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View Full Version : Across the Nullabour and back



SpeedFreak
09-01-2010, 11:58 AM
Well im finally back home after our epic trip across Australia over the Xmas and New Year break

To anyone that has never done this trip before i will share with you what its like

The trip began on Sunday the 27th Dec . After spending Xmas in adelaide with family on the friday and saturday we were up and on the road by 9 am heading back to Port Augusta by 12pm unpack the car and then repack it 4 the trip making sure the kids have the PSP all charge DVD picked out car charger's for all the gadgets so noting went flat and keep them entertained for the long trip Oh and food for there hungry little mouths , finally setting off at 2.30 pm 1st stop Ceduna arriving at 7.10 pm ,book into a ****ty cheap motel that has no blankets or pilows ( lucky we had our sleeping bags and own pillows packed )

Day 2 up early on the road by 6 am for the longest drive of the day

stoped at Nullabour for a toilet break kids were hungry so wife brought 1 pie and 1 S/Roll $10-55 it cost a bloody dollar just for sauce :ohwell:

1st stop 11am SA time Eucla for fuel Price $ 1-54 a litre

Time for the wife to drive while i try and get a little nap in the next 349 km

we reach Caiguna at 2-20pm were we top up the car for the streach to Norseman Fuel at Caiguna is $1-65 Ltr

Im back behind the wheel again for the rest off the day -as you leave Caiguna you come onto the longest straight in Aus 149 km off dead straight road which is quit amazing as you can see by the pictures below

We get to Norsman by 6pm SA time which is only 3-30pn WA time so we decide to push on as far as we can when we finlly stop at Sourthern Cross at 9-30pm so after 15 1/2 hours off driving i needed a nice shower a good feed and sleep

Day 3 up early and on the road by 6-15am Wa time for the final streth to Perth arriving at 9-15 am

WoW what a drive **** now we have to drive back

I read in a vistors book at the Head of the Bight on the the way home someone had written " Nullabour "means Bloody Long Awful Drive which i though was rather funny

The Trip home was a bit quicker leaving Perth on the 6th at 11pm WA time and arriving at Norseman at 6 pm were it had been 42c during the day so our Cabin was a Hot box until the Aircon finally cooled it down 3hrs later

Up early the next morning and on the road by 7am SA time (4-30am WA time)with a 12 hr drive ahead off us to Ceduna --stopped at the same fuel stops on the way home and noticed most off the prices had gone up

We reached Ceduna at 7-10 pm feed the kids some tea and decided to push home as it was only 4 1/2 hrs till home so the wife drove till it got dark then i finished the last leg arriving home at 12 pm stuffed

WOW what a Trip ---i must say i wouldnt do it again in a hurry but it was enjoyable
If you dont like driving thou dont even think about it

Heres a few stats on the trip

I drove 3867 km off the trip
Wife drove 870km
yes around trip off 4737 km
Fuel - Food & Accomadation over $561-44
Fuel -Food & Accomadation Back $486-00
2 new rear tyres $530-00
Total $1577-44
Petrol prices
Dearest Caiguna $ 1-70 Ltr
Cheapest Midvale $ 1-15 Ltr

If you ever do this trip take your own food with you as it cost a fortune to by food from the servo's
My wife brought 1 piece off fish battered and it cost $9-00
at one stop i read the menu and they wanted $12 for a ham & cheese
toasted sandwhich

My 2 boys at the Longest straight sign and what part off 150km in a straight line looks like

Crash
09-01-2010, 12:20 PM
lol, sounds like fun Jeff

I reckon everyone should drive across the nullabor once in thier lifetime!

I've been across the road 4 times and driven 2 of those. one of those drives I did all the driving - was knackered for a few days afterwards :fear:

Hinting at my age now. last time I did it was nearly 20 years ago :tape: (I was young then!) but I bet the drive hasn't change much :ohwell:

Chatters
09-01-2010, 12:27 PM
I might possibly be doing the trip in April - On my motorbike :D

Dr.McCoy
09-01-2010, 12:51 PM
I might possibly be doing the trip in April - On my motorbike :D
Do you need Ewan McGregor for the trip, ala Long Way Down?

Crash
09-01-2010, 12:58 PM
I might possibly be doing the trip in April - On my motorbike :D

Managed to get a picture of Chatters receiving delivery of his new nullabor capable motorbike.... should be safe even if a roo jumps out in front of him!

Chatters
09-01-2010, 01:51 PM
HA the flame job!

My bike is a Monster Motorbike from Hell, but it's not that Monster Motorbike from Hell! hahaha

Paul Keeghan
09-01-2010, 02:55 PM
ahh ****, i drove from melb to surfers and back on the holidays. all around it was around 3200km, we went up pacific highway for a few days and came back along the newell in 22hours pretty much non stop (alternating drivers)

ended up in hospital as i passed out whilst driving between sydney and port macquarie. Too much dehydration reckons the doc but i had some really bad food about 1.5 hours before i passed out and wasnt feeling well from when i ate so i reckon it was partially that.

Wally
09-01-2010, 04:32 PM
ended up in hospital as i passed out whilst driving between sydney and port macquarie. Too much dehydration reckons the doc but i had some really bad food about 1.5 hours before i passed out and wasnt feeling well from when i ate so i reckon it was partially that.

Holy mackerel - a lucky escape! I had a mate who fell asleep at the wheel down in Tasmania doing country speeds, and woke up in hospital with only some scratches.

Paul Keeghan
10-01-2010, 12:06 AM
yeh was very lucky. I was pulling into the emergency lane when it happened. woke up at the side of the road in 5th gear...

deathsgt60
10-01-2010, 01:02 AM
dads has actually woke up on the side of the road coming home from work...... the car came to stop inches from a tree.

dam 12 hour shifts and a 90 min round trip travel is a bad mixture

Dr.McCoy
11-01-2010, 10:04 PM
ahh ****, i drove from melb to surfers and back on the holidays. all around it was around 3200km, we went up pacific highway for a few days and came back along the newell in 22hours pretty much non stop (alternating drivers)

ended up in hospital as i passed out whilst driving between sydney and port macquarie. Too much dehydration reckons the doc but i had some really bad food about 1.5 hours before i passed out and wasnt feeling well from when i ate so i reckon it was partially that.
As a doctor, I can tell you this. The body is using more fluid to cool the body when you ate the bad food, causing posioning. Execess perspration can cause dehydration. I reckon you must have been suffering from fatigue aswell before you passed out due to the bad food and constant travelling. :sick:

Paul Keeghan
11-01-2010, 10:21 PM
As a doctor, I can tell you this. The body is using more fluid to cool the body when you ate the bad food, causing posioning. Execess perspration can cause dehydration. I reckon you must have been suffering from fatigue aswell before you passed out due to the bad food and constant travelling. :sick:

that pretty much sums it up in one :sleep: fixed me all up tho