western oz trip

[mauler]

Hi all,
we are planning a trip next year to western australia. we will be leaving from sydney. we are looking for any suggestions as to the best way to get there and what places to visit. we will be doing the trip with friends and will have toddlers with us. any ideas?

thanks,
mauler
:D

that depends, are you going to perth or nth like broome?

if heading to perth a great way to go would be through the centre here, head to the rock and out through docker river, where you have a few choices on which way to go, and it's pretty spectacular! or if heading nth ya could go up the tanami!

[Baldeagle]

G'day Mauler
As a long-term Sandgroper, and as someone who has used all the tracks between the 'west' and the 'east' and who has been just about everywhere in WA, I can give you a few suggestions, but it will depend a bit on the vehicles and if/what they may be towing. It can also depend a lot on the time of the year and, of course, how much time you've got. Some options.................
1. Straight across the Eyre Hwy - boring
2. Across the Eyre Hwy to, say, Caiguna, then south to Toolinna Cove. then west along the old overland telegraph along the top of the Baxter Cliffs to where the track goes down the Wylie Scarp on to the beach at the eastern end of Israelite Bay, then west along the beach for about 80kms to the remains of the Israelite Bay settlement, then west along the track (and via many magnificent bays/headlands/beaches) to Esperance, then to Perth via the South - West or the Goldfields.
Also, you might want to go south from Cocklebiddy on the Highway to the Eyre Bird Observatory/Museum. You can actually travel west from there through a dune complex to Toolinna Cove, but it can br pretty tough going through the dunes.
3. Up to Coober Pedy and then west for about 1200kms to Laverton via the Anne Beadell Hwy across the Great Victoria Desert - a good trip, especially after rain (wildflowers), but it is now heavily corrugated for long stretches.
4. West along the Anne Beadell to Neale Junction, then south down the Connie Sue to Rawlinna, then west into Kalgoorlie.
5. Or north from the Neale Junction up the Connie Sue to the Great Central Road, then west to Laverton.
6. North to Uluru, then west to Laverton via Docker River, Warrakurna, Warburton etc
7. West from Uluru to Warrakurna, then along the old/abandoned section of the Gunbarrel Hwy to Wiluna.

The Hema Desert Series maps are a very useful starting point.

This might give you a few ideas and let me know if you want any more info on this or anywhere else in WA. It's a big state and there's a helluva lot to see and do - sometimes you have to travel a fair way, but it's always worth it.