Melbourne to Perth WA

Snubby · Member

Melbourne to Perth WA

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

50C is not unusual during some weather patterns. We had that in November once.
If you strike that with a tail wind your vehicle is unlikely to cope.
Cheers,
Peter

Snubby · Member

Many thanks gives me something to consider

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

These may help -

http://www.nullarbornet.com.au/

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/climate/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=18106

https://www.nullarborroadhouse.com.au/6-secret-tourist-spots-along-the-eyre-highway/

Cheers - John

jrg · Senior Member

Luck of the draw with the weather Snubby we,ve done the Nullarbor 9 times November to March and usually take 4 days so 36 days out there and this year we had our hottest day of 37 deg mostly pleasant 32 deg.if time allows you can plan around hot spells staying by the coast at Ceduna ,Fowlers bay or similar if not just do it great drive .

Possum3 · Guru

The prevailing winds at that time of year are predominately Westerly or South Westerly - Travel early mornings only for better fuel economy particularly if towing a caravan.

erad · Guru

I have done the trip a few times now, once during February. The outside thermometer on the car said 52 Deg C. It was HOT. So much so that trying to fill the tank with LPG at ****lebiddy, the gas nozzle was too hot to touch.It had been in the sun all day. We had to use a rag over the nozzle body before the gas flow cooled it down enough for us to hold it normally. You can expect temperatures as high as this, you will probably get a cold SW change coming through just as easily. Who knows?

As for things to see, there are several lookout points along the way. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make easy access to these points, so you should do them justice by looking at them. Each is different and each worth seeing. The road surface is excellent. Beware of speeding - there are coppers out there. There are also camels, cows, emus, dogs - you name it. It is a long way, but I do not find it boring - I enjoy the drive. At Eucla, there is the old telegraph repeater station down on the coast. A visit is a must. The old buildings are periodically covered and then cleared with sand drifting in. Park there and walk out to the beach. There is an old wooden railway heading out. An old boat well beached in the sand and an old jetty as well. On the way there, you pass the airstrip. One of our trips we saw a sign "Eucla International Airport".....

Fuel is expensive, but you have to have it, so grin and bear it. Ceduna and Norseman are relatively cheap. Others in the middle are costly - ****lebidy, Nullarbor Roadhouse and Eucla are probably the dearest. Nundroo was cheaper when we last came through. Wherever you take on fuel, it will always be cheaper at the next stop.... Remember that these guys are there providing a service to the traveller, and they have to make a quid too. I bought ice creams for our gang at one of the stops - cannot remember the item details, but they normally cost about $3.00, and they were $5.00 there, but hell, he had to run his diesel generators for the freezers etc, and pay the Canadian guy serving us. They do provide a service.

Ger08 · Senior Member

We recently crossed the Nullarbor and carried enough fuel to get from Norseman to Eucla and enjoyed a stop over at ****lebiddy. I think its pretty certain you will get temps of 40 plus so make sure your vehicle cooling system is in good order

Stretch60 · Senior Member

We are doing perth Melbourne same time. See you out there.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

We lived at Ceduna for 15 years - the maximum there we experienced in town some 31 years ago was 48.5 degrees while out on the road, as others have said, it can reach 55 degrees (in the shelters that housed the radio-communications system)! Our last trip over there was four years ago (to SW WA & return) in July-Sept.

We often had nights where the temp at 10 o'clock at night was still in the high 30s but the gardens survived somehow when I watered.

However, you could get some nice weather - if you do your weather watching well. Generally the temps start in the mid 20s & wind up gradually to & into the 40s but if a change (Fremantle Doctor) comes through, the temp could drop 20 degrees in an afternoon. You could experience some not so nice head winds too - going either way. They could be cool or hot!

Snubby, do you HAVE to travel at this time? The perfect time to do the trip is late Winter-Spring (July - October).

There are lots to see (depending on your interests) including the Whale Watching boardwalk & Centre at Head of Bight. There are caves, blow holes, historic locations (the old Nullarbor & & Koonalda Homesteads, the ruins of the Old Telegraph Station at Eucla - its coverage by sand depends on the seasons & wind conditions) + there are other places in WA.

Like fishing? Look in at Streaky Bay, Smoky Bay, Ceduna, or Fowlers Bay (a former whaling station & has a reasonable caravan park too) - there are other good spots but I'm not going to tell you where they are because of the risks of getting bogged in the sand. Like oysters? The BEST oysters in Australia are grown in that area. You can buy them in a building near the Ceduna Fruit-Fly station.
Swimming - at the first three places it's fine. Don't be tempted at FB as there could be some BIG fish there with BIG TEETH!

If you are a golfer, you have to play the longest Golf Course in the World!

If you enjoy bird watching, there are quite a few to see if you're willing to look carefully. I have never seen an emu out there but with the seasons as they are at the moment, anything is possible. You may see the odd camel (generally well off the road). One of my past WA workmates was into Lichens - he used to keep busy after work.

As erad said, there are some great lookouts. If you get out of the car - DO NOT go too close to the edge of the cliffs - they are unstable. I know of one section where the cliff is 100m high & there is a corresponding depth of water there too! It could be a bit difficult to crawl back up.

NOTE - Do NOT carry any honey, fresh fruit, some vegetables or cardboard boxes that once carried tomatoes - they will be taken off you at Eucla (E-W) & on return to Ceduna. The Primary Industries staff at Eucla will go through your car & van thoroughly. Cooked food is ok.

BEWARE of the animals - the ones you are likely to see are roos & wombats (west of Nullarbor Stn). Both can disable your car if you collide with them. The first fatal accident after the bitumen was opened in SA in the 1970s was due to a wombat - the car swerved to miss the animal but was squashed by a bus that was overtaking the car.

If you decide to go, have a good & safe trip.

villatranquilla · Guru

have had many crossings since 2003. One trip we left eastern Vic on 31st Dec and it was actually hotter in western Victoria and at Port Augusta - over 40 degrees, than it was crossing the Nullabor.

Another trip in January was pleasant on the Nullabor but just got hotter as we got closer to Norseman where we ended up doing 1000 k's that day because we decided to head south at Norseman for 150 k's to get a cooler night.

It really varies so is just pot luck - perhaps check the weather when you get to Port Augusta and stay there a few days if there's a heat wave further west.
The beauty of the internet is the ability to check daily weather reports

-- Edited by villatranquilla on Sunday 21st of October 2018 09:25:17 AM

Snubby · Member

Many thanks to everyone for your contributions. Unfortunately we only have that period due work and commitments to do the trip. WE were a bit concerned about day and night temps, sleeping and driving etc. but seeing as there are many people who have done it at different times of the year, gives me confidenc, so its head down and get on with it, and dont look back.

cheers and many thanks

be safe

snubby

blaze · Guru

I have done a few crossings
best times to drive IMHO is between 10 pm and 4 am, most animals are around and moving at dusk or dawn.
Get a good sleep in the cooler morning and do a couple of hours driving in the afternoon

cheers
blaze