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Thread: Central Australia and The Dinosaur Trail – 28 June to 25 July 2021

  1. #21
    Club Member BigRig's Avatar
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    We will return from Alice Springs. Will only be joining for part 2 trip only. That's only 5 days but that coincides with our family trip to Uluru anyways.
    We will drive back via Coober peedy to Sydney. Me and wife did a road trip to Alice Springs and back in 2005. We will be tracing our route back from Alice Springs, with our kids now.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave View Post
    I’m not sure I understood all that. Okay, freight the Jeep to Yulara, that’s clear. But would you be driving straight home from Yulara? Or coming in to Alice Springs and the Dinosaur Trail with us?
    If you’re only spending the two nights with us at Yulara, why not fly in and get a rental car to drive home? Probably a lot cheaper...
    If you’re coming the rest of the way, and on up to Cape York Then awesome! Great idea!!
    Dave


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  2. #22
    Club General Committee Dave's Avatar
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    Nice! Sounds good. I’ll add you to my list for that bit.

    Dave


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  3. #23
    Club General Committee Dave's Avatar
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    Just a bump.

    In a week or so I'm going to start making phone calls to reserve or book campsites - in anticipation that by late June, many of us will be vaccinated and hopefully borders will be open!

    I'll email everyone that has said yes or maybe and try and lock in some more definite numbers for those bookings. I've already made my first booking - for our night at Dalhousie Springs.
    If you want to go ahead and book that too, the website is https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/booking/...s#/accom/73186
    We will be staying there on Saturday 3 July
    And you need to make sure you book and pay for Vehicle Entry to the National Park AND your Camping Fee ($16.50). TOTAL = $27.50.

    Hope everyone had a Happy - if quiet - Christmas and New Year. I'll be in touch soon.

    Thanks,
    Dave

  4. #24
    Club General Committee Dave's Avatar
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    Hi All,

    It seems a little early to be doing this, but then again, IF the trip can run, we set off in 5 and a bit months!

    I say IF because the big unknown is still COVID. State borders are still opening and closing, especially to Greater Sydney (us), and even though the vaccines are coming, will the situation be different by the end of June? We just don’t know.

    In the hope that the trip will be able to run, I am going to start making reservations next week. There may be some minor changes to the planned campsites in the Itinerary, but I will update and send to you when I know.

    I will reserve Un-Powered campsites. Once I have done that, if you want better accommodation eg powered site, cabin… then you can make contact with each place to change a “Sydney Jeep Club” reservation into a personal one. I will send the contact details of all the places that I reserve.

    To reserve roughly the right number of sites I need to know how many people/Jeeps are really likely to come along. At the moment we have 9 Definites and 8 Maybes on the website. We can’t take more than 12 vehicles, so if the Maybes can let me know their intentions ASAP, I’ll update the list. I may have to turn it into a Definites (Jeeps 1 to 12) and Reserve… Hope not, as that won’t help your planning.

    For the Definites, I have emailed a registration form – names, rego, contacts etc – so that I can provide that info to any caravan parks that need. Please fill out and return ASAP.

    I have also recommended that you book camping at Dalhousie Springs now. It is popular, with limited camping. We would lose the $27.50 if we can’t go, but at least you won’t miss out if we can…
    https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/booking/...s#/accom/73186
    $27.50 covers the Camping Fee AND Vehicle entry into Witjira National Park.

    The only other thing that I know we should book in advance is our Dinosaur Trail Passes, for entry to all the places on the Dino Trail ($95 per adult). We should be able to do that closer to time, hopefully we will have good COVID news!

    I hope that everywhere else will take a reservation and will not require money up front. That would be way too hard if COVID means we can’t go interstate and we have to cancel. I will let you know all the details once I have made reservations.

    Think that’s all for now. Please get in touch if you have any questions.

    Thanks,

    Dave

  5. #25
    Club General Committee Dave's Avatar
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    Making reservations, and turning up a couple of changes. Hamilton Station no longer offers camping, which means...

    On day 4, instead of William Creek we will stop early and camp at Coward Springs - hot artesian spring to enjoy.

    Then we will go on and camp at Oodnadatta Caravan Park on Day 5 and look around the town, then have a slightly longer drive from Oodnadatta to Dalhousie next day. Still be there by lunch for plenty of swimming!

    I'll update as needed and send everyone a new Itinerary and a list of camps, contacts and costs when I'm done!

    Thanks,
    Dave

  6. #26
    Club General Committee Dave's Avatar
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    Reservations.JPG

    Hi All,

    As promised, I have made all the reservations for our trip in June/July (COVID and Borders depending) that I can...

    Di, I have reserved 15 unpowered campsites at Winton, Richmond and Hughenden – hopefully enough for BOTH groups on the Dinosaur Trail. Nearer to time, if I can get your list / details, I can update more accurately.

    I have had to make a couple of minor changes to the Itinerary as some places no longer offer camping. Nothing that affects distances or dates! I have emailed to all Definites and Maybes the complete list of places and costs and contacts and an updated Itinerary.

    Hamilton Station no longer offers camping, so on 1 July we will stop early at Coward Springs for a bush camp, and there is a hot artesian pool. We will pause at William Creek for fuel and morning tea, but not stay. Lunch will be at Algebuckina Bridge and we will then spend a night in Oodnadatta Caravan Park on 2 July, before pushing on to Dalhousie Springs.

    10 July could be interesting, Glen Helen is currently closed due to COVID, but there is National Park bush camping nearby. Finke River 2 Mile camp area sounds great, but it has no amenities at all. Yes, we would need shovels!

    I have reserved unpowered camping all the way. In general I have said 10 sites, but could be 8 or could be 12 depending on final numbers. I will update reservations with actual numbers closer to time.

    If YOU wish to ‘upgrade’ any of my Sydney Jeep Club unpowered camping reservations, please call each place, let them know that you are with the Sydney Jeep Club, and what you would like. Otherwise I think unpowered camping should suit us well (especially at Longreach where it sounds better than any other option). Note, at 5 of our stops, camping is the only option.

    There are 3 places where I could not complete reservations for other people – so you will need to make your own bookings for these soon! See below.
    Alice Springs wanted a deposit or full payment in advance. I have reserved sites there for Sydney Jeep Club, you need to call and pay (or upgrade and pay).

    (1) Please book for yourself in Tibooburra on Tuesday 29 June. We have a really early start the next day, we are expected at Cameron Corner for breakfast around 9.00am! So I am planning to leave Tibooburra by 7.00am, and for that reason I have booked myself a motel room.
    Rooms, cabins, or if you prefer to pack up a tent before dawn, powered and unpowered camping are all available through Tibooburra Granites Motel & Caravan Park - Ph 08 8091 3477. They know we are coming, so whatever accommodation you choose, say you are with the Sydney Jeep Club group.

    (2) The next that you need to book for yourself, you already know about – Dalhousie Springs in Witjira National Park on Saturday 3 July. $27.50 for Vehicle Entry and Camping https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/booking/...s#/accom/73186

    (3) The third one was really annoying, and it was Ayers Rock Campground itself. They DO NOT answer the phone so I could not ask about group reservations. The recorded message tells you to book online and then hangs up ☹
    I have booked an unpowered campsite for myself – we won’t even know if we can camp together until we get there. Powered sites and cabins are also available. My 2 nights in an unpowered site, 7 and 8 July, is $93 including GST. (Peak Season)
    Please go to https://online.rezexpert.com/book?business_code=500529 to make your own booking, or for more details about all accommodation options including motel/resort at Yulara, go to https://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/?...119.1610858061

    (4) I have reserved unpowered camp sites at Alice Springs Big 4 MacDonnell Range Holiday Park - Ph 1800 808 373 – for 2 nights, 11 and 12 July. But they are asking for a deposit OR payment in advance. A deposit is one night site fee or $46. I paid the full $92 for the two night stay (Peak Season). Please call them ASAP and make either deposit or full payment. If the borders are shut and we have to cancel they will hold our payments for a visit at a later date.

    Please make these calls or online bookings as soon as you can. I would hate for anyone to miss out – as I do not have a plan B if you do not book…

    If you have ANY problems, please let me know – especially with the Ayers Rock Campground. I followed the instructions and ended up with a screen saying I had not entered any booking details. But then I got an email confirming that I had actually booked… Very clunky for such a ‘premier’ attraction.

    If you are happy with my “unpowered campsite” reservations, you should not need to do any more right now – except for (1) to (4) as above.

    If you are contacting each place to ‘upgrade’ a reservation for yourself, would you please let me know. Later on I will contact all the places again and give final numbers in each category of accommodation…

    Hope that makes sense and hope it all sounds good! A bit over 5 months to go and I am already counting it down!

    Best wishes,
    Dave
    Last edited by Dave; 19-01-21 at 11:16 AM.

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