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Departing tomorrow on Savannah Way


Chris

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Well, our time in Darwin has come to an end (I think we have been here for six weeks while working and catching up with family and friends).

We have closely monitored conditions on the Savannah Way to make sure roads are all open, and all is now good. So we leave tomorrow morning, driving down to Mataranka then out on the Roper Highway to Roper Bar, Borroloola, Doomadgee etc. At this stage we are not too sure what way we will come south from QLD but think we might drop down from Normanton, then through the middle of Australia back home to SA.

If anyone else is on the same tracks, and see us, please say hello. We have a gold Landcruiser and a Kedron caravan.

I will duly submit a trip report at the end of the trip.

Thanks to everyone who gave feedback and advice on the road conditions. I have some pearls of wisdom form a couple of fellow KOGGERS and that is quite comforting.

Chris (and Valdis)

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Hi Chris & Val,

I too will look forward to reading your trip report, especially the Savannah Way, as it was too wet to go that way on our last trip.

Safe journey. You will notice the change in temperature as you come south!

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We have just arrived in Doomadgee (Gulf Country of QLD) and pulled up outside the Roadhouse. Surprisingly there is mobile phone and internet reception! Last night we camped beside a billabong, with no one and nothing else around except birds.

Yesterday we saw and spoke to another Kedron on the side of the road - Danny and Sue. Nice to see another KOGGER!

The trip has been lovely and we have seen some nice spots - as well as a LOT of bulldist and some corrugations. Many, many creek crossings. The creeks are of course a bonus, as most of them are flowing and clear water and have tracks leading down the side where one can camp.

There have been quite a few other Kedrons on the Way - but no Bushtrackers or Phoenixes that we have seen! On the other hand, there has been a lot of onroad vans like Jaycos and Coromals. I am not sure how they get through the creek crossings....

The roads are in great condition and no creek crossing has been a concern. The Robinson was the deepest and it was not too bad.

Chris

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Now we have arrived at Cloncurry - which has the wonderful virtue of having water piped to the van. I have been doing regular washes along the way using the "creek water in a bucket" technique and spinning out in the van's washing machine spin cycle; but that is only suitable for clothes not for towels and sheets. Well it might, at a pinch....

I absolutely hate having people right next to me in a caravan park after a week or so of quiet bush camps.

The van got filthy dirty and when we hit town today, women and children held their breaths and ducked their heads as we passed them.

Anyway, we found the trip to be an amazing experience. There are lots of camp sites. Just about every creek has a track leading off down the side and for sure they would lead to nice spots. We camped at Lomarium Lagoon, Towns River, and a few spots beside billabongs or gravel pits off the road. The trip report will be a beauty and it will detail all.

We saw a number of Kedrons but no Phoenixes or BTs. And there was any number of little onroad vans out there doing it. Unbelievable how brave they are to cross the rivers.

We spoke to fellow KOGGERS Danny and Sue, near Hells Gate Roadhouse (which has re-opened). It was so good to speak to them and see another Kedron van out there.

Chris

post-45-0-20644900-1310284388_thumb.jpg

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Hi Chris & Val

Will you be heading our way?. We are back at the cane farm,you know that nice free stay.

You are making us GREEN with envy, we just love the Savannah Way.looking forward to the trip report.

Cheers Blackie & Elle

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Hi Chris & Val

Will you be heading our way?. We are back at the cane farm,you know that nice free stay.

You are making us GREEN with envy, we just love the Savannah Way.looking forward to the trip report.

Cheers Blackie & Elle

Ah no Shane and Elle, we won't be coming that way unfortunately. We are heading south from Longreach to Jundah and then to Quilpie, as I understand there is some nice camping at Lake Houdraman and some other spots nearby. Mind you we have had enough of the dust....

Chris

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Hi Koggers. We are not Kedron owners, but tow a 3+ tonne Free Spirit caravan. We believe it does not matter what brand of off-road van is involved, but we owners share the same objectives in travelling the roads less popular in this great land of ours. Therefore, we would be grateful for any recent updates and advice on road conditions on the Savannah Way past Roper River to Hells Gate and down to Lawn Hill NP. Thanks in anticipation. Mike & Helen.

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Hi Helen.

We do not discriminate on this forum - everyone travelling this great country is free to ask questions and post information just as you have done. (Mind you, the forum probably has a strict policy on spammers who join purely to push their product...)

The Savannah Way was a dream run. This can change depending on the weather and timing of any grading done by road crews, of course. Our concern was mostly the Robinson River (it was high at about a metre to 400mm at its deepest)and the Calvert, which was no problem at all.

We are now in Mildura, and almost back home now. When I get home I will tizzy up the trip report and post it here in the appropriate section. That should be in about a week or 10 days so keep a look out. Send me a PM if you would prefer an immediate private copy in advance of the as yet unfinished report. (It has the complete Savannah Way section already written up).

Chris

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I am putting here an attachment which is the section of my trip report relating to the Savannah Way. It has just occurred to me this may be the best way to go. If others want to read this advance section of the report they can...

Chris

Savannah Way.pdf

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Hi Chris,

Enjoyed reading your report.... brought back many happy memories. I see they still havent done anything yet at Roper bar, re getting better access to the fuel bowsers. I had to fill our rig the same way (jerry cans).

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Hi Chris & Val,

I enjoyed your trip report (thank you) and yes, it brought back a laugh or two from our visit through that area that was about this time last year.

Like you we hope to be back up there soon, now we have an ATV2 to tow. Picked it up today, and it is fantastic. What a great day we had with the crew at Kedron.

Hope you have a safe and exciting trip

Cheers

Gary & Kaye

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Hi Chris,

I also enjoyed reading your report. Must put it on our list of 'things to do'. :D

Is that before or after the Flinders Ranges, JJ? :P

Chris

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  • 5 weeks later...

Hi Chris,

Your report was excellent, this unfortunate couple could have used your trip report and driven to the conditions, they both got out without to much trouble and flown out from Robinson River Station later that night. We are nearly home just sitting in Rocky working our way south. KFC was great with graders working towards Bowthorn from the Hells Gate end and Lawn Hill end. The crossings were resonably shallow compared to some up around Reynolds River and Kakadu that we encountered.

post-32-0-41898400-1314089397_thumb.jpgpost-32-0-89217600-1314089582_thumb.jpg

cheers

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Laurie and Helen, what great photos - although you do feel for the upturned van's occupants.

I do look forward to your trip report when you get home, and will be especially interested in the KFC section. Danny and Sue sent me or posted here some great photos of the 4 Kedrons all at KFC at the same time they were there.

Chris

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...and another thought. A friend of mine (who also posts on Caravaners Forum) said he had recently encountered four Kedron vans travelling together in QLD. He says he spoke to them and they all knew Chris from the Kedron forum! I wonder if the group he spoke to was yours? His name is Colin.

Chris

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