While winter is the most comfortable and safest time to tour the NW, the SW is also at its best in winter. Having a dry summer means that the country is drab and brown in summer, but so beautiful when green in winter, with rivers and streams running.

We did what you plan to do in 2010, heading in the same direction. We departed Melbourne in late June. We experienced rain and freezing conditions at Kings Canyon, floods in, and out to the west of Alice Springs, fog around Elliot as we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, heat waves in Darwin (so the locals told us). We also had our share of headwinds and tailwinds. The most disappointing part was that we headed out of Norseman across the Nullarbor expecting tailwinds as is the norm only to face head winds all the way to Ceduna and further. Not at all what I've experienced before, every time I've previously crossed the Nullarbor.

When we left Litchfield NP in the NT heading for Kununurra, we felt we'd probably seen the best of what we'd be seeing on the trip. How wrong we were! We had only scratched the surface. The NW of WA is simply put, stunningly beautiful. There is so much to see you won't be able to see it all in one trip unless you spend a long time up there.

All in all the weather didn't limit our activities at all we just did stuff in the wet or the heat or the wind, if that was the weather dished up on the day. Don't overlook the south west and south coast of WA either. From Walpole to Esperance is a wonderful area . We had an absolutely fantastic time and it was by far the most memorable trip we've done. I hope you have as much fun as we did.

Tom

We are off for the same trip but unfortunatly we can not get away from Adelaide untill July, Family commitments. Looking forward to it, but wary of costs. this will be our first big van trip, longest so far iwas two weeks to the Flinders Ranges which was great. Tony & Betty

Where I live on a July morning - just beautiful.