Ya Gotta Do It Once

[CAMS290]

Hi folks, i have just got back from Alice Springs, after a couple of weeks off.
I have driven trucks all over Australia, but never had a chance to drive a car on "de restricted" roads.
The drive from Melbourne to Port Augusta was pretty boring 110 - 120 kph stuff, after Port Augusta i was cruising a fair way above the legal limit in S.A, but by using the UHF radio on the truckies channel 40, you get a fair idea of what is going on.
I didnt see one police car in 535k's until i saw a divvy van in Coober Pedy.
Its quite an interesting drive, various different colour landscapes and some beautiful wild flowers, salt lakes and some great photo opportunities.
Fuel prices varied, the more remote, the more expensive.
I paid $1.59 per litre at Glendambo road house (95 ron not 98 ron !), and about $1.25 at Alice Springs.
Once you cross the S.A/N.T border it is open slather for speed ! I was cruising at around 190 - 200 kph on cruise control, and occasionaly took it up to 240 - 250 kph, bloody awesome if you like that kind of thing and all perfectly legal !
From what i actually witnessed, most people sit around 130 - 140 kph, which does make sense, as my fuel consumtion was around 19 litres per 100 k's at 180 kph, and the Pursoot was wandering a fair bit over 230kph, and the roads are not quite "Auto Bahn" smooth. Also look out for eagles eating "road kill" as they wont move for anything, even 140 tonne road trains !
Here is a snap shot of the speedo, pretty hard to shoot straight, trying to hold the car on the road with one hand at 230 plus !

[TURBOTAXI]

Hahahaha.
Stock BA's go that fast!
You sound like you have had a great time!
I love road trips.

Good for you!

[PULLY6]

Thats brilliant! Nice shot too. I hope to get up there one day

[Twisted]

Lol its pretty good fun hey Cam. I did the trip in my AU back in 2000 when i got posted to Darwin and had a ball!

[YOOT]

I drove from Brisbane to Mt Isa in 20 hours straight on a working trip. It was 1900kms there and I was driving 140kms a day to and from work.

On the way there I spent 1500kms doing 150+kmh in a Triton 4WD, which averaged 300kms for 70L of unleaded at that speed. I didn't see one police car until day 15 at work and he was booking people for going over in a 60kmh zone. I was doing 67 and he waved me to slow down but didn't pull me over.

I also nearly got done for 140kmh, but I was stuck behind a VY and he got done instead, so I got off that one.

All in all I did 10,000kms in three months and drive the brick back to Brisbane at 150+kmh again and used more than $500 worth of fuel. The only thing I hit was a parrot at 160 and it bounced off the windshile like a tennis ball and landed in a tree about 100m behind the car, I ****ed myself laughing all the way home that day.

Fastest I got the T up to was 205kmh only just, had to shift from 4th to 5th at 195 and then ran out of road.

Oh and I was working 80kms from Camoowiel (spelling?) which is on the NT boarder and never got to go that far, apparently its like driving on to an airtrip over the boarder, really wide smooth roads.

Here's a phone pic of the Triton doing 178kph on the way back to Darwin from Katherine. Gotta love open speeds!

PS. sorry for the size..

[MO]

One of the few things I miss about the Territory,NO SPEED LIMIT,on the open road.
Between Tennant Creek and The Alice is 510k of open road,my best cruise time without pushing was 3hrs and 15 min.

Damn I miss the no speed limit,being in Qld.

[M&Ms]

Awesome. I'd love to do that drive one day, just wouldnt be taking the EL up their and bouncing off the speed limiter the whole way

[Peuty]

jaredthecabot, how are you still alive after driving a Triton that fast?

[MO]

Originally Posted by micmansour

Awesome. I'd love to do that drive one day, just wouldnt be taking the EL up their and bouncing off the speed limiter the whole way

No need to bounce the limiter stay just below it.

Sheer luck I guess. It's the heightened wheelbase too. It actually wasn't too bad, not 'floaty' at all. I actually pushed 180kph downhill, but couldnt hold the camera still.
I also used to drift an XF ute and a Cortina :, so maybe that helped too.

[EDManual]

cars do use lots of fuel at those speeds! My Hyundai 1.5 litre accent gets around 15 litres per hundred at 180 (on private road). amazing it can pump that much fuel through!

[Kev_BLNXR8_Ute]

Welcome back Cam. Sounds like you had a ball. Do you have any money left for the mods to the pursuit after paying those prices for fuel????
Not to mention you would have seen better fuel economy with some of the mods you been talking about.
We will catch up soon i hope.

Cheers ..........Kev

[Panda]

Originally Posted by CAMS290

...the roads are not quite "Auto Bahn" smooth. Also look out for eagles eating "road kill" as they wont move for anything, even 140 tonne road trains...

I'm actually heading up to Darwin next week, have to bear this in mind.

Originally Posted by CAMS290

...Here is a snap shot of the speedo, pretty hard to shoot straight, trying to hold the car on the road with one hand at 230 plus...

I'll have to try this, I'll post a photo in a couple of weeks.

Panda

[Mike Gayner]

Wow you guys have roads with no speed limits? That would kick ***.

[EDManual]

yeah but they are thousands of km from anyone! (well any major city anyway)

[XR200utility]

Very nice, that would be a great buzz to drive up that bit of road, pity about the 180 kph speed limiter in my car tho. :

[smciner1]

Good story Cam, sounds like you had a ball.

[Dave_au]

Originally Posted by Mike Gayner

Wow you guys have roads with no speed limits? That would kick ***.

Yeah but you have to drive for about 8 hours+ through the middle of nowhere to get to it.

[rodderz]

Sounds like the holiday went well Cam...how did the races go up in Alice? Bet you tore up the town on a night or 2 as well

The family went up through the centre about 12yrs ago and those Wedge Tails dont move for anything, and they're huge too

[bailey04]

It might sound like fun, but you have to be careful when you see the police out in the middle of no where.

You might not be able to be booked for speeding, but they can still get you for dangerous driving, driving without due care etc...

But generally you don't see many police out there...

[fatxagt]

I did that Darwin trip in a 200ci XE towing a camper trailer. I think I got it to 110 kph down a hill one day . BUGGER!

[MO]

With regard to the eagles try flashing your lights as you approach them,it has worked for me.
Yes the cops can do you for D/D or undue care but very very rarely,you have to be doing something stupid for them to grab you.

[Jaeger]

Originally Posted by bailey04

It might sound like fun, but you have to be careful when you see the police out in the middle of no where.

You might not be able to be booked for speeding, but they can still get you for dangerous driving, driving without due care etc...

But generally you don't see many police out there...

I have been overtaken by Police Patrol cars in the NT more than once.
Going to slow for them it seems.

[MITCHAY]

Id hammer it like crazy if i was in the middle of nowhere. Lucky bastard :P

Yea, Ive been overtaken by cops too. Looked at my speedo, 130kmh...

[NIGHTHAWK]

Heck you are lucky you didnt break down out there.Do mobiles work out there?

[TX5 GT]

We cranked my TX5 on the way to darwin.............woo hoo!............it was F*^%ing fast!

[TX5 GT]

We did a Speed vs. Time thing (which got stuffed cos my bro pushed clear on the timer) Rev Cut Each Gear (6550RPM) ......woot...... got the needle to the "K" on "KM/H" on the speedo

[MO]

Originally Posted by NIGHTHAWK

Heck you are lucky you didnt break down out there.Do mobiles work out there?

Not everywhere but they're working on it,besides most ppl will stop to help.