How many nights?

Aus_Roadtripper

Aus_Roadtripper

Member
We’re on a tight trip of only four months.... we’d like to know how many nights at each spot to make the trip comfortable, but not more nights than needed....

How many nights to do the Gibb River Road?

How many nights for the Cape?

How many nights needed around Uluru?

How many nights needed at Karijini?

How many nights needed for Kakadu & Litchfield? Do people recommend Arnhem Land area?

How many nights needed on Fraser?

How many nights in Exmouth/Ningaloo area?

How many nights for stop overs on the road between Qld and Kakadu? Is there much to see across there?

We’re expecting 10-14 days for trip from Margaret River to Esperance.

Any other MUST SEE locations in NT & WA?

We live near SE QLD so we’ll be flying past most things there.... and we used to live in SA so covered a lot there already too.

No NSW/VIC/TAS this trip
 
Marck

Marck

Well-Known Member
Fraser if you wanted to just do the highlights and travel every day i would say 4 nights on the island. But if you get the short end of the stick with tides it can slow you down getting around.

The cape we did 3 weeks from brisbane straight to Townsville on day 1 then on to port douglas for a night. Then just north of cooktown to elim beach. Then through lakeland NP to musgrave roadhouse. Then up to musgrave station. On to the telegraph track for 2 nights a night at the jardine river. Then 5 or so nights at punsand bay as a base to explore the very top with a trip to thursday island and a days fishing. Then a mechanical failure put us on a plane to cairns after a couple more days at punsand bay. The others went on to mutee head and then back to musgrave and onto cairns where we met up for 3 nights of readjustment to civilisation and then back home. What we didnt get to was many of the side tracks like the creb and such or to any of the camp spots on the east coast north of mutte head. Or to Weipa and surrounds i think for a relaxed pace and seeing most of it you could spend a month up that way.

We saw the highlights and had a blast but will probably go back next year to see a bit more and a few favourites. Spending some more time at places along the tele track. And a few more remote camp sites.

M
 
discomatt

discomatt

Well-Known Member
Last year we did 5 weeks just on the Gibb, Kakadu and Litchfield, that was barely enough. I have found that when traveling less is more so we always leave heaps for the next trip and really experience the area at hand.
Your from QLD so I would leave all that out and spend 4 relaxed and quality months doing NT and WA
 
Aus_Roadtripper

Aus_Roadtripper

Member
Our plan is longer drives in QLD, so def on par with what you’re saying. But I just want to make sure we don’t spend too much time in QLD and NT, and not have enough to explore WA properly. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. We’ve taken it on board!
 
Aus_Roadtripper

Aus_Roadtripper

Member
hiluxdriver said:
How many days to do Cape? 2 from Cairns. Drive up, get your photo hanging on to the sign and drive back (or on to the next place).
Easy as that
Click to expand...
I originally allowed 8 nights on someone else’s recommendation. But it only takes two... are the surroundings nice? And campsites relaxing? Worth adding a couple of days to see the sights? If not, I’ll just allow 4-5 nights
 
C

Colly18

Well-Known Member
Based on my experience I think you are at least 2 months short in time, given what you propose. To be honest, if you want the trip to feel comfortable (not rushed, not feel like you are missing out on too many experiences, not exhausted and tired of setting up and pulling down camps), why not split the planned trip into two?
Is doing a 4 month trip to cover Central Australia, the Pilbara, Coral Coast, WA Murchison, Perth, WA South West, then Nullarbor and home to NSW, an option? Then a couple month trip in the future to do the Cape, Savannah Way, Kakadu, Darwin, Litchfield and back home?
If you are an international on holidays in Australia I could see that you would want to cover as many highlights as possible, but if this is not the case why rush it!?
 
richardlnsw

richardlnsw

Moderator
I would recommend 2 weeks for the Cape so you are not rushing, 3 weeks minimum for Broome to Kununurra including Mitchell Falls, 2 weeks Darwin area, 1 week to cover Uluru and Kings Canyon area.
Hope this helps.
 
richardlnsw

richardlnsw

Moderator
There is always stuff to see along the way but when you are time poor you can't see it all. Cape, Darwin area, Kimberley, Karajini, South WA and Uluru. Spend as much time in the areas that matter most and just high tail it between...be prepared for some long days in the saddle...but its worth it.
 
Aus_Roadtripper

Aus_Roadtripper

Member
Colly18 said:
Based on my experience I think you are at least 2 months short in time, given what you propose. To be honest, if you want the trip to feel comfortable (not rushed, not feel like you are missing out on too many experiences, not exhausted and tired of setting up and pulling down camps), why not split the planned trip into two?
Is doing a 4 month trip to cover Central Australia, the Pilbara, Coral Coast, WA Murchison, Perth, WA South West, then Nullarbor and home to NSW, an option? Then a couple month trip in the future to do the Cape, Savannah Way, Kakadu, Darwin, Litchfield and back home?
If you are an international on holidays in Australia I could see that you would want to cover as many highlights as possible, but if this is not the case why rush it!?
Click to expand...


WA is so far from home! Just trying to fit as much in as we can and keep our jobs in the meantime. I’m not sure if I’d keep my job if I asked for 6 months off! it’s a rare position that might take years to come up again..... I’ll be using long service leave and annual leave to make up the four months leave.

Also my kids will be ending an apprenticeship and high school (one in year 10). So once they get jobs, it will be hard to get them away again for a second trip. And I want them with me!

It’s just the right time, but unfortunately (unless I win lotto) it’s planned around keeping our jobs.

I’ll keep buying lotto tickets!
 
Aus_Roadtripper

Aus_Roadtripper

Member
If it turns out to be too much by the time we see the Kimberley, we’ll just turn back and cut down the middle towards Uluru, then home. And yes, SW West Oz another time.

Your two trips sound great!!!
 
D

dabbler

Active Member
Definitely bypass anything within a day's drive maybe two days. They are in your backyard really. That includes Fraser for me.

We beeline to a region with longer days then slow down. Same on the way home and plan arrival for midday to afternoon.

I always look at the drive time between regions and destination towns first. Then plan my number of nights/days there.

You're covering a long distance over a long time so include slower rest days.
 
M

mikehzz

Well-Known Member
When my youngest finished school we all drove around Australia in 18 days and had a blast. We still talk about it and we were totally knackered at the end :) We went Sydney, Flinders, up the guts to Darwin, Broome and down the coast to Perth. Even rushing like that you see a tonne of stuff but you don't smell too many flowers. We had aleady driven Sydney to Perth twice before so high tailed it back to Sydney in 40 hours straight with rotating drivers on 4 hour shifts. Whatever you do will be great so have a list of things and start ticking them off. Don't book anything further out than a few days and keep going until you only have enough time to drive home. Whatever you miss is on the next trip. Don't include anywhere close that you can do easily from home....do it sometime else, easily from home. Have a great trip.
 
C

Colly18

Well-Known Member
Aus_Roadtripper said:
WA is so far from home! Just trying to fit as much in as we can and keep our jobs in the meantime. I’m not sure if I’d keep my job if I asked for 6 months off! it’s a rare position that might take years to come up again..... I’ll be using long service leave and annual leave to make up the four months leave.

Also my kids will be ending an apprenticeship and high school (one in year 10). So once they get jobs, it will be hard to get them away again for a second trip. And I want them with me!

It’s just the right time, but unfortunately (unless I win lotto) it’s planned around keeping our jobs.

I’ll keep buying lotto tickets!
Click to expand...

Thanks, starting to get the context now :)
If short on time you could miss Kakadu (?). We had friends in Darwin and they always opted for Litchfield as the best option for 'time poor' visitors to get a good experience of the 'top end' tableland and waterfalls, etc. I'll second that.
Kimberley, don't miss the Bungles (Purnululu) and check out the Five Rivers lookout at Wyndham.
Pilbara, well you could spend a month there; but a week around Karijini and Tom Price will give you a good insight. Don't miss Hamersley Gorge and do the Mt. Nameless 4WD drive at Tom Price.
Consider adding Mt. Augustus and Kennedy Ranges to your itinerary.
At Esperance I think a trip out to Cape Arid is time well spent.
It would be good to take in the WA wildflowers in Aug-Sept.
 
richardlnsw

richardlnsw

Moderator
Colly18 said:
Thanks, starting to get the context now :)
If short on time you could miss Kakadu (?). We had friends in Darwin and they always opted for Litchfield as the best option for 'time poor' visitors to get a good experience of the 'top end' tableland and waterfalls, etc. I'll second that.
Kimberley, don't miss the Bungles (Purnululu) and check out the Five Rivers lookout at Wyndham.
Pilbara, well you could spend a month there; but a week around Karijini and Tom Price will give you a good insight. Don't miss Hamersley Gorge and do the Mt. Nameless 4WD drive at Tom Price.
Consider adding Mt. Augustus and Kennedy Ranges to your itinerary.
At Esperance I think a trip out to Cape Arid is time well spent.
It would be good to take in the WA wildflowers in Aug-Sept.
Click to expand...
Each to their own but I loved Kakadu....and Litchfield. Both spectacular but I prefer Kakadu.
 
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