Our first lap of Australia
119 Days / 58 stops
The red and blue lines represent alternate driving days.
Our trip 1 stops
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From Gold Coast traveling north in July
Pre-trip planning & test run – Mt Warning Holiday Park NSW
We are now less than 2 weeks from our leave date and the time has come for the all important test run. Packing the van
We are Hayley & Dave
We are Hayley & Dave a newly married couple embarking on an adventure of a lifetime around our beautiful country Australia. We have been dreaming
The big trip begins – Glass House Mountains – Sunshine Coast
The big day has finally come, we’re leaving for our around Australia trip! First stop: Glass House Mountains. We stayed at the Glass House Mountains
Sunshine Coast – Mooloolaba Beach Esplanade Caravan Park
Beach front caravan park in the middle of Mooloolaba. Great spot! Book in advance. Check-in at their other park 1km south before going beach front.
Eidsvold/Ceratodus QLD – First free overnight
Left beautiful Sunshine Coast and traveled ~350km to our first free overnight stop at Ceratodus. Ceratodus free stopover – 10km north of Eidsvold Basic toilets
Duaringa QLD – Our second free stopover
Free stopover on the A4 on the way inland from Rocky to Emerald. Great spot, lots of others around. Plenty of places to setup. Wow
Barcaldine – Top Tourist Park
So we ended up staying at the Top Tourist Park in Barcaldine. We were tempted to stay at the showgrounds or the free stopover into
Barcaldine – Free stopover at the Weir
Traveled the 15k south from town center to the weir (visited it yesterday for a picnic and to checkout the place). Down the A2 highway
Longreach – QLD – free riverside stopover
A few hairy road trains on the narrow road from Barcaldine. Our GPS got confused and took us 1km further down the highway so we
Longreach to Cloncurry – QLD
A really long drive in from Longreach. Numb legs and everything. Won’t be doing that again. From here on only short trips, not driving through.
Terry Smith Lookout – QLD
Arrived around 1pm and only 4 other people here (a different story now at 5pm with about 16 vehicles and more arriving). Picked a nice
Gregory Downs – QLD – free camp – Upper area.
Nice! Great flowing creek nearby – great swim! Rather uneventful drive in. Big emergency runway on the highway was interesting. Creek was amazing to swim
Lawn Hill – Adels Grove
Staying at the Adels Grove camp ground. Just outside the Lawn Hill national park. What a rough ride in! Our first dirt road towing –
Gregory Downs – creek side camp
On the way back from Lawn Hill we stopped in at this creek side camp. Best spot we have stayed so far. council even provide
Here is a timelapse of our drive from Lawn Hill
Gregory Downs. The drive was dusty and the corrugations not too bad, we stopped for a lunch break with some cows then onto the cool
Fountain Springs – free roadside stop
Camping out on the side of the road at the free rest stop about 70k’s out of Mt Isa. It’s Friday, Mt Isa rodeo is
Mt Isa – Copper Park
Copper Park in Mt Isa. Nice park out of town. Lots of permanents but all ok.Finally power and water! Interesting coming into Mt Isa –
Camooweal – Billabong/Creek free stop
Quite a nice free stop. Would have been amazing without the wind. LOTS of room to spread out. VERY happy to be leaving Mt Isa.
Wonarah Bore – Free Rest Area NT
We made it to the Northern Territory! We left camooweal later than planned (working in the morning) oh well no rush, only a little drive
Banka Banka station – NT
Drove west to 3 ways then north to Banka Banka station today. Great place here. Good water! Friendly people. Hot showers! Left the bore. Oh
Newcastle Waters NT – Free rest stop
Lazy morning with a cuppa and a cooked brekky. Showers all round before packing up, filling up our water tanks and giving the car a
Daly Waters NT
Daly Waters. Happy hour and dinner at the famous Pub. Stayed at the Highway Inn (8k’s south of Daly Waters Pub). Quite nice. Smells a
Mataranka and Bitter Springs
We were recommended Bitter Springs in Mataranka. Much nicer swimming spot compared to the concrete jungle down at Mataranka. 500m walk from the park to
Katherine & Nitmiluk National Park NT
Katherine and Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk National Park).Stayed 1 night at river view big 4, another night up in the national park. Drive from Mataranka to
Edith Falls NT
Short drive from Katherine to northern Nitmiluk National Park, stayed at Edith Falls camp ground. Edith Falls – great spot. Love it more than Katherine
Pine Creek – Pussy Cat Flats NT
Drove north, same road again we’ve been on a few times now. Didn’t take long to get to Pine Creek, drove straight to Pussy Cat
Pine Creek NT – Lazy Lizard
After our dodgy exerience out at Pussy Cat Flats last night we checked into the Lazy Lizard caravan park, its great and safe here. Lots
Kakadu – Gunlom Falls
Drove half way in on the dirt road to Gunlom falls and dropped the van off. Continued onto the falls in the 4×4 and spent
Kakadu NT – Yellow Water
Drove back to the highway along the dirt road from Gunlom falls – took it much easier this time. All was good – only a
Kakadu NT – Jabiru
Drove out to Nourlangie and did the short 2/3k walk around some rock art and lookouts. Actually by far my fav walk of the trip.
Darwin NT
We went to Mindle Markets to check out the stalls and buy some food before watching sunset over the bay. Hayley got a gorgeous new
Darwin NT – Free Spirit -Adelaide River Jumping Crocs
Drove from Jabiru through to Darwin – stayed at Free Spirit out near Palmerston. Packed up at Jabiru – they have a festival on tomorrow
Litchfield NT
Stayed at Wangi Falls Camp Ground – $6.60 per adult per night. Did Magnetic termite mound on our way in. Did the drive out to
Mathison Rest Area NT
Our last day in the Northern Territory today, we parked up at the Mathison rest area to prepare for crossing over into Western Australia. We
Kununurra – NT – The Kimberley Grande
We made it to Western Australia! Dave surprised me with a stay in a very nice hotel as it was almost my birthday and we’d
Kununurra – NT – Hidden Valley & Bungle Bungles
Stayed at Hidden Valley caravan park – great little possy. Good walk up into the mini bungle bungles. We explored the Kununurra to Wyndum area
El Questro & Zebedee Springs – NT
Rough drive out to El Questro, we left the van behind in Kununurra and tented the night. Walk up El Questro gorge – amazing. Zebedee
Derby – The Kimberley WA
Drove from Mary Pool through to Derby. We skipped through Geikie Gorge and Fitzroy Crossing – will do those another time. Saw a sign for
Broome – WA
Yes the ocean! Loved Broome our favourite place on the trip! What a relief to get to Broome! Its a very tidy town, a few
80 Mile Beach – WA
One night stop over at a caravan park on the beach. Very popular with fisherman, lots of campers. Great beach for shell collecting, never seen
Karratha, Dampier, Port Samson, Miaree Pool – WA
Just passing through some towns today. Had lunch at a great tavern in Port Samson, a sleep in the car park and continued onto Dampier
Exmouth – WA
We arrived to find all the National camp spots full, you can book them we found out but there is a 2 day waiting period.
Coral Bay – WA
We arrived in Coral Bay to much milder weather, less wind but the air temp is a bit cooler. Two caravan parks in town (that’s
Monkey Mia – WA
It’s Daves Birthday! So we are staying in the Monkey Mia dolphin resort. We were able to park our little van out the back of
Carnarvon – WA
Overnight stop in Carnarvon – stayed at the Big 4 after doing some shopping. Lots of fresh produce and a few sights nearby, blowholes is
Kalbarri – WA
Stopped into the stromatolites on the way out of Monkey Mia for lunch and a souvenir turtle then headed north to a free river stop
The Pinnacles – WA
We pulled into The Pinnacles as storm clouds were rolling in and explored these amazing limestone formations. It was crazy with flies while we were
Perth – WA
Stayed in Perth at Coogee Beach. Drove the remaining hundred odd k’s into Perth – stuck to the coast roads. Surprised our family at a
Margaret River – WA
Long drive with a late start from Perth (about midday!) Today we stopped in at Busselton to have an ice cream on the jetty, and
Pemberton – WA – 100 days on the road!
We woke up today in the beautiful Beedelup forest, right near a suspension bridge and waterfall. Drove through Pemberton for the tree climb and a
Albany – WA
From Denmark to Albany – hunted down some gizmos for the van, coffee with family then on our way Esperance. Big day! Stayed at a
Esperance – WA
Caught up with sammy the seal in Esperance. Stayed at Crokers Park Holiday Resort / Caravan Park – would recommend this place. Spot the fake
Norseman / Balladonia – WA
Left Esperance after heading down to the beach for an early morning catch up with Sammy the Seal. Got to Norseman and decided to skip
The Nullarbor – SA
From Balladonia we went east and stayed at a huge highway free stop with about 20 other people. Flies! Quick rest stop then kept heading
Port Augusta – SA
Drove the 400k’s to Port Augusta from Ceduna. Driving into Port Augusta in the afternoon was amazing. Felt like we were in some outback cowboy
Great Ocean Road – VIC
We crossed into Victoria today to follow the Great Ocean Road. I can see why there are so many holiday houses. Amazing! 12 apostles and
We’re Home!
119 days on the road and our honeymoon lap is finished. What an amazing way to start our married life together, we enjoyed this tour
