Anyone 'doing' the Stuart Highway?

JulieM · Veteran Member

Anyone 'doing' the Stuart Highway?

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Check the "Get togethers" section Julie.

JulieM · Veteran Member

Thanks Gerty

JulieM · Veteran Member

Thanks Gerty

Santa · Guru

Janno wrote:
Hey Jules, I'm not all that far ahead of you. I've stopped for the night at Lake Hart rest stop. Beautiful spot overlooking the water if you are looking for a nice free camp on the way down to Port Augusta.

Evening Janno,

Stayed at the Lake Hart rest area a couple of weeks ago, great spot, very scenic, my wife used to work at the Lake Hart rocket range back in the 70's, lot's of memories.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15264656@N02/5387490656/

Like most SA rest area's it's a shame there are no toilet facilities.

-- Edited by Santa on Saturday 24th of August 2013 07:25:26 PM

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Hey JulieM - where are you now? We are at Marla at the CP behind the roadhouse - in the non power section.

Janno · Veteran Member

Hey Jules, I'm not all that far ahead of you. I've stopped for the night at Lake Hart rest stop. Beautiful spot overlooking the water if you are looking for a nice free camp on the way down to Port Augusta.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Thanks for that Janno - we are going pretty slow waiting for Mel (MSG) to catch us up -had to take her little dog to vet in Alice.

Janno · Veteran Member

I agree about the lack of toilet facilities in SA Santa. After crossing the border into SA from the NT, I was really surprised at the lack of toilets at rest stops - particularly when travelling across to Uluru. I stayed at rest stops both on the way too and from Uluru, and watched as a steady stream of cars pulled in and the occupants relieved themselves in the bush. A good majority of them were obviously overseas tourists. Being the only route into Uluru it surprises me that the government haven't provided toilet facilities.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

I agree with you Janno - definite lack of toilet facilities at free camps in NT and SA - on the way to Uluru there is the one at Mt Connor Lookout, the day we went there for a look, there were probably 15 people parked, having lunch etc., - pretty small spot - and only one toilet - think I would pass on using that one!!

But the amount of toilet paper and tissues laying around campgrounds makes you wonder where these people were brought up - there are rubbish bins at 99% of these stops, why won't people use them!!!!!!! At a camp the other day watched as a caravanner neatly put his bag of rubbish on top of the grated lid of the bin, after he had gone, I went over to push it in - the bin was only half full - some people!!

Janno · Veteran Member

I have watched people so many times at various rest stops leave rubbish on the ground next to an overflowing rubbish bin, when all they had to do is walk 20 metres to an empty bin nearby. It is very frustrating.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

So true Janno re the rubbish situation, we stayed at Matheson Bore last night, when we went inside last night, there was no rubbish floating around on the ground nearby, this morning, plastic bags, tissues etc all over the place! Some as close as 10 metres from a rubbish bin!!!!!

herbie · Guru

The welcome sign as you enter Coober Pedy is what the locals call the travellers cess pit !!!as that is where all the people use as a toilet.

When we were last there we had to move on (stoped to have lunch ) as the stench was just over powering it almost brought tears to one's eyes.And they flys they were in their 10000s.

Duh · Guru

Janno wrote:
I agree about the lack of toilet facilities in SA Santa. After crossing the border into SA from the NT, I was really surprised at the lack of toilets at rest stops - particularly when travelling across to Uluru. I stayed at rest stops both on the way too and from Uluru, and watched as a steady stream of cars pulled in and the occupants relieved themselves in the bush. A good majority of them were obviously overseas tourists. Being the only route into Uluru it surprises me that the government haven't provided toilet facilities.

One good thing they did have though is those green fresh drinking water tanks refilled with good drinking water by tankers.

Do they still do that?

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Yes Duh. We watched one being refilled one morning while another bloke emptied the bins. He didn't do any picking up though. Later after they'd left a young overseas tourist came to the tank and washed his dishes under running water. GRRR! not only wasting so much good water, but left a big mud-patch on the ground.
I've noticed sometimes people leave an ice-cream container or similar filled with water for the animals near those tanks.

Duh · Guru

Thanks Gerty, SA as far as I am aware are the only State that does this, not sure about one on the Nullabor, but don't think I would drink from it unless desperate. The birds love to drink from water left in the containers too or any dripping tanks.

They should put signs on those tanks "drinking water only" although they may already have it put on them, I can't recall.

Some tourists just don't get how dry a continent we are and how scarce water is.

Here is a blog link to drinking water top up points on the Stuart Highway in general;

http://ozride.blogspot.com.au/2008/01/water-tanks-along-stuart-highway.html

Santa · Guru

Duh wrote:
Thanks Gerty, SA as far as I am aware are the only State that does this, not sure about one on the Nullabor, but don't think I would drink from it unless desperate. The birds love to drink from water left in the containers too or any dripping tanks.
They should put signs on those tanks "drinking water only" although they may already have it put on them, I can't recall.
Some tourists just don't get how dry a continent we are and how scarce water is.
Here is a blog link to drinking water top up points on the Stuart Highway in general;
http://ozride.blogspot.com.au/2008/01/water-tanks-along-stuart-highway.html

They do put a sign on them Vic, it reads,

"THIS WATER MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION"

Duh · Guru

Is that the one on the Nullabor Santa or does it include the SA ones, I understood they used mains water in the green tanks, but perhaps it is bore water and needs boiling by the sound of it. confuse

Santa · Guru

Duh wrote:
Is that the one on the Nullabor Santa or does it include the SA ones, I understood they used mains water in the green tanks, but perhaps it is bore water and needs boiling by the sound of it.

All tanks on the Stuart highway are marked this way Vic, it has more to do with idiots deliberately contaminating the water (use your imagination) than anything else.

Duh · Guru

Thanks Santa, they reckon it is the vandalism etc that prevents councils putting in loo's etc because of the way they are trashed, I have even heard of some being removed due to that, just become too costly to repair and maintain.

a bit OT, but coming across the north of WA I was at a rest stop (up on top of a hill, can't recall the camps location) which seemed in the middle of nowhere and a two man team in a water truck turned up to clean it, using a high pressure hose off the truck, I mention this as it must have been a very expensive operation for the distance travelled (fuel etc), the wages of the two men and of course the provision of the truck and it's maintenance. I assume they were on a designated cleaning run and I did wonder who paid for it all, whether it was the nearest town council or whether it was state or federal funded.

Janno · Veteran Member

When I was travelling across to Tom Price from the West coast I was stopped at a rest stop when two chaps turned up in a truck like Duh described. As it was so isolated and in the middle of nowhere I was interested to know how far they had travelled.

They both had irish accents which amused me, and they told me they worked for a nearby Station (Cheela Plains) which had the contract to maintain all the rest stops within a certain area. Because of the vast distances in WA I presume the Government contracts other Stations to clean all the rest areas throughout WA.

Cruising Granny · Guru

NSW has really good rest stops, with toilets and water tanks. Some in WA on the Eyre Highway are ideal.
SA is just plain slack, but vandalism is everywhere. Qld is slack, although we did camp at a great free camp at Duaringa near Dingo on the Capricorn Highway. The parking bay north of Injune has a toilet which I found to be absolutely disgusting. Someone had ripped the door off, and everyone had been to the toilet everywhere but in the toilet. The stench was unbearable. It was more comfortable to go behind the toilet.
Most of the water along the Eyre Highway (Nullarbor) is not for human consumption, short of cleaning your teeth.
It's trucked in from bores or from the main supply in Ceduna.
Border Village has a desalainator and it's really good, potable water.
There isn't much, if any, bore water along the Eyre Highway. Those windmills you see around Penong and west to Nundroo pump very brackish water. It's so hard it doesn't run, it comes in chunks. LOL
The idea is to prepare for a long run without good water. Stock up at Ceduna and Norseman, or buy bottled water to be safe.

Most of outback is the same.
I am always amused at the warning signs around Coober Pedy. "Do not walk backwards!"
It must be the only sign of this kind in the world.