Travelling from Melbourne to Darwin in January

by Nicole
(Melbourne)

My husband is being posted to Darwin for work and we have decided to drive there. We are going in January and I know this is the wet season. My question is, do you think it will be safe travelling the Stuart Hwy to Darwin in a Holden Sedan at the start of January?

We plan on stopping at all the main towns for the night. I just worry about flooding on the Hwy and we are travelling with a child and want to make sure we are doing the right thing.

Comments for Travelling from Melbourne to Darwin in January

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NT highways in January
by: Birgit

Hi Nicole,

Just use common sense. As long as you don't drive into any water deeper than 200mm, and you stick to the road and sealed parking bays (i.e. don't pull off the road into any soft shoulders), there is no problem at all. It's a normal highway.

Of course there is always a chance of major flooding with the highway being cut by water deeper than that, which means you would have to wait for the water to go down before you can continue your journey.

It does happen nearly every year, sometimes more than once, but I really can't predict when and where or for how long. Only Petrus can tell you :-).

Keep an eye on the weather forecast. Big rains do not come out of nowhere, they come out of big, monsoonal depressions. If one of those is heading for the region, then you may have to reconsider your driving plans.

And of course, always check the road reports.

How did the travel go?
by: Geoff(VicBus)

That must have been a long journey. I am thinking of traveling around Australia one day. How did the travel go?

Re: Travelling From Melbourne To Darwin In January
by: James Wilson

In my opinion traveling from Melbourne to Darwin in January might be a bit uneasy, especially when you are planning to do it without any rescue baggage. There can be flash floods, and within just a matter of seconds the entire highway can become dangerous to travel on. Furthermore, while stopping at major cities for the night is a good idea, it doesn't take you out from the risk of facing floods. And of course, you are not going to like the idea of being stranded on the terrace of a roadside motel till rescue workers pull you guys out. Think over it. I guess you can come up with a better alternative than this.

Editor's note: I removed your totally unrelated spam link, mate. If your comment wasn't a dead give away that you have never been anywhere near the north, the link certainly was.

Reply
by: Anonymous

Well, we did it and thankfully had not one problem. There was rain but that stopped our journey because we were lucky enough that the water was off the Ed by the time we reached the apparent flooded areas.... It was a very long drive and all I can say is prepare… prepare… prepare. :-) Make sure you have everything you need in case of emergency and you should be fine.... Wishing you safe travels!
Enjoy it as much as we did :-)

Enjoy Your Trip
by: Car Rental Buddy

Hello Nicole,

I hope you have a safe trip to Darwin.

We have published a post on our blog with some car hire tips while driving through the desert which you may find helpful. http://www.carrentalbuddy.com.au/blog/travelling-in-regional-or-remote-australia

Here are some tips from the post:
- Ensure safety of your vehicle
- Window washer bottle is full
- Check spare tyre
- Extra water bottle for drinking
- Pack sun smart
- Tell someone your travel plans
- Know fuel capacity of your vehicle

I hope you have a safe trip!

Are you ready
by: Anonymous

That's a long trip you're planning mate, this is what you need: axe, sleeping bag, one huge sack of food, around 30-40 litres of water, some things your kid would like to do, phone, tent, 30-40 litres of oil, torch, 3 knifes, extra tyres (8 tyres), building tools.

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