Newcastle to Darwin, Australia

Posted on May 15, 2021 in Journeys

Seasoned international travellers, this domestic trip was planned to fill in time but it turned out to be an amazing adventure. Three adults with a little itty bitty camper trailer following us all the way.

Over four months, we covered a lot of country. There were some really long days but we slept well every night. We laughed, we played cards, we ate well every single day and we definitely drank too much! We caught up with old friends, made new ones and met loads of truly beautiful people. We were exceptionally lucky to miss lockdown. Except for Darwin and that only lasted five days. We listened & we learned more about our country in that short time than any of us could have imagined. It took a lot of planning but it resulted in a soul-stirring, once in a lifetime adventure.

The Facts:
124 days
16,991km & only one flight – that’s a first!
4 states/territories
17 National Parks & conservation areas
40 setups (best time 9min basic, 25min inc annex)
4 roadhouses, 2 pubs, 2 working stations, 1 backyard (a very big one!), 1 week on a yacht
0 flat tyres
8 kilos of coffee

Worst driving day: Toorale Rd, from Louth to Trilby Station & on to Wilcannia in NSW (but that was my fault & I never failed to ask about road conditions for the remainder of the trip!)
Biggest drive: 862 km – Mooloolaba – home, no stops allowed due to lockdown
Highest fuel cost $1.97
Highest/lowest temp: -3/36c
Longest stay: 5nts at Dundee Beach but that’s leaving out 25nts in Darwin & 7nts on the boat

Highlights:
Flying over Lake Eyre and landing on the Oodnadatta Track for a beer.
Seeing stars that looked like carpet – from outback NSW to Litchfield in the NT but Banka Banka Station was the best.
Swimming in hot springs (Mataranka & Katherine) & pristine waterholes (Florence Falls & Alligators Nest) with nobody around.
Quiet nights at working cattle/sheep stations & country properties.
So many genuinely happy people.

I Wasn’t Expecting:
The intense colours of the outback.
Never-ending country hospitality.
Amazing roadhouses.
Noise of the roadtrains.
OCD flies Oodnadatta Track.
The incredible number of business closed because they can’t get staff.
Terrific roads in the NT & appaling roads in Queensland.
The complexity of the relationship between indigenous Australians and everyone else. Yep, I’ve been living under a rock!

My Favourite Stops:
Kings Canyon, Litchfield NP, Mission Beach, Clare Valley, Copi Hollow, but the best by a mile – Darwin, without a doubt. Beaches, parklands, restaurants, bars & people. Even though it was our planned destination, I wasn’t expecting it to be that good.

Daily Rundown:
Day 1: Newcastle – Narromine, NSW
Day 2: Narromine – Trilby Station (Louth, NSW)
Day 3: Trilby Station (Louth, NSW)
Day 4: Trilby Station – Broken Hill, NSW
Day 5: Broken Hill, NSW
Day 6: Broken Hill – Copi Hollow, NSW
Day 7: Copi Hollow, NSW
Day 8: Copi Hollow, NSW
Day 9: Copi Hollow – Silverton, NSW
Day 10: Silverton, NSW
Day 11: Silverton – Broken Hill, NSW
Day 12: Broken Hill – Farrell Flat, SA
Day 13: Farrell Flat – Auburn, SA
Day 14: Auburn, SA
Day 15: Auburn, SA
Day 16: Auburn – Port Gemein, SA
Day 17: Port Gemein, SA
Day 18: Port Gemein, SA
Day 19: Port Gemein – Rawnsley Park Station (Flinders Ranges, SA)
Day 20: Rawnsley Park Station (Flinders Ranges, SA)
Day 21: Rawnsley Park Station (Flinders Ranges, SA)
Day 22: Rawnsley Park Station – Port Augusta, SA
Day 23: Port Augusta – Coober Pedy, SA
Day 24: Coober Pedy, SA
Day 25: Coober Pedy – Marla, SA
Day 26: Marla – Erldunda Roadhouse, NT
Day 27: Erldunda Roadhouse – Kings Creek Station, NT
Day 28: Kings Creek Station, NT
Day 29: Kings Creek Station, NT
Day 30: Kings Creek Station – Kings Canyon Resort, NT
Day 31: Kings Canyon Resort, NT
Day 32: Kings Canyon Resort, NT – Uluru, NT
Day 33: Uluru, NT
Day 34: Uluru, NT
Day 35: Uluru – Alice Springs, NT
Day 36: Alice Springs, NT
Day 37: Alice Springs, NT
Day 38: Alice Springs – Devils Marbles, NT
Day 39: Devils Marbles, NT
Day 40: Devils Marbles – Banka Banka, NT
Day 41: Banka Banka – Daly Waters, NT
Day 42: Daly Waters – Mataranka, NT
Day 43: Mataranka, NT
Day 44: Mataranka, NT
Day 45: Mataranka – Katherine, NT
Day 46: Katherine, NT
Day 47: Katherine, NT
Day 48: Katherine, NT
Day 49: Katherine – Rum Jungle (Litchfield Park, NT)
Day 50: Rum Jungle (Litchfield Park, NT)
Day 51: Rum Jungle, NT
Day 52: Rum Jungle, NT
Day 53: Rum Jungle – Dundee Beach, NT
Day 52: Dundee Beach, NT
Day 53: Dundee Beach, NT
Day 54: Dundee Beach, NT
Day 55: Dundee Beach, NT
Day 56: Dundee Beach, NT
Day 57: Dundee Beach – Darwin, NT
Day 58- 90: Darwin, NT
Day 91: Darwin – Renner Springs, NT
Day 92: Renner Springs – Mount Isa, Queensland
Day 93: Mount Isa – Julia Creek, QLD
Day 94: Julia Creek – Charters Towers, QLD
Day 95: Charters Towers – Mission Beach, QLD
Day 96: Mission Beach, QLD
Day 97: Mission Beach, QLD
Day 98: Mission Beach, QLD
Day 99: Mission Beach – Taylors Beach, QLD
Day 100: Taylors Beach, QLD
Day 101: Taylors Beach, QLD
Day 102: Taylors Beach, QLD
Day 103: Taylors Beach – Townsville, QLD
Day 104: Townsville, QLD
Day 105: Townsville – Bowen, QLD
Day 106: Bowen, QLD
Day 107: Bowen, QLD
Day 108: Bowen, QLD
Day 109: Bowen – Airlie Beach, QLD
Day 110: Airlie Beach, QLD
Day 111: Cumberland Charter Yachts – Happy Bay, QLD
Day 112: Yacht – Sawmill Bay, QLD
Day 113: Yacht – Butterfly Bay, QLD
Day 114: Yacht – Tongue Bay, QLD
Day 115: Yacht – Chalkies Beach, QLD
Day 116: Yacht – Manga Bay, QLD
Day 117: Yacht – Sawmill Bay, QLD
Day 118: Yacht – Sawmill Bay – Airlie Beach, QLD
Day 119: Airlie Beach – Rockhampton, QLD
Day 120: Rockhampton – Maroochydore, QLD
Day 121: Maroochydore, QLD
Day 122: Maroochydore, QLD
Day 123: Maroochydore, QLD
Day 124: Maroochydore – Newcastle, NSW (Home)