Perth to Darwin

Duh · Guru

Perth to Darwin

oakforddavo · Veteran Member

Planning a trip up the coast and through to Darwin later this year and would like any tips on good places to stop - or bad ones not to. We will be towing a camper trailer and want power sites mainly but will be able to cope without. Not 4wd so going too far off road is not possible unless roads are good. Did this route thirty years ago but things must have improved by now I hope.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Don't make it too late oakforddavo or you will get all the heat and nasties from the weather gods.

justcruisin01 · Guru

Well worth a visit to Karijini & Mill stream NP's. Tom price & Ningaloo.

JC.

Duh · Guru

April and May are best to head north from Perth Dave, starts to get a bit crowded around June, especially in Broome, where those coming from the east across the top meet those coming up from the West. You'll need to book for Broome.

Suggest you buy both these books Camps Australia Wide (Camps 7) and Caravan Parks Australia Wide. Both available at the RAC (discount applies for members), bookshops, camping stores or direct from Camps online, see; http://www.campsaustraliawide.com/

There are plenty of free camps, some with toilets, between Broome and Katherine Gorge......

spida · Guru

Roebuck is a better option to stay than Broome. April, may June is fine. Litchfield park a must - last CP before park is really good. mary Pool, Sandfire, Degrey river. Tom Price CP really nice and do the mine tour. Dont get fuel at Nanutarra - very expensive - and Doon Doon. Fitzroy CP beside supermarket is fine. Also small one in Derby. Timber Creek another good one - lovely big trees and fresh crocs in creek.

wendyv · Guru

Denham has caravan park that is a good base to see the area and visit Monkey Mia.

A "must" would be to see Ningaloo Reef - snorkel over it if possible. Can be done from Coral Bay - couple of caravan parks there adequate for purpose, but not cheap. At Coral Bay you walk into the sea and are straight over the reef - magic. Or can be done from near Exmouth - Turquoise Bay, if you are a bit more adventurous. Caravan Park in Exmouth, or around the top near Lighthouse - or unpowered camping in Cape Range NP.

Karijini NP a must. Unpowered camping at Dales Gorge.

Eighty Mile Beach CP a must.

Barn Hill, bit south of Broome, is worth a stay. Have powered and unpowered areas.

We have visited Marble Bar a couple of times - interesting and pleasant. CP there.

You will need to book ahead as soon as you are prepared to commit to a date, for Broome, during June-early Sept.

Fitzroy Crossing - nice CP on edge - Geicke Gorge boat trip excellent.

Kununurra is pleasant place to stay, with quite a bit to do. Boat trip up the Ord River is well worthwhile.

Visit Litchfield NP - is a caravan park at western side, just a bit past Wangi Falls - good base to explore that end of the park.

Duh · Guru

wendyv wrote:
Denham has caravan park that is a good base to see the area and visit Monkey Mia.

A "must" would be to see Ningaloo Reef - snorkel over it if possible. Can be done from Coral Bay - couple of caravan parks there adequate for purpose, but not cheap. At Coral Bay you walk into the sea and are straight over the reef - magic. Or can be done from near Exmouth - Turquoise Bay, if you are a bit more adventurous. Caravan Park in Exmouth, or around the top near Lighthouse - or unpowered camping in Cape Range NP.

Karijini NP a must. Unpowered camping at Dales Gorge.

Eighty Mile Beach CP a must.

Barn Hill, bit south of Broome, is worth a stay. Have powered and unpowered areas.

We have visited Marble Bar a couple of times - interesting and pleasant. CP there. (well worth the drive in and out - good bitumen road - beautiful scenery, mine/museum tour, Ironclad Hotel, etc)

You will need to book ahead as soon as you are prepared to commit to a date, for Broome, during June-early Sept.

Fitzroy Crossing - nice CP on edge - Geicke Gorge boat trip excellent.

Kununurra is pleasant place to stay, with quite a bit to do. Boat trip up the Ord River is well worthwhile.(also Lake Argyle, boat tour also a CP there, do a flight by plane or helicopter over Lake Argyle, Bungle Bungles, Argyle Diamond Mine, mini bungles in Kununurra etc)

Visit Litchfield NP - is a caravan park at western side, just a bit past Wangi Falls - good base to explore that end of the park.

I have added some bits to Wendy's above in brackets, hope that is ok Wendy, saved me a re-type.

Kalbarri is a must, go in via Northampton (CP there ok for an overnighter), quick look in at Pt Gregory (bombed by a Jap sub in WW2) or stay in the CP there, see the Pink Lake, then allow time to call into the cliff top lookouts (bitumen in roads) for photo's etc on the way into Kalbarri, spectacular scenery, we stayed at the very last CP (northside) of Kalbarri which was cheaper and heaps of room to move, have also stayed at the Tudor, further in from the coast. Do a daytrip to the gorges at Kalbarri, can do them on the way out back to the highway as well.

STEVO · Veteran Member

Agree with all the above comments re places to stay. We were in WA in what they call the 'shoulder season' which is August/September. Had no problem anywhere re caravan sites as the main tourist season was over. Weather was still good and less people on the road. Broome was not a problem for caravan sites. We stayed at the Roebuck Bay Caravan Park which was very handy to the town centre and an easy walk to main beach where the stairway to the moon is the main attraction. We were also lucky enough to be in Broome when the Shinju Matsurai Festival was on from 10th September. Street parades, concerts in the park, dragon boat races at main beach, just take a chair with you and walk there from the Caravan Park. We loved Broome at that time of year and also Barn Hill where you can play bowls on their bowling green. Loved all of WA really.

wendyv · Guru

By about mid August, it is getting pretty hot, dry and dusty in parts north. I'd go for earlier rather than later. Even in the middle of the year, there are no guarantees - can get unseasonal rain any time. In different years, we have been deluged in Karijini/Karratha in July; Stuck in Kununurra in late June with days of heavy rain. But such events pass quickly.

It is kind of a pity that you can't start at the Darwin end in, say, about early May, and then travel south! Kakadu is at its best early in the dry season. Many people who visit it in late July/August are disappointed.

October/November sees the storm season start in Pilbara - thunder, lightning, wind; around Darwin then you are getting to the build-up season, which is pretty unpleasant.

Given that the busy times in places like Broome, Karijini, Darwin etc go from June to sometime in August, you really aren't going to be able to avoid them and still have reasonable weather.Not much point missing the crowds if you are too hot to sleep or sightsee!

-- Edited by wendyv on Monday 11th of March 2013 09:43:50 PM

oakforddavo · Veteran Member

I am getting mixed feelings about timing of our northern trip - some people are saying go earlier than we planned and others suggest later. We dont want to be in the middle of the crowded season and constantly have site problems but we also do want to be in the dry season. I,m a bit confused.

Duh · Guru

I live in Perth and have done the trip north quite a number of times. If you want to miss the crowds I would say go April or May, or like Stevo said, go a bit later in August/September. September is generally ok, but watch the wet season towards the end of the month in September and October onwards if you don't like storms and humidity...

Some people like the Wet, and reckon that to see rain pouring down Ayers Rock is a sight to behold.

Bear in mind that going later you still have to travel across the north of the country where you may strike similar weather (use above the Tropic of Capricorn as a general guide).

See "Best Time To Go" at the right of the main page on this link;

http://www.australia.com/explore/states/wa.aspx

Duh · Guru

Davo,

If you leave Perth April/May for the trip north, this will leave you time to eventually get to Darwin before the weather starts to turn there (the wet/humidity etc). Leave it too late (September) from Perth and Darwin will be very unbearable......just a thought!