| Author | Message | ||
     Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Prolific User Username: soviet Post Number: 294 Registered: 2-2013 |
I recently saw Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's Long Way Down and thought it would be a cracker of a trip to blast the Camargue from the very top of UK down to somewhere like Dover. I like the idea of visiting little towns in the UK. Was wondering what the cost of petrol is in the UK and whether you have to go through bureaucratic nonsense and get UK registration or whether you can get some type of permit to drive on Australian plates. The Camargue is right hand drive. Any comments or advices welcomed. | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 680 Registered: 5-2015 |
The car can be driven on Australian plates for 6 months. After that the car must be UK registered. A permit is not required. Just rock up with car and tourist visa and passport. Australian full driving licence not sure ask the UK Embassy. Petrol is about £1.05 a litre at present. The normal top to bottom is John O'groats to Lands End. Furthest two places on the main land by road. It has been done in one day. Google it for details. Swing past Dorset for the best bit. Yorkshire is worth a visit. Then there's Crewe to visit. The list is endless. | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Prolific User Username: soviet Post Number: 295 Registered: 2-2013 |
So Bob can you drive from north to south without going through monstrous metropolises? I hate cities with a passion. Anywhere you have a large concentration of humans you have a great increase in crazy behaviour. Sydney for example is a horror story to drive in just like New York was in 1980 as Moscow was in 2000. Then again anywhere in Russia people drive most crazy just like they need to suicide as soon as possible. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1781 Registered: 4-2003 |
Vladimir, I am expecting some of our RROC[Australia] forum members who have shipped cars to the UK and Europe for trips such as yours will be able to contribute their experience and suggestions in response to this request. I have done almost all of this trip in various cars at different times and I respectfully suggest you will not have many opportunities to extend the Camargue to enjoy its full capabilities. Great for crawling from pub to pub to meet the locals though........ If you want to really exploit your car's capabilities, head west to the Stuart Highway in the NT, make sure your credit card is flush, do not drive at dusk, night and dawn to avoid the wildlife and enjoy the capabilities of your car whilst the current unrestricted speed limits are in place. There is no better experience than I had in 1984 passing a police car between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek at 130mph with a flash of lights and a hand wave knowing you were not going to be pulled over for speeding. | ||
| Jonas TRACHSEL Frequent User Username: jonas_trachsel Post Number: 71 Registered: 2-2005 |
Vladimir Your fear for uncivilised driving in the UK is absolutely unfounded. Traffic in the UK is usually quite dense, except on small rural roads. Hence speeding is rather impossible in GB. And don't forget: The Brits are well educated and have learned as soon as they have left their pram to stand in a queue and wait for their turn..... | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Prolific User Username: soviet Post Number: 296 Registered: 2-2013 |
I have done the Northern Territory speed caper in the 1990s in a black 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood when there was no speed limit from Humpty Doo down to near Alice. Then the Japanese Tooth Doctor came down with his F40 Ferrari during the Cannonball Run and killed himself his navigator and two race stewards causing the politicans to come out of their dark zippered gimp suits and subject the public with a pile of speed paranoia to justify passing speed limit laws. Wouldn't it be good if politicians behaved like lemmings and hurled them selves from cliff tops onto sharp jagged rocks. If they did that I would probably listen to the swine. Yes the Camargue will do the home to Darwin trip one day but I find myself quiet attracted to the beauty of the the UK countryside and all the old buildings so it has to be worth the trouble even if a Toad from Toad Hall Blast is not possible. Nice to know the people over there drive opposite to our Asian friends. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 1002 Registered: 5-2012 |
I've just checked google maps and there really is a place called Humpty Doo. | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 682 Registered: 5-2015 |
It is possible to drive without going in the citys because the roads are for everyone including pedestrians and cyclists who can't go on motorways. We call it the scenic route. Seriously much too fast Speeding is actually quite rare. The standard of driving is quite good. I have seen the Y tube videos of eastern European drivers and they are nuts. Dorset has no motorways and about 10 dual carriageways the longest is 7 miles without a junction or a roundabout. We have ordinance survey maps which were started in the 18th century to help protect the country from a French Invasion. These are very accurate. Apart from security stuff such as pipe lines which are left out. They even show pylons. Garmin compass and OS maps can't go wrong. The UK is a very safe country. We take exception to visitors getting hurt. I think Health care is free because we have a reciprocal agreement with OZ. All Aussies and Kiwis are thought of as honorary Brits. I think an international driving licence is ok for 6 months and then UK driving test. Note in the UK the first step is a provisional licence meaning that a UK full licence holder has to ride shot gun. This licence overides an international licence. Meaning that if a provisional licence is obtained then the international licence is void. The police are hot on paper work being tidy and correct. A car on OZ plates will be noticed and probably stopped for a check and a chat, because ANPR won't work on OZ plates. Technicalities matter. Theres a road called Butthole Road. Middle Wallop Upper Wallop and Lower Wallop. | ||
| ChristopherCarnley Unregistered guest Posted From: 86.169.76.191 |
A Venetian silver smith travelled to England in 1536 to visit the the important silver-smithing centre at Chester, (Roman, Deva). He arrived at Dover and on his way, mostly on foot, never met another soul. If you travel by the M ways, or the "A" roads, that is still possible. Yorkshire is a must, the aeroplane was invented there in 1824, and the marine chronometer a little earlier. The steam railways are an essential part of the tour, and the one from Whitby (Bram Stoker), to Pickering, a must see. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1783 Registered: 4-2003 |
"I've just checked google maps and there really is a place called Humpty Doo. Geoff Wootton" Yes Geoff and it has a classic old-style country pub much frequented by motor bike touring groups and day trippers from Darwin due to its atmosphere, cold beer and pub food: http://www.humptydoohotel.net/info/humptydoo/ The photo below was taken on the Adelaide River not far from Humpty Doo:  We spent several hours in the pub after the river cruise and as I was not the designated driver, the cold beers on a hot day were very refreshing...... | ||
| Dick Campbell Experienced User Username: dick_campbell Post Number: 11 Registered: 5-2015 |
I can advise that if you do your end to end run in the UK it is highly unlikely that you will see a b****y great crocodile !!! | ||
| ChristopherCarnley Unregistered guest Posted From: 5.80.50.92 |
There is a large gharial (crocodilian) in Chester Zoo, but it ain't no Marine Crocodile!. Robert, It is Ordnance Survey, an ordinance is a law or rule. There are also villages called Lower Slaughter and Steeple Bumpstead. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Prolific User Username: soviet Post Number: 297 Registered: 2-2013 |
Now there's an idea Dick. As I may do this trip by myself without PussNasty my murderous feline, I picture the white Camargue with OZ number plates and a lifesized realistic crocodile in the passenger seat powered by an internal battery and motor. That should get some looks along with tweet cap and pipe or perhaps a full Soviet Officer's uniform. One of the reasons I started this thread is I have a UK acquaintance in a nearby town 124 kilometres away who tells me that England simply does not exist anymore and that is it a very horrid place but the net photos look good. I think he means its not like the 1940s or 1970s and that its changed like just about everywhere else including North Korea. | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 686 Registered: 5-2015 |
My spelling is awful I often mix words up. Its Ordnance. Shitterton. The best one is in the USA. Gobblers Knob. There used to be a vacuum cleaner called a Goblin House Maid. The marketing guys missed that one, or did they. | ||
| ChristopherCarnley Unregistered guest Posted From: 5.80.53.134 |
Also the Goblin Teasmade (Maid?). (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1789 Registered: 4-2003 |
Chris, The Teasmade was also sold in Australia however I think it was under another brand name probably Breville if my memory is correct. It was made by Goblin and not under licence to another manufacturer. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1790 Registered: 4-2003 |
Time for some levity - the following link is a guide to unusual and risque UK place/street names: http://www.anglotopia.net/ultimate-list-of-funny-british-place-names/ | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 302 Registered: 2-2013 |
I can't understand the UK people have so many randy raucous names and yet appear historically to have more hangups than a Hong Kong laundrymat. Was is all just a fib and there really was nothing like "no sex please -- we're British". Lenin Prospek is just not going to cut it in this thread somehow. But Beria was a known rapist. It's a wonder Philby and his mates ever came over. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 1005 Registered: 5-2012 |
There was also the Scunthorpe problem. Scunthorpe is a town in the northeast of England. Early email address parsers often blocked delivery of email to businesses and the local council, because of the embedded profanity. | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 690 Registered: 5-2015 |
The Brits are just like other nationalities we do bred. I have 4 kids and I am a great grandfather. Recently a School changed Spotted Dick pudding to Spotted Richard which brought hoots of laughter. But this was in the Daily Mail and probably not true. A women in a pub asked for double entendre so the bar man gave her one. |
