Driving Outback Highways at Night
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Driving Outback Highways at Night
Am planning a trip round Oz, driving with Mrs Guptar and the wee little Guptlets. Just wondering if the Sturt Higway from Adelaide to Darwin is safe to drive from a wildlife point of view. Some old pamphlets form the NRMA said that one should avoid driving a night due to kangaroos and other wildlife feeding on the roadside. Same for the nullabor Plain.
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south to north
unless you're in a bloody big truck (with decent bullbar) I suggest that you pull stumps 30 mins before last light and wait until the morning.
Between the wildlife and the bloody big trucks going like cut cats, night time is not your time.
enjoy the drive, the scenery is quite spectacular
Between the wildlife and the bloody big trucks going like cut cats, night time is not your time.
enjoy the drive, the scenery is quite spectacular
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i have driven the sturt hwy at night, just have a break 2 hrs either side of dawn and dusk, and you should be right, what usually annoys truckies along that route, is people failing to dip high beam, from behind you see the red tail lights, dip the high beam only to see the red lights are MILES ahead! leave them dipped! listening to them on the uhf you will realize how much this annoys them.
and if you do see an animal on the road, DONT swerve... in that part of the world at night im more worried about drunk locals on the road, not the professional drivers.
and if you do see an animal on the road, DONT swerve... in that part of the world at night im more worried about drunk locals on the road, not the professional drivers.
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Agree with NNB
Totally concur, the Stuart Highway at night is not a nice place to be. Quite apart from wildlife & roadtrains etc (and trust me - those roos are positively suicidal) another thing you need to look out for this time of year is water across the road 
As for roadside accomodation: Laramah, Renner, Mataranka, Dunmarah and Daly Waters are OK in my experience. The Elliott caravan park is a little rough, but is OK for one night if you get stuck. If you're taking a caravan, camper, Winnebago etc, there are one or two decent camping/rest areas along the road.
Enjoy the trip!
As for roadside accomodation: Laramah, Renner, Mataranka, Dunmarah and Daly Waters are OK in my experience. The Elliott caravan park is a little rough, but is OK for one night if you get stuck. If you're taking a caravan, camper, Winnebago etc, there are one or two decent camping/rest areas along the road.
Enjoy the trip!
Silly Old Git
If youre insane drive at night on the Stuart.
As you get near Darwhine at night be careful to look out for the black speed bumps.
Otherwise its PEDAL TO THE METAL Cannonball Run from da springs to here.
I wouldnt stop at Elliot unless you are a Missionary.
ASP to Darwhine is an easy drive in one day.
Nothing worth stopping for IMHO.
As you get near Darwhine at night be careful to look out for the black speed bumps.
Otherwise its PEDAL TO THE METAL Cannonball Run from da springs to here.
I wouldnt stop at Elliot unless you are a Missionary.
ASP to Darwhine is an easy drive in one day.
Nothing worth stopping for IMHO.
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IMHO Tinny, the Alice to the top could be a big stretch for the sprogs .. depends on the age and how many times you can stand to play I spy I spose ..
gotta have a look at the Mataranka Hot Springs .. or failing that KAT gorge or the hot springs just off the Vic Hwy ..
some accom enroute (Tennant Creek, Daly Waters, Katherine) is OK but I'd also bypass Elliott, Ti-Tree and, um, some place called Barrow Creek
We drove into the dark hours from DN to TNK but vigilence is a must if you want to tango with the wildlife ... storms are bloody spectacular but!
gotta have a look at the Mataranka Hot Springs .. or failing that KAT gorge or the hot springs just off the Vic Hwy ..
some accom enroute (Tennant Creek, Daly Waters, Katherine) is OK but I'd also bypass Elliott, Ti-Tree and, um, some place called Barrow Creek
We drove into the dark hours from DN to TNK but vigilence is a must if you want to tango with the wildlife ... storms are bloody spectacular but!
Were you asking about the Nullarbor as well? Vehicle suicide at night, countless small kangaroos, if you get caught short of your stop you will be down to 70-80km/h there are so many of them. I havent honestly had as much trouble on Stuart highway but you get cattle standing motionless all along the thing and in the dark you see those red ones (droughtmasters?) way too late. I agree with previous post, very boring, try and do it in 2 days (from Adelaide)
Whatever you do, if a roo jumps out, don't swerve.
Picked up the results of many who did.
Beware of your car's insurance if it's rented. Single vehicle accident excesses (including wildlife kills) are usually to the tune of several thousand $$.
Picked up the results of many who did.
Beware of your car's insurance if it's rented. Single vehicle accident excesses (including wildlife kills) are usually to the tune of several thousand $$.
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Used to live and work up there many years ago.
I had an old Subaru wagon that would do terminal velocity of around 150km/hr and 155 on a tailwind.
I used to drive at night when required as well. All the service stations at that time closed down at night, so fuel was far and few between. Gets a bit lonely too.
All went well for some time...until....I had to dip the lights for a bus coming the other way. Didn't see the roo until too late. Luck I didn't swerve, or I would not be writing this, as I was near terminal velocity. Result - Roo 1, car 0. I had to drive the last 500km to Alice with flat spotted tyres down to the metal reinforcement.
I know with hindsight how young and stupid I was. An absolute idiot....for the following reasons:
1. High speed at night with wildlife around is not smart. Backed by the amount of roadkills you see and smell on the side of the road. Expect vehicle damage at the very least.
2. Help is a long way away. If you do hit something - chances are if you are seriously injured - you will die before help arrives. Driving during the day increases the chances of help, as you are visible and more people traveling on the road.
3. Too many people die on outback roads through various reasons. Some include falling asleep - day or night. Not much to entertain you at night down the Stuart Hwy.
If you live smarter, very good chance you will live longer.
My very best wishes to you for a long and happy, prosperous life.
I had an old Subaru wagon that would do terminal velocity of around 150km/hr and 155 on a tailwind.
I used to drive at night when required as well. All the service stations at that time closed down at night, so fuel was far and few between. Gets a bit lonely too.
All went well for some time...until....I had to dip the lights for a bus coming the other way. Didn't see the roo until too late. Luck I didn't swerve, or I would not be writing this, as I was near terminal velocity. Result - Roo 1, car 0. I had to drive the last 500km to Alice with flat spotted tyres down to the metal reinforcement.
I know with hindsight how young and stupid I was. An absolute idiot....for the following reasons:
1. High speed at night with wildlife around is not smart. Backed by the amount of roadkills you see and smell on the side of the road. Expect vehicle damage at the very least.
2. Help is a long way away. If you do hit something - chances are if you are seriously injured - you will die before help arrives. Driving during the day increases the chances of help, as you are visible and more people traveling on the road.
3. Too many people die on outback roads through various reasons. Some include falling asleep - day or night. Not much to entertain you at night down the Stuart Hwy.
If you live smarter, very good chance you will live longer.
My very best wishes to you for a long and happy, prosperous life.
IMHO, don't do Alice to Darwin at night - there are too many interesting things to see along the way, including Tennant Creek Telegraph station, a few abandoned airfields, hospitals etc, Katherine Gorge, Mataranka springs etc.
Adelaide - Alice is a bit more boring, but Woomera and Coober Pedy are must-sees (it's all relative of course, but if you're travelling, I'm assuming you want to see things!)
Adelaide - Perth has some long boring stretches, but check out the old Eucla(?) telegraph station and also the coast along the G.A.Bight when the road gets close.
Attempting to do these long stretches at night is selling them short, I think, aside from the obvious dangers.
Adelaide - Alice is a bit more boring, but Woomera and Coober Pedy are must-sees (it's all relative of course, but if you're travelling, I'm assuming you want to see things!)
Adelaide - Perth has some long boring stretches, but check out the old Eucla(?) telegraph station and also the coast along the G.A.Bight when the road gets close.
Attempting to do these long stretches at night is selling them short, I think, aside from the obvious dangers.
thread wandering here a bit......
In the NT are there many "relatively" active airfields along the highway? Ie not a 100km diversion from the main drag. For instance if one was doing an airfield crawl (aka pub crawl) are there many worth stopping at?
In the NT are there many "relatively" active airfields along the highway? Ie not a 100km diversion from the main drag. For instance if one was doing an airfield crawl (aka pub crawl) are there many worth stopping at?
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Don't drive the Stuart Highway at night. There's not much point.
First up there aren't enough fuel stops open between 10pm to 7am unless you have a 4WD with long rang tanks (or three or more jerrycans sloshing around in your boot).
Second, as stated before, there is a LOT of wildlife. Anything bigger than a cockatoo or a small wallaby hit at 130km/h or better will bring your night to an early finish, probably at least an hour from the (shut) fleapit motel.
Third, there has been a lot of water across the road this summer. The normal 15 to 25km stretches of 5mm to 30mm depth of floodwater across the road between Dunmarra and Hayes Creek, but also lots over the Barkly. A bridge was washed away just south of Renner Springs about a month ago.
Cars and trucks are getting through, but travelling at much more than 110km/h and these flooded patches will loom up out of the dark before you can hit the anchors. Lots of cars end up aquaplaning into the scrub this time of year.
So not much point punting along in the dark unless you are prepared to be bored witless droning along at 100km/h. Its a long long walk to the next phone.
Just get up before sunrise, take a leak, get in yr car, drive from sunrise to breakfast, fill up, drive to morning tea, fill up, drive to lunchtime..... pull into a motel just before sunset. Keep it below 120 until the sun is well above the horizon, then do 140-150, and back off after 7pm to 120 again. When it gets dark, stop. You can just squeak Alice to Darwin in one day that way if you don't fart around at petrol stops.
Good places to stop...
Port Wakefield - good bakery
Lochiel - good pub
Salt lakes -- amazing, specially at sunset.
Pimba - cheap fuel
Woomera - interesting for a quick look at the rockets and missiles, but not much to hold the attention for more than an hour
Coober Pedy - Go to the Breakaways for sunset, then eat at Tom and Maria's Greek Taverna, best food on the road. Shame about the town.
Cadney Park - cheap accommodation
Banka banka - free camping, friendly people.
Stuart's Well (Jims Place) - cheap, clean, friendly, meet Jim a real pioneer, and lots of european and japanese female backpackers!
Aileron roadhouse - checkout the "Bush Kit"
Wycliffe Well - the owner's sense of humour
Devils Marbles - but take the Aerogard
Daly Waters Pub - you haven't seen the territory unless you stayed at least one night at Daly Waters. Not the roadhouse, the township, 3km off the highway. Old QF stop and aerodrome with an aviation museum.
Katherine Museum - Buy a pie at Thommos Pies and eat it at the old 'civil drome.' DH-60 Gypsy Moth used by the inimitable Dr Clyde Fenton, first NT Aeromedical pilot/doctor and ab initio instructor to many of aussie WW2 aces.
Emerald Springs - Drink a Paul's Iced Coffee (illegal to be sold as a milk product anywhere else in oz) while Theresa fires up her Massage Machine.
...and in the 'don't bother' category...
Glendambo and Marla in SA -- expensive fuel, one star accommodation at three star prices.
Coober Pedy -- underground motels - once is an interesting and expensive curiousity, any more is just tedious.
Tennant Creek -- a town that has been slowly dying for 10 years and is a dive.
Elliot -- a community that just happens to be on the highway.
Mataranka -- unless you like the smell of bat**** in the morning.
Just a few of the unexpected attractions on a surprisingly interesting drive.
Have fun!
First up there aren't enough fuel stops open between 10pm to 7am unless you have a 4WD with long rang tanks (or three or more jerrycans sloshing around in your boot).
Second, as stated before, there is a LOT of wildlife. Anything bigger than a cockatoo or a small wallaby hit at 130km/h or better will bring your night to an early finish, probably at least an hour from the (shut) fleapit motel.
Third, there has been a lot of water across the road this summer. The normal 15 to 25km stretches of 5mm to 30mm depth of floodwater across the road between Dunmarra and Hayes Creek, but also lots over the Barkly. A bridge was washed away just south of Renner Springs about a month ago.
Cars and trucks are getting through, but travelling at much more than 110km/h and these flooded patches will loom up out of the dark before you can hit the anchors. Lots of cars end up aquaplaning into the scrub this time of year.
So not much point punting along in the dark unless you are prepared to be bored witless droning along at 100km/h. Its a long long walk to the next phone.
Just get up before sunrise, take a leak, get in yr car, drive from sunrise to breakfast, fill up, drive to morning tea, fill up, drive to lunchtime..... pull into a motel just before sunset. Keep it below 120 until the sun is well above the horizon, then do 140-150, and back off after 7pm to 120 again. When it gets dark, stop. You can just squeak Alice to Darwin in one day that way if you don't fart around at petrol stops.
Good places to stop...
Port Wakefield - good bakery
Lochiel - good pub
Salt lakes -- amazing, specially at sunset.
Pimba - cheap fuel
Woomera - interesting for a quick look at the rockets and missiles, but not much to hold the attention for more than an hour
Coober Pedy - Go to the Breakaways for sunset, then eat at Tom and Maria's Greek Taverna, best food on the road. Shame about the town.
Cadney Park - cheap accommodation
Banka banka - free camping, friendly people.
Stuart's Well (Jims Place) - cheap, clean, friendly, meet Jim a real pioneer, and lots of european and japanese female backpackers!
Aileron roadhouse - checkout the "Bush Kit"
Wycliffe Well - the owner's sense of humour
Devils Marbles - but take the Aerogard
Daly Waters Pub - you haven't seen the territory unless you stayed at least one night at Daly Waters. Not the roadhouse, the township, 3km off the highway. Old QF stop and aerodrome with an aviation museum.
Katherine Museum - Buy a pie at Thommos Pies and eat it at the old 'civil drome.' DH-60 Gypsy Moth used by the inimitable Dr Clyde Fenton, first NT Aeromedical pilot/doctor and ab initio instructor to many of aussie WW2 aces.
Emerald Springs - Drink a Paul's Iced Coffee (illegal to be sold as a milk product anywhere else in oz) while Theresa fires up her Massage Machine.
...and in the 'don't bother' category...
Glendambo and Marla in SA -- expensive fuel, one star accommodation at three star prices.
Coober Pedy -- underground motels - once is an interesting and expensive curiousity, any more is just tedious.
Tennant Creek -- a town that has been slowly dying for 10 years and is a dive.
Elliot -- a community that just happens to be on the highway.
Mataranka -- unless you like the smell of bat**** in the morning.
Just a few of the unexpected attractions on a surprisingly interesting drive.
Have fun!
Last edited by ITCZ; 13th Feb 2006 at 10:28.
Mataranka Homestead (Thermal pools) is a MUST not matter what time of day or night
Like all touring, what you get out of it depends on the effort you put in exploring. Do not waste it by driving at night. Unless you have to "make a mile" I would not recommend it. You will find the single biggest thing that makes the trip feel like a long way are the distance markers EVERY FIVE @#@## KILOMETRES. You will get sick of looking at Kxxx or TWxxx.
Like all touring, what you get out of it depends on the effort you put in exploring. Do not waste it by driving at night. Unless you have to "make a mile" I would not recommend it. You will find the single biggest thing that makes the trip feel like a long way are the distance markers EVERY FIVE @#@## KILOMETRES. You will get sick of looking at Kxxx or TWxxx.
Last edited by OZBUSDRIVER; 13th Feb 2006 at 10:29.
Do you need to drive at night and what are you driving?
I live in the bush, drive a Landcruiser Prado with a very solid bull bar and long range driving lights, have driven 110,000 in the past two years, 95% in 'roo country, probably 60% between 1.00 am and dawn. I've hit one roo and three have hit me - into the side of the car. The only vehicle damage I've had was one headlight protector smashed when I hit an eagle in daylight.
The Prado holds 180 liters fuel in two standard tanks, so I do not carry additional fuel. I carry two spares - which is probably why I've never had a puncture - and a 20 liter bottle of water. My car has a Garmin moving map GPS - very useful on back tracks and in the city, CDMA phone kit, UHF CB, my amateur radio HF transceiver, one of those booster battery things and a Waeco freezer to keep the beer cool.
Night driving can be tiring and stressful. If you don't need to drive at night, are not accustomed to playing slalom with wildlife and drive a family sedan, forget it. On the plus side, less cops at night (110 kph speed limit in this state) and as the country is so flat and featureless, one can see cop cars from a great distance - rather useful when the GPS tells me the vehicle's maximum speed achieved is 179 kph!
I live in the bush, drive a Landcruiser Prado with a very solid bull bar and long range driving lights, have driven 110,000 in the past two years, 95% in 'roo country, probably 60% between 1.00 am and dawn. I've hit one roo and three have hit me - into the side of the car. The only vehicle damage I've had was one headlight protector smashed when I hit an eagle in daylight.
The Prado holds 180 liters fuel in two standard tanks, so I do not carry additional fuel. I carry two spares - which is probably why I've never had a puncture - and a 20 liter bottle of water. My car has a Garmin moving map GPS - very useful on back tracks and in the city, CDMA phone kit, UHF CB, my amateur radio HF transceiver, one of those booster battery things and a Waeco freezer to keep the beer cool.
Night driving can be tiring and stressful. If you don't need to drive at night, are not accustomed to playing slalom with wildlife and drive a family sedan, forget it. On the plus side, less cops at night (110 kph speed limit in this state) and as the country is so flat and featureless, one can see cop cars from a great distance - rather useful when the GPS tells me the vehicle's maximum speed achieved is 179 kph!
Please don't drive at night, the odds are stacked very much against you. The roos are suicidal, they are perfectly camouflaged and you won't see one in time to stop, you will see plenty of dead ones by the side of the road. There is also no need to do it. Carry a couple of motel catalogues. Carry plenty of drinking water (40 litres) make sure the car is in tip top condition. Going from South to North, stop at Port Augusta overnight, then overnight stay in the underground motel at Coober pedy - an expereince in itself, then stop at Alice Springs or Ulluru. Try not to drive more than 800 - 1000 km per day, although 600km is quite enough - you have to exercise the guptlets to keep them quiet.
Please post again if you want more information.
Please post again if you want more information.
.
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Guptar:
You shouldn't be flying that low anyway; especially at night!!
Just wondering if the Sturt Higway from Adelaide to Darwin is safe to drive from a wildlife point of view. Some old pamphlets form the NRMA said that one should avoid driving a night due to kangaroos and other wildlife feeding on the roadside
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I live in Inland NSW . What goes for the roads mentioned goes for all inland roads away from major cities. Wildlife is attracted to the edge of the road for a variety of reasons, not to mention stock which are even more dangerous.
Do a risk/need analysis
Do a risk/need analysis
Back in 2000, I was flying a 402 out of Katherine. The company also had a base at Timber, 300kms to the west along a sealed but remote road. There was some flying to help out with over there, so I had planned to drive over on the Friday night, fly on sat and sun and head back to Katherine.
A fair bit of night driving, so I wanted someone to come along for the company. A mate was running the backpackers in Katherine, so he'd agreed to find me someone who could keep me company in return for a free flight over the Bungles and some camel spotting etc. that was tasked.
I arrived at the backpackers to be introduced to Amanda, a cute English lass with a gorgeous accent. Into the old 4wd we climbed (FJ40
) and head off out of town at dusk. Amanda was telling me that she'd arrived in Darwin that morning, her first trip to Australia and was really wanting to see wildlife - and she really wanted to see a Kangaroo in the wild.
"No worries, we'll see some for sure!" I replied.
Thirty seconds later out of the 6 foot grass near the road verge... bounce bounce ... kerrrrthump! One dead roo. No damage to the cruiser with the huge bullbar though.
We killed five that night, even though we spent most of the time driving at 60-70km/h as there were literally thousands on the roadside verge. Needless to say, there went my changes in a puff of roo fur and blood
Funnily enough, two nights later on the way home there was not a roo to be seen!
A fair bit of night driving, so I wanted someone to come along for the company. A mate was running the backpackers in Katherine, so he'd agreed to find me someone who could keep me company in return for a free flight over the Bungles and some camel spotting etc. that was tasked.
I arrived at the backpackers to be introduced to Amanda, a cute English lass with a gorgeous accent. Into the old 4wd we climbed (FJ40
) and head off out of town at dusk. Amanda was telling me that she'd arrived in Darwin that morning, her first trip to Australia and was really wanting to see wildlife - and she really wanted to see a Kangaroo in the wild."No worries, we'll see some for sure!" I replied.
Thirty seconds later out of the 6 foot grass near the road verge... bounce bounce ... kerrrrthump! One dead roo. No damage to the cruiser with the huge bullbar though.
We killed five that night, even though we spent most of the time driving at 60-70km/h as there were literally thousands on the roadside verge. Needless to say, there went my changes in a puff of roo fur and blood
Funnily enough, two nights later on the way home there was not a roo to be seen!