The Plan finalized

Now I can really say that the plan has been finalized! I'm leaving on Sunday, 24th October 2010. The date had to be pushed back a few times in the past mostly due to work constraints but I just had to make it happen somehow. Otherwise, it'll be too hot in summer. After october the temperature in NT can reach as high as 43ºC! Besides, if I didn't make it by this year, I'm afraid I'd never make it...

So, here goes, after months of constantly interrupted planning and late nights doing research, the itineray has been locked. I'm doing the trip in 13 days including 2 days of rest, once in Mt. Isa and once in the Red Centre itself. The travelling days are alternates between "short" and "long" days with average distance on a travelling day of 610 km. I've managed to map out all the refuelling and overnight stops thanks to Google Maps, RACQ guide book and various websites. Anyone planning on long roadtrips can get my advice on great online resources on this subject.

Here's the day-to-day itinerary (refer to the map further below):

Day 1 : Brisbane - Mitchell (555 km)
Day 2 : Micthell - Winton (794 km)
Day 3 : Winton - Mt. Isa (462 km)
Day 4 : Mt. Isa (rest day and exploring)
Day 5 : Mt. Isa - Alice Springs (1,175 km - longest day!)
Day 6 : Alice Springs - Uluru (445 km)
Day 7 : The Red Centre (rest day)
Day 8 : Uluru - Coober Peddy (733 km)
Day 9 : Coober Peddy - Port Augusta (539 km)
Day 10 : Port Augusta - Broken Hill (415 km)
Day 11 : Broken Hill - Nyngan [I don't even know how to pronounce this!] (588 km)
Day 12 : Nyngan - Armidale (552 km)
Day 13 : Armidale - Home!!! (456 km)
TOTAL = 6,714 km


View Larger Map

I have also completed my packing list. It grew from the 1 page I started with to 3 pages! Thanks to tips and guides from books and magazines and travel logs on the internet - I'm pretty sure I'm well equipped to conquer the Outback - I just don't know how to carry them all! Anyway, that'll be the story for another day in my next blog posting. I still have a few more things to buy too, like tent etc. I also got myself a few cool gadgets to assist me like sattelite phone, camera clamp, flat repair kit, octane booster, animal sonic guard etc. Ooohhhh... I'm so excited!!!

Any comments or suggestions for improvement on my plan above are most welcomed.