There seems to be a couple of ways to traverse between these two towns. The direct route Alpha -> Clermont or Alpha -> Emerald -> Clemont.
The direct route is 90 km shorter but appears to have about 50% gravelled. The longer route via Emerald is all hardtop. Sometimes it's worth the longer journey, which would include getting through Emerald itself, which must take at least an extra hour.
However that extra travel time can be eaten into by the slower progress made on the gravel.
Then again though, if It's a good gravel road, not much time is lost.
So which way?
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Tuesday 2nd of February 2021 12:07:25 PM
Tony Bev said
12:26 PM Feb 2, 2021
I have never been to Clermont
I have been through Emerald and Alpha
Just in case you have never been to Emerald, I found that it was a nice town with friendly people
From memory there was water and a dump point, on the road near the Tourist info place
There were (in 2014) two free camps, one (official), down under the bridge and one (unofficial), near the west end of the town boundary
Whichever way you go, I hope that you have a nice road trip
Bill B said
12:37 PM Feb 2, 2021
Tony Bev wrote:
I have never been to Clermont
I have been through Emerald and Alpha
Just in case you have never been to Emerald, I found that it was a nice town with friendly people
From memory there was water and a dump point, on the road near the Tourist info place
There were (in 2014) two free camps, one (official), down under the bridge and one (unofficial), near the west end of the town boundary
Whichever way you go, I hope that you have a nice road trip
Dump point was moved to the showgrounds several years ago.
Daryl620 said
10:13 PM Feb 2, 2021
If you have time go through Sapphire, stop and have a look around the gemfields (made roads)
darjak said
11:55 AM Jul 9, 2021
We usually do Tambo> Alpha> Claremont but havent been that way in 5yrs.
Back then it was just a gravel road shortcut, it depends on how much rain they have had.
Just travel to conditions lower tyre pressures and talk to locals is what we do.
Darjak
PeterD said
12:54 PM Jul 9, 2021
There is an alternate route you have not considered - Alpha to Clermont - I tried to see if it is sealed all the way from the Gemfields to Clermont or not with Google maps. I could only trace the bitumen until the map quality until the satellite quality changed. However, it was sealed all the way on the good quality bits. Check with the visitors centre at the Gemfields to see if it is actually sealed all the way or alternately how much gravel is there.
Inland_Sailor said
11:06 AM Jul 25, 2022
A reboot on this topic.
The planned a trip from Victoria to Cape Hillsborough in Qld via the Kidman Way and beyond last year was cancelled due to the Covid Lockdowns/Lockouts but is on again in early August. We still would like to include the sections from Tambo on to Alpha and then Clermont. I understand work including further sealing, is being done to both the Tambo - Alpha road and the Alpha - Clermont road. I would appreciate any recent updates on the current situation of these two roads.
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Monday 25th of July 2022 11:07:39 AM
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Monday 25th of July 2022 11:08:00 AM
Gaylehere said
10:21 PM Aug 7, 2022
Don't know about the Alpha Clermont road, but we travelled from Alpha to Anakie (slightly off highway) then up to Clermont via Sapphire, Rubyvale (stayed at Teresa Creek Dam) then on to Copperfield to Clermont. All sealed. Also drove the Rubyvale to Capella road and onto Clermont. It was sealed also. Cheers.
Gaylehere said
10:22 PM Aug 7, 2022
Don't know about the Alpha Clermont road, but we travelled from Alpha to Anakie (slightly off highway) then up to Clermont via Sapphire, Rubyvale (stayed at Teresa Creek Dam) then on to Copperfield to Clermont. All sealed. Also drove the Rubyvale to Capella road and onto Clermont. It was sealed also. Cheers.
I've doubled up here. Was just going to say that we drove that area May/June last year.
-- Edited by Gaylehere on Sunday 7th of August 2022 10:24:28 PM
There seems to be a couple of ways to traverse between these two towns. The direct route Alpha -> Clermont or Alpha -> Emerald -> Clemont.
The direct route is 90 km shorter but appears to have about 50% gravelled. The longer route via Emerald is all hardtop. Sometimes it's worth the longer journey, which would include getting through Emerald itself, which must take at least an extra hour.
However that extra travel time can be eaten into by the slower progress made on the gravel.
Then again though, if It's a good gravel road, not much time is lost.
So which way?
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Tuesday 2nd of February 2021 12:07:25 PM
I have been through Emerald and Alpha
Just in case you have never been to Emerald, I found that it was a nice town with friendly people
From memory there was water and a dump point, on the road near the Tourist info place
There were (in 2014) two free camps, one (official), down under the bridge and one (unofficial), near the west end of the town boundary
Whichever way you go, I hope that you have a nice road trip
Dump point was moved to the showgrounds several years ago.
If you have time go through Sapphire, stop and have a look around the gemfields (made roads)
Back then it was just a gravel road shortcut, it depends on how much rain they have had.
Just travel to conditions lower tyre pressures and talk to locals is what we do.
Darjak
There is an alternate route you have not considered - Alpha to Clermont - I tried to see if it is sealed all the way from the Gemfields to Clermont or not with Google maps. I could only trace the bitumen until the map quality until the satellite quality changed. However, it was sealed all the way on the good quality bits. Check with the visitors centre at the Gemfields to see if it is actually sealed all the way or alternately how much gravel is there.
A reboot on this topic.
The planned a trip from Victoria to Cape Hillsborough in Qld via the Kidman Way and beyond last year was cancelled due to the Covid Lockdowns/Lockouts but is on again in early August.
We still would like to include the sections from Tambo on to Alpha and then Clermont. I understand work including further sealing, is being done to both the Tambo - Alpha road and the Alpha - Clermont road. I would appreciate any recent updates on the current situation of these two roads.
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Monday 25th of July 2022 11:07:39 AM
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Monday 25th of July 2022 11:08:00 AM
Don't know about the Alpha Clermont road, but we travelled from Alpha to Anakie (slightly off highway) then up to Clermont via Sapphire, Rubyvale (stayed at Teresa Creek Dam) then on to Copperfield to Clermont. All sealed. Also drove the Rubyvale to Capella road and onto Clermont. It was sealed also. Cheers.
I've doubled up here. Was just going to say that we drove that area May/June last year.
-- Edited by Gaylehere on Sunday 7th of August 2022 10:24:28 PM