[kcdusk]

1. 5,000km over 22 nights. Setting up new camp 17 times.

2. There was 4 of us for the first week, (Me, wifey, 8 year old daughter and 6 year old son). For the second week, my sister inlaw joined us (2 adults + 3 kids (13 months old, 5 and 7). Together we've covered allot of miles, looking for rough tracks, especially sand dunes. We planned the trip for 2 years (we were meant to go last year but they had a baby). So we travelled well together and had done all the prep work as far as making it through the Simpson Desert (1,100 sandhills).

3. We were on holidays! We loved it! Yeah, i thought about quitting though. It was about night 18 and the closer we got to being home, the more i wanted to rush it. The other couple had phone and internet coverage and kept telling us tidbits, while we had no comms to home or the world (& we'd been away a week longer). That made it tough. We also took some damage (more below) that was making life difficult. I didnt want to go back to work, and i knew once back i'd miss being on the road, so i knuckled down and made the most of every day. Slight tangent, day 1 our rear canapy backwindow was hit by a stone and broke into a million pieces of glass through our gear in the back of the ute/truck. I knew i had to put cardboard over the rear glass but never got around to it ... day 1 on a dirt road we took a rock from a passing car and smash, gone. Glass through everything. We fixed it with a $2 tarp we had with us. Wifey wanted to go home right there and then though. I knew i wasnt going anywhere but away from home on day 1. We stuck with it, cleaned it up, it made access to all our gear (fridge and food box for example) more difficult and by day 20 we were sick of it.

4. The first 2 days away we travelled big kms. 500kms each day (mostly on dirt). Some days were only 350km on dirt, but that still meant pack up (2 hours for everyone to get up, dressed, breakfast and break camp) then about 5-6 hours driving time before setting up camp again that night. Through the Simpson Desert we were doing 70-120km per day. The best days were 200-250km per day because they were a few hours drive then enjoy the rest of the day. We had 3 places we stayed multiple nights.

I am writing a more complete trip report for other reasons, and should be able to post it back here, hopefully with pictures.

Quick side note: before leaving home my laptop was sounding like a coffee grinder, i knew i would have to get a new one when i got home but i didnt want to take a new laptop on the trip. While away i took 4,000 pics (avid photographer) which i hope to whittle down to 800 or so keepers. I backed up pics from my camera card to the laptop on the trip. When i got home i backed up all my photos to my external HDD ... 3 hours later my laptop died. How close was that?!?! Long story short, i'm having trouble with PC & photo access until i get a new laptop.