In the UK we laugh at the Americans who think they can "do" Britain in 3 days on their 3 week tour of Europe. Now I feel I may be doing the same in NSW.
Wife and I are spending 19 days in a campervan this coming October. We will be visiting friends in Berkeley for 2 days so have 17 days to "do" NSW.
So with all your local knowledge is the following not just possible, but practical as well. Starting from Berkeley a circular route via Goulburn, Wagga Wagga, Hay, Mildura to Broken Hill, and returning to Sydney via, Cobar, Dubbo, Molong, Katoomba.
I obviously don't want to spend every day driving, but want to balance that with seeing as much as possible. As a retired truck driver I, can if necessary drive long distances.
I look forward to hearing your views and suggestions
I am not here to answer your question just to say, as a one time truck driver used to long stints behind the wheel it's very hard to get out of the habit of getting from A to B as quickly as possible.
I have found it difficult to slow down and as they say smell the roses and see the sights.
I live in NSW but when I drove across US. I used Google earth to set up traveling time between destinations and every second day left to recover / rest or search the area we stayed at.. Naturally you have to guess the time you stay in each location. We could get big discount if we booked in advance through hotel chain which is why we needed to pre chart our trip.. It worked out fine..
I guess the same pretty much applies to you ?
. The distances are great here in Australia, out of cities, population its real outback..
You'll be seeing a good variety of places on that route Mark, sounds good. 17 days is a short time, but as you are aware of the distances, there's just one more thing... on most outback roads you need to watch for wildlife or straying livestock on the roads, therefore speeds are down, not like Europe, plus its safer to travel only during the daytime!
I'm a fellow Pom now living in Sydney. I have had a motorhome for 27 months and covered so far nearly 40K km and am currently doing 'the loop'.
I would suggest that the biggest difference you will find, comparing UK driving from driving here, is the condition of the roads, particularly in the outback and some out of town regions. You will seldom find 3 & 4 lane motorway style roads out of major towns. So please consider the different average speeds you will be able to travel, also the need to look out for major pot holes in some areas will make driving tiring.
If I may suggest plan your route as you wish but be prepared to change it if needed in order to appreciate this great country. As they say here, be prepared to spend some to smell the flowers!
Have a great time on the road and a safe journey.
Regards Colin
just seen Gerty's post, as she said don't drive other than day times. It can be dangerous with kangaroos etc being about at night, particularly at dawn and dusk.
-- Edited by JCT on Tuesday 1st of July 2014 10:46:47 AM
-- Edited by JCT on Tuesday 1st of July 2014 10:47:32 AM
Hi there KountryLite.
Sydney (or Berkeley) to Mildura is a 2 day trip seeing nothing and Broken Hill to Sydney is a 2 day trip seeing nothing so yes, I would say what you've chosen is do-able as long as you are prepared to change plans if needed. Once you're out on the Hay plains you're basically committed to keep going as it's a long way back. The same applies to the Broken Hill to Dubbo section. But there's lots to see and enjoy and the days will be longer by October - but beware of dawn and dusk as JCT and Gerty say. Out round Cobar you will also see lots of goats.
Lots to see in Mildura but also include Wentworth (where the two rivers meet (Darling and Murray) and also the red sand dunes are great) as you head off to Broken Hill (lots there too) and try and duck out to Menindee on the Darling River and the Kinchega NP before heading off to Cobar. The road from Nyngan to Narromine is very 'bumpy' (did our caravan springs in). Dubbo has the Western Plains Zoo (totally different to a town zoo). And down that road (the Obley Rd) is a back road through Yeoval and Cumnock that will take you to Molong. It again is sometimes narrow and a few patched sections but will take you past some interesting animals on bikes and show you some truly small central west towns ($8/night for power at Yeoval Showground) which need a tourist $. Orange and Bathurst are also lovely towns as you head back down the mountains to Sydney.
Some sections of your plan are flat and you'll make good time (beware of police booking on the Hay Plains) and some areas are mountainous and will slow you down. Lots to see though so look forward to it. All the best.
