mhh Posted 22July, 2014 Report Share Posted 22July, 2014 After driving from Adelaide to Darwin a week or so ago, I can report that this is a sensational strip of tar at this time of year. The unlimited section above Alice allows a southerner to relax at speed like nowhere else in Australia, but even the speed limited remainder of the road is enjoyable with low traffic volumes. I saw one police car in 3,000km. The only problem is cabin noise in the GT3 which I fixed with Bose noise cancelling earphones. With that fix, it's a damn good tourer. I'm driving home soon, I can't wait. I don't expect any car problems but this time I'll carry a Satphone just in case. I'll take some more pics along the way. Overnight stops will include Katherine, Alice and Coober Pedy. This pic was taken at the Cannonball memorial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxzmusSC Posted 22July, 2014 Report Share Posted 22July, 2014 Awesome! More pics surely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 22July, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 22July, 2014 Awesome! More pics surely.Sure, but can I embed them? I hate thumbs. Edit: like this maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarreraG50 Posted 22July, 2014 Report Share Posted 22July, 2014 Yeah lovely bit of tarmac, in 1994 I drove the spares/repair land cruiser for a friend competing in the cannonball run. Awesome sight cruising the cruiser at 160kmh, being overtaken by Ferrari's, Porsche's, Lotus's (LOTI?) etc doing circa 250kmh legally. Hope they reopen the whole road to unlimited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ930 Posted 23July, 2014 Report Share Posted 23July, 2014 The whole Highway will be "opened" again once the road surface has been brought back up to safe standards following years of neglect (cost cutting) by previous government. If stopping at Katherine, try "The Escarpment" restaurant, nice food and friendly staff. Its in town not near the gorge, as the name would imply. If you have any problems in Katherine, my son is working there and may be able to help somehow. A huge feed can be had at the Highway Inn (at the junction of the Stuart and Carpentaria Hwys, has the aeroplane out front). It just looks rough from the outside. Renner Springs is a quaint place to stop, employing the more mature worker (average age 55). Has 95 but no 98. Independent fuel. Three Ways is BP with 98. Last time I was there they wanted me to leave my licence with them before they would allow me to refuel. I didn't do either and stopped at Renner Springs (I was heading north). I don't eat at Three Ways either. Tennant Creek is 19km further on and has cheaper fuel but no BP. At Tennant there is the Top of Town Cafe near the bus terminus (RHS when heading south) is good for coffee, brekky and snacks, or the RSL (two blocks behind the Police station, again RHS heading south) is good for lunch and dinner. The club opens at 12. These are my experiences, hope they help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 23July, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 23July, 2014 Thanks for the tips OZ930. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatSix Posted 23July, 2014 Report Share Posted 23July, 2014 Sure, but can I embed them? I hate thumbs. Edit: like this maybe? Great photos! Enjoy the drive back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tit Posted 23July, 2014 Report Share Posted 23July, 2014 Epic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC9911 Posted 23July, 2014 Report Share Posted 23July, 2014 Mark, Stop posting photos of the GT3 unless you can send me $100K. How noisy is the GT3 at speed? I had a big tyre noise problem with the 997 but put it down to 305 Tyres & 997 characteristics, the 991 is really, really quiet compared to the 997. Is it the road surface with the tar chip or the speed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 23July, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 23July, 2014 Mark, Stop posting photos of the GT3 unless you can send me $100K. How noisy is the GT3 at speed? I had a big tyre noise problem with the 997 but put it down to 305 Tyres & 997 characteristics, the 991 is really, really quiet compared to the 997. Is it the road surface with the tar chip or the speed? Greg, the cheque is in the mail! Re noise - it's very noisy on the coarse chip surfaces, but the NT (and northern SA) has some smooth bitumen too and it's still pretty loud. It's a combination of road and engine noise without as much sound proofing as the Carrera. The doors close with more of a clang and the roof feels like there is no soundproofing under the roof lining. Anyway, it's loud. And boomy at speed. I bought the Bose earphones the day I left home without a plan of how far I'd go. They are incredible - better than the over-ear phones I've used for years when flying. At 200km/h, you can hear your own breathing. I wouldn't take a GT3 on a long trip without them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC9911 Posted 23July, 2014 Report Share Posted 23July, 2014 Greg, the cheque is in the mail! Re noise - it's very noisy on the coarse chip surfaces, but the NT (and northern SA) has some smooth bitumen too and it's still pretty loud. It's a combination of road and engine noise without as much sound proofing as the Carrera. The doors close with more of a clang and the roof feels like there is no soundproofing under the roof lining. Anyway, it's loud. And boomy at speed. I bought the Bose earphones the day I left home without a plan of how far I'd go. They are incredible - better than the over-ear phones I've used for years when flying. At 200km/h, you can hear your own breathing. I wouldn't take a GT3 on a long trip without them. Thanks Mark, sort of figured that's what the noise was all about, but then if you want to buy a quiet super car then it's probably not a real super car at all, can't wait until the cheque arrives, but if it's ok I won't put my deposit down until the cheque arrives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleazius Posted 23July, 2014 Report Share Posted 23July, 2014 Awesome pics, makes me want to take a road trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 24July, 2014 Report Share Posted 24July, 2014 Any stray animals to dodge? I hit a very large kangaroo in 1998 in south west WA , even though it was 2pm and a bright clear hot January day. And I wasn't speeding! At least in a a Porsche you can pull up/swerve quickly. Not so fast in a 1975 Kingswood wagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozracer Posted 24July, 2014 Report Share Posted 24July, 2014 watch out between coober pedy and alice plenty of stray cows a couple were killed their last fortnight especially at night can be very dangerous I was up their last month... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ930 Posted 24July, 2014 Report Share Posted 24July, 2014 Drove up to Katherine last month. Only dodged a fox, a dingo, a pig, emus, kangaroos (alive and dead), cattle, eagles, kites, a goanna, idiots overtaking road trains, caravans and a drunk aboriginal woman walking down the middle of the highway (on dusk) at Mataranka. Not much at all really MHH: if you are arriving into Katherine on dusk, be very careful of those little wallabies that dart out from nowhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 24July, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 24July, 2014 Thanks Ozracer. No night driving if I can help it. Strangely, I saw no cattle, brumbies or roos on the drive up this time. I've seen all of these before. The wide roadside cleared verge helps daytime safely, that's for sure. One danger is oncoming traffic out of sight in floodways. Overtaking a road train, I heard the driver comment on his radio to the driver in the truck behind him that I mightn't have seen an oncoming car - and he was right!. I was able to accelerate out of trouble even before the car was in sight. A 2way is handy that way. I'd forgotten about the floodways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 24July, 2014 Report Share Posted 24July, 2014 No worries mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ930 Posted 24July, 2014 Report Share Posted 24July, 2014 Seatbelt ! Must be for decoration….. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 26July, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 26July, 2014 If stopping at Katherine, try "The Escarpment" restaurant, nice food and friendly staff. Its in town not near the gorge, as the name would imply. If you have any problems in Katherine, my son is working there and may be able to help somehow.I had an excellent fillet mignon at The Escarpment last night. Thanks for the lead. I spoke to my first cop too. He followed me out there. Friendly guy and major Porsche fan. When I assured him I'd be taking it easy on the highway, he said "I wouldn't worry about that" and shared his impressive PB time over the unlimited stretch. I love this place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ930 Posted 26July, 2014 Report Share Posted 26July, 2014 Only too happy to help, glad you liked it !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 27July, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 27July, 2014 In Alice Springs now after a 1,200km run down from Katherine. That'll do for today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 27July, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 27July, 2014 Coupla pics from yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonoz Posted 29July, 2014 Report Share Posted 29July, 2014 Im jealous Mark. Whilst I've had a very good drive home today in the RSCS, it would have been nice to do it without breaking the rules. Actually, I'm not jealous of that really, its the headphones that get me. Why didn't I think of that trick (says he with ringing 911 ears)? Love the coppers comment. Don't hear that often in Soviet Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-banger Posted 29July, 2014 Report Share Posted 29July, 2014 Your car looks stunning in that colour...and you have an easy to remember number plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 24August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 24August, 2014 Keep an eye out for the next edition of Christophorus for a story on the drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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