i am a single mum with two babies, and have 4-5 weeks free, and plan on driving around a bit of australia. my plan is from Sydney up into Qld maybe up to Townsville/Cairns, turn left and go accross Qld then on to the Sturt Hway, up to Darwin, then back down to Alice Springs, Uluru, and then the quickest way back to Sydney (South Australia and back to Sydney perhaps through Hay?).
Driving an older sedan, staying on the main tarred highways and staying at motels. I've seen advice that says carry a full set of spares (does that mean 4 tyres?) is that applicable for tar highways though? also, do i need to carry petrol, or are there petrol stations frequently along the highways? if you break down, is there much traffic to help you? do mobile phones work?
on the roads, are there many kids playgrounds along the way? are there places to stop and buy meals along the way? are there frequent motels?
my biggest worry at the moment - is the weather okay during late august/first half of september?
option i would also like to take - load the car on a train and do a leg of the journey that way, for a rest - is there one accross qld? or perhaps the ghan? but this might miss uluru
i'm pretty flexible with the route....
we are leaving next week - help!

Just to get the discussion started, Ladydriver, where are yu from? And just how old is the car, and what shape is it in?

hi there,
i am from Sydney, and the car is a ford falcon and is 10 years old, but is going to be thoroughly checked this week

I can't answer the questions re full set of tyres etc. But I do think you are trying to do too much. How old are your babies?? It sounds like a huge trip with little children. Won't they go a bit nuts in the car for such a long time?

Why don't you stick to the east coast and slow it all down a bit, then you will have time to veg out and relax properly.

It sounds as though you are trying to get away from something, ie Thelma and Louise. I hope I'm wrong.

Obviously you need NRMA membership, which is stating the obvious I guess, and certainly don't skimp on the car maintenance. Pay particular attention to the cooling system. It would also be advsable to familiarise yourself with the fuse box location and carry a couple of spare fuses.

If it's been well looked after and the mileage is reasonable for its age, a '99 Falcon should be a pretty reliable and comfortable car for a long trip, but my experience in older cars on long trips is that if they're going to break down they'll pick the most Godforsaken place to do it in. Tyres - hopefully one would be enough, but two would give more peace of mind.

I must say I share cathies' reservations about taking two little kids on such a monstrous trip and would seriously consider cutting back to something. There will be mile upon endless mile of nothing much at all over very long stretches of the trip.

Visit the NRMA and obtain all pertinent maps and guides; they'll show you where accommodation is. Don't forget on-site vans in caravan parks. Also, visit you mobile phone company's website to check coverage along the way. If you're not with Telstra I suggest switching to their NextG service, which has better range than the older GSM network.

"...and would seriously consider cutting back to something."

Sorry, that should read "cutting back to something reasonable".

You should also consider the potential dangers inherent in a single driver covering such vast distances, specifically losing attention or nodding off on l-o-n-g, featureless stretches of road, colliding with wildlife etc. To me it seems foolhardy to expose yourself and your kids to such a risk, particularly if you have no experience of such tiring driving conditions, but it's your call.

okay, and thanks to all for the responses - but here is the thing (by the way, not running away, just wanted an interesting holiday!) - if you are a single mother, with no partner, how else do you travel in australia (where we live?). When are children of an age where it isn't exposing them to a risk (being that this is supposed to be a "safe" time of the year, weather-wise. i appreciate your input, i really do, but not all of us have partners and so does this theoretically limit me to holidays 100ks away where it is safe until the kids turn - what - 16?
excuse my ignorance - what makes it a risk? i assumed that if you are out of phone range and you break down, a passing motorist would assist to get help? would the weather be so inhospitible that we would be exposed to danger on the highway?
the ghan is looking pretty good, at this point, although that would involve driving to adelaide and then back over to qld from darwin anyhow!! LOL
thanks again for any replies

OK, Ladydriver, I hear what you're saying and my comments were simply cautionary, on the perhaps mistaken assumption that you hadn't undertaken such long drives in such places before.

In response to the question "excuse my ignorance - what makes it a risk?", you're right that you can usually rely on passing drivers to help out. But my main point was precisely what I said: "...specifically losing attention or nodding off on l-o-n-g, featureless stretches of road, colliding with wildlife etc." I've found this a very real consideration, even though my wife and I have been lucky enough to be able to share the driving and found that 4 hours on, 4 off was the most we could comfortably manage without swapping drivers.

When our kids were small and we lived in Adelaide we often did the drive to Sydney via Hay. At the time it seemed interminable and was for the most part inexpressibly tedious, but even so a mere fraction of what you're contemplating.

You can of course minimise the likelihood of hitting a kangaroo by not driving at times when they're prevalent.

I do appreciate your situation and as I said, it's your call. But I assumed that you were looking for opinions, and that's mine. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

hi, and really, thanks again, i do want opinions - i just get a bit tired of being written off because i don't have a partner - you know, the "you can't do that" type of thing. i HAVE had years of long distance driving experience, and hear you re the roos. my plan was to drive during the day, a couple of "play stops" and never drive at dawn or dusk, however i have NO experience with northern qld or nt, and so i guess i assumed that families did the trip - obviously not!! so i am definitely re-assessing. i can't happily do a trip where i am being considered a danger to my own children -no way! SO i suppose it will be (bloody) Qld again. Perhaps just drive as far north as i can comfortably do with the kids and leave it as their call. i haven't been beyond noosa, so maybe there will be some interesting things to do up townsville or cairns way for little kids? darn, i thought showing them leaping crocodiles and kakadu would have been fun! darwin obviously is out of the question UNLESS i flew them all up to darwin, did kakadu and then caught the ghan down and then the indian pacific south...!
thanks again for your comments, i have definitely taken them on board! it was info that i needed

Hi Ladydriver1, if you are now thinking of going to far north Qld, have you considered getting cheap air fares and flying to Cairns and then hiring a car? It might work out the same cost wise and be less stressful than driving such a long way.

OK, my experience. Sydney to Cairns is easy – it’s just a long way.
A ten year old Falcon will be fine. Make sure that the tyres are good. Get the radiator hoses checked, replace the fan belt, check that the aircon is OK>. A single spare tyre will be enough.’
Take at least two, five litre containers of fresh water. You can buy the containers at supermarkets.
Mobile phones won’t work much, except in the towns.

Heading west, you will find fuel available about every two hundred kilometres.


I travelled your route, more or less, on a bicycle, fifteen years ago. I found – and I’m sure you’ll find - that people in the outback are amazingly helpful and friendly. You’ll be safe IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE THE BITUMEN. Otherwise you are at risk.

It sounds like five weeks, and about six thousand kilometres. Sydney / Cairns / back to Townsville/ Charters Towers / Mt Isa / Camooweal / Three Ways / Tennant Creek / Alice Springs / Ularu / Port Augusta / Hay / Wagga Wagga / Sydney. A big circle. Going north to Darwin really puts a lot of distance into the trip.

Think about plotting your route on whereis.com, and that will give you the total distance. It does sound like a lot of driving.
Late August will be fine – the nights in central Aus can be a bit crisp.
Country pubs are a good alternative to motels, and way cheaper, more friendly too.
A final piece of advice - go for it!

My niece travels a lot on her own with her now 2yo and has done since he was born. Mostly long country drives, with some intra and interstate flights. With all the paraphanalia associated with babies, I think you'd find it easier driving than flying.

For one thing, you take everything you need in the car and not have to manage strollers, bags AND kids at airports and on the flight. Nor limit your luggage or pay excess baggage.
I was actually amazed at how unhelpful some of the (Jetstar) check-in and ground staff were on a recent flight Sydney- Hamilton Island.

If you or the babies need a break - you can just pull up at the next likely looking place on the road. How old are they, BTW?

I agree with Peter S about using country pubs instead of motels, and the other option worth considering is on-site cabins in caravan parks. I saw an absolutely ideal one yesterday at Nambucca Heads. The White Albatross www.whitealbatross.com.au There is a tavern next door with a kids area.

A note about help if you get stuck on the roadside. Whilst we would like to think everyone would stop, the reality is that many people zoom past, and those who do stop are not always more capable than you are. I'm one of those who does stop, having been raised in the country and incapable of driving past without at least stopping to ask if someone is ok, unless they are patently just stopped for a "T or P" break. Most people are absolutely amazed that I've stopped, so I figure it's not as common as we would like to think.

SO: If you're not a member of NRMA, do join. It'll cost about $100 and be the best insurance you can have against problems, and the best friend you can have if you do. On my last trip, I had a flat on a backroad between Lismore & Coraki and I thought it would be quicker to change it myself than mess about waiting for the NRMA. But, I couldn't get the wheel off. It was so firmly on, the NRMA guy (who came about 30 mins after I called which I thought was fantastic) had to pull it off with his ute.

The other thing about doing a road trip like this is that you have the flexibility to stay a day or three somewhere appealing, or if one of the kids isn't well; change route etc.

It IS a lot of driving, irrespective of how experienced you are. I'd say get a good map and use the whereis.com site to get an idea of driving distances & times.
I don't think I'd go to Darwin as it will be getting pretty hot late September, early-mid October and that might be a good trip for another time, when the babies are a bit older.
Then, you'd have this trip - or as much of it as you decide to do- under your belt and perhaps fly in & rent a campervan to have a look around Kakadu etc.

I think you could have a lot of fun; just keep your wits about you and allow yourself to be as flexibile as you want so you really enjoy the moments. You don't have anything to prove to anyone - doesn't matter whether you drive 6000km or 600km. Good for you, I hope you have a great time.

thank you thank you thank you, my head is completely spinning with what to do now, i had just about given up on driving until reading the last few posts. today i had been looking at fly/train options which cut off heaps of time of course (which actually was a bit disappointing!) and was expensive, and as you so astutely pointed out, struggling with baby paraphanelia through public transport is no fun at all!
(the uluru hotels are very dear, but not much choice but to stay 2 nights)
so, i am completely befuddled but determined to work it out in the next few days!
thanks again for restoring a bit of my self-confidence!!
ps, the kids are a nearly 2yo and nearly 4yo!

Do get a Telstra NextG mobile; there will be a few black spots where it won't work, but you'll have coverage in most places. Ordinry mobiles are useless in all the more remote areas.

If you don't already have one, those hrness & lead devices are invluable for keeping the 2yo safe while you're packing/unpacking etc. Those little dots move with the speed of light and if you have 2 of them, you don't need me to tell you how hard it is to keep a toddler still when you're occupied, as you will have to be at times. Everything's so wonderfully new & exciting, even for the most biddable littlies, that they just HAVE to run off & explore, the very minute you have your 2nd hand full and your back turned

Be aware that Alice Springs & Uluru can be VERY cold early mornings & nights and warm up pretty quickly during the day.

I think Alice Springs is worth a 2- 3 day stay - Dessert Park, School of the Air, Flying Doctor,Reptile park etc., Lots to see and do and there is a very good little hop-on-hop-off bus and well informed drivers.

At Uluru, the Cultural Centre is a great first stop - interactive displays, great info and you can book a walk with an Aboriginal guide if you wish. Gives you a good overview before you start.

okay - got some stuff sorted and thought i'd share
(thanks Bokhara, such useful info!!)
going to fly to uluru, stay 2 nights, drive to alice, stay 1 night, ghan to darwin, stay - will decide when there, at least 3 nights and drive or tour to kakadu, jumping croc tour and maybe go to the beach at darwin too, or something! open to suggestions on cheaper ways to get around to attractions there...
maybe fly to cairns and eventually home, or even hire a car in darwin and drive down to alice or over to qld, but prob not, LOL!
so the beginning is a kind of compromise, and the end of the holiday is yet to be sorted, but probably decide when we are there
does anyone know if the flys are bad at uluru in beginning of september?
here is what i've learnt so far...
don't try to use flight centre - i managed far cheaper prices finding my own things on the net...
flights to uluru weren't as bad as i thought
the ghan can be economical if you squeeze one child into your bed, and they give concession rates and kids under 4 are free!
booking uluru accommodation - wotif rates are far cheaper, and if you then ring the accommodation resort company (forgotten the name?) direct, they will match the prices! they call it "last minute discounts" but in reality you can book 3 months in advance i think with these rates sometimes...
their hire cars are over priced though
cheap hire cars seem to be here ($100 cheaper for 3 day hire):
vroomvroomvroom australian website
haven't booked this here yet though. hire cars are, of course, fraught with added extra charges, but that seems unaviodable
accom in darwin at wotif, again, cheapest?
hope this info helps someone!

Flies are a feature of most 'outback' places, but if you make sure you slather some Rid or other tropical strength insect repellent on, you'll be fine. Same for Darwin, Kakadu etc - and there might be mozzies in Darwin. Make sure everyone has hats and sunscreen, obviously, and plenty of drinking water. Once you get to Uluru, it's about 10km walk around the base of the rock itself and I'm not sure if there is anywhere to buy water etc., just there. I have visions of some sort of kiosk off to the East, but couldn't be sure.

Have fun & please do a trip report when you get back

At Ularu, there is a kiosk in the visitor centre. The visitor centre is really worth a look, and best to see it before you go to the actual rock. There's no kiosk at the rock itself, but there are toilets at the base of the climb.

The walk around the base of the rock is flat, and quite long. Little kids would find it a challenge.

Have a great trip.

Hi PeterS,
The visitors/cultural centre really is superb, isn't it? I was SO impressed with it and wished we'd known about it before going to the rock & the Olgas. Next time, I'll take an Aboriginal guided tour - am sure it would give a much richer experience, although I was awed just walking around as the sunrise struck the various faces of the rock.

When I did my epic bicycle ride around Australia 15 years ago, I went to Ularu. It was my first visit there, and I met the architect of the visitor centre, Greg Burgess. The centre was in construction then, and I so enjoyed talking with him. The design was first worked out and developed by sitting on the ground with the traditional owners, drawing patterns in the sand. The design reflects a pair of snakes who had a dreamtime fight at Ularu.

Greg told me about the mud bricks made on site, strengthened with clay from termite mounds, radial sawn timber that wastes little of the saw log. It was fascinating.

December 1999 found my wife and I back at Ularu. We decided that we’d like to see in the new millennium out in the desert, and we drove about 40 km west of the Olgas and camped. You’d know how the stars are out there – a carpet of stars overhead.

And we took a guided tour from the visitor centre to the rock, with an Aboriginal guide who told us about bush tucker, showed us how to make a fire and to throw a spear.

There were two women doing paintings at the visitor centre, and we sat on the ground and watched them. A lizard ran between us, and the woman smiled at us, and said, with a grin, “Bush tucker”.