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Tuckerman
12-03-2005, 05:48 AM
Hi all,
Just a note to see if there is much interest be it fellow travellers on the road or locals prepared to give helpfull hints to make a trip more successfull. Planning to travel from Bribane to the NT April - May 2005 for about four weeks looking at visiting Timber Creek, the Daly River, Kakadu, and Boroloola. We are a mid 20's couple in a Landrover Defender with a 5 metre Quintrex in tow. Any ideas,helpfull hints or contact from fellow travellers at that time appreciated and welcome.
Cheers

devocean
12-03-2005, 06:38 AM
Id find the name of a trailer repair mob in NT or where you are going long way to tow a boat

Wild_Side
12-03-2005, 02:46 PM
Mate the roads in the N.T are beuuuuuuuuuudifil. :D :D
If its fish'n your looking for ,maybe a stop in Gove would make your toes curl.

dugong
12-03-2005, 03:09 PM
mate, long way towing a big tinnie, have you done a big trip like this towing the boat before?
i know its better to have your own boat but have you concidered renting a boat once up there, most places you go will have tinnie hire or pick one up in darwin and tow it around from there.
cheers

Daintreeboy
12-03-2005, 03:49 PM
Hi all,
We are a mid 20's couple in a Landrover Defender with a 5 metre Quintrex in tow. Any ideas,helpfull hints or contact from fellow travellers at that time appreciated and welcome.
Cheers


Get a Nissan :D

Tuckerman
12-03-2005, 06:28 PM
??? Hey Guys - sure appreciate your replies- however in some cases I guess they arent what I was expecting. Yes I have towed the boat a long way before in fact its been from Melb - Brisbane on four occassions. I have also towed a Stacer 474 Seamaster from Melbourne to Timber Creek NT behind a old XB Ford, (8500kms in 3 weeks with nothing but a blown tyre for my troubles).
I sort of thought the truck chassis on my defender would support the near new heavy duty dunbier trailer on bitumen pretty well, like it does have brand new 8 ply tyres and new bearings. I am no mathematitician however: Its like 2800km to Boroloola and thats no more than 7 return trips to Leslie Dam and back from my place - - gee I do leslie like all the time and I dont think there is a Great Diving Range to consistantly cross out west. Any hoo maybe I am wrong and maybe my 5m Quinny isnt what I should be heading out to the islands out from Boroloola, or fishing the "Vic" - the biggest river in the NT, or even a few trips out wide from Darwin Harbour!
I dunno but hey I do appreciate any ideas that may be more than you will never get there - - I guess having five weeks to play with and a who cares/can do attitude is something that should work for us - I guess we will see how we go - thanks again for your imput one and all!

Daintreeboy
12-03-2005, 06:37 PM
seriously mate these guys are right. Your defender is fine (sorry bout the joke), just bloody dusty lol. As for the boat. It would be awesome where you are going. If I was heading that way, I'd love to have a boat like that to use. Problem is, can you get it there without destroying it? And the trailer will be worse. There are off road trailers for these conditions and I don't know if you have one. If not, you really need to get one or it'll be an expensive trip and take all your time up just fixing things.
Cheers, Mark.

Tuckerman
12-03-2005, 06:49 PM
??? Ok cool - I appreciate where your coming from however I must ask is it not sealed road from Brisbane to Darwin? I know from the Three ways at Tennant Creek its like a runway to Timber Creek and Darwin. To me it looks like sealed road all the way to Boroloola?
Now I am starting to worry what do I do with my boat when the defence force post me to Darwin one day?

Moffy
12-03-2005, 06:59 PM
haven't been there myself - but most of where you are talking is bitumen practically the whole way I thought - so don't see a problem myself - distance itself shouldn't be a problem provided your trailer is set up well and well maintained before you leave - just don't run with too much weight in the boat

any dirt roads once you get to where you have mentioned you are going can be travelled carefully - should be able to be managed ok with a bit of care and possibly maintenance between destinations.

go for it - wish i could get across there - 5 m quinnie sounds about right to me - especially to get out to the islands you've mentioned (we're going to do it in a 21 foot mini mothership once we get the 6 wheel drive isuzu and flat bed trailer for the rig up and running ($$$) - but a 5 m boat would go alright for mine.

Just noticed your last post tuckerman - most of the guides run bigger tinnies up there - so i don't think your boat is too big for the rivers etc - and at 5m would be more manageable -run with it i say - have a good trip.

Tuckerman
12-03-2005, 07:04 PM
:) Thank You Moffy!

Daintreeboy
12-03-2005, 07:25 PM
sorry tuckerman, I thought you would have had to cross a fair bit of unsealed road at Borooloola. Times have changed.

slugo
13-03-2005, 04:24 AM
Lucky bugger Tuckerman

sorry can't help you never been there would not like to give the wrong advice on a big trip but there is a 4x4 site on google http://www.exploroz.com/Splash.asp
hope this helps you.

cheers
LEN

dugong
13-03-2005, 08:00 AM
Good to see you have done a fair bit of towing mate, you should be ok then just take a few spares like wheel bearings, u bolts ect, you may be surprised how they can come loose or fail, it pays while traveling to check the trailer that none of the nuts have come loose, particularly after traveling a bad patch of road,ie any road in qld ;D, the worst bit is from camoweel to the boarder, once you reach gods country ie the NT the sealed roads are just great ;D wide and mostly smooth, the unseald roads tho can shake your teeth fillings loose so slow down the amount of grief ppl come to by driving to fast on the dirt is amazing.
cheers

Wild_Side
13-03-2005, 10:43 AM
Tuckerman, I travel from Townsville to Katherine quite often(towing a 455polycraft),and never had any trouble. The roads are all great and theres no need for a heavy duty trailer. Just drive to the conditions.
What colour is your vehicle and boat? I'm stating work up that way at the end of april as a guide, if I see you around I'll pull up and say G'day.

Tuckerman
15-03-2005, 04:44 AM
Wild Side,
Thanks for the info, certainly appreciated. We are planning to be on the road around 22 April till 22 May. Easy to identify duel cab Landrover defender 130 - white with a oversize tray, The boat is a white Quinny Sea Wasp - Yellow trims and named Shark Bait.
Question for you: Whats the 455 Poly craft like I have a buddy who is very intereste din picking one up and I am sure he would appreciate your thoughts on the rig.
Cheers

Paul_C
15-03-2005, 12:26 PM
Hi all,
Just a note to see if there is much interest be it fellow travellers on the road or locals prepared to give helpfull hints to make a trip more successfull. Planning to travel from Bribane to the NT April - May 2005 for about four weeks looking at visiting Timber Creek, the Daly River, Kakadu, and Boroloola. We are a mid 20's couple in a Landrover Defender with a 5 metre Quintrex in tow. Any ideas,helpfull hints or contact from fellow travellers at that time appreciated and welcome.
Cheers


Tuckerman,

First up, your not an Army cookie boy are you??? The reason I ask, is Myself and 2 mates, both ex-army cookie boys, are leaving 5/4/05, for a 4-6 week stay at Boroloola, we'll be towing up a 4.55mt rubbish bin behind my Poojero, might be able to meet up in Boroloola.

PC

Boxhead
15-03-2005, 02:56 PM
Tuckerman,

Be up there myself in April/may. Fishing the roper and leadams... Plenty to be had... have fun..

Nath...

Wild_Side
15-03-2005, 03:48 PM
Tuckerman, mate cann't complane about the poly's. Thier nice and stable and good value. The people that knock them generally have never had anything to do with them, sure they've got problems but so has every other boat. :)
I've got a teal and a grey poly both with big polling decks on the back If you see me about come on over. 8)

Cheers
Wild Side s.f.s.

Tuckerman
16-03-2005, 06:49 AM
Cool as Wild side - Have a buddy very close to purchasing a polycraft, will keep him in the know!

Paul C - In regards to your question below:
First up, your not an Army cookie boy are you The reason I ask, is Myself and 2 mates, both ex-army cookie boys, are leaving 5/4/05, for a 4-6 week stay at Boroloola.

Answer:
Mate! Yep I am a AJ, however I am not a cook I am a roach. Drop me a private message and we can see if we can link up at some stage.

Gutsy
16-03-2005, 07:24 AM
If your up that way call into Limmen Bight. We often go fish the mouth of the north arm, Spillens Creek and Maria Island. The Barrett's are good people and run a great camp. As previous posts take spare wheel bearing, u bolts etc. As well as containers for water and fuel.

Good luck and good fishing.

Cheers.

iank
20-03-2005, 05:07 AM
Tuckerman,
Am also ex aj roach(Q) who now just fishes as much as I can, If you would like to hook up while you are in Darwin I can show you a few of the better spots around or even hopefully point you in the right direction. Nothing wrong with the 5m quinnie as that is about the average size boat getting around these days.
Ian
Phone-0438 876 866, give me a call if you have any other pre trip questions that I may be able to help out with. :)

Kendall
20-03-2005, 09:50 PM
Hi Tuckerman.
good to see some of these boys change their views after a bit of a reving. Doesnt matter what vehicle you have or what you are towing, if you follow the 6 P's
"Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance "'you would have heard that before being army. Im ex Navy must be something in the trainning that allows us to do things others shy from.
If you plan well and cater for difficulties then the only thing left is to have a great trip. It sounds as if you are well traveled and know a bit about what you are doing. As far as I know there is one section of road before you reach the NT border that is not of the best quality, when I find out I will mail you.
I did Bris to Cooktown 5500km in 5 weeks in an 81' Patrol over half a million clicks on the clock a newly converted 250 crossflow towing a trademans trailer. Not saying I didnt have a couple of problems but definitely no grief. The family had a great trip. Now Im planning another cooktown fishing trip this year and next year over to Ningaloo reef near Coral bay. Mind you not taking the old nissan on that trip, got me a newer one.
Have a great trip
Kendall

Dex38
24-03-2005, 07:48 AM
The road out of Mt Isa to Camooweal is an experience. They have been doing some work on it but it remains one of the worst sections of road you can experience up to Borroloola. The turn off at the Barkley Homestead up to Cape Crawford and then to Borroloola is basically single lane bitumen. Watch out for the cattle as they roam aimlessly from one water hole to the next. Driving at night is an experience. If you are coming from the Isa, fill up there (Woolworths for the people with vouchers) and top up at Camooweal on the border. If you can push past the Barkley you will do your wallet a favour. If you are after fishing territory, go to King Ash Bay which is further down stream on the McArthur. There is a fishing club, general store, petrol station (with a heap of lures) and a caravan park also. The boat ramp at King Ash Bay is pretty good.
The trip along the McArthur River out to the mouth is about a 1 hour trip in a tinny (12 foot with 15 HP). Watch yourself in and around the tributary creeks as boaties have been known to get themselves geographically embarrassed in them. The channel at the junction of the Carrington and McArthur are marked very well, and for good reason. The fishing I found was excellent near the mouth of the river. Barra, Jack, Threadfin you name it can be caught up there.

Have fun

Dex

Tuckerman
24-03-2005, 09:55 AM
Dex,
Great Info ! Thank you very much! Times ticking away and so much to organise hope you have a great Easter and get to wet a line.
Cheers
NB ;)