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Where abouts are these locations and what are their names? The land features in the last shot are really neat.
Australian Photos
- Thread starter Travis22
- Start date
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Where abouts are these locations and what are their names? The land features in the last shot are really neat.
Amazing photos. Inspiring trip. Thanks for sharing.
- Thread starter
- #63
G'day ethernectar,
The photos you are looking at were taken at the Bungle Bungles.
Here is a quick copy from Wiki:
It is located in north east of Western Australia. The nearest major town is Kununurra to the north, or Halls Creek to the south.
Purnululu is the name given to the sandstone area of the Bungle Bungle Range by the Kija Aboriginal people. The name means sandstone or may be a corruption of bundle grass. The range, lying fully within the park, has elevations as high as 578 metres above sea level. It is famous for the sandstone domes, unusual and visually striking with their striping in alternating orange and grey bands. The banding of the domes is due to differences in clay content and porosity of the sandstone layers: the orange bands consist of oxidised iron compounds in layers that dry out too quickly for cyanobacteria to multiply; the grey bands are composed of cyanobacteria growing on the surface of layers of sandstone where moisture accumulates.
I cannot remember if id said this earlier, but the Bungle Bungles along with the Karijini National Park, Mt Augustus and Lake Argyle were by far the highlights of that Kimberley trip.
.....................................
Sounder, thanks mate! You will have a blast on the Strezlecki! Yes ive heard the same re: Coongie Lakes.
The photos are no longer there but this was my little write up. https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/288733-new-australian-member.html
My bull bar is some 20-30years old. I picked it up off Ebay for $100. It was mint but aged, and spent many hours DE-oxidising it, rubbing it back with wet and dry and then polishing it. It has taken two roo strikes, one of which was on that Strez trip! Both roo's went to the ground and under the vehicle, not a mark on the bar. To get something made like it today new the prices are easily around the $3000mark, so my advice would be to keep an eye out on Ebay etc.
.....................................
jfwhite, thanks. Glad you enjoyed the photos.
....................................
A little more progress on my Canopy.
Ive finished welding the frame up, minus the two beams that will run at the bottom of the roof sheet's radius'd sides; if that makes sense!
And, it fits in the tray. Just! Height wise, and shape wise, i couldnt be happier.
Next will be to trim the roof sheet. I think it extends downwards too far on the sides so i will trim it so that it finishes up around the same height as the top of the doors / about half way through the radius, where as currently it goes right down to the bottom of the radius. That way we shouldnt hit our heads on it etc.
Few more days in it none the less.
Travis.
The photos you are looking at were taken at the Bungle Bungles.
Here is a quick copy from Wiki:
It is located in north east of Western Australia. The nearest major town is Kununurra to the north, or Halls Creek to the south.
Purnululu is the name given to the sandstone area of the Bungle Bungle Range by the Kija Aboriginal people. The name means sandstone or may be a corruption of bundle grass. The range, lying fully within the park, has elevations as high as 578 metres above sea level. It is famous for the sandstone domes, unusual and visually striking with their striping in alternating orange and grey bands. The banding of the domes is due to differences in clay content and porosity of the sandstone layers: the orange bands consist of oxidised iron compounds in layers that dry out too quickly for cyanobacteria to multiply; the grey bands are composed of cyanobacteria growing on the surface of layers of sandstone where moisture accumulates.
I cannot remember if id said this earlier, but the Bungle Bungles along with the Karijini National Park, Mt Augustus and Lake Argyle were by far the highlights of that Kimberley trip.
.....................................
Sounder, thanks mate! You will have a blast on the Strezlecki! Yes ive heard the same re: Coongie Lakes.
The photos are no longer there but this was my little write up. https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/288733-new-australian-member.html
My bull bar is some 20-30years old. I picked it up off Ebay for $100. It was mint but aged, and spent many hours DE-oxidising it, rubbing it back with wet and dry and then polishing it. It has taken two roo strikes, one of which was on that Strez trip! Both roo's went to the ground and under the vehicle, not a mark on the bar. To get something made like it today new the prices are easily around the $3000mark, so my advice would be to keep an eye out on Ebay etc.
.....................................
jfwhite, thanks. Glad you enjoyed the photos.
....................................
A little more progress on my Canopy.
Ive finished welding the frame up, minus the two beams that will run at the bottom of the roof sheet's radius'd sides; if that makes sense!
And, it fits in the tray. Just! Height wise, and shape wise, i couldnt be happier.
Next will be to trim the roof sheet. I think it extends downwards too far on the sides so i will trim it so that it finishes up around the same height as the top of the doors / about half way through the radius, where as currently it goes right down to the bottom of the radius. That way we shouldnt hit our heads on it etc.
Few more days in it none the less.
Travis.
- Thread starter
- #64
G'day guys,
Quick update and photo.
Finished 99% of the canopy work; I still have to weld up the rail's on the rooftop for attaching straps / rope when we have stuff up there etc. But other then that, thats it for now. Again, eventually ill get canvas skirts made up but not before the next big trip.
Now im trying to work out how we will pack everything in on big trips! And very likely relocating the Aux battery from on the tray, to under the tray.
s***ty phone phone, but its the best i can do while my hands are still absolutely filthy, dont want to touch the good camera until they are clean!
Travis.
Quick update and photo.
Finished 99% of the canopy work; I still have to weld up the rail's on the rooftop for attaching straps / rope when we have stuff up there etc. But other then that, thats it for now. Again, eventually ill get canvas skirts made up but not before the next big trip.
Now im trying to work out how we will pack everything in on big trips! And very likely relocating the Aux battery from on the tray, to under the tray.
s***ty phone phone, but its the best i can do while my hands are still absolutely filthy, dont want to touch the good camera until they are clean!
Travis.
- Thread starter
- #65
T - minus 18; days!
'Till we hit the 'Outback' once again.
The wife and I, plus a couple of friends decided to head bush for the weekend, a quick shakedown trip pre: Outback given the changes made to the tray / packing etc.
Everything went well. Having the white box / grey boxes / fridge around the sides of the tray sure makes accessing things much much much easier. No more climbing INTO the tray every single time we need to grab something!
Roof 'rails' are on, so stage 1 of the canopy is pretty much finished now. Im currently wiring up some led lighting under the roof, and still have lots of minor things to finish off before we leave for the Simpson Desert.
Neither the wife or i can wait for this trip! Hopefully i can get everything sorted with a week to spare before the trip, im already completely buggered from all the work ive been putting into the old girl the last few weeks
.
Couple of photos from the weekend just passed.
Travis.
'Till we hit the 'Outback' once again.
The wife and I, plus a couple of friends decided to head bush for the weekend, a quick shakedown trip pre: Outback given the changes made to the tray / packing etc.
Everything went well. Having the white box / grey boxes / fridge around the sides of the tray sure makes accessing things much much much easier. No more climbing INTO the tray every single time we need to grab something!
Roof 'rails' are on, so stage 1 of the canopy is pretty much finished now. Im currently wiring up some led lighting under the roof, and still have lots of minor things to finish off before we leave for the Simpson Desert.
Neither the wife or i can wait for this trip! Hopefully i can get everything sorted with a week to spare before the trip, im already completely buggered from all the work ive been putting into the old girl the last few weeks
.Couple of photos from the weekend just passed.
Travis.
Travis,
Awsome shots and trips. Not to high jack your thread but I hoped a couple more outback shots may be of interest.
21 years ago. Top of the Oodnadatta Track. Is this sign still there?
17 years ago at Ayres Rock (Uluru).
Cheers Dobster
Awsome shots and trips. Not to high jack your thread but I hoped a couple more outback shots may be of interest.
21 years ago. Top of the Oodnadatta Track. Is this sign still there?
17 years ago at Ayres Rock (Uluru).
Cheers Dobster
- Thread starter
- #67
Awesome photos Dobster mate!!!
If you have any more please do share them here.
The sign on the Ood' yes its still there.
With any luck, ill take a photo like your's there in less then a months time!
(For the overseas guys who dont know, the Simpson Desert has been in flood for the last 12months. A real once or twice in a lifetime occurrence. Following this, the desert right now is in full bloom with wild flowers. And now as crazy as mother nature is fire is sweeping across the Simpson started a week ago by lightening strike. The Desert is currently closed with a fast moving grass fire with a front last id heard over 30km long. (18.6miles)!
Fingers crossed the crossing will be open again within another week or so and hopefully the fire should be well passed by the time we are up 'there' ready to cross.
However plans B, C, D are in place should the Simpson remain closed!
Travis.
If you have any more please do share them here.
The sign on the Ood' yes its still there.
With any luck, ill take a photo like your's there in less then a months time!
(For the overseas guys who dont know, the Simpson Desert has been in flood for the last 12months. A real once or twice in a lifetime occurrence. Following this, the desert right now is in full bloom with wild flowers. And now as crazy as mother nature is fire is sweeping across the Simpson started a week ago by lightening strike. The Desert is currently closed with a fast moving grass fire with a front last id heard over 30km long. (18.6miles)!
Fingers crossed the crossing will be open again within another week or so and hopefully the fire should be well passed by the time we are up 'there' ready to cross.
However plans B, C, D are in place should the Simpson remain closed!
Travis.
Sounds like an awesome trip you've got planned mate! Boom time in the Simpson would be spectacular. Nice wheels you've got to get you there, too.
whitey45
SILVER Star
Travis, great to see another trip coming up! I guess I can take the trip with you vicariously! 
Great thread! inspiring to say the least!!
- Thread starter
- #72
Unfinished business
After many months of preparation, once again it would come down to packing just hours before we would be leaving for our annual outback adventure.
This year we would head towards and hopefully cross the Simpson Desert, the 4th largest desert in Australia covering an area of 68,100 square miles with over 1100 dunes between the start and the finish. The Simpson desert is home to the longest running parallel sand dunes in the world.
Crossing the 'Simmo' requires extreme preparation and all travelers should have some level of outback and sand dune experience before tackling the Simpson. Regardless most travelers go in groups, but as usual we would be traveling alone. Just Michelle and I and the old Cruiser.
Due to work commitments etc. this year we would be leaving quite late in the season in which generally speaking between May and September are seen as the better months to travel in given the temperature and dune conditions. We were planning to cross late Oct, early November. Basically the end of the season before it simply becomes far to hot and dangerous to cross. The Simpson now officially closes between Dec and March each year because of the extreme heat and risk to life.
It really would be hit and miss whether or not the weather would be on our side. Following the massive floods across Queensland last year followed by cyclone Yasi earlier this year everything had been turned upside down. The Simpson desert was in full flood and simply put, impassable.
For the first time in over 20years the Cooper Creek floodwater's cut the Birdsville Track in June 2010 requiring the famous ferry to come out of hibernation and provide vehicle access across Cooper. It would run until late January this year at which point in time i was devastated thinking we'd missed what could very likely have been a once in a lifetime chance to 'ride the ferry'.
However with more water slowly flowing down from Queensland, the Cooper once again cut the Birdsville Track and the ferry was bought back to life on the 22nd June 2011 and i was quietly hopeful that it would still be in operation when we would arrive out there.
As seen in above, before heading out this year i fabricated a hardtop canopy for the old Cruiser which required a full revision to our packing arrangements and also some electrical revisions as we would relocate the auxiliary battery, fridge and fit some hardwired lighting under the canopy. For this trip would would require more water and fuel then we'd ever carried before so with heaps of spare time (NOT) i quickly fabricated a 'Jerry Can' holder and while i was at it, a holder for the Hi-Lift jack we've had for years and never carried once... All this, the day before departure.
We would carry a total of 260L of petrol and 90L of water, along with 2 complete spare tires, plugs, full tools and a fair selection of spares plus all of the usual equipment / stuff. Tent, stretchers, chairs and table, cooking equipment, clothing to suit the temperatures we'd reasonably expect to encounter (28-114+deg f!) while out there. Then there are the 'toys' ie. Camera gear, music, laptop, gameboys, flashlights etc.... All in all, we were carrying a lot of stuff. Pretty much as much stuff as you would need to do ANY outback trip, anywhere in Australia. We were completely self sufficient or so id thought...................
tbc.
Travis.
After many months of preparation, once again it would come down to packing just hours before we would be leaving for our annual outback adventure.
This year we would head towards and hopefully cross the Simpson Desert, the 4th largest desert in Australia covering an area of 68,100 square miles with over 1100 dunes between the start and the finish. The Simpson desert is home to the longest running parallel sand dunes in the world.
Crossing the 'Simmo' requires extreme preparation and all travelers should have some level of outback and sand dune experience before tackling the Simpson. Regardless most travelers go in groups, but as usual we would be traveling alone. Just Michelle and I and the old Cruiser.
Due to work commitments etc. this year we would be leaving quite late in the season in which generally speaking between May and September are seen as the better months to travel in given the temperature and dune conditions. We were planning to cross late Oct, early November. Basically the end of the season before it simply becomes far to hot and dangerous to cross. The Simpson now officially closes between Dec and March each year because of the extreme heat and risk to life.
It really would be hit and miss whether or not the weather would be on our side. Following the massive floods across Queensland last year followed by cyclone Yasi earlier this year everything had been turned upside down. The Simpson desert was in full flood and simply put, impassable.
For the first time in over 20years the Cooper Creek floodwater's cut the Birdsville Track in June 2010 requiring the famous ferry to come out of hibernation and provide vehicle access across Cooper. It would run until late January this year at which point in time i was devastated thinking we'd missed what could very likely have been a once in a lifetime chance to 'ride the ferry'.
However with more water slowly flowing down from Queensland, the Cooper once again cut the Birdsville Track and the ferry was bought back to life on the 22nd June 2011 and i was quietly hopeful that it would still be in operation when we would arrive out there.
As seen in above, before heading out this year i fabricated a hardtop canopy for the old Cruiser which required a full revision to our packing arrangements and also some electrical revisions as we would relocate the auxiliary battery, fridge and fit some hardwired lighting under the canopy. For this trip would would require more water and fuel then we'd ever carried before so with heaps of spare time (NOT) i quickly fabricated a 'Jerry Can' holder and while i was at it, a holder for the Hi-Lift jack we've had for years and never carried once... All this, the day before departure.
We would carry a total of 260L of petrol and 90L of water, along with 2 complete spare tires, plugs, full tools and a fair selection of spares plus all of the usual equipment / stuff. Tent, stretchers, chairs and table, cooking equipment, clothing to suit the temperatures we'd reasonably expect to encounter (28-114+deg f!) while out there. Then there are the 'toys' ie. Camera gear, music, laptop, gameboys, flashlights etc.... All in all, we were carrying a lot of stuff. Pretty much as much stuff as you would need to do ANY outback trip, anywhere in Australia. We were completely self sufficient or so id thought...................
tbc.
Travis.
- Thread starter
- #73
At exactly 9:18AM on the 14th Oct we were off with 22days travel covering some 3700miles ahead. The goal for day one was to basically get out of Victoria and we aimed for a little town just over the South Australian border, aptly named Bordertown.
The going was relatively easy and by our usual standards the 500km / 310miles ahead isnt really what we'd call a long day one the road, even at 80kph /49mph top speed!
After crossing through the city (Melbourne) i first started to notice the temp gauge wavering from its usually fixed 'normal' position. I put it down to the hills we were driving through and the weight / load we were carrying. Otherwise a pretty uneventful day on the road.
The camera first came out for this ingenious toilet stop just shy of the Vic / SA border. It required a double check on my part as in all my travels ive never seen anything like it... and in all my travels i have on occasion had to stand outside the toilet holding a flashlight while the misses went in for a pee.
This contraption comprised of 5 mirrors which direct the light from ones vehicle headlights and illuminated the toilet cubicle! What a pissa lol.
One thing you might notice in this photo is we decided to cram everything into the tray for the 'run' up north. The plan was once we'd run out of blacktop and were into the dirt we'd repack the tray moving some of the less frequently accessed items to the canopy roof. Given the Cruisers aerodynamics of a brick i thought every little bit might help at least while we were just cruising on the highways.
It was also a fairly cool and overcast day, and that night in Bordertown we got a little rain.
At first light we were off again, with 590km / 366miles ahead of us. Destination Port Augusta. It was quite a warm day, and i wasnt coping to well for some reason. I just couldnt relax and struggled all day but eventually made it to our accommodation at the local caravan park in Port Augusta.
The camera only came out once, once again. This time at Bumbunga Lake because it was... PINK!
We also called through the sleepy little town of Snowtown, infamously known for the horrific 'Bodies in the Barrels' murders there. We had been through there before some years ago but Michelle couldnt remember the town and given we'd taken the same basic route from home into the outback the last few years we figured we try and go a different way. Michelle said it was shorter, but it was terrible! The roads were worse then the tracks in the Outback! My back was killing me and iirc we got slightly lost a couple of times.
The next morning, i noticed that the auxiliary battery state of charge was quite a bit lower then id expected. Well i did expect it, lets just say it was lower then it should have been. Prior to the trip i was quite worried about the Aux battery as during my pre-trip trials id found it was no longer holding charge like it used to. Mind you, its barely 1 year old and has done hardly any work / never been abused or taken below 50% SOC.
So, the misses put her foot down and said lets replace it now. This was the last 'major' town we'd be in until the return leg of the trip so off we went to the local Auto store in town. With nothing to loose i asked the manager about the warranty, it was 24months Australia Wide... Because we were simply passing through a deal was struck, we purchased a new battery and he would have the Rep come and check / test our old battery and if it was bad he would credit back our money.
Yes its a pretty simple job, but i really wasnt in the mood to be replacing 'stuff' out the front of the shop then out of the blue not one but two bloody beautiful looking 40 Series LandCruisers appeared out of nowhere, a couple of minutes apart. Sadly as we were busy working on the car other then a kind nod and wave to the owners i didnt get to look any closer at these beasts!
Fortunately at the last minute i did think to get the camera out for a photograph. The brief encounter was enough to pick my spirits up, the job was finished and we were on our way once again.
From Port Augusta, we would continue north to Woomera before calling it a day at the mining town - Roxby Downs, 260km / 160miles. I wanted to go this way because despite passing relatively closely by in the passed id never seen the town of Woomera.
Copied from Wikipedia: The town, or village, of Woomera is located in the south east corner of the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA); colloquially known as the Woomera Rocket Range. Established as a restricted access township in 1947, Woomera Defence Village is an Australian Defence Force (ADF) facility supporting the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Woomera Test Range (WTR) which, today, is used to evaluate military and civilian missile, ordnance, and aerospace systems. Woomera is in the 'outback' desert area of South Australia, approximately 488 kilometres (303 mi) north of Adelaide. An easement through the WPA allows public transit on the Trans-Australian Railway, The Ghan, and the Stuart Highway. Travellers are prohibited from leaving these routes. In 1982 restrictions on public access to Woomera township were lifted, allowing the town to develop as a tourist destination, while maintaining its support role for the WTR.
It really isnt much of a tourist destination but definitely a place i wanted to visit.
It was starting to warm up, and the old Cruiser was still running 'warm' so inside it, we were bloody HOT. We stopped to look around the Rocket museum then continued on to Roxby Downs.
There were lots of replica's and also genuine bits and pieces. Rockets, Engines etc.
tbc.
Travis.
The going was relatively easy and by our usual standards the 500km / 310miles ahead isnt really what we'd call a long day one the road, even at 80kph /49mph top speed!
After crossing through the city (Melbourne) i first started to notice the temp gauge wavering from its usually fixed 'normal' position. I put it down to the hills we were driving through and the weight / load we were carrying. Otherwise a pretty uneventful day on the road.
The camera first came out for this ingenious toilet stop just shy of the Vic / SA border. It required a double check on my part as in all my travels ive never seen anything like it... and in all my travels i have on occasion had to stand outside the toilet holding a flashlight while the misses went in for a pee.
This contraption comprised of 5 mirrors which direct the light from ones vehicle headlights and illuminated the toilet cubicle! What a pissa lol.
One thing you might notice in this photo is we decided to cram everything into the tray for the 'run' up north. The plan was once we'd run out of blacktop and were into the dirt we'd repack the tray moving some of the less frequently accessed items to the canopy roof. Given the Cruisers aerodynamics of a brick i thought every little bit might help at least while we were just cruising on the highways.
It was also a fairly cool and overcast day, and that night in Bordertown we got a little rain.
At first light we were off again, with 590km / 366miles ahead of us. Destination Port Augusta. It was quite a warm day, and i wasnt coping to well for some reason. I just couldnt relax and struggled all day but eventually made it to our accommodation at the local caravan park in Port Augusta.
The camera only came out once, once again. This time at Bumbunga Lake because it was... PINK!
We also called through the sleepy little town of Snowtown, infamously known for the horrific 'Bodies in the Barrels' murders there. We had been through there before some years ago but Michelle couldnt remember the town and given we'd taken the same basic route from home into the outback the last few years we figured we try and go a different way. Michelle said it was shorter, but it was terrible! The roads were worse then the tracks in the Outback! My back was killing me and iirc we got slightly lost a couple of times.
The next morning, i noticed that the auxiliary battery state of charge was quite a bit lower then id expected. Well i did expect it, lets just say it was lower then it should have been. Prior to the trip i was quite worried about the Aux battery as during my pre-trip trials id found it was no longer holding charge like it used to. Mind you, its barely 1 year old and has done hardly any work / never been abused or taken below 50% SOC.
So, the misses put her foot down and said lets replace it now. This was the last 'major' town we'd be in until the return leg of the trip so off we went to the local Auto store in town. With nothing to loose i asked the manager about the warranty, it was 24months Australia Wide... Because we were simply passing through a deal was struck, we purchased a new battery and he would have the Rep come and check / test our old battery and if it was bad he would credit back our money.
Yes its a pretty simple job, but i really wasnt in the mood to be replacing 'stuff' out the front of the shop then out of the blue not one but two bloody beautiful looking 40 Series LandCruisers appeared out of nowhere, a couple of minutes apart. Sadly as we were busy working on the car other then a kind nod and wave to the owners i didnt get to look any closer at these beasts!
Fortunately at the last minute i did think to get the camera out for a photograph. The brief encounter was enough to pick my spirits up, the job was finished and we were on our way once again.
From Port Augusta, we would continue north to Woomera before calling it a day at the mining town - Roxby Downs, 260km / 160miles. I wanted to go this way because despite passing relatively closely by in the passed id never seen the town of Woomera.
Copied from Wikipedia: The town, or village, of Woomera is located in the south east corner of the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA); colloquially known as the Woomera Rocket Range. Established as a restricted access township in 1947, Woomera Defence Village is an Australian Defence Force (ADF) facility supporting the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Woomera Test Range (WTR) which, today, is used to evaluate military and civilian missile, ordnance, and aerospace systems. Woomera is in the 'outback' desert area of South Australia, approximately 488 kilometres (303 mi) north of Adelaide. An easement through the WPA allows public transit on the Trans-Australian Railway, The Ghan, and the Stuart Highway. Travellers are prohibited from leaving these routes. In 1982 restrictions on public access to Woomera township were lifted, allowing the town to develop as a tourist destination, while maintaining its support role for the WTR.
It really isnt much of a tourist destination but definitely a place i wanted to visit.
It was starting to warm up, and the old Cruiser was still running 'warm' so inside it, we were bloody HOT. We stopped to look around the Rocket museum then continued on to Roxby Downs.
There were lots of replica's and also genuine bits and pieces. Rockets, Engines etc.
tbc.
Travis.
Here's one I took in the Vic high country from our 40's Jamieson trip in August this year.
One of the 6 out of 7 40's that was on the trip.
And us on the track heading back to Melbourne
And us on the track heading back to Melbourne
Travis - looks like another sensational trip - I have to say you have less stuff in the back of that cruiser than when we take the kids to school. Very thrifty.
Watching with envy.
Have a look at 4x4 Earth Australia for 4WD Tracks - There might be a few people interested in your trip there.
Cheers Dobster
- Thread starter
- #78
We arrived in Roxby to find a very quiet, ultra clean mining town. However these mining towns no matter how hard they try all have the same weird feel about them. Maybe im a little weird but i think its a good kind of weird.
After doing a lap of the town we pulled into what we thought looked like the bigger of the two caravan parks on the map to find it 100% leveled... Absolutely nothing there but an empty lot, a huge empty lot with some old concrete slabs here and there where i guess cabins etc. once stood.
Ok, so back to the first caravan park. We'd skipped it for a reason but now we had no there choice. It was like a mini city crammed to the maximum with tenants. 99.8% workers from the local mine. After recovering from the mini heart attach from paying the charge for an un-powered tent site (lets just say, about DOUBLE what we'd consider the standard across Australia) we drove through the park to the back bottom corner where there was a tiny area designated for un-powered tents. Lucky we didnt want power as they were all gravel sites. So we pitched the tent then kicked back in the shade and had a couple of whiskeys.
There was another small tent, a swag and a little trailer setup in the small area. A vehicle was also parked beside them but there was noone around. After a few whiskeys it dawned on me that the vehicle must belong to one of the full time tenants as indicated by the tell tail sign of the grass being quite tall under it, and mowed all around. Just before dark, the fellow campers arrived in their vehicle and cautiously i think we sussed each other out. They were two younger blokes, and one older guy.
Before dark decided to quickly have a look around the old Cruiser and under the bonnet found the water pump had started weeping between the block and gasket. It had done this once before 6months ago but stopped completely just as quickly as it started. I purchased all the required parts and gaskets but of course, left them all at home! I was shattered. After removing the fan belt i checked the shaft for play and sure enough there was now a reasonable amount of play in the water pump shaft so, i started stressing. There was nothing we could do that night so i went to bed and tried to sleep.
It was a freezing cold night, we woke once frozen to the bone and decided to get up and change into our thermals then went back to sleep. In the morning the two younger blokes were slowly rising and a lot more talkative then the night before.
Turns out they were geologists from the University of Canberra out studying lizards for 3 weeks. They wanted to know more information about our old LandCruiser, they were absolutely in love with it! Instantly they'd become good blokes in my book. I asked what happened to the older dude? He'd caught an overnight bus back home that night, but they still had another week in the outback. At 9am i started calling around in search of a new waterpump, eventually one was found back in Port Augusta so we started packing up then turned around and started backtracking.
By lunchtime we were back in Port Augusta and had the replacement water pump and associated parts. It was now bloody hot once again, 95deg f in the shade and the only shade where id be working out the back of the local caravan park was that of the bonnet!
Having to wait for the engine to cool enough to safely drain the coolant seemed to take forever and the afternoon only seemed to get hotter and hotter.
It was too hot to be out working in the still hot engine bay but i had no other option. The job was finished right on nightfall with the cleanup done under torchlight. The waterpump, thermostat, all hoses and radiator cap were all replaced. I really had no idea, but i was hoping somehow perhaps the engine temperature 'variations' we'd been experiencing from day one on this trip were somehow related to the water pump... only time would tell i guessed.
The next morning we decided we would take a different route out towards Marree and the start of the famous Birdsville Track. There really was only two routes, and given we'd drivin 2/3rds of the way there the day before, before having to backtrack we decided to go the other way now. I also believed there would be more chance of running into fellow travelers this way and there are a couple of additional towns albeit tiny just in case my repairs were bad. From Port Augusta to Marree it is 379km / 235miles. It would be a long day behind the wheel... Upon leaving Port Augusta we called back into the Auto shop to check the status of our old auxiliary battery but the Rep had not yet been in to test it.
Before long the temperature started to rise, and with it so did the engine temp on the old Cruiser... bugger i thought!
Slowly we inched closer to Marree and our home for the night. Despite my thoughts the roads were very quiet and we saw very little traffic. However out here, most towns are like ghost towns until just before nightfall and just after the sun has risen.
If you are late to get away as we were once again then, just about all potential fellow travelers are long gone. We'd also started to develop a trend in the old LandCruiser of stopping quite early in the day simply because it was getting far to hot to drive. To hot for the Cruiser and to hot for us, in the cruiser! We arrived in Marree to find it very much like a ghost town. The only thing on our minds was getting the hell out of the vehicle and into some shade. We didnt stop until we were under a shady tree at the caravan park. It was stinking hot and despite there being a few camps setup and caravans present, noone was around.
Within a couple of hours the traffic started rolling in. Oh how id forgotten the joys of watching older couples argue till they are blue in the face as they try and reverse their caravan or, in this case camper trailer into position! Gold, pure gold.
Shortly after the busses started rolling in! When there is water in Lake Eyre, bus loads of tourists head into Marree so they can take a scenic flight over the lake.
Quick copy from Wikipedia:
Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately 15 m (49 ft) (AHD) below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is the largest lake in Australia and 18th largest in the world.
The 2009 Lake Eyre flood peaked at 1.5 m (5 ft) deep in late May which is a quarter of its maximum recorded depth of 6 m (20 ft). 9 km3 (2 cu mi) of water crossed the Queensland–South Australian border with most of it coming from massive floods in the Georgina River. However the greater proportion soaked into the desert or evaporated en route to the lake leaving less than 4 km3 (0.24 cu mi) in the lake which covered an area of 800 km2 (309 sq mi) or 12% of the lake. As the flood did not start filling the lake's deepest point (Belt Bay) until late March little bird life appeared preferring instead to nest in the upper reaches of the Lake Eyre Basin, north of Birdsville, where large lakes appeared in January as a result of monsoonal rain.
In 2010, The high rainfall in summer sent flood water into the Diamantina, Georgina and Cooper Creek catchments of the Lake Eyre basin, with the Cooper Creek reaching the lake for the first time since 1990. The higher rainfall has prompted many different birds to migrate back to the area for breeding.
In 2011, Heavy rain in early March filled the southern end of the lake, with the north of the usually-dry salt pan about 75 per cent covered with water continuing to inflow from local creeks.
...................................................
Over dinner a few more drinks were had and we chatted away with our neighbors in the caravan park. Sadly, there was only one other 'party' planning to head North up the Birdsville track. It just boggles my mind that one would come so close, only to stop there. Even a run upto the Cooper Ferry and back would only take a few hours! Try as i might, i couldnt convince any of them. Hell, i was very very very close to doing a weekend trip late last year just to ride the ferry before it would close. Never mind, they thought we were crazy not taking a scenic flight over the lake, but um with / for that sort of money i could stay in the outback for another MONTH!
The next morning, our real adventure would start! We were finally about to travel up the famous Birdsville Track, and the ferry was still in operation! A true dream come true.
tbc.
Travis.
After doing a lap of the town we pulled into what we thought looked like the bigger of the two caravan parks on the map to find it 100% leveled... Absolutely nothing there but an empty lot, a huge empty lot with some old concrete slabs here and there where i guess cabins etc. once stood.
Ok, so back to the first caravan park. We'd skipped it for a reason but now we had no there choice. It was like a mini city crammed to the maximum with tenants. 99.8% workers from the local mine. After recovering from the mini heart attach from paying the charge for an un-powered tent site (lets just say, about DOUBLE what we'd consider the standard across Australia) we drove through the park to the back bottom corner where there was a tiny area designated for un-powered tents. Lucky we didnt want power as they were all gravel sites. So we pitched the tent then kicked back in the shade and had a couple of whiskeys.
There was another small tent, a swag and a little trailer setup in the small area. A vehicle was also parked beside them but there was noone around. After a few whiskeys it dawned on me that the vehicle must belong to one of the full time tenants as indicated by the tell tail sign of the grass being quite tall under it, and mowed all around. Just before dark, the fellow campers arrived in their vehicle and cautiously i think we sussed each other out. They were two younger blokes, and one older guy.
Before dark decided to quickly have a look around the old Cruiser and under the bonnet found the water pump had started weeping between the block and gasket. It had done this once before 6months ago but stopped completely just as quickly as it started. I purchased all the required parts and gaskets but of course, left them all at home! I was shattered. After removing the fan belt i checked the shaft for play and sure enough there was now a reasonable amount of play in the water pump shaft so, i started stressing. There was nothing we could do that night so i went to bed and tried to sleep.
It was a freezing cold night, we woke once frozen to the bone and decided to get up and change into our thermals then went back to sleep. In the morning the two younger blokes were slowly rising and a lot more talkative then the night before.
Turns out they were geologists from the University of Canberra out studying lizards for 3 weeks. They wanted to know more information about our old LandCruiser, they were absolutely in love with it! Instantly they'd become good blokes in my book. I asked what happened to the older dude? He'd caught an overnight bus back home that night, but they still had another week in the outback. At 9am i started calling around in search of a new waterpump, eventually one was found back in Port Augusta so we started packing up then turned around and started backtracking.
By lunchtime we were back in Port Augusta and had the replacement water pump and associated parts. It was now bloody hot once again, 95deg f in the shade and the only shade where id be working out the back of the local caravan park was that of the bonnet!
Having to wait for the engine to cool enough to safely drain the coolant seemed to take forever and the afternoon only seemed to get hotter and hotter.
It was too hot to be out working in the still hot engine bay but i had no other option. The job was finished right on nightfall with the cleanup done under torchlight. The waterpump, thermostat, all hoses and radiator cap were all replaced. I really had no idea, but i was hoping somehow perhaps the engine temperature 'variations' we'd been experiencing from day one on this trip were somehow related to the water pump... only time would tell i guessed.
The next morning we decided we would take a different route out towards Marree and the start of the famous Birdsville Track. There really was only two routes, and given we'd drivin 2/3rds of the way there the day before, before having to backtrack we decided to go the other way now. I also believed there would be more chance of running into fellow travelers this way and there are a couple of additional towns albeit tiny just in case my repairs were bad. From Port Augusta to Marree it is 379km / 235miles. It would be a long day behind the wheel... Upon leaving Port Augusta we called back into the Auto shop to check the status of our old auxiliary battery but the Rep had not yet been in to test it.
Before long the temperature started to rise, and with it so did the engine temp on the old Cruiser... bugger i thought!
Slowly we inched closer to Marree and our home for the night. Despite my thoughts the roads were very quiet and we saw very little traffic. However out here, most towns are like ghost towns until just before nightfall and just after the sun has risen.
If you are late to get away as we were once again then, just about all potential fellow travelers are long gone. We'd also started to develop a trend in the old LandCruiser of stopping quite early in the day simply because it was getting far to hot to drive. To hot for the Cruiser and to hot for us, in the cruiser! We arrived in Marree to find it very much like a ghost town. The only thing on our minds was getting the hell out of the vehicle and into some shade. We didnt stop until we were under a shady tree at the caravan park. It was stinking hot and despite there being a few camps setup and caravans present, noone was around.
Within a couple of hours the traffic started rolling in. Oh how id forgotten the joys of watching older couples argue till they are blue in the face as they try and reverse their caravan or, in this case camper trailer into position! Gold, pure gold.
Shortly after the busses started rolling in! When there is water in Lake Eyre, bus loads of tourists head into Marree so they can take a scenic flight over the lake.
Quick copy from Wikipedia:
Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately 15 m (49 ft) (AHD) below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is the largest lake in Australia and 18th largest in the world.
The 2009 Lake Eyre flood peaked at 1.5 m (5 ft) deep in late May which is a quarter of its maximum recorded depth of 6 m (20 ft). 9 km3 (2 cu mi) of water crossed the Queensland–South Australian border with most of it coming from massive floods in the Georgina River. However the greater proportion soaked into the desert or evaporated en route to the lake leaving less than 4 km3 (0.24 cu mi) in the lake which covered an area of 800 km2 (309 sq mi) or 12% of the lake. As the flood did not start filling the lake's deepest point (Belt Bay) until late March little bird life appeared preferring instead to nest in the upper reaches of the Lake Eyre Basin, north of Birdsville, where large lakes appeared in January as a result of monsoonal rain.
In 2010, The high rainfall in summer sent flood water into the Diamantina, Georgina and Cooper Creek catchments of the Lake Eyre basin, with the Cooper Creek reaching the lake for the first time since 1990. The higher rainfall has prompted many different birds to migrate back to the area for breeding.
In 2011, Heavy rain in early March filled the southern end of the lake, with the north of the usually-dry salt pan about 75 per cent covered with water continuing to inflow from local creeks.
...................................................
Over dinner a few more drinks were had and we chatted away with our neighbors in the caravan park. Sadly, there was only one other 'party' planning to head North up the Birdsville track. It just boggles my mind that one would come so close, only to stop there. Even a run upto the Cooper Ferry and back would only take a few hours! Try as i might, i couldnt convince any of them. Hell, i was very very very close to doing a weekend trip late last year just to ride the ferry before it would close. Never mind, they thought we were crazy not taking a scenic flight over the lake, but um with / for that sort of money i could stay in the outback for another MONTH!
The next morning, our real adventure would start! We were finally about to travel up the famous Birdsville Track, and the ferry was still in operation! A true dream come true.
tbc.
Travis.
twoturtlesracing
Slowwly but surely...
As always Travis... I love the pictures and the stories that go with 'em. Have a lovely trip!
I thoroughly enjoy your travelogues Travis. Looking forward to more of this episode, and the pictures.
Don
Don
