Family road trip around Oz

[Alexdingwall1]

Hi all, I am flying into Melbourne in Feb with my wife and two kids (2yrs and 3.5yrs old)

We are planning to drive from Melbourne to Perth anticlockwise and are thinking about getting a 4wdr and a trailer tent to do it in.

We plan not to arrive in Cairns before mid April and we have until early June to get to Perth.

I am not planning on taking on any really challenging roads, so needing to look at economy, reliability, comfort (for little people), safety and resale potential above off road ability. I could really do with some advice on the best 4wdr and trailer tents to look at plus happy to take pretty much any advice on the route. I know that I will probably need to re register the vehicle in WA

[g7jtk]

You lucky thing.
I would say discovery 3 or 4 but I'm biast. Probably the best bet is a Toyota Land Cruiser. There are loads of them out there so should sell easily.

[Pie with sauce]

He obviously doesn't like your answer mate, as he's started another thread!

But, yes, Land Cruiser highly regarded.

[paolow]

Alexdingwall1 said:

Hi all, I am flying into Melbourne in Feb with my wife and two kids (2yrs and 3.5yrs old)

We are planning to drive from Melbourne to Perth anticlockwise and are thinking about getting a 4wdr and a trailer tent to do it in.

We plan not to arrive in Cairns before mid April and we have until early June to get to Perth.

I am not planning on taking on any really challenging roads, so needing to look at economy, reliability, comfort (for little people), safety and resale potential above off road ability. I could really do with some advice on the best 4wdr and trailer tents to look at plus happy to take pretty much any advice on the route. I know that I will probably need to re register the vehicle in WA

A 4x4 ute would be the obvious choice - you could even do a twincab if you needed family room etc?
An observation would be that it might help with costs if you are not fixed on anti clockwise as opposed to clockwise? It might be that purchase and resale might work better one way better than the other?

Edit - also I'm well jealous - I travelled from Perth to Cairns and back along the Nullabor once in my Toyota Corolla and had a great time along both ways - enjoy!

Edited by paolow on Wednesday 10th December 20:43

[JeremyH5]

My wife and I did almost exactly that trip in 1983 although we did the full circuit from Perth. Same time of year too. We did it without children and in a Mitsubishi Galant saloon (sedan in Aus). And we had dirt roads up north and to Uluru, it is all paved now. Your timescale is good too, we had three months which was too short. We're going to do it again as a retirement trip. Enjoy!

[Alexdingwall1]

g7jtk said:

You lucky thing.
I would say discovery 3 or 4 but I'm biast. Probably the best bet is a Toyota Land Cruiser. There are loads of them out there so should sell easily.

Thanks for this, it seems like Land cruiser is coming out top from most people.

[Alexdingwall1]

JeremyH5 said:

My wife and I did almost exactly that trip in 1983 although we did the full circuit from Perth. Same time of year too. We did it without children and in a Mitsubishi Galant saloon (sedan in Aus). And we had dirt roads up north and to Uluru, it is all paved now. Your timescale is good too, we had three months which was too short. We're going to do it again as a retirement trip. Enjoy!

Thanks, really looking forward to it now. Still lots to do before we leave but very excited.

[Alexdingwall1]

Pie with sauce said:

He obviously doesn't like your answer mate, as he's started another thread!

But, yes, Land Cruiser highly regarded.

Land Cruiser sounds like the one.

(I'm new to PH but started two threads as one in Australia forum for local knowledge and one in general gassing for a wider pool of people - seemed sensible to me?).

Edited by Alexdingwall1 on Saturday 13th December 08:18

[Alexdingwall1]

paolow said:

A 4x4 ute would be the obvious choice - you could even do a twincab if you needed family room etc?
An observation would be that it might help with costs if you are not fixed on anti clockwise as opposed to clockwise? It might be that purchase and resale might work better one way better than the other?

Edit - also I'm well jealous - I travelled from Perth to Cairns and back along the Nullabor once in my Toyota Corolla and had a great time along both ways - enjoy!

Edited by paolow on Wednesday 10th December 20:43

Thanks for that, I was thinking about a twincab too. Unfortunately it is going to have to be anti clockwise, due to other commitments along the route but I have family in Perth so at least I won't have to rush into a sale at the other end.
I have done the East Coast, up and down, so pretty sure it will be OK with kids but the Cairns to Perth bit is the part I am most excited/ nervous about. Shame to be missing SA but from what I have heard, not sure that Nullabor would be great route for the kids.

[SimesJH]

I'd say definitely a Land Cruiser.

The Discovery 1 V8 I owned when I lived in Karratha (NW-ish) wouldn't have got far into the Kimberley as most roadhouses stock only diesel. As far as spares are concerned, find any abandoned / wrecked / stripped 4x4 and chances are it's of Toyota origin.

We rented a Pajero for that trip. It was new and diesel. Saw a few D3 TDV6's there, but I'd say you'd be better off in a LC / Pajero / Patrol.

You may need two spare tyres. Or be familiar with a good puncture repair kit with tools.

Very envious. We drove the Gibb River Road when we were over there. If you want to stay on tarmac roads, then you may have to avoid this treat, although you'll regret it if you do.

[Bill]

SimesJH said:

You may need two spare tyres. Or be familiar with a good puncture repair kit with tools.

Both. Kids dehydrate very quickly so you don't want to be stuck anywhere for long.

I'd question the point of the trip. I know I'd love it and I can see that now is a good time as the kids aren't in school yet, but they're going to be bored out of their skull and entertaining them is going to take the edge off the fun. The distances are huge and doing it short stints is going to get pretty dull very quickly.