3,900 km one way.
That is how far it will be for me to drive from my home in Victoria’s south east to some relatives in Western Australia.
As I have mentioned in this blog (or rather on the old blog, or where it used to be hosted, that’s for another blog).
Anyways, as I have mentioned elsewhere (that’s what I should have said), I have been trying to see the distances that connect the capital cities by road.
I’ve wanted to do this because I have flown to all the capital cities except Darwin and haven’t really learnt much about how to define or understand the size of Australia. You can measure it on any mapping program, you can see pictures from far flung points of it. You can read about the distances from those who travelled it through history.
But it doesn’t lead you to understand it better.
I have so far visited the Australian Capital Territory and Canberra, New South Wales and Sydney, Queensland and Brisbane, Tasmania, South Australia and Adelaide (Adelaide’s outskirts).
I describe my journey and the journey’s plan as visiting the capital cities, but that’s not quite technically true. On my South Australia trip I skirted around Adelaide’s outer suburbs without actually going into its CBD, because that wasn’t what I wanted out of the trip. For Tasmania there were places I wanted to see which didn’t include Hobart. I also made a mistake with how long I thought it would take to get places in Tasmania, so while I count Tasmania as “done” I will return there in the future and then in my mind it will be “properly done”.
The Perth and Western Australia leg has always been something I’ve been a little intimidated by.
The farthest I’ve been thus far was Brisbane at about 1,800 km. Perth is double that and a bit more.
I had been planning to go last year, but life and all those things sort of got in the way preventing me from going, I did my Woomera trip last year and then once I’d done that I didn’t have enough time to ready and plan for the Perth trip.
At one point I thought to do Western Australia and the Northern Territory in one big loop. But that, as I began to consider the distances was far too much.
So instead I will just be doing Perth. Though it’s hardly a “just”.
One thing that I have tried to do with my road trips is cover different paths, different routes, rather than just travelling along the same bit of tarmac there and back.
When I went to and through South Australia I went along the coast from Kingston SE and then up through Adelaide up to Woomera, and on the way back I returned along the river stopping at Morgan (which was possibly the worst night’s sleep I’d had).
This time it irks me a little that there isn’t an alternative route across the Nullarbor. There is one road. The Eyre Highway it begins at Port Augusta and ends in Norseman (or vice versa).
Yes there are a few towns that you could detour through on your way across, but once you get to Border Village, the creatively titled name for a village / roadhouse that sits on the border between South Australia and Western Australia, that’s it, there’s nothing but roadhouses and no other route to take.
However I will be taking a different route to Port Augusta than I will upon returning home. One the way there I’m going to follow the Murray River, which I did somewhat take on my way home from South Australia on my last trip, but I didn’t really want to have to make my way through Adelaide and up towards Port Augusta. I found the drive along that portion somewhat desolate and thought I’d have plenty of desolation to reflect on going across the Nullarbor.
Upon returning I aim to again bypass Adelaide stopping at Wudinna and Murray Bridge, going along past Bordertown (another creatively named town which sits near though not on the border with Victoria) and through Horsham and Ballarat.
I have prepared and then some, ready for many situations, to camp should I wish I have a swag with me. I got rid of my single burner butane stove (which according to the government is dangerous and prone to explode, I seem to recall buying it last year when I was planning my trip at very little cost <$15), instead I have a Trangia something I have used before, although it was long ago in high school. It’s odd how some things take you back / bring you back.
I got another spare for my ute, just in case (and new tyres, though they were starting to get near the end, I might’ve got another 2000 kms out of them (maybe).
I’ve got 2 fuel cans (technically they’re not “jerry cans” which are a specific design of fuel can). These are plastic and easier to pour than some designs. They’re also made in Australia. I am very thankful to Super Cheap Auto for exchanging my single diesel fuel can a 20L variety for two 10L varieties. I had had the 20L from earlier this year and when I put it in the back of my ute I had the tray open, and I thought it fit. Only recently did I check that the roller door on the back would close with it in, and it didn’t. So instead I have two 10L diesel cans. It’s probably overkill.
But it is better I think to be a little bit over prepared than under prepared.
I am sure though once I have left home I will still discover I have forgotten some things, but fortunately all of the big things I have taken care of; the things that need time to sort out; servicing my ute, tyres, swag. Any other things I think I should be able to purchase along the way.