Description:  **** Expressions of interest ****

"As remote as the Canning Stock Route, the unmaintained Anne Beadell Hwy offers some challenging terrain for serious off-roaders" [Hema Great Desert Tracks]

We are planning a trip covering the Anne Beadell Highway, from Coober Pedy to Laverton, followed by a jaunt around southwest WA, returning via the Nullabor and a side trip to Maralinga.

We will meet in Coober Pedy on Saturday for a start on the morning of Sunday 17th August. Traversing the Anne Beadell from here to Laverton will take up to a week. This part of the trip will be serious 4WD touring and we may need to take enough fuel for the whole 1326km as the Ilkurlka Roadhouse has not had fuel for over a year at the time of writing.

From Laverton we'll head to the SW corner of WA via Karlgoolie to take in some of the lovely sights in this part of the world. This part of the trip will be easy touring with plenty of fuel, shopping and sightseeing stops.

Finally we'll return via the Nullabor, taking in a side trip (optional) to visit Maralinga (tour costs ~$290 pp), before returning to Melbourne on 7th Sept.

This trip is in early planning stages but we though it would be useful to at least set some dates and give a rough plan for the trip.

If you are interested please register your interest here and get in touch: Mark.Bown@csiro.au, 0437251645

Please contact Sherry or Mark if you are unsure of any of the following requirements for this trip.

Weather:  We will be passing through desert and also cool temperate environments, be prepared for a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions.

Equipment:  Below are the recommended vehicle requirements.  If you are not sure if your vehicle is suitable for a trip, please have a chat with the trip leader.

Good off-road tyres (All Terrain, 60 profile recommended as a minimum), UHF radio (or one borrowed from the club), a well-maintained vehicle with low range (or equivalent), good ground clearance (200mm recommended as a minimum), recovery points, standard recovery gear including dampener, rated snatch strap and shackles, shovel. Drivers must have completed the RRCV club training or equivalent. 

This is a long trip into remote areas so you will also need two spare tyres, puncture repair kit, and spares appropriate to your vehicle. Make sure your vehicle has been fully serviced ahead of the trip, that tyres are in good condition, and replace batteries that are nearing the end of their life.

No pets or firearms. 

Maps and Reference Material: Hema Great Desert Tracks, Outback Travellers Track Guide (Series 4, Track 1) Anne Beadell Highway

Additional Equipment required:  Camping gear, food and water for the trip - there will be some refuel shopping opportunities en route (no fuel on Anne Beadell).  Morning tea will and lunch be in the bush each day – byo thermos, etc. 

Trip Standard:  Medium, but remote. Suitable to take **off-road** trailers.

Fuel:  Sufficient fuel for 1326km ex Coober Pedy for Anne Beadell Hwy section.  Fuel is NOT available on this part of the route. Fuel readily available for rest of trip.

Distance:  Coober Pedy is approximately 1400 km from Melbourne. Participants can make there own way there in their own time. 

Duration: 3 weeks 

Convoy limit: 8 vehicles 

Meeting arrangements:  We will meet as a group in Coober Pedy on the afternoon/evening of Saturday 16 Aug and depart at 9.00am the following day. NB Mark and Sherry will depart Melbourne lunchtime on Friday 15th to get to the start but others can take a more leisurely trip if they prefer. We aim to get back to Melbourne Sunday 7 Sept (details TBC). 

Club Guest Registration policy:  It is club policy in regard to insurance cover that if a member brings any non-members on the trip they must be registered and have paid the required fee as Temporary Members BEFORE the event. 

i.e.  non- members can no longer register on the day with the trip leader. 
Temporary Membership information and ways to register can be found at:

Temporary (Guest) Membership

Also if a non-member wishes to bring their own vehicle, the member inviting the non-member must contact the trip leader for approval to bring the vehicle. Such approval will take into account skills of the driver, suitability of the vehicle and whether or not a place within the convoy limit is available for a non-member's vehicle.

Trip Leader: Mark Bown, phone 0437 251 645, email Mark.Bown@csiro.au