Has anyone done a road trip from nth qld to Alice springs before? I’m trying to plan the trip for next year but wanting some info.
1. How much did it roughly cost in total?
2. What are some essentials we should have for the drive/roads?
3. What are some MUST see’s there and on the way?
4. How long did the drive take?
These are just a few things I can think of right now. I want to save as much money as I can as I don’t want to not be able to do anything and I want to give my kids the best experience ever. Any info is appreciated. Thankyou
4 Replies
If you don't get an answer here try a Queensland free camping group on fb.
Make sure you always have plenty of water with you. Take 3-4 days driving. Join travel Australia with kids page and ask these questions, they have great tips and info.
Planning a lap around Australia is a good Facebook group you could join.
The cost has so many variables.
Are you just driving your car and paying for accommodation each night?
Towing a caravan or camper, taking a tent?
Do you have the equipment to be self sufficient campers?
Service your car before you go and check your spare tyre is in date. Consider a 12v tyre inflator to chuck in your tool box, they're not expensive.
Different cars have different fuel economy.
My 4 cylinder turbo diesel did 2200km in October for $200. This year 2005km was $290 with the addition of towing my caravan. First trip was up the coast where fuel prices were pretty consistent. Second was west where the further you went the higher the price. Factor your trip at $2/l and use the fuel spy app. Know the range of your fuel tank and plan your stops to never get lower than 1/4 tank and to maximise your fuel app savings (for instance you might refill half a tank for a lower price then just top up at another servo a few hundred ks down the road before beginning a long leg). When I'm towing I carry 10l of diesel just in case I'm driving along, see a sign and decide to detour. My fuel stops are planned but they're flexible by carrying that extra.
Accomodation cost. Free camps usually have a toilet. No shower. Sometimes you can pay a few bucks to use a truckie shower at a large truck stop. Caravan Parks have amenities and you can put a tent up, you don't need to have a van. Some areas are cheaper than others. And there's a stack of pubs with camping out the back too. Those are your most economical options.
My to do list in this area basically consists of Adels Grove and Bitter Springs. If you're going all the way to Alice consider if you can go a little further and fit in Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon (when I say a little further, it's outback little, not east coast little). Most of my to do list comes from posts shared on FB camping groups. They also share places to not camp due to safety reasons, places good for kids etc.
I can comfortably do a 400km straight stint. My ass hurts after 600km. I've done 900km which was incredibly uncomfortable, I think that was compounded by the long day and not enough sleep the night before though. If you're not too sure what your limit is aim too low rather than too high. You don't want to lock yourself into 1000km days and find it makes your journey dangerous. 600-800km is a distance you can easily cover between after dawn and before dusk.
I hope some of this helps.