Four months ago I asked Dean & Gaye fellow FJC Club members if they would mind us join them on their Great Central Road and Beyond adventure trip. They welcome us and invited to tag along. Austin, another FJC club member and his family were going too so three FJ Cruisers in a convoy on GCR have already sounded like a fun. At early stage it wasn't clear whether my wife and our 2.5 years old daughter would go as the little one suffered several ear and throat infections since beginning of winter. My wife and I decided to make a final call closer to the trip based on Niki's health which made the trip preparation a bit of pain. I wanted to hire a camper trailer in the case they would go and wasn't sure if there will be any available on such a short notice. We decided to take chances and try to book a trailer just few weeks before the trip (I planned to take our roof top tent in the case of going solo). Just two weeks before the departure date, decision was made to go as a family and luckily guys at Crikey's had one of those Camprite TL8s still available. So final preparations for the trip were under way. Unfortunately I couldn't secure the time off the work to tag along with Dean and Gaye all the way but even 16 days trip from Perth to Alice Springs and back sounded like an awesome adventure for us. Once we get to Alice S. we planned to turn back and return the same way while Dean and Austin supposed to continue the loop across South Australia. Two days before the trip I picked up the camper from Crikey's.
The first day was the most ambitious as we supposed to reach lake Ballard which translated to a 789km long drive.
Originally we wanted to have an early start but it had to be deferred for about 30 minutes because of issues I had with the trailer's lights that morning and ended up late at the muster point. Despite the late start and bad weather we still thought we could get to the the lake in time to set up the camp before dark. A short break near Moorine Rock
Rain was following us all the way to Coolgardie
Our little one was enjoining her new comfy seat
After refuelling and quick lunch in Coolgardie we went off-road toward the lake Ballard.
The rain quickly transformed this quite good road into a muddy battle-field
I was the only one having mud tyres while Dean and Austin were running on ATs. Toyo's OC were giving so much grip that I manage to drive through this section in 2WD.
A short break at Orabandas to stretch legs.
Weather started getting worse as we were coming closer to lake Ballard
It was very little daylight remained when we reached the lake and another round of showers was on it's way so we rushed to set up the camp. Had the first bad surprise when realised that the tent LED light wasn't working. Austin gave me a couple of spare rechargeable LED lights and together with few battery operated ones I had, we had just enough light in the camper.
Of course nothing could stop kids of having fun
Famous Anthony Gormley sculptures
After a wet and windy night, the morning looked promising and everyone's mood improved as we thought the worst of weather was over.
New "Nikon Boots" helped a lot walking through mud around the lake.
The second day was much less ambitious with only 333 km to be driven to get us to Giles (Jindalee) Breakaway just north of Laverton.
By the time we reached Menzies weather cleared a bit but the road was closed from the other end.
Short stop for a quick breaky
For the next 50-ish km we were on the sealed road. The next stop was on Niagara Dam. Daytime stay area was very nice and we also noticed few good camping spots behind the dam. This became our first preference for camping on the way back.
We continued heading toward Laverton via unsealed Kookyine-Malcolm road bypassing Leonora. Overtaking a train at an unusually close proximity.
After refuelling at Laverton, early afternoon we officially hit Outback Highway also known as Great Central Road.
We arrived at Giles Breakaway mid afternoon so there were plenty time to setup the camp and do some cooking before night.
Dean assured Austin and I had an appropriate beer selection for the stay at this special place.
Kids were enjoining every moment when they weren't in the cars.
Leaving this great camping spot and heading to Empress Springs. Another easy day with just 298 km ahead of us.
A quick wild flowers photo-shooting session on the road side.
The trip first animals sightseeing
The road surface was quite good with very few corrugated sections mostly when the road turns sandy.
A dingo surprisingly close to the road.
Just 8 km before Tjukayirla road house we turned into David Carnegie Rd toward Empress Springs.
The track was mostly in a good condition except few heavily corrugated sandy sections.
We arrived at Empress Springs early afternoon with enough time to setup the camp, exploring, wood collection, cooking, bush showers, etc.
Kids quickly find themselves well entertained with just running around
The evening was very nice with camp fire going to keep us worm. There was just 6C in the tent at early morning hours.
The plan for the next day was to drive 548 km and camp at Giles (Warakurna road house).
Tjukayirla road house was the first stop that day for fuel and breakfast. Very nice and clean place with excellent food. Initially we wanted to visit local caves but access wasn't allowed for towing vehicles. Dean and Austin weren't keen to un-hitch campers for just that 5 km. We planned to stay overnight and visit those caves on the way back so I wasn't complaining.
The GCR was in great condition so the rest of the day trip was really comfortable.
A bit of corrugations here and there but KONI shocks kept the ride smooth and pleasant.
One of more than 200 abandoned cars that we counted along the way but just a bit more famous then the rest.
Yarla Kutjarra breakaway while early afternoon sun was doing some magic with colours.
A speed limit that was too good to be true.
Overtaking a road train is always a quite delicate operation on the roads like this one
A bit over 20km of GCR just South of Warburton was sealed
We arrived at Warakurna road house camp-ground late afternoon but I didn't manage to take any pictures. The reason was a problem with enormous amount of dust that went into the cabin earlier that day. A quick investigation revealed that heavy spare wheel caused an excessive rear door movement over corrugations which in turn caused door's seal to fail and allowed dust to enter the cabin. A temporary fix was to get the wheel off the door and strap it on the roof instead. Austin was a life saver again when he offered me heavy duty straps so I could secure the wheel properly for the rest of trip.
Poor camper lights decided to show how bad they were again. This time it was kitchen LED light that stopped working. Started losing confidence in this camper and wondered what's going to be next...
The following morning wasn't much luckier ether. We went to Giles weather station hoping to witness a weather balloon launch and have a tour but nothing of that happened.
Our little one didn't seem to be much worried about snakes
"Pushing a stone" was a new game she invented
We met that night another FJCC member (Rover). He was driving his old Peugeot among other 14 French oldies in the convoy travelling via GCR east to west.
The following day we didn't have much of drive, just a mere 298 km. There were lot of stops on the to-see list so day was quite busy still.
A quick stop for a photo between Mt Taylor (North) and Petermann Ranges (South)
Crossing WA-NT border
Meeting road trains on this road wasn't such frequent as I expected
Visiting Lasseter's Cave
Another friendly spectator on the way to The Olgas (Kata Tjuta)
Late afternoon we arrived at the Olgas and decided to have a quick walk and take few photos before heading back outside of the national park to find a place for a bush camp.
Niki enjoyed Dean and Gaye company more and more every day
Walk to the gap appeared to be too rough for our little one so Maya decided to stay at the base and wait for rest of us.
Dean found a nice spot for bush camp just few kms outside of NP
A surprise visitor in the morning
We had less than 100km to drive the next day to get to Ayers Rock Resort camp ground where the plan was to stay for 3 nights and explore the surroundings.
A quick stop at a lookout
Heading toward Ayers Rock
Our spot at Ayers Rock Resort camp ground
As soon as we finished setting up the camp, we went to the Rock for the sunset viewing
The next day we thought it would be better to separate as we were worried the little one would slow down the group in many walks they planned to do around the rock.
Instead we opted for more small-kids-friendly activities. Visiting a camel farm near by was the first thing. I also had opportunity to meet another fellow FJC Club member (Damo) who works at the camel farm as a professional photographer. A long chat about mods and accessories was imminent and we went through both his and mine car in details sharing experience, pros and cons of each modification we did. He liked so much Mickey Thompson's Sidebiters rims on my car that he ordered a set the next day.
Friendly staff at the farm helped the little one to really enjoy camels. We almost felt like having the entire farm for ourselves.
A straw was a bit too short so the baby camel went for Niki's finger instead. Nothing major, just both of them were surprised equally.
The rest of the day we used for shopping and restocking. The next day we went for a drive around the rock and tried to find some short walks that may suit Niki.
The sheer size of the rock can only be fully appreciated from a close proximity.
Climbing the rock is a very dangerous and physically demanding activity that claimed 35 lives so far. We decided not to go, more because of respect for the local Indigenous community which prefer visitors not to do it.
We did Kuniya walk on Eastern side of the rock which was 1.5 km long and flat so Niki had no problems whatsoever.
Some rock formations from certain angles appeared very interesting
Walking over bridges was her favourite bit
Wild flowers were in full bloom
Niki called it "dragon's cave"
...but this is the real story about this cave
The next day we had to go back to the camel farm. Niki wanted to ride camels again and Maya was keen to try (for the first time!) too .
Straws were long enough this time...
Very nice place, great fun for kids and rides for everyone's liking.
A week before the trip I booked an event that most people say must not be missed when visiting Uluru. It's called Sounds Of Silence. Unfortunately just two days before leaving Perth, I received a phone call from them. They said that small kids can't attend this event so I had no choice but to cancel the whole thing. It supposed to be a surprise for Maya and also an opportunity to celebrate our 20th marriage anniversary so just one of us going wouldn't make a sense.
I was already looking for an alternative when Dean, Gaye, Austin and Kate offered to sacrifice their evening and babysit Niki so that Maya and I could go. Such a noble gesture from them that saved my day and the surprise plan was looking perfect again.
So here are few photos from the great evening and celebration we had.
The following morning we packed all up and headed to Kings Canyon for two night stay. It was around 350km drive all over sealed road.
We stopped for a photo at a lookout. Mt Conner is often mistaken on photos for Ayers Rock
Visiting Kathleen Spring just before Kings Canyon resort
We met some local residents there
It was an early afternoon when we arrived at Kings Canyon caravan park
I joined Dean, Gaye and Austin the next morning on famous Kings Canyon Rim Walk. It's almost 7 km long walk around the canyon edges but the best part is the beginning called "Heartbreak Hill" (or "Heart Attack Hill", due to its steepness) a very steep climb that takes you to the top of the canyon's rim which is over 100m high. We opted for an early start to catch sunrise from the top.
A photo from the top of the rim just after the steep climb.
When sun was up the colours of the rocks became spectacular.
Stairs led to Garden of Eden a permanent waterhole surrounded by lush plant life
A large maze of weathered sandstone domes, reminiscent of the Bungle Bungle
The rest of the day I spent resting and checking out the car and the camper for anything unusual and suspicious. At evening, we had dinner at a local bistro where also kids had great time performing live on the stage.
The next day I wanted to show Maya how impressive Kings Canyon is and where we were walking a day earlier so we booked a 15 min helicopter flight. Niki was so excited with all helicopter thing that she couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
Few aerial photos of this natural attraction
We left Kings Canyon camp heading toward Palm Valley via Mereenie Loop. I refuelled day earlier but permits for driving through Mereenie Loop were available on the day of trip only. A bit unusual and inconvenient at the same time.
Few pics from a lookout at Watarrka National Park from the top of Larapinta Drive serpentine
Another local resident
It wasn't long drive this time, just over 200km or so. Although it was unsealed road we reached Palm Valley camp around midday so there were still plenty camp spots to chose from.
Track toward Palm Valley camp was quite scenic
After lunch, Niki had to have her afternoon nap so we stayed at the camp while the rest went for local walks and drives.
When Niki waked up it was our turn to go and explore the surroundings for the remaining half of the day. Niki surprised us both how easily she walked 1.5km track and climbed onto a near by lookout
We went back to the camp for refreshment before hitting a 4km off road track along famous Finke river
Maya was driving and the track was a bit challenging at times for a beginner. She made her first water-crossing too.
It was a mix of various surfaces from sharp rocks, sandy patches to flat rocky outcrops
The surrounding scenery along Finke river looked really stunning during sunset
On the way to Alice Springs the next morning.
As soon as we hit the sealed road we had to split. Dean wanted to rush into Alice trying to find a repairer for his failed trailer power connector. Austin and I went to visit a couple of places along Larapinta Drive.
The first stop was at Standley Chasm
Niki walked off a 1.5km track with no issues at all. It was a bit funny situation when 2.5 yo girl in runners come across few fully geared hikers (boots, hiking sticks, etc.) on the same track.
The next stop was Simpson Gap just 13km away from Alice
We arrived at Alice Springs Big4 camp early afternoon. The rest of the day we spent in shopping, restocking food and other things for the way back. While I was buying few bits at local BBQ Galore shop, I run into another FJ Club fellow member who knew about our trip from the club's forum. We upgraded our camp site to a cabin for that night, letting everyone to enjoy a bit more comfort before heading back. In the morning it was time to say goodbye to Dean and Austin and their families. After a farewell breaky at local McDonald we hit Stuart Highway on the way back to Uluru.
We thought spending an hour in Transport Museum would be worthwhile and it was. Petty we didn't have more time, it's really a huge one where you can spend half of a day easily.
Lasseter's son Landrover
A military oldie still in full working order (had actually its engine running at the time I took this photo)
Albeit the speed limit of 130 kph we found highway driving a bit boring so we happily agreed to continue off road down to Ernest Giles Rd after visiting Henbury Meteorite Craters
Meteorite craters were even more distinctive than I expected considering how old they are
We saw zillions of these creatures along this road and unfortunately killed quite a lot too
E. Giles Road was very scenic with mostly good surface except the part that was going through Aboriginal native land (around 20km at Western end) which was badly corrugated
This time we were passing Mt Conner at late afternoon and light was much better making it easier to get a decent photo
We arrived at Ayers Rock Resort Camp at early evening, having just enough time to setup the camp before dark. This time it was just an overnight stop so everyone went to their beds early.
The national park payment ramp was located at West side of the exit from the resort but well before the turn-off for WA border.
Although we had 3 days passes on the way up they were expired and we were wondering if they are going to charge us again just to drive through. As fee was $25 per person I decided to ask if there is some sort of exception for WA travellers heading back home. When we got to the ramp in the morning I pulled out old passes and explained the situation. They asked for my NT transit permit to check if I was really about to leave NT, they stamped it and let us go without paying again. It was relatively easy process but nowhere documented or described. Short after leaving the check point we hit the dirt road again that we'll stay on for another 2000km.
The next stop was Lasseter cave for lunch
The road near Docker River was heavily corrugated and damaged
Crossing border and coming back to WA
We reached Giles mid afternoon and Maya volunteered to cook a late lunch for us
Later afternoon at the camp, we met a couple from South Australia heading North-West via Gunbarrel towing huge off-road caravan with their 200 series. We mentioned how we missed weather station's tour on the way up and they told us that official tour no longer runs but there is a way to organise an ad-hoc one. They and another couple from camp rang the office that evening and manage to organise a morning tour and balloon launch seeing for all of us. Niki was really enjoying the balloon launching and carefully observing everything else
Len Beadell original plaques and the grader
We had around 500 km in front of us for the next day to reach Tjukayirla RH. The plan was to stay over night there so we could un-hitch the trailer and visit the caves.
The WA side of GCR was quite good and decorated with wildflowers.
Another camel near Warburton on the sealed section of the road
...an more of them along the way later
GCR grading was work in progress near Tjukayirla RH
We arrived at the roadhouse camp just on time to drop off the trailer and hit the back track toward the caves
The little track to the caves was very well maintained
On the way back driving trough their backyard we spotted a 4WD artefact from former Soviet Union
Their famous Tjuka burger was so delicious, the one of best we tried ever. We didn't rush leaving in the morning since there was just a bit over 300 km drive to get at Niagara Dam what was our next overnight destination
Windflowers were everywhere and much easier to notice while driving than on the way up
We were in Laverton just 30 min before the Outback museum's closing time. Enough time for browsing, grabbing few cookies and coffees
There were no many overnight stayers at Niagara Dam camping area so finding a nice camp spot wasn't a difficult task at all. It was a very cold night, just 4C in the camper at 5:00am in the morning
Niki loved running around and feeding the camp fire with tiny wooden branches
We knew that the last leg is going to be long one but the trip was awesome so far and lot of emotions still to be processed so it didn't feel as long as we thought it will.
So here it is, the entire route that took us 16 days to complete. 5472 km in total from what, approximately 3500 km was driven off road and the rest on sealed roads
Cleaning the camper trailer and the car took me 3 days and yes, there were few small damages on the car like striped paint of the roof edge above the rear door (small rocks), broken CB antenna (the reason I had poor reception most of the trip and had to drive between Dean and Austin to be able to hear them both), few chips on rear alloy rims and on the rear door window, few new scratches on driver's side door. Changed also the cabin air filter and here is the difference comparing to the new one
There were no major issues with anything so I would happily call the trip a success.
Of course in an attempt to make the trip environmentally friendly as much as possible, we purchased carbon offset for our car. A great initiative to minimise the impact on environment.
I hope you enjoyed photos and if you haven't done GCR yet, I would recommend start planning it ASAP. It's fun and worth the effort.
Following videos show highlights of the trip.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Few trip's photos were published in 4WD Action Adventure magazine (December 2013 issue #25)
