Townsville to Perth ..... help please

[spanner]

soooo ...... I am heading over to Perth for our nat rally...... from Townsville.

I am looking at doing a southern route but want to figure out which way would be best ..... fastest for me.

Should I go via the NT out to Three ways then down to Port Augusta and then out west OR should I go via central Qld through Charleville and turning right at Cobar to get to Port Augusta ?


https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Townsville+City+QLD/Perth+WA/@-28.4133145,138.3005702,5z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x6bd5f8dbd573d1e7:0x500eef17f20feb0!2m2!1d146.8178787!2d-19.2576223!3m4!1m2!1d134.8052856!2d-29.583905!3s0x2acb58825ecdfcbd:0x2595b6d7b38a441a!1m5!1m1!1s0x2a32bad5293bd573:0x504f0b535df4ee0!2m2!1d115.8570118!2d-31.9535959!3e0


https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Perth+WA/Townsville+QLD/@-26.9928807,137.5223273,5z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x2a32bad5293bd573:0x504f0b535df4ee0!2m2!1d115.8570118!2d-31.9535959!3m4!1m2!1d128.9127108!2d-31.6708989!3s0x2ae943d3ddc700b3:0x4a10340e536182c1!1m5!1m1!1s0x6bd5f029558a6497:0x400eef17f2081b0!2m2!1d146.8178707!2d-19.2576268!3e0


Also knowing that either way is long stretches of quite bland and boring roads it does not matter to me either way. I am happy to exceed the speed limit ..... a little and I am not too worried by fuel consumption being substantially increased at the higher speeds.

What are your recommendations??

[WendyL]

Heading to Three ways gives you the Open Zone to play in....

Also, the roads in the NT are usually well maintained, and good for a quick trip.

[StinkyPete]

I've ridden the Townsville to Tennant Creek road twice in recent years and it a good wide road, with an excellent surface.   I would go that way, if your objective is the quickest route.  There is plenty of fuel with the longest stretch between fuel stops being the 260km from Barkly homestead to Camooweal, so with the long range of an ST you'll never run short.    Once you hit the NT, speed limits are 130km/h.   On the last trip in May this year we struck massive head winds while heading east, and needed to slow to 100km/h so the Harley's could make the distance.  At that speed and with the wind I was consuming 6 liters per 100km.

[alans1100]

Why not do both? Go to Perth via your first option and return home via the second option.

As different option I've changed your second option a little. https://goo.gl/maps/aBMUU

[spanner]

Also I noted that there is a little 'short cut' that means you don't need to go through Port Augusta ..... via a road that goes through the Lake Gairdner Nat Park. Can any tell me if this road is sealed?

https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/-30.4459674,135.3435381/-32.068278,133.6324176/@-32.3401891,135.7417925,8z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d135.5011206!2d-31.6629063!3s0x6aa0e41a68ed8bb7:0x83e0c168446f393!1m0!3e0

[spanner]

Why not do both? Go to Perth via your first option and return home via the second option.

As different option I've changed your second option a little. https://goo.gl/maps/aBMUU

I was thinking of going the northern route on the way home subject to weather.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Townsville+QLD/Perth+WA/@-26.6599076,122.9636561,5z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x6bd5f029558a6497:0x400eef17f2081b0!2m2!1d146.8178707!2d-19.2576268!3m4!1m2!1d119.8184119!2d-20.0576407!3s0x2b8a12bbe689642b:0x1300f63814b36930!3m4!1m2!1d113.8904026!2d-24.6078025!3s0x2be390a3d09a4c45:0x3b694f49f2c819b8!1m5!1m1!1s0x2a32bad5293bd573:0x504f0b535df4ee0!2m2!1d115.8570118!2d-31.9535959!3e0

[StinkyPete]

Also I noted that there is a little 'short cut' that means you don't need to go through Port Augusta ..... via a road that goes through the Lake Gairdner Nat Park. Can any tell me if this road is sealed?

Not sealed and not even on your worst enemy's bike!   Stick to the Stuart Highway to Port Augusta, which, despite expectations to the contrary, I find to be a quite scenic ride.

[alans1100]

I was thinking of going the northern route on the way home subject to weather.

I'd keep an eye out for cyclone warnings north of Carnarvon if you go that way. Season runs until end of April in WA.

[WendyL]

I was thinking of going the northern route on the way home subject to weather.

I'd keep an eye out for cyclone warnings north of Carnarvon if you go that way. Season runs until end of April in WA.

I'm doing the southern route to get there, northern route to get home.  I'm planning on incorporating some IBA rides on the way down.  I've ridden/driven the roads before, so won't be stopping to sight see.  I haven't been north of Shark Bay coming back up the west coast, so may take the trip home a bit slower.

[LindsayGT]

I was thinking of going the northern route on the way home subject to weather.

I'd keep an eye out for cyclone warnings north of Carnarvon if you go that way. Season runs until end of April in WA.

I'm doing the southern route to get there, northern route to get home.  I'm planning on incorporating some IBA rides on the way down.  I've ridden/driven the roads before, so won't be stopping to sight see.  I haven't been north of Shark Bay coming back up the west coast, so may take the trip home a bit slower.

Lots of awesome scenery from Halls creek through to Katherine. On my two rides through this bit, I left Kununurra at sunrise and headed to Halls Creek. The early morning sun on the rugged hills - just fantastic! One of my favorite bits of road in WA.

[Me_3]

Hey spanner!
I'm thinking of doing the lap subject to weather.. not sure if i'm going to take a week getting to perth, two weeks going home or the other way around..

How long were you planning on taking? Might be able to work out to travel together..

[spanner]

Hey there Me_3,

I was going over as fast as I can doing at least a SS1600 and maybe ss2000 or even possibly a ss2500 so I was not really interested in companion travel on the way OVER but ion the way back there is a possibility.

I was not looking at staying over there very long because of work commitments and I was also going to visit my ( shudder) mother who lives in Perth. ..... so in essence I am not sure of how long, where, when or even how as yet.  ...... actually .....I do know how .... on a bloody bike!   

[WendyL]

This is what I'm planning to get there.  Day 1, depending on how I'm feeling I'll either do Darwin to Erldunda (SS1600) or Darwin to Coober Pedy (SS2000), Day 2 complete Centerline 36 and continue on to Kimba where I'll stay with a friend I haven't seen for years.  May well take a full day off to spend time catching up, I'll see how it pans out.  Day 3 Kimba to Kalgoorlie, another (SS1600), Day 4 an nice gentle 600km into Perth, arriving around lunchtime.  I'll probably leave the Sunday before the rally, just to have time up my sleeve in case I can't manage the planned big days.  I also have friends and family in Perth I can catch up with if I have a couple of days to spare.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Darwin,+Northern+Territory/Erldunda,+Northern+Territory/Coober+Pedy,+South+Australia/Port+Augusta,+South+Australia/Kimba,+South+Australia/Kalgoorlie,+Western+Australia/Perth+WA/@-22.5276766,117.2972685,5z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m44!4m43!1m5!1m1!1s0x2cc0a0fc9f59043f:0x30217a82a247c20!2m2!1d130.8417772!2d-12.4628271!1m5!1m1!1s0x2b2f1501ffeb28c5:0x40217a82a254290!2m2!1d133.2019558!2d-25.198983!1m5!1m1!1s0x2acd47b70d421037:0x4033654628ed3b0!2m2!1d134.7544819!2d-29.0132437!1m5!1m1!1s0x6abce0ea0e0381cf:0x5033654628f0010!2m2!1d137.7628176!2d-32.4924399!1m5!1m1!1s0x6aa5ceede40cdfd3:0x5033654628efce0!2m2!1d136.4206548!2d-33.1383348!1m5!1m1!1s0x2a4d4fc68b12a54f:0x400f6382479d4f0!2m2!1d121.4748606!2d-30.7470074!1m5!1m1!1s0x2a32bad5293bd573:0x504f0b535df4ee0!2m2!1d115.8570118!2d-31.9535959!3e0

[STeveo]

Also I noted that there is a little 'short cut' that means you don't need to go through Port Augusta ..... via a road that goes through the Lake Gairdner Nat Park. Can any tell me if this road is sealed?

Definately not sealed and rough as beggary. Only to be attempted on someone else's trail bike.