Driving from Perth to eclipse

sn1987a (Barry) · #1 06-10-2012, 11:14 AM

Hi all,
I'll be driving to Cairns starting Nov 1 going via Laverton Warburton Alice Springs road. Hoping to squeeze in visit to Henbury, Ayres Rock and maybe Gosses Bluff. Anyone else out there mad enough planning the same thing?. should be a good adventure I'm looking forward to it.

mithrandir (Andrew) · #2 06-10-2012, 12:41 PM

I thought driving 2600Km each way Sydney to Trinity Beach and back was enough. 5000Km each way Perth to Trinity Beach via the centre in Nov/Dec is another order of magnitude.

How long were you planning on taking? I'd think leaving Nov 1 would be cutting it a bit fine. You'd save about 800Km going straight across to Port Augusta, Broken Hill and then turning north at Cobar, but lose the sightseeing opportunities.

Unless you are planning on camping, accommodation in Queensland in mining country is pretty much unobtainable. Emerald was the only place with vacancies on the route from here when we looked a month or so back.

alocky (Andrew lockwood) · #3 06-10-2012, 02:17 PM

Sounds like a great trip! Have you been into Gosses Bluff before? It is no trivial undertaking. I did it with a company landcruiser fitted for remote work (HF radio, long range tanks, water tanks, lots of supplies) a couple of decades ago. As long as you've looked into the logistics you'll be fine, and at least talked to someone who's already made the trip, and you've got a suitable vehicle, you should be fine. You might also want to check into access permissions with the local communities. At least when I went in it wasn't as simple as driving up to it. There's only one way in or out, and it's not a well travelled road.
Have fun!
Cheers,
Andrew.

MrB (Simon) · #4 06-10-2012, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn1987a

Hi all,
I'll be driving to Cairns starting Nov 1 going via Laverton Warburton Alice Springs road. Hoping to squeeze in visit to Henbury, Ayres Rock and maybe Gosses Bluff. Anyone else out there mad enough planning the same thing?. should be a good adventure I'm looking forward to it.

Yep, I had planned to do the same thing, leaving from Rockingham too!
Sadly, plans have changed in the last year and I'm not able to make it

Have fun, I'm sure the drive and the eclipse will be a fond memory for life!

EDIT: Oh, and congratulations on your first post in 5 years! haha

brian nordstrom (As avatar) · #5 09-10-2012, 08:23 PM

I am driving from Darwin , leaving on the 10th , I am looking forward to it , I will be camping out on the back of my ute .
Brian.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn1987a

Hi all,
I'll be driving to Cairns starting Nov 1 going via Laverton Warburton Alice Springs road. Hoping to squeeze in visit to Henbury, Ayres Rock and maybe Gosses Bluff. Anyone else out there mad enough planning the same thing?. should be a good adventure I'm looking forward to it.

sn1987a (Barry) · #6 10-10-2012, 01:10 AM

Yep accommodation of choice will be swag in the bush. I'm looking forward to Gosses Bluff and Henbury. I've seen Wolf Creek and Dalgaranga. Next year I'm going to visit Veevers and Hickman.

colinmlegg (Colin) · #7 10-10-2012, 02:11 AM

Pretty sure I'll be doing it. Most likely across the nullarbor and up, haven't decided the exact route from Port Augusta though...Broken Hill or up through Marree? There are some spots in SA I'd like to visit on the way. I'll be sleeping in the Troopie most of the way over. Probably leave last week of October.

Paul Haese · #8 12-10-2012, 01:45 PM

Driving from SA to Cairns. Done the trip before several times and looking forward to it.

sn1987a (Barry) · #9 03-11-2012, 12:50 PM

Just reached Warburton great central road from Laverton in pretty good condition. Hema maps app works very well. Is this the first Ice in Space post from Warburton?.

colinmlegg (Colin) · #10 03-11-2012, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn1987a

Hi all,
I'll be driving to Cairns starting Nov 1 going via Laverton Warburton Alice Springs road. Hoping to squeeze in visit to Henbury, Ayres Rock and maybe Gosses Bluff. Anyone else out there mad enough planning the same thing?. should be a good adventure I'm looking forward to it.

Cool. I was thinking of going that route but split my head last week and the troopie had problems....so leaving Sunday now for the quick dash across the nullarbor and up through NSW. Should get to Townsville Friday 9th arvo. Enjoy the red centre!

Paul Haese · #11 03-11-2012, 08:16 PM

Managed to turn a Kangaroo into a helicopter today. Damaged my car a bit but not enough to stop us (insurance is already sorted for when we get back). At Armidale after spending some time in the darkest skies I have ever seen on a relatives property 130km north of Warren. 21.9 on the SQM. Took a time lapse there with their house in the foreground. Might be a good spot of a "new Warren skies".

I know one thing for sure. Pigs might not fly but Kangaroos sure do.

MrB (Simon) · #12 03-11-2012, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

21.9 on the SQM. Took a time lapse there with their house in the foreground. Might be a good spot of a "new Warren skies".

Very nice!
Best I've had was a consistent 21.65 over many measurements.
Please post the timelapse

Danack (Dan Ackroyd) · #13 04-11-2012, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

At Armidale after spending some time in the darkest skies I have ever seen on a relatives property 130km north of Warren. 21.9 on the SQM.

That's with an almost full moon? That's reasonably impressive.

Anyway - how did the kangaroo taste?

Paul Haese · #14 05-11-2012, 09:51 AM

Dan moon rise on that night was 11 pm so it was night and dark for a few hours that night.

Could not be bothered looking for the roo after it fly off. Now in Brisbane at friends and enjoying a days break from driving.

sn1987a (Barry) · #15 05-11-2012, 07:49 PM

Visited Henbury yesterday and Gosse Bluff today. Roads to both in good condition, bitumin most of the way!.

Gosse Bluff is spectacular and worth the effort to see it. If you don't get a nerdgasm as it starts to loom up in front of you; well, its time to trade in the telescope.

You can drive right into the center and walk up an easy path to a lookout which gives a perfect view of the whole crater.

Have murdered two small goannas and a little birdy so far on the trip (no Roos or gulp... Camels yet).

Heading for Boxhole crater tomorrow.

Bumped into a couple at Warburton heading to the Eclipse too!.