Ok now for some stats and observations from the trip to see the Simpson Desert and the Kimberleys. All up we travelled 10,814 km according to the odometer on Blute over 29 days. The fuel economy for the trip was 14.3 litres/100 km with the best stretch being 12.9 and the worst (over the Simpson with sand tyre pressures) was 17.4 litres/100 km. The total cost for diesel was around $2,700. Accommodation was pretty cheap just $170 for the 29 days, probably should add in $160 for the Desert Parks Pass as that allowed us to camp in the Simpson Desert. We stayed in a couple of caravan parks in Alice Springs and Halls Creek and some National Parks in the Kimberleys, otherwise we were free camping at some great little spots. I ate pretty well having taken 10 or so steaks, half a dozen meals of bacon, meat for a curry and chicken for a Spanish rice dish all cryovacced from home. Not to mention all sorts pies, sausage rolls and burgers consumed along the way. The main issue was fresh fruit and veges which caused problems as we were crossing a lot state borders and areas that didn't allow you bring any in from outside.
It was my first time across the Simpson and found it relatively easy going as I dropped the tyre pressures straight away and never had any problems getting over any of the dunes. The main problem was the cut up French Line from the Big Red Bash Traffic. It was quite enjoyable and we had some great places to camp. The nice soak at Dalhousie Springs afterwards was a great way to relax and remove a bit of dirt and dust. We explored the East MacDonald ranges out from Alice Springs and it was very picturesque. The trip up the Tanami Track was much better than a couple of years ago with the worst bit being the last section from Wolf Creek Meteor crater to the Great Northern Highway. The Bungle Bungles were nice but didn't really live up to expectations but that may be because I needed to walk longer distances to get to the really scenic spots.
This was my second time on the Gibb River Road (the last was in 2005 on my big trip) and I managed to see things I hadn't had time for in the last trip. The road was in way better condition than what I remembered. The Munja Track was tough in places, especially Magpie Jump-up but there was some spectacular scenery and it was well worth doing, allow at least four days to get to Walcott Inlet and back. Then it was up to Mitchell Falls and Kalumburu where for me, the highlight of the trip was the helicopter flight over the Falls. The road in wasn't nearly as bad as I had been led to believe it would be. Surveyors pool and Walsh Point were also pretty spectacular. After that we pretty much made a beeline for home taking about 4.5 relatively easy driving days, stopping off at a few great spots like Bitter Springs and Daly Waters Pub.
Blute made the trip pretty easily but some of the third party accessories didn't. I developed a leak in the long range fuel tank, the UHF antenna broke and the nudge bar broke a mount and had to be removed. Along the way the corrugations destroyed a couple of cheapy 12 volt adapters and shook things around in the camper but all up it was pretty good. The Rhino Camper was great, I always had a comfy bed ready to go and the 80 litre water tank kept me going along the way, also as we were moving a lot the 120 Amp hour battery was never under any strain of going flat running the fridge and lights. The longer wheel base of the ute made the rough roads much more comfortable than I experienced in the SWB Pajero. The engine and auto gear box also made the driving experience easy and relaxed. I used the rear diff lock in a couple of places and that was great as it meant I could take certain hard situations a bit slower without relying on momentum.
Finally, I'd like to thank my traveling companions Brett (for the first half of the trip) and Shane for making it a truly memorable trip.
Sent from my iPad
No comments:
Post a Comment