re: thoughts on getting somewhere!

re: thoughts on getting somewhere!

Hey Guys,

I'm looking for some thoughts on what some of our options are and I'm hoping someone here might be able to give me some useful suggestions.

Middle of next year a group of us (6 - 8 4wd's) will be crossing the simpson desert - we are all planning on meeting at oodnadata and then travelling across the desert in a group. I will be coming from Brisbane.

That bit of the puzzle is fairly clearly defined it's the next bit that I'm looking for options on. We have 3 kids (2,4 & 6) and to get to oodnadatta will take us the best part of a week of driving as we really could only do 8 hours of driving a day (and even that would be very difficult for the kidlets) - I would prefer to do something like ship the Navara to Uluru (or Alice springs or as a last resort maybe Port Augusta) and then we all fly in - spend a couple of days there - very easy on the kids.

Once we get into the desert it will not be too bad as there will be lots of kids so they can swap around into different cars and be with different friends.

So does anyone know of a way that we could get a vehicle to Uluru or Alice - I've spoken with a few companies but they will not ship a 4WD unless it has nothing in it - not even a 2nd spare wheel - which is next to useless for us.

I looked at shipping the car to Adelaide and then putting it on a train to Alice - but I think the quote I got was to buy half the railway - I realise this is going to cost a few dollars but seriously!

Does anyone have any thoughts or options (and yes I do want to keep the kids)

thanks

de

Drive there by yourself and fly the rest of the mob in.

Dion said:

Drive there by yourself and fly the rest of the mob in.

Click to expand...

+1

bloody hell Dion thats a great idea. I'll suggest that to the mrs when we do our trip to the cape in early 2012. Long way to go with the young fella, but that would cut out half of it. Can't believe i hadn't thought of that. Plus imagine the peace and quiet for those few days.

Yes - I did consider that and it would be my "plan B" but not the prefered option.

I think that would be your only option but if you drive with the family put a dvd player in the back for the kids.It keeps them occupied for hours.Take your time getting there and do plenty of stops.We did this with our daughter and had no problems what so ever.There is also the game findme this and give them something hard to find which you would least expect to see on the way and the usual I spy with my little eye and stuff like that.Good luck sounds like a great trip planned.

Tried Toll etc ?

Sounds like a good trip mate.

Lucky bugger.

Dave.

A mate started a service where for a fee he'd send his drivers out 2 up and 1 of them would drive the owner and their car back home if they were over the limit, it worked brilliantly for a few months then out of the blue he started getting calls from people who wanted to pay his drivers to drive cars from A to B and fly home.

He sold the business about 7 years ago but before the sale he was sending drivers all over the country and in all manner of vehicles from cars to trucks to buses, was a good little money earner, I have no idea if such business's still exist or are available to you but if you can find one chances are it will work for you.

easy, fly me up to brissy ... i'll drive the car for you (fully loaded) meet you in Uluru or Alice as u get off the plane, then i'll jump on plane home.

but only if you got a d40, as i struggle to fit in a d22 .... LOL

Dion said:

Drive there by yourself and fly the rest of the mob in.

Click to expand...

That's the ticket.

no the car is a D22 (2nd one, actually don't like the D40) - I've got a plan C - but my wife is less than keen on this one - I buy an offroad race buggy (I used to race pre kids) tow the buggy to Alice springs and race the Finke desert race (2 weeks before we go on the trip) leave the Navara in Alice springs and get someone to tow the car and trailer back to Brisbane and then I fly back.

But in any case I'm still keen to look at options.

thanks

de

dirtjockey said:

I've got a plan C - but my wife is less than keen on this one - I buy an offroad race buggy (I used to race pre kids) tow the buggy to Alice springs and race the Finke desert race (2 weeks before we go on the trip) leave the Navara in Alice springs and get someone to tow the car and trailer back to Brisbane and then I fly back.

Click to expand...

Now that's a whiteboard arrangement, that's what I like to see.