Total Figures: 2018 & 2019

As at 01 May 2019, the end of our big circuit with the Cruiser and the van, we had been on the road for 317 days, nearly 11 months (excluding the 3 week return visit to Sydney/Brisbane), driving 45,962kms. 

On the total trip, we recorded costs of  $34,967 on fuel, RV parks accomodation, other accomodation, tours and other costs. Note: we have excluded the very expensive tours from this total, only including the more routine tours such as the Mt Isa mine tour. RV Parks make up 35% of the total, and fuel 36%.

The total equates to almost  $110 per day for everything. Fuel and RV parks were about $78 a day. 

Total Fuel

• As at 01 May we had:
• driven 45,962 km
• used 8,370L of diesel
• at an average of 18.21L per 100km
• at a cost of $12,643 or $0.28 per km
• The average cost of fuel was $1.51 per L
• Our best economy rate was 12.69 L/100km, which was right at the end around Wangaratta driving without Mobi 
• Our worst economy run was an astounding 36.38L/100km for the short drive between Mundrabilla to Eucla crossing the Nullarbor, which was against an extremely strong headwind
• Our cheapest fuel was $1.149/L at Darwin
• Our most expensive fuel was $3.00/L for top-up supplies at Lorella Springs, followed by $2.106 at Balladonia R/H, $2.05 for top up fuel at Imintji (20L), $1.89/L at Cape Crawford (40L) and  $1.86 at Nanutarra Roadhouse.

Accomodation in RV parks on the 2018 lap

• Up to 01 May 2019, our average cost of accomodation was $37.43 a night ($12,090 over 323 nights),
• On nights where we had parked Mobi in a CP and camped out, the cost of this is also included
• The most expensive RV park by far was El Questro, $79/day,which also includes the daily charge for using the facilities on the property. Next was at the Palm Grove Holiday Resort at Broome, which was $55 a night. This was slightly dearer than the Lakeside at North Narrabeen at $54 a night.
• Our cheapest nightly charge was $14 a night at Karijini NP;  followed by $20 at Whim Creek with power, and Banka Banka, but without power
• Our next cheapest nightly charge was at Rockhampton, Finch Hatton, Millaa Millaa and Forsayth at $25 a night
• We had been generally happy with most of the accomodation except a few where there were very muddy sites, which were far too crowded or which were very expensive with poor facilities. 
• When we returned to Sydney/Brisbane in June 2018 we paid $10 a night for storage at Katherine for 19 nights. In other places where we left Mobi at a park we paid the full rate (eg at Victor Harbor when we went to Kangaroo Island).

Total for Other

We spent 17 nights in accomodation other than Mobi:

• 3 nights in a Studio at Carnarvon Gorge @ $166 a night
• 6 nights with friends at Mission Beach when all roads were cut by flooding
• 1 night at Cape Tribulation  @ $155 a night
• 1 night at Cobbold Gorge @ $155 a night
• 4 nights at Lorella Springs @ $210 a night (very expensive for a very basic cabin)
• 2 nights at Kangaroo Island @ $152 a night

Excluding the time with friends and the tour nights, the total had been $1,959, and the average cost was $178.09 a night.

Total for Tours

We spent $5,090.80 on “routine” tours, and throughly enjoyed them all. We have separated out the high value tours as they were not the norm and were distorting the values. 

Those high value tours total a massive $14,638 – spoiling ourselves rotten, we were:

• around $1,200 for a 2 day, 1 night cruise to the Outer Barrier Reef including accomodation/food/cruise, bar, dive and photo collection ($200)
• a fly/heli/walk/fly day tour to Mitchell Falls at $1,980
• a 7 day cruise along the Kimberley Coast at $5,629pp and worth every cent

Other costs

We spent around $5,134.72 on other costs – things like services on The Cruiser (the Mt Isa service was an awesome $950) and Mobi; buying items such as the trailer mate and collapsible step ladder;  replacing water filters: buying a rechargeable fan, fixing cracks in windscreens, filling gas bottles, paying the ferry cost to Kangaroo Island, etc. This also include $500 as part of our insurance claim to replace the aircon unit.

Figures for the 2018 circuit

As at 04 Nov 2018, the end of our big circuit, we had been on the road for 241 days, nearly 9 months (excluding the 3 week return visit to Sydney/Brisbane)

On our 2018 circuit, we recorded costs of  $27,521 on fuel, RV parks accomodation, other accomodation, tours and other costs. Note: we have excluded the very expensive tours from this total, only including the more routine tours such as the Mt Isa mine tour. RV Parks make up 33% of the total, and fuel 35%.

The total equates to almost  $114 per day for everything. Fuel and RV parks were about $76 a day. 

Fuel on the 2018 lap

• As at 04 Nov we had:
• driven 33,618 km
• used 6,211L of diesel
• at an average of 18.48L per 100km
• at a cost of $9,578 or $0.28 per km
• The average cost of fuel was $1.542 per L
• Our best economy rate was 12.7 L/100km, which was when we made the 865km dash from Rockhampton to Carnarvon Gorge without Mobi 
• Our worst economy run was an astounding 36.38L/100km for the short drive between Mundrabilla to Eucla crossing the Nullarbor, which was against an extremely strong headwind
• Our cheapest fuel was $1.289/L at Goondiwindi
• Our most expensive fuel was $3.00/L for top-up supplies at Lorella Springs, followed by $2.106 at Balladonia R/H, $2.05 for top up fuel at Imintji (20L), $1.89/L at Cape Crawford (40L) and  $1.86 at Nanutarra Roadhouse.

Accomodation in RV parks on the 2018 lap

• Up to 04 November, our average cost of accomodation was $37.65 a night ($8,999 over 239 nights),
• On nights where we had parked Mobi in a CP and camped out, the cost of this is also included
• The most expensive RV park by far was El Questro, $79/day,which also includes the daily charge for using the facilities on the property. Next was at the Palm Grove Holiday Resort at Broome, which was $55 a night. This was slightly dearer than the Lakeside at North Narrabeen at $54 a night.
• Our cheapest nightly charge was $14 a night at Karijini NP;  followed by $20 at Whim Creek with power, and Banka Banka, but without power
• Our next cheapest nightly charge was at Rockhampton, Finch Hatton, Millaa Millaa and Forsayth at $25 a night
• We had been generally happy with all the accomodation except for Goondiwindi (mud), Airlie Beach (far too crowded for us) and Mt Elizabeth Station (very expensive and poor facilities).
• When we returned to Sydney/Brisbane in June we paid $10 a night for storage at Katherine for 19 nights.

Other accomodation on the 2018 lap

We spent 16 nights in accomodation other than Mobi:

• 3 nights in a Studio at Carnarvon Gorge @ $166 a night
• 6 nights with friends at Mission Beach when all roads were cut by flooding
• 1 night at Cape Tribulation  @ $155 a night
• 1 night at Cobbold Gorge @ $155 a night
• 4 nights at Lorella Springs @ $210 a night (very expensive for a very basic cabin)

Excluding the time with friends and the tour nights, the total had been $1,645, and the average cost was $182.78 a night.

Tours we took in 2018

We spent $2,841 on “routine” tours, and throughly enjoyed them all. We have separated out the high value tours as they were not the norm and were distorting the values. 

The routine tours included:

• Charley’s Chocolate Tour near Mission Beach at $34 plus $29 senior
• Ma Mu near Milla Milla at $20pp
• Herberton Historical Village at $29pp
• Skytrain at Cairns at $79pp
• Mossman Gorge Dreamtime at $75pp
• Daintree Discovery Centre at $35pp
• Undara Active Explorer at $58pp
• Cobbold Gorge at $92pp
• Lawn Hill Gorge cruise at $37.50pp
• Outback at Isa at $78.50pp (seniors discount)
• Half day tour at El Questro at $135pp
• Resource & History Tour at Point Samson at $40pp (seniors discount)
• Day long swimming with the whale sharks at $350pp
• Maritime Museum at Fremantle at $17.50pp
• Rottenest ferry at $60.30pp
• Rottnest bike hire at a total of $76 (NB Kerry had an electric bike)
• Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse tour  $18 (Des only)
• WOW Ecocruise at Walpole at $45pp
• Tall Trees Treetop Walk at Walpole at $15.50pp

The high value tours total a massive $14,638 – spoiling ourselves rotten, we were:

• around $1,200 for a 2 day, 1 night cruise to the Outer Barrier Reef including accomodation/food/cruise, bar, dive and photo collection ($200)
• a fly/heli/walk/fly day tour to Mitchell Falls at $1,980
• a 7 day cruise along the Kimberley Coast at $5,629pp 

Other costs

We spent around $4,250 on other costs – things like services on The Cruiser (the Mt Isa service was an awesome $950) and Mobi; buying items such as the trailer mate and collapsible step ladder;  replacing water filters: buying a rechargeable fan, fixing cracks in windscreens, filling gas bottles, etc. This also include $500 as part of our insurance claim to replace the aircon unit.

Differences between stages

We divided the circuit into stages see how costs varied on the trip.
Stage 1 – Home to Cape Tribulation
Stage 2 – Cape Tribulation to Broom
Stage 3 – At Broom and then to Perth
Stage 4 – At Perth and then to Port Lincoln, then a rapid run back home

• The variation in the daily costs showed how relatively expensive things are across the top and then on to Perth:
  Stage 1: 71 days at $83.26 a day in total, and $60 a day for just fuel and RV parks
  Stage 2: 82 days at $125.98 in total, and $77 for just fuel and RV parks
  Stage 3: 48 days at $132.52 in total, and $78.50 for just fuel and RV parks
  Stage 4: 43 days at $114.38 in total, and $100 for just fuel and RV parks

 

• The variations in fuel prices were significant:
  Stage 1:  $1.353/L
  Stage 2:  $1.536/L
  Stage 3:  $1.608/L
  Stage 4:  $1.665/L

 

• The variations in the daily RV park accomodation costs were:
  Stage 1:  $34.83
  Stage 2:  $40.55
  Stage 3:  $37.02
  Stage 4:  $36.88

Figures for the 2019 trip

Up to the 01 May, the end of the trip, we had been on the road for 76 days, driving 12,344kms around Victoria and South Australia. Our costs for this section of the journey totalled $7,446.20, made up as follows:

Fuel:  $3,065 (2,159L at $1.419/L providing an economy of 17.49L/100km)

RV Parks:  $1,674 (44 nights paid for at an average of $38 per night)

Other accomodation:  $0

Tours:  $257

Other costs:  $180

The RV park accomodation makes up 54% of the cost. This reflects the shorter distances we are travelling compared to last year, meaning lesser fuel costs – fuel makes up only 31% of total costs for this part of the trip.

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