5,460 mile road trip across OZ to pick up an OC6

Colin

I recently did an awesome road trip with a mate across Australia from Perth in Western Australia to Tweed Heads in Queensland to pick up our clubs new Mirage OC6. A 5,460 miles (8,787km) round trip, 3 days to get over there, a day off to go for a paddle and surf with Travis Grant, then 3 days to get back. Had an absolute ball, even managed to get a speeding ticket on the way back crossing the Nullabor (the big flat bit in the middle). And took a 350 km dirt road short cut so we could get a photo of a mates surf ski we picked up sitting on Wave Rock. Here are some photos from the return leg, enjoy.
Cheers
Barts

Attachment	Size
All set for the return trip	52.45 KB
In the rainforest behind Brisbane	45.86 KB
Road side modification	37.67 KB
A whole lot of nothing in front of us	39.71 KB
The wide open road	49.07 KB
Didn't see any of these!	46.38 KB
Overtaking time! (We drive on the left down here)	41.57 KB
I thought the last bit was straight!	54.25 KB
Outback, Outrigger, Outstanding!	46.66 KB
On the dirt	52.96 KB
Good thing we wrapped it!	51.51 KB
Dropping in at Wave Rock, that's one heavy wave!	173.42 KB
Kai Koa makes it home	60.05 KB
At home in Mandurah	68.03 KB
The crew ready to get Kai Koa on the water	66.59 KB

Submitted by Colin on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 3:47pm

Gulf-inlander

Ahh...maybe someday a sojourn to Oz. Have heard for long time about the experience of taking the train all the way across including the Nullarbor Plain--where alarm goes off at regular intervals to keep engineer awake!
Oh and and look at that washboard red dirt "track." Hope it wasn't like that the entire length of that shortcut.
Thanks for the interesting photos! (No night travel I'd guess? Heard that's very hazardous with wildlife at night.)

#1 Fri, 05/13/2011 - 6:25pm

poidog

You Aussie's are awesome. Glad you got our back in the lower half. Should have moved there when younger.

#2 Sat, 05/14/2011 - 3:48pm

Colin

You're welcome down here anytime Gulf-inlander and poidog! The red dirt track wasn't bad (been on worst) only small patches of corrigations and managed to sit on 80-90km/h for most of it.
We actually did a fair bit of night driving and only had one close call with a big roo. There's been heaps of rain in the outback so there was plenty of feed around so the critters weren't hanging around the roads, they were all asleep with big fat bellies!
It's a great drive across the Nullabor, I think every Aussie should have to do it at least once! The cliffs are awesome, we couldn't get the trailer close enough for a photo but this is from a trip I did with my family.

#3 Sat, 05/14/2011 - 9:12pm

Jim

Epic!

#4 Mon, 05/16/2011 - 4:09pm

OCD.III

That sounds like it was an awesome trip! Growing up and living in Hawai'i the only complaint I've ever had is that I cannot really just get in my car and drive, road-trip style...takes about 90 minutes to drive around the island. Since I was a kid I always thought Australia would be the place if I had to relocate international; all the ocean that I love and all the driving I could handle!
Aloha!

#5 Sat, 05/21/2011 - 11:14am

Colin

Yep OCD.III you'd love it, best part is you'd just be moving from a small island to a bloody big one!
Barts

#6 Mon, 05/23/2011 - 8:52pm