Perth to Darwin

oldphartz · Member

Perth to Darwin

DellieMay · Senior Member

Welcome Joyce and Rob. You'll find this is a great site, with lots of information.Between now and Feb 2012, you should get all you need, in regards to your trip. My question to you is.. what way are you going up to Darwin. Up the west coast...up the centre...or across and up the East coast? It's a long way no matter what way you are travelling. Are you flying home from Darwin, or planning on going back to Perth and then flying home? My thoughts..either way... is, 25 days, sure it can be done, but doesn't leave you much time to really see and enjoy all there is, over in WA and the NT.
I'm sure other will give their opinions.
Cheers to you both
Dellie

Vic · Guru

Joyce and Rob,

It is going to be extremely hot going north at that time of the year, in Oz we usually travel north from about April to September. Going to South West WA (southwards from Perth) could be a better option, plenty of nice coastal areas on the west and south coast to do.

General rule of thumb is go to the north of Oz in winter (our winter here) and south of Oz in summer.

Suggest you also buy Camps Australia Wide and Caravan Parks Australia wide, you can buy them online but if too expensive to post over then perhaps get them posted to your friends place in WA for when you get here, see;

http://www.campsaustraliawide.com/camps-books/41-camps-6-spiral-bound.html

This link will give you some ideas on distances and what is where and when etc for your WA leg, click on;

http://www.westernaustralia.com/au/Pages/Welcome_to_Western_Australia.aspx

A link for Darwin/Northern Territory too;

http://www.tourismtopend.com.au/

-- Edited by Vic on Sunday 5th of June 2011 10:24:00 PM

Helena · Guru

Welcome to the site you will find plenty of info here everyone is so helpful I agree with Vic it will be extremely hot at that time of the year Also as DelliMay said 25 days is not a great deal of time for the distance that you will be covering. Helena.

Sheba · Guru

Welcome from me too Joyce and Rob. Do you really have any idea of the distances involved here ? If you look at a map of Australia, have a look at the State of Queensland. I'm pretty sure we were taught as School-children, that the whole of Britian fits into Queensland 8 times.

Queensland is not as big as Western Australia, as you can see on the map. As some of the others have said, you wouldn't have time for much sight-seeing in that amount of time.

Cheers,

Sheba.

MikeMin · Veteran Member

Hi and welcome.

I hate to burst your bubble so to speak but travelling north at that time of the year is a hit and miss affair. The further north you go the more likely you will encounter tropical rain and/or cyclones!!! Darwin in Jan/Feb is not a place you would want to be with humidity at a constant 70-80% each day.

25 days is a very short time to do this trip and I would suggest that you either plan to start from Broome and travel to Darwin (again extreme weather conditions will apply) or plan to travel from Perth to say as far north as Shark Bay/Monkey Mia. We are doing a very "quick" trip from Broome to the east coast (including Darwin) and have set aside 7 weeks and we will still be rushing it!

There is so much to see and do it would be a pity for you to travel half way round the world to have to sit in the cabin of a motorhome and travel from place to place without experiencing anything.

Bottom line, if you could rearrange your travel dates to travel between April-October and give yourselves at least a month more, you will have a fantastic time.

Minnette

oldphartz · Member

Have a fair idea of distance. In 1974 drove from Cairns to Melbourne.

Rob

oldphartz · Member

Hi DellieMay, Vic, Helena, Sheba and MikeMin.

Wow guys. What a response and thanks for all the info.

Having lived in PNG for 18 years and driven from Cairns to Melbourne, we are aware of temperature and distance. Quite a change from Scotland.

There is so much to see, that there is going to have to be a trade-off. We (Propose) arrive in Perth the end of Feb and get up to Darwin early April (ish). The coast road is the one we would prefer to take. With the info you have sent thus far, we are beginning to work on itineraries for inland and coastal routes.

From Darwin/Arhem land, we have yet to plan. We do however have to be in Cairns for my youngest daughters wedding in early May 2012.

We are looking at renting a 4x4 camper, and have had some success in tracking down websites.

I couldn't agree more with MikeMin. Nothing worse that the thought of doing the distance without seeing the sights.

Thanks again guys for your response.

Rock on with the following

Adventure before dementia

Kind regards Rob & Joyce

jimricho · Guru

Hi Rob and Joyce,

I agree with the other comments about travelling the west coast at that time of the year, Cyclones and/or floods could throw your plans into disarray. My suggestion would be to do the trip the opposite way, subject to your commitments. That is, set out from Cairns after the wedding. It will be a much better time of the year to travel that area. A 4x4 is handy if you plan to do some "exploring off the beaten track" but is quite unnecessary if only travelling the main roads.

cheers

Jim

Oops! should have read your post more carefully...(go and sit in the naughty corner Jim!) yes, a 4x4 will be necessary to get into the Bungles which is well worth the visit.

-- Edited by jimricho on Monday 6th of June 2011 05:34:16 AM

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

when u hire the 4x4 make sure u are allowed to go into the bungles, some companies do not allow hire car's to go into the bungles, also at that time of the year there will not be many people travelling north so a good radio will be needed (not a CB radio, suggest a HF one)

and 25 days is nowhere near enough time, u say u will not be driving every day, I think you will be, we live in Perth and would not head north until May/June.

as others have suggested perhaps a change of time for your trip would be better.

Happywanderer · The Master

Welcome to the forum Rob and Joyce.
If you have followed Aussie news at all you will have seen all the floods experienced up north in the summer being Jan/Feb.
The north has its wet season during those months when the rest of us are having our summer. Not many grey nomaders head up there during that time. As others have said we don't travel north till at least May.
Another suggestion would be to fly into Melbourne and rent from there, then have a good look around Vic and perhaps SA before heading north to the wedding. That way you will be following the seasons/ temps/ weather .

blaze · Guru

May I sugest that you start your holiday in May after your daughters wedding and doing your trip in reverse, much more enjoyable I would think.
cheers
blaze

Esmeralda · Guru

Hello and welcome Rob and Joyce!! Have a great trip whichever way you travel. I too would worry about the rain, humidity and threat of cyclones but after 18 years in New Guinea you should have some idea of what you are up for.

Vic · Guru

Rob,

I see where you say you have more time here in your later post;

"From Darwin/Arhem land, we have yet to plan. We do however have to be in Cairns for my youngest daughters wedding in early May 2012."

So my suggestion would be to the coast south of WA and head across the Nullabor doing some of the south coast as you go then up to Cairns via NSW, then return across the top (Darwin etc) and go back to Perth that way. You will then strike Darwin say around the end of May which may be ok and you are starting to get into the cooler weather, but great weather up north.

wendyv · Guru

Welcome.
It is unlikely that you will be able to get into the Bungles at the time you propose to travel. Many/most dirt roads up north are closed through the Wet season, and until such time as streams have gone down and graders have been able to repair wet season road damage. Even main bitumen roads get closed at that time of the year. in a big Wet. This one just gone, Highway 1 was washed away at Warmun, near Kununurra. In February, the highway to Kakadu was closed for some time due to floods.
The coast that you are proposing to travel is known to some as the cyclone coast, because there's always at least one cyclone there each year, sometimes several.
I agree with those who have suggested that you explore the south coast Feb on. There is a lot to see and do in SW WA. Then you could go via the Centre, with its many attractions, to Tennant Creek and across to Cairns via Mt Isa. Will still be hottish in those parts, then, but not as bad as in Feb.
To drive from Perth to Darwin, via the coast, and do justice to the incredible scenery and activities, you need at least a couple of months.

Nicholstones · Guru

Absolutely agree with all of the above. You will find at the time of year you are proposing going north from Perth that you probably don't need to rent a 4x4, as most if not all the unsealed and 4-wd roads are closed during the wet season. So you wouldn't be able to go into the Bungles, the Gibb River Rd, or anywhere much else that is off the blacktop, and even the sealed highway is sometimes closed because of flooding.

It's well over 4,000km from Perth to Darwin on the coastal route, that's an awful lot of driving in not much more than 3 weeks.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

Gibb River Road has only recently been opened to traffic (about two weeks ago)

Sheba · Guru

I think jimrichos' solution might be the way to go. At least that way, you're sure you'll be there for the Wedding.

Then it won't be quite such a drama if you happen to have any kind of accident or set-back on the road.

Cheers,

Sheba.

Jazzin Around · Veteran Member

I am currently in Carnarvon and took 8 days to come from Port Lincoln in South Australia and fortunate enough to have a tail wind across the Nullabor but driving for up to 8 hours a day for much of the way at between 90 and 100 kph. Not recommended. From Carnarvon to Kununurra (to see the Bungle Bungles) alone is 2463 so what are you going to see coming up from Perth and return? Add anther 1,000 from Perth. I have been this trip twice before and more interested in getting up to where it is warmer and will see it all again on the way back down. Many more dump points than there were in 2006 and 1998 but the cheap camps such as at Coronation Beach near Geraldton are now $15 per night even for one person. Many of the rest stops in the west are now not intended to camp overnight unless they are designated 24 hour stops. Excellent camp at Galena Bridge near the turn-off to Kalbarri especially since the floods which gave it a good clean out. Van parks up here in Carnarvon all around $30 per night and I am told Broome is over $50 as is Darwin.