 | Home > Australia & New Zealand > A short driving holiday... |
 
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| dm_td5 Member Since: 20 Jul 2008 Location: Arnhem Land Posts: 609   
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Well as of tomorrow my wife and I leave on a short driving holiday.
Round Australia, clockwise taking in Tasmania 
We have 3 months leave and apart from a ferry booking to Tasmania nothing else is pre-planned. Just aiming to see things we haven't seen before. I'm expecting to run up between 30,000 and 40,000 km on the Puma and it will be towing a Kimberley Kamper Platinum (http://www.kimberleykampers.com/) for all but the Tasmanian leg. Tomorrow starts the first step, a 12 hour drive along 680km of dirt track (Central Arnhem Highway) from Gove (home - google maps: http://tinyurl.com/ny6z5y) to the Stuart Highway 51km south of Katherine in the NT. From there we will head south and then take the Barkely Hwy across to Queensland. This might sound like a wimpy route, but we've done the Gulf tracks before and whilst they are fantastic they are also very hard on the vehicle and would potentially chew up a few weeks we'd rather spend elsewhere. I'll post up links to how things go and pictures when I can. A lot of the next 7 days will be outside of mobile phone range. Anyway I'll sign off for now as I need to get a few hours sleep. 110 2.4TDCi 110 300Tdi 
LROCV ::: AULRO.com |
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29th Jun 2009 2:09pm |
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| Sonic3d Member Since: 28 Jan 2008 Location: Ross on Wye Posts: 1505  
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Sounds like a fantastic trip
 enjoy and keep us informed on how its going plus pics  |
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29th Jun 2009 2:41pm |
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| dm_td5 Member Since: 20 Jul 2008 Location: Arnhem Land Posts: 609
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3rd Jul 2009 9:28am |
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| Eduardo Member Since: 28 Aug 2008 Location: Región Metropolitana Posts: 2110  
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Wonderful, from the upper north down to the south
30,000 km is quite a lot but 3 months looks like a good time to do it. Please keep us informed about the development including photos Have a nice and enjoyable trip Eduardo MY 2007 110 SW PUMA 2.4: Big Fog of 64' MY 1994 Jayco 1207 Folding camper: "El Tremendo" Click image to enlarge |
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3rd Jul 2009 12:41pm |
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| dm_td5 Member Since: 20 Jul 2008 Location: Arnhem Land Posts: 609
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Ok started a blog: ag110.wordpress.com
So far the only issues have been: Bonnet nearly fell off  lost 3 nuts and one bolt on right hinge and loosened all 3 on the other
Weeping pinion seal became a lot worse but didn't use significant oil in diff, just made a mess over the trailer. Door mirror's loosened badly Lost the "Land Rover" silver dust cover on one wheel Puma's in for a service today. 110 2.4TDCi 110 300Tdi
LROCV ::: AULRO.com |
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5th Jul 2009 10:55pm |
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| Steve B Member Since: 22 May 2009 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 586 
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Hi,
Thanks for the heads up on the fish and chips in Townsville  will definitely try them out.
We land in Brisbane on the 1st Aug and on the 3rd fly to Cairns for our own mini Aussy roadtrip. Picking up a Nissan x-trail and heading to Port Douglas then to Crocodylus hostel in Cape Tribulation. I am cosidering driving to Cooktown along the Bloomfield track. Then driving back down the coast to Brisbane before flying out on the 28th Not hijacking just so exited I wanted to say, will be reading your blog with interest Thanks. If I see a Defender bonnet en-route do you have a forwarding addy 
Steve |
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5th Jul 2009 11:44pm |
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| dm_td5 Member Since: 20 Jul 2008 Location: Arnhem Land Posts: 609
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Steve, no problem with the short hijack.
You won't be able to take the X-trail on the Bloomfield track as they are very strict on hire cars on dirt tracks up there and also I doubt the X-trail would make it to Cooktown that way (unless the roads changed a lot). Please keep an eye out for us, but I suspect we will be we'll south by then, Tasmania on the 2-August! This is what to look for... Click image to enlarge 110 2.4TDCi 110 300Tdi
LROCV ::: AULRO.com |
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6th Jul 2009 7:19am |
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| Grockle Member Since: 24 Nov 2008 Location: Peak District National Park Posts: 2266 
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Smart looking rig Derek,do you won't me to send on ahead a pack of assorted nuts and bolts?
2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up. |
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6th Jul 2009 7:24am |
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| chalky Member Since: 09 May 2008 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 483
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dm_td5
Sounds like you have your trip plotted out just fine & judging by the mother of all trailers it looks like you are well prepped for the trip ! 
Jealous ! A tad ! Thanks for the blog & enjoy ! keep us all updated and capture some of that scenery, and less of that clear crisp bright blue sky ! DEFENDER XS CSW 08 TONGA GREEN |
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6th Jul 2009 8:27am |
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| dm_td5 Member Since: 20 Jul 2008 Location: Arnhem Land Posts: 609
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6th Jul 2009 11:24am |
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| Grockle Member Since: 24 Nov 2008 Location: Peak District National Park Posts: 2266
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Looking foward to your next update Derek
2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up. |
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6th Jul 2009 12:25pm |
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| Steve B Member Since: 22 May 2009 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 586
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Yes you will be long gone. I have heard mixed reports on the ease of driving this way, and yes the hire company don't want you to go on dirt tracks. I might have a little nose just to see what it's like and if it doesn't look good then I will go up Mulligans highway. Wicked set up by the way, I bet I could see it from the plane as we fly from NZ
Steve |
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6th Jul 2009 3:09pm |
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| dm_td5 Member Since: 20 Jul 2008 Location: Arnhem Land Posts: 609
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Pic's going up here (when I can - I'm chewing through mobile data usage as it is when in cell range
 )
www.flickr.com/dmdigital Spent this afternoon at the Stockman's hall of Fame in Longreach, QLD. Well worht the visit and you could spend several days there if you tried to read everything. Got back to the campsite to find my second battery in the Puma has died and the Engel (I'm using as a freezer) wasn't getting any power. No guess as to what I'm buying tomorrow 
Not to concerned as it was a 2-3 year old battery from my old D2 110 2.4TDCi 110 300Tdi
LROCV ::: AULRO.com |
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10th Jul 2009 11:18am |
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| Grockle Member Since: 24 Nov 2008 Location: Peak District National Park Posts: 2266
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A new Defender
2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up. |
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10th Jul 2009 11:40am |
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