Article Comment: Anne Beadell Highway

Thank you all for your feedback. Deeply appreciated . It is now very clear for me that I totally underestimated the timing of the year. So changing my plan now, following your warning, and... as recommended... did more research.
I think I would have to abandon the idea of a trip from Alice Spring to Perth... )Except if you have alternative road to propose) and I will focus on a combination of track around Perth.
I have seen that their are quite a few (including Holland track) that can be combined together to do a nice 4WD tour of 12 days.
About us: we are a French Family (with 2 kids 13 and 8). We are passionate about self organised outdoor adventure and 4WD treck and we have done quite a few: We lived in Africa and in Middle East. We have crossed the sahara desert from Cameroun to France in total autonomy via Nigeria, Niger, Algeria, Tunisia (one month). We have done multiple treck in Island, Northern Europe. Middle East and Africa.
But...we have not yet explore Ausralia outback and this is clearly on the top of our list!
Given the above, would you be so kind to recommend us a combination of track in South WA (around Perth) wich will build or a 10 to 12 days loop from Perth.
Many Thanks in advance for your kind suggestion.
Benoit & Julie

Hi Benoit andJulie,
The area of WA south of Perth is a good idea at that time of year, and there are plenty of tracks to choose from. We particularly like Esperance from where you can go to Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid, and do some beach driving. If you wish you could tackle the track out to Israelite Bay and then go up to join the eastern end of the Nullabor Plain at Balladonia and then come back to Perth via Norseman and the Peak Ranges national park.
There is also a new track south from Perth recently opened by the local 4WD enthusiasts, but I can't remember the name of it. If you search in Trek Notes on this forum you will find lots of useful descriptions of locations, points of interest and degree of difficulty for tracks all over Australia.
Unfortunately you need to tackle the northern areas and the central deserts in our southern hemisphere winter. We have done a bit of travelling in those areas with some Belgian friends who used to come each year, and leave their camper stored in Aus when they went back to Europe.
If you have the time to travel between May and September, two of the best journeys are the Kimberley loop (north-west) along the Gibb River Road starting from Kununurra (or Darwin if you first want to visit Kakadu NP) and then back from Broome along the sealed highway - on this trip places like Mitchell Falls, Cape Leveque and the Bungle Bungles are spectacular.
In the centre, the loop from Maree up the Oodnadatta Track, across the Simpson Desert, and back down the Birdsville Track is an iconic trip for Australian four wheel drivers.
Hope you enjoy whichever route you choose.

Summer time is not really a good time to be anywhere in central Australia because of the extreme heat. There are two alternative routes to Alice if you must. The safest in terms of numbers of vehicles traveling (and therefore could assist in case of trouble) is across the Nullarbor on the A1. It is all sealed and there are several road houses/motels. The other route is The Great Central Road. All dirt and less travelled, but you still won't be the only one for days ( like you would be on the Anne Beadell). There are also several road houses.

Sadly there has been one tragedy in WA in the last few weeks. Two men, bogged car near not particularly remote Lake Moore north east of Perth.
The men headed off in different directions to find help.
One was found, the other died.
Very sad.

There is a good classic saying...

“Only mad dogs and Englishman go out in the noon day sun”

.
Yes Stephen, but where do Frenchmen go? lol

European tourist in the Australian bush in summer.
Got bogged, no one came by and she died of thirst.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

The terrible irony with respect to Caroline Grossmueller was that to recover her vehicle apparently all the police did was deflate the tyres on the vehicle she had used and then drive it out of the bog.. Again the message is travel in groups in remote areas and have a good understanding of your vehicle and how to recover it. As mentioned in many of the posts summer is not the time to be in Central Australia regardless of your experience!

Dusta,

He asked about the Anne Beadell first. Then after advice he switched to Holland Track. I suggest you read all of his comments, in the correct order before going off and dismissing it as "just another know nothing tourist". He is far from inexperienced but sensible enough to ask for advice.

Regards