Western 4W Driver Magazine Edition #117 (Autumn 2021) by Vanguard Publishing Perth

117th EDITION Autumn 2021

DEEP IN THE

PILBARA

KIMBERLEY ADVENTURE KENNEDY RANGES WE TEST THE NEW

PLUS PART TIME OR FULL TIME TRANSMISSION? CARING FOR YOUR CAMPER TRAILER STATION ETIQUETTE MY 4WD MY STORY

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WESTERN 4W DRIVER 117th EDITION Autumn 2021

ISUZU D-MAX X-TERRAIN

CONTENTS

EDITION 117 AUTUMN 2021

DESTINATIONS Legging it from Lockdown

Part 1 of Susie and Nick's Kimberley adventure ................................................................................................................ 6

Deep in the Pilbara

Exploring Kalgan Pool and Weeli Wolli Spring.................................................................................................................. 20

Winter Escape

Escaping to the Kennedy Ranges............................................................................................................................................................... 41

It was the Worst of Trips, It was the Best of Trips

The Suburu 4WD Club of WA's trip to Mount Augustus................................................................................... 59

Down the Balladonia Track

To the Deralinya and Balbinya Homesteads

Western 4W Driver #117

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FEATURES

REGULARS

Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain

Ray Cully test drives the new D-Max ......... 32

Wildtrax

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.......................................................................................................

What's in a Name

Caring for your Camper Trailer

DIY Maintenance ............................................................................ 50

Alternatives to the normal campfire ........... 70

Station Etiquette

Tips for travelling through station country ..................................................................................... 84

Finding Ann

Lost on Mt Augustus

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Daypack Essentials

Have you packed enough? ........................................... 91

My 4WD My Story

Scott and Annalise's 60 series ............................. 94

Bindon's Lore

Vehicle recovery on the CSR .................................... 98

Part Time or Full Time?

David Wilson explains the difference in transmission styles ................... 104

Dardanup Heritage Park

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110

A Cinema in your Pocket

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173

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180

113 118

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120

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123

Let's Go Geo-Touring

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129

Nuts and Bolts ............................................................................ 137 Outback Survival Fishy Business

141

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147

Women in 4W Driving .............................................. 152 ...................................................

155

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159

Gear to Go Camping Clewed Up

Fire Cooking

161

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165

Track Care WA News

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The People We Meet

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Goings On

Carnage on the Canning

116

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The Things You See Over the Bonnet

Fire it up!

Peace of Mind

4Thought

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Capture the Moment

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171

174 177

Photography Tips and Tricks

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178

The Travelling Photographer

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179

Art of 4WDs

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182

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185

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188

Now We're TAWKing! Are We There Yet? Subscriptions

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190

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192

Supplier Directory Silly Snaps

181

Western 4W Driver 117 #

4Wheel Productions Pty Ltd ACN 632 239 395 PO Box 2384, Malaga, WA 6944 Phone: (08) 9291 8303 admin@4wheelproductions.com.au www.western4wdriver.com.au Editors Chris and Karen Morton Advertising Chris Morton Graphic Design Karen Morton Administration Chris Morton Christine Arnasiewicz Printing Vanguard Press

COVER IMAGE Looking into the Hamersley Range above Kalgan Pool. Photo: Jon Love

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of 4Wheel Productions Pty Ltd or the editors but those of the authors who accept sole responsibility and liability for them. While every care is taken with images and photographs, and all other material submitted, 4Wheel Productions Pty Ltd accepts no liability for loss or damage. 4Wheel Productions Pty Ltd reserves the right to amend publication schedules and frequencies. Edition 117 Autumn 2021

Western 4W Driver #117

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

nformation. In a technical age we take it for granted that we are well-informed and well-educated on the issues that affect us most. We have the entire knowledge of the human race just a Google away, answers literally at your fingertips. But can we really believe everything we read online? Recent events in the US have demonstrated what a motivated person with an agenda can achieve and the repercussions that go along with it. When did we become so reliant upon the internet for our knowledge? Why do we accept the things we see online as gospel? When did we become so gullible? The explosion of social media 'influencers' is a phenomenon never before seen, grabbing our attention with filtered images of places you’d rather be and products you can’t live without. We are bombarded with videos of 'how tos' and product reviews. As entertaining as they can be, many place their faith in sources of knowledge whose only real claim to fame is a camera and an internet connection. For many influencers, their entire business model is a popularity contest and whose influence is ultimately bought by companies wanting a jump on their competition. It was heartening to read in a recent report covering online marketing that showed that 'word of mouth' is still relied upon more than social media. Recent developments in the social media space are also alarming. Both Google and Facebook, who appear to be the source of most people’s news, have threatened to leave Australia if proposed changes to media laws come into effect. How would this change the media landscape in Australia? The new year started with plenty of promise only for us to hit a major speed hump with

4 THOUGHT with CHRIS MORTON COVID escaping from hotel quarantine, ending WA’s 10 month run of no community spread. Snap lock downs and social distancing is now our new normal and can be expected to be part of our lives moving forward. For me it highlights the fact that we must always expect the unexpected. No one knows what the future holds and therefore we must be agile enough to roll with the punches. It incentivises me more than ever to seize every opportunity that I am presented with and to live life to the fullest. Back in November we launched Australian 4W Driver as a method of extending our reach further across the country without the geographic limitations that Western 4W Driver implied. Unfortunately, we are not getting the advertising support required to continue with the production of Australian 4W Driver and we have had to make the difficult decision to mothball this title for the foreseeable future. Amidst a groundswell of 'buy Australian' fervour, print media is being left behind. Many companies no longer see the value in engaging with readers of magazines, preferring to spend their money on social media campaigns. At its simplest form, the reason for this is simple, the ability to track how many people see their message and how many engage with that message. There is no longer value placed upon the building of relationships or the sharing of stories. We live in a dumbed down, instant gratification society. We appear to have lost the ability to daydream, to build our own perception of reality, having to be spoon fed what our dreams for the future should look like through staged digital images and oneoff posts.

discovering an entirely lost media genre where you can actually feel the stories and smell the printer’s ink oozing from the pages. As a reader or subscriber of Western 4W Driver we would like to ask for your support. If you are not already a subscriber, SUBSCRIBE. If you have friends that you think would like our articles and stories then encourage them to sign up, or make a subscription a gift (after all it’s pretty cheap). Support the advertisers that support us but you need to tell them you heard about them after reading Western 4W Driver. With our reader’s support, Western 4W Driver can buck the trend and continue to flourish. “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Dylan Thomas.

Maybe one day magazine publishing will go the way of vinyl records with 'the youth' Western 4W Driver #117

Legging it from Lockdown

PART 1

By Susie Underwood Bell Gorge - a wonderful intro to the treasures of the Kimberley.

Western 4W Driver #117

asn't 2020 an interesting year? We saw this unprecedented (and who isn't sick of that word?) year in at Coles Bay in Tasmania, glued to the television for updates on the bushfire disasters unfolding all over the country. Just when we thought we'd seen off the biggest threat to our natural environment in centuries, along comes good ol' COVID to frighten us all into next year. As retired people (I'm pretty sure I've told you that before), the lockdown hasn't affected us as drastically and disastrously as most, so we used our enforced time at home doing all those jobs that have needed

attention for the last decade or so, all the while champing at the bit to get on the road. Our original plans, way back when in 2019, were to head north at the end of May, before returning to Perth at the end of August and hopping on a plane to France for a puddle around the Canal du Midi. Fat chance of that happening now. Who knows when international travel will be back on the menu? Once the regions were locked down, we resigned ourselves to enforced domesticity, keeping an eye on updates and preparing our route north just in case. As luck would have it, the regions opened at about the same time we were due to head north, so as soon as restrictions were lifted, we were off in a puff of blue smoke, destination north.

Western 4W Driver #117

Another bucket list tick swimming with the world's biggest fish.

Our first stop on our bucket list was a swim with the whale sharks off Exmouth. As we were among the first wave of travellers, booking into a camp ground and getting ourselves onto a boat was ridiculously easy, and within a matter of days of leaving Perth we were set up in Cape Range NP and puttering out beyond the reef for the experience of a lifetime. The wind was mercifully absent and the ocean as flat as a tack. I have to say I was a trifle nervous about getting into the ocean knowing that there may be sharks, but the nerves disappeared as soon as we jumped into that gorgeous clear water and saw that behemoth appear out of the depths. It was an experience neither of us will ever forget. From Exmouth it was all points north to the Kimberley. I had never been there before and I was really looking forward to seeing all those places people had been telling me about for years. 8

Western 4W Driver #117

Our first stop was Karratha to catch up with an old friend and visit the art sites of the Burrup Peninsula. Unfortunately the main art sites were closed, but we did manage to see some petroglyphs and also visit the site of the Flying Foam massacre. Three hundred indigenous men, women and children were cut down in response to the murder of a white man elsewhere. We had a forgettable lunch at the Mermaid Hotel in Dampier (don't bother, even though the views are nice) and back to our caravan park for a night interrupted by shift workers coming and going at ungodly hours and the odd fist fight amongst disgruntled residents. At $50 a night, it was an experience we're not in any hurry to repeat. From Karratha it was on to Millstream to visit our friends Peggy and Walter who were camp hosting there. Millstream is a lovely spot and we had the whole place to ourselves. Peggy and Walter had been there for weeks on

their own, so once set up, we packed a couple of beers and headed to Deep Reach for a late afternoon swim. It wasn't until after I'd climbed out of the water that Walter dropped a few breadcrumbs into the river - I was horrified at the number and size of catfish that appeared out of the gloom. From Millstream we dawdled up to Point Samson, booked into the caravan park next We take a break at a little known waterhole near Python Pool. to the deserted pub and spent a lazy couple of days looking around and generally resting up. Did you know and the headstones would bring a tear to it's one of the few places in WA where the eye of the most hardened traveller. The the sun rises over water and sets over Japanese cemetery lies just behind and is land? Well, you do now. On the way out a peaceful place to wander. From Cossack we dropped into Cossack, where I saw my we were bound for the Whim Creek pub first boab tree, a very exciting moment for for a late breakfast, lured by the memory me. Cossack is a fascinating place to visit. of their epic pies, but were devastated Although the cafe was closed, we spent to find it closed. Hollow-cheeked with a couple of hours wandering around and hunger, we slunk into the South Hedland soaking up the history. It's hard to believe shopping centre for a very late breakfast/ that this sleepy little backwater was once brafternoon tea. South Hedland never fails a bustling hub. The pearling industry's to disappoint, and after a quick stock up brutal treatment of its workers makes of pantry items, we dusted off the place uncomfortable reading, but the museum is and headed for an overnight stay at Cape a must see when you visit. The European Keraudren, about which I can only say it cemetery on the outskirts of town contains had great views and a toilet. the graves of some very young children

From the Cossack lookout across Port Walcott towards Point Samson.

Western 4W Driver #117

There we spent an idyllic few days beach combing, fishing, reading and generally lazing about. We met some interesting people while we were there and made plans to catch up with a couple of them when we reached Kununurra. I had last visited Broome about 15 years ago and the place certainly has changed a lot in that time. It has lost its sleepy little tropical town feel and in some parts could Cossack. be mistaken for a Perth Beautifully restored buildings at suburb (except for the balmy weather). We had a confronting introduction to Broome life Our next stop was to be Barn Hill, which at the visitor centre with a couple brawling Nick had been itching to visit for some in the car park, who then followed us into time. As was the case everywhere, there the visitor centre to carry on cataloguing was hardly anyone booked into the place, their domestic woes. Luckily things calmed so we had our pick of camp sites under the down quickly and after checking on shady trees. The beach there is just lovely, which roads and destinations were open, especially at sunset with the light on the we headed into the town centre. Due to red cliffs and the last rays of the sun COVID and lack of visitors, a lot of shops reflecting off the rock pools at low tide.

Sunset as our shadows stretch to the pindan cliffs of Barn Hill.

Western 4W Driver #117

and tourist destinations were closed, so the Broome town centre had a rather downbeat feel and after stocking up at the shopping centre we headed out towards Cable Beach (via a bracingly cold and spicy Chilli Beer at Matso's) to set ourselves up in a caravan park. The next day we walked across the road to Cable Beach, confronted by signs warning us not to swim due to crocodiles, so I walked that My latest work on the beach at Mes a. magnificent beach, too scared to approach the ocean. I had to make do with a dunk in the I was glad to drive away from, it was on chlorine-scented pool back at the caravan to the fabled Gibb River Road. When we park followed by another restless night turned on to the road, we were greeted with plagued by traffic and noisy residents. rather prosaic road works which somewhat Give me a bush camp any day. We were killed the romance for me, but after a few woken early by the grating motorised dawn kilometres of dozers and water trucks we chorus and were shortly on our way to our were on into the wilderness, destination next stop, via Derby. We had a delicious Mt Hart Station to visit our friend Rob who brekky at the High Tide Cafe in Derby. It's was caretaking out there. Driving through a friendly town with a line of Boab trees the Napier Range, we saw Victoria's Head, down the main entry road. The jetty is in which really does look like the dear Queen the middle of a refurbishment and closed, in profile and up a variety of weirdly named so I look forward to visiting again to see hills (Stumpy's jump up, Mac's jump up) what progress has been made. to the 50km long Mt Hart driveway. Mt After the obligatory visit to the boab Prison Tree, another place with a grim history that

Hart comprises over one million acres of country in the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges

Another stunning day away from a southern winter. Low tide at Barn Hill.

Western 4W Driver #117

such tragic results), and in 1987 the property was declared unviable, its value plummeted and it was bought by the (then) DEC. Nowadays Mt Hart homestead is leased by Kununurra Holdings and is run as a wilderness retreat. We arrived just in time to check in, grab a riverside camp and front up at the bar for a welcome cold beer after a long day. The . station offers a variety past interior and a darker Prison boab at Derby had a dark of accommodation from luxury rooms in the old homestead, to glamping in tents with ensuite (formerly King Leopold Ranges) and was the bathrooms, to your bog standard 'stick your first 'over the ranges' station established in 1914. Like a lot of the putative cattle barons tent up by the river' campgrounds, plus the in those days, the harshness of the country bar and the opportunity to avail yourself of and the logistics of getting stock first on the best fish and chips you will find in the to and then off this remote location drove Kimberley. We lingered there for nearly a the original settlers, Bill Chalmers and Felix week, driving out to Barkers Pool, Dolerite Edger over the edge. Tragically, Bill sat Gorge, Annie's Creek and Yellowman down in his favourite chair one day and shot Gorge (accessible only if the track is open). himself, leaving Felix to bury his body and There is also Sunset Hill, where (believe it walk off the property. Several other lessees or not) you can take a few drinks and watch followed and were likewise unable to make the spectacular Kimberley sunset. a go of the property (thankfully without

Dear old Queen Vic would have appreciated her likeness on the GRR.

Western 4W Driver #117

After bidding a reluctant farewell to Mt Hart and the fish and chip shop, we turned left on to the Gibb River Road for the short drive to Bell Gorge. We pulled into the tidy little car park at the gorge, complete with new toilets and no tourists, had a late breakfast and girded our loins for the walk in. What I loved the most about my experience in the Kimberley was the ruggedness of the landscape, but An air toast to glamping at Mount Hart with our mate, Rob. you have to work to gain access to these beautiful places. After an hour of had the place virtually to ourselves, so we following the rough track to the head of the spent a happy couple of hours splashing gorge, I was gobsmacked to be standing around under the waterfall and generally at the top of the waterfall, looking down at soaking up the Kimberley-ness of it all. the most spectacular plunge pool. It was We spent that night in the campground at so beautiful, nothing would have stopped Silent Grove, uncharacteristically silent for me from heading straight down the rock the time of year. According to the rangers wall for a swim. Normally I would have there, it is usually packed to the gills with balked at struggling up and over boulders, caravans and covered in dust and you wading through slippery creek beds and can forget about access to the showers or tip toeing gingerly down cliff faces, but I toilets, so we basked in the privilege of the was a woman on a mission and was not silence, green dust-free grass, clean toilets to be denied the chance to swim in that and plentiful showers. water. As luck and COVID would have it, we COVID had a silver lining with next-to-no people on the Gibb and in the water.

Western 4W Driver #117

Nev who runs the business is usually rushed off his feet in peak tourist season, so when we stopped in to see him he had time to give us a tour of his house and business and spin a few yarns about life in this remote spot. He has some amazing photos of the wildlife in the wet season which are well worth a look if you're ever over his way. By the time we'd had a chat to Nev it was getting a little late in the and I braved the snakes, rocky terrain day, so we popped back e. Gorg vertigo to get to the pool at Bell a few kilometres to a promising-looking track, which took us right to the head of Adcock Back on the Gibb River Road we stopped Gorge and the most beautiful campsite in at Adcock Gorge, then over the Phillips in a grove of boab trees, river running Range to the aptly named Over the Range alongside and (you guessed it) no one tyre service centre. On first thoughts, it's a else around. It's obviously well used in strange place to start up a business, but in a good year so we felt very privileged to a normal year the Gibb sees a lot of traffic, have this magic little spot to ourselves and settled in for a blissful night under the which adds up to a lot of tyres, a lot of shade of the boabs. tourists and a lot of rubbery misadventures.

Serenading my husband in a magic campsite under boabs on the Adcock.

In the morning we were woken by the musical howling of dingoes and the raucous Kimberley dawn chorus. Our destination was Mt Barnett station, which was due to open that day, after initially closing for the season. En route we stopped in at Galvan's Gorge, a picturesque oasis guarded by a serene wandjina and serpents on one rock wall with again a fight over slippery rocks and through head-high A sentinel Wandjina looked on as we explored Galvans Gorge. cane grass to gain access. This is where I saw my first live cane toad, ugly creepy accommodate up to 500 visitors per day things that they are. They are making quite in season. The campsite is vast and dotted a dent in the local wildlife and I hope that soon we find a way to put a stop to their with bindii (always wear your shoes), but advance into our environment. there were only three toilets/showers, which would make for unpleasant camping We refuelled (diesel and ice cream) at when it's full up. As it was we shoehorned Mt Barnett Station before making our ourselves into the silent expanse and way to the Manning Gorge campsite for a late afternoon set up. Apparently it can wandered down to the river to get the lay of

Lush, tropical Galvans Gorge - croc free! Western 4W Driver #117

7km return walk to the gorge proper. The track is very up hill and down dale, so I was thankful we'd left nice and early before the heat of the day. The gorge itself is spectacular! After shimmying down and around the cliff face you are presented with a huge body of water, surrounded by rock walls and with the obligatory waterfall sparkling at one end. We quickly shucked off our gear and plunged into deep clear water, so refreshing after a long hot walk. We had spied a little rocky creek bed with a small waterfall and Nick suggested this would be a unique photo opportunity, lying on the rocks with the water splashing over our shoulders. I happily obliged, only to discover the creek bed was infested with tiny leeches, so it was a good few minutes of shrieking and jumping about before we were both leech-free. Once we were dusted down and rebooted, we trekked back to the camp via a refreshing swim at the first water crossing, packed up and headed on to were hes leec slimy Little did I know, hundreds of the next leg of our journey. e. Gorg Manning seeking out my nether regions at As we left Mt Barnett in the middle of the day, we arrived at the Pentecost River crossing at sundown and were treated to the land before our trek over to the gorge in breathtaking views of the Cockburn Range the morning. Manning Gorge has the drop aglow with a rainbow of sunset colours. on Bell Gorge in that you get a swim before The river crossing was happily uneventful, and after your walk into the waterhole, but after dinner my dear husband took me the only downside being that you start for a torchlight riverside walk to show me off wet. As it happened, we managed to red eyes glowing evilly from the water. As ferry dry clothes and boots across the we were camped right at the river's edge, river in the morning safely tucked into the my crocodile radar was on full alert. I don't washing bucket, before commencing the The lens-weary Cockburn Range glowed in the last rays of day.

Western 4W Driver #117

think I slept a wink that night, every splash and ripple in the river had me sitting up in bed, pearls clutched to my bosom. We breakfasted next morning with a view of a large salty parked on the other side of the river, jaws open wide. I couldn't get back in the car fast enough.

On reflection, the Pentecost was much ado about nothing.

Soon enough, we were back on the bitumen, cruising past Ellenbrae and El Questro stations, gates all sadly locked. Even though these iconic Gibb River Road destinations were closed, I believe we had the prime Kimberley experience simply due to the lack of visitors. Sure, we couldn't get into Mornington Station or Mitchell Falls, but we drove the length of the Gibb River Road virtually traffic-free.

Make sure you get the next edition of Western 4W Driver to read Part 2 of Legging it from Lockdown.

Western 4W Driver #117

DEEP IN THE

PILBARA By Jon Love

Western 4W Driver #117

After a three-year hiatus and over 12 hours skimming across the tarmac, the wait had finally ended. We were back in the Pilbara region once again with the vibrant red dirt beneath our boots. A long-anticipated trip months in the making, almost crossed off the list with the unfortunate and untimely outbreak of COVID-19.

ith several months of lockdown behind us we were now back in action, airing down on a dirt track, gorges and cliffs lying on the horizon. Destination, exploration. Despite the growing eagerness to explore and the anticipation of things to come, regrettably the journey almost ended as quickly as it started, but more on that shortly. A long way to the bottom. Sheer cliff faces at Eagle Rock Falls.

Western 4W Driver #117

It wasn’t long before the first sign of water greeted us on the track, a sight for keen eyes as we took turns crossing the crystalclear water flowing beneath the chassis. As it turned out, these waterways were in no way a rarity on this track, as we quickly discovered pushing on toward our intended camp for the night. It was water crossing after water crossing, each varying in size and depth but all as clear as the last. It may have been winter but the warm Pilbara sun made the cool water even more refreshing to kick around in. With the sight of a fresh running stream and the vibrant red gorges breaking up the sea of spinifex in the background, it’s not hard to see why Kalgan’s track is a must drive for so many campers and off-roaders. The track was now nearing an end and the convoy sat on the doorstep of the longest water-crossing we had seen that day, or ever. With roughly Peering into the gorge above Kalgan Pool.

Western 4W Driver #117

a hundred metres of water crossing we pushed forward and formed the bow wave to guide us through the creek, water up to the grill and a shaley bed, we bobbed our way through quite happily until a call came through the CB, and it was bad news. Unbeknownst to me, while transiting over the creek, water had slowly but surely made its way into the air box of the Troopy, eventually saturating the filter and making its way through the tubes. The first we heard about it came when the car behind us radioed through that excessive smoke was billowing out of the exhaust, virtually in time with the call, the car began to struggle and lose power as we neared the end of the creek. My mind raced to diagnose the issue, but before long and fortunately for the convoy, the Troopy crawled over the end of the crossing and choked to a stall, rolling to a stop metres from the exit. My heart raced as I cracked open the bonnet and unclipped the airbox, devastated to see a saturated filter sitting in a pool of water. Hands on my head pacing by the car,

Tinkering in the engine bay to source any signs of water.

the rest of the crew examining the damage, there was little we could do in that moment. Figuring it was best not to try and turn over the engine, a tow strap was fitted and the Troopy was towed to camp. Although not in the style we were hoping for, the entrance into Kalgan Pool is one where words can’t do it justice. The first thing you notice are the towering rock formations that dwarf the surrounding environment, creating a gorge with a generously large, and freakishly deep pool below it. As to character with this region, the rocks are stained with the iconic Pilbara dust, mixed with the trees and vegetation creating a colourful palette of red, green and yellow scattered across the gorge. We spent some time tinkering with the engine, pulling parts off and discovering water further down the trail. The oil was then drained and thankfully, in the first sign of hope, there was no indication of water having gone all the way through. Having pulled off the pipes to the turbo, we were confronted with another pool of water sitting in the bottom. Following the trail, taking apart pipe after another, the signs of water began to fade, indicating a glimmer of hope for the old girl. With parts left to aerate and dry, a few of us took to the rock to clear our minds, and what better way

to do that than jump off a ten-metre ledge (although it felt like twenty) into the pool below! And clear the head it did, I’ve never had an issue climbing heights, but jumping off them is another matter entirely. It wasn’t long before our heads were in and out of the engine bay again, but eventually there were only two options, bite the bullet and turn it over, or take it to town and call the trip. Running the risk, I opted to give it a crack, with all eyes on the engine and my heart about to punch through my ribs, the key was turned, the engine groaned, but after a second turn she came to life and hummed along like normal. It turns out the water made its way through a hole in the bottom of the air box, filling up and sucking water through the system. Fortunately, the water caused the engine to suffocate and stall before it could get any further, virtually saving it from complete destruction and sending us home on a tow truck. The relief was immense and the roller coaster of emotions had finally ended, and to think that was only day one! The setting sun splashed a bright orange glow across the towering gorges of Kalgan Pool. With the day coming to an end, and an arduous time behind the wheel, we retired to our beds for an early night in anticipation for the day to come. Western 4W Driver #117

Now remember, bad things always happen in threes. The unmistakable sound of crackling bacon echoed off the gorge walls and signalled the start to another, and equally adventurous day off the beaten track. The plan was to point our noses further north, heading more remote across more challenging terrain in hunt for another pool and a breathtakingly large cascade. Gear prepped and engines grumbling, the convoy rolled out of camp and headed for the peak of Kalgan Pool, a track that would make your hairs stand up in certain sections. Loose rocks coupled Mini gorges and lots of waterholes, all in walking distance of the Eagle Rock campsite.

Western 4W Driver #117

with steep ledges make for a fun and challenging drive up the track. A photo op shouldn’t be shied away from when visiting the peak, with the Hamersley Ranges as far as the eye can see and the steep drop into the gorge directly below. To say it would be an opportunity missed would be a colossal understatement. What goes up must come down, so down we went. A slow decent over the other side of the range required a careful choice of wheel placement and a steady hand, levelling us out into a valley that wound through the Pilbara scrub. After a couple of hours of navigating our way through the bush, the moment came when we finally crested a rocky hill to the sight of something pretty special. If you’ve ever visited Eagle Rock Falls, you’ll understand why.

A seventy-five metre triple tier cascade drops into a deep gorge below, surrounded by jaw dropping boulders and red walls pushing out into the valley beyond. In the wet season it would put on an incredible display of waterfalls feeding into the Lyndon River below. After exploring and marvelling at the scenery, we later pulled into our camp for the night, a pool not far from the falls with a number of waterholes within walking distance. With lunch done and dusted and the campsite set up, we were seeking a pool to swim in so we set off for the mini gorge system not far from home. It wasn’t long before we were treated with the sight of mini waterholes and rock faces watching over us. I took the opportunity to give myself a fresh wash in one of the many cool waterholes. The abundance of small wildlife in the area is driven by the presence of water and shade found in the small gorge system, making an idyllic location for a peaceful visit. Back at camp the fire was coming to life and the camp chairs sprung

into position, a few tales were spun around the warmth of the flames, but before long, the night was called. Day three was met with an early rise as we prepped for another, likely longer day behind the wheel, with a number of bucket list locations down on the agenda. Without delay we made tracks through the bush and navigated our way over the undulating terrain. Cresting the range on several occasions we were able to pick out a number of scattered gorge systems, unsurprisingly given the ranges that dipped up and down across the landscape. It wasn’t long before we made a few wrong turns that led the convoy into a densely packed dry creek bed, navigating our way over fallen logs and loose rocks. Eventually we were unable to continue on in the cars and decided to set off on foot to see if anything Taking a few wrong turns, unknowingly headed for the hidden waterhole system.

Western 4W Driver #117

was ahead. With a bit of rock climbing and wall hugging, much to our surprise, we stumbled across a waterhole and gorge system that didn’t appear on any of our maps. Needless to say, it was our little slice of paradise, and we had it all to ourselves. From following a fading track, to a dry creek line, we had somehow stumbled across a hidden Pilbara gem. The first and biggest pool in the system was a bright blue that had a large rock sliding into the waterhole. Overflowing the rocks the water streamed down past a number of different cracks and crevasses and flowed into the remaining waterholes scattered across the gorge system. It would have been a crime to leave so soon, rather we grabbed some gear from the car and had our lunch in the gorge. Naturally a swim in the pools was on the cards, and what a treat it was. Pressing on, the convoy was back on the tracks on the hunt for our original destination. Pulling into the clearing surrounded by

Western 4W Driver #117

The moment we crested the rock wall and spotted the secret pool system.

Enjoying the shade at Three Pools while looking into the valley beyond.

low hanging trees and spinifex bushes, the entrance to Three Pools puts you right on the doorstep of a towering rock face. Sitting prominently below is, as you could probably guess from the name, three pools, each cascading into the next, with the first being the biggest, and surprisingly deep. Looking beyond the pools the gorge opens up into a winding valley that continues on further into the Hamersley Range, a must see if you ever find yourself exploring the area. By now the hour hand was nearing the bottom of the clock and with a fair bit of driving ahead, it was time to set off. The convoy doubled back over the tracks toward Kalgan Creek in hunt for a campsite next to the flowing water. With a few water crossings ahead, I quickly looked over the airbox to make sure everything was secure, and more importantly water tight.

Looking back toward Three Pools with the first two in sight.

With a few high strung nerves the Troopy plunged into the crossings and fortunately went through with ease. Only a handful of crossings sat between us and our next camp set-up. Between a tree and a hard place. Following tracks through the dry creek bed near the secret pool.

Western 4W Driver #117

I woke up the following morning to the sound of the creek flowing and the birds chirping in the trees. Once again it was another slice of paradise. Situated on the edge of Kalgan Creek was a clearing big enough to fit all three cars. A tree growing horizontally provided a spot for us to sit over the creek and enjoy the serenity. We took full advantage of this little gem, spending the day swimming up and down the creek, fishing, playing cricket and lounging around camp. After several days of being behind the wheel, it was a wellearned break.

A steady pack up was underway in preparation for the final campsite. Before long we were in the cab turning over the key, but to no avail. Remember how I said bad things happen in threes? Turns out my starter battery was completely fried, not even a jump start would help lift a finger in cranking the engine. In the end a tow rope was hooked up and we roll-started the Troopy to life, but with no dash instruments working, it was hard to see what was happening. Sandwiched between the other two cars in the convoy we made our way into Newman to find a new battery. Now for the third …

A slice of paradise. Camp three on Kalgan Creek.

Western 4W Driver #117

On our way into Newman, right after airing back up, an old railway spike made itself comfortable in a brand-new tyre, wedged deep within the rubber. With a roadside plug we made the necessary repairs and pressed on. A new battery and tanks filled, our final campsite was now in range. Turns out, it wasn’t as simple as we’d done before. Many of the roads leading to Weeli Wolli Springs had been shut down or blocked off, and a journey that was meant to take us a couple of hours exaggerated itself into almost a full day and night of driving. Following old tracks that often led us in the wrong direction, we spent hours going back and forth to seek the right turn offs and paths to follow. The sun now well out of sight, and

Did somebody say water crossing? One of the many crossed at night before finding camp.

Cooling off in Weeli Wolli creek.

Western 4W Driver #117

the night dragging on, we finally found a way in. It was around tenthirty when we came across the top of the spring, and what a relief that was. It was time for water crossings in the dark, dipping in and out of creeks with the sound of water swirling past the door to the sight of tall green reeds swaying as the cars pushed past. Another day, another adventure. Once more the sound of rushing water filled the camp as we rose the next day. Our campsite was virtually an island, sitting between two sides of the creek as it flowed by, further surrounded by tall trees and green reeds. The area is in all sense of the word a true paradise. In true vacation style we broke out the boogie boards and

Western 4W Driver #117

Entering our island campsite along the Weeli Wolli creek line.

inflatable doughnuts and took advantage of the flowing waterways around us, steering down small rapids and eventually, shredding the walls on the sharp rocks lying in ambush. But we had our fun! Fishing was Home is where you park it. Our final camp at Weeli Wolli Spring.

on the cards with more than a few little nippers swimming around. At night time marron virtually covered the creek bed, you couldn’t walk through it without a light. If you did you might walk out with a few attached to your toes. More downtime was enjoyed by the fire, soaking up the last bit of Pilbara magic before our journey home, telling a few stories and reminiscing on the past few days. The final day had come and once again we were back on the road. Before leaving we took the time to venture down the creek and stop off at a hill overlooking the springs. A brief stop along the creek for lunch was in order before leaving, snorkelling and lighting the grill for a quick barbeque. And that was it, our adventure had come to an end, and what a journey it was, filled with extreme highs and only a handful of nervous lows! The Pilbara region is a vast and breathtaking area, one that should be on every explorer’s bucket list.

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Explore the

PILBARA in Your 4WD

Want to discover Kalgan Pool and 20 fabulous 4WD adventures in Western Weeli Wolli Spring Australia’s rugged north-west for yourself? Get our guide book for just $19.95. Order now from: www.western4wdriver.com.au/shop INCLUDES TRIPS SUITABLE FOR SOFTROADE RS

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EXPLORER SERIES

Western Australia: No 6

Enjoying some R&R in the Pilbara sun.

Western 4W Driver #117

Isuzu D-MAX

X-Terrain Words by Ray Cully Photos by Christine Arnasiewicz

All hype aside, is the new D-MAX worthy of consideration if you’re in the market to upgrade or purchase your first dual cab? Yep, sure is! If Isuzu’s intent was to crush the quiet achiever tag and boldly step forward as a serious contender for top dog amongst the ute pack then they hit their target.

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irst impressions confirm Isuzu have done a stellar visual job to balance external aesthetics between slick street cruiser and rugged go anywhere off-road machine. From any angle, the D-MAX will turn heads, whether parked in the driveway or homeward bound, covered in mud. The predecessor’s subdued dual horizontal bar letter box grille has given way to a sporty, aggressive look. Isuzu have taken to the front end with a file to sharpen the outer edges of those horizontal bars into pointed fangs. Sure, appearance is a matter of taste. For me, that bold deep open grille with vertical indicator and fog lamps mounted low and to the side in a ribbed recess, plus the subtle two-tone spoilers front and rear really add to the D-MAX’s aggressive good looks. The newly styled tapered automatic bi-LED headlamps, with sharp contoured daytime running lights accenting the angular design, glare straight back at you; confirming this beast is more predator than prey.

My test vehicle was the X-Terrain, the flagship of the model range, finished in striking Volcanic Amber metallic with contrasting dark grey flares and spoilers. This colour, exclusive to the X Terrain, had an almost radiant glow depending on the angle of the sunlight, which enhanced the body contours of this new aerodynamic wedge-shaped design. It’s difficult to make a boxy ute butt stylish, but Isuzu have maintained the sporty theme with a snazzy finned aero sports bar, modern dual LED edge tail lamps and an integrated rear bumper and step. The practical matte black roller tonneau cover is lockable to protect your gear from prying eyes or snatch and grab opportunists. Disappointing was the lack of 12v outlet in the tub and absence of close assist on the weighty tailgate. Swing into the supportive, broad, comfortable perforated leather accented seats with 8-way electric adjustment (including lumbar support for the driver) and admire the surrounds. There’s no doubt Isuzu have nailed the wow factor. This fresh

new interior design is a significant deviation from the previous practical but commercial orientated layout. Soft touch surfaces adorn the top of the dash, doors, sides and console lid to nestle those human touch points. Isuzu have embraced the concept of less is more with subtle placement of silver and piano black highlights or white accent stitching throughout the cabin giving the interior a premium look and feel. Bright clear instrumentation, with a colour 4.2” customisable multi-information display, provides the driver with an array of information and the ability to configure key vehicle systems via the steering wheel toggle switches. An impressive 9-inch touchscreen adorns the centre of the dash neatly framed by vertical triangular vents accented with silver surrounds. The new infotainment system is complete with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DAB, GPS and rear camera display. It’s hooked to Isuzu’s 'Sky Sound' with no less than eight speakers mounted in the dash, front doors, rear doors and roof. Western 4W Driver #117

Isuzu’s interface is reasonably intuitive, but it took a few goes to get familiar with the GPS functionality. Below the main screen is an LED readout for the dual climate control settings, with a neat row of stylish and pleasingly tactile toggle switches to control various A/C functions. Storage abounds with upper and lower glove boxes, a small storage compartment atop the centre of the dash, large console, and door pockets that will hold a 1.5L water bottle. I was pleased to see the clever cup holders that slide out just under the front side vents survive in this latest model. Rear seating is very comfortable by ute standards, with a fold down arm rest and somewhere to rest your coffee cup. There’s good head and leg room behind the front seats and dual rear console air vents will ensure your back seat passengers aren’t leaning over your shoulder to get a cool breeze on hotter days. Convenient USB charging ports exist front and rear for phones or iPads, with a bag hook on the rear of the passenger’s seat a handy addition. Isuzu have wasted no opportunity to make the most of available space, with under-seat storage bins great for tools or small pieces of recovery gear. At the business end, the D-MAX houses a new DOHC, 16-valve three litre turbo diesel under the hood. The new fuel injection system and redesigned combustion chamber improves efficiency and, with durable piston coatings, this new engine is set to match or perhaps surpass the near bulletproof reliability of the previous engine. It’s coupled to a Rev-Tronic 6-speed auto providing quicker shifts and a sequential sports mode. On paper, the power figures are down a little on the competition, with the D-MAX producing 140kWs and 450Nm of torque. But it's how the Isuzu delivers that power in the real world that is far more relevant. With peak torque rolling on strongly from 1,600rpm it holds a near flat torque curve to 2600rpm ideal for driving challenging offroad environments where low down smooth 34

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linear power delivery shines through. It’s also perfectly positioned for relaxed towing duties to ease driver fatigue. It was competently capable in brisk city traffic or performing open road passing manoeuvres with 140kWs on tap at 3,600rpm. Put the right boot in from stand still and the D-MAX will twist the rear wheels with enough assertive authority to momentarily break traction as it surges forward. It's no sports car, but this perky diesel can hold its own and deliver the goods when needed. A comforting thought, given a 3,500kg braked towing capacity. The 6-speed auto executes brisk shift changes, mapped to the engine’s demands based on load, throttle setting, and rpm. It ensures the engine stays on the boil and near enough to the middle of that strong flat torque curve. Around town this provides for a relaxed drive by keeping the engine settled. The Isuzu never feels stressed or rushed in city traffic or even cruising the freeway. As a daily driver it gets on with the job and doesn’t make a fuss about it. It's worth mentioning, the modern transmissions behind these small capacity diesels are programmed to exploit the available torque curve to maximise economy and maintain optimal driving performance for any given load. But keep in mind that during a constant load and narrow rpm range, such as climbing a small rise at steady throttle, the transmission may determine the best option is to hold its chosen gear for an extended period before up-shifting. It can feel odd the first time, but it’s perfectly normal, and demonstrates how closely the X-Terrain’s transmission works in harmony with this new power plant to give you its best. Ride comfort and control is where the new D-MAX shows noticeable improvement. Plush sedan it isn’t. But for an unladen ute, the typical harsh bump and jarring over small surface irregularities or lesser graded gravel roads is better absorbed Western 4W Driver #117

and suppressed by the suspension to reduce noise, harshness and vibrations transferring into the cabin. After 120km on a less than perfect gravel excursion, my lower back really appreciated the added refinement. In a heart racing moment, as skippy leapt out from behind the bushes without warning, I had to perform an impromptu sudden stop on ball-bearing gravel. The D-MAX Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) kicked into action and I could feel the Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) system apply additional pressure to the brake pedal to facilitate a quick controlled stop in a straight line. Impressive! Switching to the black top, and punting the D-MAX through twisty bends in the hills, the new coil-sprung independent front end with raised upper control arms felt more receptive to turn in through the corners. The body roll was nicely controlled, allowing the D-MAX to sit flatter through the bends

providing confidence when hustling along a country road. The electric steering provided a nicely weighted and direct response to steering inputs at higher road speeds. Pull into the car park to make a U-turn and the tighter ratio steering at only 3.84 turns lock-to-lock was effortless. That electric steering allowed me to spin the steering wheel with one finger to complete the 12.5m turning circle. Under the rear is a set of overslung longspan semi-elliptic leaf springs and gas shock absorbers providing the X-Terrain with a load carrying capacity of 970kgs, including a tow-ball limit of up to 350kg. For any tow vehicle, decent brakes are a priority. With the D-MAX running dual piston calipers gripping 320mm ventilated discs up front, and a set of 295mm commercial drum brakes on the rear, braking response is strong and linear on the road, which is reassuring should you need to haul close to a tonne in the back. Exploring rocky trails was the perfect opportunity to explore the X-Terrain’s off-road prowess and see if the improvements delivered significant benefits. The D-MAX has ground clearance of 240mm with approach, ramp over and departure angles of 30.5°, 24.2° and 23.8° respectively. A stated wading depth of 800mm, if moving slowly through water, is thanks to what Isuzu refers to as the 'snorkel' diff breathers, which also reduce the propensity for getting clogged up with mud. And Isuzu hasn’t forgotten the all-important requirement to protect the under body and drive line with steel plate guards over the sump, transfer case and front of the fuel tank.

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First and second gear in high-range saw the X-Terrain easily crawl over most moderate obstacles without fuss. The electric steering is a gem in these conditions, it’s light and direct for easy vehicle placement around trees and larger rocks. As the trail headed upwards, the surface changed from firm sandstone to small shale and rocks, offering much less purchase for the tyres to maintain grip. Selecting low range requires stopping the vehicle, and a quick twist of the rotary switch on the dash. Isuzu’s previous traction control was a little less sensitive and slower to react to wheel spin in difficult wheel cross-ups on loose gravel. Without cautious throttle application, it could invoke the system to snatch and grab at the brakes in an attempt to maintain forward momentum. The new D-MAX felt less skittish with brake suppression coming on sooner and more progressively, having less tendency to unsettle the vehicle from its intended path. But as individual rear wheels occasionally grabbed some air-time, forward progress was difficult. New to the D-MAX is an offroad trump card, a locking rear differential.

Activate the electromagnetic lock for the tail end and the X-Terrain asserts its authority on challenging terrain. I appreciated the wheel articulation as the more you can keep tyres in contact with the ground, the better your ability to negotiate challenging terrain successfully. Being an independent front end, the raised upper wishbone allows for better drop, offering just over 500mm of travel both on the front and the back end. Watch those decorative side steps, convenient for getting in and out, but the ledge they create can all too easily catch on rocks and mounds leaving them scratched or bent. If you're going to venture into heavy off-road territory, you may find something offering more strength and protection to the side-sill panel would be a good investment. While the D-MAX offered an overall impressive effort for a standard vehicle off the showroom floor, here comes my first gripe - the on-road tyres. The X-Terrain is shod with 265 / 60 R18 Highway-Terrain rubber that complements the on-road ride and handling, but isn’t Western 4W Driver #117

designed or intended for the rigours of challenging off road excursions. Given the name 'X-Terrain', an option to choose a more robust LT construction or All Terrain offering greater durability would be handy for those owners who are keen to take advantage of this vehicle’s broad range of capability. I guess Isuzu figured that many of these great looking high-end utes will rarely see a hard day’s work or adventurous off-road activity, as they spend a greater portion of their life travelling the black top with caravan in tow or filling the important role of daily driver and family duties. With a five-star ANCAP safety rating, this new D-MAX is racked and stacked with an impressive list of high-tech wizardry. With safety at the forefront, Isuzu needs to be congratulated for making their Intelligent Driver Assist System (IDAS) standard across the entire range rather than a luxury option. It provides both passive and active driver support thanks to a 3D stereo camera mounted atop the windscreen. The vehicle constantly monitors its surrounds and driver inputs to ensure optimal safety not only for the driver and occupants but others around you. Auto trans vehicles include adaptive cruise control monitoring the speed of the vehicle in front and adjusting its own accordingly. A drowsy or inattentive driver will be warned if the vehicle is starting to 38

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tail-gate or wander from the centre of their lane. More importantly, if the driver doesn’t respond the vehicle will take action and initiate emergency braking to prevent a forward collision or turning in front of an approaching vehicle. Lane monitoring is smart enough to prevent a driver from crossing a lane without indicating. Or take emergency action if the driver ignores the Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) warning in the wing mirror; indicates and tries to move across with a vehicle in their blind spot. Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and reverse camera are standard across the range, while the X-Terrain is the only one to receive both front and rear parking sensors. Offroad goodies include hill-start assist and hill-descent control. I really liked the walk away auto-lock feature, plus the fob remote-start function to fire up the aircon before entering and the push button start, sadly only included in the upper spec of the X-Terrain. Interestingly, at this high end of the market there are no heated or cooled seats, even as an option. The eight airbags include dual front, curtain, side, driver's knee and far side airbags. And, in a first, Isuzu have gone one better to incorporate an additional air bag in the centre between the driver and passenger front seats. There are isofix mountings in the back for two baby seats.

Isuzu indicated a combined fuel consumption rate of 8 litres/100km and having completed a mix of suburban, highway, secondary roads and trail driving, I averaged 9.2. It's fair to say that for those with a lighter foot, the quoted economy is pretty much on the money. With a not-so cavernous fuel tank capacity of only 75L, it should be good for a conservative 800km. This is an impressive vehicle. Isuzu have taken every aspect of the popular dual cab ute and pushed forward in terms of design, appeal, technology and safety. There’s an old saying that when a manufacturer eventually builds the perfect vehicle, we’ll all be driving it. As a true multifunction vehicle for work, play and family practicality, Isuzu have flexed their engineering prowess and successfully edged benchmark standards closer to that elusive goal.

Fast Facts Price: $62,900

Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel Output: 140kW/450Nm Transmission: Six-speed automatic Fuel: 8.0L/100km Safety rating: ANCAP 5 Stars.

Western 4W Driver #117

WINTER escape

By Karl Fehlauer, Westralian Images

Starting from an easy drive north of Perth, Karl takes us on a winter escape through pioneer country, uncovering the ghosts of yesteryear as he heads for the Kennedy Ranges. He shows us that sometimes the best thing to do is to stop once in a while, look up and enjoy the show.

Natures Bridge - Glenburgh Station. Western 4W Driver #117

ell 2020 was certainly an interesting year and many of us have been impacted some way or another. For me my year started off by being made redundant in early January, and as a result, I decided to make a number of changes to my life. One was to start my own business and the other was to get out and explore Western Australia a lot more and especially those places off of the beaten track and not so popular to most tourists. During the COVID lockdown period, I did a lot of research and started to plan a trip away. I wasn’t sure where to but it had to be north. It was during a conversation with a mate of mine, John Collins (from Track Care WA) that planted the seed for a trip in mid-July to head north via the inland route through the Murchison and Gascoyne Regions to the Kennedy Ranges and checking out some old and abandoned stations and other sites of interest along the way. Damperwah Ruin.

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So, on Monday morning 20th July, John, another mate Mick and I met at the Bindoon Bakehaus for breakfast and to start our trip north. At this stage our plans were still very flexible and it was decided to head to the Karara Rangelands Parklands for our first night. With breakfast eaten, our small convoy headed off to Karara via Moora, Coorow, Carnamah and then onto Perenjori where I had to refuel. Once refuelled, we headed into Karara via the Perenjori Rothsay Road arriving at the old Damperwah State Experimental Farm buildings late in the afternoon just before sunset. As the sun set, I walked around and explored the old buildings and was amazed at their structures and it made me wonder what life would have been like out here over 100 years ago. Soon the sun had set and we had a fire going as the chill of the winter’s night air started to creep in. We prepared our evening meal and once dinner had been eaten, we sat back and enjoyed the wonderful night sky

Damperwah Ruin by night.

that was appearing before our eyes. With little to no light pollution out there the night sky is pitch black and the stars are bright. It is truly a sight to be seen and enjoyed and continued for the rest of the trip. I took the opportunity to practice some nightscape photography and light painting, taking a number of photographs of the old farm houses and I was pretty pleased with what I was able to achieve. Soon the cold of the night got to me and I decided to go to bed. Day one was done and dusted and I couldn’t wait for what was to come.

A short time later, we were packed up and on our way heading easterly along the Rothsay Road. Along the way we made a diversion to the John Forrest Lookout to take in the spectacular view and stopped at the old Damperwah Well and Rothsay Cemetery. John Forrest Lookout.

The following morning I awoke to a brisk and chilly day but there was very little cloud in the sky. Over breakfast we made our plans for the day which was basically drive to Warridar Homestead and then onto Yalgoo finding somewhere to camp overnight, nothing like a detailed plan! Western 4W Driver #117

We arrived at Warridar in time for lunch and after having a quick bite to eat I wandered off to have a good look around this wonderful old homestead. The homestead has had a lot of work done to it recently by Track Care WA and it is a credit to them. After an hour at Warridar we decided to head off and plans were made to stop at Thundelarra to have a chat to the local Ranger, however, instead of going by the well graded road we decided to take the track that paralleled the road which turned out to be a very interesting track. We made our way slowly along the track taking in the beautiful view of the stunning countryside. The track was reasonably easy to navigate and we only got geographically embarrassed once as well as making one stop to release a stone from my front passenger side brakes, it is amazing how much noise one stone makes. We arrived at Thundelarra late in the afternoon and after chatting with the Ranger we headed off to find a spot to camp for the night. After a short while we found a nice and secure spot just off the road and set up camp for the night. Unlike the previous night it wasn’t as chilly and a lot more comfortable. The night was Warridar Homestead.

Western 4W Driver #117

The Mog at Chinaman Rock.

spent sitting around and having long conversations about four wheel driving, camping and plans for the next day. The next morning I woke early and had breakfast and then packed up. By now, John and Mick had finished packing and we were soon on our way. Today’s plan was to visit Jokers Tunnel just outside of Yalgoo and then head on to Chinaman Rock and Melangata Station before back tracking and camping at the old Narloo Homestead. We made the quick detour into Jokers Tunnel which was an interesting place to visit and one has to wonder at the amount of work that went into getting gold out of the ground. From here we made our way to Yalgoo where I refuelled and then headed off.

Narloo Homestead and Milky Way.

Just before midday, we stopped at Chinaman Rock and had lunch and a quick explore of the area. This is just one of many granite rocks that are located throughout WA and each one is interesting in their own right. From here we made our way to Melangata Station and dropped in there for a chat with Jo Clews before back tracking and heading to old Narloo Station. We soon reached Tardie Station and it was decided to take the track from Tardie to Narloo instead of going via the graded roads and this turned out to be a great choice as the track was a very interesting drive, nothing too hard and even though I was towing a camper trailer I didn’t have any issues. However, I wouldn’t take a caravan down that track. We arrived at Narloo late in the afternoon and set up camp. By now it was getting dark so we prepared our evening meals and sat back and enjoyed the solitude. The night was cool and there was no need for a fire and the night sky was clear.

The next morning we woke to a fog rolling in which stayed for about an hour or so making it rather warm and muggy. After breakfast, we explored the old homestead and it was a great insight into how the oldtimers lived and survived in these areas. The old homestead and surrounding buildings have been restored by Track Care WA and they have done a great job. It was soon time to head off and today we were heading towards the Murchison Roadhouse. Along the way, we stopped at Wooleen Station before arriving at Murchison mid-afternoon. We took the opportunity to stay overnight in the caravan park and have a nice warm shower and a cooked meal in the roadhouse. One thing I enjoy when travelling is meeting interesting people and that night we had a great chat with Andy who was the local ‘dogger’ for that area and I learnt a lot about feral animals and their destructive habits that night. The following morning after breakfast and packing up we headed north and the plan Western 4W Driver #117

that day was to reach Glenburgh Station in the Gascoyne Region and stay a couple of nights exploring what the station has to offer. We headed in a northerly direction along the Carnarvon-Mullewa Road and for the first time in a number of days we had to contend with traffic which made the going a little slower as we slowed down when passing oncoming vehicles or to give way at the river crossings. Just before we reached the Wooramel River, John called us over the radio and told us he was taking us to a secret spot on the Wooramel River where it joins with the North Wooramel River. So we made a right turn onto a well-defined dirt track (obviously it isn’t that much of a secret) and followed this to the rivers and were greeted with a stunning sight of the two rivers meeting and a gorge. We spent over an hour there enjoying the views. I put my drone up to get some imagery but there was quite a stiff wind blowing which made it a little challenging but I was able to get some reasonable video of the area. After an hour or so enjoying the view we headed off and continued north towards the Gascoyne Region. Along the way we stopped at Bilung Pool for a look and to take some photos. By now it was midafternoon so we headed off and shortly afterwards arrived at Glenburgh Station.

On arriving at Glenburgh, we were greeted by the smiling face of Anna who made us feel welcome. John’s nephew Ross and his wife Anna own Glenburgh Station and have recently started up a station stay business where travellers can stay and I can highly recommend it. After a coffee with Ross and Anna, we decided to head out to an area that John knew well, to camp for the night at a place they called Nature’s Bridge. We had to back track a little but soon we were arriving at Nature’s Bridge and I was stunned at the amazing countryside. I couldn’t wait to get set up and then to get my camera out and start taking photos. Once the night set in, we commenced what was now our standard routine of preparing and eating dinner and then sitting back having good conversation and enjoying the peace and quiet. Apart from the night at the Murchison Roadhouse, we had not shared a site with anyone else and this is why it pays to get off the beaten track and explore. The next day we explored the country around Nature’s Bridge including an old oil well exploration site before setting off to camp on another part of the station at Geeranoo Creek at the base of the Mungarillah Cliffs. That night we made plans to head to the Kennedy Ranges and explore the western side rather than the popular eastern side. The western face of the Kennedy Ranges.

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coming from the other direction. He informed us that the river was low but to keep to the right of some sticks that had been placed in the river. We thanked him for his advice and headed off.

Sunrise looking through Natures Bridge.

The next morning saw us up early, and we watched the cliffs come alive as the sun hit them with the morning light. Soon we were on our way to Gascoyne Junction and on arriving there I took the opportunity to refuel and grab a bite to eat. Once we had all refuelled, we moved out and were soon heading west towards the turn off on to a gravel road and headed in a northerly direction towards the Gascoyne River. On arriving at the information station just before the river we stopped to let some air out of our tyres and while doing this we had a quick chat with another traveller

A short time later, we arrived at the Gascoyne River and it was decided that John should cross first as he was in an ex German Army Unimog and would be able to assist us if we required it. John carefully entered the water and made it easily across, so I entered the river and crossed it with ease, followed by Mick in his 100 Series LandCruiser. From there we drove steadily northwards and by mid-afternoon arrived at Mooka Springs. I would have to say that this place was one of the best places I have ever camped at. After setting up my camper trailer, I had a brew and as the afternoon was rather warm I took the opportunity to go for a swim. It was lovely and refreshing

Mooka Springs - Kennedy Ranges sunset.

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and as it had been a few days since my last proper wash I enjoyed it, however, I don’t think that the aquatic life in the springs would have appreciated it! There was only one other couple camping there that night. The only downside was that we found an old fire pit that was still glowing hot as it hadn’t been extinguished properly despite only being five metres from the water! The following day, we headed off following the western edge of the Kennedy’s, stopping at Chaffcutters Springs, Pharaohs Well and a few other places to explore and take photos. To say this was stunning country is an understatement. Soon we were heading up the incline to the top of the Range. The incline isn’t too steep but it is a single lane track so care has to be taken. Eventually we made it to the top and the scenery changed to red sand dunes. We slowly made our way to the eastern scarp and found a camp site on the edge of the Range just as the afternoon sun was setting in the west. The view here was just stunning. The following morning we headed off in a northerly direction along the eastern scarp, stopping at many places along the way The east scarp of the Kennedy Ranges at sunset.

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Chaffcutter Springs.

to take in the views. Eventually we made our way down the eastern side and decided to divert and visit the old Merlinleigh Station ruins. We stopped here for an hour to have a look around and take some photos. It was then decided that it was time that Mick and I head home and John was heading further north so we made our way back to the North West Coastal Highway. I can honestly say that the Kennedy Ranges was one of the most stunning areas I have ever visited and I will be heading back there in the near future. In fact everywhere that we visited was fantastic and we hardly came across any other travellers, so it was worth getting off the beaten track.

On arriving at the North West Coastal Highway, Mick and I turned left and John turned right and we bid our farewells and started the long trip home. It was a great week away. If you are interested in seeing video of our trip, just search YouTube for Westralian Images and you can see the four episodes that I made of the trip. You can also visit my website www.westralianimages.com to see some of the photos that I took on the trip.

Us Western Australians are very lucky as we have some very diverse country to get out and explore from the Southern Ocean to the tip of the Kimberley. I will be out there exploring it and hope to see you out there as well.

Merlinleigh Station.

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DIY Maintenance

CARING FOR YOUR

CAMPER TRAILER

By Grant Hanan & Linda Bloffwitch

Western 4W Driver #117

! y r r o s n a th e Better saf

After years of travelling with a camper trailer in tow, we’ve picked up a thing or two along the way when it comes to maintaining our camper trailer. This includes taking any small issues that arise with our camper trailer seriously. While the issue could have simply been a minor problem at the time, it’s those tell-tale signs that something’s not right that could easily turn a sensational trip into a disaster if it fails in the middle of nowhere during the next trip. We record any issues as they occur while travelling, which get added to our next maintenance schedule before heading off again. Here’s a look at the top ten maintenance items we focus on to ensure we have troublefree camper trailer touring. Western 4W Driver #117

1. Clean and visual inspection Giving your camper a clean with a pressure washer and some truck wash after a trip is a good place to start. Make sure to clean underneath as well, so include the suspension and in and around the seals. This is also the prime time you’ll find any water leaks. Follow up with a hand wash, as you can check fittings, doors, hatches and openings more closely. After cleaning the outside of the camper, crawl underneath it with a spanner and screwdriver and swing on every nut, bolt and screw to ensure they’re tight. Make sure to take note of any that are loose and add these to your list of things to rectify. Other things to check in your camper as part of a maintenance schedule include kitchen and cooking items. Check all gas bottles for compliance, as well as the condition of gas hoses and the gas regulator. Also run through your camper’s kitchen contents to ensure you’re travelling with

the right gear and not carrying unnecessary weight. Then move to the trailer’s tent and take a look over items like the awning poles. While you’re at it, check you’ve got enough pegs and inspect the condition of rope ties. Don’t forget to include checking the bed’s mattress, table and chairs. Give the camper a good clean after each trip.

2. Hitch Give your vehicle’s hitch the once over and look for any signs of marks or gouges in the coupling ball/pin. Then inspect the trailer’s A frame hitch and clean it with a mild solvent. Using a spanner, check all attachment bolts and inspect safety chain welds for any cracking. Also lubricate all moving parts with water repellent grease. If your camper has grease nipples, ensure they’re in good working order and add a bit of grease. Leave a thin film of lubricant on any moving coupling parts. Finally, don’t exclude the jockey wheel, so give it the same treatment. 52

Western 4W Driver #117

A good amount of lube is applied after the hitch has been cleaned.

3. Electrics Connector and Lights Inspect the electrical couplings for any signs of cuts/nicks as these too can take a beating. Use a slight tugging motion to ensure there’s no loose connections and give it a clean with a stiff brush. You can also use electrical water repellent such as WD40 or something similar on the electrical pins, Anderson plug and camera connectors (if you’ve got those fitted). Repeat the process for the vehicle’s connector and then plug them in together. Test the electrical circuit is working properly by switching on all lights to ensure they work. Then at the same time, have another person pull, push and twist the wiring couplings to simulate harsh driving conditions. If you’ve got electric brakes fitted, check the solenoids are operating as well.

The electrics get cleaned with a stiff brush and sprayed with a water repellent for protection.

4. Wheels and Tyres Connect the trailer to the vehicle and remove a trailer wheel whilst it’s on a safety jack. Clean and carefully inspect the tyre on both side walls for any marks, cuts or nicks. Also check the tread depth is still adequate. Often the valve stem can take a beating from stones, so you’ll want to inspect this carefully too. You can also remove the valve cap and check for any leaks before checking pressures. Now’s a good time to deflate the tyre to 18psi to ensure the valve is seating well, and then reinflate the tyre to maximum pressure. Also inspect the wheel for any damage. Steel wheels will look new again with a quick touch up of paint while they’re off. Lastly, paint the tyre with tyre black for

that professional finish and UV protection. Repeat this process for your other wheel and remember to include the spare. You need to remove the wheels to spot inside nicks like this one.

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5. Bearings and Stub Axle Now is a good time to check the stub axle area, the electric brakes and bearings. If you’re unsure how to adjust electric brakes and apply bearing adjustments, it’s best to leave this job for a professional. After a visual inspection, use some spanners to check the nuts and bolts are tight. Then remove the hub and check for signs of scoring/marking as small stones can often get in and make a real mess. Reinstall the brake drum if it all looks good. Refit the nut and apply the appropriate adjustment before refitting the pin.

Checking the brakes and associated parts after the hub has been removed.

6. Suspension Take a good look at the suspension system while the wheels are still off and use a spanner to check tightness. Grab the shockers (if they’re installed) and give them a bit of a shake and twist to feel for any movement in the bushes. Also look for

signs of oil leaking around the tubes. The only real way to give them a good check is to remove them and feel for their rebound firmness against an object (this may best be left to your service agent). Look for any signs of cracks in the leaves if leaf springs are fitted. Now’s the perfect time to give nipples and shackle hangers a bit of lubrication with some grease.

Look for any signs of oil leaks on shockers and general wear and tear on bushes.

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7. Water Tanks We’ve always found it’s a good idea to periodically flush and clean out any water tanks. Then check hoses and connectors for kinks and leaks. Run any pumps to inspect water cleanliness and you can’t go past a simple taste test. Proprietary water tank solutions are an excellent way to help improve the wellbeing of water tanks and help keep the bugs at bay. These products are readily available and can be picked up from most camping shops.

We add some tank cleaner to the water tanks which gets flushed through the system.

8. 12 Volt Systems When it comes to batteries, you can’t expect to get a good life out of the one in your camper if it’s neglected. Start with a simple check to ensure that it’s charged at all times, and terminals are tight and free from dust, grime and sulphation. The level of testing you can perform on the circuits really comes down to the complexity of the system and your knowledge. Begin by simply turning everything on and off. Then plug in a 12v cig gauge and leave some load on for a couple hours. You should find the volts drop over time. Next, connect your vehicle to the trailer and start the engine. Here you’re looking to see whether the volts begin to climb back up (assuming your vehicle is wired to recharge your house batteries). Remember to fully charge the batteries again.

A 12v cig gauge is a simple and effective way of checking the batteries.

Western 4W Driver #117

9. Canvas Care Luckily, modern day canvas doesn’t require a lot of cleaning maintenance. You’ll want to stay clear of detergents or solvents to help clean the canvas as they remove its water repelling properties. Begin by assembling the canvas tent area on a warm, sunny day, and use a garden hose to apply minimal pressure to squirt the canvas area to remove dust and grime. This is a good opportunity to then check all seams and pooling areas for possible leaks. Leave the canvas to completely dry in the sun before putting it away to prevent any mould while in storage. A range of waterproofing products are available to help rejuvenate canvas for water repelling capabilities, and these are available from camping shops and upholstery canvas suppliers. With dust playing havoc with camper trailer

10. Finishing Off Whether your camper has painted steel work, polished aluminium, or fibreglass, give it the once over with some polish and wax treatment to make it sparkle. You won’t want to skip this step, as it makes the camper much easier to clean next time. The fibreglass polish helps protect the camper in readiness for our next getaway.

Western 4W Driver #117

Giving the zips a bit of TLC after a trip can help their longevity.

zips, clean these using a small nail brush or old toothbrush and some warm soapy water. Then apply a dry lubricant such as silicon spray after the zips have dried. Other alternatives include a lube dry stick of grease, graphite powders, or even a lead pencil. In most cases, the zip sliders will eventually wear out, so you may need to visit an upholstery shop for replacements.

Quick tips! • Add silicon adhesive to the wheels’ dust shield cap to help seal the area and to prevent it getting knocked off when travelling on dirt roads. • Don’t overtighten the shackle bolts on leaf springs as they still need to move. Use new Nyloc nuts if you undo them or Loctite at the very least. • When refitting trailer wheels and tyres, loosely tighten them up when it’s on the jack. Then when they’re back on the ground, use a torque wrench and apply a criss-cross sequence to tighten correctly. • Add some water tank cleaning agent to a half tank of water on the way home from your next adventure so it sloshes around when travelling. At home, drain and flush with clean water. Refill the tank completely so no bacteria can grow in air pockets. • Always carry spare fuses with you in case you need them when travelling. With all the hard yards our camper has done, it’s only fair we provide it with the care it deserves. And once the jobs are all done and it’s packed away, we know it’s more than ready to meet the challenge of our next adventure when we hit the tracks.

DL17210

EXPLOREX CARAVANS 66 Prestige Parade, Wangara

Phone 08 9302 2295 • reception@explorex.com.au

www.explorex.com.au Western 4W Driver #117

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It was the Worst of Trips, It was the Best of Trips ...

… but it showed us the value of travelling with a 4WD club.

By Stephan Millett, Joy Unno, Deborah Thyne, David Peck and Ross Mead

Western 4W Driver #117

Ross and David had put a lot of work into planning for months before we left. Ross had led many overnight and day trips, but this was his first big trip as trip leader and he sought support and guidance from David who has done many. Because of COVID restrictions on travel to the regions, for quite some time we were unsure if the trip could go ahead. It was to have been the last leg for another Club trip to the Kimberley as well as a stand-alone trip for those with less time available. The Kimberley trip had to be cancelled so going to Mount Augustus and the Kennedy Ranges was a nice consolation prize. It was a trip planned well, with much detail provided to the crew travelling together. It was also planned well in advance. Despite this, there was a succession of disasters. But this little yarn is not a ‘woe is me’ story. Rather it is a story of how a great team of well-prepared people in the Subaru 4WD Club of Western Australia coped with what we might euphemistically call ‘problems on the road’.

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e started north early on Saturday August 15, meeting up at the big new fuel stop on Great Northern Highway in Upper Swan. We were seen off by Chris and Deborah’s son Tom who came down from his home in Bullsbrook to catch up with his folks.

Something feels wrong Stephan now takes up the story, as it was not the last he would see of Tom that day. We negotiated several wide loads on the way to Bindoon, but didn’t stop at the bakehouse this time, because the schedule had us staying at the Granite Gardens outside Cue that night. Chat on the twoway was about the idea that Bindoon would be a good place to start from next time we headed to the inland Murchison or Gascoyne. But 29 kilometres after leaving Bindoon came the first drama – when I came perilously close to my right rear wheel falling off. I had been thinking the road was a bit rough – and it was (this is the Great Northern Highway!) – but I was paying close attention to my car, and this felt different. I called the others on the twoway to ask if anyone else felt the road was unusually rough. It was rough, they said, but no-one remarked on it being unusual. I said

I was stopping to check and went around kicking, pulling and checking wheels. I didn’t see anything. About five kilometres later my steering started to wander and the rough ride got a lot rougher. I called the group to stop – and they did, in a layby. There was no safe place for me to stop any earlier, and by the time I had limped the short distance to meet up with them, I was seriously worried. I stopped on flat ground as soon as I could and then saw my rear wheel. It had a strange camber and on inspection three wheel nuts were gone and three studs were sheared off. I jacked the car and got out my tools. Two studs of the five were usable, but their threads were damaged. Two studs were broken close to the hub. The remaining stud had no wheel nut, but looked like it might have a couple of threads left that could be used. The first action was to swear at the mechanics who had serviced my car the previous day, then to swear at myself for not checking my wheelnuts as I routinely do before a long trip. The next task was to get out a thread die and to re-make the threads. Subaru studs are M12 bolts with

Two good studs, two gone, one just enough.

1.25 fine thread. I had the right tool, and I had one spare nut but needed two more. David and Ross each gave me a nut from their spares supply. I managed to re-thread the studs and get a good tight union on two and a purchase on the third: I judged it was enough to limp back toward more serious help. In the meantime others in the group had been on their phones finding a place I could buy studs and get them fitted. No luck anywhere at that point. Deb phoned her

Western 4W Driver #117

Tom doing stud repairs.

son Tom, who is a heavy diesel mechanic, to ask if he knew of anything. He struck out too, so I started my slow motion limp back toward Perth – hazard lights flashing. While on the way, Tom rang. I pulled over and answered. He said he had found one place in Midland that had the right studs (thanks Veales!). He insisted on going to get them and asked if I could get to Bullsbrook where he lives, as there were two businesses there that might have a hoist we could use. We struck out on those too, so Tom and I headed off to his place, where I parked my Forester on his drive and we proceeded to replace all five studs in my rear wheel. Well, Tom did that while I fetched and carried. That makes it sound easy. It is straightforward, but wasn’t easy: first remove the cable handbrake housing, then hit the studs out and put new ones in. It took a little while till we settled on a way using nuts to draw the studs through from the back. Tom paid very close attention to how tightly the studs were pulled through. Tom now has hero status and I would have promised him my firstborn, except my firstborn is a few years older than Tom and may have objected. Late in the afternoon my car was safe again and I headed north. I stopped a few times to check the wheelnuts with my torque 62

Western 4W Driver #117

wrench, and gradually came to trust them. I stopped for fuel and snacks in Dalwallinu as it started to get dark and was hoping to get to Paynes Find and to kip in my car there. I didn’t make it. My high beams and spotlights went, so I pulled into a clearing in the bush, ate a cold meal, re-assessed, replaced the fuse and decided to sleep. I slept in the reclined passenger seat – which was surprisingly OK. I got up before the sun and headed off and made it to Cue at the same time as the rest of the crew, who had come in from Granite Gardens – about 16 kilometres east of town. We continued uneventfully and took the Berringarra road toward Mount Augustus, stopped at Mount Gould lockup for lunch and carried on past Landor station and the Burringurrah community before the fates intervened again.

A rock and a hard place Steve noticed he had a flat tyre and stopped to change the wheel. The outside of the tyre looked fine, but the inside sidewall was ripped apart and there was a very large hole in the inside of the alloy rim and what was confirmed later to be damage to a lower control arm. We deduced that a large rock must have been thrown up and become wedged between the control arm and the

rim, shredding the tyre so quickly there was no warning on Steve’s tyre pressure monitoring system. None of us had seen such major damage to a tyre and rim on one of our vehicles. The road was smooth gravel, but had been graded recently. We changed the wheel, but this left Steve with no spare and because his late-model Subaru had the new 5x114.3 stud pattern and the rest were the older 5x100 pattern we couldn’t share wheels and we couldn’t fit one of our casings on to his rim as that rim was ruined. If this had been one of our more remote trips each vehicle would have had two spares – but …

Not the best of trips We made it into Mt Augustus, lit a campfire in the pit provided and settled down after a tumultuous drive up. Some of us had retired for the night and missed much of what came next. It was a moonless night with a cloudless sky and stars were … well what do you say about a night sky in the bush – awesome. The campground at Mt Augustus has old tyres encircling the unpowered camp area (where we had pitched our tents) to prevent cars from driving on the grass. Around 9pm Ross heard a small cry and found Steve crumpled on the ground. He had tripped over one of the tyres and was in great pain and unable to use his arm. It was later confirmed he

Steve's shredded tyre left him with no spare.

had broken the bone in his upper arm. A broken humerus was also the preliminary diagnosis on the ground by Deb first and then when Jason was summoned from his bed, he confirmed that the arm was very likely broken. Deb is a Registered Nurse

Cloud over Mount Augustus.

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with many years' experience and Jason has a degree in Paramedicine and works as a safety officer in a remote minesite. Joy now takes up the story. Jason swung into action, assessed the patient, and after advice from the RFDS he created a makeshift splint to stabilise the arm from an A4 paper box that Deb happened to have, and did the whole 'collar and cuff' and sling bandaging thing. All the triangular bandages from the Club first aid kit were used as well as a couple from Deb’s personal kit. Campground staff were contacted and told of the incident. They suggested that Steve be driven six hours to the base in Meekatharra where the RDFS could then fly him to Perth. Fortunately, Jason already had experience contacting the RFDS through his work and knew exactly what facts to relay about the situation and the patient. He contacted them again by the pay phone at the campsite (there is no mobile coverage from any carrier at Mt Augustus) and arranged for a pick up the next morning. Steve couldn’t sleep in a tent so the campsite manager opened a donga room where Steve could be more comfortable and Jason could monitor him overnight. We were very fortunate (and grateful) to have Jason and Deb as trained medical personnel on the trip. Although many Club members, including myself, have done the Apply First Aid Certificate and would do our best, having experienced people on hand was very fortunate for Steve who really had had a bad day. He also now has the dubious honour of being the first Club member to be evacuated by the RFDS since the Club was formed 40 years ago.

Deb takes up the narrative for the next day (with extra details from David). A small group of us were up at first light as arrangements had yet to be confirmed for the RFDS flight to take Steve out to hospital. Jason had been in contact with the RFDS and he briefed us on their request to walk the Mt Augustus Station airstrip to remove any rocks greater than two fists in size and anything that could potentially puncture an aircraft tyre. After breakfast Ross, David, Chris, Joy and Deb formed a line across the airstrip and began walking down removing any loose rocks that could damage an RFDS aircraft and dug out weeds that could have been considered encroaching on the path the aircraft may take. The runway was in good condition and the work was done in time for the RFDS. David measured the length of the airstrip and it was 1.3km long so we all walked a minimum of 2.6km to check the strip. From time to time, we had to walk to the edge of the strip to dispose of handfuls of weeds adding to the length of this walk. Rocks could generally be thrown providing we missed our nearby walking companions! Of course, we had spectacular views of Mt Augustus as we undertook this task. When the job was almost complete Jason arrived to tell us that the RFDS pickup was booked for 11.40am. Back at the caravan park Steve was helped to get a few items together and to share the contents of his fridge with the rest of us and we all headed down to the airstrip to watch the plane land on time at 11.40am. The pilot and flight nurse disembarked and the nurse took a handover from Jason and assessed Steve before he boarded. The pilot was making

Clearing the airstrip before the RFDS's arrival.

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sure the ground around the plane was safe and had no small stones that could be sucked into the air intake. The plane was not on the ground for long and, after watching it taxi and take off, we headed back to the campground for lunch. After lunch we all visited Cattle Pool – a marvellous stretch of permanent water that is a ‘must see’ item for anyone passing through Mt Augustus. It had been such a traumatic couple of days that we decided to stay another day to chill out. That extra day Stephan spent beside the water at Cattle Pool reading as he had a hip injury that meant he needed a walking stick to get around. The others went exploring. The next day – day five of our trip – we had planned to be on the road at 9am, on our way to the Kennedy Ranges.

Not a dual fuel vehicle Here David takes up the team’s story. We were getting ready to leave, but weren’t happy driving Steve’s car without a spare wheel, so Ross organised for it to be stored at Mount Augustus. I drove Steve’s car to the back of the office where it was going to be stored, and Jason drove my car. I was debating whether to top up the fuel tank and decided that it would be worth it. Jason followed the other cars and ended up stopping at the petrol fuel pump and the woman from the shop opened the fuel cap and start pumping fuel, clearly not noticing the labels saying DIESEL FUEL. By the time the others realised the mistake there was about 10 litres of petrol in the tank. Jason knew not to start the car and pushed it to the side and we started to figure out what to do. I used my satellite phone to

Steve ready for his RFDS flight.

make a call to one of the Subaru specialist garages in Perth asking for advice and they suggested that I phone a national company which specialises in misfuelled cars. I did and they said that Mt Augustus was outside of their coverage area and suggested that I should get the car towed, I explained that the closest town was 400km away, but they didn't understand. I had a full workshop manual for my model diesel Forester on my tablet, but the tablet battery had gone flat, which caused some more anxiety. Stephan tried to charge it and get it going whilst Ross and Chris tried to siphon some fuel out of the filler. Our cars have an anti-siphon system so they couldn't get much out. I knew that there were fuel tank access points under the rear seat and set about unloading the car to get access and get the tools out. The station lent us some tube and containers to put the fuel in. We did the left hand side first as it looked easier, but when we loosened the cover plate fuel started running out. I was worried that it would pool in the car but found out that it didn't. We managed to siphon what we could, but this still left a few litres in the bottom of the tank. Luckily Joy had a hand pump and we were able to get a bit more out that way. Stephan had the idea to use a sponge and a pair of kitchen tongs. I replaced the sponge with a micro-fibre towel which Western 4W Driver #117

and simply left. The trip to that point had all been very challenging, to say the least.

Accessing the fuel tank under the rear seats.

worked much better and did not run the risk of leaving broken-off bits of sponge in the tank. It was noon by the time we finished the left hand side of the fuel tank and Jason and I went and had some lunch. While we ate, Ross had disconnected what he could from the fuel pump on the right hand side and after lunch Jason and I started on that one. We used the same process of siphoning what we could, then Joy’s hand pump, and then the towel and tongs. We had this side done quicker but there was concern about damaging the pump which we could not remove entirely and needed to be held gently to one side – thus providing only a small access hole. We had it all back together about 3pm and pushed the car back to the diesel fuel pump and filled it up with 63.1 litres in a supposedly 64 litre tank. When we went to start it we found that the battery was flat, so Stephan brought over his jump start battery but that was not enough to get it going. I had noticed an oddity in that the Ultra Gauge showed the ECM voltage as 11 volts and dropping, but the car battery was 12.1 volts. Anyway Ross got his jumper leads out and we managed to get the car started. I left it idling when I went to pay for the fuel and we managed to finally get going about 3:30pm. I paid 66

Western 4W Driver #117

This put us way behind schedule as we were supposed to make it to the Kennedy Ranges for the night, but we decided to go as far as we could before dark. We managed to make it about 150km and found a camp listed in WikiCamps on the banks of Mangaroon Creek. This ended up being a nice spot even though the creek was dry. Deb made dinner for Jason and I using some of Steve’s food. It was a nice touch. We heard donkeys a few times during the night and they sounded fairly close. I had left the back doors on the car open to air out the diesel smell, but ended up getting out of bed to close them in case a donkey got too close. From there we headed to the Kennedy Ranges, but that is a story for another time, Siphoning the petrol from the fuel tank.

except to say that nothing went wrong and we managed to catch all the sights that were on David and Ross’s original plan.

with a new tyre and take the second tyre and some tyre repair and changing gear should we get another major puncture.

We learned a lot on this trip, and it was memorable not just for the disasters – which sound like they are from the script of a comedy road movie gone wrong – but also for the resilience, the preparedness, the resourcefulness, the teamwork and the trust that are the hallmarks of our club.

David and I had a window of time available in the first week of September to do the four-day round trip to Mt Augustus. Fortunately, Steve was able to get his rim and tyres in time. So I picked up David from his place at 8am and we set off. It was a bit of a struggle to get everything and everyone into my Forester but we managed. Two complete spares (mine and Steve’s) on the roof rack plus the spare tyre sat on the back seat, all our camping gear, food, water and tools was put in and there was still room for David.

Retrieving Steve’s car Ross and David pick up the yarn. Part of the aftermath of our eventful trip to Mt Augustus and the Kennedy Ranges was the need to retrieve Steve’s car from the Mt Augustus Tourist Park. It was decided to leave it there for future retrieval following Steve’s accident and subsequent evacuation by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The other issue was that he no longer had a spare wheel as the left rear tyre had been shredded and the rim destroyed on the trip up. With no spare and being 400km from the nearest mechanic (Meekatharra) it was decided to leave the car for a time when we could bring up extra spares to safely get it home. David and I decided that we would come back up in a few weeks’ time to get the car. In the meantime, we were able to leave it parked behind the shed at the Mt Augustus Tourist Park while we completed the rest of our trip, Steve got home for treatment and recovery and he was able to obtain a replacement spare. Getting a replacement spare was easier said than done as Subaru does not make a steel rim for the latest model Forester. A new alloy rim is quite expensive ($800$1200 each depending on style). There are a few second hand ones to be found but Steve decided on getting a new one to match his car. The next problem was to find two new tyres to match the tread pattern and size of the new tyres he had fitted to his car prior to the trip (Pirelli Scorpions). It was decided to purchase just one new rim fitted

The trip north was uneventful. We stopped at Wubin for fuel, Payne’s Find for lunch, and Mt Magnet for fuel before arriving at our camp spot by 4pm. We had decided to camp at the Garden Granites east of Cue again as it is a good camp spot. After setting up camp, we managed to have a wander around the rock. Unfortunately, we were not able to locate the Aboriginal grinding spots shown on a research paper I had come across but we did track down the old Government Well. Next day it was on the road again to head to Meekatharra for fuel before taking the Carnarvon – Meekatharra Road towards Mt Augustus. We stopped at the old Mt Gould Police Lockup for lunch before continuing on to Mt Augustus via Landor. Generally the road was in good condition. There are several stretches of bitumen in the first section where it becomes wet and boggy after rain. These made a pleasant change from the dirt. We made it to Mt Augustus Tourist Park by mid-afternoon. We were pleased to see that Steve’s car was still parked behind the shed as we had left it three weeks previously. The moment of truth was at hand. Would it still start? Yes, it did, much to our relief. I had packed jumper leads just in case but it was good not having to use them. Western 4W Driver #117

After refuelling both cars, the next job was to set up camp and then get into replacing what was the spare wheel on Steve’s car with the new rim and tyre. In the process, we had a close look to see if we could determine the cause of the original fractured rim. The working theory was that a stone flicked up by the right front tyre had landed on the inside rim of the left rear wheel where it had been held in place by centrifugal force until it was jammed between the brake calliper and the rim before it punched a hole through the rim. Our investigations confirmed the theory with clear evidence of where the stone had hit the brake calliper. A bracket next to the brake calliper which holds the wheel speed sensor had also been bent out of shape. With everything back together, the next trick was to get everything back into Steve’s

car. I know my Forester was much relieved at getting some of the load removed, particularly the extra spare off the roof rack. As the appointed driver, David then had to work out what all the extra buttons and switches on his new model drive were all about. This was to keep him amused for the rest of the long drive home. After a quiet tea, it was early to bed to get some sleep ready for the trip home the next morning. The next morning (Thursday), we were up in good time for breakfast, camp pack up and on the road by 8.30am. It was a relief to see Mt Augustus disappearing in the rear view mirror as we headed out on the 350km trip back to Meekatharra. The road was generally OK but had the odd section of rubble surface which brought the nagging fear of a puncture to mind.

Recently the Club had cause to call the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) for an Emergency Aeromedical Retrieval of a Club member on a remote trip who had fallen and broken their arm. Everyone on the trip and especially the patient, were extremely grateful for the prompt, professional, caring, and free service that the RFDS provided in this emergency situation. The RFDS is the main charity that the Subaru 4WD Club of Western Australia donate to, so PLEASE be generous and DONATE. It is an incredibly WORTHWHILE cause:

www.flyingdoctor.org.au/wa/ The RFDS has many wonderful products available through clicking on the link above, then the Support Us tab - Visit Shop. There are calendars, Christmas cards, clothing, toys, and much more. In non-COVID-19 times there is an interesting RFDS Visitor Centre in Kalgoorlie.

Western 4W Driver #117

And so it came to pass. We stopped at Mt Gould Lockup for some morning tea and returned to our vehicle to see the right rear tyre on my Forester looking decidedly underinflated. With a quick jack up it was off with the wheel to see what the problem was. After a fair bit of careful searching and squirting with soapy water we found the offending hole. Fortunately, it was only a small one from a sharp rock and easily plugged. We stopped for lunch at Peace Gorge just outside Meekatharra to have the last of the tasty curry puffs David’s wife Marian had made. It was good to reach the bitumen at Meeka where we again refuelled before heading off south towards home. The next stop was for fuel and an ice-cream at the Swagman Roadhouse in Mt Magnet. Our final stop for the day was to pull off the highway about 18km south of Mt Magnet down a track to Windibin East bore to set up camp for the night. This was to be our final night’s camp in the saga of the trip to Mt Augustus and Kennedy Ranges. After breakfast on Friday morning, it was back on the highway and heading south to Wubin for a final refuel and then continuing on to Dalwallinu for lunch. We decided to check out the Dally bakery and can now recommend that as a good spot for food and coffee. They certainly make a great pastie. We finally made it back to the city and it was with a great sense of relief that we pulled into Steve’s driveway in Canning Vale to return his car to him. David was particularly relieved that he was able to hand over the car still muddy, dusty, loaded up with stuff, but in one piece. After driving it back from Mt Augustus, I’m not sure that David is ready to trade in his diesel Forester for the latest model with all its gizmos and doodads. He did do an excellent job in getting it back in one piece. David’s son Jason met us at Steve’s place to pick up David so after saying farewell, we both headed for our respective homes to relax before the next adventure.

Learning experiences from Mt Augustus trip • How to change wheel studs, and to include studs as well as wheel nuts in the convoy inventory. • To always carry two spare tyres if a trip takes us far from a major town. • More closely scrutinise vehicles before departure. • Know how to contact RFDS and have the information they need to prepare for the patient. • Encourage members to carry their own first aid kit and make sure the Club first aid kit is with the convoy. • How to get fuel out of our vehicles (in this case it was unleaded fuel put in a diesel, but it could be water too). • Listen to and seek guidance from people around you on a trip.

Mitigation strategies • Prepare a hand out/orientation sheet especially for new members participating in trips, and not rely only on the information available on the club website. • Insert an information tab on the website for new members undertaking trips and especially longer trips. There is an existing planning tool on the website that can be linked to the tab. • Run more induction courses for new members, drawing attention to what is required on trips and what they need to be responsible for.

Western 4W Driver #117

FIRE IT UP!

By Grant Hanan & Linda Bloffwitch

Grant and Linda look at some alternatives to the typical open fire, and how the versatility of camp oven cooking takes camping to the next level.

Western 4W Driver #117

That's one quirky mobile

fire pit!

or many 4W driving enthusiasts (including us), touring and campfires go hand in hand. But as more places restrict when, where and how you can have a fire, the typical open ground fire isn’t always possible and alternatives have to be used. Perhaps you’ve come across signs at a campsite which states, 'Fires are only allowed in designated fire pit areas'. Here, you’d naturally expect to find some form of man-made pit in a cleared area specifically for campers’ use. It might be something along the lines of concrete rings and/or a steel ring of some type, or something a bit rougher like a heap of rocks crudely placed in a circle. Since these types of fire pits aren’t designed to be moved, it’s often the fire pit that dictates where you’ll set up camp if you want to be close to it. The concrete ring type seems to be more popular in national parks these days, as they limit the number of places that scar the landscape. Although for some reason, some people seem to think it’s ok to use them for dumping their rubbish and expect the next camp bunny to dispose of it for them. This type of fire pit is very similar to your typical ground style campfire, so it’s not the most efficient. The concrete style fire pit is typically found in some national parks.

Western 4W Driver #117

For these reasons, more and more people are travelling with a portable fire pit. There’s all sorts going around, starting with a simple DIY style using anything that you might have lying around in the shed. You name it and it’s probably been made into a fire pit by somebody at some stage. Things like old drums, kegs, old washing machine barrels, or steel rims are generally the go. They contain the fire within the size of the drum and can be more efficient than the open ground fire pit. Like everything though, there’s pros and cons. The good news is they’re a cost effective option, especially if you’ve already got something you can use. While on the downside, they can weigh a ton and are not necessarily the easiest thing to transport. With that said, if you’re only heading up the river for a few nights, finding space in your set up might not be a problem. But for long term touring, they’re not really ideal. These days there’s plenty of dedicated proprietary made fire pits of varying quality, price, practicality and weight on the market. As already mentioned, there’s always pros and cons. Some fire pits come as a steel flat pack so they’re great for storing, but the compromise is they need to be assembled each time you want to use it. While others on the market might be quicker to set up, their storage isn’t as simple. The dedicated proprietary type does come with a couple of advantages. They’re generally raised up off the ground, so they’re good from an environmental perspective as they leave no trace, and the added height means less bending. Another advantage of this type of fire pit is some are specifically designed and manufactured with cooking in mind. That means you can still enjoy having a fire, but the fire pit doubles for cooking as well. 72

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This is a different spin on the open ground style of fire pit.

Washing machine and brazier styles are cost-effective DIY styles of fire pits.

As to what comes standard when purchasing these types of fire pits really depends on the brand and your budget. A basic style will often include a grill of sorts for cooking barbeques with a bag thrown in, but that’s about it. On the other hand, something that’s got all the bells and whistles will allow the grill height to be adjusted, include a base plate to protect the ground, a wind deflector, a storage bag, and the option to add rotisserie brackets to whip up a roast. And if you don’t need all that, you can simply cook with a camp oven

directly over the coals. When it comes to maintenance, good quality fire pits don’t need a lot. Just an occasional dust off with a brush and a rinse off with some water is all that’s needed. With so much choice for these portable style of fire pits, what you end up with will really boil down to your own individual needs and circumstances. Campfires in national parks is an interesting topic. If you’ve ever visited a national park or two, you may have noticed there’s no blanket ruling when it comes to campfires, and each park can have their own regulations. Some allow fires in fire pits during the cooler months, whereas some don’t. Others may stipulate fires are only permitted in raised fire pits with legs, or the fire must be contained and have a spark arrestor. This type looks similar to a pot belly stove. Plus, many parks may insist you bring your own wood or specify a firewood collection point area. But then we’ve also been to places where firewood has been supplied. So it can all get a bit confusing. With all the variables associated with having a campfire in a national park, this is one area you’ll need to do your own homework before visiting the national park in question. Combustion stoves are another alternative to an open fire; they’ve got legs like a portable fire pit, a chimney to breathe, and use very little wood being fully enclosed. Their radiant heat works well for cooking barbeques, can be used as a stove or up close for heating, while other accessories like a smoker and rotisserie make this type very versatile. One drawcard for this type is they’re a popular backyard addition at home, but their weight is getting up there. Stoves start at around 10kg, with a good quality stove weighing an average of 15-20kg. Besides travelling with a fire pit, the other useful bit of cooking gear we carry is a camp oven. Whether it’s for roasting, baking, stewing or frying, a camp oven can do the lot making them extremely versatile. Spun steel or traditional cast iron are two

A versatile style of fire pit found at Mt Dare in SA.

The Oz Pig only requires a small amount of wood so it’s pretty efficient.

popular types of camp ovens and we’ve found both produce excellent results. Cast iron camp ovens of sorts have been around forever which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There’s no denying they are heavier than other camp oven alternatives, but many cast iron cooking die hards will say you just can’t go past their good quality and reliability. Similar to cast iron, spun steel camp ovens also come in various shapes and sizes. It’s the manufacturing process that sees this version somewhat lighter than its cast Western 4W Driver #117

iron counterpart. The quality of the steel and the thickness of the camp oven walls play a big part when it comes to longevity and cooking quality. Its lighter weight is definitely an advantage for touring, although it took us a little while to get used to controlling the heat when cooking.

Both cast iron and spun steel camp ovens deliver the goods.

This heavy duty spun steel version is the latest addition to come touring with us.

A poorly seasoned camp oven or too much heat on its bottom while cooking will cause food to stick. If you take a quick look on the interweb, you’ll find there’s a few different schools of thoughts on how to clean and maintain a camp oven. We’ve always avoided using harsh abrasives that scratch the camp oven’s surface and removed any residue by placing some water (no soap) in the camp oven before returning it to the heat for a while. After giving it a wipe out, it’s put back on the heat to dry entirely. We finish things off by giving the camp oven a wipe over while it’s still warm with some vegetable oil both inside and out to prevent rusting. With all the great things that come with the camping lifestyle, campfires and camp oven cooking are up there with the best. And between these two, you’re guaranteed to have your heating and cooking needs well covered.

Our camp oven travels in a homemade box which doubles as a small table and stool.

Placing a trivet on the bottom of the camp oven helps circulate air and provides indirect heat.

Western 4W Driver #117

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Down the

BALLADONIA TRACK

to the Deralinya & Balbinya Homesteads By Ashley Pearce

Ashley takes us on an adventure into the south eastern corner of WA and uncovers some real gems along the way.

Our first night campsite at Deralinya. Western 4W Driver #117

’m generally a person that plans our trips well in advance, plots routes, saves them to the Hema Cloud and then sits around for five months before we go! All plans were in place to spend our summer break camping down near Hopetoun with friends from Esperance. The night before we were all packed up and ready to set off, our local friend rang and said, "Have you checked the forecast?" Ummm NO! The week we were planning to camp out on our mate's family block near Hopetoun had to change, otherwise we were going to get blown away. After a quick phone discussion, plans were made to tackle the southern half of the Balladonia Track checking out two old homesteads and trying to discover what we will call Fern Cave!

After gaining permission from the relevant authorities, we set off down Fisheries Road and turned left on to Parmango Road. Parmango Road is subject to seasonal closures, so please check that the road is open before venturing off. Starting off on a well-formed limestone gravel road for approximately 60km, it then gives way to a combination of sand, gravel, rock and bulldust. Once the gravel ended we aired down the vehicles and campers. We were both towing our Kimberley Kampers and there were no problems negotiating this road. Quite clearly though, after a solid rain the tracks would disintegrate into a muddy, slippery mess!

Meeting up at the Condingup Pub (I can highly recommend the chicken parmy and nachos) we discussed the new plans and ideas that were going to be in place moving forward. This was a very strange feeling for me as I am usually tour leader, the role I normally assume with family and friends.

For the last 30 kilometres before we reached the station it was very evident that the devastating fires of 2018 had all but destroyed a lot of the native vegetation. Large trees were still void of leaves and there was no ground cover. One can only imagine the heat this fire produced.

Our first night destination was Deralinya Homestead.

View from camp back to Deralinya.

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Our 'this is living' outlook on night one.

Some fire breaks completed by the local volunteer firefighters from Esperance enabled the saving of the now restored buildings. Deralinya is private property, but visitors are welcome. Built in the 1890s as a sheep station and abandoned in 1926, the small stone homestead and outbuildings fell into disrepair. These days, they are in good condition, restored by the current owner, stonemason Roger Robertson, who unfortunately for us, was not there to show us around.

Roger and his mate have been doing the restoration work since 1992, guided by a painting of the homestead done in 1906. It was fascinating to get a glimpse of how different life must have been for the early settlers with their small dwellings, storage sheds and outhouses. Much different to the 4 x 2 palaces some of us live in these days. It seems the original owner was a little eccentric with the original construction of the buildings - they weren’t even close to being square. Lime cement (not concrete) had been used throughout the walls and Deralinya Homestead.

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floor, made on the property using lime kilns that were still evident. A working brick oven was located in the front yard, built by the original settler, who apparently also loved bread so much that he constructed ovens throughout the property wherever he was likely to camp for a period of time. Once we had a look around the exterior of the old building, we found the nearby cache and then went about setting up camp. There are many tracks leading away from the homestead to various camps. There were no fires allowed when we visited, however evidence in a number of camps meant other travellers had used them in the past. There was an abundance of firewood if required.

responsible for their restoration. I wish we'd had the chance to meet this master craftsman. Brook’s Homestead was built by John Paul Brooks, his sister Sarah and their mother. Prior to the discovery of gold in the late 1800s, Western Australia was still a real Cinderella state, with a shortage of money and men! In the previous year the government were offering parcels of crown land to settle. A decision to settle was Sign erected in memory of the Brooks family.

We enjoyed a fantastic sunset through the burnt landscape and had an early night. Our plan for the next morning was to head east from Deralinya and cross the Balladonia Track and continue into Balbinya Homestead. At Balbinya we discovered the historic Brown’s Homestead buildings. The restoration of these buildings also commenced in 1992 and were completed in 1994 with the assistance of the L.E.A.P program that assists in passing on skills to our youth. Roger and his team were again The Brooks' Homestead, Balbinya Station

Western 4W Driver #117

aided by John Paul and Sarah receiving an inheritance of some £200 each and they made the move from Geelong, Victoria. They settled their approximate 100,000 acres with 500 sheep, 5 cows and three horses. Unimaginable these days, they walked to the area from Albany. It’s a long enough drive from Albany to Esperance let alone a walk! The family had numerous land leases around the area but in 1877 John Paul was appointed the first linesman at the newly completed Israelite Bay Telegraph station and he held this position for seven years until he decided to concentrate on the lease they had taken up in 1893 at Balbinya, some 60 miles (90 kilometres) inland from Israelite Bay. What remains at Balbinya is an old cottage and stock and storage shed. The store shed is original and the cottage is rebuilt from old stones. This again was a fascinating insight as to how our forefathers lived. After a quick look around we detached the campers and took the track south to look for the Kangawarie Rockholes. In particular we were searching for a fern cave. The track into the Kangawarie is slow, rocky and sandy but not overly technical. We had many stops to clear fallen trees, sticks and the odd lizard off the road. One thing we did notice during our time out there was a distinct lack of wildlife. Presumably the recent fires had either killed all the wildlife, or driven them out and the sparseness now doesn’t provide the cover they desire. We knew a local Esperance couple had made the trip in October 2020 and it appeared we were the next adventurers in. Kangawarie Rockholes are a series of limestone depressions and caves, but we were unable to locate the cave. So what does one do these days, stop for lunch and phone a friend (via the sat phone as there is minimal mobile coverage out here. We did pick up pockets of signal as both travelling vehicles had a CelFi unit fitted) and were given clearer directions to the cave.

A tight squeeze down the hole into the cave.

down into the cave through a small opening (not that easy for a 6’3, 52 year old bloke suffering from 'COVID spread'. Once in the cave we were welcomed with the fantastic site of maiden hair fern all through the cave. We are not sure how the original seeds got there but it was an amazing discovery in a harsh environment. We think the seeds may have been blown there or dropped by a bird perhaps? Inside the fern cave.

It took no more than 10 minutes to then discover this natural wonder. Climbing Western 4W Driver #117

The stunning fern cave.

We spent about 15 - 20 minutes looking in the cave before heading back to Balbinya where we camped this time at Ray’s Rocks not too far from the old buildings.

Our final day consisted of us returning to the Balladonia Track and venturing south past Mount Ragged (the geocache at the top can remain unfound by this cacher!) 82

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where we had lunch and then drove back via Fisheries Road. A night at Mt Ridley on the boundary of our friend's farm finished off our trip nicely. Who says cannot be I for one tomorrow the future.

change of plans, or no plans good for camping and touring! will embrace the 'see where will take us' a little more in

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Ray’s Rocks is a large granite rock catchment with two main dams and many smaller dams, dry stone fencing, remains of a boundary fence, an orchard with two mulberry trees (of which we got a healthy stash), a fig tree, a rose bush, two historic graves (one marked) and many other features, including a cairn built by Alexander Forrest on an exploration trip on 10 October 1871. In all it is a beautiful place in a picturesque setting to either visit for the day, or like us, spend a night camping there. The only thing missing again was a camp fire, however fire weather warnings meant this was a definite no. If time permitted we could have easily spent a couple of days camped up in either of these locations.

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The catch cry for the end of 2020 and following on into 2021 is the encouraging 'Wander out Yonder' slogan, and what a great initiative it has been for all of us who happen to run businesses further than a couple of hours out of the city limits. If you plan to travel off public roads and through station country, here are some tips to help you enjoy your outback adventure.

TRACKS

Just because your new-fangled electrickery mapping gizmo says a track exists does not give you the right to just follow it. Most stations have at least one or more council maintained or gazetted roads that intersect the property and on these everyone is free to traverse. However those sneakily alluring little side tracks that run off the council road are in fact station tracks and are used and maintained by the pastoralists. You need to seek permission in advance and clarify which tracks you can and cannot use. Rule of thumb is if the track comes up as a little broken red or brown line and it looks like the council grader has not visited for years then do the righty and 'ask before you pass'. If you are denied entry then please respect our right to say no. We will usually give you a reason why but we are not obliged to and as it’s our name on the lease it’s our rules.

Remember, station access is a privilege, not a right.

STATION ETIQUETTE 84

Western 4W Driver 117 #

By Jo Clews Photos by Karen Morton

RAIN

If we give you permission to use our tracks then please stick to them and if we have rain, anything over 10mm in this country can quickly turn tracks into a quagmire, so please be prepared to up stakes and move out at the first sign of rain or be prepared to wait it out until the tracks are dry. Councils will close roads due to wet weather so please respect their decision and don’t be of the opinion that just because you have a 4WD, 'she’ll be right mate'.

You might have a different attitude if you get a fine for damaging our roads that usually only see a grader once or twice a year. Sometimes it is unavoidable to travel on a wet road if you are exiting to get to the bitumen. If there is one piece of advice I can give you please stay on the road or track as it is the safest place to be.

Western 4W Driver #117

FENCES AND GATES

Fences and gates are an integral part of our pastoral enterprise and a lot of time, effort and money goes into building and maintaining them so you can see why we would be particularly displeased if we came across any damage, whether wilful or accidental, that might mean our animals could escape or wild dogs could get in to kill and maim our livelihood. Please assume that if you come across a closed gate and you don’t have permission to pass then turn around and go back. You must leave gates as you find them and never interfere with livestock.

WINDMILLS AND WATER TANKS

One of the most iconic scenes in the pastoral environment is the windmill and usually close by is a water tank. Some of these tanks are 100 years or more old and were built out of stone and cement. Some of them can be found quite close to gazetted roads and as tempting as it might be to get that insta pic please DON'T swim in the water tanks. The waves caused by someone doing a bombie can be enough pressure to blow out the walls of the tank. This will end in tears and injuries and potentially our animals will die of dehydration. Please don’t camp near windmills and troughs as they may be the only water source for our animals for many kilometres.

Western 4W Driver #117

PROPERTY BOUNDARIES

Inform yourself on the boundaries of DPaW land, on which you are reasonably free to roam (for now) and active pastoral leases. If you come across a reasonable fence and a gate then please assume that you will no longer be on government property if you should pass. These properties were purchased using state and federal government money some 20 years ago and these ex pastoral leases now come up on maps in green. They have had their internal fences and windmills removed and mostly the surviving infrastructure like homesteads, shearing sheds and outbuildings have been allowed to fall into disrepair. Past visitors have unfortunately felt the need to vandalise or steal things from them.

All in all we are a pretty friendly lot out here and most of us have landline telephones with answering machines. In this day and age its not hard to find phone numbers so please do the courteous thing and give us a call and if we don’t answer leave a message. When you do contact the pastoralist, they will want to know where you want to go on the station, what you want to do and when. Answer their questions openly and heed their advice. They know their country best. As you know bad things can happen and the last thing any of us want to come across is an abandoned vehicle and a couple of bodies on our property that we never even knew were there.

By all means visit what once were amazing buildings but please don’t leave it worse than you found it.

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FINDING

Rising from a vast Gascoyne plain slumbers the monolithic feature of Burringurrah, a dreamtime figure of a young boy who was speared and turned into rock, spoken of by the Wadjari people. Also known as Mt Augustus, this extremely prominent inselberg is more than twice the size of Uluru and an extremely popular tourist destination for travellers exploring the Gascoyne region.

n n A By Chris Morton

n September 2020 there were three tragic deaths in three days at Mt Augustus with them all being attributed to severe dehydration. In October a 74 year old woman disappeared after failing to return from a 20 minute walk along one of the site’s trails. This sparked an intensive land and air search to find her with grave fears being held for her wellbeing. For 24 hours, with no water and in extremely hot conditions Ann Ansell fought to stay alive and find her way back to her husband. Western 4W Driver magazine sat down with Ann and listened to her story of survival and how the events surrounding her ordeal came about. Despite the knowledge that others had recently perished in the same area, Ann was determined to survive. She described her ordeal in fine detail, discussing the physical and mental challenges that confronted her, at times self-deprecating on failing to be more prepared. After becoming disorientated and losing the track markers that would have led her back to safety, Ann decided to try and extricate herself. Had she stayed put and waited for someone to come along the story might have been different, however not being there we cannot judge. She observed her surroundings, paying particular interest to the topography, looking for any clues that

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would lead her back to safety. Not wanting to wait in the heat she decided to make her way down the rock by following one of the small gullies that had been carved from its surface over a millennium. Her rationale was sound; getting off the rock and down to the plain surrounding it would eventually lead her to having to cross the road that encircled the monolith. Choosing the gully provided Ann with a life saving benefit: shade. The walls of the gully meant that she was able to steadily move from shady spot to shady spot. She made herself stop frequently and rest, conserving what moisture her body retained. Every time she did stop and rest she orientated her cameras to indicate her direction of travel in case she became confused. Her disappearance sparked a search by local authorities. Conscious of the three previous deaths, local police conducted an initial search of the surrounding area. Unable to find any trace and losing light, they suspended the search until the next morning. An AMSA (Australia Maritime Safety Authority) rescue jet was deployed to conduct an aerial search using infrared equipment but was unsuccessful in locating her. When we discussed this with Ann, she suggested that the radiant heat from the rocks surrounding her may have been the reason for the jet not seeing her. She used this heat to keep warm as the temperature dropped overnight. During the night she climbed to some higher ground, hoping to see signs of life to which she could alter her direction of travel. With the coming of dawn and as she continued her trek downhill, Ann found

herself having to take more frequent breaks, always seeking out shade and cool overhangs to minimise her water loss. She knew that if she wasn’t found soon her chances of survival were not good. She noticed some steps in the side of the gully. Steps. Steps meant people. She climbed up the man made steps and found herself on a marked walk trail. Her spirits lifted as she started to move along the path and as she crested a small rise she stumbled into the arms of a search party. “Are you Ann?”

Ann’s ordeal highlights the potentially deadly risk of assuming 'it’s only a quick walk - I’ll only be 20 minutes' and reinforces the need to always have a level of preparedness. An avid bird watcher, Ann had a well-stocked and equipped day pack but failed to take it with her on this occasion. This decision nearly cost her her life. Australia’s outback is a dangerous place. Making a mistake out here is usually fatal as dehydration robs you of your mental faculties before snuffing you out. As a Western 4W Driver #117

people we have mostly lost our connection to the bush. We are no longer the explorers of old, hardened to the elements, wise to the realities of mother nature. When we venture out now it is from the comfort of well-equipped 4WDs, every mod con and convenience available. We no longer experience the outback, we are merely observers of it, from behind the glass. We as humans have grown complacent, confident that if we get into trouble the cavalry will arrive just in time to save us. Stop, take a breath and think about that: a multi-million dollar aircraft failed to find her, multiple aircraft, drones, ground searchers all failed to find her. The cavalry did not come. I don’t want to diminish Ann’s decisions; if she had not been so

regimented with her regular stops, had she not sought out the shade, had she remained walking amongst the sparse vegetation I believe that the outcome would have been tragically different. What ultimately saved Ann was luck. Finding those steps that led her to a marked path and stumbling into the path of the searchers saved Ann. If we could turn back time what would you do different? This is not an exercise to criticise what Ann did and didn’t do but one to make yourself think. How many times have you taken a 10-minute walk away from your vehicle in a remote location and not taken anything with you? “I’ve got a 600ml bottle of water, that’s plenty.” Many people say to me when I have posed this question. Is that enough?

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DAYPACK essentials By Chris Morton

Have you packed enough? Being prepared for an emergency should not only be in the realms of dooms day preppers and bush survival enthusiasts. It is a mindset that everyone should have in some form. For readers of this magazine, it should extend to planning for when you exit your vehicle to take a walk up a spectacular gorge or to see some amazing rock art. You are remote (but remember that can still be just outside the metro area) and help will take some time to reach you – if they even know you are in trouble. What if?

day pack with a few items could save your life. What should you take every time you leave the vehicle to explore? At a minimum you should have at least two litres of water per person but what else should you carry? You need to be mindful of weight as you don’t want

your day pack to be too heavy, becoming a burden that you eventually choose to leave behind. A litre of water weighs 1kg. Everything you choose to put in your day pack should have multiple uses. Let’s take a look at my day pack: I chose a 5.11 Rush 24 for my day pack. It has a 24 litre capacity, multiple pockets and compartments and is built to withstand a lifetime of abuse. I carry three litres of water in two 1.5 litre containers. I chose not to use a Camelback, opting for water bottles instead. A Camelback encourages sipping versus having a good drink of water from a bottle. Bob Cooper Survival Kit. Before I participated in one of his basic survival courses, I carried a collection of items, however I have consolidated these into Bob’s well thought out kit. Everything in it has multiple uses, is small and light weight. Bob Cooper Survival Blanket. Something I had never really considered until after I completed Bob’s course. Despite what you see on TV with participants building grand shelters, the blanket offers a quick method of providing protection from the elements, Western 4W Driver #117

Having the essentials in your day pack can literally be the difference between life and death. Photo by Christine Arnasiewicz

warmth when wrapped around you, a means of carrying an injured member of your party and a method of signalling for help. It is also printed with critical information to consider when in a survival situation. It weighs next to nothing. Bob Cooper Snake Bite Kit. Essentially three pressure bandages, when applied correctly to the site of a venomous bite, can dramatically increase your chances of survival. The bandages can also be torn up to provide cordage. A good sheath knife. I carry a full tang sheath knife with a blade of about 6 inches. It is sturdy enough for most situations; I am not looking to cut down a tree or whittle a canoe. Where is the first aid kit and food? Good question. I will put food items in if we think 92

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we will need them however food is not a major consideration for survival scenarios. No one has died in Australia after becoming lost due to lack of food. Lack of water will kill you much quicker. Bob’s survival kit has items for basic first aid, including band aids and methods for disinfecting wounds. The snake bite kit covers the rest. I have also started carrying a ZOLEO satellite communicator. This little unit can communicate from anywhere on the planet (as long as it can see the sky) and can be used stand-alone to signal for help (or to tell loved ones that you are OK) or paired with a smart phone to send and receive text messages. Some insect repellent, a fly net and a few other small items round out my day pack. What do you carry in yours?

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By Chris Morton Photos by Christine Arnasiewicz

As a nation we love to explore and we are extremely fortunate to have such amazing landscapes and opportunities in our own backyard. My 4WD My Story is a series that seeks out everyday 4WDs and their owners to discover what makes their fourby the 'ultimate adventure vehicle' and the places they have been. As well as reading the stories in Western 4W Driver, you can watch the accompanying videos on Australian 4WD Driver's YouTube channel. 94

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Scott and Annalise have taken an old 'shit box' 60 series LandCruiser and lovingly restored it to create their ultimate touring vehicle. We loved meeting the couple and the story behind their car and we think you will like it too.

www.YouTube.com/Australian4WDriver Western 4W Driver #117

riving a car that was built before you were born would have to be a labour of love. Scott and Annalise bought their 1983 60 series LandCruiser from Annalise’s grandfather after it was described to Scott as a 'shit box'. The couple quickly embraced the classic car lifestyle, undertaking a series of modifications and adventures. Mindful of retaining the 60’s original appeal, they have been extremely mindful when selecting modifications and upgrades for the old bus. “We are trying to achieve our ultimate touring setup which will allow us to spend an increased amount of time off grid. Getting to some harder-to-reach destinations has become a lot more achievable since having the ability to self-recover ourselves when out on tracks.” Given the vehicle’s age, the suspension was seen as being critical to ensuring that she continued as a capable 4WD. They chose a 2” lift with EFS suspension, equipped with anti-inversion shackles. A set of Fire

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Stone air bags in the rear help when there is an extra load and the 33” BFG KM3 mud terrain tyres guarantee a steady grip in any terrain. An ARB Deluxe winch bar protects the front of the vehicle and the 9” spot lights provide the extra illumination when driving country roads at night. Netherlands company Cruiser World supply custom bash plates for the 60 series and a set of Roadsafe recovery points provide safe attachment points in the event of a recovery. A winch completes the recovery equipment. The interior of the LandCruiser has been heavily customised to provide extra comfort and storage. A rear drawer system provides a platform for the 75 litre dual one Waeco fridge and the Ironman onboard water tank. A Kickass centre console fridge ensures that the couple always have cold drinks at hand and the Huracan XR6 seat upgrades make those long drives that much more comfortable. Convenient storage is achieved using a selection of Grab Me Gear’s camp storage options.

Solar screens help to keep the interior temperatures down as well as hiding the cargo areas from prying eyes. A REDARC isolated dual battery system and 1500 watt inverter provide the pair with enough power for all of their needs and UHF radio communications are met by a GME unit coupled with a large 6.6dBI antennae. At the rear of the vehicle, they have fitted a custom dual rear wheel carrier. A massive 200 litre long range fuel tank provides ample range, and a 4WD systems front diff locker gives the cruiser an added boost in off road capability. A Safari snorkel and a Pacemaker extractor with a 2.5” exhaust allows the Cruiser to breath that little bit easier and provides an extra boost to performance. The Bush Company’s black series clamshell roof top tent provides an easy accommodation solution as well as quick setup/pack down. They have mounted it on a set of Rhino Rack X5 roof bars. A 160 watt solar panel ensures that even when stopped, the battery system continues to receive power. A Foxwing awning and a Kickass shower awning completes the camp setup. A set of Maxtrax recovery boards completes the vehicle’s recovery options. With such an extensive list of modifications you would be forgiven for thinking that there was nothing further to add. Scott says that he has considered installing a turbo to the aging engine. “Some extra power for hill climbing and overtaking would come in handy,” Scott continues, “however part of me wants to retain the original 2H motor, which still handles itself really well despite the additional weight we have added.” “We would also like to invest in some better spotlights.” The couple have enjoyed taking their 60 to some great spots around WA and SA, travelling to the Flinders Ranges, Cape Range, Exmouth, the Coral Coast, Karijini and Cape Arid. They even put it through its

paces exploring the Holland Track. Quobba Station and Red Bluff rank as their favourite destination to date. "The red cliffs meeting the pure white sand, into the crystal-clear waters of the coral coast. Being surrounded by all of the Australian wildlife activity, both on land and in the depths of the water is spectacular." While we were shooting the video for this series Annalise told us about a special memory from their trip to South Australia. Scott had gone to great lengths to hide an engagement ring in the car, waiting for the right time. After a close call involving the requirement to replace a wheel bearing (the ring was hidden in a wheel bearing box) Scott finally popped the question after an extremely long day travelling across the Nullabor. A roadside overnight stop proved to be what the couple needed after a tiring day. The couple tied the knot in September and are expecting a bundle of joy in June 2021. This is Scott and Annalise’s 4WD and this is just the beginning of their story. Watch the video at www.YouTube.com/Australian4WDriver Western 4W Driver #117

E G A N ConAR G N I N N e A h C t nchi

By Phil Bia

Camped for the night.

Photo courtesy Automotive Karnage

Western 4W Driver #117

The CSR and its ongoing corrugations, vegetation encroachment and rough track conditions have claimed many vehicles. Some people take vehicle preparation, especially for a trip such as the CSR, lightly. They just don’t understand what to expect. Others, despite equipment upgrades, trip preparation and preventative maintenance for a trip such as the CSR, are unlucky and still fall foul of the CSR’s gremlins. It isn’t just that the CSR is just a rough track, it’s a 1,800km long track with some 1,100 dunes to cross and has vast stretches of severe corrugations that stress vehicles and components, especially aftermarket fitments. In most instances, repairs can be undertaken in the field and the vehicle can continue the traverse. otal vehicle failure, although uncommon, can be an awfully expensive exercise and due to the high cost of recovery, the vehicle or camper trailer is abandoned and insurance paid out. In 2017 the cracked chassis of a Nissan Patrol ute resulted in it being abandoned at Well 46. Two years later an almost new camper trailer had its suspension destroyed, it was abandoned near Well 42.

while it was on the tilt tray). Fortunately, for the owner, the vehicle’s insurance came to the party.

This disaster resulted in $31,200 repairs and rescue costs, the breakdown being an $8,600 towing fee to Kalgoorlie, $12,000 mechanical repairs and $10,600 panel and body repairs (including panel damage

to leave it in some thicker foliage cover to protect it from both the elements and light-fingered opportunists. They then left it to the insurance company to engage a towing contractor.

Let’s go back to the day of the breakdown. Ok, so the wheel has snapped off, what did they do next? Not wishing to rush into a particular solution, the party worked through options on how to proceed. Good strategy this; rather than charge off like headless chooks when faced with The focus of this such a scenario article is an Isuzu we should stop, “… fencing wire and cable D-MAX major calm down with a ties weren’t going to get this breakdown in cuppa, consider 2019. A party of all options and vehicle off the Canning.” vehicles heading determine the southward on the best way forward. CSR reached the bad rocky patch some No amount of rushing and panic will change 8km north of Well 15. The D-MAX, while the situation. picking its way through this patch, suffered Satellite phone calls to the insurance a broken diff housing and axle. The result company confirmed the level of vehicle was catastrophic. When the rear left wheel insurance cover and what was possible. broke off it wrecked the mudguard and They also rang the Wiluna police, in smashed the back of the canopy. Brake case someone reported the breakdown, lines, the hand brake cable and the ABS advising them of the situation and that were ripped out. A bush fix of fencing wire they were safe. The final decision was and cable ties weren’t going to get this to drag the D-MAX off the CSR in case vehicle off the Canning. someone was night driving and secondly

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Ingenious use of a log. Photo courtesy Phil Bianchi

Laverton based Andy Sutcliffe at Outback Getting the D-MAX off the CSR on three Tilt Tray and Recovery Laverton. He has wheels required some ingenuity. A log was a 196 horsepower 4WD MAN naturally cut to length and then secured under the broken diff housing so it formed a skid, aspirated 16 ton diesel truck with a massive much like Santa’s tilt and slide tray, sleigh, making “This disaster resulted in $31,200 a 10 speed road ranger crash gear it easier to drag repairs and rescue costs.” box with 10 gears the vehicle. The vehicle was then high range and 10 gears in low, a rear diff lock and a 6 ton covered with two green ground sheets winch. Andy then contacted the D-MAX that were smeared with mud to reduce the vehicle’s reflectiveness. The D-MAX owners to confirm he was engaged to recover the vehicle and to discuss the owners were only able to take a few recovery operation and obtain details of valuables with them because the other the vehicle’s location. vehicles in the party were already loaded with their own gear. For a fascinating biography on Andy Back in Perth the insurance company gave approval for the recovery and engaged

Sutcliffe, a larger than life bush character, read 'The Things You See' column in this magazine.

Fifteen days after the breakdown, Andy with his friend AJ from YouTube's Automotive Karnage, left Laverton on a Friday afternoon and travelled via Wiluna and then along the GlenAyle Station Road, camping short of GlenAyle at The D-Max had been dragged off the track. Photo courtesy Automotive Karnage

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around midnight. The next day he unloaded 1,000 litres of diesel at GlenAyle, both to reduce his truck’s weight and for use on the return trip. He got the MAN truck on to the CSR at Well 9 via Glen-Ayle’s private track. The first section of country along the CSR had some rough patches but these were relatively easy for the truck to negotiate as the sand dunes don’t start until around Well 11. Despite cooler dune sand in the afternoon improving traction, Andy still couldn’t crest a few dunes, and to make dune driving worse, a hot bushfire the previous summer had burnt everything, allowing the sand to blow around and remain loose. Forced to reverse and try again he lowered tyre pressures to 20 psi, which Andy says is akin to lowering a 4WD’s tyres down to about 7 psi. At 20 psi he was successful in getting over dunes and continued northward towards Well 15. In the CSR dune corridors Andy averaged 15-17km/h and generally used 4th to 6th gear high range.

Dragging the D-Max on to the tilt tray.

Photos courtesy Automotive Karnage

tray. Once it was strapped down, they set off even though it was still dark. The trackside overhead tree canopy encroached in places striking the D-MAX body panels, causing more damage, but there was little Andy could do about that. This is not good!

Photo courtesy Phil Bianchi

Arriving at the site of the stricken D-MAX just on dusk, he was surprised to find it undisturbed and intact. Other travellers had seen the vehicle, walked around it, but left it untouched. Andy was also impressed with the use of the log as a skid to assist in dragging the 4WD off the CSR. Despite one wheel missing, Andy’s 6 ton winch made short work of dragging the D-MAX onto the tilt Western 4W Driver #117

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Driving back towards Well 11, now with the extra weight of the D-MAX, some dunes needed several attempts to successfully crest them. Once clear of dune country they camped for what was left of the night. The next day they again travelled via GlenAyle and then drove through Wiluna and camped near Leonora. Andy headed for Kalgoorlie, dropped off the D-MAX, and then drove back to Laverton, to be ready for work the next day. For Andy it had been a four-day 2,200km round trip, a significant portion of which was on dirt roads or on the CSR’s wheel pad. The D-MAX wasn’t repaired in Kalgoorlie; the insurance company had it trucked to Perth for inspection and repairs. The owners, despite being without the D-MAX for four months, were happy with the repairs and the overall resolution of the catastrophe. They are not strangers to remote 4W driving; on this trip the D-MAX had travelled the Anne Beadell Highway to Coober Pedy, Googs Track, spent six weeks in Tasmania and the Victorian high country, came back across the Nullarbor on the old highway and then went to Halls Creek to commence the CSR trip. Andy rescued three D-MAXs in 2019. All three had the same rear left wheel broken off. A search on Google reveals other D-MAXs have had the same issue. D-MAXs

Bush humour.

sold between January 2018 and February 2020 have been recalled correcting problems with the rear spring and shock absorber eye size but I’ve been unable to find an Isuzu reference to diff breakages. Maybe they should investigate why so many similar diff breakages have occurred and if there is a weakness in the build of D-MAX diff housings and axles?

Outback Tilt Tray and Recovery, Laverton - call Andy Sutcliffe on mobile 0428 196 306 or satellite phone 0147 140 221. To view Automotive Karnage's video ‘Doing the Canning Stock Route in a 16 ton M.A.N recovery truck', check out: www.youtube.com/automotivekarnage Permits are required for CSR access; application can be made online at: permits.canningstockroute.net.au Fees are payable for access to and from the CSR via GlenAyle Station - currently it's $20 per vehicle. For a current comprehensive CSR travel guide get a copy of The 4W Driver’s Guide - Canning Stock Route by Phil Bianchi.

Sunrise.

Photo courtesy Automotive Karnage

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THE LEADER OF THE RACK

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It’s the automotive equivalent of a conspiracy. You innocently walk into a showroom and do the eeny, meeny, miny, moe, which of these vehicles will I tow? … taking a gamble on which transmission style is going to best suit your purposes.

o-one in a dealership is going to be able to explain the differences between part-time and full-time 4WD to you with any confidence, so a punt is what you might be taking. In the interests of making informed shoppers of you, I offer this summary of some 4WD basics. Time to examine two of the most popular utes in our marketplace - the all-new 2021 Isuzu D-MAX and the 2021 Mitsubishi MR Triton. Each use a 4WD system that’s fundamentally different to the other. Let’s start with the most basic, the one seen in the Isuzu. It is a simple part-time transmission and the first big takeaway you, as a potential buyer need to know, is that if you drive it in either form of 4WD on a hard surface (that’s bitumen, concrete or paving) in either 4H (4WD High range) or 4L (4WD Low range) you’ll likely break it. A part-time system cannot sustain use on high-friction surfaces because of a phenomenon called 'wind-up'. Before we explore that concept any further let’s step back a bit and talk you through the means of engagement and a couple of simple rules. The day might start for you on a local bitumen road and to drive on that surface you’ll be in 2H (2WD High range) and all the power will be exiting the back wheels. Now, on a dry and grippy surface that will be A-OK, the car will steer into and out of corners fine and stop where you want it to. But that won’t be the case when you are on the dirt. 104

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PART TIME That

When in the rough stuff and low range is called for it’s good to know their gearing is nice and deep.

FULL OR TIME is the question!

? By David Wilson

Western 4W Driver #117

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Isuzu D-MAX for 2021 has moved its selector from where you can’t see it, to where you almost can’t see it, up under the big telly screen. Using 2H here = 2WD.

Part-time 4WDs have always been able to engage 4H on the move, some better than others, but as a general rule-of-thumb, able to and at speeds up to 100km/h. Now I’m not suggesting for a moment you get into the habit of using that speed ceiling, because I don’t believe in driving down a dirt road at 100km/h. The risk of a crash on a dirt road increases compared to the same speed travelled on a bitumen road. I’ve always recommended a ceiling of 80km/h on the dirt, so that will do.

As you approach the end of the bitumen and the dirt looms, get off the accelerator and with the front wheels in the dead-ahead position (to get front and rear wheels speed synchronised), reach out to the 4WD selector, called in this case Terrain Command, and rotate it to the right from 2H to 4H. In the space of a few metres travelled there should be a positive connection made between the front differential and propellor shaft and bingo, the 4WD light is aglow. Success and done somewhere in that 0>80km/h realm. It’s worth mentioning that some motion is desirable when going from 2H>4H because we need to make the initial connection/ coupling between diff and prop-shaft occur and that will pay dividends later when you want 4L. Now we are in 4H there’s an even 50/50 distribution of energy front and rear instead of all of it directed to the back wheels. That’s safer, as the vehicle will now steer predictably and stop in a shorter distance. On a loose surface that is desirable and here’s another advantage in running in 4H

The orange twins, 2021 D-MAX X-Terrain and current GSR Triton might look the same in the skin but their transmission styles are very different.

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sign of engagement is a subtle clunk from downstairs. Safe in the knowledge you’re in 4L, select D (drive) and off you go. Don’t try engaging 4L whilst the main gear selector is in D (or any other forward gears), R (reverse) or P (park), because you’ll either get a beeper warning or gnashing of transmission teeth. The car won’t like it one little bit!

D-MAX offers a tiny clue that 4WD High range has been engaged in the form of the green driveline symbol.

on the dirt … less tyre wear. In 2H on the dirt, you’ll be oblivious to the inevitable moments when the rear wheels are spinning because of a lack of grip and that will chew out the rears well ahead of the fronts. After travelling the high-speed dirt you now want to investigate some low-speed stuff and an old goat track beckons on the side of the road and will require 4L. Bring the vehicle to a halt, a full stop. If you are running an automatic, and most of you will be I’m sure, select N (neutral) with the main shifter, reach up to the Terrain Command knob and depress and rotate to the right once more and observe the dashboard 4WD light and confirm 4L was engaged. Another positive

If you try and engage 4L in a manual you’ll need to depress the clutch pedal on the 2021 model, something not needed on the previous generation D-MAX. At the end of the day you’ll need to return firstly to the higher speed dirt and ultimately the bitumen, so follow the procedure above and in the reverse order to deselect each of the 4WD ranges before you get on the hard stuff again. But what happens if you miss the last one? Let’s say you migrate back on to the bitumen road and forget that you’re still in 4H. It is easy-done, been there, done that, but touch-wood, I’ve been lucky thus far that I woke up to my error in good time. That wind-up business occurs when wheel speeds don’t match. Travelling in 4WD in a straight line everything is lined up and receiving equal dollops of energy. Turn a corner and that isn’t the case thanks to the differential effect. Essentially, when you turn a corner the wheels on the inside radius of the bend have a lesser distance to travel compared to the outside and D-MAX gets Christmassy in Low range with a bit more information and confirming that Electronic Stability Control has been disabled and that the engine speed limiting function of the Traction Control System has been dropped, but still retains the braking action to control unwanted wheel-spin. Western 4W Driver #117

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that means wheel speeds will differ, left-to-right and front-toback. On a loose surface that’s alright because any tension can be spun out, but on a hard surface not-so and with each successive change in direction you’re adding more and more stress until eventually, something goes bang! And that is the point difference with the Triton.

Mitsubishi’s Super-Select 2 transmission is one of the best in the business because it has a toe in each camp. It can be a part-timer but it has an advantage over the D-MAX in that it has an all-wheel-drive or full-time 4WD position in 4H. Now, this 4H is radically different to the D-MAX’s 4H and shouldn’t be confused. The Triton offers the following selections; 2H (2WD High range), 4H (full-time AWD High range – centre-differential open), 4HLc (part-time 4WD High range – centredifferential locked) and lastly 4LLc (parttime 4WD Low range – centre-differential locked). Mitsubishi’s fabulous Super Select 2 transmission offers lots of choices including an AWD (All-Wheel-Drive) mode for bitumen running in addition to 2WD.

GSR Triton is an accomplished ute and armed with Super-Select 2 it has great poise on bitumen/dirt roads in its AWD mode = 4H or when really gravelly = 4HLc its part-time 4WD mode in High range.

The selections are positioned logically, so as the terrain worsens you keep shifting through the options, but remember when that centre-differential is locked, it’s no-go on the blacktop. The first, 2H is pretty obvious, used on a perfectly good bit of dry bitumen, but what happens if that bitumen is wet or bumpy? To obtain a better grip and in the way Subaru is lauded for its on-road tenacity, select 4H and do it on the move. In that mode, the centre-differential remains open and can dispense with the previous problem of uneven wheel speeds and thus, no wind-up. The torque split is roughly 70/30 (rear/front). When that dirt road is met you could stay in 4H if the surface is relatively flat and stable, if not and the corrugations are getting to you, grab 4HLLc which is the same mode the D-MAX settles for in its 4H position, a part-time 50/50 split and used on loose surfaces only, because now the Triton is “locked” (that’s the Lc bit). The same rule applies to the Triton in 4LLc, a part-time loose surface mode for steep hills and boggy conditions. The Triton’s Super-Select 2 transmission is a beauty but it could be better if only

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What would be the advantage in having low range AWD ability on a hard surface?

Triton AWD mode on display here; centre-diff is open and all four wheels are receiving some energy for sure-footed grip on daggy bitumen or good dirt.

Dash display is great in the Triton and confirms which wheels are doing what. We’re in 4WD Low range and we’ve elected to use the Rock mode from the terrain selector’s suite of tunes.

it offered a full-time AWD mode in low range as well, like the Toyota Prado’s ability to manually select the centre-difflock or not. Of course, all of this is pretty old-hat because Land Rover introduced this sort of flexibility decades ago with its Defender and early Discovery ranges. It seems sometimes that the message takes a while to get through to other brand product planners.

How about when on a building site with a heavy trailer and negotiating a steep driveway, or reversing a monster caravan into and off a tight space or hauling a boat out of the water and up a greasy algae-stained concrete ramp? Each of those real-world scenarios are difficult when your truck doesn’t have that capability and stuck in a taller set of gears. In both cases, I suppose you could trot off to the accessory store and buy a set of manual free-wheeling hubs and install them on the front wheels. Then you could at least isolate the front wheels in 4L and avoid the transmission wind-up troubles and sacrifice 50% of the drive just to win back the lower gearing and higher torque output that low range affords. When purchasing a new 4WD for the first time this might be one of just many considerations you’ll make to arrive at the perfect vehicle to transport you to wherever your heart desires, but at least now you know how a couple of them work. You could go old-school and retro-fit a set of free-wheeling hubs to obtain a Low range function on hard surfaces without risk of breaking something.

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Dardanup

HERITAGE PARK

By Chris Morton

Sequestered down a side road a few minutes from town, the Dardanup Heritage Park was originally the brainchild of the late Gary Brookes, who sadly passed away just prior to the park’s opening in 2003. The sprawling complex located within a rural setting is home to a vast array of exhibits and displays paying homage to our pioneering and rural roots. Replica cottages take you back in

time.

The tractor collection has to be seen to be believed. This is just a taste.

small army of volunteers led by Jill Brookes ensure that the various exhibits and displays are lovingly maintained with much of the machinery still in operating condition. There is even a fully functioning printing office which services the needs of the park. The sprawling complex is covered in storage sheds and exhibits for you to step back in time with. Rows of tractors, farm machinery and vehicles, snap shots of how we lived and the items of daily life are all preserved here in an interactive time capsule. The unimposing reception centre provides no hint of the park’s secrets.

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The kids (and big kids) will love the Leopard tank and the associated displays in the RSL Hall.

The Bunbury RSL maintains an impressive display of local and national military history, having relocated their collection from the local Army depot. Curator Gerry Tyrell, himself a veteran of the Australian Army, is extremely passionate about preserving our military past. Securing one of only thirty decommissioned Leopard mark 1 Main Battle Tanks for the RSL’s collection, it was seen as a big win and is a major draw card for visitors. Housed inside the building, the tank has been accessorised to reflect what the vehicle would have looked like when in use with the Australian Army. Special permission was obtained for an inspection hatch to be removed, allowing for visitors to see cramped operating conditions inside the turret.

The park boasts several operational Tangye engines which are regularly fired up for park visitors.

The Dardanup Heritage Park is open every Sunday and Wednesday between 9:30am and 4.00pm (except Christmas Day). Entry is $23 for adults and $10 for kids aged 5-15. Families of two adults and two children are $60. Allow yourself the entire day to wander through the park and grab a delicious lunch or morning tea from their tearooms. On the 1st Sunday of each month volunteers start up the timber sawmill and demonstrate its operation. Western 4W Driver #117

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WILD TRAX with IAN ELLIOT

Chauncys Cairn

A query regarding the exact position of this cairn, situated about 5km ESE of The Lakes, led me to revisit this historic site recently. It's a stone pile about a metre high with a white gum post sticking up another half a metre, the whole thing erected on a flattish granite outcropping the southern slopes of Ngangaguringguring Hill. Erected to mark the spot from which a bearing to Mount Dale was taken, it was built by Phillip La Mothe Snell Chauncy and his Aboriginal assistant during a survey of the York Road in 1846. I was researching Aboriginal feature names on the old York Road for the Lands Dept. early in 1983 when I happened to

leaf through Chauncy's field book and discovered his sketch of the cairn and approximate details of its position. Since it lay in a forest area not too far off the powerline track, I felt that there was a fair chance the cairn might still exist, so I went searching for it on the weekend. In those days I used to get firewood in my Holden ute along the powerline track so I knew the country pretty well. It took a few hours of bushwalking, but it was a magic moment when I first sighted the cairn. I took friends out there on several excursions during following weekends and placed a screw lid coffee jar in the cairn containing a copy of Chauncy's sketch and the names of the visitors. I refrained from driving to it so no track would develop. Ian at Chauncys Cairn.

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All that was more than thirty years ago now, and I was amazed to see on the internet that group walking tours past it are undertaken these days. A mate, Paul Kennedy, agreed to follow me out to the closest walkin point (I'm getting a bit past 4WD travelling alone these days) and we certainly found the powerline track to be perhaps a little more challenging than it was back in my firewood collecting days. However, our walk in, apart from picking up a couple of 'roo ticks, was successful and I'm pleased to report that the cairn is still standing 174 years after its construction.

Thanks

My thanks go out to readers Mal and Liz Hoffman who recreated my Yilgarn trip from last year's Autumn edition and took extra time and effort to answer my question on the whereabouts of Jackson Cemetery. Apparently it's on the southern side of a track that heads due east from opposite the old homestead gateway. My snail trail shows I got to within 300 metres without spotting it. I'm very grateful to Mal and Liz because their information allows me now to easily pay a visit to the cemetery the next time I'm in the vicinity.

and more Thanks

I'd also like to thank other readers, Marian and Brian Kirby of Beacon, for taking the trouble to get in touch in answer to another of my queries. It might be recalled from the last issue that we had found a 1991 aluminium plate attached to a tree some 4km from John Forrest's 'Gun Bucket Hole', and I mentioned that I'd love to hear from 114

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Harry Leaver's plaque at Mount Churchman. Photo courtesy Marian Kirby

those responsible. Marian took one look at the photo of this engraved plate and contacted the magazine with the news that she could have the answer. I found, on contacting her, that she and her husband had done some travelling with old Harry Leaver and that the plaques he put up when following Forrest's 1869 route were almost identical. I had briefly mentioned Harry in the article as one of those who searched for Forrest's furthest east, but hadn't made the connection because the initials didn't match. Marian was unable to explain this discrepancy, and we may never have it explained now because old Harry died, aged 95, in 2015. Anyway, thanks again Marian.

The 'Muir/Hill Track' In connection with another bush sign, I recall a trip that Paul and I did back in 2013 when we accompanied members of the Hill family of Laverton to search for a spring supposed to be somewhere in the Ida Range. We were assured by Peter Hill that it wouldn't be a hard trip because we could travel on a track put in by Peter Muir and himself back when they were searching for Empress Spring.

“No need to fit our rag tyres,” I told Paul enthusiastically, “Peter will be leading, and he's got radials so we'll do the same.” However, things didn't work out quite like I expected. A way up what is now the David Carnegie Road we couldn't find Peter's turn-off. Peter seemed quite puzzled by this, but when I asked him when was the last time he'd travelled this track and he admitted he hadn't been on it since 1971, I began to comprehend the problem. Apparently they'd only had their vehicles over it a couple of times at most so you couldn't expect there to be much trace left. “Ah well,” Peter remarked as he gave up the search, “You'd better lead Ian, because you've got that GPS thingy to find the way there.” Sadly, my GPS and all the bush driving experience I've had over the years failed to avoid the myriad mulga stakes that littered our route. We made it, but it cost us in tyres. It's the only trip where I've staked three tyres at once. Anyway, after separating from the Hills, who returned to town the way they'd come, Paul and I went southwards cross country to link up with the northern extension of the Lake Wells Road, hoping to cut Peter's track along the way somewhere. We saw no sign of it. Five years later, Paul and I were out that way again and found that a mining company had put in a driller's road extending the Lake Wells Road almost through to the Ida Range. Not only that, they'd also graded a new track across to the David Carnegie Road. We followed this about halfway and saw enough to convince us that this approximated the Muir/Hill Track. The giveaway was a dune that Peter had described to us where they'd got their vehicles over it on the way out but had to go round on the way back.

This was dated August 1985 and bore the names Robert Strada and Warren Ireland who apparently reached this remote spot riding respectively Suzuki and Yamaha motorcycles with 4X4 backup being provided by Liz and Reece Ireland. As this trip was only 14 years after the Muir/Hill venture, I'd be really interested in hearing from any members of this intrepid foursome. We used this newly cleared cross track last year during a trip out to Point Roberts and found it a beautiful drive. In fact, leaving out Point Roberts which is rough cross country work, it makes for a fantastic three or four day round trip from Laverton. You could go out on the the Great Central, turn north on the David Carnegie Road, then west on the 'Muir/Hill Track' and then back south on the Lake Way Road, rejoining the Great Central near Cosmo Newberry. Well worth a try when the weather cools down a bit.

CORRECTION

In the last edition of Western 4W Driver the image below was incorrectly captioned as being Bishop Rileys Pulpit. The caption should have read Pulpit Hill

At the turn-off from the Lake Wells Road we found a small, diamond-shaped, engraved aluminium plate nailed to a tree. Western 4W Driver #117

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What’s in a name? with IAN ELLIOT AMENDMENTS AND DELETIONS

ld mate Frank Hann got a couple of mentions in our newspapers last year in connection with geographic names for which he was responsible. The immense lake alongside the Canning Stock Route that was such a let-down to Hann when he failed to find fresh water there on 20 April 1897 is no longer 'Lake Disappointment.' The name has been changed to Kumpupintil Lake. According to the Martu Aboriginal group who requested the change, it has always been known as Kumpupintil to them. There can be no argument against this. An internationally recognised basic rule of geographic names authorities is that the earliest-given name should always take precedence. One of my mates complained that an Aboriginal name would be too long and too difficult to pronounce. In fact this one has the same number of letters and syllables as the word disappointment does. As for pronunciation, the West kindly pointed out that the name was pronounced, "Goombu-pin-dil", although the reason why it couldn’t be spelt that way was ignored. (Usually this is due to the very precise rules followed by linguists, rules that are sometimes confusing to the layman.) This recognition of a traditional feature name reminds me of the wonderful years I spent taking Aboriginal elders out bush to record their traditional place names for mapping when I was coordinator of the Aboriginal Place Names Survey for the Lands Dept. It has always seemed to me that traditional names are part of what makes Australia truly Australian. Without place names like Tumbarumba, Kalumburu, Onkaparinga and Wooloomooloo I’m sure our maps would be dominated by boring copies of British toponymy with maybe the word 'new' as a prefix.

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The deleted names are more of a puzzle to me. Situated in the Shire of Laverton, they are 'Blackfellow Point' and 'Gin Creek', features that were named by Hann in 1903 and 1906 respectively. The Kalgoorlie Miner stated that they were to be deleted from maps by Landgate because they were considered racist and the authority did not approve names deemed to be, “offensive or derogatory to a particular group, gender or religion.” It seems to me that 'blackfellow' is no more than a simple description, just like the words 'blackfella, whitefella, red fella, yella fella' in an Aboriginal song I heard while I was writing this. In fact, quite recently, I also heard Anthony Mundine on TV proudly proclaiming himself to be a blackfellow, and why shouldn’t he? 'Gin', a word meaning 'woman', derives from the NSW Aboriginal language of the Dharuk group. It was recorded by Lt. William Dawes in 1791. Dawes wrote it as 'Deeyin' or 'Din' (you can see his actual notebooks on the internet), but common usage soon corrupted this to 'gin', a word that was to become well-known right around the country, not only in Australian English but also in the Pidgin English and creole used by many early Aboriginal station workers. The term came to apply particularly to Aboriginal women. I concede that this word is now considered offensive by many, so I have no argument with the proposed deletion of the name, but I’d like to establish that there was no insult intended by Hann when he named the creek. He would have heard and used this word applied to Aboriginal women throughout his whole Australian life, and, at the time he named the creek, the word was in regular use in newspapers right around the country. Likewise, when I put the name forward for approval in 1982, and when the

Geographic Names Committee approved it for use on maps, I can confirm that there was no intent to be derogatory in any way. I, for one, had no idea that anyone could find it offensive. I’d seen it often in WA town name quizzes - Two Aboriginal women = Gingin; Slim Aboriginal woman = Narrogin. Once again, I’m pretty sure no offence was intended. I get it that it is now offensive to some, and I do recall that, in my discussions with elders during the 1980s this word was never mentioned by them or me. So, no objection to deletion. I would, however, point out that these particular deleted names are not alone. There is still a Gin Creek in the Northern Territory and four in Queensland, besides a Little Gin Creek. The latter state has no less than eleven Black Gin Creeks, to say

nothing about a Little Black Gin Creek and a Big Black Gin Creek. As for the term, 'blackfellow', Australia-wide there’s another point, a flat, a hill, two lagoons two mountains, a peak a spring, a swamp and a waterhole bearing this name. Interestingly, WA and the Northern Territory have four Blackfellow Creeks each, while Queensland has a spectacular fifteen watercourses of that name. One assumes that other States are also striving to end such derogatory and offensive toponyms. However, it seems that we have a long way to go in this PC endeavour to ensure that no sensitive soul can feel aggrieved when they consult a map. The best advice I’ve heard on this subject came from a mate of mine; “Try hard not to give offence; but also try hard not to take offence.”

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For stories, reviews and 4WD news Western 4W Driver #117

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OUTBACK WA's guardian angel Andy Sutcliffe, a diesel mechanic, living in Laverton WA, owns and operates Outback Tilt Tray and Recovery Laverton. He travels far and wide rescuing vehicles, camper trailers and delivering fuel to places such as the remote Ilkurlka Roadhouse on the Anne Beadell Highway, some 600km east of Laverton.

y the way, Andy is no stranger to 4W driving, he has travelled the Canning Stock Route many times including in 2010 when he successfully drove a 1981 Peugeot 505 along it from north to south. The Peugeot had a petrol motor, was a twowheel drive with a standard suspension, and it also had 500,000km on the clock. Andy was determined to complete the CSR trip without any outside assistance or modifications to the vehicle such as lift kits, diff locks etc. He was successful, he wasn’t towed over any dunes and only needed a second run up on eight dunes. You have got to admit that’s a very capable twowheel drive vehicle and of course driver. Andy said these Peugeots were the vehicle of choice in Northern Africa and they are almost unstoppable. In 2013 he drove the CSR, from south to north. Gaynor Schoeman travelled with him. They were in his 40 series and were prepositioning food and water for Gaynor’s

Andy Sutcliffe and Gaynor Schoeman conquered the CSR in a Peugeot.

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attempt at walking the CSR. The 40 series didn’t miss a beat and Gaynor became the first person to successfully walk the CSR solo. In a past life Andy spend 12 years driving overland adventure trucks in Asia, Africa and South America. He completed the Cape Town to London overland trip five times, London to Kathmandu via Cairo 11 times and twice completed seven-month long circle trips of South America. Andy carried out repairs required to keep his vehicles going. You’ve got to admit that’s an impressive adventurer’s pedigree and given the terrain he covered he would have needed to have MacGyver’s skills to get out of trouble at times I would think. Living in Laverton and seeing a need for a rescue service to recover stricken vehicles, Andy purchased his 1985 diesel MAN truck at a Perth auction. The 196hp, 9.6 litre, five cylinder, naturally aspirated, diesel engined

THE THINGS YOU SEE! with (TRUTHFUL) PHIL BIANCHI emphasise that strongly enough. When asked if there was a common reason for vehicle breakdowns and what types of vehicles were most prone to failure, he advised that the most common failures were aftermarket suspensions, some being of poor quality, some incorrectly matched to the vehicle and others incorrectly fitted. However, vehicle overloading, people not driving to the road conditions (“I’ve only got ten days for the trip”), not reducing tyre pressures and speeding were the main reasons for failure.

truck has a massive tilt tray and slide and a 6 ton winch. It runs on 10.00 x 20 tubed tyres and carries 560 litres of diesel when fully fuelled up. It has a 10 speed road ranger crash gear box and a rear diff lock, and it’s a veritable tank of a vehicle. Why such an old truck? Andy was familiar with MAN trucks through his work and during the 12 years driving the overland trips. He wanted a strong, reliable truck without any electronics whatsoever. If it broke down he knew parts were readily available and that these trucks could easily be repaired in the field. His MAN truck isn’t just a tilt tray rescue vehicle; in non-COVID times he delivers 8,500 litres of fuel to Ilkurlka Roadhouse some five to seven times per year. An Ilkurlka round trip has him leaving work on Friday afternoon and being back in Laverton late on Sunday so he is ready to go to his fulltime day job on Monday. Yes, he’s got a day job as well, working for Desert Sands, cartage and road making contractors based in Laverton. Andy’s main tip for outback 4W driving is to travel as light as possible. He couldn’t

He also recovers an average of five or more camper trailers each year, with campers of Chinese origin being the most prolific needing ambulance rides. In 2019 he recovered three D-MAXs - one from Ilkurlka Roadhouse on the Anne Beadell Hwy, another 120km west of Neale Junction on the Anne Beadell Hwy and a third from Well 15 on the CSR. (A detailed article on the D-MAX rescue from Well 15 on the CSR is a feature article elsewhere in this magazine.) All had the same rear wheel snapped off. He was surprised at not recovering any Mitsubishis and only one Hilux. He could not give an opinion on why no Mitsubishis; it may be that few of them adventure so remotely. He also expressed surprise that there was only one Hilux failure given the high number of Hilux’s running around. There were also a number of 5 cylinder Ford Rangers with broken rear springs or a blown motor, recovered. Without doubt Andy’s exploits show that he is a larger than life character who has done more in a lifetime than most people. Maybe Outback Truckers should check out WA’s Indiana Jones, his is a fascinating and entertaining story to tell. Western 4W Driver #117

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OVER THE BONNET OUR READERS WRITE

WINNING LETTER

WINS A PRIZE!

I have lived and worked all over the place from Norway to Holland, the UK and Northern Ireland, France, Romania, Albania, Greece, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Portugal, South Africa and all over the USA and Afghanistan but nowhere is as good as here in WA and if there is a better magazine than yours I’ve yet to find it. It’s genuinely a publication I eagerly await dropping through my postbox. Keep up the good work please and maybe a few articles on local manufacturers of 4WD kit, like Trackstar campers, a history of the Oka truck etc. Regards and best wishes for 2021 Mike Wilkins Hi Mike

y have been As the song says, you certainl happy to hear everywhere man and we are so e. It’s always azin that you enjoy reading the mag continue to us s help great to get feedback that ion. licat produce a world class pub ufacturers is a The suggestion to cover local man to implement. fantastic one which we are going field though, e It’s going to be a bit of a min ple. I can’t exam t however Trackstar is a grea have never I as ers trail comment on their camper comment r eve how can I owned or used one. pers, as cam r thei ture ufac that they don’t man are pers cam “All site: web own r stated on thei tern Wes Perth fully equipped and assembled in t of breed” “bes d orte imp and l loca from a Australi embled”. “ass g components.” The key word bein hbour, neig r thei This is in direct contrast with from pers cam r thei Camprite, who manufacture the ground up. to know where As a consumer you are entitled we encourage your product is manufactured, and r hard-earned you to ask before you commit you should be you that is money. The key take away ice. cho d rme able to make a fully info

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winner

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Hi guys Currently touring around the Wheatbelt, Great Southern and now in Albany (Summer was here this morning!!!) We have been impressed with the rocks ... Beringbooding especially impressive, except for Watercorp's neglect of the monstrous tank!!! What a dereliction of an amazing example of survey and engineering. Should have heritage listing and dollars to resurrect the monolith! May I suggest the mag might consider publishing a log of broadcast radio stations frequencies in the state. Even using 'seek' is frustrating. Kind regards Malcolm Smith Broome

Hi Malcolm falling into ruin. Which sites It is a shame to see historic sites ision to make considering dec deserve preservation is a difficult ite rocks dotted through the WA finite financial resources. The gran worth a visit. wheatbelt are amazing and well some Googling) and managed We did some research (OK, we did AM and FM radio stations across to find a complete (we think) list of the magazine however we have the state. It’s too big to include in find it in our members area. added it to our website. You can

Have you got yours? Written by our own Phil Bianchi, this is the most comprehensive guide produced in over 26 years, and a must-have for anyone planning an expedition along the CSR. Order your copy today from

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BINDON'S LORE with BINDON THE BUSHIE

THEN AND NOW

emember how unreliable the electricity supply was just after World War II? Maybe many readers are too young to recall the extent of the events called ‘brown-outs’ which were just a little less severe than a full-blown blackout which shut down everything, sometimes until the light of the following day when the maintenance linesmen could see to affect the necessary repairs. In the street in which I lived as a youth there were several houses in the backyards of which grew loquat trees. Now this Chinese fruit tree of medium size produced a very sweet fruit not much bigger than a mouthful for a subteen. So, naturally the trees were regularly raided for their fruits, and not only by tree climbing children, but at night by the large flying foxes that lived in a smelly colony in the heavily wooded gully up a nearby creek. Perhaps the flying foxes were a little drunk on the sweet fruit when they

departed the loquat trees towards morning, or maybe they just couldn’t see well, but day after day the power would be out following a loud bang and a flash sometime after midnight when a flying fox shorted out the transformer just a couple of poles down from our place. As we only had a fuel stove in the kitchen, and it had been my job to fill the wood box before dinner the previous evening, Mum was always able to have Dad’s breakfast cooked before he went to work. A kerosene-powered hurricane lamp, now sold as a peculiar novelty in lamp stores sufficed for lighting in the dark kitchen until the power was restored sometime during the morning. It was always a good excuse when questioned about the lack of completed homework to say that the lamp wick had burnt too short and there was no replacement. It was certainly a better excuse than the old story that “my dog ate it.” It wasn’t only the flying foxes that caused trouble, the maintenance on the power stations had probably been less than diligent during the war when so many men and women were away from their usual jobs. A number of services became run down owing to what was called the

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‘War Effort’ and it took the country quite a few years to get back on its feet after the conflicts ended. And then of course, technological inventiveness had changed many things during the war, and these took some time to develop a new normalcy. Today there are all sorts of smart electronic gadgets that tell the man on the computer in the sub-station exactly where the source of the outage lies, but in those times, the maintenance truck drove around until they saw a deceased flying fox dangling in the wires. We kids had alarming stories at the time about the malevolent characteristics of those unfortunate animals and once it had been located by the repair crews who arrived to re-set the fuses, we hid indoors just in case the fried carcass was thrown in our direction by the jokers in the truck. Although our present ‘treesy’ suburb had exactly the same problem recently, it was caused by a transiting possum and not a flying fox, but the effect was the same – and for the poor possum too (I didn’t hide indoors!) In our home we do have a modern version of Mum’s fuel stove that serves as the cooking top and oven when there is a power outage, but lately these interruptions have become more and more infrequent. That is until we were in the midst of bushfires that burnt hundreds of poles and wrecked dozens of transformers. What was most frightening however, was to suddenly discover that without power to the wireless networks and telephones – we were on our own. The transistor radio of my youth had long disappeared and anyway there would not have been much of a chance of finding fresh batteries for it. Any message that was to get to us had to be transmitted in person by volunteers or the police. Although we had a couple of gas camp stoves with full cylinders, we had also bought a couple of bags of barbeque heat-beads just to be sure. So not knowing how long this inconvenience was going to last, I was very glad to also have fuel for the two antique primus stoves that my family had used on camping trips in earlier years. 124

My wife’s family didn’t have electricity in their farmhouse until the mid-1960s. There were some lovely brass candlesticks on the mantlepieces of each room that had a fireplace, which in those times included the bedrooms. Eventually she inherited the candlesticks and we still use them. They are all on our mantlepieces now, equipped with fresh candles when necessary and a box of matches is always kept next to each one. Everyone knows where the flashlights are, and although not particularly decorative, they are kept in easily visible locations on shelves and in exposed places so that they can be found by touch. With all such preparations in place, I did appreciate just how lucky we were to be prepared having light and fuel if needed but was a little dismayed about our lack of communication with the outside world. Now I am wondering about the effectiveness of a satellite dish for communications, but I guess that if the power is off because the poles are down, the TV set will be off the air - although perhaps there are battery operated TV sets! I’ll have to enquire. When first working in the Western Australian back-blocks, we were always supplied with a radio set that was tuned to a Flying Doctor frequency, but setting up an aerial and getting reception was not simple. Admittedly, radio technology and communications have come a long way since that time and a satellite telephone is probably the way to go now. This could be useful both at home or when travelling and I notice that hand-sets and connection charges cost a lot less than they once did and seem to be getting less expensive each year. However, I have not yet seen a sat-phone number listed in a telephone directory, but as my son tells me continuously, I am well behind the line when it comes to modern technology and might have missed something. (Was he telling me that I should just use the telephone directory pages to light the barbeque and call directories for the number?) I didn’t think that a telephone directory would be that hi-tech, but now that I come to think of

Western 4W Driver #117

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it, many people seem to have abandoned their land-line telephone in favour of a mobile phone – many numbers are not ‘inthe-book’. As my wife keeps reminding me, now most people are “screenagers”, and that developmental stage seems to last much longer and start much earlier than the other ages of youth. They seem to find the numbers they want ‘on-line,’ whatever that means. I do admit that it is true that while I was apparently standing still, technology was advancing fast around me. I had met with the little wind-generators that some farms had in remote areas well before the current debates about hill-top wind-farm nests with their huge fans and soaring towers. The small versions seemed to do the trick for farmhouse telephone systems and perhaps with the appropriate battery array they might have run some household appliance

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or another. But now every second house has an array of panels on the roof which produce enough electrical energy to run all kinds of things and even produce enough power to be able to send some back to the grid. The miracle is that there are small solar panels that can be fastened on the roof of the 4WD or even on the caravan to provide you with all kinds of home comforts when there is not a power pole in sight. Not only that, but a year or two ago I was with some military types that had folding panels that could attach to their back packs to charge things as they walked along in the scrub. It was hard to believe, but there they were right in front of me using electrical gadgets without a mile-long extension cord. What would Robinson Crusoe say? I find it is rather strange that with all the advances in technology, our suburban homes can become just as unreliable as an unplanned trip into the bush in a 4WD. The warning needs to be that we should not become too complacent. At any time, we can be thrown back on to our own resources and without proper consideration of the likely circumstances and how disasters might be avoided, we can be in trouble in our own lounge rooms just as easily as we can be in the scrub. In both situations, it is planning and preparation that will save us. The advantage that we do have is that technological assistance from electronic media can help us prepare. We can check up on the mistakes of previous situations to determine how we might avoid them on future occasions. Well thought out action plans are available that are not just someone’s opinion, but are plans that have been tried and tested. The armchair tourist now has many more resources at hand than just simple print-based books and so can prepare thoroughly for the real trip. And some of these electronic resources can be downloaded on to ‘devices’ that can be taken with us into remote locations. Like the American Express man more-or-less says, “Don’t leave home without them.”

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LET'S GO GEO-TOURING with SHANE THE SHARKCAVER

A SPRING IN THE DESERT

ow is the time to start planning those remote desert trips. The nasty summer temperatures are dropping off and cooler nights await. May is my goto start time for such ventures, but do not discount April, as it all depends upon the weather at the time. If planning an April trip, keep an eye out for weather systems coming from the north west. Being out here with a high rainfall event isn’t the most pleasant experience. On this trip, I decided to knock off some long-held bucket list items in the Great Victoria Desert and find a couple of remote geocaches whilst at it. A five day, 2,000km

trip to Queen Victoria Spring and to pay homage to Ernest Giles who named the spring in 1875. With my mate Lenny in tow, we made our way to Wallaroo Rocks for the first night. It is a bit of a detour off the highway, but always worth the experience to camp here. Back in the steam train days, a series of water points were placed every 20 miles or so from Northam to Kalgoorlie, such was the insatiable thirst of the humble steam engine. Wallaroo forms one of those many water points. A large granite outcrop was dammed up to provide two separate water sources. These days, it is a great little swimming hole and a good

Leaving Streich Mound.

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storage for yabbies I hear. With no time to explore the rock before dark, we were warmed by the fire and had a focal point for the night’s conversation. A cold morning greeted us and after some breakfast, we headed out to climb the granite outcrop. With phone coverage at the top, we could post images to social media to rub it into those who were not as fortunate as us, being stuck at work. A cache is located here that I had found some years earlier. As well as a logbook, this cache has a disposable camera. The aim is to take a selfie with the camera and the cache owner then has a photo record of those that came to find the cache. A rather novel idea. With my memory somewhat faded, I managed to find the cache again by dead reckoning to confirm all is still in good order. After exploring the outcrop and the two dams, we hit the road to push to the east of Kalgoorlie.

Wallaroo Rock.

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The arduous daily task of collecting firewood.

My 2013 log at the Wallaroo cache.

Woolgangi is another one of these steam train water points. Seeing as we were passing it on the way back to the highway, and it also held a cache nearby, I made sure I got my name into that logbook as well. Fed and refuelled in Kalgoorlie, we headed north east towards Kurnalpi. This road is a bit rough and we wanted to arrive at our planned camp in daylight. Stopping early in the day may have made us arrive late, so we left the caches at the abandoned town of Kanowna for another day. By early afternoon it became evident that we would make camp at a reasonable hour, so we ventured off the track in search of a path to another out-of-the-way cache. Once we could drive no further, a scramble to the top of a large iron knob revealed an ammo box. Inside that box, a geocache logbook to sign. The 360-degree view Old Pinjin, a great place to camp.

Old Pinjin swimming pool.

from the top was amazing. We arrived at camp two, Old Pinjin Station, in good time. A great place to camp for the night and lots of relics to pick over. The swimming pool is something to behold. After another great night of conversation by the campfire we shot off to bed. Around midnight, I was woken by old mate dingo, some considerable distance away. I lay in the swag listening to his howl and noted he was on the move. Getting ever closer, I

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just knew he would come to visit. But he chose to motor on through, bypassing our camp and was last heard howling well to the north, leaving me to get some sleep. As we had a surplus of timber, we decided to take some with us for the next evening. At the very least, it would free up some time after we arrived at camp. Due to modern mining operations, navigation around here becomes a bit of an issue. Turning east on to the Nippon Highway (a highway it certainly is not), you follow a goat track for some 15km and end up at a t-junction. This crossroad, obviously a modern haul road, follows the Nippon as laid out on the map for a short distance. A previous trip down here had us well off the map and we had to travel some distance along the haul road before we could get back to our intended route. This time, with a keen desire to get off the haul road, I found the intersection point of the Nippon Highway. It is not an easy find to be honest, hidden behind vegetation and up an embankment. The highway is easy to traverse ... once you find it. The start of the Nippon Highway.

Mulga rock hole.

There is a large rock hole about 10km down from this intersection and it's worth the short detour for a look. Whilst it was dry on our visit, you can see at times it would hold substantial water. It was at least six foot deep and four foot in diameter. Back on the Nippon the rocky ground changed to desert sand to add a bit of fun factor. A large fire had gone through the area some six months earlier and large sand hills were now evident in the distance since all the vegetation had been cleared. Some 50km along we made it to Argus Corner, the turn off to the south for Queen Victoria Spring. Large marble gums and cleared space made it an ideal place for lunch. Desert sand hill scenery with Chiko rolls and chips out of the oven for lunch is hard to beat in anyone’s language. The track from here to the spring gets a bit softer in the desert sand. The bushfire had decimated the landscape and we were constantly driving around fallen trees, hoping to avoid sticking a piece of burnt mulga into a sidewall. But all was well and we reached the turn off to Streich Mound – named after Victor Streich, a geologist

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with the Elder’s scientific expedition which passed here in 1891. After a short journey along more burnt out and sandy track we reached a large sand hill about 1km from the plaque which is located at the mound. In the swale below lies a remote geocache and I wondered what condition it would be in owing to the landscape being wiped out by fire. We drove down the sand hill and ventured on foot to find the cache. Whilst the container survived somewhat (an ammo can) the contents had not fared as well. The logbook was now ash and with no logbook to sign, I took photographic evidence of my find.

The destroyed cache at Streich Mound. Argus Corner.

With the afternoon now dragging on and with unknown track conditions to the spring in front of us, we decide to pass on locating the plaque at the mound and make for camp. A good decision this turned out to be. The track to the spring was slow going. Large swathes of burnt-out areas are followed by heavily vegetated sections. Before the fire took hold, it would have been a rather tight and scratchy track to traverse. At another t-junction, we headed north for the last 5km to the spring, arriving about half an hour before sundown. The spring itself is now barren and there was only a small puddle of water in the lowest part of the depression on our visit here. I reminisced back to 1875, when Giles and his party found this place. After going 17 days without water, he was starting to get a bit desperate. I believe had he not found the spring, he could very well have become another statistic. The desert wind was both cold and intense and I was glad we had brought some wood with us because there was little to be found after the bushfire had consumed everything in its path. This spring was one of my bucket list items to cross off. Cold or not, I went to bed a happy man.

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once lived a logbook. I am happy to report that the visitor logbook at the camp site has survived the inferno.

Camped at the spring.

The morning dawned both sunny and cold. After some breakfast it was time to explore the spring on foot. It is hard to believe from looking at the small puddle remaining, that at times this place holds a substantial amount of water. Some 200 metres from camp lies another remote geocache. After the fire, it is a breeze to navigate this barren terrain with camel and dingo prints spotted in the sand on the way. After seeing the condition of the cache at the mound, I held grave concerns as to the condition of this one too. My fears were soon realised. Another ammo can, burnt to a crisp on the outside, with just a smidge of ash inside where Queen Victoria Spring, not at all like Giles found it.

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With the remote caches now found, we began our long journey home, heading south for the Trans Australian Railway access road. The fire had not made it this far south and we got to see what the landscape would have looked like some six months earlier. In places, it was slow going, with the unmistakable squeal of mulga burying itself into the paintwork. Some small stretches of stoney track were broken up with stretches of desert sand. Further south there were areas of now dry water courses cutting across the track. A few old, abandoned vehicles and

It’s toast - the geocache at Queen Victoria Spring.

machinery signified evidence of more modern human occupation. Not too far further, we entered the remains of the Cundeelee Mission. Set up in the 1950s and abandoned in the 1980s, it’s a great place to investigate the ruins and imagine what it was like to live out here back then. After a good explore of the mission buildings and then some lunch, we headed for Coonana on the Trans Rail access road. Here the desert track turns into a substantially wide road, no doubt being the main access point for the settlement in years past. The road is primarily soft sand, and that sand can be quite deep and soft in places. Whilst our speed over ground has increased considerably, there are lots of 'gotchyas' to be wary of – like the numerous washouts that cross the track. Without fail, every time I take my eyes off the road for a glance at the moving map, I catch one of those gotchyas with my guard down. Cruising along the Trans road, after stopping for a couple more caches on the way, we made Kalgoorlie in the early afternoon. Len and I discussed a plan on where to from here. We could go directly home, arriving extremely late in the evening, or make something out of it and secure another night under canvas. We chose the latter, and Lake Douglas, just out of Kalgoorlie gave us some time to sit back with a well-deserved can of amber fluid and to reflect on our trip thus far. With outside world comms now at our fingertips, we heard the weather was turning a bit nasty back home. Whilst it hadn’t made it this far east as yet, we knew it was coming.

In the morning, we headed for home. Another successful desert trek completed, and this time we kept all our tyres intact. With the weather looking somewhat threatening, it did not take long for the heavens to open up. On reaching Coolgardie, I suggested to Lenny we pay homage to the great man. It seemed an appropriate tribute to me. I knew he resided here but wasn’t sure exactly where. After a short walk around, I found it. The final resting place of Ernest Giles. I dipped me lid to the great man, then in the spirit of exploration, I found a cache on the cemetery boundary before we headed for home, truly satisfied with another awesome desert trip under the belt.

The final resting place of Ernest Giles: Coolgardie cemetery. Ruins at Cundeelee.

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NUTS AND BOLTS with BEN BROEDER

BUYING A USED 4WD One careful owner … Never been off road … Only selling due to upgrade … Serviced every 5,000km … First to see will buy … Wading through the world of buying a used 4WD can be challenging, even for those who think they have taken all the precautions.

he idea to write this article comes from an unfortunately all too common scene that plays out in our workshop. A customer has just shelled out their hardearned money for what they think is their dream 4WD. They bring it in either for its first service or to have us give it a check over after they have bought it … only for us to be the bearer of extremely costly and bad news. We have seen it all, from mine site fresh 70 series given a lick of paint and put on the lot for sale, through to family 4WDs which have been moved on by the previous owner to avoid huge repair bills.

“But I am going to buy from a dealer.” Whilst buying from a reputable dealer does provide a very small element of safety in this respect, it won’t completely protect you from something bad occurring. Car dealers and wholesalers are there, just like the rest of us, to make money. Many of these dealerships sell dozens of cars a day and whilst some may give the vehicles they buy a quick ‘once over’ in their workshop, they simply can’t invest the time and resources needed to thoroughly inspect and test each and every vehicle.

Some dealers, who value their name and reputation, have taken cars back or have paid to have major repairs carried out at their expense. These cases are relatively rare though.

“My mate is selling his car, he looks after it himself and knows lots about 4WDs.” This is potentially an even riskier situation. Many times we have talked about owner maintenance and repairs on vehicles. Whilst some of us out there know what we are doing and take the time to research and perform work as per manufacturer's specifications, the big risk is with people A 4WD expert will pick up on many things that regular automotive mechanics, or your ‘mate’ might miss.

You must remember it is the purchasers responsibly to ensure that the car is in good order and that you are agreeing to purchase the car displayed to you at the agreed price. Western 4W Driver #117

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A completely destroyed engine main bearing. To the trained ear even little noises can warn of major issues.

Excessive carbon build up in engine intakes comes mainly from poor and infrequent service history.

who aren’t as meticulous. You don’t know what you don’t know is the real risk here.

Just some of the things we have seen on recently purchased vehicles:

Often vehicles have a ‘full’ service history, performed by the owner. Yes, the engine oil and filter have been changed regularly, but often many other subtle maintenance items are not performed. These items can all add up to a costly repair bill over time and the previous owner is none the wiser.

• Excessive rust in structural areas of ex mining vehicles, dressed up and painted to look like non mining vehicles.

“What could go wrong? The car has bugger all kilometres on it.” Just because a vehicle looks neat and has very little use, don’t rely on this as a safeguard to ensure you are buying something mechanically sound. Something major could have happened to the vehicle - an overheated transmission, a nearly completely shot fuel system and potentially who knows what else. The owner may have patched it up, got it running well enough to sell or trade in on a replacement vehicle. Engine cooling systems can hold many unwanted surprises.

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• Fuel injection systems on the brink of imminent failure - damage from water, incorrect fuelling or Ad-Blue. • Overheated and virtually destroyed automatic transmissions from towing. • Poor maintenance resulting in wheel bearing and other driveline failures. • ‘Dusted’ engines. • Cracked heads and bodged up cooling systems. It really doesn’t take much to keep a vehicle running well enough for a quick demonstration and test drive. It’s often weeks later, or when the vehicle is subjected to heavy use that the faults and failings start bubbling to the surface. Dust on the ‘clean’ side of the air filter is another tell tale warning sign of poor service history and engine damage.

Aftermarket Warranties Whilst there are a small handful of worthwhile options in this space, my advice would be to not rely upon any of these extended or aftermarket warranties that you can purchase from a car dealer at the time of sale. Read the fine print and the many clauses in these products before signing up to any of them. In many cases any faults or issues that are deemed to be through ‘wear and tear’ aren’t covered. Even with covered items the warranty agent may only cover part of the repair cost, or they will only supply second hand parts for the repair and not cover any labour. Be careful, read the fine print and understand exactly what you are buying when it comes to extended and aftermarket warranties.

How to protect yourself Don’t be scared by all this, buying a 4WD should and can be an enjoyable experience. There is help out there, but it may be a case of spending a couple of hundred dollars to potentially save you from tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. When you add up the cost of a pre-purchase inspection on a $50,000+ investment, it just makes sense. Transmission repairs can be difficult to diagnose and very costly.

5 tips for buying a used 4WD 1. Have a pre-purchase inspection performed

Depending how in depth you want to go, these can range from around the $65 mark up to several hundreds of dollars. To get a full, thorough and in-depth idea on the exact condition of the vehicle, its engine and transmission, it’s not something that can be assessed in just a few minutes. You have to weigh up the risk and determine your level of comfort with the type of prepurchase inspection you want to have carried out.

2. Check the vehicle service history

Whilst this in itself isn’t a sure-fire way of buying a good vehicle, it’s a reasonable assumption to make that if the previous owner/s have taken the time and expense to have the vehicle maintained on time and by reputable workshops, then anything else wrong with the vehicle would have also been addressed.

3. Perform a thorough test drive

You are about to part with your hard-earned money. You need to make sure you are happy with the vehicle. Try and drive on differing road conditions, find some lumps, bumps and potholes to run over, get the vehicle up to highway speed, check the vehicle under ‘spirited’ acceleration and under hard braking. You’re not out there to thrash the vehicle on a test drive, but you need to operate the vehicle somewhere slightly above ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ in order for any major faults to become more evident.

4. Don’t buy the first thing you see

Try not to be in a rush, look at several vehicles, weigh up price, condition, history etc. to help make sure you pick the right vehicle.

5. Don’t rely on aftermarket warranties

Many dealers offer aftermarket warranties on vehicles. My advice would be to not purchase these and instead spend that money on a thorough pre-purchase inspection from a reputable specialist 4WD workshop. Western 4W Driver #117 139

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OUTBACK SURVIVAL with BOB COOPER

3 TOP tips for survival You never know when you are going to be thrown into a survival scenario. It could happen when you are on a deserted track in the middle of nowhere, on a secluded beach on the south coast or even during a Sunday drive with the family. Having a basic idea of what you should do if the worst were to happen is the first step to not only potentially saving your own life but those of your loved ones. Bob Cooper shares with us some words of wisdom that one day may make the difference. 1. SHARE YOUR PLAN: Notify someone reliable about your intended adventure with a written contingency plan, in case you are not back at the given time. Each party should know what the other is going to do if you don’t arrive back at that time. This calms the mind down when in a real emergency from being injured or lost. 2. ALWAYS TAKE: Adequate water, a small comprehensive emergency kit, quality rescue blanket and three stretch elastic 10cm wide bandages on every outing. Understand that sipping water does not prevent dehydration anywhere, anytime. Not knowing this is a major factor in mishaps turning into tragedies. Your body requires a minimum of a cupful (250ml) of water each time you drink. This is important because drinking any less will mean the other organs in our body will 'steal' it first, robbing the brain of its necessary supply. This can lead to poor decision making, irrational thinking and deteriorate to a

This survival blanket addresses three of the five necessities for survival: warmth, shelter and a distress signal.

condition known as dehydration dementia, increasing the chances of making critical errors. 3. PRACTICE ABC A. Accept: You are now lost or stranded and not on 'Plan A' anymore. Now is the time to control your mind and rationally plan your next moves through this situation. Accept this is only temporary and understand that nothing will be normal until you are home again. Meals and sleeping conditions will not be the most comfortable but they do Western 4W Driver #117

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exist. So does everything else you need, just not what you want or desire. Now is the time for the rational side of your brain to take over and not allow the emotional side full of fears to block common sense from leading the way out of this momentary situation. Have a mindful emphasis on 'momentary.' It is not permanent. B. Brew: Make a cup of tea/coffee or just sit and have a cup full of water. Resting comfortably out of the weather elements demonstrates that you are in control of this situation and this allows your mind plenty of time to think clearly and work out a positive plan because 'Plans don’t usually Fail'. It is the 'Fail to Plan' that seems to cause irrational behaviour in survival situations. C. Consider: While in this deliberately controlled state of mind, shelve your fears and turn your thoughts into satisfying the physical lifesaving priorities in a logical order to keep you and others safe and well.

A shelter doesn't need to be elaborate as long as it keeps you dry and warm.

Plan to make or create a shelter, keep warm, make or find enough water to prevent dehydration, signal for help and manage food intake. Shelter: Day and night with what’s available and natural resources. Warmth: Create a fire place and fire. Signal: Visual mirror flashes and audible whistle or banging. Be ready both day and night with smoke using your fire.

A fire provides warmth and helps improve morale.

Food: Eat little or none if water supply is low. No one has died from starvation in a survival situation yet. Do not eat anything you are unsure about. Water: Do not sip but drink in cup fulls (250ml) because sipping does not prevent dehydration. Make more water using various techniques with clear plastic bags on non-toxic trees, collect dew, out of tree roots. Decide from your considerations how your 'Plan B' looks, write it down and put your plan into action. Be flexible if it doesn’t work - change it but plan the change and remember to signal for HELP. 142

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Water can be collected by using a plastic bag on non-toxic trees.

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MYSTICAL MONTEBELLO ISLANDS

estern Australia is blessed to have lots of interesting islands offshore around its very expansive coastline. Some are small and relatively close and accessible while others are much further out and far less frequented. In many cases these bigger groups have some interesting history attached and lots to attract the explorer and fishing or boating enthusiast. The Montebello Islands (also known as the Monte Bello Islands) off the north west coast are a perfect example. For many years gazetted as a no-go area due to British nuclear bomb tests there in the 1950s, it has steadily seen more visitors to the area since the advice has changed to limiting visits to some of the onshore sites to no more than an hour. It’s a fascinating story from a historical perspective but it’s

the geography and marine life of the area that has held the real attraction. The close-knit maze of 260-odd islands and craggy rocks form a jigsaw of waterways and shallow lagoons that hold enormous appeal for boating and angling folk who are able to get there. The islands lie some 120 kilometres off shore, north west of Dampier and as such it’s the domain of charter operators and the isolated small convoys of reasonable sized, open ocean, recreational boats. The distance and history has helped maintain the marine environment there but the increasing interest and impacts saw marine conservation measures introduced

One of the hundreds of picturesque coves and small bays at the Montes – Chianti Bay.

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The author and lure-cast, bar cheek coral trout from a shallow bommie.

with Sanctuary Zones and Marine Park status established and in place now, for some years. The major coral bleaching event in 20122013 also really impacted the magnificent coral garden areas within the island group that were so pristine and magnificent beforehand. Continual marine research and parks and wildlife service presence nowadays is continually monitoring potential recreational and commercial impacts. Nonetheless the Montes still hold that 'once in a lifetime' or 'bucket list' type appeal, especially for anglers. Even with the designated conservation zones there is still some remarkable fishing to be had but nothing like what used to exist 30 years or so ago. Like some of our best angling meccas, the Montes always provided an array of great bottom fishing, lure casting, trolling for pelagic species, salt water fly fishing and some of the best snorkelling and diving off the west coast. All of this amongst the mystical surrounds of hundreds of little islands or rocky, craggy headlands and all surrounded by a myriad of small bays and coves all named after alcoholic drinks, an intriguing feature of charts of the islands.

The end of another exciting day, anchored in Champagne Bay.

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I count myself very lucky to have experienced the best of the Montes a number of times back in the 90s and early 2000s when it was far less frequented and was something of a marine paradise. With the right weather tides and careful preparation, and accompanied by some experienced sailors that knew the area extremely well, those trips were nothing short of phenomenal. With a large sailing cat as a mother ship and a well set up sports fishing boat for the day trips, we never seemed to run out of choices and options to target and explore. More recently, with the restricted access and more limited fishing, I notice that things have changed a bit and become more variable.

Concrete monument to Ground Zero detonation site on Alpha island. Visits should be no longer than an hour.

If fortunate enough to be able to get there for a trip, preparing for the likely fishing opportunities is really the same as for typical north west, sub-tropical waters.

A beautiful Ornate Painted crayfish. Great snorkelling challenge with gloves in the tropical shallows.

This would include packing some good trolling lures capable of working different depths. The central areas between the two major islands of Trimoulle and Hermite are shallow and dotted with coral bommies and rocky outcrops. Two to three metre divers will work well dragged around these areas depending on the tide, while bigger deep diving lures such as X Raps are ideal for trolling out over the drop offs on the western or northern side. Lure casting outfits should be at hand too. Tossing a lure or popper right in tight next to the undercut ledges or retrieved through the current alongside rocky island corners is always a chance. Others who prefer to be out wide each day looking for a couple of prized bottom species or whatever takes a fancy to a floating bait out the back, need to pack the gear to match. On the Springs, the current runs through the islands pretty hard so giving careful thought to the best fishing times is crucial. The significant distance offshore has restricted much of the past recreational impact but some charter operations have

Coral trout used to be very prolific at the Montes.

worked the area for a long time out of Onslow, Exmouth and Dampier. It’s clear too that greater numbers of recreational anglers are organising their own expeditions to the Montes for week-long stays to sample the excellent fishing. Fortunately, the distance and logistics make it a pretty difficult exercise and it's not to be taken lightly. Sea conditions can be pretty horrific for extended periods at certain times of the year or can change unexpectedly. Complete Western 4W Driver #117

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Humpbacks are often resting up at the island from their annual migration. A beautifully coloured spangled emperor.

self-sufficiency and lots of contingencies need to be factored in. Any contemplation of the exercise should start with the PAW service and Fisheries Department information, maps, advice and a clear understanding of the challenges (see the 10 point checklist for visitors from the PAW service). There are limited locations where people are permitted to camp on shore and limitations due to seasonal turtle nesting sites. Any discussion amongst avid recreational anglers in WA and favoured or iconic locations will invariably include reference to the Monte Bellos. Like all of the best places it has a wonderful combination of fantastic fishing possibilities, relative solitude and some amazing marine surroundings and landscape. It’s not for the faint-hearted though if planning an exploration with your own resources. If it does all come together with all of the planets aligned, it can be an incredible experience.

The view from Alpha island lots of low islands and waterways.

10 point checklist for visitors to the MonteBello ISLANDS 1. Travel: The Montebello Islands are offshore and a trip should only be undertaken by

experienced boaters in well-prepared, suitably sized and equipped vessels in favourable weather conditions.

2. Remoteness: The islands are relatively remote, therefore, pre-planning is a necessity.

Visitors must take adequate fuel, water, food and first aid supplies as no services or facilities are available.

3. Protection: The islands and surrounding waters are protected and managed by

DBCA’s Parks and Wildlife Service.

4. Quarantine: It is critical that foreign plants, animals, insects and seeds are not

carried to the islands. Please follow these quarantine procedures:

•

Ensure boats are clean, baited for rodents and sprayed for insects and pests.

•

Check clothing, footwear and camping equipment are not carrying soil or seeds.

•

Check containers and food to ensure they are clean and free of insects and pests.

•

Take all rubbish on departure and dispose of it appropriately on the mainland.

5. Management zones: The marine park waters are divided into management zones,

each with different permitted activities:

•

Recreation zones and general use zones: these zones allow recreational fishing, spearing and other such activities.

• Sanctuary zones ‘look but don’t take’: activities such as diving, boating and wildlife appreciation are permitted, however fishing (including catch and release), spearing, netting and crabbing are not allowed.

6. Camping: Camping is permitted on the shores of Primrose, Bluebell, Crocus, Hermite

and Renewal Islands throughout the year, and on North West Island from April to September (due to turtle nesting/hatching season from October to March).

7. Fires: Escaped fires could be disastrous for the islands’ wildlife and ecosystems.

For this reason, take a portable fuel stove as open fires and solid fuel fires (including heat beads) are not permitted.

8. Pets: Taking pets is prohibited. 9. Radiation risk: Areas on Trimouille and Alpha Islands have low levels of radiation

from nuclear testing conducted in the 1950s. Visitors should limit exposure to one hour per day and not disturb soil or handle/remove relics.

10. Further information:

The Montebello Islands Marine Park brochure provides maps and information on management zones and permitted activities. Copies can be obtained from local Parks and Wildlife Service and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) offices, Pilbara-based visitor centres and online. Fishing bag, size and possession limits apply. Visitors can view the rules on the DPIRD website www.fish.wa.gov.au Western 4W Driver #117

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WOMEN IN 4W DRIVING

BY CHRIS MORTON

Jacqui Fardon

OFF ROAD EQUIPMENT

rowing up Jacqui never used to go camping nor did she go 4W driving. Working in the safety supplies and uniforms industry as a rep, she moved to WA in 1989 to work in Kalgoorlie before relocating to Perth five years later. It wasn’t until 2000 that Jacqui met her future husband Andrew and was introduced to the off-road lifestyle. The couple bought into Off Road Equipment in 2004 before buying the business outright in 2006. Jacqui became a full-time rep with ORE in 2007, on the road supporting both their country and city wholesale clients. Technology has changed her role within the business, with changes to their wholesale division coming about with the ease by which products are brought into the country. The reduction in barriers to entry with the advent of platforms such as eBay and Alibaba have seen a flood of cheap, unsupported products make their way into the Australian market, making it unviable for traditional import and wholesale companies to compete.

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“Consumers only see a cheap product and vote with their wallets. They don’t look at the lack of ongoing warranty and support behind that product when they make their decision to purchase.” It’s not only the decline of the traditional wholesale model that Jacqui has observed since becoming involved in the industry. “As the technology has evolved in new vehicles so has the complications to fit accessories. It is no longer a case of bolting a bull bar to the front of a 4WD, we now must consider airbag and parking sensors, cameras and even headlight washers. All of this equates to longer fitting times and the associated cost.” Jacqui does admit though that she has witnessed some impressive changes. “We are no longer roughing it when we head out on a trip. All the comforts of home can be hitched up or added to your vehicle now.” Mostly you can find Jacqui advocating the CUB Camper brand for ORE. She is very passionate about the iconic Australian camper trailer manufacturer. She finds that it’s no longer the male that is making the decision on what to buy. She strikes a chord with female buyers, having owned and used a CUB for quite a few years now. She is able to talk from experience about what she likes about her own CUB and why. “That really resonates with other ladies and they appreciate my first-hand knowledge.” Jacqui tells me the story of a lady who was suffering from a severe illness who wanted to travel Australia on her own. She wanted something she could tow behind her car

and be able to manoeuvre and setup independently. “She had been to several other dealers and none of them really took her seriously or addressed any of her concerns. She said I was the only person to make her feel comfortable and not try and sell to her”. She recounts an incident in 2008 just before the Perth 4WD and Adventure Show. “I had taken one of the work vehicles on a 4WD course where we learnt water crossings. The vehicle was filthy by the end of the course and needed to be cleaned before the show. Andrew was understandably flat out, so I washed the car. It was setup on display at our stand and I forgot all about it.” Andrew takes over the story. “A potential customer started asking me about an accessory we had fitted to that particular vehicle, so I took him over to it and popped the bonnet.” Remember we mentioned water crossings? “I lifted the bonnet to be greeted with mud everywhere. Jacqui hadn’t cleaned the engine bay.” “I have never forgotten to clean the engine bay since then,” Jacqui laughs. Jacqui says that she loves working in the 4WD industry. It has given her opportunities and experiences that she would never have been exposed to had she not met Andrew and started working at ORE.

"She strikes a chord with female buyers, having owned and used a CUB for quite a few years now." Western 4W Driver #117

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GEAR TO GO CAMPING Tailgater Table now in alloy

he clever Tailgater Tire Table (say that fast) just got better with the product now available in aircraft grade 6061 aluminium. At less than 3kg, the new model is half the weight of the original while still offering a stable and level surface for food prep or somewhere to place your cheese and biscuits during happy hour.

Offering a toolless install, the table is fitted quickly and packed away into its supplied carry bag just as easily. Available from: Go Camping and Overlanding in Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

COMPACT CAMP TABLE

aving lugged blow-moulded tables around for a few years, the time finally came when we needed to find a better solution. ARB’s aluminium compact camp table has been available for quite some time but has remained beneath the radar. Pulling it out of its 'camp chair-like' carry bag, the table quickly assembles to provide a stable surface suitable for most campsite needs. Big enough to accommodate four, extra tables can be added to suit larger groups without sacrificing weight, space or storage consumed by larger fixed tables. Available from ARB stores and stockists. Western 4W Driver #117

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GEAR TO GO CAMPING

Sea to Summit Water Cell X

ustralian brand Sea to Summit have launched a new water storage solution. Watercell X combines a clever design with robust materials to provide users with a soft-cell water storage and dispensing solution. Internal baffling, multiple lashing points and a hook buckle provide added versatility. Tough 400D nylon fabric coupled with food-grade TPU lining round out this jerry can alternative. The Watercell X is available in 4L, 6L, 10L and 20L capacities. Available from: Go Camping and Overlanding in Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

ARB SLIDE KITCHEN

n integrated slide out kitchen for the back of dual cab 4WD’s has been the missing piece for many enthusiasts, until now. The kitchen features a benchtop, gas stove, utensils drawer and a kitchen sink which neatly tucks away into one of ARB’s standard dual cab drawers.

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The unit has a 1,250mm kitchen grade stainless steel benchtop and a healthy 30kg weight limit when fully extended, making it a practical platform for loading and unloading the fridge. Speak to your local ARB store or stockist for more information.

GEAR TO GO CAMPING

Gerber Quadrant - Bamboo knife

lobal knife manufacturer Gerber have an environmentally friendly knife option with their Quadrant Bamboo model. Deploying the blade is intuitive and simple with a sturdy finger flipper. A straight edge sheepsfoot blade shape is built for style and utility with an ample cutting edge to handle those daily tasks. Available from: Go Camping and Overlanding in Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

Bamboo TABLE

o green and add a touch of class to your campsite with this new camping table option from the team at Red Roads. The extremely sturdy, super compact folding table is finished off with bamboo top and provides an elegant touch. Bamboo is well known for being hard wearing while maintaining its appearance year out. Adjustable legs allow you to get the height just right and it takes less than a minute to make ready. The table is supplied with its own carry bag and packs away quite conveniently, making it the perfect addition to your 4WD or caravan. You can grab one for only $199 from Go Camping and Overlanding in Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

Western 4W Driver #117

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You will need: 300ml cold whipping cream 4-5 large tablespoons Nutella or chocolate spread (must be at room temperature or blood temperature warm) 1 packet Oreo biscuits or similar or whatever you have in the tuckerbox 4 reusable acrylic stemmed glasses or glass dessert bowls if making at home Adult version - ¼ cup Baileys or cream based liquor

Pour cold cream into a large metal or glass mixing bowl and with a whisk, beat the daylights out of the cream until it forms soft peaks. You might need to pass the bowl around to a few people to get it done as your arm might get a bit worn out. Of course if you are at home and there is an electric beater then by all means use that. In a separate bowl roughly crush the biscuits. If making the adult version, mix the chocolate spread with the liquor in a separate bowl then with a large spoon transfer this mixture into the whipped cream and gently incorporate the two. Take your glasses and add two spoonfuls of the mousse mixture to the bottom of each then a spoonful of crushed biscuits and layer until all ingredients have been used. Place the mousse glasses into the fridge and allow to chill for a few hours. Tip - Very cold Devondale UHT cream can be whipped if you don’t have fresh cream. Tip - Most other biscuits can be substituted for the Oreos (eg. Tim Tams, Choc Mint or any other chocolate coated biscuits as well as plain Choc Ripple or Gingernuts). Tip - Decorate with some extra whipped cream, grated chocolate and a cherry or some fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries or raspberries or even a spot or two of jam if you don’t have fresh fruit. Tip - Instead of crushed biscuits, layers of fresh berries like raspberries and blueberries make a nice alternative. Western 4W Driver #117

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• • • • • • •

UNITED FUEL INJECTION

AND TURBOCHARGER SALES AND SERVICE

FIRE COOKING with CHRIS JELLIE

Long Range

fter wrapping up the northern portion of our holiday around Ningaloo and Exmouth, we headed south to Carnarvon before hooking east away from the coast. It was a cruisey drive out towards Gascoyne Junction, all the way pondering what I had heard of this amazing Kennedy Range. Then it started coming into view - WOW! After a few salt lakes and many livestock, it really makes you feel small and appreciate its presence. In awe, we headed for the east side, Temple Gorge Campground and settled in just before the sun goes down. The stars in a remote place like this are nothing short of amazing! The lack of light pollution in the WA outback is world renowned for star gazing. We have a couple of cold ones and enjoyed the treats of the night sky.

staring back at you is something very special. We cooked up our Pit Beans on our own toasted bread to break the fast, just relax and take it all in. Despite being in a remote desert location, there is a lot to see and do around here. Temple Gorge is a medium-to-hard trail but ends in a beautiful pool with vertical rock face framing it in. The walk is approximately 45 minutes each way, fitness depending. Honeycomb Gorge is another just north that

Waking up and taking in the morning, the presence from Mundatharda (The Traditional Name) is again felt, this time up close. Whilst the night before we focussed on setting up camp, awaking to the surrounding cliffs and rock faces

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These things are off the chart good, so juicy and rich. Not much was done while chilling around the Weber, apart from enjoying some cold beers from the esky until devouring the shorties.

is truly stunning and a must see! There are also trails to the top of the Range that we didn’t attempt this time round, preferring to just enjoy taking in the surroundings. As soon as the walk was done, it was time to cook! Lamb neck stew in the camp oven was on the menu. This is an old favourite for me, utilising a secondary cut that is full of flavour and falls off the bone when done right. Accompanied with a mirepoix, soup mix and stock, before blipping away in the camp oven for 3 to 4 hours. Low and slow cooks are so satisfying when done, that effort you’ve put in making the payoff even better. It went down an absolute treat. Being Father’s Day, I had to spoil myself. We had beef short ribs to smoke, again a low and slow cook but this time 8 hours.

Winging it when camping is part of the adventure for us. We packed up and after refuelling in Gascoyne Junction, headed for the west side of the range. A pretty smooth run in on the gravel before dropping the tyre pressures again and crossing the mostly dry Gascoyne River. Even though it was dry, the base is sandy but luckily for us, was quite compact. We crossed a small pool of water on the far side but all went great. We crossed and headed along Mooka Creek before stopping at the spring. To find a body of water like this out here is astounding. We had a look around before checking out a few other springs too. We promptly decided to head back and set up camp on the waters edge at Mooka. We lit the fire and sliced some wagyu chuck rib meat to sear on the Hillbilly cook stand and plate. What a cracking end to a magnificent trip. I find it hard to convey how amazing this place is. Get out and check it out, the winter months being best. Photo by Jarrad Seng

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Char Bro's Fire Pit Beans While these are called fire pit beans, it’s a bit of a spin on the pit beans I used to smoke in the Weber or Offset Pit. They are far superior to the standard canned variety of baked beans and much healthier! If you want quality, add effort and good ingredients. This recipe will make double that of a standard can of beans at about the same price.

Ingredients

1 x 400g can of beans, rinsed *¹ 1 x 400g can of diced or whole peeled tomatoes 1 small brown onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon chilli powder or to taste ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ tablespoon HP sauce 1 leftover cooked sausage, diced into small to medium chunks *² Salt and pepper to taste Oil for cooking

Method

Heat oil in the pot, add onions and cook on a medium/high heat until nearly translucent. Add garlic, diced meat and spices – not salt and pepper yet! Cook until spices are toasted, meat is slightly golden and onion and garlic is translucent. If some sticks to the pot, that’s ok as the next step of adding the tomatoes will deglaze the pot and keep all that flavour in the dish. Continued over page.

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Shake can of tomatoes well before opening and add in. Stir very well and make sure you deglaze all the toasted spice off the bottom, that stuff is all flavour! Rinse the tomato can with 1/3 full of water to clean the can and add into the sauce. Reduce the sauce until just before desired consistency, add beans to warm through and reach desired consistency. Once ready, taste and add seasoning as desired. Enjoy on toast and/or with eggs.

Notes:

*¹ Berlotti, kidney, chickpeas, mixed, choose your preference. You can also use dried beans and rehydrate prior. Great Northern is a traditional bean for baked beans. *² While camping we plan our dinner leftovers to utilise in this dish the next morning. You can use steak, sausage, whatever you have on hand. Ensure it is warmed through properly.

We bring food & knowledge, you bring your camping gear Practice a range of techniques Hands on learning All in sensational settings across WA Follow us on the socials to keep up to date with our adventures

Learn more at charbrobbq.com.au

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TRACK CARE WA NEWS Annual Yeagarup Beach Clean Up 20-22 November 2020

rack Care WA, in conjunction with the Tangaroa Blue Foundation and Pemberton Discovery Tours, has a long history of caring for the Yeagarup Beach and Dunes, situated about 30 minutes from Pemberton in the magnificent D’Entrecasteaux National Park. This park stretches along the coast for about 130km from Augusta to Walpole and is home to many unique and endangered species. After a difficult COVID year, our members and associated friends of Track Care were ecstatic at the prospect of returning to this truly wonderful area last November to conduct our annual beach clean-up. So, after the safety briefings from the Track Care Trip Leader and Pemberton Discovery Tours, and ensuring everyone had amply sampled the delectable delights from the Pemberton Crossways Bakery, we ventured off to the Yeagarup Hut, our campsite for the weekend. The Hut is managed on behalf of Parks and Wildlife Services by Pemberton Discovery Tours and is an excellent facility for larger groups with a huge camp kitchen,

running water, tables and benches, a group fire pit, a shower and drop toilets. What more could you ask for? All you need to bring is drinking water, food, firewood and a sense of adventure! After the obligatory group photograph and airing down at the entrance to the D’Entrecasteaux and Warren National Parks, the first task was to tackle the mammoth entrance dune. But the reward for all were the spectacular views of the dune and lake systems from the top. While some settled into camp and got the fire going, other more adventurous members went exploring the Warren River. There was enough wood for a week’s camping, not just two nights! The very much welcomed fire lasted long into the night!

The clean-up team.

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TRACK CARE WA NEWS Saturday was an early start off to Calcup Beach. The weather was beautifully cool and overcast, with a bit of drizzle now and then. The Warren River was flowing well, and after checking depth, everyone made it across safely at Barker Crossing. A beautifully scenic drive through the forest (with a few U-turns along the way) took us to the infamous Calcup Hill. Once we were all over, a stunning drive along the beach to the Warren River mouth ensued. This was the perfect spot for a swim and lunch. Eagle eyes hunted, and frequent stops were made to retrieve an assortment of rubbish as we made our way along this coastal region. Less rubbish was collected than previous years, hopefully illustrating the success of multiple clean-up efforts along this exquisite part of the world. Heading back to camp saw some of the group diverge to further explore Yeagarup Beach, while others collapsed with a welldeserved beer. The fire was lit and once again, conversation and fun went on well into the night. A stunning Sunday dawned and only served to amplify everyone’s disappointment at having to pack up and leave. Goodbyes were said, contact details between new friends exchanged, commitment to return to this remarkable area confirmed by all, then everyone was on their way home. Hope to see everyone at the 2021 Track Care WA Yeargarup Annual Clean Up!

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TRACK CARE WA NEWS

A severe case of Collaboration By Graham Weber and Harriet Paterson

fter becoming aware of nurdles being dropped into the ocean at Durban and the nurdles making their way to WA, Track Care (TCWA) members expressed a willingness to support UWA with sampling along southern Western Australian beaches. It is almost two years since the spill event and the nurdles are coming back for their second trip around the southern hemisphere. Harriet Paterson's research (UWA) is to quantify the plastic that is reaching our Southern Coast. The Albany 4WD Club, in conjunction with TCWA members, have volunteered to support this research by doing sampling of the beaches along the coast. The more sampling that is done, both in time and location, the better the results. The Albany 4WD Club will be aiding Harriet on local trips to many inaccessible beaches in the area and TCWA will be organising trips down to the southern coast on a monthly basis for year-round sampling as much as possible. Map showing the two locations: Fitzgerald Inlet and 'no-named' lake to the south west. Image: Google Maps

Examples of microplastics on the beach. Image: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov

What is a NURDLE?

A nurdle is a very small pellet of plastic which serves as raw material in the manufacture of plastic products. Like other plastics, nurdles can be mistaken for food by marine wildlife. This is because nurdles are tiny, persistent and potentially toxic. Due to their size and often clear colour, nurdles can look like fish eggs or other small animals which makes them particularly attractive to seabirds, fish and crustaceans. Once polluting our environment, they can pose a threat to these creatures and habitats for years to come.

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TRACK CARE WA NEWS One specific area of research will be near the Fitzgerald River Inlet. The inlet is open to the ocean occasionally through a sand bar. A few kilometres to the west is a land locked inlet called ‘no-named’ lake. Both inlets are far from civilisation and yet have considerable quantities of plastic in them. The research will be to compare the two inlets and determine if the source of the plastic is just from the ocean. The main reason for the need to be a competent 4W driver is that the research will need to be done during winter. The Fitzgerald National Park is normally closed by Parks and Wildlife Service over winter to reduce the spread of die back throughout

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this wonderful park. TCWA and the Albany 4WD Club have biosecurity protocols that will be followed on all trips during winter in this area. Both groups also have 4W driving experience that allows them to ‘tread softly’ on the environment while accessing these remote locations. For this trip, the groups will be camping at Point Ann and driving the beach to Point Charles and no-named lake. So, we have UWA, DBCA (Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions), the Albany 4WD Club and TCWA working together to generate new knowledge on microplastics in Western Australia.

With over 40 years experience teaching Outback Survival, Bob Cooper has produced what he calls the ‘Trilogy for Survival’. Along with enough water, Bob believes every time you go bush, no matter what form of transport, these three items should accompany you in case something doesn’t go to plan and you’re in an emergency situation – anywhere. A quality Three stretch elastic bandages. Quality survival blanket. emergency/survival kit. Multiple uses and first aid. This one spells HELP.

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5th - 7th

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THE PEOPLE WE MEET BY CHRIS MORTON

Selling up and hitting the road

amie Taylor and his wife Deb have a plan. Recently retired after selling their Perth business, the pair have sold their house and bought themselves a very capable fourby and a caravan to hit the road on an initial two year adventure around the country. COVID has meant that the couple have had to alter their plans to suit travel restrictions however this has not stopped them from exploring WA. Jamie says that they like to keep their plans 'loose', preferring to take their time and really discover a new area. He goes on to say that there is also nothing wrong with just hanging out at camp and playing some board games or even breaking out the table tennis. They epitomise what it means to be travelling retirees.

Jamie said that he spent considerable time investigating suitable vehicles for their adventure and wanted to ensure that whatever they chose was capable, reliable, and comfortable. Ultimately, they opted for a 2020 GXL Toyota LandCruiser as the platform for their great escape. The 200 was chopped, converting it into a ute and the chassis was extended by 650mm. An Outback Armour suspension kit fit by Queensland-based Creative Conversions pushed the GVM up to 4495kg. A Norweld canopy provides ample secure storage space on the back and houses a 75L Waeco fridge/freezer, 120aH Enerdrive lithium battery and REDARC charging system. 80 litres of water and

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270 litres of diesel allow the couple to take extended trips away from their caravan and venture off the beaten track. They are towing a 21 foot 2019 Jayco Silverline slide out with their decision being swayed after touring the Jayco factory. Having an on-road caravan has not proven to be an issue, with the LandCruiser providing a temporary 'home away from home' when they want to explore away from the black top.

• 2020 Toyota LandCruiser 200 series cut down to utility • GVM upgrade to 4495kg and 650mm chassis extension (work by Creative Customs in Queensland) • GCM upgrade to retain 3500kg towing capacity • Outback Armour suspension with Airbag Man airbags fitted • Norweld canopy

Their first major trip away was in 2020 when they headed up to Broome and Cape Leveque. This trip allowed them to iron out any bugs and build confidence in their setup. We met up with Jamie and Deb at Peppermint Grove Beach Caravan Park as they were enjoying some family time with their two daughters.

• ARB winch bar and Intensity spotlights

They are still planning to head east when the situation allows it, and are looking forward to exploring South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. For now, they plan to continue south, soaking up the sights and just enjoying the moment.

• ARB twin compressor

We look forward to hearing from Jamie and Deb as they continue their journey around Australia.

• Clearview Gen 2 towing mirrors • 150 watt solar panel, REDARC BCDC 25 coupled to a 120aH Enerdrive lithium battery • 1000 watt inverter • 75 litre Waeco fridge/freezer • 80 litre water tank • 270 litre Brown Davis long range fuel tank • BFG 17” all terrain tyres (285/70/R17) on ROH rims • Side awning ** Please note that at the time of going to print the increase of GCM is NOT recognised by the WA Department of Transport. Increasing your GCM can void your insurance cover and expose you to potential fines by state government authorities.

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A cinema in your pocket Nebula Apollo Projector For many, the old 'bush tv' no longer cuts the mustard when it comes to keeping the kids entertained when out on the tracks. Never fear. The team at Anker have a clever little mini projector for you to display your favourite content with. The 200 ANSI lumen unit is powerful enough to project an image up to 100 inches and has a four hour run time - perfect for watching Dances with Wolves (you’d have four minutes to spare).

even has the ability for you to download content to it prior to hitting the frog and toad.

The 6W speaker has enough juice to ensure you can hear everything happening onscreen and the unit

Speak to the team at Wanderlust to see this projector in action or to check out their complete range of lifestyle enhancing technology.

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GOINGS ON New ARB Flagship Store for Cockburn

Store your power with REDARC

Once complete, the new store will boast the latest ARB retail experience, backed up by a brand new, state of the art fitting centre.

The three capacity variants offer the perfect auxiliary battery set up suitable for 4WDs, RVs, campers, caravans or boats. These batteries offer a long life span, weight saving and maintenance free.

Action 4WD are moving into a brand new store in Cockburn, the first privately owned ARB Flagship store in the Perth metro area.

REDARC is excited to release their new range of 12-volt lithium batteries.

The internal battery management system (BMS) also enables the batteries to be connected in parallel to increase storage capacity.

New TJM Franchise in the Pilbara AUS 4WD Equipment, part of the AUS Fleet Solutions Group has opened a new store in Port Hedland. Located at the brand-new, purpose-built Thrifty Car & Truck Rental branch which has relocated from Wedgefield to 7-11 Flynn Place, Port Hedland, the store is also a major supplier and stockist of the full range of TJM 4WD accessories. Both stores have experienced staff with all installations done onsite in the stateof-the-art workshops and are fully stocked with the latest products from many of the leading brands such as:

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• Xray lighting • HSP Roll-R-Covers and 4x4 accessories • Runva Winches • Roadsafe Recovery Points • National luna Fridges • AOS canvas products/Kabar and Sicut range of knives • GME and Uniden UHFs • Aeroklas canopies • Rhino-Rack • MSA storage solutions • Clearview accessories

A Gong for Off Road Equipment (ORE)

Off Road Equipment was recently announced as ARB Stockist of the Year. Managing Director, Andrew Fardon was pleased to accept the award on behalf of his team, “We are really pleased to receive this award. It is great for our team to be recognised for the hard work that they put in throughout the year. ORE and ARB are two of the oldest in the industry, ORE established in 1972 and ARB established in 1975, so together there is a wealth of knowledge and experience for people to leverage.”

New suspension offering from Ironman 4x4

Subaru drivers rejoice. Long overlooked, the popular vehicle now has a new suspension option designed to elevate the adventure of Subaru drivers, providing comfort, handling and additional clearance over mud, snow, sand and bitumen. Rigorously tested in Australia and the USA, the All Terrain System (ATS) is the only true 2” lift, long travel suspension available to suit Subarus.

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ROAD TO RUIN

By Chris Morton

If the Canning Stock Route is on your bucket list, then you should really consider watching Seriously Series Road to Ruin.

estern 4W Driver was fortunate enough to get hold of some tickets and headed over to Luna Palace Cinemas in Leederville with over 200 other patrons for the Perth premiere. This is not a travel film with stunning vistas played out at every turn, nor is it a fluffy tourism piece. Road to Ruin follows Geoff Lewis and his three companions as they attempt to tackle the CSR in a 1975 Land Rover with all of the trials and tribulations that come with it. The film focuses on the physical toll that this unforgiving pioneering pathway extracts from man and machine, highlighting the need for anyone considering an attempt to ensure that they are fully prepared. It demonstrates the need to have an intimate mechanical knowledge of your vehicle and the ability to think outside the box. Being able to apply 'bush mechanics' can be the difference between getting out or waiting for a recovery vehicle. Follow Seriously Series on social media to see when the next showing is scheduled.

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CAPTURE THE MOMENT with UNCLE DICK STEIN

We Love Photography

Daniel Gibson - Sunset over the boat ramp at

Hamelin Bay.

ook carefully at the prize-winning photo that Daniel Gibson has taken of the boat ramp at Hamelin Bay. It is a happy picture for many reasons.

First off, there is no sign of a 4WD or boat trailer sinking into the sea - no stream of bubbles from something that got away. We’ve seen enough of those sort of disaster clips on YouTube. Be careful and good to yourselves when you launch or recover and don’t add to the collection. But Daniel has a good eye for a panorama. This is in the classic 3:1 ratio that lets us see a wide vista without asking our eyes to look in four directions. It’s the sort of picture we’ve seen in famous things like the Kodak Colorama or the best of the European calendar art. And Daniel has employed the format perfectly. There’s some clues in the picture as to how it was taken - the abandoned jetty posts to the left are leaning away from the viewer,

Well done Daniel, you’ve won

A $200 GIFT VOUCHER from

so Daniel may have been using a very wide angle lens on his camera and pointing down slightly. This form of mild distortion happens with wide lenses. Or, yet again, the old posts may just be leaning over. In any case it actually contributes to keeping the viewer’s eye looking out in the centre. The composition is great - Daniel has placed the dark island dead centre within the lines of the ramp - giving us something rewarding to look at. All the Western 4W Driver #117

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time surrounding the scene with the fantastic colours of an ocean sunset. There is detail all over - perhaps a little work in the computer after the trip home - but it is all completely appropriate. And bless him! - the horizon is straight and flat - the straight part is the sign of a good lens and the flat indicates that he paid attention as he worked. The ocean is not running away to the north or south.

Note that he may have used the in-built artificial horizon in the screen of his camera to do this, or he may have used one of the straightening controls on the computer afterwards. No shame in that - I sometimes get the thing off kilter myself when shooting horizons or architecture, but as long as you straighten the water before you frame the picture on the wall, all is good. Good job, Daniel!

Send us a photo for some tips and you could win a

$200 Voucher! from Email photos to: admin@western4wdriver.com.au or submit via our Facebook page

PHOTOGRAPHY

Tips & Tricks

Can you be sure that your camera will be safe on your trip? If your trip is just down to the park for a family party … no problems. If the trip involves thousands of kilometres of outback driving, air or boat travel, problems can start as soon as you step out the door. Let’s take the road trip through the bush - then the boat trip around the coast - then the final hike to the wonderful lookout point. If your camera and lens have to do this in an old canvas sack, you are arranging damage and failure right there. Even the dear old leather camera cases (rare nowadays) or the gadget bag can invite … or produce … disaster. Dust, vibration, heat, moisture, insects (yep!) and accidents have written off hundreds of cameras every year. And with the failure of the camera, there are no pictures to bring back. Consider a bold decision. Get a Pelican case, or a similar waterproof, rustproof armoured container for your camera and accessories. They have rubber seals around their perimeters, positive cam locks and internal padded divisions. Some use foam linings. The small ones can be just camera-size but big ones can take an entire studio outfit. Tough? You can toss them down stairs, let alone into the back of the 4WD. You can stand all day on the big ones. They are totally waterproof and dustproof. Even airline baggage handlers cannot rupture them as they toss them on and off planes. And you can padlock them closed and to holdfasts on your vehicle. They really are your life savers when you know you’ll be risking expensive gear. 178

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THE TRAVELLING PHOTOGRAPHER The Old Picture

he travelling photographers have a distinct advantage over their studio or city-bound colleagues; the scenes they photograph either change dramatically all the time or remain absolutely static. No half-way measures out beyond the city limits. As an illustration of the former, look at what happens when you travel for a day. No matter how slow you might go in Australia, the scenery has changed. Sometimes not for the better, as the summer develops, but at least you can say that there will be something new round every bend. You sometimes have to be alert to see it, or at least alerter than you were the day before. Some bush changes slowly to the casual eye - you need to get out and look closely at what is on the ground, or growing up out of it, to see the difference in the land. In wildflower season in Western Australia this can become somewhat of an overload, and I suspect that the fungi fossickers of the southern forests also get more than they expect when they peer between the trees. But there are some magic mushrooms down there, and as long as you look but don’t touch, you’ll be fine. Of course the weather changes constantly as well - if you are a meteorological

with UNCLE DICK STEIN photographer or a landscape shooter you’ll be presented with a different scene each time you open your eyes. But what of the no-changes pictures. Rocks and hills don’t change. And sometimes they harbour pictures that have not changed for tens of thousands of years. If you find some of them, by all means take pictures, but don’t change them as you do. They’re not your pictures. The sea doesn’t change. It’s still salty and it was last week as well. I know a sunset photographer who has kept making the same shot for years and it is always satisfying. And he sells that same shot, too. Note: There are some things that do change - they are man-made, and if you are prepared to do a little research you can find previous photographs of them. What a good idea to go and see them now and make a comparative shot. If you can make it in the same way that it was made before … with the sort of digital wizardry that Photoshop provides … you provide a real link with the past. Unfortunately some things, Like the Waroona railway workshops or the original HMAS Australia are pretty hard to find, but there are still vistas to be seen that were seen long ago. What a good excuse for a road trip.

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PEACE OF MIND Nextbase 622GW Dash Cam Let’s face it. We have all watched dash cam footage posted online of accidents and near misses and said, “I hope that never happens to me”. After having to live through my own private episode of 'W.A.’s Worst Driver' I quickly understood not only the value of having a dash cam fitted to my vehicle but making sure I had the best quality dash cam I could afford. Just as importantly, when the person behind you decides to fall asleep at the wheel you want to ensure your rear is covered. With a plethora of cameras now flooding the market it can be difficult to choose one. The team at Camera Electronic live and breathe cameras and reckon they have the pick of the bunch. Nextbase’s new and

improved 622GW has an extreme weather mode for enhanced image quality in fog and mist as well as amazing night vision. Its ultra-clear 4K recording (at 30fps) captures every detail and Super Slow Motion ensures that fine detail isn’t missed. The Nextbase Rear Window Camera’s 140 degree, ultra-wide viewing angle offers all-round protection to guard against rear end incidents. Speak to the team at Camera Electronic and grab a Nextbase 622GW Dash Cam with BONUS Rear View Camera & Go Pack Case & 32GB Micro SD card for only $549 or purchase online from www.cameraelectronic.com.au

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The Time is I

am Mandy Farabegoli and I run the website

www.travellingaustraliawithkids.com

NOW!

encouraging families to take a few weeks, months or years and travel our amazing country. With COVID not going away anytime soon and international travel not an option, now is the time for you to explore Australia. People often ask me when the best time to travel Australia with your kids is - and I always say now. There are pros and cons in every age group and most of them centre around schooling. We will explore that in more detail here.

Pre Primary If you go before the children start school this will eliminate the schooling issue, and as you know, at this age much of learning is through play, AND what better playground than out there discovering Australia! They may not remember anything, however you will, and it will become part of who they are. You will of course show them photos of the trip in the years to come. Plus, camping will no doubt become a major part of your future holiday plans, even if it will only be for weekends or school holiday periods. OR as I see many families do, they either continue with this lifestyle for a few years or go again when the kids are a bit older. They are of course wiser and know from meeting other families travelling, that schooling can and is being done on the road.

If you have children and you are reading this, you are obviously interested in travelling Australia with your kids and I am here to tell you, that the time is now! 182

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Little children can be really easy at this stage, but also quite demanding. How much trekking would you realistically be able to do? But toddlers are cheap to travel with as many attractions are free at this age.

"Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures." Lewis Carroll.

now we're tawk ing! travelling australia with kids - with mandy farabegoli

Primary School Kids Primary aged children could seem like a good option as schooling is manageable and you do not have the worry of major exams. There is so much learning to be done just by travelling, and at this stage you will still personally understand much of the curriculum, so helping them to learn would be easier. Plus, they still want to be with you at this time of their lives and there is a good chance they will remember the trip.

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Mark Twain.

high school children High school and teenage children could be a trickier age, as the schooling becomes more serious (and you might not be able to help them with it yourselves!) There can also be exams involved, not to mention wanting to be with their friends all the

time and often not so much with you. This however could be the reason to plan your camping trip at this time - get them away from the internet every day and give them the love of the great outdoors. Children that I knew of travelling at this age fought it at first, but really embraced the freedom they found without social media.

schooling There is so much information on our website about getting organised with your schooling options, so head over and check it out. Do not let your school or other people put you off. You can do this and so many families are. It is the same with any aspect of your life; where there is a will there is a way. Find that way and travel Australia with your kids.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” Mark Twain.

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A112 OTF A5 Western 4wd Ad-3.indd 2

10/8/20 7:01 pm

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e y t ? e r e h t e Are w

Written by kids ... for kids

SOUTH WESTERN STINGERS

e holidayed at Peppermint Grove Beach near Busselton in January along with lots and lots of South Western Stingers. When their tentacles brush over you it can be a painful sting. What do they look like? South Western Stingers are small sea jellies with a bell around 3cm in size. The tentacles are most commonly around 8cm long but can grow to 20cm. The bell is shaped like a box with single tentacles hanging from each of the four bottom corners. They are more easily seen than the bell, which is almost transparent. Often the shadows cast by the jelly on to the sand beneath it are more obvious than the actual animals. Where can you find them? You will most often find South Western Stingers in quiet bays, particularly over sand. Unless the ocean is rough, they may swim near the surface even in bright sunlight.

Initially, the skin is marked with a red line and the redness may spread or become blotchy. The effects may disappear in minutes or remain painful for hours on sensitive skin. This may be followed by a persistent itch, and a brown line may remain for several weeks. How do I treat a sting? Remove any tentacles from the skin using tweezers or a gloved hand. Vinegar and ice are the most commonly listed treatments for a sting, so we tried both as well as a couple of different 'Stingose' type creams. In the end we found that hot water was the best at taking away the stinging sensation, either by standing under a hot shower or by immersing yourself into hot water.

They are commonly found in Geographe Bay, Perth, Rottnest Island, and Geraldton. How do I avoid being stung? Do not swim in areas where there are large numbers of jellies, and be more observant in summer. Wear protective clothing such as a rashie or wetsuit and make sure your swimsuit does not allow easy entry of a stinger at the front or back. How do I know I've been stung? After a sharp, stinging sensation the pain may increase or lessen within five minutes.

Carybdea xaymacana

Information and photo from www.museum.wa.gov.au Western 4W Driver #117

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PUZZLES FOR KIDS UNDER THE SEA word search CLAM CRAB CORAL DOLPHIN EEL FISH JELLYFISH KELP LOBSTER OCTOPUS OYSTER SEAGRASS SEAHORSE SEAL SEAWEED SHARK SQUID STARFISH TURTLE WHALE

T F K N W H A F O R P S Q J S U E W

F C L A M X R I B T F T R B T Y Z P

I A G O Y L G S H S E A H O R S E C

H Q D A S M V H I Q K R K L E G D O

A S H A R K Q G A E D F Z O J L G R

Thanks to John Adams who sent in this photo of his grandkids in the cubby they built at Camel Soak. Looks like a great spot to sit and enjoy the campfire! Well done kids!

F U T F H Z N B S G Y I B J W K B A

S E R L O B S T E R Q S D P M E E L

E U N V M N E U D B H H N J C I J X

A J C K W A A M E Y C B F E M P D U

G C S O H P W A Y Q R P R L X C E H

R L Q H A S E Z R H A E P L S W O X

A E U K L T E K C J B A Q Y V B Y L

S M I F E I D G M L J C G F Q T S V

S A D T N E M B V Z S O C I L K T P

O J I M K W D O C T O P U S F T E Q

N X Y S E A L I X H N F L H D O R U

E S I V L C I F L T U R T L E D P O

G D O L P H I N O C L M I Z W N K J

Brain teasers

1. I am four letters long, I can be seen in the sky, I am the ocean and I am the sea. Can you guess me? 2. How many months have 28 days? 3. What building has thousands of stories? 4. What has to be broken before you can use it? Answers on page 191.

For sending in this photo, John and his grandkids have won a quiz book thanks to TRAVELLING AUSTRALIA WITH KIDS. 186

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Hey kids!

Send us an email or a photo for a chance to win a prize. Email: awty@western4wdriver.com.au

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EXPLORER SERIES Western Australia: No 6

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SUPPLIER DIRECTORY BATTERIES/BATTERY SYSTEMS

COMMUNICATION

Piranha Off Road Products......................... 40

Goldfields Off Road.....................................136

Redarc.............................................................127

Zoleo................................................................189

BRAKES

ELECTRONICS

Bendix Brakes................................................ 75

Camera Electronic........................................180 Wanderlust..................................................... 173

BOLLARDS

FABRICATION & FITOUTS

Ramguard Bollards......................................126

OTF...................................................................184

CAMPERS/CARAVANS & TRAILERS

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Explorex Caravans........................................ 57 Off Road Equipment..................................... 58

A247.........................................................144-145 ARB................................................. IFC-1 & 18-19 Aus 4WD Equipment................................... 175 Goldfields Off Road.....................................136 Ironman 4x4.....................................................83

CAMPING SUPPLIES (Tents, Sleeping Gear, Cooking Equipment, Furniture, Storage) A247....................................................... 144-145 Go Camping and Overlanding.................. 122 Travel Buddy Ovens..................................... 90

Maxtrax.............................................................93 Medicar Automotive Solutions................... 112 Midland 4WD Centre................................... 128 Milford...............................................................39 Off Road Equipment .....................................58 Piranha Off Road Products..........................40 Rhino-Rack..................................................... 103 Safari 4x4..........................................................76

CLUTCHES Exedy...............................................................168 190

Western 4W Driver #117

Supafit Seat Covers.....................................140 Tyrepliers..........................................................49

Your quick-find reference to products and services in Western 4W Driver PHOTOGRAPHY

INSURANCE Club 4x4..........................................................125

Camera Electronic........................................180 Wanderlust..................................................... 173

MAGAZINES

POWDERCOATING

Western Angler.............................................146

Metal Works Perth........................................126

MAPS & NAVIGATION

SUSPENSION

HEMA...............................................................158

Ironman 4x4.................................................... 83

MECHANICAL SERVICE, REPAIRS & REPLACEMENT Goldfields Off Road.....................................136 Medicar Automotive Solutions...................112

West Coast Suspension..............................154

TRAINING & TOURS Bob Cooper Outback Survival..................169 Char Bro BBQ (Fire Cooking School)......164

Turbo Tech.....................................................143

MOTOR VEHICLES Nuford Wangara...........................................IBC Toyota........................................................... OBC

PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS Exedy...............................................................168 Safari 4x4......................................................... 76 Turbo Tech.....................................................143 United Fuel Injection...................................160

BRAIN TEASERS ANSWERS 1. The colour BLUE. 2. All 12 months. 3. A library. 4. An egg. Western 4W Driver #117

191

illy NAPS

Surf's Up We are not sure if Andrew was planning to go down with 'the ship' or if he just didn’t want to get his boots muddy, however it appears that he has run afoul of the notorious Adelaide Track near Busselton WA. He mentioned in his submission that he had driven through this same puddle a week earlier without any issues only to “diff out” on this occasion. We think a couple of really big floaties might be of more use to get 'SS BT50' underway again however you will have to make do with a set of recovery boards from our mates at Maxtrax.

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KEEP ‘EM COMING FOLKS. All you need is a potentially funny situation, a good sense of humour and of course, your camera. Send your silly snap to: Email: admin@western4wdriver.com.au or Facebook: www.facebook.com/western4wdriver 192

Western 4W Driver #117

117th EDITION Autumn 2021

DEEP IN THE

PILBARA

KIMBERLEY ADVENTURE KENNEDY RANGES WE TEST THE NEW

PLUS PART TIME OR FULL TIME TRANSMISSION? CARING FOR YOUR CAMPER TRAILER STATION ETIQUETTE MY 4WD MY STORY

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WESTERN 4W DRIVER 117th EDITION Autumn 2021

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