Hyden Norseman Rd

It was a little rutted (not severely) out from Hyden about 1.5 months ago as they had a bit of rain...100kph still achievable, depends what you are driving I think. Some bits are smoother than the bitumen. But agree not really much of a shortcut from Perth. I would just take it for a change of scenery.

Cheers
Greg

For me in Perth’s inner south it’s about 100 km shorter to Norseman via Hyden.

Whether that is much quicker I guess depends on how fast you like to drive on dirt. Being a cautious type I try to back off a bit, even on good surfaces.

If the schedule is not an issue I would take it any time. Some lovely country and camp spots, particularly in spring when the bush is at its best.

Cheers

Well yes thats the catch...actual start point and average speed on back roads and the road itself compared to what can easily be achieved on Great Eastern Highway.

Cheers
Greg

Fowlers in 2 days
Do-able, don't forget the days get shorter the further East you go.
I did that only a few months ago.
Dawn start with long days and a tail wind helped me along @ 110Kph.

So it will be up early in the morning both days for you.

Fowlers Bay supposed to be good fishing ?
Note :- I said fishing..... not catching LOL


Ron

750km a day is very doable.

I was flying solo on a winter trip a few years ago and didn’t get out of Norseman until well after 8am on day two because of pea soup fog and it was dark pretty early at Eucla.

Summer time with long days and maybe a copilot you should do it easy.

Enjoy the drive.

Cheers.

Similar to Rocco, I've done Penong pub to Perth solo in one long day, towing a trailer and driving into the sun on a 44deg February afternoon. And having been pinged by the WA cops from Eucla for 114/100 (towing ...) on the way across with SWMBO and the three kids, I WAS watching my speed all the way.

Two days with two drivers is doable. The biggest challenge may well be keeping the kids from fraying your nerves on long days - "are we there yet?", "he/she pulled my hair!" etc. Depending on their ages and disposition, that can be a biggie.

Back to the GEH vs Hyden-Norseman road. We've used that a couple of times in the past few years. No dramas comfortably cruising at 100k. On the GEH you keep getting zoned down for towns with a few over-zealous law officers, as well as the challenge of semis and the inevitable caravan or fifty. The H-N road is far more peaceful and "scenic" (that's not hard compared to GEH) and if the kids haven't seen that much unpaved bushland it may be easier to keep them settled.

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"1500km in 2 days with 2 kids"?

Don't forget the duct tape! LOL

It's a bit more than 1500 km - Malaga to Fowlers Bay - It's over 1800 km.

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Nah Peter, it's only 1500km going east during Daylight Saving. lol

Actually, Nick said "Hoping to get 1500km done in 2 days", He didn't specify that was "Malaga to Fowlers bay".

Yes it was 1500km in 2 days. Then sight seeing starts from fowlers bay, a few hundred klicks from Eucla.

Thanks Rob, I hadn’t considered rain out there in December, will keep an eye on it.

I've got a mate in Kulin who reported to me yesterday that some areas of Little Italy/South East Hyden received over 200mm in the thunderstorms that went through the far Eastern Wheatbelt on Saturday night.

I was watching the radar at the time and it showed a big band of heavy rainfall traversing the Eastern Wheatbelt, from North West of Merredin, to the South East, towards Esperance.

Norseman has only recorded 13.4mm out of those storms - but thunderstorms are quite erratic, and you can get huge variations in rainfall over a short distance.

Cheers, Ron.

Kondinin and Dundas Shires both have their sections of the road as open on their websites.

We did the road in both directions a week apart late Oct. Mostly excellent condition. 80 -90 practically everywhere and could do 100 in sections.

Cheers.

Good to see post-event feedback. Your experience echoes ours.