are that concerned about fuel consumption. Speed has a much greater effect on fuel consumption. If you travel at 100 km/hr, your fuel consumption due to aerodynamic drag will be X L/100 km. If you drop the speed to 90, the consumption due to drag will be 0.73 X. If you go at 110 km/h the consumption due to drag will be 1.33 X. Aerodynamic drag is not the only factor in fuel consumption - friction losses in tyres, engine, transmission etc all add up, but drag becomes a major factor, especially when towing something with the aerodynamics of a brick.
In 2006, we did a trip around the block. On our way back, the weather down South was dreadful, so we waited around Geraldton few weeks, Eventually we had to go, so we headed off. One day, we had horrendous winds coming from about 45 degrees over my right shoulder - a sort of tailwind. We got to Penong and camped the night there. Next day I heard the weather report and there were winds averaging 85 km/h, gusting to over 100 km/h. Fuel consumption was awesome! I chose that trip well - for the whole 22000 km, I had headwinds only on 3 days, and they were way up North. I have never been as lucky since.
-- Edited by erad on Monday 13th of May 2019 08:38:14 AM
-- Edited by erad on Monday 13th of May 2019 08:45:22 AM
Thank you very much. Very helpful info.
peter
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-233.77,-26.69,974
See current wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, as forecast by supercomputers, on an interactive animated map. Updated every three hours.
Gday...
I guess the only real constant is that there WILL be wind, almost every day.
Wind and the strength of that wind varies from day to day, week to week, month to month ... season to season.
These two snaps from the site www.windy.com give an indication - the first one is at the moment, and second one is for Friday week.....
It would definitely depend where you were in a fortnight and which direction you were going to travel given that variety of wind directions.
Cheers - John
I do not take this into my calculations/budget when planning a trip, apart from the worst scenario, of having headwinds, somewhere along the road
I also agree with others, to plan your trip according to the seasons, and not the winds
I have had both head and tail winds, on the same sections of road, in the same months, but different years
Peter,
as others have said, it is often pot luck, and changes from day to day. Some days you win, and some you lose with respect to wind direction. One thing that doesn't happen is doubling the fuel usage!
To put it into perspective, we have a poverty pack 100 series Landcruiser, with after market turbo. With a tail wind while towing, we are at ~ 17l/100 km while the van is on. With a head wind, we are at ~ 22l/100 km. Actual cost increase between $8 and $10 per 100 km depending on fuel cost per litre. Easily controlled by either not driving, or pulling up earlier if wind starts to increase. And bear this in mind. It is a rare day when you have a straight on head, or straight behind tail, wind for the day. I suggest more than 80% of the time, it is coming from either a rear or front quarter, and the increase/decrease in fuel is less than I quote.
Honestly, over the course of the trip you are planning, the additional cost for the sectors where you face a head wind will be a minor part of the overall cost of the trip. Just get out and do it, because you only live once.
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Wednesday 15th of May 2019 01:44:41 PM
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you