Hi there,

Next year I'll be spending about 4months touring all around Australia. I pretty much want to go all the way around the outside, heading south from Darwin down to Uluru/ Alice Springs, then north - north/east again and up Cape York before heading south down to Brisbane. I'll depart from Sydney and head south and then in a sort of clockwise direction. I'll probably have to stop for about a month somewhere in WA to earn some more money.

However I'm having trouble deciding when would be the best time to leave?!?! Any suggestions?? Can leave anytime in 2009, so long as I'm back by Jan 2010.
It quite hard to figure it out using climate maps. I want to miss rainy seasons etc!

winter / dry season.

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www.outforaspin.blogspot.com

Have a bit of a search around, this is in a few of the posts on this forum, but to summarise...

It depends on what you are used too, and what your focus is. If you want to look around Darwin/Cape York area, you will need to come over in Aussie 'winter (or dry season), however as you start moving further south, you will find a bit of a cold chill spread across your body...

In general, central Australia is at its best in winter - cool night moderate days, therefore best to focus on coming during that period. Maybe start March/Arpil in Syd, going south in the clockwise direction to get the 'cold places' out of the way, and then as you head north will be July/August and would be ideal.

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Gazza

Stop talking, its time for action...

Thanks for that it's confirming what I had thought from my research on the net!

Think I'll be leaving Sydney around the end of march and then heading south and carry on clockwise around Aus.

When's the latest kind of time that I want to be heading up and down Cape York?? I'll probably have to stop somewhere to earn some more money for a month or so, so would probably be June/July/August before I get to Cape York sort of area. When does it start getting wet again?

Cheers

Late September/early October and the wet season can start. Its been a bit variable over the past few years - give or take 4 weeks.

There are plenty of threads on here about timing a trip.

Outback Australia from late Spring until early Autumn is dangerous for the unprepared.

anytime is good to travel.just need to plan according to the area/seasons.u can do the coasts in summer and as autumn comes go inland to the outback.winter up north.

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ride, ride like the wind to be free.

Hi Guys

I'm just starting to plan our Australia part of our journey, and also need to consider the weather/rain. We will probibly land and start in Melbourne round about July, yes, mid winter. The plan is to head north via the Gold Coast and spend two to three months in the North of Australia. We should be at Perth around end Oct to head back East to Melbourne, also taking about 2 months or so. So we are looking at an anti clockwise ride around the country, 4-6 months. What is the weather like on the East coast in July/August?
What is the road like to Cape York in August? Would I make it two-up on a loaded BMW1150GS (To Cape York).

regards

johan

Hi

I have just completed a trip around, and I went anti clockwise. July/August was when I started. By the end of August in the top end, it is the beginning of the 'build up'. This means it starts to get real hot in the day and very humid, but never any rain. The nights can still get a bit cool.

This was a tricky time for me as I ended up with heat stroke, in the middle of winter, so be aware. If you look at my blog for August and on, you can see what I did and where I went.

By the time I went down the west coast and crossed the tropic of Capricorn again, it started to get real cold and I had to dig out the thermal undies.

As for Cape York, I did not make it. I was riding solo fully laden and the road was too slippery and soft for my heavy Vstrom. I guess it would depend on your skill level whether you can do it or not. You could, like me, try the section from Lakefield to Laura, only 60km of crap quality dirt. If you can handle that, then the next 600km to Wiepa is about the same or worse, then after Wiepa it gets worser again, more sand. The last bits are 2nd hand info from other riders and locals. If you get to Laura and don't like it, at least you can turn around

Hope that is of some help.

Cheers
TravellingStrom

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www.travellingstrom.com

I just completed my Around Oz adventure also. Had a lot of help from HUBBers about timing also. I started in Melbourne Sept 1st and went anit-clockwise. Put me in Darwin around the 10th of Oct. Starting the buildup but not too bad. Down the West coast to Cape Leuwin and then up thru Kalgoorlie then Ayers Rock in Mid Nov so the heat wasn't too bad there also. Then down to Great Ocean Road to Melbourne and over to Tasmania. Fairly cold and rainy there. Back to Melbourne and warm weather thru the Snowys, and Sydney mid December and back home. Worked out pretty well weather wise.
Rick
www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/rickmcd

Thanks for the info. Looks like our plan should work out fine, might have to drag our heels a bit to do the Perth to Melbourne in Nov/Dec.
We are currently in Central America, making our way to Chile, from where we will ship.
I think we'll skip Cape York, as my bike's 'off road' ability dissapear with so much luggage and two people.

johan