2013 Alice Springs Touring Trip

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Thought I'd start a bit of a post on our proposed 2013 Trip.....


Time Frame: bit over 3wks
Distance: Approx 7300kms (This may change if time running short)


The planned Route: Brisbane - Roma - Barcaldine - Longreach - Winton - Boulia - Donohue & Plenty Hwysto Alice Springs - Chambers Pillar - Rainbow Valley - Henbury Crater - Ayers Rock - The Olgas - Kings Canyon - Palm Valley via the Finke River route & Boggy Hole - Gosses Bluff - then visiting all the Gorges on the way back into Alice Springs - Head Nth via the Stuart Hwy & visiting the Devil's Marbles - Tennant Creek - 3 Ways - Mt Isa - Cloncurry - Winton and back the same way we came......


It might seem a lot of kms but from my trip planning if u put a couple of good long distance days in first, u then only have to travel about 300>400kms driving per day.... and if it looks like we are going to run out of time, we just head back across the Plenty instead of heading up to Tennant Ck way......


Still got a few minor things to do, so getting keen to get going back out that way again..... Here's a couple of Maps of our planned Route:

The OVERVIEW:

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Whacko... sounds excellent.

[TimA Member Find all posts View Profile Close TimA]

Can suggest to stay in MacDonnell Ranges caravan Park when in Alice.
Palm Valley well worth it
Boggy Hole was burnt out when I was there in September last year (I was not pitching a tent on black ground). Awesome drive in though (from Hermannsburg). Never continued on out the other way.
Kings Canyon awesome
Allow a few days to do all the gorges. They take time to trek through.
Consider doing the West MacDonnells.

Tim.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Sounds like a good trip, I will comment on the K's though. Experience has taught me that if your average is much over 250k a day then its too much driving and not enough holidaying, at least thats the case for us. We are heading to the Pilbara, decided a month should cover it until we did the sums and extended it to 6 weeks to bring the average back close to 250, and we will still be clocking up 1600kms in the first day and a half!

Another rule of thumb I use after looking back on trips is to add 20% to the distance just going from place to place on your trip, this covers detours, wrong turns, running around, backtracking, interesting side trips to places you didn't know about. Once again that works outs pretty right for us but others might be different.

Lots of good stuff for you to see, if you are looking for a camp around Glen Helen Gorge there is a free bush camp on the banks of the Finke river opposite the resort, little known and little used, we had it too ourselves for 2 days when we visited.

Cheers Andrew

[cnfusedstu Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cnfusedstu]

Sounds great, when are you planning on going? We are heading down to the West Macdonalds and Alice Springs area in August, doing pretty well all the same stops.

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Yeah, thanks for that Andrew..... I had a plan B if things looked like we were going to cut it fine with time.... one is extending our time or instead of heading home via tennant creek, we will head back the same way we came..... I'm allowing a couple of BIG days travelling at teh beginning and also at the End on our way home. I've found once u start that journey home that u just want to get home and that's what we did last year driving from Bourke to Brissie in a day.

We got young kids too, so far as doing a lot of walks... well we might be limited there a bit too, but time will tell. I'm allowing 3days from Brissie to Alice springs but depending on how things go, this may go into 3>4days or so....

cheers....

Sounds like a good trip, I will comment on the K's though. Experience has taught me that if your average is much over 250k a day then its too much driving and not enough holidaying, at least thats the case for us. We are heading to the Pilbara, decided a month should cover it until we did the sums and extended it to 6 weeks to bring the average back close to 250, and we will still be clocking up 1600kms in the first day and a half!

Another rule of thumb I use after looking back on trips is to add 20% to the distance just going from place to place on your trip, this covers detours, wrong turns, running around, backtracking, interesting side trips to places you didn't know about. Once again that works outs pretty right for us but others might be different.

Lots of good stuff for you to see, if you are looking for a camp around Glen Helen Gorge there is a free bush camp on the banks of the Finke river opposite the resort, little known and little used, we had it too ourselves for 2 days when we visited.

Cheers Andrew

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Sounds great, when are you planning on going? We are heading down to the West Macdonalds and Alice Springs area in August, doing pretty well all the same stops.

We're planning on heading out in mid-June..... Love heading into the centre in the middle of winter...... as long as we can have a campfire

West MacDonalds will be the only part of the MacDonalds we will have time to visit, we will leave the east for another time.....

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Thanks Tim.... Will keep that Caravan Park in mind as we will be looking for a place to stay while in Alice......

Can suggest to stay in MacDonnell Ranges caravan Park when in Alice.
Palm Valley well worth it
Boggy Hole was burnt out when I was there in September last year (I was not pitching a tent on black ground). Awesome drive in though (from Hermannsburg). Never continued on out the other way.
Kings Canyon awesome
Allow a few days to do all the gorges. They take time to trek through.
Consider doing the West MacDonnells.

Tim.

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

Dont forget the Sandover HWY as an alternative way back. I went through in 2011 when the Plenty was closed by rain. A great trip- good road, good scenery, not much traffic so be prepared but it is well worthwhile as a variation to/ from Qld to the Centre. Neil

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

Dont forget the Sandover HWY as an alternative way back. I went through in 2011 when the Plenty was closed by rain. A great trip- good road, good scenery, not much traffic so be prepared but it is well worthwhile as a variation to/ from Qld to the Centre. Neil

What sort of time frame did it take u to get across? What sort of Distance is it as well? Not sure if I'd enough fuel to cover the distance.....
If we are running short on time I'll be looking for the shortest way home but if we have time, then the Sandover hwy might an idea.....but I promised the missus that I'd take her back to where she got lost she was a little kid out there with her parents..... that was at the Devils Marbles which I think is past the T/O to Sandover Hwy..... Doesn't the sandover hwy come off the Plenty ??

[outdoorgaz Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close outdoorgaz]

When are you starting?
Look out for a yellow FJ as we'll be in the same places about the same time but crossing the Simpson first.

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

When are you starting?
Look out for a yellow FJ as we'll be in the same places about the same time but crossing the Simpson first.

Will Do.... u should be easy to spot

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Another rule of thumb I use after looking back on trips is to add 20% to the distance just going from place to place on your trip, this covers detours, wrong turns, running around, backtracking,

Cheers Andrew

Detours, wrong turns, back tracking? Yep, AJ's navigational skills at their best.

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

Yes the Sandover comes off the Plenty not far from the start. I cant remember the exact distance but it is surprisingly close to the Plenty distance. I had no trouble doing the distance with a petrol V6 auto. If you are worried, chuck in a jerry for this leg, always a good idea in remote areas anyway. Fuel at Dajarra QLD. You hit the tar just after you get into QLD near Lake Nash. Diamantina Development road- tar just about all the way to Birsville from here. Just googled it - 561 KM from Plenty turnoff to Qld border. A great trip. Check with cops and/or tourist office in Alice for latest road conditions [ same for Plenty]. Neil

[rob_macca67 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close rob_macca67]

As the time is fast approaching, I'd thought I'd throw this out there...... Has anyone recently climbed Ayers Rock?

The info I have says that they would "Prefer" you don't climb the rock and respect their traditional beliefs but there is no band on climbing it yet..... has anyone been out there recently ???