AutoRoute: Volkswagen Touareg R50 from Perth to Esperance
March 10, 2009 by Karl Peskett
Back on the road to the camp site, and it’s amazing that you can forge your way through rolling sand hills, and then be in complete comfort, style and luxury all the way back.
The climate control stayed icy cold, the seat heaters on the cold nights were appreciated, and the quiet cabin was soothing, making sure road noise from the various surfaces were subdued. It really is hard to imagine a more versatile vehicle.
Which is good, because the areas we were visiting took in all types of terrain. As we had a hankering for seafood, it was back to the sand again.
Fishing from the beach is as simple as picking your spot, and casting a line. We were pulling in whiting and skippy almost immediately, with nothing more than a $28 rod-and-reel, and some bluebait – simple. We managed to cast off a groyne, too, and despite losing a few hooks and sinkers in the few evenings due to the rocks, the feed the next day was superb.
There’s nothing better than warm, freshly baked bread, smeared with butter, and whiting straight off the barbecue.
Travelling back into town, there are only a few shops, and being a country town, they’re not huge. Stroll along the jetty, and if you’ve got kids, they’ll be amused by Sammy the sea lion. ‘Sammy’ is just the name given to one of any of the sea lions that hang around the jetty, feeding off the bountiful fish.
Careful not to get too close, as they can get a little grumpy (read: they can bite), but keep your distance, and plenty of photo opportunities await. It’s about as close to a wild sea lion as I’ve ever been.
Then you can head west along the Great Ocean Drive taking in the gorgeous views, where the crystal clear blue and aqua water meets the pristine white beaches. Swimming is better in summer months, as the southern ocean next stops at Antarctica, but even the views are sufficient to make your holiday. You might even spot a pod of dolphins, if you’re lucky.
As far as places to visit, Esperance should be on your shortlist. That is if you’re prepared to take a drive from Perth. If you’re heading to Western Australia by car from the eastern seaboard, then make it a stopover.
But if you can get hold of an R50 to make your trip in, you’ll be rewarded with safety, power and comfort. Plus the fuel economy isn’t too bad on the long run, either. We managed 11.1L/100km in the country, which for a four-wheel-drive, twin turbo, V10 loaded to the hilt, is about as good as you can ask for.
Yes, I believe we had the perfect vehicle for our week long stay on the south coast of WA. About my only gripe is the ride can be a little jittery on cracked and sharp edges surfaces, despite being set to comfort. It’s something I’d live with, given the phenomenal power and grip from the 21-inch wheels. The Dynaudio stereo is a cracker, too, meaning long distances are eaten up without boredom.
It might be skewed towards being a city-slicker’s car, but the R50 is a true go anywhere, do anything vehicle. We’ve now proven in all conditions that the R50 has what it takes to take what you give it.
Wolfsburg has done it again!
Good old Esperance,been there several times.For most Goldfield people its their usual weekend away when your on break,nice easy drive……….
Ive done that trip also at Christmas from Perth Karl,not in a 4×4x but the V70,very cruisy drive.Missed towing the family behind the 4×4 up and down the dunes though and drives along those beaches are superb!
Great story bet you had a ball!
Shame on you Karl….14 sugars!? Way to ruin a coffee!! :)
As soon as i read “showering following traffic in a cavalcade of pots, pans and sleeping bags.” The song “holiday road” from Chevy Chase popped into my head. Sounds like you had fun. 850nM is allot of grunt, i guess the bloke in the VP has some sort of death wish.
The dunes out here in Esperance are a magnificent drive, always a recommendation to any one staying a few days.
Have to watch for Sammy when you catch them on a “grumpy” day… Nothing like an annoyed Sea Lion!
Awesome. Ideal car for all occasions :)
Esperance is a very beautiful spot. Been there a few times over the years. Hard to find better beaches than that anywhere else. The white sand is just amazing. The water has this perfect acqua colour, just magical.
Looks like you’ve had heaps of fun Karl. Have you climbed up Fisherman’s Peak? Great views from up there.
“With costs going through the roof, it was time for the Peskett family holiday to be scaled down from the five-star accommodation that we’d all love, but realistically couldn’t afford.”
So instead you poor souls had to go camping in a $135,000 car?
Just looking at the stuff stacked next to the car seat and under his/her feet,all done that before.Not sure the gas bottle in the cabin is a good idea though.
Portable DVD player strapped to the back head rest ,a must when taking kids on any long trip. :)
Good read Karl. Drove that beach myself last year, as part of our journey from Melb up thru Alice, the Kimberley, Broome, Perth, Albany, Esperance, Adelaide, home. Driving my Touareg V6 TDI……a very worthy traveller – handles the rough stuff, endured considerable badly corrugated road on the Tanami track, was superb on the black-top, and practically bullet-proof.
Your holiday yarn had me fondly remeniscing.
Great article. Esperance is now on my shortlist of places to visit. I had to laugh at the VP commodore comment. I took my Corolla up Noosa North Shore Camping once with a few mates who had a Landcruiser. Lots of surprised looks. Soft sand was dealt with using plenty of speed! We only got bogged once, hopelessly, right at the end of the trip, where no amount of speed was going to save me. It was only then that I realised that I had done the whole trip with 32psi in the tyres, oops! The things you do when youre 18!
MORE “PR”/Flag-Waving for VW Group…:-)
I would LOVE to do that trip, but my wife wont do the camping/tent thing [unless she can pitch it inside a room of the Hilton/Hyatt!]
Rather a bog stock Toyota Prado Grande VX, every bit as good if not better, MUCH more dealer back up [not that your going to need it with BigT] AND supplied std. with 180L twin tanks, 2000km anybody?
Seems that VW still need to learn to make a hard-core 4×4, but this is at least a start.
The BEST 4×4 on the planet, in the past, now and in the future is the RangeRover, End-Of-Story
Cheers
F-0
Crikey!
A gas bottle stored beneath a baby seat (could be interesting in a crash) and a boot load of unsecured luggage?! I thought Caradvice wrote a series of articles on holiday road safety?
Maybe its a case of “do as I say and not as I do”? ;-)
Gas bottle under the baby! How much weight was that on the roof? You checked the roof weight limit in the manual didn’t you and weighed everything you put up there?
I have a NXR number plate too!
Is that roof load just resting on the steel? Yep picked up on the Gas bottle.
Great Read – One thing I miss bout Australia is the open spaces. You cannot travel far here (UK) without bunping into someone.
Good Read too. As for the R50 – expensive to run but the V6 is a worthy alternative apparently.
A good read and some good photos. I would like to go travel over there, its quite different to the east coast. A beautiful landscape in its own right.
Yeah the gas bottle thing, a story about that from me. On the way back from a camp on Cooloola Beach with a couple of mates we smelt a slight gas smell inside the car, mean while one of my friends had been smoking in the front passenger seat. We had all the windows down but still I think we were a bit lucky to not to have an ignition. Lesson learnt, alway travel with your gas bottle outside the car, if you have to keep it inside the car then tightly secure or protect the valve!
My thoughts about the car: attractive, desirable, could have a slightly larger luggage compartment, could do the same trip in a Touareg worth almost half as much (V6 TDI), probably expensive to service (being a V10 and a 4WD).
Guys, so you’re aware, there was no gas in the bottle. We were prepared to fill it down there if necessary, however we didn’t have to, as our friends in the Jayco cooked for us. It was there as a backup – always be prepared, I say.