Family road tripping
Discussion
Hi all, I am flying into Melbourne in Feb with my wife and two kids (2yrs and 3.5yrs old)
We are planning to drive from Melbourne to Perth anticlockwise and are thinking about getting a 4wdr and a trailer tent to do it in.
We plan not to arrive in Cairns before mid April and we have until early June to get to Perth.
I am not planning on going too remote, so really needing to look at economy, reliability, comfort (for little people) and resale potential above off road ability. I could really do with some advice on the best 4wdr and trailer tents to look at plus happy to take pretty much any advice on the route.
We are planning to drive from Melbourne to Perth anticlockwise and are thinking about getting a 4wdr and a trailer tent to do it in.
We plan not to arrive in Cairns before mid April and we have until early June to get to Perth.
I am not planning on going too remote, so really needing to look at economy, reliability, comfort (for little people) and resale potential above off road ability. I could really do with some advice on the best 4wdr and trailer tents to look at plus happy to take pretty much any advice on the route.
Queensland north of about Bundaberg, is not a good place to be in March or early April.
It is not only the wet season, when roads can be flooded for many days at a time, but also the cyclone season. the average house, or even the heaviest mobile home is not somewhere to be in a cyclone, let alone any type of camping gear.
Floods can still be 50 miles wide right across the top end in April.
It can also be a great time if you get a lucky year, but I'd not bet my great adventure on it. I'd try to rearrange your schedule to make the northern part of your trip after April if possible. I did get stuck once in late April early May, for over 2 weeks, north of Rockhampton, waiting for floods to subside.
It is not only the wet season, when roads can be flooded for many days at a time, but also the cyclone season. the average house, or even the heaviest mobile home is not somewhere to be in a cyclone, let alone any type of camping gear.
Floods can still be 50 miles wide right across the top end in April.
It can also be a great time if you get a lucky year, but I'd not bet my great adventure on it. I'd try to rearrange your schedule to make the northern part of your trip after April if possible. I did get stuck once in late April early May, for over 2 weeks, north of Rockhampton, waiting for floods to subside.
Can I ask why you want to do this? Is it for you, or for the kids?
I doubt the kids will enjoy it. Therefore I doubt you and your wife will enjoy it. There will be hours and hours of driving where you see nothing of interest. Living in a camping trailer will stop being fun after a few nights. They'll be bored s
tless after an hours driving. They won't remember it so it won't be some sort of life changing experience for them.
They are too young IMHO. If they aren't going to be able to savour it, enjoy it, explore it, then don't bother.
I doubt the kids will enjoy it. Therefore I doubt you and your wife will enjoy it. There will be hours and hours of driving where you see nothing of interest. Living in a camping trailer will stop being fun after a few nights. They'll be bored s
tless after an hours driving. They won't remember it so it won't be some sort of life changing experience for them. They are too young IMHO. If they aren't going to be able to savour it, enjoy it, explore it, then don't bother.
Hasbeen said:
Queensland north of about Bundaberg, is not a good place to be in March or early April.
It is not only the wet season, when roads can be flooded for many days at a time, but also the cyclone season. the average house, or even the heaviest mobile home is not somewhere to be in a cyclone, let alone any type of camping gear.
Floods can still be 50 miles wide right across the top end in April.
It can also be a great time if you get a lucky year, but I'd not bet my great adventure on it. I'd try to rearrange your schedule to make the northern part of your trip after April if possible. I did get stuck once in late April early May, for over 2 weeks, north of Rockhampton, waiting for floods to subside.
Thanks for this. I spent 6 months in Port Douglas about 10 years ago so have been worried about getting up north too early, hadn't realised I could be holed up in Rockhampton though. I am aiming to leave Briabane mid April and will have until mid May to get to Cairns before tackling the top. I have built in a fair bit of slack on the way round so if we do get stuck for 2 weeks it wouldn't be the end of the world. I did try to push it back even further but school stuff back home is making it tricky. Fingers crossed we get lucky with the weather.It is not only the wet season, when roads can be flooded for many days at a time, but also the cyclone season. the average house, or even the heaviest mobile home is not somewhere to be in a cyclone, let alone any type of camping gear.
Floods can still be 50 miles wide right across the top end in April.
It can also be a great time if you get a lucky year, but I'd not bet my great adventure on it. I'd try to rearrange your schedule to make the northern part of your trip after April if possible. I did get stuck once in late April early May, for over 2 weeks, north of Rockhampton, waiting for floods to subside.
That was a late wet season year.
After 2 weeks of no through traffic, the rail line cleared, & they ran trains from a siding near Marlborough to Rockhampton with flat top rail trucks. There were miles of shallow water over the road south to the turn off to Gladstone. North of Marlborough there were only a few creek fordings & no real trouble.
It was kind of fun actually. They loaded us with forklifts, very carefully & well, & we had to drive off onto the passenger platform in Rocky, down wedges of rail sleepers. Best rail service I've seen, & the best rail trip.
The heavy trucks that the rail flat tops couldn't handle were stuck for another 2 weeks.
After 2 weeks of no through traffic, the rail line cleared, & they ran trains from a siding near Marlborough to Rockhampton with flat top rail trucks. There were miles of shallow water over the road south to the turn off to Gladstone. North of Marlborough there were only a few creek fordings & no real trouble.
It was kind of fun actually. They loaded us with forklifts, very carefully & well, & we had to drive off onto the passenger platform in Rocky, down wedges of rail sleepers. Best rail service I've seen, & the best rail trip.
The heavy trucks that the rail flat tops couldn't handle were stuck for another 2 weeks.
just work out what camper trailer you are going with first and make sure the ball weight of the trailer does not exceed the maximum allowable limit of the 4wd. most cars are very poxy in this regard with anything over 100kg ball weight being rare. couple of people at work have been having trouble trying to get a tow car for there camper trailers as the ball weight has been over 100kg. Ask if you can get a longer draw bar on the camper trailer as this will reduce the ball weight and make for more stable towing.
not sure how much it will tow, but the subi forester diesel seems to get good economy.
not sure how much it will tow, but the subi forester diesel seems to get good economy.
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