Stuart Highway: The Smooth Road to the Rough Outback

The Stuart Highway — also known as ‘Explorer’s Way’ — is a wide highway surrounded by arid lands in Central Australia all the way to the tropical Top End. Located between Port Augusta and Darwin, the famous highway was named after John McDouall Stuart, the first explorer to discover a route through Australia’s inland in the 1800s.

At present, the track doesn’t follow Stuart’s original route anymore in the southern section, but that won’t make you miss any of the highway’s gems.

Enter the Road to the Multifaceted Beauty of Australia

The Stuart Highway is your gateway to the red centre and famous tourists spots in the Outback. It intersects towns like Alice Springs, Katherine, Coober Pedy and Woomera, as well as the cities of Adelaide and Darwin (found at the start and end of the road).

The modern Stuart Highway begins in Port Augusta, which is 305 km north of Adelaide. Venturing to this highway exposes you not only to different cultures, but also varying weather conditions — the estimated distance of the Adelaide-Darwin trip is around 3016 km, which is a long drive through the different climate zones of Australia.

What to Expect on Your Stuart Highway Adventure

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If you’re planning a road trip, you’ll be happy to know that the Stuart Highway has a lot to offer wherever you look. You’ll notice the changing landscape and scenery the farther you go. As  you approach the Tropic of Capricorn (which is a landmark in itself for being one of the five major circles of latitude that divides the Earth), tufts of grass begin to replace the saltbushes and other desert plants, and wedge-tailed eagles begin to appear on the area.

Outback travellers also rave about the highway’s smooth track and open limits, making it safer and easier to travel. Some even skip flights to the towns linked to the road just so they can have the Stuart Highway experience!

There are different tourist routes that you can take to get from Adelaide to Darwin — you can take the Port Wakefield Road, Clare Valley or Flinders Ranges. Upon reaching the end of the fascinating Stuart Highway, you’ll find yourself at the Northern Territory Border, which is pretty close to Alice Springs. At this point, you may want to take a rest before crossing the border.

Finding a Place to Stay Along Stuart Highway

Since driving through the Stuart Highway is a rewarding yet incredibly long journey, you should recharge first to avoid the travel fatigue. Give yourself time to unwind before deciding on your next itineraries by visiting Erldunda, conveniently situated on the corner of Stuart Highway and Lasseter Highway. Enjoy a relaxing evening where you can eat and sleep in our comfortable and secure roadhouse.

Make life long travelling memories and take a trip along the Stuart Highway. Contact us at the Erldunda Roadhouse to know all the tourist attractions you shouldn’t miss.

References

5 Practical Tips for Travellers with Solar-Powered Caravans

Travelling can take a toll on everyone, especially when it takes hours to reach your destination — and that’s why Erldunda travellers prefer caravanning for quick access to relaxation and comfort throughout the long journey. When visiting the wilderness, the problem is you can’t always guarantee that there’s a nearby location for your caravan’s power source, and energy costs can also deplete your budget. For a cheaper and more secure alternative, you can opt for caravan solar panels. Here are some helpful tips to get your caravan solar-ready:

Test Your Caravan for Power Usage

Don’t rush to the nearest store to buy solar panels that end up being incompatible with your caravan. Before purchasing a solar panel, test how much electricity you use for your caravan — set it off with a fully charged battery while you’re on a short break, and stay away from electric hook-ups. Perform this test multiple times without deliberately overusing your appliances to get an average of how many hours or days your caravan’s power source can last.

Decide on the Type and Amount of Solar Panel You’ll Need

Knowing the amount of power you typically consume for your caravan, you can now browse different solar panels that will fit your caravan’s energy usage profile. Australian solar panels come in two categories — mounted or portable. Take note that portable panels allow you to store sun energy while solar-powered caravans with mounted panels (placed on the roof) usually needs to be parked in the sun to receive a sufficient amount of sunlight. Compared to mounted panels, portable panels are quite handy in areas with varying weather conditions or are not exposed to the sun for too long, which is why portable panels are preferred by people who spend holidays in the outback.

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Match Your Solar Panels with the Right Batteries

You’ll need to have large and durable solar batteries that can store the energy from your solar panels. The size of your solar batteries will depend on different factors such as your destination, travel time and how many appliances you will use at once. When going for an Erldunda trip, it’s recommended to use AGM deep cycle solar batteries for less frequent charging and high cyclic life. They are also very low on maintenance, and can withstand long and rocky rides.

It’s very important to charge your caravan’s solar system before heading out, since your battery capacity is useless without stored power anyway. You can easily determine the right size of battery for your caravan by estimating the running time of each camping appliance you use and multiply the wattage of each camping item by its estimate running time. Next, add the watt hours for each device to get an estimate of your total power consumption, and convert the total watt hours to amp hours to find out which battery size you need.

Choose a Solar Power-Friendly Caravan Site

You can’t simply park in the wilderness with your caravan! Even if you have enough energy to last your for days, you must be careful while treading through Uluru and the Olgas. Camping out is also fun as long you’re safe from any animal attack! No worries, as there are caravan sites available for travellers who want a safe place for solar-powered caravans while seeking the Erldunda experience.

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With these tips, your trip to the centre of Australia can be comfortable and environment-friendly. Have an immersive travelling experience by preparing your caravan for an exciting Erldunda adventure!

Searching for a safe parking site for that authentic caravan experience? Contact us at Erldunda Roadhouse for the easiest and affordable caravanning option.


References:

Images:

  • http://www.caravanworld.com.au/features/1504/battery-and-solar-power-101/
  • http://activebatteriesandsolar.com.au/
  • http://caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/caravan-air-conditioning/

Discover the Sanctuary for Orphaned Kangaroos in Alice Springs

When talking about Australian wildlife  kangaroos are easily first animal that comes to mind. These marsupials are the most  iconic representative of this great nation standing tall beside the Emu on our coat of arms. Wouldn’t it be an absolute treat to see these hoppers up close?

If you want to see mobs of kangaroos without going too far into the wild, you can visit them in the safe and secure Kangaroo Sanctuary. Located in Alice Springs, the Kangaroo Sanctuary is a home and care centre built by Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns for orphaned kangaroo joeys – young kangaroos whose mothers have been hit on the road.

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Meet Chris Barns, The “Kangaroo Dundee”

Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns got his nickname for his height – being 6ft 7in tall, he has been affectionately referred to as Brolga, the aboriginal word for crane. While he was working as a Northern Territory tour guide, he has been noticing kangaroo joeys abandoned on the road, left in the pouch of their mothers who have been road casualties. Concerned about their wellbeing, Brolga decided to quit his job and become a full-time surrogate mom to these kangaroo joeys by building the kangaroo rescue centre.

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‘I see myself as more of an educator, motivating other people to care for abandoned joeys,’ says Brolga, who has taken care of hundreds of kangaroo joeys in his growing sanctuary. ‘It is fun after all.’

Brolga is also starting to build the first wildlife hospital in Central Australia, situated on the grounds of the sanctuary, which is now a habitat not only for kangaroos but for camels and birds as well.

Explore the Kangaroo Sanctuary

Over the years, Brolga has expanded his small rescue centre to a gigantic kangaroo sanctuary — rested on a 90 acre wildlife reserve — thanks to the donations of kind-hearted people all over the planet who supported Brolga’s work to help animals in the Australian Outback.

During a sunset tour of the sanctuary, you can take a leisurely walk through the bush while waiting for the kangaroos wake up from their day-time sleep. Visiting the sanctuary house, you’ll observe how Brolga has been raising kangaroos with pillowcase practice – that is, placing kangaroo joeys in pouches to mimic the feeling of being with their mother.

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Some of the most famous kangaroos are Smokey Dawson, Sammy and Lynda, who are adorable and shy joeys getting used to their new home. There’s also Keith, who’s more than ready to meet and greet visitors. Watching these joeys try and learn to hop while having fun in each other’s company is a sight to behold.

While looking at the fields of the sanctuary, you might see a stalwart kangaroo whose mighty stance frightens away intruders. This is Roger, one of the many adult kangaroos who are inhabiting the sanctuary. Acting as the ‘bouncer’ of the sanctuary, Brolga explains why Roger had to stay:  ‘Roger is the most important dude in the whole place… who missed his chance to go back to the wild because his injuries took long to heal.’

If you’re lucky enough, you’ll also see the baby kangaroo rescue car, where Brolga heads out for his daily patrol of the highway, looking for orphaned kangaroos who are left alone the road.

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Hopping to Kangaroo Sanctuary?

You can visit the world-famous Brolga and his beloved kangaroos with an educational sunset tour near Alice Springs, which lies on the Stuart Highway. The tour lasts for about 2.5 hours.

Situated right between Stuart and Lasseter Highways, Erldunda Roadhouse welcomes local and international visitors of the kangaroo sanctuary at any time of the year. Contact us to start booking your trip to meet the Outback ‘roos.

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References:

  • Barns, Chris. “Kangaroo Dundee: Sharing my life.” BBC TV Blogs, 13 December 2013. Web. 9 September 2015.
  • Parker, Olivia. “My Perfect Weekend: Chris Barns, Kangaroo Sanctuary Owner.” 4 January 2014. Web. 9 September 2015.
  • “Australia’s Animals.”  Australia.com, n.d. Web. 9 September 2015.