rpowellesq

Hello everybody-

I am planning the trip of a lifetime for my 30th birthday--a solo backpacking trek across Western Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. My main interest is underwater and terretrial wildlife photography. Please let me know if the below itinerary is plausible, or if I am being too ambitious. I may not get another chance in my life to get out to this part of the world, and I know that one could spend weeks in any of the places I have chosen to visit. But given a one-time deal, am I being realistic given the relevant driving distances? Have I left anything crucial out? Thanks! Your advice is gold!

Itinerary: May 10 – June 26

May 8 New York – Sydney – Perth
May 10-11 Perth (4-wd car hire)
May 12 Kalbarri National Park
May 12-13 Shark Bay / Monkey Mia
May 14-18 Ningaloo Reef / Cape Range Nat'l May 19-20 Karijini National Park
May 21 Broome
May 22-23 Bungle Bungle
May 24-25 Darwin
May 26-29 Kakadu National Park
May 29 Darwin - Cairns (fly)
May 30 Outer Ribbon Reefs
May 31 Kuranda
June 1-2 Daintree Cape Trib / Mossman
June 3-7 Lizard Island
June 8-9 Cairns
June 10 Mission Beach
June 11-15 Hinchinbrook Island
June 17 Airlie Beach
June 18-19 Whitsunday Islands
June 20-21 Fraser Island
June 22-23 Brisbane
June 24 Brisbane – Honolulu - Kauai
June 25 Kauai
June 26 Hawaii - LGA, NY, via Dallas

fuzzylogic

Dear rpowell

You sound so enthusiastic and have chosen such excellent places that I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But are you really thinking of driving all the way from Perth to Darwin in that timeframe? I don’t even want to think about whether you are also planning on doing the same from Cairns to Brisbane.

So, to concentrate on WA, and because I would like you to remember it as the trip of a lifetime and not as an endurance test:

May 14-18 Ningaloo Reef / Cape Range Nat'l May 19-20 Karijini National Park
May 21 Broome
May 22-23 Bungle Bungle
May 24-25 Darwin

Let’s say you are travelling from Exmouth to Tom Price for Karijini on the 19th. It will take all day (well, 7 hours driving time). You then have one full day in Karijini then off to Broome on the 21st.. Now that really is ALL DAY - 1,000 km and 12 hours.

So you don’t see Broome at all. Broome to Purnululu is 11 hours driving time.

Now I haven’t driven the whole route myself - only Darwin to Broome via the Gibb River Road (happy to supply details). I went on from Broome to Perth by Greyhound bus with lots of stops. But if you want to check my figures please go to www.racq.com.au

Next - there is nothing to see on the highway between Perth and Broome (especially the latter section). This isn’t an argument for not driving it, but it is something to bear in mind if you are driving alone.

Finally, there’s cost. Your average small SUV is going to do 9kms for every litre of fuel. Something like a Landcruiser or Pajero is going to do 7.5. Perth to Darwin is 4,000kms going by the inland route. Add 1,500 for the coast and detours. Petrol is currently at $1.20 a litre in Sydney, though it drops to $1.10 on Mondays (haha) but I’ll bet it‘s more pricey in WA. So let‘s say $700 for fuel.

Now you say you are backpacking, so must assume you plan on staying in hostels. And one way of doing this trip is to hope you’ll meet up with folk who are going your way, and who will keep you company and share the cost. But you are not going to be anywhere long enough for that to happen.

I rest my case. Can I suggest an alternative? Travel with an organised trip up to Exmouth; Travel with another from there to Broome via Karijini. Hire a car there if you want and truck on up to Darwin - though allow 4 days total if you want to see the Bungles - ie you don‘t get to see much of Darwin, but that’s probably the best place on this part of the itinerary to skip. If you have taken some trips beforehand you will have met people who will want to share that journey with you - and that’ll make it a lot more fun.

www.westernxposure.com.au
www.easyridertours.com.au

This trims maybe 2-3 days off the time for the east coast. But with respect you can take out Kuranda for sure out of an itinerary like this - and as you really can’t do it all, I’d skip Mission Beach. In fact I'd probably fly Cairns to BRS and home, and skip the Whitsundays and Fraser too (not that I don't love 'em) and spend even more time in WA. Because that really is one of those places that most of us will only ever visit once. The Eaat Coast is not so hard to get to and much easier to travel around (cheap flights for instance).

Oh, I could go on, but enough.

I think you probably know in your heart that more is less.
All the best.

Melnq8

Do I understand correctly that you're arriving on Oahu (Honolulu), flying to Kauai, spending one day on Kauai, then flying to the Big Island of Hawaii????

beazor

We are planning a similar trip in October. Trying to figure out how to get to Shark's Bay and Ningaloo Reef. Thought about driving also, but it seems so far. Have you have any luck or even tried finding flights for some or all of the journey?

OzMike

G'day rpowell,
Your travelling dates ( may - June ) are good.

Now, I don't want to "rain on your parade" .........
However I do fully agree with Fuzzylogic.
I do the trip from Perth to Darwin at least 2x each year. My shortest Itinerary is 33 days! Even with that amount of time we have to make some compromises.
Keep in mind also that I know the roads, tracks and places and do not have to search for things!
Although May to Sept. is a good time to travel there, it's also the time with the shortest daylight hours.

If you are interested you may wish to look at my itinerary for that trip:
http://www.redcentre.com.au/2005/33daysPerth2darwin.htm

It may help you with your planning.

Take care out there,
Mike.

pat_woolford

Agree with everyone, just the Queensland bit exhausts me to even contemplate it in my advanced years, but don't think could have handled it at 30.

Its good that you're flying Darwin-Cairns, but the next day Ribbon Reefs? - they're a long way from Cairns and Port Douglas. Have you thought of a liveaboard out of Cairns which can include both Lizard Island and Ribbon Reefs?

However, do congratulate you on choice of Hinchinbrook Island, sadly neglected on this forum.

rpowellesq

Ok, so Fuzzylogic , OzMike, and Pat W have made me see the error of my ways. So: Given a May10-June24 timeline; given that I have a flight coming into Perth on May 10 and one leaving Brisbane on June 24; and given that I want to be sure to hit Ningaloo, Kakadu, camping on Lizard and Hinchinbrook, and Daintree, what would be the best way to go about it all? Is Karijini absolutely out of the question? I will happily give up Kalbarri, Bungle, Kuranda, Mission Beach, Fraser, and even the Whitsundays if need be. Thanks for all of your help and candid advice--it is truly invaluable (even if it shattered my dreams--sniff sniff ).

Greatly in your debt,
Russell