I'm planing to drive from Melbourne to Darwin, what advice do you guys have for me??

Advice regarding which way to take, where to rest, what to take and any other useful information would be greatly appreciated.I'm planing to drive from Melbourne to Darwin, what advice do you guys have for me??
Hi mate,


Big trip your planning there.





The drive is quite long and boring and there is limited stops available in most parts of the journey.





The best way to go is definately through Adelaide, then onto the Sturt Highway to Port Augusta.





You need to make sure your well stocked when you leave Port Augusta, get plenty of fuel on board, and make sure you have lots of water, food, and first aid supplies.





From Port Augusta you have a very boring drive of about 250 kilometres until you get to Glendambo where you can refuel and restock, you then have another long stretch to Coober Pedy.





From Coober Pedy it's about 200 kilometres to the next stop at Cadney Roadhouse, and then about 80 kilometres to Marla.





It is essential to have plenty of supplies from Marla onwards.


It gets very hot and the drive is extreemly boring.





It is another 200 kilometre plus journey to your first next stop in the Territory at Kulgera Roadhouse.





From Kulgera you go through Erldunda in about 80 kilometre, then it's a 200 kilometre journey to Alice Springs.





From Alice you have a few available stops to refuel and restock in Ti Tree Roadhouse, Barrow Creek, Wycliffe Well, Wauchope, Tennant Creek and Three Ways.





Its another long boring drive to Renner Springs, about 125 kilometres. From here you have stops every 50 to 100 kilometres right through to Darwin.





In between towns there are places you can stop and rest for a while, though there is no facilities available at them road side stops.





A good idea for a first time traveller through the outback is to stop in at Police stations in towns along the way, let them know where your heading, that way if anything was to happen the Police will be able to work out where you might be.





Also be very weary of road conditions, there is a lot of dirt and gravel roads which can be dangerous to drive on at times.


This is a list of items I have to go by for when I travel through the outback, hopefully you find it useful too.





2 spare wheels, rope, radiator hoses, fan belts, rubber fuel hose, head and tail light globes, fuses, spark plugs, engine oil and coolant, plenty of fuel and water, tarp or something to use for shelter from the sun, fuel filter, air cleaner element, putty, silicone, transmission oil, nuts and bolts of assorted sizes, high strength adhesive tape, hammer, saw, chisel, screwdrivers, pliers, tyre pump, puncture repair kit, jump leads, spanners, shovel and an axe.





Make sure you have a very well stocked first aid kit because medical help is very hard to find. Take water for drinking and water for your car, plenty of food in case of emergency and it also pays to have your car serviced prior to leaving.





There is so much to do and know about when it comes to outback driving, make sure you do your research first because it is a very long and boring drive, it can be hard, hot and dangerous, in the end though it can be enjoyable if it goes well.I'm planing to drive from Melbourne to Darwin, what advice do you guys have for me??
Just to counter the depression caused by micks answer, there are lots of wonderful spots to see along the track in the Northern Territory, including Matarranka and Litchfield Park. Of course, as far as Im concerned any road is boring, its getting off the beaten track and seeing the sights that makes a trip worthwhile.
Try going to the RACQ website - Trip Planner.


It will give you lots of good and valuable information, including printable directions and road reports.





You can choose either a short (condensed) version of directions or detailed version.





They say going from Melbourne via North Adelaide, Port Wakefield, Port Augusta then up the Stuart Highway to Darwin will take 43:37 hours (no stops included).


Distance by that route would be 3753.09 kms.





I hope you have an enjoyable trip.