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Driving round Australia on Route 1

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Techno-phile

S100D, P3D- in garage
Nov 13, 2014
391
593
Perth, Australia
Since we could not travel to Europe this winter, we decided to drive Route 1 round Australia from Perth, and packed our S100D for a leisurely 8 week trip with a maximum of about 500kms per day (so minimal day charging), and lots of eco-resorts.
Initially we were only given 48 hours to transit 1800kms through NT (possible with 20 hours driving and 20 hours AC charging), but then all States opened their borders.
Except WA tightened theirs – cancelling our G2G passes to return to WA at Eucla when Covid erupted in VIC. We filed new itineraries keeping north of the Murray at Mildura, then one avoiding NSW also by returning through Alice Springs, but they have advised that they consider all leisure travel out of the state to be “non-essential”. So we can leave WA, but not return for the moment.
This has not stopped our fun driving slowly up to the Kimberley. Very slowly for the 525kms from Coral Bay to Karratha, since the 3phase socket at our lunch stop at Nanutarra was not working. We did a quick calculation and it was about the same overall time to take lunch with us and drive 20kph slower, as charging for an hour and driving 20kph faster. So we switched off the aircon, enjoyed the scenery, and arrived at the Tesla destination charger in Karratha with 8kms in the tank.

In fact it has been Tesla destination chargers most of the way at Geraldton, Carnarvon, Karratha, Eco Beach resort south of Broome, Cable Beach Club Broome, since there are no DC chargers north of Jurien Bay. The RAC resorts at Monkey Mia, Ningaloo and Exmouth only have 3phase sockets.
However the Kooljaman resort, Cape Leveque at the northwest tip of the Dampier peninsula, only has 10 or 15amp sockets, which is perfectly fine since it is only 420kms round trip from Broome, albeit mostly on unsealed roads and tracks, restricted to 4WD only. We had to explain to everyone who had hired 4WDs in Broome for the trip that we had AWD and could raise our suspension as necessary. The Tesla barely missed its step even in the soft pindan sand, where others were engaging diff-lock, although our power consumption increased to over 300whs/km on occasions.

We are now departing for Kununurra and the border with NT, with overnights on 3phase (or Tesla HPWCs if they have arrived in time) at Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek.

Then a side trip to the Berkeley River lodge (by air unfortunately) whilst we decide whether to cross the border or not.
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While I'm generally the last person to buy into COVID fearmongering, it's a poor look on the Tesla community to travel interstate recreationally at a time like this.

Yes, thanks for those comments.
We have been discussing what to do continually, and with those we meet.

Mark McGowan has encouraged everybody to travel and spend their money in WA.
NT , QLD are now welcoming tourists.
We have cancellable accommodation throughout NT up to Cairns for August.
Clearly our trip is non-essential for us, but maybe not for the tourist operators who are very keen that we visit.
Others may not welcome visitors ( even from Covid-free WA) and certainly the hard border around WA is very popular here.

My wife just signed the petition to keep the hard border round WA, so I know what she thinks. And even to re-introduce intra-state regional boundaries to stop travel if Clive Palmer wins.

So on the basis of Happy Wife, Happy Life, the decision has probably been made.
 
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20200730_160311.jpg 20200730_160311.jpg In the meantime we took the manager of the resort where we are staying for a drive and he has accepted the donation of an AEVA 3phase socket (we carry a few on each trip) which he will install by next week ( if as is likely we return this way).

He also signed the Tesla LOI to receive a pair of HPWCs which he will plug into the 3phase socket for any Tesla travellers.

We have a list of about 37 locations in WA pre-approved for HPWCs, but the locations have to pay the install which they won't do until they see the traffic.
 

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Yes, thanks for those comments.
We have been discussing what to do continually, and with those we meet.

Mark McGowan has encouraged everybody to travel and spend their money in WA.
NT , QLD are now welcoming tourists.
We have cancellable accommodation throughout NT up to Cairns for August.
Clearly our trip is non-essential for us, but maybe not for the tourist operators who are very keen that we visit.
Others may not welcome visitors ( even from Covid-free WA) and certainly the hard border around WA is very popular here.

My wife just signed the petition to keep the hard border round WA, so I know what she thinks. And even to re-introduce intra-state regional boundaries to stop travel if Clive Palmer wins.

So on the basis of Happy Wife, Happy Life, the decision has probably been made.
I say "Go for it!".
I'd give Melbourne a miss though...
 
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Halls Creek tonight - a bit of a culture shock.
But we hitched a ride behind a three-train fuel truck, so we were partly powered by Oil for 150kms.
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Then we stopped at Larrawa nature stay to whom I posted a 3phase socket in 2018, but not yet installed, so we could collect back the AEVA socket. The owner wasn't there so we will probably end up staying there on the way back to convince her. The daughter in law loved the car and asked us to demo it to her husband on our return.
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Halls Creek Motel said they would send off the LOI for Tesla HPWCs 4 weeks ago, but they haven't done it, saying not enough traffic :slightly_frowning_face:. But her electrician was on site and is very keen after a look round the car and our froot full of charging cables, and said " leave it with me".......
 
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Halls Creek tonight - a bit of a culture shock.
But we hitched a ride behind a three-train fuel truck, so we were partly powered by Oil for 150kms.
View attachment 570921 View attachment 570922
Then we stopped at Larrawa nature stay to whom I posted a 3phase socket in 2018, but not yet installed, so we could collect back the AEVA socket. The owner wasn't there so we will probably end up staying there on the way back to convince her. The daughter in law loved the car and asked us to demo it to her husband on our return.
View attachment 570923
Halls Creek Motel said they would send off the LOI for Tesla HPWCs 4 weeks ago, but they haven't done it, saying not enough traffic :slightly_frowning_face:. But her electrician was on site and is very keen after a look round the car and our froot full of charging cables, and said " leave it with me".......

And yet back in September 2019 the Tesla touchscreen showed the Halls creek Motel as having a Tesla destination charger, the electrician who is also the owners partner swears Tesla sent them the 3 phase outlet on the wall, there must have been some communication between the Motel owners and Tesla or how else would a Tesla destination charger get included on the maps as per attached photo.
 

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And yet back in September 2019 the Tesla touchscreen showed the Halls creek Motel as having a Tesla destination charger, the electrician who is also the owners partner swears Tesla sent them the 3 phase outlet on the wall, there must have been some communication between the Motel owners and Tesla or how else would a Tesla destination charger get included on the maps as per attached photo.

In fact I posted them the AEVA 3phase socket which Paul installed. They are on Teslas pre-approved list of locations for WA and received the LOI in July (in preparation for my trip). They just need to return it to Tesla in order to receive the HPWCs.
 
Lindz has won- we decided not to leave the State, so Route 1 will have to wait for another year. Just cancelled all our NT and QLD bookings, so sad.
But lots to do in East Kimberley, so we will spend more time here.
The car is now locked up in the manager's compound in Kununurra while we fly to Berkeley river for a few days - where are those electric planes?
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At the WA border office with NT we were waved through, but told not to cross onto the light coloured tarmac if we wanted to come back, so Lindz stopped well short.

On the way back the WA border police still stopped us for a quick chat.

So we are now relaxing at another 4WD only resort at Parry's Lagoon, Wyndham, with the car plugged into our over-lagoon cabin.
PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You
 
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