Red Centre Adventure !

[RichardMcN]

A new adventure for Tessie !

It was very exciting to see @Rich Bentley 's Tesla Owners invite to Alice Springs for the festival season ...

Even better, Richard B has been working like a demon organising charging sites between Adelaide and Alice, All I have needed to do is wrap up the deal and then look after the northern sites. We should soon have a nice line of 3 phase sites to Darwin !

We have 2 Teslas to Alice ...

1. Tessie with me, Greg Partridge owner of 3 EV's (Syd to Alice), Ron (Alice to Darwin) and Dennis the Surfer (Adelaide to Alice)
2. Darryl Bourke (with his even newer Tesla!) and Richard B. Sorry Darryl - Tessie always insists on being first!

And a radical plan to take the back way to Kings Canyon and Uluru via the dreaded Mereenie Loop Road!

Will Tessie survive the long corrugated unsealed section of this outback highway? Yes ! But we will be carrying a spare tyre, sat phone, food and water !

Heading down the Hume tomorrow morning. Wish us luck !

 

[baillies]

Good luck! I have done the Loop in a land cruiser rental, hope to again do in a Y in the future. The view when you first get to see Gosse Bluff is spectacular!

 

[WhiteStar]

Godspeed guys! I am in awe. Wish I could've gone but I'll be looking out for every detail. Sat phone, spares, food, water etc - great idea. I've flown over Kings Canyon - we wished there was somewhere nearby to land but it was still spectacular. Can't wait to see the pics.

 

[Blue heaven]

Have a great trip, lots of photos please.

 

[Chuq]

So a question.. absolutely zero on Plugshare between Port Augusta and Alice Springs!

Are the locations pre-arranged? Are you waiting until you get there before you start adding places?

 

[RichardMcN]

So a question.. absolutely zero on Plugshare between Port Augusta and Alice Springs!

Are the locations pre-arranged? Are you waiting until you get there before you start adding places?

I generally avoid putting sites on Plugshare if I haven't tried them out yet @Chuq as you find at times that the supposed 5 pin plug is really a 4 pin, or the neutral is not wired in, or missing phases or ... There are a few other uncertainties too ...

Adelaide: Several options
Port Augusta: Standpipe Motel
Glendambo: No 3 phase yet but Richard's mate is checking out the power station. The roadhouse is possibly interested in the future.
Coober Pedy: An electrical contractor. Not sure if he will want to be on Plugshare. There are several motels we will check out.
Marla: As above but a construction contractor.
Erldunda: Keen and we have sent him a TOCA/AEVA socket but will he have it installed in time? He wants to install it when his electrician is on site for other work.
Alice Springs: Big 4 are installing two 3 phase sockets - great !
Barrow Creek: Had a spare 20A 3 phase socket lying around and installed it.
Threeways: Despite being on Plugshare as having 3 phase, I doubt it as I have been there and not seen the 3 phase (and Jeff Johnson who put it up does not remember) apart from one behind the restaurant counter which would inconvenience them and require a 50m+ extension lead.
Dunmarra: Gary the owner promises to at last install the socket I have him a year ago!
Katherine: Showground all good.
Darwin: Charles Darwin Uni is installing two 3 phase sockets to replace their long-broken Chademo.

So there you go! We have 4 sockets on board to give to keen property owners, and camping gear as you can never be sure with a new route, as well as Tessie's trusty (and now upgraded) octopus !

 

[brewster]

All the best Richard and Gang. What an adventure!

 

[RichardMcN]

All the best Richard and Gang. What an adventure!

Thanks @brewster . You can come too if you like. It's actually an official Tesla Owners Club trip !

 

[*KT*]

Good luck Tessie, i hope the unsealed road is kind to you. Enjoy the famed Henley on Todd.

 

[meloccom]

Good luck Richard!
perhaps next year for me.

 

[RichardMcN]

Tessie and Imitation Tessie ...

 

[BenT]

Safe driving. I wish I could be going with you but cant take the time off work. I will be watching your progress closely.

 

[RichardMcN]

Safe driving. I wish I could be going with you but cant take the time off work. I will be watching your progress closely.

Yeah pity about that Ben. You were really fired up!

 

[BenT]

So it turns out a Elon has given SA some 220 km long jump leads. Perhaps you should get a similar length charging cable just in case you run into problems.
220-Kilometre-Long Jumper Leads Arrive In Rural SA To Connect Adelaide To Tesla Battery

 

[Chuq]

I noticed your post on the Euroa thread, good to see some progress!

According to your map, it doesn't look like you're going through Horsham but maybe you'll spot something at Keith?

Supercharger - Keith SA - Heritage St Road Reserve, Keith (no address, but the street is only about 300m long!)

Supercharger - Horsham (VIC) - 124 Wilson St, Horsham

 

[RichardMcN]

Tessie is getting a bit impatient ! I promised her an outback adventure, but so far there is neither ...

Nice destination charger hotel in Albury, but a bit short on outback character!

Silly navigation ...

Hunting for Superchargers

Tessie in Ballarat

Mark is the first (and maybe only) fellow to have charged at all past and present Superchargers in Aust

Tessie in Beaufort

What the ... !

Looks like RayRoz got the prime spot but Tessie just squeezed in

So now a couple more days to Port Augusta, then we're into it !

 

[RichardMcN]

This Tesla style of driving - supercharging in the day and destination charging at night is very pleasant indeed, especially through the Victorian countryside, and with one exception, will take us all the way to Port Augusta !

 

[RichardMcN]

Hmmm ....

 

[ICUDoc]

good luck mate- we are enjoying this trek at a distance!!

 

[RichardMcN]

So how did we go with the bad weather??
Check this out: 284Wh/km at 100km/h over 90km !

Tessie's animal friends

Rail Border (and long forgotten customs house)

Road Border

My new Juice Booster 2 is christened at Keith Showground where we have to add 50% rather than the usual 10% due to the headwinds

It is the best I've tried yet. No fiddling - just plug and play.

Honestly if you have kids you MUST stop at Keith where the long subway tunnel has the most dramatic echo ever!

Unusual

The Murray River from the high bank at Tailem Bend looks like the Rhine, or maybe the Mississippi !

Journalist Brenden from the Clare Argus gets the scoop !

And this is the Jamestown wind farm where Elon's big battery will go...

So tonight we are in PORT AUGUSTA where the Outback will begin ....