[Tim56]

All loaded up and ready to head off tomorrow morning. My mate Karl and l are going to drive his 57 wagon from Melbourne to Darwin and back. Thats going to run to about 8,000 km all up,from Victoria in the southern part of Australia to the tropical Northern Territory. Hoping to do 1,100 km tomorrow to Port Augusta, then easier days on to Coober Peedy, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. Expecting it to take two weeks with a few diversions to landmarks like Ayres Rock (Ularu). The wagon is well prepared but we have no concrete plans other than to keep heading north until we hit the ocean. Doing it because we can! I will try and put up a few photos along the way.

 

[Tim56]

e you dropping in at the Fridge swap meet in Ballarat tomorrow?

Des about 20 years ago Karl and l were traveling in convoy to the Fridge swap when he destroyed the hot Blueflame which then powered the wagon. It went off with a spectacular smoke trail. Don't think he will want to be reminded of that little incident.

 

[Tim56]

Well we made it to Port Augusta after about 11.5 hours on the road. 1,100 km through Horsham and into South Australia. Ran out of petrol once coming into Adelaide but we are carrying a couple of jerry cans for just such an emergency. Rained on and off all day.
Heading to Coober Peedy tomorrow, opal centre of Australia. Much of the town is underground due to the heat.

Just run out of petrol

 

[Tim56]

Drove from Port Agusta to Coober Pedy yesterday, the wagon covers the ground easily at 110 to 120 kph thanks to its 350 backed up with a Turbo 700 and 2.75 rear gears. Interesting scenery and wildlife including an emu deciding to cross the road ahead of us. Road trains slow down for nothing and there are dead cattle and sheep as evidence of their progress.

Today we travelled to Alice Springs, about 600 km through mixed stony red country.

 

[Tim56]

Struggling to put up photos from my lap top, but here is Coobey Pedy, mining town.

 

[Tim56]

Post by mobile phone as my Telstra 4G connection has let me down, hopefully l can log in to the net later. We made it to Darwin, 4,000 km since Sunday up the centre of Australia. Just washed the wagon and heading out for dinner. I will try getting some photos up soon

 

[Tim56]

Finally managed to get a connection. Here are a few shots of landmarks we have seen in the last couple of days.
Met plenty of interesting people on the road, with local and international travellers all making for many of the same road houses to fuel up.

Devils Marbles

Heading North

Northern Territory border

Daly Waters Hotel

Daly Waters was home to a WW2 air base used by Australian and US air forces so we went for a walk around the old run ways and hanger.
passed three other former war time air strips coming into Darwin.

 

[Tim56]

We reached Darwin on Thursday evening and booked into a caravan park until Sunday. In Melbourne its a chilly 11 degrees, but mid winter Darwin its shorts weather and 25 plus.

Spent Friday at the Darwin war museum which incorporates WW2 gun emplacements and contains many relics and history of the Japanese bombing of Darwin. Bombing went on over a period of two years from February 1942.
In a strange twist the salvage rights to sunken ships in Darwin Harbour was later granted to a Japanese company. The giant guns defending the harbour were also sold to the Japanese for scrap.

Gun emplacement

We also went to the Darwin air museum which tells the history of aviation in the Northern Territory, including the defence of Darwin from bush air strips.
The museum contains wreckage of some of the nine Kittyhawks shot down in the first raid along with the wreckage of Zeros and other destroyed aircraft.
Most spectacular is a giant B52 Stratofortress, simply too big to photograph properly.

B25 Mitchell Bomber

 

[Tim56]

Spent another day doing the tourist thing in Darwin. Went to the museum and crocodile display. Salt water crocs are common in the Northern Territory, their numbers having exploded since the end of hunting in 1971.

A mature salt water croc is seriously big, about 6.0 metres and 800kg, although they are not very co-operative with efforts to weigh them.

The 57 at rest in the shade.

Heading back towards Melbourne tomorrow via Ayres Rock or Ularu. I'm going to miss this warm weather!!

 

[Tim56]

Retracing our steps south again towards Melbourne. Spent last night at Dunmurra Road House after driving all day from Darwin. Road houses are dotted along the Sturt Highway every 300km or so and are home to some great characters and are an opportunity to meet fellow travellers.
Chatted with a couple of road train drivers last night. Road trains consist of a prime mover and up to four trailers and can be upto 53 metres long. These are the main source of supplies into Darwin.

Barrow Springs Road House

Dunmurra Road House

De-restricted speed limit for a stretch of about 200km out of Alice Springs.

Heading to Ayres Rock tomorrow.

 

[Tim56]

Back home, its dark, cold and wet; but l'm getting ahead of myself.
For much of the last few days we have been unable to get mobile phone and internet connection as we moved away from larger population centres.
We drove from Alice Springs out to Ayres Rock on Tuesday which is a journey of about 470km. The trip was well worth the effort as the rock has a presence and majesty that photos cannot fully convey.

Aboriginal rock painting

We spent a few hours walking around the base following various tracks before heading off to our stop over at Curtain Springs. Curtain Springs is another characterful road house, pub and camping ground accommodating travelers to the rock.

Curtain Springs

On Wednesday morning we made a start towards home and covered 1,250 km in the day finishing at Port Agusta about 7:45 pm. Another full day on the road with 1,050 km covered back to Melbourne. The warm weather was well and truly behind us as we drove into rain storms while crossing South Australia.

Goodbye sunny weather!

It was a fantastic trip covering almost 8,700 km in eleven days. The 57 didn't miss a beat the whole way traveling at 100-130 kmh for hours on end interrupted only by fuel stops. We saw plenty of interesting sights and wildlife including dingos, emus, kangaroos and camels. Met some great people from across the world and local characters along the way. Thanks Karl for the journey.

 

[Tim56]

Des fuel was about $2.14 per litre at the highest and l'm guessing we went through about $2,500 all up (16 litres per 100km is 1,392 litres @ $1.85 average comes to $2,575). At 130kmh fuel consumption must have dropped to 20 litres per 100km, traveling at 100-110kmh made a big difference with 50km plus further in a tank.
On the upside a chicken parma didn't get over $20 anywhere!