Adel->Perth->Darwin->Adel

[byaltair]

Greetings friendly and knowledgeable community of Bushwalk.com !
Need your help, but not sure if I'm in the right area.... =)

Thinking of doing a trip from Adel via Nullarbor to Perth, then up to Exmouth, Broome, Darwin and down to Adel. And basically everything in between and on the way.
Leave Adel somewhere around mid April and allow about 3/3.5 months. Hoping by the time we get to Exmouth/Broome the wet season will be mostly over.
Not planning on doing any serious off road, but the vehicle will be a 4wd, like an old Prado/80series Landcruiser or similar, basically capable 4wd vehicle, just in case. Will mostly stay on highway and only venture off road to a camp site or some nice beach or day hike, or something like that.

What places would you recommend? Campsites, beaches, day hikes, amazing sunset/sunrise places, beautiful star scapes, lakes, etc.
And in regards to driving what should I be aware of?

Any info, advice is appreciated

Thank you all!

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Hi there

Avoid filling up at small petrol stations, as often the fuel in these places is old and contaminated or stale. Stick to the big brand name ones on the highway which turn over a large volume. Particularly if you have a diesel with a particulate filter

Most boring section of road is from Port Augusta to the NT border.

Coober Pedy is a hole. There's a reason people live underground there - because above ground is a dump. If you have kids, don't let them wander - there's mine shafts everywhere. The breakaways are worth a look (where they filmed the original Mad Max movie).

Uluru is struggling financially since being given back to the traditional owners, so definitely stop in there. The sounds of silence dinner is definitely worth it.

Kings canyon rim walk is nice and the road is now sealed, but it's quite a long way off the highway to get there.

Consider driving along the West McDonnell ranges and walking day sections of the Larapinta trail. Multi day trips here require food drops and careful planning of water requirements.

Kununurra - joy flight over the bungle bungles if you can afford it (I'd avoid a piston engine plane and go in a turbine). Hidden Valley national park is right in town and despite being very small, is great to spend a day or two exploring off the track.

With a four wheel drive, the Gibb River Road offers a lot - but the road needs to be in good condition, as does your car. The road is littered with 4wd drive wrecks which have broken down and been abandoned there because it's too costly to tow them.

Go to the Bungle Bungles if you don't take the Gibb River Road. Not much at Halls Creek, likewise Fitzroy Crossing - although the Geikie Gorge tour is quite interesting.

Derby - don't bother, I lived there for two years - it's a dump.

Broome - nice, but very overrated. Accommodation very exy. Cable beach is nice, markets are interesting. Again depending on finances, a scenic flight or day tour via Cape Leveque and the Horizontal Waterfalls might be a nice way to end your trip.

I drove from Derby direct to Adelaide once with my uncle, stopping only for fuel. We did it in just over forty hours.

[Hallu]

From Perth to Karratha, which I did as a single road trip, it's basically done by driving for a whole day, then staying at the same spot for 2 or 3 days. My favorite spots were Kalbarri and Kennedy Range, explore them as much as you can. Kennedy Range is a small park which is a little detour from the main highway, but it's worth it. Shark Bay is nice, but the best part is François Péron National Park, which requires a 4x4. Stay on the main tracks, there's some deep sand if you go into smaller ones. As for Ningaloo, since I'm not a swimmer it wasn't the best for me. The canyons weren't that great, but the beaches are beautiful. However, the military base is ugly as hell. Karijini is nice too, but the road was awful (following heavy rains) and the main spots are quite crowded. The proximity of the mine isn't good, Tom Price is not very nice. Millstream-Chichester is beautiful in some parts, but I think it's a park best enjoyed by backpacking in its wildness, not for short walks. Avoid towns as much as you can. They're all ugly and there's nothing to see. Especially Karratha, Port Hedland or Dampier. Kalbarri and Denham are ok for a stop.

I liked WA, but it felt like there was always something to ruin the landscape. A mine, an ugly town, a military base... And it's VERY expensive.

[Eremophila]

Don't rely on Google Maps for accuracy in relation to small outback towns and roadhouses - use a good quality road atlas.

I love the drive from Port Augusta to the NT border, have done it many times & never tire of it. The salt lakes are spectacular. I reckon you could camp at Lake Hart and have an awesome sunrise view.

Stock up on essentials before you embark on the more remote stretches. Prices are pretty steep at places like Yulara and Kings Canyon. Carry some casks of water, as the bore water at some roadhouses/campsites can be salty or otherwise not very palatable.

If you're looking to overtake a road train, most of them will signal you when it's safe. Make sure you return the favour. And don't brake suddenly in front of them, or cut them off - they simply can't brake quickly like you.

In Alice Springs, in addition to the Larapinta Trail, you can walk up Mt Gillen which is on the outskirts of town, allow an hour each way to the trig point. Brekkie at the botanic gardens cafe is also very pleasant.

[byaltair]

Sorry for late post, was away wit work.
Thank you all, for your posts.
Will spend next few days researching the places your mentioned.

few more questions;
- do you think a vehicle like Mitsu Delica 4wd will be ok for all the places you have mentioned? especially for the parts between Perth and Darwin.
- re hard copy paper maps, any recommendations? and where to buy them at good price? I saw one called "Camps 8 Australia Wide" for $60, I thought it was a bit steep price.

thanks again

[Eremophila]

I like the Explore Australia directory -see http://www.exploreaustralia.net.au/Book ... ral-Travel "Explore Australia 2016". It's also $60 and quite bulky, but pretty handy. I had mine covered with a plastic dust-jacket by a friend who works in a library.

Kings Canyon is definitely worth the trip! Rainbow Valley is also worth a look, it's roughly 100km south of Alice Springs and not too far off the highway. The Henbury Meteorite Craters I would skip, you need a pretty good imagination and the access road can be terrible.