I'm thinking about doing the Brisbane to Darwin drive and as I'm relocating. Just wondering is there anything I need to take with me that vitally important and would it be doable in a car like a Toyota Camry 2013+. I'm looking at purchasing a car before I go there.
Cheers
Water. Bring water.
Check out TransferCar. There are hire car companies that need cars relocated from one state to another and they can often be free of charge.
I had a look but apparently you need to be 26 and I'm a year short! It would of been perfect timing as well.
Google maps helpfully summarises the route in 3 steps, lol:
Brisbane
Queensland, Australia
Get on M3 from Edward St and Alice St
6 min (1.7 km)
Take A2, Barkly Hwy, National Highway 87 and National Highway 1 to Tiger Brennan Dr in Pinelands. Exit from National Highway 1
37 h (3,406 km)
Follow Tiger Brennan Dr to McMinn St in Darwin City
19 min (17.7 km)
Darwin
if you're looking for travel buddies to share the drive/ fuel cost then put up notices at back packers.
are you going to do relatively leisurely - i.e. see some sights? etc.
Yeah I think I'll find a few places to stop off however obviously nothing off road!
Any modern car should do it, but in reality I'd want something that was roomy, and definitely with Air Con and a cruise control.
I did Melbourne to Darwin Mid 2015 in my 2014 Honda City. Was amazing and will do it again no doubt.
Here are some things I learnt.
1. Petrol are expensive in country side. And I mean really expensive. Petrol station in Kings Canyon costs $1 per liter more expensive than Alice Spring for example. Small road house petrol usually 50 - 80 cents per liter more expensive than major city. Bring extra Jerry Can if you have the space in the car if you want to save some money.
2. Watch out for the weather forecast. Depending your travel time, we are having wet season up here. Some part of Stuart Highway might be flooding and you won't be able to cross. Check road status.
3. Bring some food and water.
4. Unless you are in are in a hurry, otherwise time your trip and avoid driving at dawn and dusk, when wild animals can just jump on the road and give you a scare. And you will be driving at around 130km/h btw.
5. Check with your car insurance. I changed car rego after 3 months I have been up here, and called up my insurance company to change the new plate detail. Only then I realized that the insurance I bought (Allianz) back in Melbourne does not cover NT region. I have been driving in NT for 3 months without insurance. Tio is the one to go to in NT.
Best of luck and enjoy the trip :)
Speaking from experience, don't put a jerry can of fuel in the car if you can avoid it. Even in the boot can cause some odour issues if it gets hot or tips over and leaks a bit.
All of the above, but don't go with TIO, way too overpriced. Better off going with HBF or QBE :).
Are you buying a car prior to moving just to save vs buying a car there?
Do you have to drive (using car to move stuff?)or just want to drive
If the above is not really, fly to Darwin, buy used car from licensed dealer, thus saving tiring trip, loads of fuel (money) change of rego, new number plates inspections on car insurance etc
If you have small load of belongings that need to be transported send by removalist and still fly, buy car there will be less stressful and cheaper in the long run
Cars are more expensive in Darwin and generally not in as good condition as cars interstate, due to our weather. Fuel can be about the same as flight cost if you ride share with a backpacker or two.
I highly suggest you bring a 10L jerrycan of petrol. Bring water (as mentioned). And for the love of god, don't go off-road in a Camry.
Don't do it in the peak of the wet season (approx December to March). A lot of NT roads are currently cut off due to flooding.
Bring jerry cans of fuel for the stretches of few petrol stations and 30c+ markup on cost per L.
Newer model Camry will be fine.
Buy a good phone charger for your car.
+1 for AANT or other roadside assistance membership.
Would also recommend getting a Telstra prepaid (never know).
Hi everyone thanks for the advise.
Just to clarify things I am purchasing a car from Brisbane as it works out somewhat cheaper. Looking at a Camry (with cruise control of course) me and my girlfriend would be doing the trip however if she decides to fly I will be doing it with a mate and paying for his flight back.
We have sold most of our stuff so all we would be taking is a boot load of clothes and possibly a few other items I don't want to get rid of.
We were also thinking of downloading the maps on our tablet with a Telstra sim so regardless of reception we should be able to make it there.
I think overall I just want to do the trip to say I have done it! I'll be sure to keep an eye out for the road closures I would be doing it late march.
Cheers for the feedback
James
P.S when everyone says take a jerry can is this to save money or is this because there's such limited fuel stations?
Camry is a good choice, they run forever… Make sure you get a full service before you leave and when you arrive :).
Regarding the jerry can, both reasons.
You'll find in the NT most highway speed limits are 130, much more comfortable speed to drive at. I usually sit at 150 on the highways with cruise control no problems. See what speed you're comfortable at.
For a service I recommend Gybsys Auto in the city.
Hey enjoy ya trip, and to help, as I have the journeyed both ways many times since 1985, cars, bike and a truck.
Any decent or well maintained vehicle you buy, or a newbi under a few years old with a valid Roadworthy(standard requirement in Qld) will be fine. Google the NT or AANT for info on driving the Barkley and Stuart HWY at this time of year, being the hottest period. It is a big hit to your system when you step out of your 18deg in the car to 50 outside air temp the first time, same as flying thou.It takes some getting used to, only in the outback eh? On the flipside, the night temps, can be near freezing.
As standard, ensure any car is ok before you buy it regardless of the trip, and then service as required with note particularly to water hoses and tyres. Very very hard on old or cracked tyres, that 1000deg bitumen eats tyres at 100, 110, 130, and at open speeds with a bit of a load on board. Ensure you boot seal is…..sealing, exhaust fumes will get into the cabin and kill you(after you fall asleep and crash). Have your mechanic or local tyre centre double check your rubber, and teach you highway safety and pressures etc for tyres for this trip. Can you change to your spare wheel?
Oh the open speed limit, it is only some areas. It is not for the joy riding learner drivers with no or little high speed flying experience. Single vehicle multiple person crashes are the highest cause of fatalities in the NT. Oh, they are the same as here, Maximum speed, not Mandatory speed. When that sign says 100, 80 and 60 for that cattle station….(near Qld/NT border)it is a police station, and they love sitting under the crest near the bridge, with Zero tolerance.
I was delivering a Rolls Royce once, & I had to land there to receive my ticket and a severe berating. Lesson learned.
Do NOT travel at dusk and or dawn, or it will not be the one skippy you do see, it will be his mate you do not see a second behind that goes thru your grill or windscreen. Goes for cows and other various lawn mowers of the bush. Again, absolutely, DO NOT drive at dusk or dawn.
If you are scared of 2, 3 or 4 trailer Road Trains, fly - simple. Or learn to understand and appreciate them. They are not slow slugs anymore, and they do sway…..a lot, and are like " where is the front of this behemoth" long to pass.
It is a long straight road with 2 corners. Head north from Brisbane, turn left at Townsville, and turn right at The Three Ways and keep going. Any other detours or sight seeing, grab a paper map from your Auto Club for free. RACQ in Qld, or call the AANT in Darwin to join pre trip. If in a club now, it is retro serviced in every state until renewal due regardless.
Treat it as a few days driving around the local countryside here, just all rolled into one long extended journey. There are plenty of towns, roadside rest and shade areas - water at most, servos and restos between and for every tank of juice, and with out any risk of running dry. Use your commonsense, and instead of being shocked at buying the whole petrol station it may seem, pay up because it will not be cheaper when you run out as there are not many choices at each location.
Drive by your cruise, keep alert, the endless white line can be disaster waiting to nod you off. As you are traveling with ya squeeze and a mate no sweat. Also and if it is a touristy person too, ensure your legals, their license and your insurance is adequate.
My last in 2012 was a 2001 NT bush Camry with a squazzion k's on it and it never missed a beat. Carry water, a min of 10 lit, 20 is best, and that is for the car. Do not worry about oil or coolant, they can wait for a tow truck or Darwin if needed. If nothing else, drive by your skill/speed level, and temperature gauge. It only takes less than 2 minutes to destroy an engine if a hose blows, longer if you are lucky.
A car fridge or esky is a great idea, and as stated before, and your typical boot stuff as usual. First Aid Kit, torch, a few basic tools, jumper cables, but really, unless you are a mechanic, what is the point, with no spare parts. Some windscreen cleaner and cloths, and at the very most and although illegal to use a tow cable, out there it could be a saving grace. NEVER carry petrol inside a car, & if well planned, not needed in the boot regardless. Too dangerous in that heat, over swelling and fume leakage are the killers.
Plan your driving distances, short leg stretch breaks, tank & tummy stops where you have a choice, and try not to do the drive non stop. Sleeping in the car and or drinking as the off side driver reduces you ability to survive by lots.
Take a week, see a few sights, and rest comfortably between stints. Yes I have done it non stop on a bike, and in a car, but only because I - 1st younger and stupid, and secondly a family emergency, which I now regret. Dangerous and as I slept for near 24 hrs after.
As mentioned also, fly and buy a car up there. Darwin is a semi remote location, with high cost of living, slightly higher vehicle purchase costs, but the wages well and truly make up for it. I regret leaving nearly every day. You have choices, buy here or fly, it depends on your time frame and how many friends you have there to bum a car off for a week or two.
I think……… stuff this, I going back!
Solid post. They have removed the open speed limits though :(. New government got advice from 'medical professionals' and they deemed it unsafe, even though no one died in three years…
So it seems Apptrack, I just read up the latest, and yessum, law changed last year. Sadly, even after I marshaled in the Cannon Ball Run and saw some awesome open speed limit low level flying, and with all the safety areas, we still had that one slow but huge fatal crash.
So, the speed is not the issue on its own, it like everything else is the nut behind the wheel even at only 100kph. All things considered, there is no difference on the Highway up the guts as it is anywhere else in the country.
There are still all manner of obstacles and near hits/misses, and when the driver puts others in danger, or if the accidents still happen where no one dies, it is till too much of a risk.
So I enjoyed 200+kph in stints, but nah, I don't need to do it again.
PS James, I hope you enjoy drinking Iced Coffee. The law of the land, is not beer anymore, but for many years, Pauls Lite Iced Coffee.
Thank you so much for all that advice! I'm somewhat looking forward to it!
James
This is some of the best, most comprehensive advice I've ever read here - to the point that you've sold ME on doing this trip! A real eye-opening post. Thanks for posting!
Car has been purchased as I need it in the mean time between Brisbane and the gc. I got a 2013 aurion, hopefully she'll do the job and I'll get an enjoyable few years out of her.
Thanks everyone for the advise!
James
I hope you have a really great trip.
Not a bad choice. The Aurion is an underrated car, and quite economical on the open road. Good room and comfort, and there are Toyota dealers in lots of locations.
Have a good trip!
I cant see why a 2013+ camry would't be able to make the journey. Are you taking things with you (eg will you have a trailer full of personal items?) or will it just be whoever is in the car and their bags?
Just some things you should do
- Get a service done beforehand and make sure they check over everything - let them know what you are doing and get them to check
- Make sure your tyres have a lot of tread
- Check the spare tyre
- Possibly look at a rescue agency like NRMA?
- Pack a first aid kit
Make sure you know your route as well - will you be using a GPS or your phone or map? Perhaps stock a paper map as a backup if needed. Make sure you list where you are expecting to stop - list this with someone else that is not travelling with you and check in at the end of each day.
And dont forget lollies for energy and music :)