Western 4W Driver #121 Autumn 2022

This All-New

LandCruiser 300

121st EDITION Autumn 2022

drives us home

PILBARA

KARIJINI: GORGE BY GORGE CORUNNA DOWNS AIRBASE HICKMAN CRATER punda rock art MILLSTREAM

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The All-New LandCruiser 300 is as powerful, capable and durable as ever. It is built on the legacy that began with supporting the construction of the Snowy Hydro in 1958. But todays LandCruiser is more than a survival tool for a tough and uncompromising country. It is the evolution of a legend that is over 60 years in the making. So whether you are powering over logs or towing out of bogs, the All-New LandCruiser 300 will always drive you home.

Get behind the wheel of an icon. Book a test drive today.

WESTERN 4W DRIVER 121st EDITION Autumn 2022

AND MORE!

PAJERO SPORT EXCEED WET ‘N’ WILD IN THE KIMBERLEY ARE YOU OVERLOADED? HOW DO YOU TELL?

CONTENTS

Edition 121 Autumn 2022

ADVENTURES Exploring the Rugged Pilbara

We take you on a journey of discovery through this amazing part of WA .................................................. 6

A Walk on the Wild Side

Coastal foraging at Hearson Cove ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Set in Stone

Rock art tour in Murujuga National Park ................................................................................................................................................... 12

Jewel in the Pilbara's Crown

We check out Millstream Chichester National Park ................................................................................................................. 14

Gorging Yourself

A guide to exploring Karijini National Park .......................................................................................................................................... 20

The Quiet Karijini

Experience the quiet side of Karijini with Jo Clews ................................................................................................................ 32

Wartime Secret Hidden in the WA Outback

Colin Kerr visits Corunna Downs ....................................................................................................................................................................... 36

Meentheena Veterans Retreat

A retreat in the outback .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42

Ancient Gorges and Desert Waterholes

We head east of Marble Bar and discover some beautiful locations ........................................................... 46

An Extraordinary Art Gallery and a Cosmic Encounter

Punda Rock Art and Hickman Crater ........................................................................................................................................................... 54

Wet 'n' Wild in the Kimberley

Amazing locations for water-seeking adventurers ......................................................................................................................... 84

Bewitched by the Witchelina Track

Grant and Linda share some highlights of this South Australian track ............................................................... 98

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FEATURES

REGULARS

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed

Ray Cully reviews the latest rendition of the Pajero Sport ................................................... 60

4Thought

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

Bush Mechanics

WA's amazing geology ....................................................................... 71

Over the Bonnet .................................................................... 126

Parabolic Springs

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76

What's Wheelie Wheelie Good?

David Wilson talks wheel sizes ............................................ 93

West Coast Suspensions to the Rescue ............................................................................... 106

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132

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135

Let's Go Geo-Touring

Watch Your Weight

Vehicle weight and towing capabilities ................. 118

Isuzu MU-X LS-T

Product Review ........................................................................................ 121

Dirt Bike Revolution

Product Review ....................................................................................... 123

High-Tech in Disguise

Product Review ....................................................................................... 165

139

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Women in 4W Driving .............................................. 146 Outback Survival Fishy Business

151

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Gear to Go Camping Clewed Up

149

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157

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160

Fire Cooking ................................................................................... 162 Track Care WA News

ANZAC Day at Anjo Peninsula ............................................................................ 112

129

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The Things You See Bindon's Lore

Grant and Linda test out new suspension

124

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What's in a Name

Ancient Fossils & Landscapes

4

4WD Club Focus

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167

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169

The People We Meet Goings On

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

170

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174

Capture the Moment

The Travelling Photographer

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179

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180

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182

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185

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188

Smart Photography NEW! Now We're TAWKing!

Are We There Yet? Subscriptions

Keep me handy!

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

Supplier Directory Silly Snaps

177

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

190

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191

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Premium Publishers ABN 70 616 133 870 26 John Street, Northbridge WA 6003 PO Box 50, Northbridge WA 6865 Phone: (08) 9291 8303 admin@western4wdriver.com.au www.western4wdriver.com.au Editors Chris and Karen Morton Graphic Design Karen Morton Advertising Chris Morton Natalie Du Preez Administration Chris Morton Steve Larcombe Printing Vanguard Press

COVER IMAGE

by Karen Morton Hamersley Gorge, Karijini National Park Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Premium Publishers 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, Premium Publishers accepts no liability for loss or damage.

Premium Publishers reserves the right to amend publication schedules and frequencies.

Edition 121 Autumn 2022

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ONWARDS & UPWARDS T

he end of 2021 was a great time to reflect on where the magazine has been and where it is going. Entering our 33rd year of production, a lot of gravel has passed under our tyres and there is plenty more to go. We have certainly had our challenges, the dreaded COVID being the biggest of them, but nothing that cannot be overcome with the right attitude and a lot of perseverance.

One of our greatest challenges is technology. The sharing of information, right, wrong or indifferent, has never been more prevalent in human history than what it is right now. Many seem to expect, no, demand, content be freely delivered, regardless of the cost to produce or obtain said content. When that content is not free, they seek out alternate sources. For others, their only source of information is delivered through the lens of someone else’s life, splashed across their screens, promoting that they too can live a carefree life on the road.

For many influencers, they must continually reinvent themselves, ensuring that they are always front of mind, doctored images and dubious information, always relevant so that they don’t fade away from screens.

Facebook groups are another source of information for many. There are thousands of groups compelling you to join and learn from their collective wisdom. Some of it is great stuff, some of it is completely wrong, some of it will result in someone getting killed. It wasn’t that long ago that the authoritative source of information

4 THOUGHT with CHRIS MORTON was contained within a library, now it is whoever’s voice is loudest online.

A very common occurrence amongst many of the social media platforms and profiles we have seen is people asking for advice.

Much of it is things that many of our readers would consider common knowledge. We see this being a reflection of the titanic shift that COVID has caused with regard to how and where we holiday.

For Western 4W Driver, 2022 dawned with the final episodes of Destination WA featuring some of our content and advertising on the small screen. The project to get these stories on-air was an interesting one and was achieved in an extremely short time frame. With only two days to secure the advertising support to make the project successful, we ventured into the unknown.

Filming Destination WA series 12.

readership, website traffic, social media followers and reach, YouTube views and subscribers and free to air TV viewership.

The number fluctuates, however the overall trend is positive.

At the end of last year, we also came across an opportunity to take control of some Facebook groups. The Carnage (on the Boat Ramp, Cape York, Kimberley and Outback) collectively boasts over 180,000+ followers and has an extremely active membership base. The acquisition of these profiles allows us to extend the reach of Western 4W Driver further than we thought possible.

2022 is shaping up to be a busier year with multiple opportunities sitting on our project board. We are starting to place a greater emphasis on video content due to its audience appeal and the subsequent flow on effect of also being able to produce written and visual articles from the same project.

By the time you read this, our new website will have either been launched or will be very close to going live. We should see the addition of at least one new book title to our 4W Driver’s Guide series as well as plenty of new video content going up onto our YouTube channel.

What next? To answer this, we needed to know where we had come from. In 2019, we had an annual readership of approximately 20,000 people. Today, we have over one million pairs of eyes looking at the content we produce. Now 999,999 of those eyes could be my Mum playing our content on repeat and buying up all the magazines, but seriously, that figure staggered us.

That number is made up of magazine

There will be other subtle changes here and there and we hope you like them.

Before I forget, several eagle-eyed readers managed to spot my 'deliberate' mistake in last edition’s article on Cheela Plains Station. Cheela Plains is located approximately 180km EAST of Nanutarra Roadhouse, not WEST. Take care of each other and we will see you out on the track somewhere … now, where is my selfie stick?

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Exploring the rugged

A kaleidoscope of colours and textures, multi-hued ochres, browns and deep reds. Rock formations, thrusted skyward by cataclysmic forces reveal our planet’s violent birth, scarred by weathering and time. A landscape shaped by the endless march of ancient glaciers and river systems. This is the Pilbara.

W

e were fortunate last year to conduct two trips into this magnificent part of Australia, one was a work trip and the second, although planned as a family holiday, quickly turned into another trip for the magazine.

Spending a total of four weeks exploring, we still found ourselves wanting more.

Often overlooked by travellers heading north to the headline acts in the Kimberley, many fail to appreciate the significance of the region or what is on offer. In between the myriad of resource projects, the endless procession of quad road trains and the long stretches of open road are gems of quiet contemplation and absolute solitude you are not likely to find anywhere else.

Waterholes occupying pride of place within ancient river systems, gorges carved from once towering mountain ranges, gigantic, fossilised oxygen-making organisms that dwarf their stillliving coastal relatives and stories 60,000 years in the making dot the landscape.

We hope you enjoy our Pilbara special as we and our fabulous team of writers take you on a journey of discovery through this amazing place.

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PILBARA Excerpt from Hema’s Pilbara map.

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5 4 9

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The beach at Hearson Cove is quite unique.

Evidence of monster tides are everywhere, clear by the dramatic angle of the stone and shell covered beach and the high-water mark. On one side, a striking, rocky headland dominates the skyline, on the other, a modern-day gas refinery.

We had come out to the local favourite to meet up with Clinton Walker of Ngurrangga Tours to take part in his Staircase to the Moon tour.

A WALK on the WILD SIDE

By Chris Morton

The location of the tour at high tide, showing Hearson Cove at the top, the ancient fish trap just below, and Green Island at the bottom.

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I

t was obvious from the moment we met that Clinton is passionate about sharing his knowledge. He has lived here for most of his life and the land is part of him.

The first part of our tour was an introduction to coastal foraging. As it was low tide, we were able to walk out beyond the beach and around the headland, listening to Clinton share stories of his childhood and beyond. Reef shoes are a must as there is always the possibility of having a close encounter with a stonefish. I made sure that I resorted to my normal 'beach wear' and hit the flats still wearing my hiking boots and long pants.

Just around the headland, Clinton stopped us and pointed out what appeared to be just a series of rock piles sticking out into the water. As he described the sight, it quickly became apparent that we were in fact standing in an ancient fish trap, constructed over 5,000 years ago. To reinforce its effectiveness, he effortless scooped out a sizeable mud crab and pointed out multiple fish swimming around within the trap.

Ancient fish trap, still effective today.

Beach wear? Don't care.

Clinton with his freshly-caught mud crab.

Hearson Cove at low tide.

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Further along, we arrived at a small rocky island known as Green Island. A favourite for turtles, the rock provided refugee for multitudes of fish and other aquatic species, including a feared stonefish.

Clinton was able to show us its barbs up close and talk about the painful effects of the poison within them.

As we started to lose the light, we turned around and headed back to the beach.

Make sure you have a good torch with you as you will need it (I am talking torch, not a head lamp). Stepping into the occasional hole proved to be a source of entertainment for the entire tour as we raced the tide.

INFORMATION BAY For bookings or for more info on Ngurrangga's guided tours of the Pilbara, go to: www.ngurrangga.com.au

Back on dry land, with the water draining from my boots, we sat on the lip of the beach, hoping for a glimpse of the Stairway to the Moon. On this occasion the cloud was too thick for us and we were not able to enjoy the stunning display. The gas refinery next door tried to make up for it with the glow from its flare stack. Next time.

Explaining the painful effects of stepping on a stonefish.

Clinton taught us a lot about coastal foraging as we walked around the headland.

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FreeTouring Map Featuring 8 Iconic

ROADTRIPS

Kununurra Kooljaman Ardi Cultural Drive

PLUS Cultural Tours,Bushfood Tours Art Galleries,Accommodation, Cultural Centres,Rock Art Festival and Events

KIMBERLEY

Fitzroy Crossing

Kimberley Wilderness Loop

Port Hedland

PILBARA

Warlu Way

Exmouth

Shark Bay

Derby Broome

Karratha Onslow

Gibb River Road

AncientTracks NewJourneys

GASCOYNE

AboriginalTours and Experiences

Coral Coast Hwy

Geraldton

Laverton

GOLDFIELDS Golden Quest Discovery Trail

Merredin

Kalgoorlie

Perth Fremantle Bunbury Yallingup

SOUTHWEST South West Edge

Esperance

Albany

FREETOURING MAP OFWA Pick up yours at visitor centres or scan the code to order online

AncientTracks,NewJourneys

2

SET IN STONE

By Chris Morton

Just a stone’s throw away from Hearson Cove sits some of the most amazing rock art in the world.

Looking like an ancient giant has tipped out bucket loads of rocks, the boulder-strewn area is alive with stories.

W

e met up with Rangers from the Murujuga National Park, who, after calling out to their ancestors to let them know that we were there, took us for a tour of this amazing place.

Now, I have never been to the Louvre in France, however I think this place has got it beat. The pindan red rocks make for a canvas capable of withstanding almost everything mother nature can throw at it.

Rock inscriptions more than 10,000 years old adorn the landscape, each telling a story.

Excerpt from Hema’s Pilbara map.

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Here, a Tasmanian tiger, documented proof of their existence not only on the mainland

Emu (Jankurna).

but here on the west coast. Over there, a megafauna kangaroo, drawn during a time when these gargantuan marsupials grazed and were a prized food source. In front of us, a Tasmanian devil. More evidence of where these creatures once roamed.

The site has been transformed in the previous couple of years, with the installation of concrete footpaths, viewing platforms and interpretive signage, ensuring that all visitors can enjoy and experience this remarkable place.

Further in, the rocky maze is off limits to all but a few elders. Petroglyphs warn visitors past and present that there is a sacred site which requires initiation before entry can be granted.

The Rangers go on to tell us that this was more than just a place to record stories.

It was also a well-used place to live, evidenced by the various artefacts and other discoveries made here.

As well as petroglyphs, there are stone tools and other artefacts around the site.

To get the most out of your visit here, we highly recommend you book onto a tour and have one of the Rangers walk you through.

Their knowledge will richly enhance your visit and give you a greater appreciation for the artwork and significance of the site.

If your schedule won’t allow a tour, then make sure you at least come out and visit it.

Please ensure that you treat the rock art site with the respect that it deserves. Stay on the paths and do not enter the restricted area. When you are taking photos of the rock art, avoid taking photos of any of the art that depicts a human.

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JEWEL in the PILBARA'S CROWN

By Chris Morton

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Growing up, Millstream was one of those places that my parents always spoke about visiting. It was a destination worthy of any bucket list. Stories of outback waterholes conjured childhood images of an adventure worthy of any explorer’s diary and created a sense of excitement and anticipation.

Sadly, it wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I was eventually able to visit.

H

eading south, we had left Port Hedland early in the morning.

We were working to a pretty tight schedule but were adamant that we would be able to squeeze in a quick overnight stay at Millstream. We turned off the North West Coastal Highway onto the RoebourneWittenoom Road which would take us directly to Python Pool.

Less than 10km down the track, we came across a great little campsite on what looked like a permanent pool of water.

The sign told us this was Inthanuna Pool on Warambie Station. There were a variety of campsites available with several other travellers taking advantage of the tranquil location. If you're interested in staying here, call Warambie Station on 08 9184 5137.

Inthanuna Pool on Warambie Station.

The gravel road was in pretty good condition with only the odd patch of corrugations. The surrounding countryside was quite impressive, with sweeping plains and juxtaposed rock formations rising from the earth. Previous rains were still evident by the amount of surface water still present, giving the flat areas an almost rice-paddy look to them.

Python Pool.

Hitting the boundary of the national park heralded a change in road conditions.

The corrugations got a little more frequent, however the addition of some bitumen sections on the curvy bits of road were welcome.

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Python Pool

The car park doesn’t give much away.

Squeezing the LC200 and caravan into a space that would allow us some hope of getting back out again, we grabbed our camera gear and headed off on the short, 200m return walk along the dry creek bed to the pool.

manage to take some drone footage and photos. One of the other visitors even volunteered to go back into the water and 'model' for us, floating in the water.

Like many of the other locations we get to visit, this is the perfect place to sit in the shade for a while and just absorb the surroundings. For those more adventurous, there is also the Cameleers Trail, which offers a 4km return hike. This 90-minute walk is classed as moderately difficult over uneven, rocky surfaces. Python Pool would be even more inviting after that walk.

Back at the car park, we needed to negotiate our departure with several other visitors, so after employing some basic Tetris skills (see Mum, all that time spent playing on the computer as a kid was not wasted), we got back on the road.

It's only a short walk into Python Pool.

Set at the base of an impressive rock formation, Python Pool would have to be an amazing sight in the wet season. Evidence of the torrents of water cascading over the lip of the rock into the deep pool below are everywhere. Debris can be seen stuck in the trees and bushes as you make your way along the trail.

A small, rocky beach perches precariously along the edge of the dark waters, which are quite inviting in warmer weather. We didn’t have time for a swim, but we did Python Pool.

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The section of road between Python Pool and Warlu Road was like hitting your thumb with a hammer at the exact moment you have discovered you just won the lotto.

The winding road revealed stunning views at almost every turn and you really needed to stop and just soak them in.

The road also delivered corrugations like I have never experienced before. The sort of corrugations that made you want to weep with despair, while contemplating whether you really did need your vehicle and would it be easier to just get out and walk. We have since heard rumours that a grader may have made a passing visit to rectify this.

Millstream

Once we hit Warlu Road and then turned off onto Millstream Road, we were glad we hadn’t abandoned the vehicle. Pulling into the campground, we discovered that our booking had been made for the previous day. The camp host took us over to the Ranger Station, where an encapsulated iPad was available, complete with an internet connection, which allowed us to book and pay for our night’s stay on a still available site.

NB: National Parks where there is a Ranger Station have OPTUS coverage. If you are using the big T or any other carrier, it is worth grabbing a pre-paid SIM that you can use in your phone or device to give you some level of communication.

With our booking sorted, we proceeded to set up home for the night and unhitch. We still had plenty of daylight, so we headed out to Deep Reach Pool to explore. This is a spring fed body of water and tends to hang around all year. The bird life is phenomenal, and the attraction is well-equipped with a

Excerpt from Hema’s Pilbara map.

substantial car park and toilets. Picnic benches and interpretive signage is everywhere and there are several spots with steps that take you down into the water. It's a great spot to put a kayak in the water and really go exploring.

Easy access into Deep Reach Pool.

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The original homestead now offers visitors a glimpse into the pastoral past of Millstream and the interpretive walk trails explains the resourcefulness of the Yinjibarndi people.

Heading back to the main camp site, we detoured and took in the views from the Cliff Lookout. From here you can look down on the waterway, getting a bird’s eye view of the water’s edge and the surrounding landscape. Make sure you keep an eye out for the little lizards that inhabit the area.

They aren’t shy and are happy to pose for a photo or two if you ask them.

The view from Cliff Lookout.

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Unfortunately, the Murlamunyjunha Trail walk was closed, awaiting repairs from previous inclement weather which had caused significant damage to the walkway and small bridges. We hope it will be open when we next visit.

When travelling around the state with our unique signage on the side of our vehicle, we are always bound to run into a subscriber and Millstream didn’t let us down. Friends of friends wandered over for a chat around happy hour before we got dinner organised.

An overnight stay was not nearly long enough to get the most of our visit, however commitments in Karratha meant that we had to be on the road early. The drive back to the coast was another one filled with stunning landscapes and rock formations as we followed the train line.

INFORMATION BAY Best time to go: Late autumn to early spring.

Terrain: Roads in the Park are suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles only in dry weather and may be impassable after heavy rain and/or cyclonic events.

Accommodation options: Camping areas at Millstream are Miliyanha and Stargazers Campgrounds and online bookings are essential. Miliyanha is a generator friendly campground and suitable for all vehicles. Stargazers is strictly a non-generator site and very large vehicles should proceed to Miliyanha.

For more information: https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/ millstream-chichester Park entry fees can be paid at park entry points and in the camping areas. Fees may also be collected by Park staff.

WA’s ultimate reef to range EXPERIENCE The ideal camping and caravanning family getaway

P: 9188 5488 E: visitor.centre@ashburton.wa.gov.au

@visitashburton

ashburton.wa.gov.au/tour

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4

GORGING YOURSELF A guide to exploring

Karijini National Park

By Chris Morton

Hamersley Gorge.

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In 2021 we were lucky enough to have two trips up north to visit Karijini. It's one of those places where you find something new with each visit.

A

s much as it is spectacular, it can also be extremely dangerous.

For reference, the volunteers at the Tom Price SES are the busiest outside of the Perth metro area.

Before attempting any gorge walk: • Refer to the information found at the start of each gorge and assess your fitness level and ability to safely complete the walk • Expect to encounter steep steps, uneven ground and natural obstacles

such as rocks and streams, narrow high ledges, slippery rocks and vertical drops • Consider taking a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) with you • Stay away from cliff edges • Do not enter any gorge if it is raining or rain is imminent. If in a gorge and it starts to rain, safely make your way out immediately as there is an extreme risk of flash flooding • The water in all the gorges is cold.

Be aware of the signs and symptoms of hypothermia as it can occur quickly • Test the temperature of the water before you enter and don’t jump or dive in.

• Remain on established trails.

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Very steep climb down to water.

Deep swimming in lower gorge.

Joffre Gorge and Falls.

Joffre Gorge (Jijingunha), Joffre Falls and Knox Lookout Class 4-5, 3km, 3 hours return If you are staying at the Eco Retreat, then this little gorge is right on your doorstep. An easy walk from the campground takes you to a small lookout that gives you a great view of the gorge and surrounds. Since the installation of stairs, access from here is much easier.

The view from Knox Lookout.

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There can be considerable running water and negotiating of small rocks when walking along the floor of the gorge. There is also some climbing up and down rock faces to allow you to get to the waterfall at the end. At the time of writing, the pool at the base was full of water, with more than a trickle coming over the falls.

Hamersley Gorge (Minhtjukundi) and Spa Pool Class 3-4, 400m-1km Allow 1-3 hours return To access Hamersley Gorge, you need to exit the park and head towards Tom Price before turning off onto Bingarn Road. This is a gravel road and can get corrugated and very dusty in places, so take your time. You will intersect with the Nanutarra Road. Turn right and follow your nose to the gorge entrance. This is one of those places that is worth the climb down for. I don’t know how many steps there are, but it is worth every one of them. It is a photographer’s paradise, filled with amazing swirls of colour and texture. You can catch some great reflections from the pool without too much difficulty. Perfect for a swim, but be prepared for very cold water.

Spa Pool above Hamersley Gorge.

Hamersley Gorge.

Easy walk with steps.

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Weano Gorge and Oxer Lookout Class 4-5, 1km, 1.5 hours return Again, close to the Eco Retreat, the carpark at Weano Gorge offers some short little walking trails to get you warmed up before taking the semi subterranean plunge. After the initial climb in, where care needs to be taken negotiating your way down the steps, Weano is a beautiful little gorge to discover.

At the base of the stairs you are greeted by a large rock overhang and small waterfall that feeds a crystal clear pool. It’s a perfect spot to cool off after taking a walk down the gorge. Walking through, you get a glimpse of the forces that shaped this landscape, the colours, water and vegetation creating

a canvas far more spectacular than any artwork. At the end of the gorge, you can either walk out, following the trail back to the car park, or as we did, turn around and experience it all over again.

Handrail Pool has been closed permanently as there had been a fatality as well as a serious injury.

Oxer Lookout can either be walked to from the top of Weano, or if the legs are a little rubbery after all that walking and climbing, driven to. The lookout itself offers you amazing views from the junction of Weano, Red, Joffre and Hancock Gorges.

Weano Gorge.

Great spot for a swim!

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Hancock Gorge (Bilungunha), Spider Walk and Kermit’s Pool Class 2-5, 1.5km, 3 hours return I managed to make it about 30 steps into Hancock Gorge and then decided I could see enough from the rock I was leaning on. A steep, continuous descent takes you into the gorge proper. Be prepared to get very wet in some extremely cold water. The discomfort will be made up by the stunning polished rock you will pass along the way as you make your way towards what feels like the centre of the earth.

The water can be waist deep in areas and is very, very cold.

It's a steep descent into the gorge via rocky pathways and multiple ladders.

It's a cold walk in, but worth it to see this.

.

Deep swimming holes t. we t ge to ve ha y You ma

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Fortescue Falls (Jubula) and Fern Pool (Jubura) Class 4, 800m, 1 hour return Located on the east side of the park, not far from the visitor centre, Fortescue Falls is the only permanent waterfall located in Karijini. A recent upgrade to the car park has allowed for more visitors to be there at the same time. It is also an easy walk from Dales Campground. Make sure you have your step counter going because you are going to get a new PB climbing down (and then back up again) the steel staircase.

Don’t worry, there are plenty of spots that you can pull over and catch your breath and soak in the view.

we are privileged to visit. Swim over to the small, spring fed waterfall and sit behind the watery curtain. Keep your noise to a minimum and refrain from bombies or lots of splashing. Appreciate this sacred place.

When walking between Fortescue and Fern Pool, don’t forget to look up and see how many local species you can see.

Fortescue Falls.

The falls are located at the base of the stairs and can be easily seen as you descend. It is a popular spot for visitors to find a spot and sun themselves on the rocks in between having a dip in the cold water.

Only a short distance further in you will find Fern Pool. This is a very special place and Fern Pool.

ol ladder and Timber deck, po at Fern Pool. deep swimming

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Look up!

See large fig trees, fruit bats & an olive python.

Circular Pool (Walhabindamunha) and Dales Gorge (Ngirribungunha) Class 4, 3km, 3 hours return Circular Pool has been closed for some time as a result of rock falls and exposed asbestos. The climb down to the Circular Pool lookout is quite steep in places and requires considerable concentration. Once at the bottom the walk along the gorge itself is mostly flat, as you follow the active creek back towards Fortescue Falls. In places you will need to negotiate slippery rocks, fallen trees and small water crossings however the thick vegetation does provide considerable shade. This also means that there is little breeze and can become quite humid. Make sure you are carrying plenty of water as you will need it. The swim at Fortescue Falls is worth the walk.

Circular Pool.

2km creek side trail from Circular Pool to Fortescue Falls.

Dales Gorge.

Great for

kids!

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Kalamina Gorge (Nhamurrunha) and Rock Arch Pool Class 4, 3km, 3 hours return (to Rock Arch Pool) This would have to be by far my favourite gorge in Karijini. It is easily accessible and the shallowest of all the gorges, but don’t let that fool you. It is only a 30-minute return walk from the carpark to the lush pool and waterfall below. This is a great spot to explore once you have shimmied your way along the rock ledge to the pool itself.

Following the gorge downstream, you can take your time as it offers up spectacular views around every corner. It’s one of those walks where you say “wow” and sit down and just enjoy your surroundings. Rock Arch Pool can get quite congested if you get there at the wrong time as it is popular with the guided tour groups.

Kalamina Gorge.

This waterfall is only a short walk from the carpark.

es Walk 45 minut to m downstrea ol.

Rock Arch Po

Shallow water flo w over flat rocks great for kids!

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Mt Bruce (Punurrunha) The second highest peak in WA, Mt Bruce has three walks on offer, each with its own degree of difficulty. The views are spectacular.

Marandoo View is a Class 2 and only 500m in length. An easy 30-minute return.

Honkey Hakea Track is a Class 3, 4.6km, 3-hour return. There is nothing easy about this walk. Remember, you are going up for half of it.

Mt Bruce Summit is a Class 5, 9km, 5-hour return trip.

This is not for the faint-hearted or younger children. There is no water to cool off in and we recommend doing this first thing in the morning before it heats up. Carry plenty of water (plenty means more than a single 600ml bottle of Mt Franklin) and maybe some energy snacks to get you to the summit and back. There are some very Mt Bruce.

precarious rocks to negotiate and at times you may feel like Spiderman moving across some of the more difficult rock faces. If you are afraid of heights then we might suggest that you just live the moment through other’s photos (or do the Marandoo View walk only).

Class 6 Restricted Areas

Weano, Hancock and Knox Gorge all end with Class 6 areas. These areas are off limits and cannot be entered without permission from the rangers.

Red Gorge is entirely a Class 6 gorge and can only be accessed with a qualified guide after notifying the rangers.

Remember, there have been numerous people seriously injured and killed while in the gorges of Karijini. Please follow all instructions, both written and verbally, from rangers.

lots of Take lots and ges, ed liff C ! er wat ions ct se very steep e. ad sh and no

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EB

OU

TE N O O M R D E - WIT

10km

(from Tom Price)

RN

43km

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27 MU km NJ IN A

m

Unsealed road Waterways/Gorges National Park

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TAR R

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Weano Gorge

UNJ 41km INA RD

Entry Station

(fees apply)

Marandoo Mine Site No Public Access

40km KA R I J I N I DR

Mt Bruce Mt Bruce Aboriginal name: Punurrunha Height 1235m 2WD accessible to carpark (unsealed road, weather permitting) Walk to summit is approx 10km return trip from carpark

Fern Pool

Dales Gorge

2km

(fees apply)

RD 5km

CE

RTH

Ranger Station

HW

Circular Pool Fortescue Falls

Alb To Re &L

56km

TB

Entry Station

NO

km

10

ER N

NJ

R

NORTH

km 26 IM

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BA

UN MO RU

OM ICE

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DALES CAMPGROUND

km

ER S

LE Y 30 km

R INI D RI J KA 40km

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KARIJINI VISITOR CENTRE

km 19 BA N J I M A D

HA M

m

16

m

6k

10k

261km

Auski Roadhouse

Kalamina Gorge

G REAT

Knox Gorge

Joffre Falls

8k D R EAS m T

KARIJINI ECO RETREAT

BANJIMA

km

PORT HEDLAN 7km

Y

14 km

Hancock Gorge

20

m

TAR

EA T

NA

Spa Pool

GR

UNJ

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Hamersley Gorge

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RD

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NA R D

21k

Sealed road

ITTENOOM RD

NANUT ARRA -

LEY R D m

OU R N E R O EB

MILLSTREAM 235km KARRATHA 334km

FORTESCUE CROSSING RD

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KA R 30 IJINI km DR

KARIJINI NATIONAL PARK

NE

km

159

TO M P R

PARABURDO

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INFORMATION BAY PARABURDOO 80km Best time to go:71km From late autumn to early PARABURDOO AIRPORT NANUTARRA spring. 354km Winter days are warm and clear, but

nights are cold. Avoid summer as temperatures frequently top 40°C. Location: You can enter Karijini National Park from Tom Price, Roebourne, Port Hedland or Newman. Be aware that distances travelled can add up quickly when touring this park.

The nearest fuel is over 80km from Dales Campground at Munjina Roadhouse or Tom Price and around 70km from the Karijini Eco Retreat to Tom Price.

Terrain: The unsealed sections of road can be heavily corrugated if not recently graded.

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Mt Meharry Mt Meharry Aboriginal name: Wirlbiwiribi Highest peak in WA. Height 1249m 4WD only Access via Juna Downs Station from Great Northern Hwy. Follow the Packsaddle Rd for 15.7km then turn left at the Mt Meharry sign.

Phone for permission 08 9189 8278.

More instructions at Tom Price Visitor Centre.

Accommodation options: There are two locations in the park where you can stay overnight. Dales Campground is large and a good base from which to explore the park. Campsites are in very high demand from June to September. During this period a twonight maximum stay overflow camping area is in operation. Bookings are essential.

The only other location in the park where camping is permitted is the privately owned and operated Karijini Eco Retreat which offers campsites as well as eco tents and cabins.

For more information: www.parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/karijini www.karijiniecoretreat.com.au/

GR

EA T

NO

RT

HE

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H WY

wa.gov.au/rsc

DON’T IGNORE THE YAWNING SIGNS

PORT HEDLAND 261km

km

16 NORTH

ER N

HW

Y

56km

G REAT

Albert Tognolini Rest Area & Lookout

NEWMAN 159km

arry

Hwy.

80% of Fatigue related crashes are on country roads.

Take a break every 2 hours and swap drivers regularly.

5

The quiet

KARIJINI

By Jo Clews

The first thing that comes to mind when someone happens to mention that they are headed to Karijini National Park is a sense of awe and adventure.

It is an adventure just to get there regardless if you take the coastal route, the inland route or the roads less travelled in the middle, then of course there is the stunning scenery that takes your breath away at each corner you turn and hill you climb.

The closer you get, the more the anticipation builds and I doubt there has been any visitor to this amazing part of the world who has not been impressed.

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I

t was my great fortune that in 2007 I became the manager of the newly developed Eco Retreat which meant I had the privilege of living in and experiencing this world, first hand, for an extended period of time.

A valuable experience it was and even though my team and I were challenged on a daily basis, somehow we made it work and many life lessons were learnt.

I had a staff that consisted of local Aboriginal people from Tom Price, Wakathuni and Bellary, local West Aussies and a mini United Nations with backpacker staff from all around the world.

Some of my fondest memories are sitting on the veranda with my Karijini Kids, after the work was done and the guests had all gone to bed, just yarning and enjoying each other’s company under the amazing night sky in the outback and to this day I am still in contact with most of my Kids and have made lifelong friends in WA. To say I received so much more from Karijini than it received from me is an understatement and I truly believe that I am who I am because of the time I spent there.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am up for a challenge and an adventure as much as the next person but I am also an immersive type of traveller and to be honest the longer it takes me, the better I feel.

As an example, I have been asked by a very good friend on numerous occasions if I would accompany him on one of his Canning Stock Route tours (back in the day when we could) but I always declined because my idea of doing the Stock Route would be taking three months, not less than three weeks.

So to completely give myself over to the Pilbara for an entire year was amazing and even though the landscape and gorges are an integral part of my memories, the ones that I speak most about are the quiet, and in some ways, spiritual ones.

There are two occasions that come to mind and these are what I would like to share

so the next time you are at Karijini you too might like to slow down, stop and feel the other, quieter side of this magical place.

Most nights I was the last to leave the restaurant so usually there was no one else around except the muffled voices of the campers and tent guests that were picked up on the breeze and softly dispersed throughout the retreat.

The incoherent murmurings of intrepid adventurers reliving the highlights of their days as they settled into their comfortable beds accompanied me back to my little cottage amongst the spinifex. It wasn’t a long walk between the two buildings but was just enough time for my eyes to become accustomed to the dark and my brain to acknowledge the glorious canopy of stars or the light of the moon showing me the way.

On many a night about half way between the buildings I would walk into the most amazing pocket of deliciously warm air that was so powerful yet so gentle that I was forced to stop and allow it to envelope me.

It was better than the best hug I had ever had and more often than not I needed it.

Call it what you will and I am sure there are many explanations, but for me, some days it was the difference between madness and sanity and I refuse to believe that it was anything less than the land sending me a cloak of energy that lifted my spirit and guided me forward.

One night after our guests had retired for the evening, the second experience was orchestrated by one of our many wonderful tour guides. He suggested we pack up a pillow and a blanket and put on some warm clothes, pile into the vehicles and trustingly head off into the dark Karijini night with him with his only reassurance being, “Trust me, you will love it.”

There were about eight of us so I think we all assumed there was safety in numbers if things got a bit weird.

We arrived at Oxer Lookout and piled out of the cars all feeling just a little edgy and Western 4W Driver #121 |

33

excited. Our tour guide took us to the lookout platform by the light of his torch and when we got there he quietened us all down, as by this stage we were like excited little school kids on an excursion to the zoo.

We all awoke and in a much more peaceful mood made our way back to the vehicles. As we drove back to the retreat we all recounted our experience. Although some were similar, as we had been warned, we all heard different things but as it turned out I was the only one who heard the old men talking.

We were to comfortably arrange ourselves on the platform with our pillow and blanket then close It wasn’t until the next our eyes and just listen, day when I was making and as we listened make beds with one of my a note in our minds as to Aboriginal staff who was Oxer Lookout by day. what we thought we had an elder in Tom Price heard. I am convinced that she asked what my we were all pretty sceptical but we did as experience was. I told her and she was we were told and began our meditation. quite surprised when I told her about the old men.

I have no idea how long we were there, it could have been five minutes or five hours, but all I can say is for that moment in time I ceased to exist as I became part of the deep darkness of the night and the sounds of the gorges spirited me away to some place incredible.

Everyone’s experience is different apparently, but most people will hear the sweet high-pitched laughter and squeals of delight from children playing in the background.

Just like when you are at a party and all the kids are playing chasey and you are trying to have a grown-up conversation with the adults, but keeping half an ear out in case it ends in tears.

Through the joyousness of the little children then came the soft sounds of a young woman singing and after that old men talking, reminding me of when I was a child at Christmas curled up on the sheepskin rug at my grandmother’s house after a big day with the adults having a conversation I could not understand as I drifted off to sleep.

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She looked straight at me and said, “Not many people ever get to hear the old men. They must like you.” I was a bit flabbergasted to say the least, “And you need to let them know when you leave as they will get upset if they can’t find you.”

Well then, what’s a woman to do, so from that day forward every time I left the retreat I would stop at the front entrance and let them know I would be back. Sadly, the last time I left I was unable to return and didn’t get to say goodbye.

It has been way too long since I have been back and writing this story has made me nostalgic and feeling like I need to head back to check in and become part of this landscape once again.

Sharing my experiences will hopefully get more people experiencing the quieter side of 4W driving and outback adventure. Yes, by all means it can be exhilarating and exciting but equally it should also be quiet, reflective contemplation and gratitude of the amazing country we are so privileged to be in.

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6

e m i t r wa t e r c se

hidden in the wa outback

By Colin Kerr

The remains of the wind sock beside the runways.

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| Western 4W Driver #121

In the blazing heat of the Pilbara, 36km south of Marble Bar in WA, in desolate semi-desert spinifex country, there can still be seen a few scattered remains of one of the best kept secrets of Australian involvement in the Second World War.

S

et alongside of a dramatic, rocky, ironstone ridge, the heavily camouflaged and carefully hidden No. 73 Operational Base Unit was known as Corunna Downs – the name of the stillactive cattle station on which the base was located. The air base has these days however, been excised from the Corunna Downs Station so visitors can now visit this site quite freely without needing permission from the station.

The long runways, built to handle the heaviest four-engined bombers of the day, still remain, and in fact, have been recently graded and cleared of both the old cracked and parched bitumen surface and the encroaching spinifex and desert foliage.

The main runways (east/west and north/ south), measuring 2,300 metres and 1,650

metres and each 50 metres wide, can these days now be driven down, thankfully without fear of encountering huge bombers landing or taking off. It is indeed, quite a sobering experience to drive where these aircraft once operated. In addition, there were some 6km of taxi ways, some of which have also been cleaned up and are also readily accessible. This is harsh, unforgiving country out here with nearby Marble Bar recognised as Australia’s hottest town - certainly not a great place to be working year round in the pressure conditions of a WWII air base. In addition it is reported that servicemen, mostly living at the base in four-man tents without any form of air conditioning or refrigeration, were also tormented by flies, scorpions and snakes.

A visit to this lonely centre today in our modern air-conditioned vehicles, is a much more enjoyable, but somewhat eerie experience with the piercing call of an occasional crow the only noise that disturbs the vast silence out here. Of course, in this remote place things were not always so deathly quiet as the regular roar of the four x 1200 horsepower engines of the long range B-24 Liberator bombers wheeled at the end of the runway and paused before commencing their take-off run heavily laden

Excerpt from Hema’s WA State map.

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with bombs to pound the Japanese bases on Java, Borneo, Celebes, Singapore and other island targets to the north of the Australian coastline - it was, in fact in its time, quite a noisy, bustling place to be.

Today, in its peaceful serenity, visitors can only imagine the activity out here all those years ago.

In this remote country where once stood the many camouflaged buildings required for the administration and operation of this little-known but major air base, only a few crumbling concrete foundations can now be seen, including the air crew quarters, kitchen mess, canteen, store, hospital, ablutions, workshops and picture gardens.

Sadly, many of these scant remains are progressively being overgrown with spinifex and other vegetation. The remains of an old windsock pole still defiantly stands near the old runways and the earthThe road up and over Ironstone Ridge.

Marble Bar has the dubious the honour of being stralia.

Au in wn to st tte ho nsecutive It recorded 160 co (37.8°C) F days over 100° in the summer of rd 1923-24 - a reco honour that still stands today.

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Kitchen mess site.

formed aircraft bunkers, once covered with camouflage netting and spinifex to hide the planes, can still be seen scattered across the base. Each of the 20 or so horseshoeshaped bunkers housed one of the giant bombers which were carefully tucked away after each flight where maintenance, refuelling and re-arming was carried out. It is interesting to see how the bunkers (or revetments) were spread far enough apart to minimise damage to the aircraft if the base was ever bombed. Camping out here

The hospital site.

Drum ends in the workshop area at the western end of the east-west runway.

in one of these long-abandoned aircraft bunkers, which we did on our recent visit, was indeed quite an eerie experience as we tried to imagine the scene here all those years ago when right here where we were enjoying happy hour, one of those huge bombers was hidden away and being prepared for its next important flight.

Elsewhere around the old base can be seen several anti-aircraft gun pits, small piles of rusting fuel drums, ammunition containers, bomb holders and many other wartime scraps. It is believed that all old live ammunition has now been cleared away, but visitors should be careful they don’t stumble over any that has been missed.

After all this time such live rounds would be very unstable and very dangerous.

Our camp in one of the aircraft bunkers.

The population of Marble Bar today is approximately 170.

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There is also a lonely grave at the foot of the nearby ironstone hillside with a small plaque identifying it as the final resting place of RAAF Sergeant Ernest Newton Cook (46603) who was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident enroute to nearby Marble Bar on 5th December 1944.

His grave is at the site of the picture gardens which he operated for the enjoyment of all who worked on the base.

Memorial to Ernest Newton Cook - at the site of the Ironstone Ridge Camp.

It was between 1943 and 1945 that bombing mission activity from Corunna hit its peak. On this now empty and almost forgotten spinifex and ironstone countryside, Australian and American Air Force units (the 30th Bomber Group of the US Air Force and No. 25 Squadron of the RAAF) blasted the Japanese bases that threatened Australia from the north as well as hammering the enemy shipping which was so vital to Japanese supplies and troop movements.

Although bombers could reach Japanese targets from other northern bases around Darwin, such flying took aircraft over a number of islands which had been taken over by the Japanese. The base at Corunna Downs gave aircraft the advantage of surprise, approaching their targets from over the sea. It had always been feared that the returning bombers may have been followed and the location of the base discovered, but this was apparently never attempted.

No mention was ever made during the war of these highly secret operations in press or radio reports and every effort was made to keep from the Japanese any knowledge that Corunna Downs airfield existed.

Japanese reconnaissance aircraft however, searched extensively over northern WA for a base which they knew must be somewhere, but their continual scouring 40

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always ended in failure. It is even reported that on one occasion one of their longrange reconnaissance planes jettisoned one of its long-range fuel tanks quite near the base (presumably to lighten its load), but still never saw or identified the airfield!

The Corunna base was officially closed on 14th January 1946.

Even today the importance of the base and the part it played in the latter phases of the war has received little publicity and is largely unknown, even to the many tourists who pass through the nearby centre of Marble Bar each year.

With its historic war time secret now being slowly uncovered, a visit to Corunna Downs is, indeed, an enlightening and enjoyable experience.

WORKING LIFE AT THE AIR BASE The working life of airmen on the base back in the 1940s was indeed harsh – sometimes experiencing temperatures of around 50°C. At any one time some 300 men were based here in these very trying conditions with minimal facilities, including no air-conditioning or refrigeration. Rations mainly consisted of tinned vegetables and cans of bully beef.

Their water supply (from a brackish bore) was so hot that showers were impossible until the pipes cooled down around 9 o’clock at night. Their four-man tents were very basic and living here was particularly uncomfortable in the heavy rains of the annual wet season in this region. Their only real respite from the conditions was an occasional leave visit to the amenities available in nearby Marble Bar and the introduction in 1944 of an open air picture show at the base.

Morale however, remained high as the airmen here realised the important contribution they were making to the war effort from their proudly secret but very successfully operated air base.

The Australian Army was also very much in evidence at the Corunna Downs base during the war providing most of the supply transport as well as their involvement with light and heavy anti-aircraft guns strategically located around the airfield. Some of the gun pits can still be seen today.

A gun pit near the east-west runway.

INFORMATION BAY Best time to go: May to August.

Location: 36km south of Marble Bar via signposted access road (Corunna Downs Station Road).

Allow approximately one hour travelling each way from Marble Bar. An interesting exercise to help get your bearings out there before you actually go, is to check on the internet – Google Earth – at 21°25’53.79”S, 119°46’56.73”E – where all the main features can be seen.

Also of great assistance is an information sign board at the airfield entrance showing a map of the old base with the location of the main points of interest.

Terrain: The access road is all gravel and usually in quite good condition (except after rain) and can be travelled with care in conventional 2WD vehicles.

Along the way (through old gold and copper mining areas and undulating, quite scenic spinifex covered hillsides) there are a number of small creek crossings which are usually dry during winter months.

Campervans and off-road caravans are also OK if driven carefully to the conditions.

Accommodation options: Camping is allowed, but there are no facilities provided. Take all rubbish away with you and use a chemical toilet. Dogs would be OK if kept on a lead. A dump point and drinking water is available in Marble Bar. Alternatively use Marble Bar as a base and make a day trip out to the air base. No permits or other approvals are required. Caravan park facilities are available in Marble Bar. For more information: Check with the Marble Bar Visitor Information Centre for an information brochure and for road conditions and any access restrictions at the time before heading out to the old base.

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7 A retreat in the outback

Meentheena Veterans Retreat

By Chris Morton Photos by Ian Armitt

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80km east of Marble Bar, nestled along the banks of the Nullagine River, the Meentheena Veterans Retreat is a very unlikely place to choose for a holiday.

M

ore than 1500km from Perth, that is a two-day drive for most sensible people, it's about as far away as you can get from what most people would consider modern civilisation. With both the Great and Little Sandy Deserts almost throwing distance away, this part of the world can get very warm.

Back in 2010, a group of individuals put a plan together to form the retreat for veterans of military and emergency services organisations. Their goal was to create an oasis of solitude, where veterans and their families could come and escape the hustle and bustle of the world for a while. A place where they could reconnect with nature, surrounded by others who might be dealing with similar demons.

Meentheena, once a pastoral lease, was chosen as an ideal site and quickly progressed into the well-organised and equipped location it is today. Although a place for veterans, everyone is welcome to come and stay. Access to the main camp is possible in a 2WD, however all other locations will require the use of a 4WD (not AWD).

potable water, flushing toilets, showers and a limited number of donga accommodation.

They even have disabled access to one of the accommodation units and the ablutions. Their well-equipped camp kitchen makes up part of the club house, where visitors can relax and there is also a DIY workshop on site that can be used by guests by arrangement with management.

The main site also boasts solar power and has several washing machines that can be used during the day to catch you up on the domestic chores.

If you prefer to be away from the main camp, Meentheena has options to suit everyone. Along the banks of the Nullagine, they have established several camps on permanent pools that offer shade and a level of seclusion. If you prefer, there are even more remote locations, not suitable for caravans but easily accessible with a capable 4WD.

The main camp is equipped with a caretaker's cottage, mobile reception (thanks to a large tower and yaggi antennae pointing to a mine site about 60km away), The Paperbarks.

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The retreat is a great place to base yourself as you explore the area. Being only about an hour's drive to Marble Bar means that you can resupply with fuel and other basics quite easily. For some, it offers the perfect place to unwind, for others, a great location to go exploring with a metal detector in hand.

The team at Meentheena has spent considerable time compiling the history of the area and make it readily available to guests to ensure that they get the most out of their stay. They have detailed maps that will allow you to guide yourself to various locations around the retreat. There is 26km of river frontage and a multitude of locations that are well worth the visit.

LOGO LOCKUPS The entire area is alive with history and things to see. The Sink Hole (they say big enough to swallow the majority of the MCG) needs to be seen to be believed. The telegraph station is a glimpse back into our not-so-distant communications past. There are also ruins from the various homesteads that were built on the station during its time as a pastoral lease. Carawine Gorge and even Running Waters can be reached as a day trip from here.

of the committee members that were there before we needed to head on to our next destination. We are already making plans for our next family adventure to be back here where our plan is to spend several weeks exploring further.

INFORMATION BAY Best time to go: May to August.

Location: 5km off Ripon Hills Road, 75km east of Marble Bar Accommodation options: Main camp: Camp & caravan sites non-powered only. Showers and toilet facilities. Shade for caravans/campers or tents. Air conditioned ensuite dongas.

Workshop available. Camp kitchen/club house with wash-up and cooking facilities and refrigeration available.

LOGO/ MESSAGING PRIMARY

Camp sites: Excellent camp sites are available on the banks of the Nullagine River (4WD access) and will be allocated by the camp host.

For more information: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ MeentheenaVeteransRetreat

Website: vrwa-meentheena.org On this occasion, we only had enough time to spend a couple of hours having a look Email: vetransretreats.wa.inc@gmail.com This is talking the Pilbara East wordmark around the main camp and to some Phone: 0497 004 491 locked up with the ‘Wildly Please note that they only accept the Pelican Pool.

Colourful, Vastly Different’ folding stuff as payment (EFTPOS doesn’t messaging. work very well up there) so ensure you are In corporate application and suitably carrying enough cash with you. when identity and message need to exist together, this primary lockup is to be used.

It can be used in both positive and reversed as shown.

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| Western 4W Driver #121 Note Filenames (.eps, .jpg, .png, svg)

Plan your next adventure into the ‘heart of the Pilbara’.

Your outback experience awaits.

Download the app today.

Scan the QR code or find us on the app store PILBARA EAST

8

Ancient 46

GORGES &

| Western 4W Driver #121

A

s our convoy left the tiny oasis of Marble Bar and headed east towards Telfer along the Ripon Hills Road, the landscape was one of undulating formations backdropped by a brilliant blue sky. The road itself was bitumen and was a pleasure to drive. Heading east was exciting, if not a little daunting. There were no towns in front of us, just some scattered mine sites, a couple of stations and a few communities.

Modern civilisation was rapidly falling away behind us. We were well stocked with food, water and fuel. We had two wellmaintained vehicles and multiple methods of communication if we needed to call for help.

The 160 kilometres quickly clicked by as we took advantage of the sealed road and we were soon at the turn-off to Carawine Gorge. The presence of mine sites almost

always guarantees a decent road. The track into the gorge is in pretty good nick, dusty with some corrugations in parts, but an easy drive. About halfway in, we noticed a very shiny formation off to our right. A few minutes were spent debating what it might be before we came to a track that would take us to the Glacier Rocks.

The rock formation is evidence of an ancient ice glacier moving through here.

The rocks have been worn down to such a level that they reflect the light like glass.

We continued our drive to Carawine, turning off at the cattle yards and following the track until it lead us to the banks of the Oakover River. The banks of the river were in bad shape. Previous heavy rain had resulted in a huge amount of water passing through here, the height of the torrent clear by the debris caught in the trees. We

Stunning outlook from our camp on Skull Springs Road.

Desert

WATERHOLES

By Chris Morton

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Carawine itself is an amazing feature. The deep, permanent pool of water harbours several fish varieties including Perch and Barramundi. The gorge is located on the Oakover River and is the perfect spot to spend some time soaking up the ambience, having a paddle in the water or just relaxing in the shade.

The smooth surface of these rocks shows evidence of an ancient ice glacier moving through this area. Photo: Ian Armitt

had originally planned to stay here for a night but as we started to have a look for a suitable site for our caravan and camper trailer, it became quickly obvious that we were out of luck. Now, we could have set up close to other sites, however, the entire purpose of coming out here is not to be in the pocket of your fellow travellers. The kids got to stretch their legs and Karen had a good walk exploring down river.

Something to note: If we had continued straight on at the cattle yards, we still would have arrived at the gorge but would have encountered a large area of river stones.

These stones can be quite precarious if towing a heavier van and tend to behave like a pile of marbles.

l sharks BEWARE! Bul otted at have been sp orge.

G e Carawin

Carawine Gorge.

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It was getting late in the afternoon so we were soon back in the cars, heading for our alternate overnight stop, Running Waters, approximately 30km away. Passing in between the Twin Sisters we continued on 18km until the bitumen ended, turning onto Skull Springs Road. Just over 5km down the road we come back to the Oakover River and were confronted with multiple water crossings. For Chad and his family, this would be their first. Evidence of the raging waters that had passed through were everywhere. It still amazes me to think of the amount of water that can fall here and how quickly these sleepy water courses spring back to life.

The first rule of any water crossing is don’t if it can be avoided. In our case there was no alternative. The second rule of any water crossing is sending your youngest child across first. Well ok, she volunteered and quickly sprung out of the back seat

Excerpt from Hema’s Pilbara map.

to expertly check the water depth and foundation tolerances by running and dancing through the water, phone in hand.

If you don’t capture it on camera it didn’t happen, right?

The crossing was in good condition and the water level low, so putting our vehicles into manual select, second gear (we were already in 4WD after turning onto the gravel), we made our way across. The gravel was soft and required a little encouragement with the right foot, but not much. The second crossing was a little deeper and again after confirming with her mother (for some reason she doesn’t always believe me), that there were in fact NO crocodiles lurking in the river, the youngest again

went ahead and conducted her survey. The water here was slightly deeper, with only a slightly steeper departure on the opposite bank. More photos and video, with Chad even feeling confident enough to stop midwater to give his family a thrill.

Crossing the Oakover River.

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Our journey continued, Running Waters was only a few kilometres up the road. The road surface here was still pretty good, but you need to take it easy. The turn off jumps up out of nowhere but if you do overshoot, there is a second entrance less than a kilometre further along.

The track in is single lane and it might be a good idea to broadcast on channel 40 as you enter, just in case there are vehicles coming out. It is quite windy and drops into gullies, offering some steeper climbs. Take your time and preserve your vehicle.

Upon arrival, we chose to walk in to see what was available. It is a steep descent into the small valley that Running Waters calls home, filled with ghost gums and paperbarks. There were already two caravans parked up on the biggest site, so we chose the only site capable of taking both vehicles, top and tailing them in against the bottom of the ridgeline. The light was starting to fade so we had a quick explore further in to find this magical place we had been told so much about.

If you're towing, this spot has the most room to set up at Running Waters and is only about a 200m walk to the water.

As is my custom, I wandered around saying hi to our fellow travellers and listening to and sharing experiences, a great source of knowledge of what might lay ahead.

Dinner was prepared and some time spent star gazing before my swag beckoned (I had been relegated to the swag by our 50

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youngest daughter while in Karijini due to her getting too cold).

Laying in the swag was a great time for quiet contemplation, listening to the gentle breeze whisper through the trees, ghostly gums almost glowing in the darkness. It is only when you stop that everything comes into focus.

The next morning the kids could hardly contain their excitement. We were going swimming. Swimming in the Australian outback, not far from the black stump, on the edge of a desert. Who would have thought it? There is vehicle access right up to the water’s edge at Running Waters, with several travellers having set up along the bank, the ultimate water view. The pool of water itself has multiple sources, with the water literally running in from everywhere you looked. Warm water bubbles up through a rock crevice, further feeding its magical properties. Paperbarks cling precariously to the banks with many of their roots exposed by the constant flow, enveloping and protecting this precious source of life.

There are campsites along the water, but not much room for turning around, so not recommended if you're towing.

There are many fish patrolling the waters which would be perfect for snorkelling.

We all had an amazing time, and even Karen, who does not like swimming in anything other than our pool was enticed to take a dip. The kids' confidence grew with every jump or swing into the water, providing great entertainment for the dry onlookers. Me, I was content to just float with the aid of a pool noodle for a couple of hours, soaking it all in.

Many people, even some locals, mistake Running Waters and Eel Pool as the same place. It’s not. Eel Pool is located a few kilometres away and is only accessible by foot.

Back at camp I took the opportunity to try my hand at making some damper scones for morning tea ... well, cooking them at least. Karen made them up. We were soon packing up, hitching our homes on

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The turn-off to Skull Springs is marked by this skull on a star picket.

wheels and getting ready to get back onto the track. My biggest regret for this trip was not staying longer. I could have quite easily spent three days here, swimming (ok, floating) and chilling out under the trees.

Our next destination was another desert oasis. Only 30km further west, Skull Springs is a much wider water course made up of multiple smaller channels and almost completely enveloped with trees. The location offers flat, clear camp sites above the water course as well as areas alongside the water. There was nothing like the swimming hole found at Running Waters but there was plenty of opportunities where a weary traveller could cool off sitting in the water.

We had been warned by multiple sources of authority about how bad the condition of the Skull Springs Road was. There were places where the corrugations were annoying and in places downright bothersome but overall, the road was quite good. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a 110km/h road.

Conditions can and do change on a regular basis. Keep your speed down, especially if

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Peaceful camping at Skull Springs.

you are towing, take your time and enjoy the ride.

Our schedule was tight, so we left Skull Springs only after a couple of hours exploring, intending to pull up somewhere close to Nullagine. The landscape here changes. We left the flattish ground, dotted with the odd mesa or two behind and descended into breakaway country.

Crossing the 20 Mile Sandy Creek, we found our overnight spot. A large clearing of level ground beckoned and we were quick to circle the wagons against the strengthening breeze. A couple of bulls took an interest in us and wandered close to see what we were. Swags and the camper were quickly set up and the fire started before we took some time to have a look around. The ruins of one of the many State Batteries sat atop a small hill on the other side of the road. It had to be explored.

Climbing to the top of the small mound we were greeted with the beep of incoming messages and updates the hill had mobile service.

But the world had to wait, there was a spectacular sunset brewing.

Watching the sun’s rays colour the clouded sky are better than any fireworks show I have ever seen.

The colours roll across the landscape, holding your attention by revealing features and making them come alive. The sky show soon faded and we made our way back to camp, a warm dinner and socialising around the fire. Tomorrow was going to be an easier day 30km to Nullagine before we started to head south for home.

Our trip here was a whirlwind. We had already spent time at Karijini and Marble Bar and we knew that we would be rushed. It was a great opportunity to see what the area had to offer and make our decision to come back or not that much easier. We are going back. Next family holiday north will be here, but we would do it much differently. We will allow ourselves more time to really explore each location, to really unwind and enjoy the journey.

INFORMATION BAY Best time to go: May to August.

Staying at Carawine Gorge and Running Waters is FREE …

BUT as they are both located on Warrawagine Station, an operational cattle station, they do like to know where people are.

To stay at either site, email: stationadmin@warrawagine. com.au OR call them on (08) 9176 5900 and let them know where you will be and when.

• NO motor boats are to be used at Carawine Gorge (paddles only) • Pets are OK, BUT be aware there are 1080 poison baits in the area so keep your dog on a leash • Take your rubbish with you • Be respectful of the environment and other visitors.

Amazing sunset from the State Battery ruins on our final night on Skull Springs Road.

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9

An extraordinary

ART GALLERY and a cosmic

CLOSE ENCOUNTER

By Chris Morton

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A shortish drive north of Newman, off the BHP Railway Access Road, sits a gallery, ancient and enduring. The Punda Rock Art site is one of those locations that needs to be experienced.

T

his amazing and remote location is accessible by 4WD only. Rising towards the sky, a monumental pile of boulders of varying sizes have provided a canvas for the Palyku people for tens of thousands of years.

Our trip started at the Newman Visitor Centre, where we needed to get permission to use BHP’s Rail Access Road. The permit process is quite simple and only required a gold coin donation to secure. Leaving Newman, we headed out on the Marble Bar Road for just under 28km before turning off onto the BHP Road. This is the same way into Kalgans Pool and Eagle Rock Pool.

We continued along the well maintained bitumen road for 31km, the steel ribbons

Excerpt from Hema’s Pilbara map.

Punda Rock Art site.

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of BHP’s railway line on our right. A small track leading off into the spinifex and a street sign, Punda Rockhole, marks where the adventure begins.

Please note, if you are towing anything bigger than a camper trailer then we suggest you either leave it in Newman at the Visitor Centre (speak to them first) or unhitch on the side of the road. If you choose to leave your van here, ensure it is well off the road and not going to hinder any vehicle traffic. This is also a great time to drop tyre pressure. We dropped down to about 20psi.

From this point, there is about 12.5km of single lane and at times, heavily corrugated track. The spinifex kisses both sides of the road and conceals the many ant mounds that are scattered throughout the area.

Eventually we came to a crossroads. To our right was the Punda Rockhole and to our left, Hickman Crater. Straight ahead was the rock art. It is only 700m in from the intersection, however it is very tight with large rocks jutting out in places. We ventured in with a 200 series LandCruiser and a Ford Ranger. We managed to scrape the tyre walls on both sides of the 200 series in places. If you are driving anything wider than an LC200 then we suggest walking in. The track, for the most part, follows a dry creek bed, closely enveloped with trees and lined with river stones.

The ground opens up once you reach the site and there is plenty of room to turn around. The track/creek continues around to the left of the mound, but eventually disappears into the scrub. With this said, don’t drive any further than the base of the rock pile.

The Punda Rock Art site is incredible.

Standing at the base, you almost feel like you are visiting an ancient pyramid, but this one is even older than the Egyptian monoliths. Almost every significant rock is adorned with a petroglyph, each with their own story to tell.

Drop your tyre pressure before heading down the Punda Rockhole track.

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First discovered in 2007 by government geologist Arthur Hickman while conducting a desktop survey using Google Earth, it is estimated the meteorite was between 10 to 15m across when it impacted around 50,000 years ago.

The track to the crater is much rockier than the access track in and is intersected in regular places with deep wash-aways. A 4WD with a high lift is recommended and we would also suggest removing your tow hitch prior to leaving Punda. We managed to get briefly hung up several times in the Western 4W Driver LandCruiser.

You'll find many petroglyphs covering the rocks at Punda, all with a story to tell.

It’s unfortunate that there isn’t any interpretive signage at the site and even searching online has only yielded the same regurgitated information from various unconfirmed sources. Free camping is permitted here and if you are well equipped, it's the perfect spot to spend some time exploring the artwork further.

From here, we headed back to the intersection and then took the road to the right, heading for Hickman Crater.

Looking back at the track in to the Rock Art site.

Take your time as you travel the 14km to the rim of the crater. The landscape here is quite amazing with ancient geological activity clearly on display. For our eldest daughter, this trip was a descent into hell.

She suffers from a fear of grasshoppers and the vegetation here was thick with them.

They were the larger kind, the kind that if they put their collective minds to it, could possibly carry a small child (or a teenage girl ) away. She blames her mother for her fear after an incident years ago where a grasshopper at home may or may not have thrown itself into the operating blade of a hedge trimmer. It lived, quite happily, for some time around our front door, but that is a story for another time.

😆

Back to the crater. It was close to an hour of slow driving to arrive, grasshopper splattered, at the rim. The ascent to the top required a little more encouragement.

Take care as you crest as there is not a lot of room for error and I’d suggest no more than two or three vehicles at the top at any one time.

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The view is worth it. The almost circular impact site definitely shows the signs of 50,000 years of weathering. Low scrub and small tress occupy the majority of the 260-metre-wide crater, with relatively steep, 30m high, sloping walls covered in loose rock and spinifex bush.

A geological survey, conducted in 2012, found that the crater would have originally been over 80 metres deep, but over time the amount of sediment deposited into the crater has halved its depth.

Travelling to the site, it is easy to see how this crater could remain hidden for so long.

The crater offers a secluded camp site.

Be aware there are no amenities here so if you wish to stay you will need to ensure that you are fully equipped for remote area travel.

Make sure you fill out the visitor book that is housed in the green letter box at the lookout.

Due to the depth and regularity of the wash-aways, we don’t recommend towing anything out to Hickman. At best you will likely get yourself stuck, making for an extremely expensive recovery and at worst, doing some serious damage to your equipment.

Hickman Crater - view from the rim.

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We didn’t stay the night as all of our gear was in the caravan and camper trailer that we had left back at the intersection. With the sun well over the yard arm, we headed back to re-hitch and head back towards Newman.

Please note: Travelling out here can be dangerous. If you do not own a satellite phone, consider hiring one for the trip or getting yourself a PLB. If these items are too expensive or you choose not to get one, then at a minimum, call into the Newman Police Station and let them know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Carry plenty of water for everyone in your party and ensure that you have plenty of fuel, a compressor and a spare tyre that is in good condition.

Made it to the top! Make sure you sign the visitor book in the letterbox.

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Mitsubishi Sport Exceed

By Ray Cully

Introduced in 2015 to replace the Challenger, the third generation Pajero Sport from Mitsubishi has been refreshed with more bells and whistles.

Now fitted with an impressive array of safety features, creature comforts and off-road arsenal, does the Sport still meet the demands of an active family needing a practical, comfortable daily driver, a competent off-road adventure machine for fun filled weekends and a reliable long-distance tourer for hauling the camper trailer to the back of beyond?

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Pajero O

ur test vehicle was Mitsubishi’s latest rendition of the Pajero Sport, the Exceed. This is the flagship of the range and carries the appropriate price tag.

door. Plus, you can add this functionality to your smart phone via a Mitsubishi app.

A few tweaks to the front-end styling include a reshaped bonnet with less taper at the front edge, giving the Sport a wider and a taller appearance. Fog lamps move up from the front spoiler together with indicators and turning lamps in a bold new design set back into the front guards parallel to the radiator grille. The earlier twin bar grille has become three with a chunky, more robust appearance intersecting at the new headlamps which are encapsulated by modern daytime running lights.

Taller drivers may have to duck their heads to enter as the A-pillar’s low swept back position can smack the unwary. Lower yourself into the very comfortable leather seats via the large well positioned grab handles and it's easy to find the right position thanks to adjustable seatbelt shoulder mounts and convenient power adjustment on both driver and passenger seats. Sadly, neither offer lumbar support.

The bolstering to the upper back rest provides support and holds you in the seat through corners, while the base is broad and somewhat flatter, making ingress and egress easier.

Down the side, the integrated decorative sidestep has been raised for better offroad clearance and round back those controversial love ‘em or hate ‘em tail lights are now LED. New on the Exceed is a kick motion sensor, wave your foot under the rear left corner to open the rear tailgate

New in the Exceed was the easily legible 8-inch colour digital instrumentation cluster.

There are three configuration layouts, with speedo or taco being the prominent gauge in either of the first two. This was perfect off-road, as I prefer to monitor the rpm range in challenging sand work. The third Western 4W Driver #121 |

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was an odd-looking combination of rotating cylinders. A pop-up display shows GPS direction prompts, current audio selection or phone.

The steering wheel is a little busy with so many switches and cryptic icons take some deciphering - the 360-degree camera button had me stumped.

The infotainment system is a mix of nice features and surprising absences.

Bluetooth and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as expected but still requires a cable. DAB radio and old-school CD player. Which might suggest an audiophile bias … until you realise the eight-speaker sound system is nothing to make your ears sing. The navigation system in the 8” touchscreen relies on TOM TOM and, politely speaking, feels retro.

What I did like was the ability to run a 60\40 screen split, combining reverse camera with trajectory lines and the 360-degree top-down view of the vehicle. Essential when reversing to compensate for the lack of vision on rear corners. Even better was auto switch of camera view from front to rear, depending on gear selection.

However, even after fiddling with the settings the monitor was too dark for my liking - especially if you favour polarised sunglasses. And clarity from the rear camera isn’t on par with competitors.

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The dual climate controls are within easy reach and I do prefer those rotary dials for ease of operation when bounding around off-road. Unfortunately, the radio lacked rotary control. Rear vents are roof mounted on the side, which are an intimate surprise for taller passengers as the Exceed blows a gentle breeze into your ear.

I liked the subtle changes to the raised centre console and door grips, with soft pads on the console sides for your knee to rest against on those long trips. Further down the console is the electric park brake and the off-road modes button to select gravel, sand, mud or rocks (the latter only in low range). But the auto-hold button is unexpected. Rather than holding a gear for take-offs in soft sand, it holds the park brake on whilst in gear until you touch the throttle.

The rest of the cab is well laid out, in a mix of gray and silver highlights, and Mitsubishi have done a decent job of the switchgear on the console. It looks premium and feels the same except for the heated seat switches, which look at odds to the rest of the interior. And the hard plastics on the upper dash age the design. There are twin USBs and a HDMI port up front with dual USBs and a 220V 150W power outlet on the rear of the console.

Storage is reasonable including glove box, console bin, door pockets that will hold the average sized drink bottles for kids, and cup holders for all three rows with sunglasses storage in the roof console.

Rear seat pockets for maps and a tray for odd bits and bobs under the rear floor. With the third-row seats folded away, rear cabin space is impressive at 502 litres, drop the second row and that jumps to a whopping 1,488 litres. Of course, having all seven seats in use limits the rear cargo area to a few shopping bags.

With stadium style seating, the raised second row is very comfortable. Dual grab handles on the B pillar and roof along with the sidestep make entry very easy.

There's a fold down arm rest and Isofix mounting points on the outer two seats with three tethers across the top. I wouldn’t recommend three adults across the back seat for long trips. The narrow waistline of the Sport is advantageous off-road but does limit shoulder room.

Third row seats are junior kids only with limited leg and foot room. The backrest of the third row folds flat into the floor when not in use, the base sits upright all the time pressed against the second row chewing into available space. When the second row is down, there is a slight gap before the third-row seats, so check if anything may have fallen down there before folding the seats back up. When pushing the second row back into place, I noticed that the thirdrow base would stop the latch from locking in properly. I had to push and hold the base back to allow the second row to lock into its return position.

At only 2.4 litres, the Sport’s direct injection turbo diesel might be small, but it includes a variable geometry turbo force feeding 200kpa (29psi old school) of boost into the cylinders and adjustable valve lift and cam timing catering for low and high rpm demands. This stout lightweight alloy block churns out a respectable 430Nm of torque and a solid 133kWs of power. Given the Sport’s weight and size that’s nearly 64kW/tonne.

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The engine is coupled to an 8-speed auto which allows you to move the gear lever to the left for manual sequential shifts or engage the paddle shifters for direct control without taking your hands off the steering wheel. In another smart design for off-road usage, Mitsubishi have mounted paddle shifters to the steering column and not the wheel. Regardless of multiple swings of the wheel off road, the paddles remain in the correct orientation irrelevant of wheel position.

Mitsubishi’s brilliant Super Select transfer case allows you to rotate a dial to go from 2WD high range to constant 4WD high range with open centre without stopping the vehicle. This allows the vehicle to drive on hard surfaces without axle wind up, great for rainy days or ice on the road.

Then 4HLc provides a locked 50/50 split between front and rear - ideal for low friction surfaces, gravel and sand. Or stop the vehicle, depress the rotary dial and engage 4LLc low range 4WD for covering

rocky or challenging terrain where higher torque is needed.

Underpinning the Sport’s nose, is an independent double wishbone setup with coil springs which is set up on the softer side for comfort cruising. In the tail, is a coil spring three-link setup comprising dual control arms with a panhard rod locating a live axle.

Ground clearance isn’t stellar at 218mm.

But for those not wanting to do much more than explore a gravel trail on the way to the campsite or do a little beach work, it will clear most things. Mind you, given the Sport’s genuine wading depth of 700mm, it's no wall flower for off-road ability. So if you want to get a little more adventurous, look at a moderate lift for added belly clearance on rocky terrain and to improve the approach, departure and ramp over angles of 30°, 24.2° and 23.1° respectively.

On the open road, the brake pedal feels firm with plenty of ability to put the squeeze on the four-wheel disc brakes to arrest the Sport’s movements. Even on gravel, the Sport maintains composure during an aggressive stop with the electronic brake force distribution balancing the braking force between front and rear axles. And the ABS avoids individual wheels locking up, so it maintains directional steering control.

The Exceed is reasonably well appointed with tech and safety systems. In addition to driver and passenger front and side airbags, the driver gains a knee airbag and rear-seat passengers receive curtain airbags. The adaptive cruise control works well on the open road and in freeway traffic, monitoring the distance to the vehicle in front and includes forward collision mitigation should you get distracted. Auto wipers and headlights are standard. Both the Exceed and GLX gain the rear diff lock, power tail gate and that retro Tom Tom navigation system.

But at this stage, only the Exceed is worthy of Mitsubishi’s LCD multi-information display meter, or Blind Spot Warning with mirror warnings of something just out of

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sight, before you swing over. Lane Change Assist will warn when you’re about to move into the lane of a vehicle rapidly approaching from behind. This one’s a winner on the Autobahn.

Carpark and driveway accidents are less likely with Rear Cross Traffic Alert. And who could be without Ultrasonic Misacceleration Mitigation to save you from driving into the parked car in front of you, because you thought you were in reverse. Plus, the party trick Mitsubishi’s Multi-Around Monitor or 360° camera in layman's terms.

But wait, tech geeks will love Mitsubishi’s smartphone app. Surveying a sea of vehicles in a car park and wondering where you parked? No problem, operate the headlights from your phone to light up your parking bay. How many times have you got a beeper or bell indicating a problem but you have no idea what to turn, press or prod? Easy, the smart app will identify the problem, for example, showing if a door or a window has been left open, or the lights left on. Need to open up from a distance?

The app controls tailgate operation.

So, what’s in a name? Not a lot, if you push aside the flamboyant marketing and

Photoshop enhanced action shots. Keep in mind, Mitsubishi call this Pajero a Sport, a moniker that alludes to an engaging drive.

Think Range Rover Sport, which delivers exactly what's on the tin with the point and shoot accuracy of a finely crafted bow in the hands of an experienced archer.

The Exceed has two-tone 18” alloy wheels wrapped in 265/60R18 road rubber, not a bad place to start for a vehicle wearing the Sport badge, and it’s exterior aesthetics suggest a sporty feel. But the Sports onroad dynamics are a double-edged sword.

This is a tall vehicle, and its higher centre of gravity doesn’t like energetic steering inputs. Directional change is easily executed as long as you’re not wanting to explore if the ‘Sport’ has a playful side and engage the paddle shifters for a more interactive driver experience. Steering response is slow and, even at moderate speed, tight bends will have the roadbiased tyres squealing in disapproval as the body progressively leans over on the suspension.

The independent front end is willing but the live axle three link commercial carry over from its Triton heritage doesn’t want to play, despite having upped the ante with Western 4W Driver #121 |

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coil springs. Its increased unsprung weight is noticeable on bumps or dips and there’s a mid-corner slight shimming in the tail as if it were a duck having just walked out of a pond. Sure, the Sport will do it, and will hang on tooth and nail if pushed even harder, but it won’t appreciate it, nor reward you for your efforts.

Stand on the gas and there’s a huge lag as it takes a large breath before propelling the vehicle forward in a sudden surge of torque. As it runs the gauntlet to 100km/h, the 8-speed auto keeps a tight rein on the gear changes to restrict any enthusiastic rpm swings and attempt to keep the engine in its peak torque curve. With each cog swap there’s a brief asthmatic hesitation as the power curve halts momentarily then pulls again as if it were checking for a successful gear change.

But let’s put that performance into context.

This is a proper 4WD. It has a two-speed transfer case, heavy flexible suspension, differentials front and rear, raised body height and sufficient ground clearance underneath to clear general obstacles off-road. Expecting it to handle with the manners of its road-going counterparts is an unfair request.

If you let the vehicle find its own rhythm, the Sport will trade a track suit for a comfortable pair of jeans and a chambray shirt. Motor

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through picturesque countryside while enjoying a barista coffee, breathing in the crisp cool air as the cabin slowly warms to dawn's early morning sunshine, and that softer ride works in perfect harmony with road irregularities, allowing the Sport to glide along effortlessly. The more the road deteriorated, the better the Sport’s comfortable ride felt. This is one vehicle I’d happily spend time in to eat the k’s over the blacktop or enjoy lengthy journeys over scenic secondary gravel roads.

With the warm sun at our backs and clear blue sky overhead, the Sport begged for a play date on the beach. Airing down prior to heading down to the white sand, I didn’t experience any significant performance change in sand setting other than a slight enhancement on the flatter sections of the beach. As some conditions were reasonably challenging and quickly changing, with dynamic stability control turned off, I enjoyed using the gear lever to exploit the engine torque.

On sand this is a weapon, get the tyre pressures right, and it will go anywhere. Soft powdery sand and the 2.4 diesel punched above its weight, confidently devouring any challenge before it. Only once did the Exceed succumb to a short, steep sandy climb because the powdery surface was deeply scalloped in a succession of deep dips due to a previous vehicle bouncing

its way to the top on hard tyres. Simply reversing down to compress and smooth out the sand, saw the Sport up and over without hesitation.

When forward progress was eventually halted by crossing up wheels and exceeding the Sport’s limit of articulation on the independent front end, the traction control worked hard to get as far as possible to the top. Engaging the rear diff lock saw the Exceed walk through the same challenge of deep, soft sandy moguls with effortless ease to crest the climb at a very controlled doddle. Moving through narrower tracks proved the advantage of the Sport’s slender waistline, allowing it to slip between the scrub rather than brush past it. And having a turning circle of only 11.2m meant I could sneak around obstacles where others needed a three-point turn.

I didn’t enjoy the poor visibility out the rear when needing to reverse around blind corners on a narrow track. The upswept C pillar and matching tapered side glass are clearly a styling design element, which unfortunately significantly hinders outward visibility off-road. It's near impossible to know what’s below that high belt line. The 360° cameras do a fine job with highly visible marked parking bays, but aren’t so helpful with tree stumps or sharp rocks covered in a blanket of dusty dry leaves.

Exiting the coastal area and traveling back on firm corrugated tracks, the Sport can get

a little twitchy if hustled as that live axle rear end has a tendency to oscillate. It's nothing to be concerned about and it's quickly controlled by easing the right foot to allow the road-biased shocks and springs time to deal with a succession of rapid and uneven compression and rebound movements.

Interestingly, should the Sport step out of line the Active Stability and Traction Control Systems will quickly reduce engine power and apply the brakes to straighten the vehicle, handing control back to the driver.

Like every modern 4WD, it’s a balancing act for manufacturers to get the best compromise between on and offroad performance. Investing in quality aftermarket shocks and springs that are better suited to the challenges of off-road conditions, will provide greater stability over bumps and dips to allow the Sport to take full advantage of its innate capability.

Doing a small bit of trail work, I wanted to test out the hill descent control. Primarily coming into play when engine braking alone just isn’t enough, the system will function at speeds of up to 20km/h. What I really appreciated was the manner in which you control the system speed.

No fiddling with cruise control toggle switches or paddle shifters is required, just apply the brake or accelerator to adjust momentum. The hill start assist was handy on the occasional climb, maintaining brake pressure after lifting your foot from the Western 4W Driver #121 |

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pedal to allow sufficient time to apply the throttle for a smooth transition and to avoid rolling backwards.

With a pay load of 670kg and a braked tow rating of 3100kg, the Sport is no featherweight. Drinking habits of the 2.4L diesel is listed as 8L/100. I covered stop-start city traffic, suburban, freeway, secondary gravel roads, and sand dunes and averaged a little over 9.6L/100 demonstrating the Sports power plant and 8-speed auto work well together and are relatively economical. However, having only 68L in the tank, long hauls with the caravan will require regular bowser top ups.

Conclusion A sporty exterior, tail lights aside, is as close as the Sport delivers on the promise of an enthusiastic, engaging drive through tight winding roads. But as a family-friendly SUV it covers all the bases as a functional and comfortable daily driver. Plus, this is a genuine 4WD with the strength and durability to master tough, challenging terrain. It provides cavernous storage and a good payload with a heavy weight towing capacity, all in a fuel-efficient easy-to-use package. Don’t let this one slip from the list of must-see options for midsized off-road SUVs.

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Fast Facts Price: $60,990

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& LANDSCAPES ancient fossils

By Peter Bindon

When coming from the east and crossing the imaginary north-south meridian of 129°E to enter Western Australia, it seems like you are entering another land. And if it is true that it is the underlying geology which determines the surface of the landscape, this is certainly true when you enter WA from the east.

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he traveller must first cross the remarkable Nullarbor Plain equipped with ‘Beware of Camels’ signs and its famed treeless expanse which at first seems a great mystery but is easily explained by an almost complete lack of available water for trees - or travellers for that matter. If you take a short walk almost anywhere on its flat surface, you are bound to discover that you are walking over a limestone landscape which was submerged beneath the ocean until relatively recently geologically speaking. This is demonstrated by an

abundance of marine fossil shells which are readily recognisable as almost identical to those found on modern seashores.

Beneath the waterless surface, the plain is host to numerous limestone caves that penetrate deep into the interior of the plain.

Most are above current sea-level and so are never flooded with salty water. In these there are reserves of fresh water that has accumulated over many years and which supply fresh water to the scattered grazing properties and infrequent roadhouses providing motorists with necessities and an occasional change of scenery.

Travelling further into the state via the Eyre Highway it takes quite some time to encounter landscape features that are distinctive to Western Australia, but once you approach the Greenstone Belt it is clear that you are in a very ancient land.

This is a part of WA where huge granite ‘domes’ project upwards through the surface of the plain interrupting the flat

The treeless expanse that is the Nullarbor Plain.

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landscape. The granites provide sheltered and varied environments for various shrubs and trees that take advantage of the water that drains off the rock surface during rainstorms or condenses on the rock when conditions allow. The rocks are often the focus of Aboriginal people’s occupation of the plains as the impermeable rocks contain hollows and crevices that are known as ‘gnammas’ and hold precious water close to the surface. These water resources have proved invaluable not only to the Indigenous owners of the landscape but also to European explorers and prospectors seeking mineral resources to exploit. In the style of the modern tendency to label everything using shortened language, the ages of the rocks in the granite-greenstone region are marked with the abbreviation ‘Ga’ short for “giga annum”, meaning ‘billions of years ago’.

Perhaps there were too many other ‘BAs’ around to use that abbreviation for a rock label. And the remarkable thing about this truly ancient time in Western Australia’s story, or the world’s story for that matter, is that it is still possible to view remnants of life from that time far in the past when you explore Western Australia today. Readers Hamelin Pool in WA is one of only two places on earth where living marine stromatolites exist. The location contains by far the biggest colony on earth.

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will probably be familiar with Stromatolites, the layered stony structures whose fame brought attention to Western Australian fossil occurrences when it was shown that their age extends back to almost threequarters of the age of the entire universe – not a concept that is easily digested. Not only are structures of this age visible in certain rock formations in the Pilbara, but they have relatives which are still living.

Fancy living from 3.5 Ga to the present (I was dying to use that abbreviation) and being able to relate the history that passed before your eyes – except that the tiny cyanobacteria which created the layers in a stromatolite are eyeless. These stony structures are built by colonies of tiny photosynthesising critters called ‘cyanobacteria’. They gradually grew over thin layers of fine sand and sediment binding the grains together until millimetre by millimetre they formed rounded structures visible today as mounds.

Remarkably, as I said some of these belong way back in time, but some colonies are still alive today. So, they certainly are survivors. I think that when I first encountered stromatolites, we referred to all mounded structures found in a few of the coastal lakes and inlets along the west coast as stromatolites. However, it turns out that there are related structures that instead of being layered like the stromatolites, retain the mounded shape but are created with various ‘clotted’ agglomerations of similar tiny organisms that instead of binding the tiny rock particles together in layers, do so in clotted groups that together form mounds similar to stromatolites except that these are called ‘thrombolites.’ It turns out that the celebrated Professor Brian Cox had an encounter with thrombolites in Western Australia and brought these unassuming

structures into the international spotlight.

The Greenstone Belt was enormously important to the economy of Western Australia because it was and is the location of many of the discoveries of gold that contributed to the exploration, settlement and prosperity of the state. But we are going further north through the goldfields and mid-west until we reach the Pilbara. To my mind it is the latter region that holds the most spectacular scenery to be found in the state. I love the rolling spinifex-clad hills dissected by deep gorges containing lush green vegetation that is in such contrast to the yellow spikey spinifex plants that live on the tops. There is more than one kind of spinifex, but that is not obvious to the traveller in an air-conditioned vehicle passing swiftly through the landscape. In fact, one variety is called ‘Soft Spinifex’, but I can tell you that this is a relative term! But

Pilbara landscape dotted with spinifex.

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spinifex plants proved very useful to current fortunes of the Pilbara mines, and Aboriginal people even if the plants feel remarkably, their occurrence is also due to less than friendly to those who insist on tiny oceanic bacteria like those we wearing thongs or sandals. Clumps were discussed earlier. Banded iron formations collected after softening rain had fallen or are the source of most of the world’s were turned over with a cautious foot and deposits of iron ore and all of them belong weighted down in a convenient waterhole to what geologists call the ’Precambrian until the leaves were soft. These were then Age,’ which means that they are more than pounded in small bunches to release the about 540 million years old and remarkably fibres which could be spun into strings that they occur on all the world’s continents. were plied together to form strong cords.

The world’s oceans, although not in exactly With these cords, nets were made with the same configuration that we see now, meshes about 10 centimetres square and became the ‘sink’ into which were these were used in hunting large game, by deposited dissolved elements from rocks being propped up in chosen locations and exposed in the landmasses of the time and having the game driven into them from the carried along by rivers to the ocean. These surrounds. A further use by Aboriginal elements included silica, aluminium and people of another type of spinifex iron. Oxygen either in combination “It is product is quite amazing. with one of these elements or as quite astounding Goodness knows how many a dissolved gas was also to think that a ages ago they discovered present, but a more important that the sticky resin could be microscopic organism source of oxygen was a extracted from the leaf bases could be responsible cyanobacteria that about of spinifex during the cold 2500 million years ago for such huge times of the year. This developed the capacity to use quantities resinous material is quite solid photosynthesis for growth just of ore” when it is cold, but when heated like ordinary garden plants, and in becomes plastic and can be carefully the process also released oxygen. moulded on artefacts to form a very strong Seasonal ‘blooms’ just like the algal blooms bond, say between a stone point and a we sometimes see today, released huge wooden spear shaft. Now it was not until amounts of oxygen into the oceans that the discovery of synthetic resin glues in the reacted with the iron compounds brought 20th century that western craftspeople into the ocean by rivers to form insoluble iron oxides that fell out of the seawater to could make a stone adhere directly on to a form a layer on the sea floor. In turn, this stick, but the technique was discovered in layer was covered by silica rich sediments Australia more than ten thousand years to be followed once more by an iron-rich ago. There are many more stories like that bloom and this sequence of sediment which could be told but having looked followed by iron oxide precipitation was quickly at the surface features of the repeated over and over, building up the Pilbara, let us descend into some of the thick deposits of iron rich rocks mined spectacular gorges that dissect the plains. today as haematite and magnetite in the Many of the gorges have streams flowing Pilbara mines. It is quite astounding to think along their shaded bottoms or else are the that a microscopic organism could be location of pools of water remaining from responsible for such huge quantities of ore the summer storms which are the main that have to be moved to the coast in source of surface water in the region. The staggeringly long trains to be shipped sides of the gorges are invariably cut away in huge ore-carriers before returning through BIF which is a short-hand term to Australia as a myriad of manufactured used by some locals for ‘banded iron formation.’ These rocks produce the goods in daily use.

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PARABOLIC sPRINGS

By Grant & Linda Hanan

When old suspension technology has been revitalised for the modern 4WD, Grant and Linda test whether it stands up in today’s world of 4WD touring.

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Out with the old leaf spring pack and in with the new parabolics.

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wning a utility, and in particular, a dual cab utility, has been winning in the popularity stakes in recent times. And why not, when straight from the showroom floor they’re roomy and come with many luxury creature comforts.

Besides taking a family of passengers, it’s easy enough to customise them to your heart’s content with a range of accessories and carry a load at the rear. Whether this means a fully fitted out canopy for work or play, or simply all the family’s get-away gear tied down in the back, the variety of options and flexibility is making them the go-to choice for many.

When it comes to carrying the loads, let’s look at the suspension system. While we’re just covering the rear suspension here, you

need to keep in mind a vehicle needs a complete front and rear tuned suspension that works in harmony together.

For many of the popular utilities you see on the road today, their rear suspension has all been designed using the conventional leaf spring pack. This suspension style dates back to the horse and cart days and for good reason. By its design alone it can carry loads very well when set up correctly.

Dual cab utes today can be used for pretty well anything. It could simply be the family car for the day-to-day grind going to and from work, or even just Mum’s taxi for the school run. Then on the weekend, it’s easy enough to load them up for a family get-away, or better still turn them into a modern-day touring escape machine.

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This can mean the load carrying capacity can vary, from totally empty i.e. light loads, through to fully loaded to maximum GVM and extremely heavy.

The conventional leaf spring pack as supplied OE has some range with its kilogram capacity, but it generally falls short. This results in changes to the ride and handling characteristics from comfortable and smooth, to downright awful. It’s one of the many reasons why aftermarket suspension systems are sold. But if you get the aftermarket suspension set up wrong, then you’ve spent a lot of money for little to no gain in comfort and handling. Let’s explore this further.

TRADITIONAL LEAF PACKS

Everything is a compromise when setting up any suspension system, and a rear solid axle leaf suspension used on the majority of the dual cab models is no exception. By way of its design alone, one adds “leaves” to the leaf pack when heavier loads are required to be carried. Many companies talk about their leaf packs being designed for a range of weights – these generally start with a constant load of 300kg.

From here, they then might have leaf pack models with more added “leaves” and rated for between 400kg and 500kg. These bigger leaf packs are now getting heavy.

But they need to be big in order to carry the laden weight. This can result in resistance when it comes to overcoming the friction load in the spring before they start flexing. Only then will the spring do its job of evening out the ride and absorbing the road conditions when it comes to suspension travel.

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Take this approach and you can easily find yourself with an over sprung vehicle when the load isn’t applied. What we mean here is the suspension doesn’t travel or move, and the ride feel and handling is harsh, hard and very uncomfortable. If you take the opposite approach and have a lighter spring pack with less leaves for day to day use, that will be fine. However, it will be a different story the next time you load up your vehicle. Those lighter load springs will leave you with no suspension travel at all other than to rely on the shock absorbers.

They’ll be worn out before you know it, and way short of what would be a reasonable service life. This can lead to breakdowns and a less than satisfactory handling vehicle. While you could add other aftermarket options like airbags or helper springs, these shouldn’t be relied upon to replace or compensate for poorly designed load carrying suspension systems in my opinion.

PARABOLIC SPRINGS

Whilst parabolic springs have been around for a while, it’s only been in recent times that companies are now offering a range to suit the more popular utility models.

Before these became available, you had to be prepared to accept compromise when fitting out an aftermarket multi-leaf spring pack. Parabolic springs aren’t new in the way of suspension system design, and in fact have been widely used within the trucking transport industry. Big trucks with trailers are loaded to the maximum allowable loads so they can carry goods and supplies across country. It’s here where parabolic design leaf springs have

The Terrain Tamer 3 leaf parabolic has a military wrap spring, friction and silencer pads.

been operating for good reason, as their very design allows a wider range of load carrying weights. They cover weights from heavy to light and everything in between.

Before jumping into the details of parabolic springs, let’s just clarify something. A conventional multi leaf spring pack that’s designed to carry heavy loads is going to have some 10-12 leaves of varying lengths packed together with clamps to hold them in place. All those leaves are required to move against one another so as to straighten out and flex up and down to act as your suspension.

But when looking at a parabolic spring pack, it differs from the multi spring pack in a couple of ways. Beginning with the most noticeable feature, let’s start with the base spring at the bottom of the pack. The spring thickness at the centre of this spring is a lot thicker and decreases in thickness the further you follow it to its outer edges.

You’ll find this results in a tapered profile.

This single leaf alone can cope with a high degree of load and varying force applied to it, compared to a multi leaf spring pack that distributes this load over multiple leaf springs.

Additional leaf springs are then added to a parabolic set up to assist when a higher constant load is required. These additional leaf springs have what is known as “military wrap” at the fixed end of the spring where they are rolled around. The idea here is that it provides improved safety for off road conditions. Inter leaf poly blocks and silencer pads are then added to reduce the friction between leaves to offer a softer ride and less noise.

processes using a parabolic tapering machine. This results in a spring that is less prone to sagging. It also allows the spring to flex more readily and gives improved traction plus a smoother vehicle ride. As parabolics are a smaller leaf pack in size (2/3 leaves), the pack is much lighter. So there’s weight saving gains there. It’s also thinner in the pack width when compared to a 10/12 multi leaf pack, so we get benefits in ground clearance as well. That’s a good thing for an off road 4WD.

REAL WORLD PARABOLICS TESTS

After deciding to change our rear suspension from the old leaf pack, we initially fitted a three leaf rear parabolic spring set to our touring 79 series dual cab LandCruiser. We then proceeded to take it on a 10,000km test across bitumen, sand, dirt and rocks, with our camper trailer in tow for the majority of the time. Things were noticeably different as soon as we left the fitment centre, and this was just highway driving. We found the ride was smoother over minor road imperfections because of the inter-leaf flexing. This is a big plus for We originally replaced the old 10 leaf pack with a 3 leaf parabolic version.

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anyone using their vehicle as a daily drive who would regularly change their payload from a little to a lot.

But the big test with the parabolics was still to come. We headed up the bitumen of the Stuart Highway and across the dirt of the Buchanan Highway into the Kimberley.

From here it was a run along the Gibb River Road, down to Broome and up the Dampier Peninsula. We ended up going home via the Great Sandy and Gibson Deserts.

THREE LEAF PARABOLICS TEST

We found highway touring was a breeze and not too dissimilar to our initial thoughts after leaving the fitment shop. But the real test was to come once we went off-road and lowered tyre pressures. It was here the parabolics copped a real good workout.

We found the ideal average cruising speeds of between 70 and 80km/h was the sweet spot for a comfortable smooth ride over corrugations and graded roads. We also stopped occasionally to test the shock absorbers with an infra-red thermometer to ensure they weren’t overheating.

Generally, the readings were between 45 and 60 degrees.

The areas where we did experience some issues with this first set of parabolic springs was at some of the washouts and large sudden dips in the roads. At these times, the rear suspension would bottom out. The shockers would then take all the load as the spring set was just too light. We knew in the long term the shockers couldn’t continue being the defence to this bottoming out issue. Overall though, we liked the improved ride and handling. There was 80

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a noticeable difference with the flexing parabolic springs when driving over rocks and in sand, and they smoothed humps and ruts with ease.

FOUR LEAF PARABOLICS TEST

After getting back from the 10,000km test, we upgraded our rear parabolics given the bottoming out issue we had experienced at times with the three leaf set.

Swapping out the three leaf pack for a four leaf pack took us next to no time in our shed. With the vehicle all cleaned up, serviced and ready to head out again, we loaded the vehicle and camper similar to our previous 10,000km test. But this time, our testing ground would see us head up the bitumen of the Stuart Highway and turning off to head across to Birdsville via the Simpson Desert. We would then make our way down south to tackle the Googs Track before heading west and returning home via a combination of the Nullarbor and coast roads. It was a good mix of sand, gravel and rocky tracks with some bitumen highway driving.

We stopped occasionally during testing to measure shocker temperatures.

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Our DIY job of swapping out the 3 leaf for the 4 leaf set.

Additional friction pads were provided with the 4 leaf parabolic set.

The results were very similar to the three leaves when it came to highway driving.

The Simpson crossing was a breeze, and the suspension absorbed the ups and downs of the sand dunes quite well. Gravel roads were fine too. We had a couple of occasions where we bottomed out along the Googs Track, but we put that down to having the camper in tow and the condition of the track. It was very rutted out in places and some deep sandy holes made the camper act like a bit of a boat anchor at times. We disconnected the camper at one stage to do some exploring and noticed a remarkable difference in suspension travel, with no bottoming out observed. Clearly the extra leaf assisted in carrying our load and although a bit stiffer than the three leaf, it was still a long way better than our original ten leaf pack.

The parabolics soaked up the Simpson Desert sand dunes without any problems.

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Getting the right spring/shocker combination can be a challenge when you’re asking it to accommodate a wide range of load carrying capacities, along with multiple types of terrains and surfaces. And if you own a solid axle rear end, you’ll find yourself having to make trade-offs between a suspension that can carry heavy loads when needed, but at the same time offer a comfortable ride and handling. For us and our way of thinking, a parabolic spring set up is a great place to start. Then following it up by tuning it with perhaps a remote style adjustable shock absorber might just be the next thing we visit to improve its overall performance and range.

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Wet n Wild ' ' in the Kimberley

By Grant & Linda Hanan

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When the Kimberley’s wet season rainfall can easily top 900mm yearly, it’s the time when dry sandy creek and riverbeds are refilled and picture-perfect waterholes are brought back to life. For any water-seeking adventurer looking to dip their toes and cool off under cascading waterfalls, or perhaps drop in a line or check out the surroundings from the water, this will be music to one’s ears.

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ut when it comes to planning a Kimberley visit, you need to factor in its size. Just to put things in perspective, the region is as big as Tasmania six times over. That’s pretty big! But that’s also a good thing as it’s an adventurers’ playground with plenty of places to get wet, fish or simply soak up the ambience. As die-hard Kimberley visitors, we’ve now got three decades of trips under our belts, and are often asked for some places to visit.

But rather than simply put a list together of our Kimberley favourites (there’s far too many to do that!), we’ve chosen some great places that have loads of water, but differ in their experiences.

Mother Nature warming up for the upcoming wet season.

Photo: Geoff Green

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Lake Argyle When travelling from the eastern side of the country, Lake Argyle is the first top spot to hit the water. We don’t have to think twice about saying a cruise on the lake would be well up the list as one of our Kimberley highlights. From our past experiences, we’ve been on the lunch and sunset cruises and can highly recommend both. Even on our most recent trip, we hopped on a cruise again – this time joining a sunset cruise which had us out on the water for several hours. But these cruises aren’t an average boat ride. While good family fun of wildlife spotting and fish feeding form part of the tour, the swimming on the lake also makes this cruise such a drawcard. There can’t be too many places in Oz where you swim in the middle of nowhere in fresh water, and where depths top 30+ metres with no land Magical Lake Argyle sunset.

Photo: Karen Morton

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within cooee. On our tour, the water in Lake Argyle hovered close to a toasty 30°C as we took to the water with a pool noodle in hand. And how’s this for something different … a floating drinks and nibbles tube joins cruise guests in the water to complete this one-off experience nicely. Very civilised.

Naturally, there were smiles from all as we watched the sun dip behind the range in the distance with a cold drink in hand. The cruises depart from Lake Argyle Resort and you can also take a break in their large campground that has powered and unpowered sites. A restaurant is available to serve all meals and refreshments as well.

And while you’re at the resort you must take a dip in the infinity pool as the pics taken from here are very Insta-worthy. It’s an absolutely cracking view!

Kununurra We always feel right at home in Kununurra and find it’s a good spot to restock supplies and fuel, plus hang out at a couple of our favourite spots. A waterside camp is also really relaxing, and Lake Kununurra sits on Kimberleyland Caravan Park’s doorstep, so we can’t get much closer to the water when staying on one of their waterfront sites.

The views of the lake towards Elephant Rock are spectacular at any time of day which always makes leaving here a difficult decision. While in Kununurra, we find it a good base to explore numerous waterfalls and springs out of town towards Wyndham.

Middle Springs, Valentine Springs, the Grotto and Black Rock Falls are all easily accessible and less than an hour’s drive from Kununurra. Our tip for these places is to visit early in the season if you want to swim while water still flows.

For something a little different while staying in town, a Triple J cruise of the upper Ord is another Kimberley highlight. This tour is a beauty! It’s a bus/ boat combo that starts with a bus trip to Lake Argyle and includes a stop along the way at the historic Durack Homestead. The bus then makes another brief stop at the Lake Argyle Resort for refreshments before continuing down to the dam wall to meet the boat on the lower side. Then it’s a 'hold on to your hats' type of trip for a thrilling 55km fastboat ride back to Kununurra. There’s plenty

Valentine Springs is not far from Kununurra.

of nature and wildlife spotting to be done along the way plus stopping for afternoon tea along the riverbank. The tour finally has you disembarking in Kununurra just after sunset. Triple J are long-time tour operators in Kununurra and offer other water-based tours as well.

All strapped in for the fastboat ride to Kununurra.

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further towards Kalumburu, we could write and fill this magazine in its entirety! So to keep this section succinct, we’ve chosen to cover some destinations and attractions around the Gibb that have plenty of water yet are different in their offerings.

Sir John Gorge

Gibb River Road Although the Gibb River Road is just a small section of the Kimberley, it’s the kind of place many visitors aspire to visit at least once. That comes as no surprise when this region well and truly overflows with places to dip your toes, dangle a line or camp waterside. In fact, there are so many amazing places to visit along here and Our private access day at Mornington’s Sir John Gorge.

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The mighty Fitzroy River is the longest river in the Kimberley (620+km) and runs through this spectacular gorge at Mornington Wilderness Camp. The sheer volume of water that flows through here has created this amazing gorge that has 50+ metre high rich-red sandstone walls in places. So for the best way to experience this grand gorge, you need to be at water level. Fortunately for visitors, canoes can be hired to visit Sir John Gorge and Dimond Gorge from Mornington’s reception. Having canoed at both gorges and loved both experiences, the canoeing at Sir John Gorge is a little special when only one canoe is hired out per day. That means you get the whole gorge to yourself. Spots fill up quickly, so naturally you’ll need to get in quick to book this canoe. Mornington’s reception has you covered with paddles and lifejackets as part of

the hire cost, plus a packed lunch is thrown in. Once at the gorge, it’s a case of paddling the first canoe for a few hundred metres until reaching the end of the pool. Then it’s a short walk upstream to find the next canoe to continue. This process repeats a third time until reaching a small pool which makes a top spot for swimming and lunch.

This is one activity we don’t think any visitor will forget in a hurry. We find the day goes really quickly and it’s late in the afternoon by the time we paddle back and reach the car park. From here, it’s about a 30 minute drive to the reception and campground.

Galvans Gorge

It’s hard to drive past Galvans Gorge without stopping when the gorge is just so accessible. It’s really one of the most (if not the most) accessible along the Gibb.

Galvans has so much going for it … it’s easy to get to, it’s situated in an idyllic shady picture-perfect setting, and it’s an all-round excellent place to cool off. When water generally flows well into the dry season here and because the gorge has plenty of welcoming shade, it’s one of those places we look forward to visiting every trip. As appealing as it is, the gorge is one attraction along the Gibb that’s for day-use only. Camping is available further along the Gibb at Imintji when heading west, or Mt Barnett Roadhouse (Manning Gorge) to the east.

Galvans Gorge scores top marks for accessibility.

The tranquil waters at Zebedee Springs.

El Questro Wilderness Park

As far as the Kimberley goes, El Questro is unique as it’s a destination in itself. Whether you’re into swimming, fishing, 4W driving and cruising, or simply looking to immerse yourself in nature, El Questro delivers the lot. Getting to the park is an easy 90 minute drive from Kununnura along the bitumen, with the last 20km or thereabouts being dirt. From our experience, you really need to allow a few days at El Questro to make it cost effective. But once your park pass and camp fees have been paid, the park attractions are all included.

While there’s many things to keep you busy during your stay, we’ve added Zebedee Springs to this list. It’s the kind of attraction that’s quite different to those generally found in the Kimberley. These springs are both permanent and natural thermal springs which are located a casual 15 minute walk from the springs’ car park. The walk has a tropical oasis feel as you wander through shady livistona palms before reaching the pools where warm water bubbles from far underground 24 hours a day. An early morning visit is our tip here as we think there’s nothing better than a having a good and relaxing soak to kickstart your day.

Having a helicopter on site is another unique feature of staying at El Questro. It’s one of the few stations along the Gibb that Western 4W Driver #121 |

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offers this Helispirit service during the dry season. The great benefit with the chopper is that it can get you into places that can otherwise be inaccessible. With so much spectacular landscape to explore on the property, Helispirit has things covered well.

If visiting secluded spring-fed waterfalls for a picnic and swim piques your interest, then the tour to Miri Miri Falls or Amaroo Falls could be just what you’re looking for.

These tours include flights, swimming and a private picnic. They’re a real treat and something unique to experience.

National Parks

reef-building organisms, ancient crocodiles and turtles. Some of these are evident when you first enter the gorge. Windjana Gorge is also home to a large concentration of freshwater crocodiles. Aim to take an early morning or late afternoon walk, as they’re good times to spot crocs sunning themselves on the sand. This time of day is also perfect for bird spotting. The gorge is a favourite hangout as it contains spinifex, rock figs and wild passionfruit which they love to feed on. Alongside the gorge, the campground is a top spot to spend a night or two. Keep in mind that camping fees

Freshwater crocs can be found in a range of spots in the Kimberley.

When it comes to Kimberley national parks, you only need to pull out a map to see how many national and conservation parks there are. Let’s just say there’s plenty! But that’s a good thing when you’re planning a trip here because a park pass could be the way to go if you end up visiting more than one. To help stretch your dollar further, WA’s National Parks offers a range of holiday passes that last between 5 and 30 days.

So these passes can work out more cost effective depending on how many parks you plan to visit.

Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) is located off the Gibb River Road and is a park where the pass can be used. It’s also another unique Kimberley destination for a couple of reasons. The gorge has been found to be rich with fossil remains including those of 90

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Hiking in Windjana Gorge.

are payable separately to your park pass.

Toilets and showers are provided in the campground and campfires are permitted in designated spots.

Not far from Windjana Gorge is Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek). This is a small national park in the Napier Range that covers just over 200 acres. Similar to Windjana Gorge, the range here formed part of an ancient reef system and includes an incredible 750 metre tunnel to walk through. The tunnel walk is something quite unique in the Kimberley, but you’ll need a good torch and some shoes that can get wet because

there’s bound to be some water. We’ve visited on numerous occasions over the years and experienced water heights of anywhere from below knee level to well above head height. You just never know what you’re going to get! Besides the tunnel walk being a fantastic experience, there’s more to find in the tunnel as well.

We’ve come across the odd freshwater croc or two, plus we’ve even seen an eel.

Various species of bats also live in the tunnel including the special yellow-lipped bat which is only found in the Kimberley. So remember to shine your torch around the walls as well.

Besides these National Parks, there’s also those at Bell Gorge and Mitchell Falls if you’re doing the Gibb. Then there’s Mirima in Kununurra as well as Purnululu and Danggu (Geike Gorge) if you’re sticking to the blacktop on the way to Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing. Keep these national parks in mind when planning your Kimberley trip and arranging a park pass.

Tunnel Creek.

While we think there’s never a bad time to visit the Kimberley, the region certainly is full of life when a bit of water is about, in more ways than one. We love what nature does each wet season within this spectacular part of Australia and we think you will too. So don’t wait! Pull out the maps to start planning your Kimberley trip now ... we might just see you there!

Western 4W Driver #121 |

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Carry too much speed and run too high a tyre pressure on the dirt and you can expect tyre failure on the stock rubber.

What's

WHEELIE, WHEELIE

By David Wilson Is it a twenty-inch, maybe a nineteen, perhaps an eighteen?

Nup, none of them. In the quest to stop the modern vehicle in the shortest possible distance, the world’s gone barking mad.

4

W driving is something we do a lot of here in Australia, likely more so than just about anywhere else on the planet and because of that we should be demanding something better of new vehicle makers. Because they all know that ninety percent of 4WD owners don’t go bush, they fit tyres up as standard, in highway issue, paper-thin, with a uniform pattern, unable to carry much of a load and far from fit-for-purpose.

good?

Point them at a dirt road and you can almost hear the air escaping before the first puncture has been suffered. Whenever I’m testing a new vehicle it’s the auto equivalent of walking on eggshells.

Back to wheel sizes.

When you put a bigger brake on a vehicle you need a bigger wheel to go around it and an amount of space to clear the brake rotor and caliper to allow for errant rocks to rattle around inside the void without crashing into things. I get that bigger brakes makes a vehicle safer in an emergency stop, but what I don’t get, is a bigger wheel size that’s more to do with fashion.

I recently read a post by a bloke called Ash on the Toyota Prado Owners of Australia Western 4W Driver #121 |

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Facebook page. He tells the story of a recent trip to Alice of some family friends in their 2021 Kakadu. They suffered a couple of catastrophic fails on the dirt and wondered why on a big, beefy 4WD, the stock Dunlops weren’t up to the job?

Given that the family were then stuck in Alice (because no-one carried nineteens) he pondered what might have been a sensible alternative?

Toyota have had four different wheel and tyre packages available in this model and they all run out to around 775mm rolling diameter. It’s a pretty standard size for most 4WD buggies in this medium/ large category, offering the right balance gearing-wise. It’ll have a modest ground clearance, still be able to accelerate away from a set of lights briskly and carry a light load (on the bitumen).

Those choices are: • 265/65R17 112S fitted to a 7.5Jx17 wheel • 265/60R18 110H fitted to a 7.5Jx18 wheel • 265/55R19 109V fitted to a 7.5Jx19 wheel • 265/50R20 107V fitted to an 8Jx20 wheel The tyre that failed was the nineteen inch and it’s woefully inadequate for any gravel, anywhere, anytime. The load index is pathetic (109 = 1,030kg) and the speed rating is absurd for this country (V = 240km/h) and as they discovered, unobtanium outside of suburbia.

If you’re going to buy a Prado for a bush excursion, make sure the placard on the car lists the seventeen-inch option, because then you’ll have choices, the other wheel diameters are full of compromise.

That’ll likely mean you’re buying a poverty pack GX or a GXL and that, to me, is a good thing because the change you’ll save from the top-spec Kakadu gives you a tonne of spending money at your local accessory house to fix the suspension too.

The post on the Toyota Owners of Australia Facebook page says it all.

Prado, from what I’ve been able to glean, in this late 150 series, run rotors measuring 338mm front and 312mm rear. Add the caliper overlap and you see why they list the seventeen inch as the smallest wheel option, it’s a big assembly.

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In a seventeen you could opt for the same size as original, but this time rated Light Truck (LT) and it’ll come with a massive increase on load index (and this gives you puncture resistance). It’ll read LT265/65R17 120R. That 120-load index = 1,400kg (Vs 112 = 1,120kg) of capacity and that ticks my 4WD tyre benchmark box. If it’s not 120 rated or greater, pass it over, and if you were wondering about the speed rating, R = 170km/h, is plenty fast enough for Aussie highways.

There’s another legal alternative and the one I prefer to use, LT265/70R17 121S. A

Whilst the size might look the same as the OEM 17” tyre fitted to a Prado the devil is in the detail. This is a proper Light-Truck 4WD tyre with a massive increase in carcass strength. You’ll struggle to put holes in it.

The new rubber is an LT265/65R18 122Q and will take a beating and for those of you reluctant to change your new ute’s 18” wheels it offers a legal improvement.

This is my preferred option; good wheel to brake clearance, deeper sidewalls and a ripper load index, the true barometer of tyre strength!

The nominal diameter I reckon that works for most owners is quoted as 32” in American sidewall-speak. That’s a little over 800mm in Aussie sidewall-speak.

five percent increase in sidewall height gives a small increase in ground clearance which is always welcome and it won’t affect gearing much at all and rolls out at 805mm. It achieves my 120-rule with 50kg more capacity and that means it’s stronger. Importantly you’ll find it on most resellers' shelves.

It’s worth noting that both of these will retain some degree of comfort, despite the carcass now being a ten-ply rating, because there’s 172mm/185mm worth of sidewall height respectively, affording flex where the bigger wheel diameters can’t. Bad luck if you opted for the twenty because a 50 series sidewall has only 132mm to absorb the bumps before the suspension goes to work. Might not seem like much, but it’s plain as day when you drive them.

My peeve with the prevalence of eighteeninch wheels in dual-cab utes is the paucity of quality tyre product. Up until recently there’s been precious-few choices, often just dressed-up passenger car pretenders with mild A/T patterns and retaining lowly 112-114 passenger load indices.

I’m experimenting at the moment with a set of eighteens on my new D-MAX and running Toyo’s R/T (Rugged Terrain) in LT265/65R18 122Q. I’ve had the pattern before and they’re great, but the last time in a sixteeninch fitment (75 series) with near-200mm worth of sidewall and the difference is telling. Running the right pressure in both instances (based on the weight of the vehicle) at around 210kPa/30psi, you get a bit more thump on broken bitumen and dirt with the shallower sidewall seen on Western 4W Driver #121 |

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New boots on the D-MAX and in 18”, something I’ve avoided in the past but this Toyo R/T has a load index that suits me fine.

Here’s a comparo between my old 16” Toyo OPAT II and the new 18” Toyo R/T. The deeper sidewall of the 16” offers more flex in really bumpy conditions.

the eighteen measuring 172mm, versus the 200mm on the sixteen. Less flexibility makes for more road shock.

There’s plenty of pressure (no punintended) (and there’s a whole other story on “pressure” too) on seventeens

at the moment. As road safety mandates overrule 4WD and off-road capability we’ll end up with wheel and tyre sizes that are the antithesis of what’s really needed for trouble-free dirt road touring. Brakes, they’re the problem … overrated!

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Bewitched by the

WITCHELINA

TRACK

By Grant & Linda Hanan

South Australia’s far north is full of pastoral, railway and geological history. Grant and Linda share some highlights of this track that has it all.

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The iconic Marree Hotel was the perfect place to start and finish our adventure.

P

ulling up at the Marree Hotel in SA’s far north, it’s about now we’re thinking ourselves lucky that our Witchelina Track adventure starts here. Well perhaps that’s not quite right, when it really starts around 40kms south of Marree. But when this pub is where we pick up a gate key and pay access fees for the track, there was no complaints from us. Whether it was perfect timing of our afternoon arrival or as I like to call it, excellent planning, we spent a night right alongside the hotel. It’s been a bit of a local institution for nearly 140 years and a dominant feature in Marree.

Luckily for pub visitors, there’s a large sized designated camping area only a dozen or so steps from the pub. It costs just a few bucks per person a night and that’s not bad when a hot shower and toilets are included. We also took advantage of a pubcooked meal with a few drinks to kick this adventure off before stumbling back to the camper later that night.

For the next couple of days our plan was to explore a bit of the Witchelina Nature Reserve’s 420,000 hectares. It’s a track that may not be as well-known as its Oodnadatta Track neighbour up the road, but it has a lot going for it. For us 4W drivers, there’s a few tracks (loops) of varying length and difficulty. While most of these start and end on the southern entry point by Farina, our loop departs from the northern end

by Marree. This particular loop is a 138km round trip with 68km being off road, so it’s not a long track by any means. But what makes the Witchelina Track such a drawcard is its diversity. Besides providing Western 4W Driver #121 |

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in next to no time and the camper packed up and vehicle checks completed. Time to head south. Having picked up the gate key and mud map the night before, we hightailed it out of Marree along the bitumen for a little under 40km to the Witchelina Track turn-off. Here we hit the dirt and followed a track in for a short while before arriving at the locked gate. This spot marks the Witchelina boundary with the neighbouring Farina property.

Afternoon colours along the track.

visitors with just a good dose of an outback experience, there’s plenty of pastoral and geological history as well. And with two old Ghan railway lines passing smack-bang through the old station, these top this track experience off nicely.

As far as outback stations in South Australia go, Witchelina was originally established in the 1870s. The land was initially designated as two separate parcels that were set up for pastoral use. Over the next 130 years, cattle and sheep were grazed on Witchelina.

It turned out sheep were better suited as they coped better with saltier water. For more than a century, there’s been a number of Witchelina landowners. The station even formed part of Sidney Kidman’s empire at one stage. A little more than ten years ago the property was again put on the market.

This time it was picked up by the not-forprofit Nature Foundation SA. They’ve done significant work since taking ownership to de-stock and remove feral animals, plus they’ve got ongoing programs in place today to help restore the land and its habitats.

If we go back to the early days of South Australia’s colonisation, it was Edward John Eyre who came through the area in early 1840. At that time, two indigenous groups associated with the land within the reserve as we know it today. Nearly 20 years after Eyre’s visit, it was the surveyor Samuel Perry who mapped the region in 1858.

George Goyder then continued the job in 1859 and got as far as Lake Eyre.

With everything the Witchelina Track had going for it, it was one track we’d had on our radar for ages. We were two very happy campers who were about to finally make it happen. After a solid night’s sleep in the camper, it was an early start the next morning. Breakfast was done and dusted 100

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Comprehensive track notes are provided which highlights many points of interest along the track.

After unlocking the gate to drive on through, it was a quick job to lock it behind us and get going. At this point, we referred to the mud map and noted we’d just crossed the spot where the original narrow gauge (3 feet, 6 inches) railway line to Alice Springs remains. For railway buffs, this is the original Ghan line that was extended from Farina to Marree in 1884.

Our mud map explains that the 4WD loops at Witchelina have signposted coloured arrows as markers for loop differentiation.

As sections of the loops are shared, we read that you can’t go wrong if you stick to the colour representing the track you’re supposed to be on. Fair enough.

Following our mud map instructions and our black signposted arrow, we immediately took a turn and followed the nature reserve’s boundary fence line. In fact, it turns out the fence has been erected on top of what was the old railway line and is hard to miss. After reaching a vehicle turnaround point, we got out to look around and saw this section of the line had been built on a floodplain. But it’s some stone paving laid beneath the tracks that caught our eye. Around 300 metres of incredible stonework has been laid to prevent floodwaters washing out the ballast and undermining the tracks. Reflecting on this back breaking work makes us really appreciate this amazing piece of history before us that remains in such excellent condition.

A section of the hand laid stones.

Back in our vehicle and heading west, we made out a large railway bridge not too far off in the distance. A quick look at the mud map indicated this bridge is part of a newer Ghan line put in only a little more than 60 years ago. Unlike the old Ghan line, this newer version uses standard gauge (4 feet, 8.5 inches). This line was put in to originally supply coal from Leigh Creek to

We came across all sorts of relics.

Western 4W Driver #121 |

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Port Augusta’s power station before the line was extended to Marree. Being a warm day, the shadows from the bridge ended up providing a perfect spot to park the 4WD while we had a mid-morning cuppa. It was then time to stretch the legs and take a walk up to the top where we could see for miles in all directions.

At this vantage point, we spotted a large span of water in the distance and hoped the track took us past it. It did. While we learnt Murrumbidgee Waterhole can be dry more often than not, we were grateful to see a series of shallow pools along the creek bed. Without doubt, the several black swans and other water birds we saw also enjoyed a bit of water as well. After leaving the floodplain, the track took us through some rolling hills and provided another aspect to the track. There were numerous creek crossings along this section that were either steep or a bit washed out, but nothing too serious. By taking things slow in the 79, our Ultimate camper simply rocked gently behind until the track smoothed out again.

We found it slow going for the first 25km of the track. Not because of the track’s conditions, but simply because of the number of attractions that grabbed our attention. Whether it’s simply by chance or good planning by those who put the track in, there’s many pastoral relics to look at in this section. Old wells still remain, plus an assortment of water tanks of varying age, Murrumbidgee Waterhole doesn’t always have water, so we felt very lucky this visit.

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Building tanks with moats was a clever way to water stock.

An indication the area was once under water.

size and condition still standing. Spring Well and its stone tank are prominent features along here, and the old sheep yards nearby still get used occasionally for trapping goats.

Further on, we again stretched the legs to walk up into Spring Gully Gorge. Here it’s hard to miss an old slate trough about 20 metres in length located at the gully’s entrance. Used for watering stock, it more than likely was made using some of the colourful slate rock we found close by. Back on the track, we came across a pocket of mulga and mallee cuttings which we learnt were used as old fence posts. While mulga may be more sought after for its longevity and resistance to white ants, mallee also couldn’t be discounted when it has the ability to re-sprout after cutting.

We now found ourselves following a dry Willawalpa Creek for around 13km. Along this section we passed a ridge of quartz strata. This natural ridge of this rock is pretty incredible. It rises a few metres above the ground and spans a couple of hundred metres in length. It actually looks so good, it could easily pass as being man-made.

Heading into Old Mount Nor’West Gorge.

We stumbled across this colourful rock ridge during one of our walks.

The track swung northeast at this point and we arrived at the entrance to Mt Nor' West Gorge in about a kilometre. This was the only place during the loop where we needed to lock in low range. This section of the track is along a creek bed for well over a kilometre. The landscape here is dominated by 25 metre cliffs and the creek bed is full of large rocks. It was slow going in the 79 as we rolled over the rocks especially as we had the camper bobbing along behind. The track criss-crossed the creek bed for most of the gorge drive, but completely disappeared on a couple of occasions. This is when a spotter came in handy to help choose a line that avoided the vehicle getting hung up on rocks. It was a highlight driving this section and a good place to stop for a few pics.

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With the shadows getting longer as we exited the gorge, it was a good time to pull up stumps. As it turns out, a campground and drop toilet are located only a few hundred metres from the gorge near the Old Mount Nor’West homestead and ruins.

That’s perfect timing. Setting up just as the sun was dropping, it was good to put the feet up and take in our surroundings.

The next morning, we wandered around the station’s old stockyards that sit alongside the campground before continuing on.

Back in the vehicle, we crossed the dry creek bed where we found the old homestead only a short distance away. This area was originally part of a separate lease to Witchelina called Old Mount Nor’West Station. The station was established by Henry McConville in 1873, but he didn’t hold the lease for long. As is the case with many pastoral properties, getting water around the place for stock was a costly exercise.

Henry ended up selling a portion of his land to his Witchelina neighbours later the same year. The station’s old homestead has since been restored by the Nature Foundation and is available for overnight stays. Alongside the homestead, we explored the ruins of an original store and an office building of sorts. We also found a few bits and pieces scattered around the place from the station’s smithy.

Leaving the homestead and only travelling a few hundred metres up the track, it wasn’t Witchelina’s shearing shed ruins.

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The site of the Old Mount Nor’West Homestead and ruins.

A few bits and pieces around the old shearing shed.

long before we were out of the vehicle again. This time we’d come across the ruins of what was once old stone shearers’ quarters. It was a substantial building, but no roof and the walls were in a poor state.

Amongst the site we found a few shearing implements, plus an old bread oven and a couple of coppers for washing clothes. The ruins of the station’s woolshed were located

not far after here. Also built in the 1870s, the woolshed had 24 blade shearing stands. But with advancements in technology, blade shearing changed to mechanical shearing in about 1918. In its heyday, we learnt the station ran around 24,000 sheep. Taking a walk around, there were numerous old blade shears, shearing combs, kerosene tins and other bits and pieces to fossick through. We love the fact we can see all this stuff in its natural state for visitors to appreciate.

Over a rise, we experienced another change in the landscape. Where we had previously been traversing through sections of sandstone and siltstone, we now reached a pocket of glistening white gravel. These were remnants of weathered quartz outcrops. As we reached the far end of the outcrop, we found the track again runs parallel with Willawalpa Creek.

As we got closer to the end of the track, it swung by an impressive embankment of the standard gauge Ghan railway. There’s a 19-span bridge here that’s impressive to say the least and made for an excellent lunch stop. The outlook from atop provided us with spectacular 360° views of the reserve’s land including the magnificent Willouran Range in the distance. What a fitting way to end the track. Just prior to reaching the Witchelina boundary fence and another locked gate, we crossed the original narrow-gauge Ghan railway for the last time. A line of decaying wooden sleepers stretched either side of the track here gave us a final glimpse into this remarkable track’s history.

For our visit to Witchelina, we also took a side trip to the Witchelina Station homestead area. This section isn’t part of the Marree loop and is generally accessed from those loops starting from the southern end by Farina. We knew accommodation and camping was available at the station, but were eager to look through the

Inside the woolshed at Witchelina Station.

magnificent shearing shed that’s been restored. The detour was well worth it!

Now that we’ve completed one of the Witchelina Track loops, we know we’ll be back to explore the other loops. This reserve is like visiting a museum … on its own, it’s just a great place to learn about the region’s pastoral, railway, and geological history. But when you can still touch, feel and experience relics of yesteryear in this day and age, well that’s something else. Combine this all with some of the most diverse and spectacular outback landscapes of South Australia’s far north, and this track has the lot. It might be a big call, but the Witchelina Track could be one of the state’s best kept secrets … for now.

INFORMATION BAY Best time to go: Anytime except summer.

Distance: Approx. 170km Terrain: The unsealed track is generally in good condition with a few steep creek crossings (dry) and washouts to negotiate.

The section through the gorge comprises large rocks where low range will need to be engaged.

Accommodation options: Camping is available at Witchelina Station and Old Mount Nor'West Station.

Overnight stays in the homesteads are available with prior arrangement.

Western 4W Driver #121 |

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West Coast Suspensions

to the rescue

By Phil Bianchi

Peering out of my tent in the early morning sunlight I saw my beloved 100 Series sitting very low on the front left corner. Bugger, a flat was my first thought. Walking over to the vehicle I found the tyre wasn’t flat at all. While peering underneath I crossed my fingers hoping the problem was minor and the repair wasn’t going to affect Australia’s national debt. I found the culprit, a broken suspension fitting. I was later to find it was a torsion bar adjuster that had broken, and that the fix wasn’t that expensive.

O

n my numerous drives along Guildford Road I had noticed West Coast Suspensions proudly displayed on a large building to the west of the railway line. I called in with my severely listing Cruiser, Jessie from WCS, looked underneath and said it was indeed a broken torsion bar adjuster. “You’ll probably have to go genuine”, he said. He was right, but he also found that there weren’t any replacement parts in Australia. “They’ll have to be ordered from Japan”, he added.

Seriously Toyota, it’s not like the 100 Series was an unpopular vehicle.

Then another WCS staff member said that he was sure there was a used torsion bar adjuster to fit my Cruiser at the back of the workshop. It was left by a previous customer who had done an upgrade. Lucky for me it was the same part and it would do the job while I was waiting for delivery from Japan. It was fitted the same day and I 106

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was back on the road otherwise my Cruiser would have been in dry dock.

I ordered the components from Toyota and while I was at it I ordered a full kit of bolts etc. for each side. I was told it would take a few months; it took just under three. Given COVID had caused many supply problems across the world I thought I was lucky to get the part at all.

On the designated date I dropped the Cruiser off for the knee reconstruction, as I called it. The job was satisfactorily completed and the Cruiser was back to her best. While the repairs were being undertaken, I asked if I could take photos of the work in progress, yes they said.

While watching, I began asking about some of the items of equipment in the workshop and then realised just how big an operation WCS were. So who are West Coast Suspensions?

The cause of all the fuss.

Business has been growing exponentially due to the popularity of quality suspension upgrades. Recently a new 2,200sqm warehouse has been added due to expansion.

Jenkins Springs 1977. Photo: West Coast Suspensions.

West Coast Suspensions, the story.

The business was started by Cecil and Olive Jenkins in 1924 and was originally located in Adelaide Terrace, Perth. It traded as Jenkins Springs, however since 1990 they’ve traded as West Coast Suspensions (WCS) and is now owned by the McCully family. James McCully senior, was the accountant for Jenkins Springs, and he purchased the company in the 1950s, which he then moved to the current location.

WCS has become a specialist suspension supplier to road transport and mining industries, and 4WD vehicles. They do lots of custom work including one offs, vintage vehicles and classic cars. A full range of truck suspensions including leaf springs, bushes, pins, U bolts, and shock absorbers is offered. They can supply anything in leaf springs small or large. WCS do fit outs for mining, police, education, fire services and hire vehicles. It isn’t unusual to have a fit-out contract for up to 25 vehicles.

While some 4W drivers want to ‘lift’ a vehicle for looks, others want to improve the suspension for weight carrying and drivability. WCS has the expertise to ensure you achieve what you want and still be safe and roadworthy. They recommend vehicle Western 4W Driver #121 |

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It's broken.

suspensions should be inspected at regular service intervals or at least at 50,000km.

Factors such as weight, weight distribution, speed, wind direction and road conditions affect a vehicle’s performance. Despite these variables, the vehicle’s suspension system must continue to provide good ride control with good handling characteristics and at the same time, maximize passenger comfort. All suspension systems, including the shocks, struts and springs, must be in good condition.

Worn components may reduce vehicle stability, passenger comfort and accelerate wear on other components and tyres. Worn shocks increase body roll during cornering, this causes rapid wear which in turn affects the vehicle’s oversteer and understeer.

If you’re not sure you’ve got worn suspension components, some of the characteristics to look for include oil leaks around the shock absorbers, uneven tyre wear, poor cornering and the vehicle’s nose dipping under brakes. WCS can provide expert advice and suspension testing facilities to analyse and correct any suspension related issues with your vehicle.

WCS offer a large range of shock absorbers, all of which are designed in-house, and valved, bushed, and dyno tested by them for specific applications. Depending on the type of shock or strut, the body could be made in China but the shaft may be made in Germany or Vietnam, with the whole unit 108

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Temporary replacement part.

assembled in Asia. To remain competitive WCS has 70% of its products manufactured under licence overseas.

WCS has a premium range of mono or twin tube shocks and both are hydraulic dampened and gas charged. They have their own range of remote reservoir shocks, Monotube 2.0. The remote reservoir holds extra oil to cool the shock and prevent fade, is adjustable from 100psi to 200psi and it’s easy to install. These are very popular among 4W drivers chasing peak performance. They also manufacture specialised gasless shock absorbers for underground mining vehicles, where gasless are specified due to explosion risk.

They also offer a large range of corrective hardware for lifted 4W drivers, including panhard rods, caster bushes, upper control arms and heavy-duty torsion bars.

Strut assembly is another service offered and they have their own pneumatic strut assembly machine.

U bolts are manufactured on site, with sizes up to 300mm diameter being made from 1,400mm long blanks. U bolt steel is imported from Canada.

Manufacturing and resetting leaf springs is another WCS speciality. They use precision controlled electric furnaces, a high temperature 1300°C furnace and a 475°C tempering furnace, for making leaf springs. Once the spring steel is heated to

The Bendix Ultimate 4WD Brake Upgrade Kit with advanced brake pads and rotors, braided lines and a host of ancillary items is the ultimate brake upgrade for popular 4WD wagons and dual cab utes.

This comprehensive kit includes specially compounded high performance CERAMIC material brake pads for increased stopping power in extreme conditions plus the latest Bendix Ultimate Rotors designed and developed specifically for Australia’s demanding conditions.

Find solutions for every brake job at www.bendix.com.au Or freecall the Bendix Brake Advice Centre on 1800 819 666 Bendix is a trademark of Garrett Advancing Motion Inc.

Shiny new bracket. Arthroscopy completed.

Resetting a spring. Photo: West Coast Suspensions.

1300°C, the metal is shaped then quenched at 900°C and allowed to cool in a 1500-litre quench bath. It's then put into the tempering furnace and reheated to 475°C to provide the final spring steel characteristics.

fit GVM suspension upgrades. Many upgrades are available off the shelf, for example, 150 Series Prado from 2990kg to 3500kg, D-Max from 3050kg to 3300kg and 200 Series LandCruiser from 3350kg to 3800kg. Each GVM kit has been certified under the Deptartment of Infrastructure and Regional Development’s Road Vehicle Certification system. Once a GVM suspension upgrade is completed, a modification compliance plate is fitted next to the OEM compliance plate, stating vehicle particulars and approval number.

This ensures the boys in blue will recognise your new GVM.

To ensure a quality end product, only high-quality SAE spring steel materials are used. The spring steel comes in 6 metre lengths, with the size varying from 45mm x 6mm up to 150mm x 25mm.

Spring steel was originally from BHP but when Port Kembla and Whyalla stopped rolling specialty steels, it had to come from overseas. The main spring steel suppliers are now China, Japan and India, who roll steel with Australian iron ore, which is then manufactured into springs and sent back into resource industry operations.

WCS can raise your suspension to 50mm above standard ride height and depending on the weight the vehicle carries there are ‘firmer’ kits that will maintain the ride height. Don’t bother asking WCS to supply a lift that requires a ladder for people to climb into the vehicle. They are illegal and WCS don’t supply or fit them; anyway who wants a vehicle that looks like a praying mantis. Having said that, vehicles with sagged suspensions will often get a 75mm lift because the suspension is below the standard ride height.

Nowadays many 4W drivers seek GVM upgrades for towing or carrying extra weight. WCS are licenced to supply and 110

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As well as being a leading supplier in WA, WCS has sales Australia-wide and exports to Indonesia, Europe and South Africa where WCS suspensions are very popular.

What is their success? They offer high quality products, have staff who care and have pride in the company and their work.

Some have been working at WCS for 30 years, and others for 10 and 15 years. Such excellent staff retention shows staff are happy and well looked after, this results in good customer service.

You can contact them at 188 Railway Parade, Bassendean, WA. or by phone on (08) 9378 2133. With almost a 100-year pedigree, quality products and expert staff and service WCS is without doubt a WA success story with a bright future.

fully loaded

For off-road endurance, when performance matters.

Roam with confidence with WCS, the trusted name in suspension for all truck, light commercial and 4WD vehicles.

Since 1924

Tel: +61 8 9378 2133 Fax: +61 8 9378 2839 Email: sales@jenkins.com.au Web: www.westcoastsuspensions.com.au

188 Railway Parade, Bassendean WA 6054 • PO Box 398, Bassendean WA 6934

ANZAC Day at Anjo Peninsula

By John Collins My ANZAC Day at Anjo is a complex story that had its origins many years prior to my birth and more than 50 years before my extraordinary Dawn Service experience, which remains a significant meaningful memory for me almost three decades later.

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here are many reasons for sharing this story, including paying my respects to the now largely nameless and overlooked people who rallied to protect Australia during the dark days of World War Two. While this recollection is primarily related to the tragic events that occurred pre-dawn (20th May 1945) on a single day at a secret airbase that most have never heard about, I hasten to acknowledge the under-appreciated local heroes who “did their bit” to assist military personnel adjust to the hash, remote and unforgiving landscape. Another reason for sharing 112

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my remembrance is to help overlanding travellers to appreciate the beauty of the landscape and better connect with the local people as they travel the vastness of the Western Australian outback, while providing connections to other locations of interest whenever possible.

I think the back-story began on 28th March 1943 when Keith “Bluey” Truscott, a distinguished RAAF fighter pilot who flew battle missions in Britain and as a Squadron Leader at Milne Bay in New Guinea, was killed in an Exmouth Gulf aviation accident.

Bluey, in company with Flying Officer Ian Louden, were tasked with escorting a Catalina flying boat returning to base from a mission off the remote north west coast of Western Australia. Perhaps due to the boredom of such a tedious mission or simply to hone their attack skills, the fighter pilots began making mock attacks on the flying boat.

Milne Bay, Papua. 1942-09. Squadron Leader: Keith Truscott, Commanding Officer of 76 Squadron RAAF, returns from an operational flight and taxis up the metal runway to the dispersal bays set in amongst the coconut palms.

Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:AWM_026647_P-40_Milne.jpg

the occupied islands further north and to the north east. MacArthur had decided that the NWA campaign would be an air-war.

These air operations that would protect the exposed flank while forcing the Japanese military to deploy large amounts of men, equipment and resources to defend their captured territory and thereby creating a drain on valuable resources that otherwise could be diverted to oppose the main Allied thrust towards Japan. To conduct offensive air operation more effectively from the NWA additional and larger airfields were required within closer distance to the target areas that by late 1943 had moved further and further behind Japanese lines. This required extending the range of bomber and other strike aircraft against targets in Timor, Java, Sumatra, Borneo and the Celebes. This was best accomplished by using airfields further to the west of Darwin as final staging and refuelling points in support of the offensive air operations.

During the attack sequence the Catalina commenced a shallow descent that went unnoticed by the escort pilots and when Bluey “broke-off” his final assault run, he rolled his Curtis P40 Kittyhawk intending to pass below his target. Unfortunately, both aircraft were at a very low altitude and the Kittyhawk smashed into the smooth glassy sea of the Exmouth Gulf. On that day at 1735 hours, No. 76 Squadron and Australia lost a gallant aviator and friend. Today, Keith “Bluey” Truscott is buried at the Karrakatta War Cemetery, and he is remembered at the Truscott Memorial Club in Exmouth, which is a great place for travellers to visit, enjoy an ice-cold The long-range B-24 beverage and learn a Liberators of the 380th little about protection Bomb Group USAF efforts of Australia’s continued to stage western wartime flank. through the large The Australian War Corunna Downs base Memorial has A29-133, located approximately a Curtis P40 Kittyhawk 200 kilometres south Excerpt from Hema’s WA State map.

“Polly” very like the east of Port Hedland aircraft flown by Bluey and this example and the Exmouth base. These bases' also served to protect Australia at Milne geography seriously reduced the effective Bay in New Guinea with predominately No. range of the B-24s as they are up to 1300km 75 Squadron. south of the most northern tip of Western Late in 1943 the South West Pacific area was starting to become the main Allied advance to defeat the Japanese. Coordinated by General Douglas MacArthur, the plan would see an Allied push north west through New Guinea, then north through the Philippines and eventually onto Japan itself. The security of MacArthur’s left flank was critical to his eventual success. The left flank was Australia’s North West Area (NWA) that consisted of North West of Australia and

Australia. RAAF surveyors re-examined the existing runways at the Drysdale River Mission (now known as Kalumburu) during February and again in August 1943 hoping to upgrade the existing runway lengths but found several deficiencies relating to access from Napier-Broome Bay that made extension impractical. A major impediment to the site was that during the wet season, both existing runways became unusable quagmires. Late in August the Western 4W Driver #121 |

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No. 12 Survey and Design Unit undertook a desktop survey of the Anjo Peninsula area west of Kalumburu (Drysdale River Mission) in preparation for a ground truthing survey.

The airfield was named Truscott to honour the memory of an Australian war hero. The new airfield needed to have: 1. One runway at least 8000 feet (2438 metres) to provide an all-weather airfield for general reconnaissance and heavy bomber aircraft, 2. Dispersal areas for parked aircraft, to make such aircraft less vulnerable in the event of an enemy air raid, sufficient for 18 heavy bomber aircraft, and 3. Minimum facilities for an Operational Base Unit (OBU) of 300 personnel.

The construction of the new airfield was hot, tedious work, and the supply of potable water was a constant concern.

Nevertheless, the ground works progressed, and significant effort was expended building supporting defence, early warning, and long-range navigation facilities. Although the airfield was not used by the heavy B-24 Liberator aircraft until October 1944, smaller aircraft including Spitfire fighters, reconnaissance, and smaller bombers were based or passed through Truscott. Nineteen B-24 Liberators from the USAAF’s 380th Bombardment Group arrived on 18th October 1944 to commenced a three day mission attacking harbour installations and shipping in the Celebes.

There was a lot of activity between February 1943 and October 1944 in the general vicinity of Truscott including a bombing raid in September 1943 by an estimated 36 Japanese aircraft on Kalumburu (Kwini and Kulari country) that destroyed mission buildings and killing four Aboriginal children, one woman and a priest. Stories about this day and other historical information has been recalled by local artists wanting to express the experiences of their relatives. It is important to remember the non-combatants who lost their lives on Australian soil during this 114

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period of our history and pay our respects to their memory.

Kalumburu also provides an opportunity for overlanders to engage with this history by visiting nearby aircraft wreckage or by viewing artworks. A strange twist to the Japanese air-raid was the bomb damage to the organ located in the bombed church.

The organ had apparently been donated

by Adolph Hitler’s Government as an acknowledgement for assistance rescuing the German aviators Hans Bertram and Adolf Klausmann who in 1932 embarked on a round-the-world flight in a Junkers floatplane, but were forced to land in the Kimberley, lost and running low on fuel.

Using a float taken from their plane as a life-raft, the men then endured a 39-day ordeal as they attempted to sail to safety travelling from Seaplane Bay northwards on the Kimberley coast. The pair eventually were found languishing in a cave near Cape Bernier by travelling Aboriginal people. Their eventual rescue has a strong contemporary Wyndham connection with the local men who carried word of the aviator’s plight and raised the alarm that eventually facilitated a lugger rescue from Kalumburu. The two men, Andumeri (Ronald Morgan) and Jalnga, ran on foot to get help. Andumeri travelled the 250km from Cape Bernier to Wyndham in under four days! Overlanders can get an idea about the landscape that Andumeri and Jalnga travelled by viewing some of the 4x4 adventure videos posted online about the Carson River Track.

Early on the morning of 20th May 1945, Liberator A72-160 of 12th Squadron, R.A.A.F on a mine laying mission crashed on take-off and all eleven crew members were killed.

Taking off in the early morning darkness from Truscott airstrip, the aircraft became airborne approximately halfway down the strip. It is believed the aircraft became airborne early due to a noticeable hump in the airstrip causing the aircraft to suddenly climb approximately 20 feet. According to

eyewitnesses who were part of a working party directly in front of the aircraft when it became airborne, the aircraft apparently veered left moving rather slowly, gaining little speed or height. The aircraft then rose to about 40 feet before falling sharply to the ground a short distance away from its initial point of take-off. Despite fire crews quickly making their way to the scene, any hope of finding survivors was lost when a number of the depth charges the aircraft was carrying exploded. The crew from 12th Squadron are: F/Lt F. L. Sismey, pilot; F/O W. S. Bell; W/O T. N. Rust; W/O B. L. Cox; F/Sgt L. Duncanson; F/Sgt L. M. Bailey; F/Sgt I. N. L. Eadton,; F/Sgt T. W. Allan; F/Sgt D. D. Benson; F/Sgt J. A. Hollis; and, F/Sgt J. R. W. Herps. The crew’s remains, initially interned at Truscott, were reburied at the Adelaide River War Cemetery in the Northern Territory.

While living in Kununurra in the 1990s, I became involved with a group of exservicemen who had formed 'The Truscott Base Tribute Committee'. Lead by the founding committee President, the late Howard Young, the group dedicated themselves to building two memorials using local stones at Truscott with the intention of conducting an ANZAC Day memorial service together with annual reunions on 20th May to mark the day when the 11 crew of A72-160 were killed by the crash and ensuing explosion. Mr Young acknowledged that organisation of memorial services was much harder to organise as time progressed as, "Many of those who served are unfortunately no longer around."

For me, ANZAC Day at Anjo began in the afternoon of the previous day with a light aircraft flight to Truscott. Rather than making a direct flight, I decided that a more leisurely scenic flight was appropriate. Leaving Kununurra, we proceeded along the Ord River passing through the multicoloured irrigated agricultural fields to where False House Roof Hill raises approximately 300 metres above sea level and the river opens

Santos kindly provided overnight accommodation for the ANZAC Day participants.

out and becomes tidal. At that point we come down to a more suitable height for spotting crocodiles, which are easy to see while they rest on the exposed tidal mud banks of the river as we travelled past the spectacular Ord River Nature Reserve.

Approaching Adolphus Island, we climbed higher and were able to look north towards Lacrosse Island and southwards along the Cambridge Gulf to the Wyndham Port, while the spectacular landforms of the area revealed themselves as we continued our climb and journey to the Berkley River, King George Falls and on to Kalumburu for a brief visit.

We arrived at Truscott in the late afternoon to be greeted by Howard Young and introduced to our camp hosts who managed the base facility for Santos Ltd on behalf of other entities involved in oil and gas exploration in the Timor Sea. Our overnight stay was taken meeting other visitors and exchanging stories about Truscott and the surrounding area. The RAAF had decided to travel to Truscott using two Land Rovers and two Unimog trucks. The RAAF crew contributed to the evening conversation by recounting the difficulty they experienced finding the track from Kalumburu to Truscott, which hadn’t been used for many years!

After a few hours of sleep, the camp stirred at around three in the morning as people prepared themselves for the Dawn Service.

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the A76-160 crash site memorial. Arriving in good time in the early darkness I recall it was a solemn occasion with a bare minimum of talking much like most Dawn Services I have attended. The service followed a familiar ANZAC Day routine although the memorial was initially draped with an Australian flag, but with the scene illuminated by bright television lighting.

The 1992 ANZAC Day inaugural Dawn Service and Memorial unveiling to the eleven crew of A76-160 who died here on 20th May 1945.

Once the Dawn Service was completed and the memorial had been unveiled, the television lighting was moved as the media team began to interview some of the attendees. By this time of morning, the new day's sun was still just below the horizon and as people moved off or became involved in

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Floral tributes at the base of the newly unveiled A76-160 memorial.

Following the unveiling and ANZAC Day Service 25th April 1992 showing some of the wreckage of A72-160 in the foreground and members of the Truscott Base Tribute Committee with the RAAF Unimog in the background.

other activities, the area surrounding the memorial was overtaken by an almost eerie quiet that was punctuated with the muted tones of quiet conversation. I recall that as some of the first shafts of the new day’s light filtered through the woodland canopy some of these first beams of sunlight stuck the memorial’s make-shift cross, which was a repurposed fuselage remnant of A76-160 found lying nearby. For me, that instant became a treasured memory as in that fleeting moment I felt a connection with Flight Lieutenant Francis Leonard Sismey and his crew that I won’t forget!

The late Howard Young rounded off the day with enthusiastically guided tours of some of the sights at Truscott and the landing at West Bay. Points of interest included the remnants of the “Anjo Palace” Cinema where many of Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners watched their first ‘cowboy’ movie films.

This former heavy World War Two bomber forward base built by Australians and local people in 1944 to raid (what is now) the Indonesian islands and protect our Australian NWA as an important part of the war effort. The once “Secret Kimberley Airbase” over the years has been

developed to support helicopter logistics to offshore oil and gas rigs in the Timor Sea. Today the Mungalalu Truscott Airbase has all the equipment and facilities necessary to provide aviation logistic support to operations including coastal surveillance services, the oil and gas industry, pearling, aquaculture, fisheries, minerals exploration and mining, aerial surveys, defence, tourism and other operations requiring a support base in the Kimberley.

The Mungalalu Truscott Airbase is owned by the Wunambal Gaambera people and access is strictly Traditional Owner Escort Only by prior arrangement with Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation.

Participants chatting after the 1992 Dawn Service showing the aircraft wreckage in the background.

A member of the Truscott Base Tribute Committee placing a wreath on 25th April 1992 with the modern aircraft hangar and RAAF vehicles in the background. This memorial would be the centre piece of the 20th May 1994 commemorative reunion when approximately 250 veterans and families attended.

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WATCH YOUR WEIGHT

By Ric McDonald, VanWeigh There seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to vehicle weights and towing capacities. Just because your vehicle is rated to tow 3.5 tonnes, can you? Ric McDonald from VanWeigh attempts to clear up the confusion.

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lot of the work we do at VanWeigh is giving new caravanners peace of mind that their chosen van and tow vehicle are within the specified legal limits. Information coming from the east coast has revealed that approximately 63% of vehicles pulled over and checked are overloaded. Locally, we have found that 38% of all our clients are overloaded in one or more areas.

For some, they have fallen for marketing hype and sales tactics that may not be giving them the complete story before they make a purchase. The following is an example: Recently, a couple, who had just retired came to us after making a purchase of a new caravan and tow vehicle. With plans to travel for between one and two years, they wanted to ensure that they were as comfortable as possible while on the road. Space was a factor, as was the need to be able to travel along rough roads.

They decided upon a 21-foot, full off-road van that had an ATM (maximum weight) of 3500kg.

They next went in search of a suitable tow vehicle, finally settling on a popular twin cab ute. To ensure that they had the ultimate flexibility when travelling, they opted for 118

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a canopy to allow them to leave the van behind and explore areas not suitable for towing. They also opted to increase the fuel capacity of the vehicle, and as a result, chose to also upgrade the suspension.

The suspension upgrade increased the vehicle's GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) by 300kg, which they believed also increased their GCM (Gross Combination Mass). This is due to some suspension brands using marketing tactics that give the buyer the belief that a *GCM upgrade is possible.

It is my understanding that a suspension upgrade can only legally increase the GVM of the vehicle and has no impact on GCM or towing capacity of the vehicle. Some states in Australia do allow for a GCM increase but not Western Australia.

When weighing a vehicle, we refer to the owner’s manual and the compliance plate.

We ask our clients to ensure that the vehicle is fully fuelled and water tanks are full.

So, what was the outcome when we weighed this couple’s touring setup?

The car was overloaded by 150kg, with the rear axle 230kg over what it should be. The front axle was underloaded by about the same amount. We recommended a weight distribution hitch to resolve this issue.

no more than 85% of the weight of the tow vehicle. Keep these figures in mind when shopping for a van and tow vehicle. *Note: GCM upgrades are not recognised on light vehicles in Western Australia.

Have you or someone you know purchased a van and tow vehicle only to discover that you are over your legal weight limits?

We would love to hear from you to understand where the confusion is coming from.

Scan the QR code or send us an email to admin@western4wdriver.com.au Their towball weight was 80kg underweight.

The caravan still had approximately 230kg of payload available, which meant that some of the extra weight in the vehicle could be moved into the van.

The problems started to emerge when we calculated the GCM (Gross Combination Mass) of the vehicle and van. In this instance, they were 650kg overweight.

Looking at their payload, we deduced that we could drop about 200kg from the van but removing anything further was not practicable.

In this instance our client is, at best 450kg and at worst 650kg over the legal weight limit. There are only two options to resolve this situation. Either buy a vehicle with a greater GCM or downsize the van. Both are going to be costly exercises. For many caravanners, the availability of Americanstyle trucks have been the saving grace when towing large vans. The downside to these vehicles is that you need to have a light truck licence to get the greatest benefit (that is a GCM greater that 7500kg) and there is a zero-alcohol limit when driving them.

The Caravan Industry Association suggests that you should aim for a van that is only about 75% of your maximum towable weight. They also suggest that the van be

Many vans on the road today are

overloaded. Is yours?

How can you tell?

We compare your weights with compliance and print an easy to read report.

It’s a small price to pay for your family’s safety.

Get weighed to be sure!

For your peace of mind

Perth metro area, Rockingham & Mandurah mobile service - we come to you!

Book online or call now!

vanweigh.com.au 0429 080 444 Mention Western 4W Driver for 5% discount Western 4W Driver #121 |

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PRODUCT REVIEW

By Rob Webb & Julia Robinson – Ruff Road Media

ISUZU MU-X LS-T We gave long-time advocates and Isuzu MU-X owners Rob and Julia a brand-new MU-X LS-T to test out on a short family getaway down south. With camper trailer in tow, the couple both give us their take on the latest offering from Isuzu.

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Rob

he brand new Isuzu MU-X is upon us and Isuzu Ute Australia had kindly lent us an LS-T to take away for a weekend to test out.

We currently own a 2014 MU-X LS-T and use it daily for around town duties with the family, a camera car for work and towing the camper on a semi-regular basis.

We decided to take the kids away to Busselton for the weekend with the camper trailer. As soon as we finished loading the car and hitched up the camper a problem arose. We couldn’t open the powered tailgate. After a quick phone call to Isuzu Ute they pointed us in the direction of a menu setting in the dashboard to allow the powered tailgate to open with the trailer attached.

Cruising down the freeway towing the camper was an interesting experience as the new MU-X has a lane departure prevention system that moves you back (quite abruptly) into the lane if you get too close to the white line. And as we all know, towing on a windy day can push you around the lane a little bit.

The first time this happened was unexpected as I had the lane support system turned off. But the new D-MAX and MU-X both have an issue that the lane departure prevention cannot be fully deactivated. I have been advised however

by Isuzu Ute Australia that this will be rectified by a firmware update that owners can request from their dealer.

Once I knew what it was doing, towing the camper at 100km/h was a breeze. The active cruise control kept at pace with traffic and the need to readjust the speed or touch the brakes was non-existent.

On our return to Perth I took it up to Julimar State Forest to see how it handled. Having a rear locker made a difference compared to my current MU-X as simple cross ups were drivable without needing to have fast momentum to get through and risking unnecessary damage.

Overall, driving the new MU-X was certainly enjoyable and a step up with features from my older model.

Western 4W Driver #121 |

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Julia

was lucky enough to be given the chance to test drive the brand new MU-X LS-T for a week and I must say a week was not long enough. As a driver of a much smaller car on a daily basis (Mazda 3) and on occasion a 2014 MU-X LS-T, the difference is startling.

It drives as smoothly and quietly as my Mazda but gives me the driving position and visibility of the larger 4WD (which, being a shorter person, I particularly enjoy). The electronic steering is so light and responsive it makes driving the car a dream and all the added features like lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control help to make driving long distances a breeze.

The dashboard display does take a little getting used to and I benefited from studying all the options before taking off so I wasn't distracted by all the information at my fingertips. But it sure is handy to have things like tyre pressure read-outs and blind spot monitoring right in front of you.

The car is large enough for a family (our two girls loved it) with tons of boot space for all the shopping, or an extra two seats in the back (for the times you need to pick up the boys from the pub). There is plenty of power under the bonnet for towing or taking long scenic drives through the hills. As one who doesn't do much 4W driving personally I can't comment on how it goes off-road, so I'll leave that to the more informed. But as a family car I can't fault it and it was a fun and gorgeous ride which I would recommend (and in fact have) to any and all who are looking to upgrade their vehicle and driving experience.

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0499 113 193 | wmonks@westnet.com.au | greatsouthernoutback.com.au @great_southern_outback_

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DIRT BIKE REVOLUTION Sur-ron Storm Bee F (Off Road)

By Chris Morton

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s the world hurtles head first into everything that is E, it wasn’t going to take long for the humble dirt bike scrambler to jump on the bandwagon. The Sur-ron Storm Bee F is the latest electric dirt bike to hit the market. Boasting a whopping 22.5kW motor and 520nM of torque, this bad boy sports a 48Ah SONY removeable battery, with a recharge time of just 3 hours.

The bike has been compared to a traditional 250cc dirt bike and has a top speed of 110km/hour and a range of approximately 105km.

This bike is NOT legal to ride on-road and riders should ensure that they are wearing a helmet and protective gear.

There has never been a better opportunity to tear up the tracks while caring for the environment at the same time.

Priced at $13,999 they might be the perfect ride for the Crusty Demon in your life.

For more information, check the bikes out in-store at Wanderlust Perth or take a look at the following link: www.wanderlustperth.com.au/product/ surron-storm-bee-f-off-road

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BUSH MECHANICS with GEOFF LEWIS

DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER These days many of us keep a lot of our documents on electronic devices and store our food in plastic containers, but it's still worthwhile taking a notebook and a good porous cardboard carton or box of some description on your next trip.

Some time ago I was working on a drill rig and it just wasn’t the driller's day - a newly rebuilt engine had an issue with its water pump. He pulled the water pump off, inspected it, fixed the issue and began the process of putting the water pump back on the motor, though there was another problem - no gasket.

t is not uncommon to have a drive flange or some other component in the driveline assembly of your 4x4 rattle loose due to the ever-increasing brutal nature of corrugations throughout Australia.

Showing aptitude that is rarely found these days, the driller inspected the waxy nature of his A3 notebook and with a pen knife, cut the outline of the machine surface which the gasket would be sandwiched against, greased both sides with high temperaturebearing grease and tensioned and fitted the water pump with the new makeshift gasket. Success.

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This brings on the problem of how to stop the oil or fluid leak and how to do so with minimal tools and gasket materials at hand?

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Many of us will be of the inclination that you need some kind of silicone-based product to do the job, though in reality, this is not the case. The sole job of a gasket is to take or infill the imperfections of the two machined surfaces.

By soaking thin porous (absorbent) cardboard overnight in a light machine oil (motor oil) or using a bearing grease, the gasket acts like a sponge, and when sandwich between the two surfaces it will partly dry and make a good seal.

I have dismantled in the past and found an old newspaper or cardboard from a Weet-Bix package. So the humble book is still a useful item and even better is the real deal, gasket paper which can be bought from any automotive store and will last decades if stored correctly.

DL17210

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

www.explorex.com.au Western 4W Driver #121 |

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OVER THE BONNET

WINNING LETTER WINS A PRIZE! OUR READERS WRITE

As a family and with our camping and holidaying buddies we have done several trips north. Meekatharra has always been a destination just for an overnight stop to break up the drive, finding free camping where we can.

the area, there is a lot to explore. Some of the ruins are not for the faint-hearted if you don’t like travelling gravel roads, but the effort is well worth it. Given the isolation of some of these sites it is not something to do with just one vehicle.

On a recent trip home from Karijini we decided to stop for a couple of nights at Karalundi Caravan and Camping Park, after a recommendation from a work colleague, and what an absolute delight it was.

We also visited the tranquil Bilyuin Pool, part of the far upper end of the Murchison River. Bilyuin Pool is a free camping spot nestled amongst the trees and located approximately 27km from Karalundi Caravan Park on mostly gravel road.

Bilyuin Pool is a great place for a quiet and restful stop away from the hustle and bustle of life.

Located approximately 60km north of Meekathara, Karalundi Caravan and Camping Park, attached to Karalundi College, is run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The facilities are clean, the sites are green and while there is no alcohol allowed, there is a delightful café on site that serves great coffee and amazing milkshakes.

While staying at Karalundi we took the opportunity to explore the surroundings.

With early settlement ruins dotted around

There was just too much to see and do in the short time we stayed at Karalundi, but it certainly opened our eyes and hearts to what Meekatharra and Karalundi has to offer for the outback adventurer, and we look forward to returning and taking the opportunity to explore this intriguing pocket of Western Australia.

Marisa

WINNER Hi Marisa

sounds Thanks for your letter. Karalundi few days a like a great place to pull up for g the Great alon h when heading north or sout t getaway shor a as even Northern Highway or from the city.

Congratulations Marisa!

You've won a Red Roads stool and carry bag thanks to

often This area around Meekatharra is is extremely it overlooked and it’s a shame as great ther ano rich in history. Bilyuin Pool is to time time from ut little spot that we hear abo lous fabu a be can s, ition and in the right cond es shak milk the r hea to overnight stop. Glad too. l rova app got the tick of

Got a question? Got an opinion? Send us a message!

PO Box 50, Northbridge WA 6865 • Email admin@western4wdriver.com.au

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What's in a Name?

with PHIL BIANCHI

WEIRD WA PLACE NAMES

A

n explorer would customarily name a geographic feature after a royalty or other prominent identities of the day.

In some cases, such as with explorer Frank Hann, he named features after people who financially backed the expedition, thereby ensuring further financial support for future trips. Here are some unusual place names in WA and the history behind the name.

Lake Disappointment (Kumpupintil Lake) It’s located east of the Canning Stock Route between the Durba Hills and Well 22. The lake was named by Frank Hann on 20 April 1897, "I shall call it Lake Disappointment, as I was disappointed in not finding water in it". Hann was on an exploration trip from Nullagine at the time, and the lake was the extremity of his trip. Failing to find water, on 27 April 1897 a desperate Hann was forced to turn back. Unexpectedly, at Tchukardine Pool he met surveyor William F. Rudall and party. They were searching for explorers Charles Wells and George Jones, missing from the 1896 Calvert Expedition. Hann wrote in his journal, "Had I not met them I believe I would have been another night without water and had I done so I really believe most of the horses would have died. We shall call this place Meeting Gorge but Saving Gorge ought to be the name of it for me.”

Lake Disappointment.

The lake is important to Martu people for spiritual and ceremonial reasons, as well as being an important place for water and traditional food. The name was changed to Kumpupintil Lake in 2020. It was felt that the term 'Disappointment' was not an appropriate description for the lake and did not reflect Martu ownership and knowledge of their Country. The former name also disparaged the ecological richness of this desert landscape.

Modern day CSR travellers can access Lake Disappointment’s western end where you can walk onto the lake. Looking around you’ll spot desiccated insects that were blown onto the lake by the wind and didn’t escape. Don’t attempt to drive onto the lake surface, not only will you get hopelessly

Dried-out insects on Lake Disappointment.

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bogged, but you’ll also significantly disfigure the vista for many years. Even when walking you will find mud clumping together on your shoes, so walk with care.

There are a number of magnificent desert oak camps in this area, one in particular provides spectacular views across the lake.

Lake Disappointment Desert Oak campsite.

Between Wells 19 and 20 is Savory Creek.

It is one of a few creeks or rivers that flow inland in WA. It usually has water in it, which is highly saline, and care is needed when crossing. Take your time, pick your line and in low range head for the other side.

Crossing Savory Creek.

At the northern end of Lake Disappointment, Reward Minerals wish to establish a potash mine. In June 2021 the Federal Government granted this proposal major project status, so it’s happening. During the feasibility stages of the project there has been some impact on the CSR wheel track, and Reward also created a no access road for their use only. When production cranks up the CSR and Talawanna Track traffic will no doubt be affected, but by how much is unknown.

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Monkey Mia Located near Denham, the name was first used for the area in the 1890s, but there has always been some doubt of the name’s origin. In 2006 a list, written in 1899, showing the meaning of Aboriginal names, was discovered in Geraldton Police Station records. The meaning was shown as ‘salt or bad water’. Other theories for the name include: • being named after the pearling boat Monkey which was in Shark Bay in 1834, • it was the name or nickname of a resident, • descriptive name to describe the camping place of Chinese pearlers, • 'monkey' is a colloquialism for sheep and • Capt. Henry M. Denham surveyed Shark Bay in 1858, he had a monkey as a mascot.

The favoured origin of the name is 'salt or bad water’.

Point Torment Located 30km north of Derby on King Sound, it was named by Capt. J L Stokes of HMS Beagle in 1838. It was so named because of the attention he got from swarms of mosquitoes. “A name was soon found for our new territory, upon which we with rueful unanimity conferred that of Point Torment, from the incessant and vindictive attacks of swarms of mosquitoes, by whom it had evidently been resolved to give the newcomers a warm welcome”.

I suspect Stokes lumped mosquitoes and sand flies together under the name mosquitoes, he was so busy swatting them to notice there was a difference. Having visited the area in May 2021, I agree with Stokes, the descendants of his mosquitoes were just as vindictively welcoming.

Useless Loop / Useless Inlet Located in Shark Bay some 25km SW of Denham, it was originally named by Frenchman Louis C. de Freycinet on 8 August 1801. In his book A Voyage of Discovery to the Southern Hemisphere, M.F. Peron quotes de Freycinet, "On going up this creek, we soon came into a very pretty small harbour, but which unfortunately being closed in by a sand-bank on which there is not more than three feet of water, it can never admit a vessel of any size". It was named Havre Inutile (Harbour Unusable).

When Captain H M Denham Royal Navy came through in 1858, he recorded the name Useless Loop, a loose translation of de Freycinet’s Harbour Unusable.

Nowadays half of Useless Inlet is blocked off to create some 37 crystalliser evaporation ponds for Shark Bay Salt, producing 1.3 million tons of high-end food quality salt per annum. There are a number of causeways across the evaporator ponds, with Cloughs Bar being the most prominent. For many years Cloughs was the main access route to that fishing mecca, Steep Point. The bar itself was also a great fishing spot - over the years our catch included tailor, snapper and large flathead.

Access across the bar is no longer available because some time back hooligans opened sluice gates under the bar. They were either vandals causing trouble or fishermen wanting to create a tidal flow, thereby bringing fish such as snapper, tailor and flathead in close. This of course ruined the evaporation process forcing the company to restart those ponds again. Nowadays the route to Steep Point is around the bottom and then back up the western side of the inlet.

It may be named Useless Loop / Inlet but it’s far from that, it’s part of the Shark Bay World Heritage area and it’s nestled between the Shark Bay Marine Park on one side and the towering Zuytdorp Cliffs on the other.

L C de Freycinet's map of Havre Inutile Useless Loop area.

L C de Freycinet's camp in Shark Bay.

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THE THINGS YOU SEE! with (TRUTHFUL) PHIL BIANCHI

FOUR DAYS OF 'RELAXATION' The bogging of a WA family of four in the Simpson Desert in November 2021, reminded me of a similar incident that befell me in 2008.

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n a trip to the CSR Rudall River NP area, our party of two vehicles was camped west of Hanging Rock. The weather during the trip had been terrific; blue skies every day, it was shorts and tee shirts weather. While driving out of camp one morning a rain shower came out of nowhere. Within minutes big black clouds appeared, there was thunder and lightning and heavy rain started falling. It became heavier and heavier; the wipers couldn’t keep up. In an hour, and after travelling only 15km, a muddy flat stopped us.

Thinking we could easily get out of this situation, out came the shovels and two sets of bog mats, a set of Maxtrax and a set of 'bottom of milk crate' style bog mats I had been asked to trial. We managed to gain a couple of metres each time before bogging again, all the while the heavy rain kept falling. After what felt like some 20 debogging efforts, and totally exhausted, we gave up.

had filled with water and mud and were a hindrance, so I took them off and did all of the unbogging work in bare feet. Our friends set up their tent on higher ground in a patch of mulga, some 100 metres away.

To improve our spirits, and because we had nothing else to do, we lit a fire. After creating a mound of mud that was above the water line, we placed some spinifex on it and then some wet wood. Using a gas blow torch and keeping the trigger pressed open we eventually got the spinifex and

Forlorn camp.

The Maxtrax were fantastic compared to the milk crate style bog mats. They quickly cleared of mud for reuse, whereas the milk crate type remained clogged, impossible to clean, were slippery and very heavy. We would have paid a king’s ransom for two sets of Maxtrax!

Realising we needed shelter, a 3m x 3m canvas tarp was set up off the side of our Cruiser and our tent was set up on a tiny bit of high ground. By now my feet were suffering from hypothermia. My boots 132

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Another metre gained.

wood burning. Although it took a while, and almost a can of gas, we got there. To further improve camping facilities, our table was placed under the middle of the tarp.

We then laid the bog mats around it like a board walk, which made walking back and forth while cooking etc. easier. During all of this it continued to rain and rain.

Realising we were going to be here for more than an overnight camp, we contacted the VKS HF Radio Network, of which we were members, advising them of our predicament. They asked us to keep in touch daily via morning and evening skeds.

Sleeping that night proved hopeless; by midnight the patch of high ground where our tent was pitched went under, the tent pegs pulled out and water had entered the tent drenching everything. Solid rain, lightning and thunder continued through the night.

Day two dawned and the rain had eased slightly, but it felt like only from cyclonic to torrential. The ground was still very boggy, we couldn’t move; it was to be a rest day.

Thankfully the rain eased to showers in the afternoon, so we advised VKS of the improving situation and assured them we were ok.

On day three we found the country had dried out significantly but still not enough to get out.

While having lunch, ten camels came through the mulga belt and across the flat

towards us. Stopping for a few moments about 80 metres away, they watched us inquisitively. Suddenly they decided we were a dubious looking bunch and in a flurry of slipping and skidding legs they took off back to the mulga.

Later in the afternoon we made up lots of flags, a stick with a length of toilet paper tied on. Using the flags we walked across the flat seeking the higher and firmer ground and marked out an escape route.

That evening, during our sked with VKS, we were advised that the authorities wanted us out and were going to organise a rescue helicopter from Telfer. Feeling safe and believing we could get out without such intervention, we pleaded for them to wait until the morning before setting any rescue in motion. Thankfully they agreed.

On the fourth morning conditions had improved further, we advised VKS we were confident in successfully getting out and that we were heading back eastward to the Rudall River NP north south track, then to the Talawana Track and Newman.

We got off the boggy flat without any problems and so ended our three night stay at the Boggy Hilton; the flags worked a treat. Needless to say VKS were relieved at our success but not as much as we were.

Despite all the planning, precautions and safety and communications gear, mother nature sometimes does things her way and catches you out.

Escape looks good but it's still treacherous.

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BINDON'S LORE with BINDON THE BUSHIE

CAN YOU EAT IT OR NOT? The ‘lollipop tree’ tends to be a feature of the art made by children when they are learning to draw. It appears just as you might imagine as a round solid green top supported by a straight brown trunk. If a bird tried to fly into it, concussion would be the result.

I

always felt that this drawing could not resemble anything in nature, until I encountered examples of the Desert Kurrajong, or Brachychiton gregorii. They were growing near the roadside close to

Desert Kurrajong, or Brachychiton gregorii.

Paynes Find and followed me north quite sporadically but consistently for several hundred kilometres and could be seen on the roadside and also well away from the road growing amongst the grey-green Acacia scrub. Although at the time no

Desert Kurrajongs bore their distinctive bell-shaped pale yellowish flowers, their easily recognised bright green dense crowns held aloft on a straight trunk were definitely reminiscent of ‘lollipop trees’. Many people were aware of my interest in the lifeways of desert dwelling people as well as being interested in the plants and animals that these folk relied on for survival. Most questions that I was asked involved an answer that included some reference to ‘bush tucker’, and the questions involved not only the ways in which the sparse populations of animals were managed, but also the plants that could be used for sustenance away from the local supermarket. Could you actually survive on them? My reply was usually that the bush was a supermarket and there was a lot of tucker out there, but that not all the shelves were stocked all the time. Makes you think of shortages in our supermarkets during ‘lockdowns’, doesn’t it?

This reply was not my original thought. It arose from an occasion when travelling through the Kimberley pindan with an elderly Worora man. I looked out the window of the 4WD at the seemingly monotonous landscape of tall grasses interspersed with sparsely scattered scrubby trees and remarked that the countryside appeared devoid of anything that would be of interest to a human. Looking at me with horror on his face, my passenger had replied, "There’s a lot of tucker out there". I realised that I was looking AT the landscape while he was looking INTO the landscape. We were using different ways of seeing. Needless to say, I kept quiet for several kilometres while deep in thought about the likely resources Western 4W Driver #121 |

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to be found in such a land and vegetation system. Recognising my ignorance, he later became one of my chief teachers about Kimberley plant use.

But, back to the lollipop trees. I was aware that several writers had been commissioned by the military authorities during the Second World War to produce booklets describing various plants and the uses that they could be put to in an emergency or while away from normal sources of supply. These books had contained information on other Kurrajong species that bore edible seeds in woody boat-like cases like the Desert Kurrajong.

Carefully removing the seeds from the woody cases in which they are found using

Desert Kurrajong seeds.

Photo: Voice in the Widlerness

a stick because of the prickly cases holding the seeds, they could then be winnowed to separate their cases and resulting edible seeds, which look much like shelled maize kernels. These yellow seeds could then be ground into a passable flour between two flat stones. One author also mentioned that the seeds could be roasted, perhaps on a very hot flat rock and then ground up to produce what to all intents and purposes smells like freshly ground coffee beans. I stopped to examine a couple of the lollipop trees and was delighted to find that they carried seed pods that still contained 136

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ripe seed. Naturally I collected some to test the suggestion that a brew could be made from them, and after processing the seeds as recommended, I did manage to produce quite a reasonable pannikin of a coffee-like beverage. This was just what I had expected, but I did not have sufficient seeds to try making flour that could be turned into a flat damper cooked in the coals of a campfire. That experience came later when I discussed the process with Indigenous women in Wiluna who were prepared to show me the whole process of damper-making with Kurrajong flour and allowed me to taste their efforts. At the same time, I also discovered more of the uses that the Kurrajong family was put to

by Australia’s first peoples.

There are strong bast fibres in the inner bark beneath the woody outer bark that were gathered and spun into very tough string which could be used for numerous purposes. The youngest leaves of new shoots of some Kurrajong species were steamed over the fire and pulped on grindstones to make a useful ‘green,’ and this variety also exudes from wounds in the trunk, huge quantities of an edible gum that was collected and made into large flat cakes that after drying, could be stored for ages and later crushed up and mixed with other foods when required. A Kimberley species produces a long ‘carrot’ in its very young stage that can be dug up and roasted as a vegetable. This was not a staple vegetable, but it did provide sustenance when a number of seedlings were found growing beneath a large adult

Kurrajong roots ready for roasting.

Photo: edimentals.com

tree. No doubt there are more uses that I do not know about but making a coffee substitute from the ripe seeds is one way of being able to experience a small taste of authentic Australian bush tucker.

While I was in Wiluna, I had an encounter with another species of plant that many white Australians will know well. An Aboriginal man who was living outside the community returned to his camp where I was also based carrying a kangaroo that he had speared some kilometres south of the camp as well as a billycan full of the bright red fruits of the Quandong. The name of this large shrub or small tree is an adaptation of a similar sounding NSW Wiradjuri word, and there are many other Indigenous names for this fruit throughout the arid regions of Australia where it is found. The bright red fruits were used by early white settlers and are still used today to make pies and jam despite much of the fruit being composed of a large textured ‘stone.’ When at a young age I had a game of ‘Chinese Checkers’ which had painted quandong stones as playing pieces. Some varieties of quandong can be quite tasty, but they are not really sweet according to most people’s taste, but when cooked they make a delicious filling for pies with an authentic Australian taste. I have never really understood why the so-called bushtucker restaurants don’t serve slices of the quandong pie with a scoop of ice cream as a dessert. Perhaps they think that is a bit too humble a fare and harks back to settler times when it was a common item on a settler family’s menu.

Nevertheless, it is a fruit worth collecting

Quandong fruit and stone.

Photo: foodtank.com

when it is ripe and the bonus is that after removing the wrinkled stone which comes away very easily from the flesh, the stones can be cracked open and the oily kernel eaten raw, but they can also be roasted and salted to provide a tasty campfire snack to enjoy along with a cold beer. The scientific name of the Quandong is Santalum acuminatum, referring to the wrinkled surface of the ‘nut’ and the santalum family of plants is spread right throughout Australia. Another member of the family is Sandalwood, (Santalum spicatum, referring to the scent of its spicey aromatic wood) once a major export from Western Australia but now somewhat difficult to find in the wild. Both Sandalwood and Quandongs are being grown commercially on a small scale by interested growers in Western and South Australia. For many years it was found to be difficult to get the seeds to sprout in cultivation, but recent trials have had great success and young plantations have been established in the two states just mentioned. Another member of the family, Northern Sandalwood or Bush Plum (Santalum lanceolatum) is found in the arid

Northern Sandalwood or Bush Plum.

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so difficult to establish from parts of the Kimberley and seed until they were planted when the plum-like black fruits near suitable host plants are ripe they are one of the that could give them a help sweetest of bush foods. In all, along. The long germination there are about 25 species of period of the seeds also Santalum growing around the had to be understood and Pacific Ocean and in Malesia overcome before commercial which seems to suggest that growing could be considered. they are an ancient group of However, some sustained shrubs and small trees that efforts by dedicated plant perhaps began life in the lovers seem to have started super-continent known as Northern Sandalwood several of the santalum Gondwana. Another factor that or Bush Plum. group on their way, including suggests their ancient origin the main source of sandalwood oil and is that they are all hemi-parasitic meaning perfume, the Pacific sandalwood (Santalum that although they photosynthesise their album) not an Australian native but now own nutrients, they also tap into the roots grown in plantations in the north of the of other plants in a non-destructive way to continent. Perhaps on your next outing into obtain water and other dissolved foods from their habitat, you will find a bright red fruit the host plant. This seems to be the reason or two and give a bit of bushtucker a try. why members of the santalum family were

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LET'S GO GEO-TOURING with SHANE THE SHARKCAVER

IT'S 50 IN ANOTHER DESERT Getting safely to one's destination is a good thing to achieve especially when you are remote and solo.

Returning home unscathed via roads less travelled adds to the fun factor.

In edition #120, I wrote about my journey across the Anne Beadell Highway for a surprise birthday in Adelaide. Now I write about my geocaching adventure back to Perth.

W

ith a whole two days on the ground in Adelaide, this rolling stone gathered no moss by hitting the road again for home. With the surprise 50th birthday now completed, I hit the road for the short stint to Whyalla. No geocaches were attempted on this leg and with four hours of blacktop to navigate, the day was

just a transport stage for better things to come. Today just so happened to be my 50th and I was treated to a great meal and a pint at the New Whyalla Hotel from my newly turned 50 year old friend.

With no set plans, in the morning I bid farewell to my mate and headed for the Eyre Peninsular, destined again to be solo for the remainder of the journey. Calling into Lucky Bay, I was lucky enough to see the car ferry arrive and dock. Lucky Bay also served another purpose: the restart of my geocaching adventure. A quaint little village of fishing shacks and the cache quickly found, I moved ever closer to Port Lincoln. On arrival at Port Lincoln by late afternoon, I headed south west and found a makeshift camp for the night at Sleford

The old Eyre Hwy and Cook Rd junction.

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Bay. The wind howled all afternoon and half the night. All one could do was to huddle beside the vehicle to escape the wind.

A heavy dew formed overnight and this was to plague me for the rest of the journey.

Even though I had spare time up my sleeve, I had to remember that I still had a long way to go. In hindsight, I kick myself now that I never took an extra day of that spare time to call into Coffin Bay National Park. Up the western side of the peninsular, I made Ceduna for a refuel. The plan was to see if I could catch up with Frank and his kitten (see my story in edition #120) at Cactus Beach. Not exactly a road less travelled, upon arrival I found the place heaving with people and I managed to score one of the last three sites in the massive place. Frank was nowhere to be seen. A sparse and barren campsite had me into bed early.

A couple of caches are located here, and with those duly found I hit the long road for home, stopping occasionally to find a few more Nullarbor caches. At the Nullarbor Roadhouse, I took one of those roads less travelled, the old Eyre Highway for Koonalda homestead. Koonalda is a great little place to camp, well off the beaten track. There is an old homestead, shearing quarters and a million old vehicles quietly rusting away. Hoping to see no one here

Meeting the ferry at Lucky Bay.

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Makeshift camp south west of Port Lincoln.

If you listen quietly, you can hear the Koonalda wrecks rusting.

Old man dingo looked fat and healthy.

for a well-deserved shower, I arrived to find a caving group from Adelaide Uni had commandeered the place. They appeared ok that I share their camp with them. They slept inside the homestead whilst I slept in my preferred place, under the verandah. It was a cold night with considerable fog and heavy dew in the morning. Up before sunup was a photographer’s delight. Pity I’m not a good photographer.

If you head to Koonalda, make sure you head north up the station tracks, past the shearing shed to Koonalda Cave. It’s what the Nullarbor is synonymous for and this one doesn’t disappoint. You won’t be getting in without rope though and unless trained in caving techniques, I wouldn’t recommend it either. I checked on the cache at the homestead I had found some years earlier. Some 40km west of Koonalda a track veers north. Following my theme of roads less travelled, I decided to take this

track and see if I could get through to WA. There are no caches out here, the detour was just for exploration and adventure. The track is one of the dustiest roads I have traversed and you wouldn’t want to be out here if it’s wet. The track follows the old Eyre Highway about 10km to the north and apart from the dust, it’s not a hard run, just remote. Don’t expect to see much passing traffic out here. After a short detour to visit Warbla Cave, I crossed the border – without a lot of fanfare I might add.

Some 50km further west down this track you meet a cross road. Heading south takes you back to civilisation at Eucla, effectively bypassing the border checkpoint. I think it should be renamed the Rona Highway.

I’m sure some numpty has tried it (note: my crossing was well before COVID-19 had even been thought of). This track is a bit rough with lots of limestone boondies to negotiate.

Cactus Beach.

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Arriving at Eucla, I located the cache nearby and it was back to the blacktop to complete the long stretch of the Nullarbor. Entering into a rest area for another cache, I spied a red disco, an old bugger and a kitten hiding in the shade of a covered water tank. Low and behold, it was my old mate Frank, who I met on the road at Coober Pedy after I had completed the Anne Beadell. His plan to resettle in Esperance didn’t come off, so he and the kitten hit the road again for the east - somewhere. If anyone comes across a bloke named Frank, with a red disco and a kitten rambling around the countryside, tell him I said g’day.

to behold. A perfect place to start the day with a nice cup of coffee ... and a geocache ... before another long day’s journey in the saddle. Today, more of the same followed.

Long stretches of bitumen broken by the occasional geocache. A side trip out to Cocklebiddy Cave is worth the visit even if you don’t want to log the earth cache situated here. It’s a bit slow going in places due to ruts formed when it was last wet, but there are plenty of ways around those ruts.

Once you hit Caiguna, you are faced with Australia’s longest straight stretch of road, all 147km of it. Lucky for me, there are a few

Short of Madura, I ventured south for Madura Cave, also the site of an earth cache.

With sunlight fading fast, I left the other caches nearby for another time and made my way to the Madura lookout for the night.

With the high vantage point at the lookout, sunrise over the Roe Plains is something Don't forget to leave your fruit and veggies at the border.

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Old wrecks make the perfect place to hide a cache along the Nullarbor.

Cocklebiddy Cave.

geocaches along here to break the journey.

50km short of Balladonia, I decided to make camp at a designated roadside stop, also the site of a geocache.

It was now Easter Saturday and the place was heaving with vans. Not my preferred place to camp, but with a fading sun I had to make do with what I had. As I age, the less I wish to travel at night. I had a horrible night run out here 20 years ago and spent hundreds of kilometers glued to the rear of a greyhound bus for protection.

Once you hit Balladonia, the salmon gums start to make their presence known and glow magnificently in the early morning light. This signifies the start of the great western woodlands - the largest temperate woodland in the world. Halfway between here and Fraser Range, Newman Rocks is a short hop to the north. It is certainly worth a visit, particularly if you want to get that geocaching tally up, and as an additional benefit, it would make a great place to camp too. The granite outcrop country begins.

Some say it's boring, but the Nullarbor appeals to me.

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After having travelled some 1200km since my last refuel, Norseman was a welcome relief.

Thanks to long range tanks. Over a roadhouse burger I had to make some plans. I could go directly to home from here but it would be a late arrival. I could take more tracks less travelled through the woodlands to the west or I could just do the highway route and camp up somewhere for the last night. After 15 days on the road, and a little travel weary by now, I chose the latter.

Stopping five hours short of home, I found a nice spot to camp and had my last night by a warm and cosy fire. By mid-afternoon on day 16, I had successfully returned home. I had traversed some pretty remote country, added another 6,700km to the odometer, knocked off about 25 caches (and a few earth caches I still haven’t logged) and I had bowled over four personal milestones, the main one being a solo crossing of the Anne Beadell.

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A nice way to finish the trip.

What an incredible solo adventure this was.

Geocaching takes you to some remarkable places you may not have been aware of.

Why not give it a crack yourself? If you already do so and have a good story to tell, get in touch. You may just end up writing for a premium off road magazine like I do.

I hope to see you out there someplace remote one day, hopefully signing a geocaching logbook together. Until then, safe travels.

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Share the starlit sky and avoid the midday sun with the DS-2 Pitch Black Double Dome Swag. It’s large, comfortable and comes fully kitted for today’s drovers and adventurers.

* OZTENT DS-1 Pitch Black Single Dome Swag shown.

Key features • OZTENT’s Pitch Black Tech® - keeps out up to 95% of sunlight • 2 Person - Sleeps two comfortably • Easy access - through the side or the head of the swag • Replaceable super-fine 65gsm No-See-Um mesh sky-screens • 100% waterproof - stay dry • Multiple storage features - keeping everything close and secure • Power cord inlet and light loops - tech-friendly and flexible.

OZTENT ..it’s the experience.

“The main focus on light-proof fabric is a great bonus for Australian outback conditions. This is the first product of its kind to block out sunlight, which is very impressive.

It’s a well thought out and executed double swag that offers high-quality, breathable fabric, in-built ventilation solutions and good tie-downs.

Overall, it’s the ultimate high-end swag. A standout project that ticks all the boxes for good design in this category. Well done.”

GDA Judges comment, 2021

WOMEN IN 4W DRIVING

BY CHRIS MORTON

Elizabeth Harding T

President, WA 4WD Association

he Western Australian 4WD Association is considered the peak body for 4WD clubs in WA. The Association acts as the representation of 4WD clubs when it engages with state and local government agencies and advocates on their behalf with respect to maintaining and expanding areas for recreational use. The Association also promotes safe 4WD practices and encourages efforts by clubs to give back to their community through clean-up days. They are also responsible for providing consultation and representation on matters such as the WA Adventure Activity Standards for 4W driving, the Offroad Advisory Committee and The Western Australian Recreational Campers Organisation.

Elizabeth Harding is the current chair of the WA 4WD Association and has held the position for the last two years. She is a member of Armadale 4WD Club and has been involved in the 4WD community for the last 18 years.

What originally got you involved in 4W driving?

“Our first 4WD was a Suzuki Grand Vitara and we were looking for somewhere we could learn how to use it off-road. We went on a trip with the Armadale 4WD Club out to the Mundaring Powerlines. The club members were more than willing to pass on their knowledge. Now after 18 years, we are passing on knowledge to new members.”

Why did you join a 4WD club?

“That first trip out really cemented it for us.

We enjoyed being in the company of other 146

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like-minded people and really enjoyed the family atmosphere the club presented. Both of our daughters grew up coming away on 4WD adventures with the club and they now both own their own 4WDs. They are teaching their children how to go camping and the fun that they can have being part of a 4WD club. The places we have visited with the club and the confidence gained from being around others that have extensive knowledge has made the membership so worthwhile.”

What made you run for the Association’s chair role?

“I was already president of the Armadale 4WD Club and had experience with the various other executive roles required to run a club. It was at a time where the Association was suffering from some internal conflict and I knew that I had the knowledge and experience to help guide the association along the right track.”

Her tenure as chair expires in August, as per the Association’s constitution. She will put her hand up for election but will have to wait and see if she is re-elected. Her goal is to become more involved with the various clubs, represent them and assist them with functions and events, ensuring that every activity that the Association undertakes is for the betterment of its members.

What changes have you seen in the 4WD community since becoming involved?

“There are more single woman that feel comfortable in joining and a greater number of women taking on executive roles within clubs. We have seen some movement of

clubs away from the Association due to financial pressures and inaction caused by that internal conflict. Clubs are more aware of access changes to localities and their need to place a greater emphasis of giving back to ensure that continued access.

Clubs are redefining themselves due to lower membership rates and ensuring that they stay relevant for new generations.

The use of social media to talk to members privately as well as getting the message out to a wider audience. Cars are safer but the basics of 4W driving remain the same.”

“We are seeing an explosion of online groups that organise trips and events.

We think this is part of the evolution of clubs in general and if they are respectful, careful and mindful of their actions then the

Association is happy to support them. By taking their 4WD off-road, they unwittingly represent the entire industry by their deeds and actions. We are now even seeing some of these groups approaching the Association for assistance with insurance.”

How would you like to see more women getting involved in committee and leadership roles within the industry?

“We are already seeing a shift, not just with 4WD clubs but across society. More and more women are taking on roles that were once viewed as a male only role. For women (or men), it is understanding that they do not have to be the expert in that field but if you have skills and experience that can enhance or complement the role then there is no reason for you to sit back.”

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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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Check out these items and more at

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Playing cards with a survival hint on each card.

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Bob’s best selling book

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OUTBACK SURVIVAL

MY FIRST CHALLENGE At the age of seventeen years I put myself on my first survival challenge, although I didn’t know that at the time.

T

he idea was to walk along the coastline from Perth to Yanchep and explore the National Park. Yanchep was then a tiny town along the coast about 65km north of Perth. I had the front page from a 1970 street directory as a map, two litres of water, lots of tinned food, a loaf of bread and a sleeping bag all stuffed into a shoulder strap Navy kit bag.

It was my summer school holidays and I walked off unaware and unafraid of anything. As the day grew hotter things changed. By lunch time it was 38°C (100°F) and I was out of water and had two sunburnt legs from wearing shorts. I was starting to feel unwell and I was very concerned about having no water. The food weighed me down making walking on the beach sand terribly hard. So by late afternoon I buried 90% of my tucker on top of a sand dune and marked the spot for future recovery – it’s still all there, somewhere.

That night with a burning sensation on my legs and face and with accompanying blistered lips, combined with a dehydrated body I was concerned about my future. I was afraid and very alone. I told my mother I would walk up the coastline to Yanchep National Park and explore the bush areas, then in a week’s time hitchhike back to Perth. No-one was coming to look for me for at least a week.

The more I thought about that, the more I felt that I was in deep trouble, having no water and not knowing if there was any water ahead of me. In my ignorance, I

with BOB COOPER waited until sunrise to move off and missed a few hours of really cool time to walk, saving my sweat and no burning sunlight.

By 10am the hot easterly wind was in full force, blowing the bleached white sand so hard that it actually stung as it sandblasted my sunburnt legs. The effort to walk on the harder, firm, wet beach sand was becoming arduous due to my weakening dehydrated condition.

The sun was hot again and there was zero shade. I started thinking and believing that I could perish. At that dismal moment, I don’t know what made me look up to my right but I did, and “thanks to all the Gods” I spotted the roof of a shack. It was a squatter’s fishing shack hidden behind the first line of sand dunes with a rain water tank on the side. What a relief and a lifesaver - drinking water and shade. I drank so much water I felt sick. I went inside the shack, it was neat and tidy. I made a cup of black coffee on the gas stove, which ran from cylinders outside and then rested on one of the single-wire bunks until late afternoon. I robbed the rubbish bin of some old bottles which I rinsed out, filled with water and departed a better and very grateful young man.

I slept in the sand dunes that night, this time not so scared but still concerned as I had absolutely no idea how far I had travelled.

On day three I found several shacks, topped up water bottles and arrived in Yanchep town-site around lunch time. I walked along the bitumen road to the National Park and slept in a pavilion using one of the toilet rolls as a pillow. The next day I hitched a ride home and the bloke who picked me up found it hard to believe what I had done, as I did, when I retold the story.

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The Challenging Pilbara Coast

T

he Pilbara is a pretty special region.

It has its own unique and sometimes harsh character and its coastline is no exception. It does have an interesting mix of features and exploring the coastal areas around the main centres of Onslow, Karratha and Port Hedland will quickly illustrate how things are quite different to the southern half of the state. For those who are looking to explore more of it first-hand and haven’t done so yet, some cautionary words of advice first.

Long, uninterrupted beach stretches are not so typical (apart from the Eighty Mile a long way east of Hedland) and instead, broken headlands and tidal mangroves feature just about everywhere. It’s part of

the reason why even being able to get close to the coast doesn’t necessarily mean close to the waterline. Gravel roads and tracks into the more accessible places are fine but after that it tends to be rough trails strewn with sharp-edged rocks and tidal floodplains. And those large tidal flats exist for a reason. Up here the tides are much bigger (as much as five metres on the biggest springs) with many areas of coastal mudflat flooded on a regular fortnightly cycle. It dominates how and when anglers and campers can get to certain Pilbara creeks and rivers and the shoreline itself.

The tides themselves provide plenty of challenges until you become familiar with their routine and learn which tidal ranges

Big tidal movements dictate effective fishing along the Pilbara coast.

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allow you to get to a certain spot so that it can become fishable. (Often it means fishing the neaps.) Getting there and back is only part of the challenge though because the fishing itself can be absolutely dead at different stages of the cycle. In this part of the world it really does pay to do your research carefully or check with good local advice.

These things contribute to the most successful inshore fishing here being tackled by dinghy. Most driveways or carports in Pilbara towns will sport one. The creek fishing, particularly for threadfin or bluefin salmon, mangrove jack, queenfish, trevally and barramundi (in the warmer months) can be very productive and it's often complemented by the added attraction of a big mud crab or two. Some inshore areas, such as Nickol Bay east of the Burrup, also hold good numbers of blue mannas at the right time of year.

But just as miscalculating the tides can wreak havoc on the unwary 4W driver near the coast in these parts, so too can it make a mockery of the dinghy fisher. Don’t head out and just gamble that there’ll be enough water under you when you want to return.

If you do there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself sitting and waiting for hours in a bottomed out boat or face dragging the craft through shin-deep mud for hundreds of metres.

Getting close to river mouths in this region is not always easy across muddy tidal flats.

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Pilbara shorelines are also renowned for another serious problem if you’re not prepared. The mangrove midges and sandflies will inflict serious pain if you don’t treat them with the upmost respect. The best protection is complete body coverage and staying out of the actual mangroves themselves as much as possible. Relying on insect repellent is not always effective either - in many cases the standard stuff is almost more of an attractant.

Getting to the headlands or rare sandy bays for a fish in areas that aren’t completely dominated by mangrove and mudflats also has its pitfalls. Rocky trails can be tough on tyres as we know, so slow and easy is best. If it is nothing more than a trail be wary of the unevenness and deep ruts and holes. The Pilbara often asks the toughest questions of 4WDs, especially in terms of suspension, ground clearance, underside protection and side steps. Often the answer is that awful sound of metal making contact and more than just pride being dented.

In terms of places to look out for, the list is pretty big depending on where you’re setting out from. The truth is the Pilbara region really is the perfect place for offroad enthusiasts because there is so much to explore, even without good guidebooks.

In many cases it’s not easy or even possible because of access or the terrain but there’s always a track to find somewhere.

Sometimes getting to the best coastal spots in the Pilbara requires overcoming some testing off-road terrain.

Around Onslow there’s the mouth and delta section of the Ashburton River and the ruins of the historical original townsite as well as Beadon Creek itself on the eastern side of town. Between there and the distant mouth of the Fortescue River to the east there are many hard to get to creeks as well as the more well known Turner River and Sandy Creek. The whole stretch can produce great fishing for jacks in the right spots if you can get to them.

Twenty odd kilometres east of the Fortescue Roadhouse is the turn-off to the Fortescue River. The road in is usually well maintained but things get trickier in the last few kilometres when you may have to cross a little bit of water with one or two shallow drains near the mouth.

Like many coastal spots along the Pilbara coast, it’s exposed camping and best pitching a long way off the mangroves.

There’s a makeshift launching ramp of sorts for boats between the mangroves and Mangrove Jack are one of the Pilbara’s iconic inshore species, great to catch and delicious on the plate.

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and the establishment of Murujuga National Park. None the less the famous 'Jump Up' that provides the entry to exploring the areas out along the peninsular is legendary in 4W driving terms. There are some magical coves and beaches to be found and fished there with the right tides, particularly if it’s on the rise in the mornings.

The bigger river and creek systems in the eastern parts do produce big barra like this one for the author, at the right time of year.

some use this as the closest mainland jumpoff point for visiting some of the nearby islands, or for the very well-equipped and experienced, the Monte Bellos.

Further east again and about this side of Karratha is the Forty Mile (Gnoorea Point).

Once a fairly quiet and remote location it is now far more popular and frequented by a bigger numbers of campers.

There’s a makeshift ramp facing north for launching directly into the ocean. Blue nose salmon, queenfish, pikey bream and yellowfin whiting can be caught along the beach. Plenty of Karratha locals also take advantage of its location for a day trip.

There are fewer spots on the Burrup Peninsular itself that can be accessed compared to a few decades ago, both because of the expansion of development A blue nose threadfin salmon about to be released.

East of Karratha there are well known spots such as the Nicol River, Cleaverville beach (and Cleaverville creek itself), Butchers Inlet and the Harding River (at Cossack) and further on again at the Sherlock River.

Each can be fished reasonably easily given their proximity to good launch points for a dinghy and even to be able to get a cast in from shore. The typical creek species are there at the right times but the real attraction for the serious northern diehards is the chance to land a barramundi. They’re not found in prolific numbers but are a realistic summer prospect, especially as the water temperatures start to warm up in October-November.

The famous Whim Creek pub on the North West Coastal Highway half way between Karratha and Port Hedland signposts the road out to Balla Balla where the Caporn and Whim Creeks join near the ocean. It’s another relatively desolate place to camp but some shore fishing is possible and launching a tinny to fish the estuary area and around Depuch Island bring quite a few visitors to try.

The Turner River west of Port Hedland and the numerous creeks on the other side of town to the east attract interest from the locals mainly, but the more significant sites on this eastern side are the De Grey River mouth, Condon Creek, Pardoo Station and Cape Keraudren.

Getting to the coast from De Grey or Pardoo varies according to how peeved the station managers become with non-caring visitors but Keraudren has a public campground and basic boat launch site. These areas and the adjacent start to Eighty Mile Beach form a significant eastern Pilbara zone in itself. But that’s another story.

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27 INGINKGHKH27 W O C E W & A5P1 A51 & KUMHOK,UEMCHSOT,EAECCOP 1 ES31 YS3TA R.ES. S Y E T R OR ES3 ORRK L3 T 3K EN G3 C UL CRUGEN

GEAR TO GO CAMPING MADE SMART

I

n a never-ending quest to organise your car or van, the team at Go Camping and Overlanding have been sourcing unique usable products for the shop.

The latest is a range of products from Madesmart including an expandable utensil tray. It has five compartments for easy organisation and can expand to fit into your drawers. Items stay in place thanks to a soft-grip lining and non-slip rubber feet.

The tray is made from high quality, BPA-free plastic for long-lasting organisation.

Go Camping and Overlanding

Other items include dish racks that pack flat – check them out!!

9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

Kershaw Camp 10

L

ooking for a big blade with value and durability? The Kershaw Camp 10 machete has been widely praised for both!

Cut, slash, hack, split, scrape ... just about any task you ask of it, the Camp 10 Tan can handle. From clearing brush in the south to making kindling in the desert, the Camp 10 is the ideal outdoor and survival tool.

a rubberised mold offering a secure grip … but wait, there's more … included is a glass-filled nylon sheath with gear straps and belt loop!

A 10-inch blade provides hacking power in a perfect size with full-tang construction.

RRP is $159.95 – but mention Western 4W Driver magazine and it’s $20 off at Go Camping and Overlanding.

For the geeks, the Camp 10 has a 65Mn steel, durable carbon, black powdercoated steel blade. A glass-filled nylon handle with

It’s available in All-Black or Coyote Tan.

9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au Western 4W Driver #121 |

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GEAR TO GO CAMPING

Camelbak Thermal Mugs and Cups

T

he undisputed leader in outdoor hydration for the last 30 years surely has to be Camelbak.

They not only lead the market in those packs with drinking hoses, but they are also super popular in the regular drinkware category, including a strong and durable 350ml camp mug!

Constructed with a double-walled, vacuuminsulated stainless steel with a powder coat finish keeps it looking good on the outside and piping hot on the inside. The lid slides open for flow control and is spill-resistant. A non-slip silicone pad on the base provides a soft landing on surfaces to avoid scratches and spills. Thrills too!!

Check them out at Go Camping and Overlanding.

9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

Messemeister Knife – The Overland

L

ooking for a talking piece in your camp chef collection? Look no further than the Overland Knife.

The ultra-tough canvas Micarta handle has a contoured pommel and machined lanyard eyelet for a sure and comfortable grip for any sized task around the campsite.

A 60/40 blade grind moves additional weight over the cutting edge and the ballistic clip point adds strength to the tip.

Despite the extra heft, the Overland Chef's Knife is surprisingly responsive and lively when used on a cutting board. Staying sharp is key, so in use is nitro cobalt steel (sounds like something from the drag strip) which will hold a terrific edge that is easy to restore. They are made in Maniago, Italy and built to be rugged and versatile, and

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just because it's awesome, there's also a hidden bottle opener in the butt of the handle for your convenience.

Not something to lose around the camp as prices start at over $300!!

Go Camping and Overlanding.

9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

GEAR TO GO CAMPING

Lodge Chainmail Scrubber

D

oes baked-on food in your cast iron cookware give you the heebiejeebies?

Well, did you know that Lodge Cast Iron, purveyors of fine cast cookware offer a durable 304 stainless steel chainmail scrubber with a silicone core that tackles the big messes when no other tool does the job. It is 13cm wide and can be easily cleaned once the job is done. If you didn’t know all of that, well now you do!

It’s not cheap, but it is fancy! $59.95 from Go Camping and Overlanding 9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

TRAVELLING AUSTRALIA WITH KIDS?

B

efore you hit the road, grab yourselves a TAWK starter pack to help you track your trip and save money while you're at it!

Starter pack includes: 1 x TAWK Sticker 1 x TAWK Digital Membership Card 1 x TAWK Guide eBook (includes ideas for working on the road, educating the kids, satellite phones and more info to help you on your travels) 1 x TAWK Quiz Book (screen-free family fun, perfect for passing hours in the car and everyone plays together. Oh and the kids learn as they go!

1 x Medium A3 TAWK Trip Tracker Map 2 x Small TAWK Trip Tracker Maps 1 x Caravan/Camper Log Book One pack of the Pegless Clothesline fabulous to use in or out of the van

TAWK Finance Tracker - helping you to keep track of the money you are spending on the road - or can help estimate the cost of your trip.

Order yours today for $89.95 from Travelling Australia With Kids www.travellingaustraliawithkids.com Western 4W Driver #121 |

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I

know we are still in summer and the weather is not really conducive to camp oven cooking and fire bans being in place all around the state means no fires, heat beads or charcoal can be used during these times.

But if any of you have a Weber-like BBQ, a caravan oven or your oven at home then you can perfect this recipe for the next time you can ark up the camp oven.

The dish I use for this pie is a 23cm round deep enamel plate from a camping store.

Tin pie plates are available to purchase at homeware stores or disposable aluminium foil pie plates can be purchased from most supermarkets.

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CLEWED UP with JO CLEWS Apple cinnamon pie Apple mixture: 1 800gm can of pie apple, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 2 tablespoons of sugar Pastry: 1 cup of self raising flour 1 cup of plain flour 4 tablespoons of sugar 1 tablespoon of custard powder 2 heaped tablespoons of milk powder, optional 2 heaped tablespoons of butter or margarine 1 egg ¼ cup of milk Combine flours, sugar, custard powder and milk powder in a bowl, add butter and rub in with your fingers until all absorbed.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mix, beat egg and milk together and pour into the well. Cut ingredients together with a butter knife and mix until all combined.

Turn out onto a floured surface and gently knead a couple of times. Cut dough in half, roll out one half to line a 20-24cm pie dish.

Line the pie dish with baking paper, lay in pastry and fill with apple mixture. Place second sheet of pastry over the top, trim edges and press together with a fork.

Brush pastry top with milk or beaten egg and pierce a couple of holes in the middle.

Place pie into a moderate camp oven on a low trivet with coals scraped to the edges of the lid. Cook for about 20 minutes, then

check on its progress, scrape coals to the centre and cook for further 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.

If cooking in a Weber or similar hooded BBQ, pre-heat to about 180°C, place a couple of layers of foil underneath the pie plate and cook for about 25-30 minutes.

The top may not brown up as well in a camp oven as all the heat comes from underneath and be sure to check that the bottom of your pie does not burn.

Serve with custard, cream or ice cream.

Enjoy.

Tip. Other fruit combinations can be substituted eg. apricot, apple and blueberry, apple and custard.

Tip. Pie can be cooked in a home oven at 180°C. Tip. Ingredients can be divided into four portions and made into individual pies.

Tip. Any left over pastry can be rolled out flat and cut into shapes to make a lovely sweet biscuit to have with coffee.

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FIRE COOKING with CHRIS JELLIE

Wading in the Warren

A

s we usually do, we left the city around dinner time, for a five hour drive ...

Whilst it’s not for everyone, we enjoy a night drive. Less traffic makes for much more relaxing travel and setting up in the dark adds another dynamic too.

We headed for the D’Entrecasteaux National Park, passing through Donnybrook, Balingup, Manjimup and Pemberton along the way. We sheepishly snuck into Drafty's Campground, a little after we were supposed to, set up and crashed for the night.

Drafty's had been a stop-over for us in the past so we were familiar with the place.

This was a different time of year and we were promptly given stick of our late arrival by the camp host, Dave. He was a great fella and we chatted a lot about different places in the beautiful state we had visited.

We smashed out breaky, packed up and made our way towards the Yeagerup Dunes.

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Along the way we found Ralph’s Organic honesty stall. We grabbed some fruit, avocados and lemon myrtle leaves. These honestly stalls remind me of my childhood in NZ, you would see many dotted along the roadside with their different offerings.

We aired down and headed through the dunes toward the beach and the infamous Calcup hill climb, not knowing of our next destination.

There was a couple of small groups tackling the climb so we jumped in the middle and gave it heaps! The new turbo diesel pump on the GQ really made the car sing like it hadn’t before in the 18 months of ownership. We attacked the hill and meandered on through the peppermint trees before stopping for some lunch at a shaded clearing.

After some good snacks and a drink, we got chatting to some campers that were set up there. Being locals from Manjimup, they knew the place well. Not wanting to encroach on their spot, we asked if they knew of any other camp spots. The top people they were, they even drove us to a spot they hadn't been for a couple of years.

Absolutely stoked was the only way to describe it as we pulled in to a secluded spot right on the Warren River!

We cracked an ale and relaxed, taking in the gorgeous view we now had.

The tents were set up promptly after, and a quick feed of chicken wingettes was grilled with our Lemon #1 dry rub. After our bellies were full, we needed to prep a porchetta for Christmas dinner the next day. I dried the skin, added apple cider vinegar and salt and left it in the fridge until the next day.

Waking the next morning to black cockatoos dropping gum nuts and squawking in the large flock was so very cool. You would imagine the sounds they make to be

prehistoric. It was a warm Christmas Day and they would land on trees that sat in the water, wander down and cool off in the water. The flock was over 100 at a guess.

It was warm for us too, floating around in the river a few times was so refreshing and much needed.

Spinning the porchetta on a rottiserie next to the river was a great way to close out a much needed relaxing day in the bush.

The feast was well enjoyed by our small family as we took in the idyllic place some more. We love to immerse ourselves in the location rather than a fleeting visit, seeing things you may not otherwise see.

Boxing Day was unfortunately time to head home and the dreaded pack up began.

It’s always slow for us, wanting to savour every minute we can.

Heading up through Nannup this time, then through some back roads for that different perspective of the road less travelled.

Until next time, take care and enjoy the beauty in the bush!

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 Western 4W Driver #121 |

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Char Bro's Lemon #1 Chicken Wingettes We developed Lemon #1 in mid 2020 and released it later that year. We have many return customers that MUST have it in their cupboard. We have now sold over 600 bags and have just under 10 stockists. In my humble opinion, wings are one of the best bang for buck bbq foods going. Adding Lemon #1 gives them a tang and punch you'll be hard pressed to find elsewhere. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients

1kg of chicken wingettes (drums and flats) Approx 1/4 cup Char Bro BBQ Lemon #1 dry rub/seasoning - or to taste Oil for coating wings

Method

Coat chicken in oil, just enough for the rub to bind to the meat.

Sprinkle Lemon #1 as evenly as you can over the chicken, tossing as you go. You are looking for a medium coverage or to taste, you just don't want to cake it on. This can be done prior to cooking and left in the fridge for a dry brine effect, or just before cooking. Either way produces good results.

Heat up your BBQ or grill.

Cooking can be done by grilling directly or indirectly.

Direct grilling you will need a medium to high heat as you don't want to burn the rub or wings. You should be flipping regularly to get a good colour or crust, this should develop the more you flip them.

Indirectly is more suited to lid down cooking on a Weber or larger gas BBQ. You will want a high to very high heat here to achieve that good crust. You wont need to flip the wings with this method as the even heat surrounding the meat will cook it all thoroughly.

With both methods, anything over 165° Fahrenheit is good to eat, however, i recommend hitting the 180° Fahrenheit mark and the wings will render a bit more fat and will easily slide off the bone!

Enjoy with good company.

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HIGH-TECH IN DISGUISE MINOX Trail Camera DTC460

By Chris Morton

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or those looking to get the edge on crafty wildlife or even to see what happens out in the sticks, the MINOX Trail Camera might be just what you need.

This high-tech trail camera offers a 12MP image resolution in only a 34mm slim line housing. Data is stored on either an SD or SDHC card with a maximum capacity of 32GB. Interchangeable front panels (one comes with the camera) allow you to match the unit with its surroundings and the battery compartment has been designed with quick battery changes in mind.

The unit also boasts outstanding night-time performance using innovative hi-beam LEDs for both photo and video.

Head into Camera Electronic's Murray Street store or go to: www.minox.com/en/hunting/MINOXTrail-Camera-DTC-460/80406281

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Store Locations 230 Stirling St, Perth. T (08) 9328 4405 324 Murray St, Perth. T (08) 9225 5966 Shop online at www.cameraelectronic.com.au Western 4W Driver #121 |

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When we camp #WeCampWell

Come and visit our family owned and operated, independent camping store for unique and exclusive products you won’t see anywhere else in Perth.

9/58 Erindale Rd, Balcatta Phone 08 9344 6252 campingoverlanding.com.au

TRACK CARE WA NEWS Shire of Waroona Preston Beach Volunteer Rangers Promoting safe and sustainable beach activities since 1999

H

istorically, Preston Beach was your typical beachside town enjoyed predominately by locals and residents as a quiet beachside getaway.

Popularity for the town grew considerably which saw an increase in holiday makers, tourists and day trippers wishing to enjoy the many beautiful features this wonderful location has to offer. In 1999 a group of concerned residents approached the Shire of Waroona with a request to establish a formal arrangement to provide a volunteer ranger service at Preston Beach, with the intention of educating visitors and residents of their impact on the coastal environment and region, encourage responsible activities throughout the area (including 4W driving) and educating users on the suitable behaviours expected of the area.

Today the role of the Volunteer Rangers is centered around welcoming visitors and providing local information to create a safe and memorable experience; encouraging users to retain and preserve the pristine beach and natural bushland environment; offering guidance on 4W driving; and providing initial support to emergency services in the event of an incident.

Furthermore, the Volunteer Rangers educate visitors of the legal requirements of the area and monitor unwanted and inappropriate behaviour such as speeding, reckless driving, littering, lighting of campfires, illegal camping and the use of vehicles in prohibited areas.

The Volunteer Ranger initiative has since become a vital service to the Preston Beach community and has strengthened the safety and preservation of the local area. Over the years the Volunteer Rangers have assisted

Members of the Preston Beach Volunteer Rangers.

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ing

TRACK CARE WA NEWS Western 4W Driver magazine Police with relation to missing HELP! and South Coast Natural persons and stolen vehicles, Resource Management, aided ambulance officers and whilst also including local visitors in need, discovered Shire of Waroona - Preston and assisted in the removal Beach rules, emergency and relocation of beached an emerg ency wildlife and guidance and important whales Inand other A guide to safe and responsible contacts. attended countless vehicle off-road driving on WA beaches For moreThe informationVolunteer and coastal national parks. rollovers.

The Preston Beach Code Off Everybody loves the stunning scenery, Rangers continue to educate magnificent Road brochure has already beaches and great outdoor activities on offer along the Western Australian coastline. beach users and protect proven to be invaluable to Coastal ecosystems are some of our most fragile and they need special care when we are visiting them, so the unique and wonderful it is vital you know how to drive the small band of Volunteer safely and lightly to protect yourself and our fragile environm ent.

Responsible and skilled driving minimises environment for everyone to degradation Rangers who from Boxing Day to coastal ecosystems, accidents and the spread of Phytophthora dieback. enjoy. to Easter, can be expected to www.trackcare.com.au have a presence on the beach In late 2021, the rackcar Preston facebook.com/t e every day. With the use of Beach Volunteer Rangers vehicles on many beaches and Shire of Waroona joined around Australia prohibited, forces with Track Care WA it is important that safe and to incorporate the Preston responsible off-road driving Beach brochure with the is promoted and adopted to Code Off Road brochure. continue the enjoyment of the This project resulted in the pristine Western Australian coastline, and promotion of consistent and standardised the consistent messaging of the Code Off statewide advice on safe and responsible Road brochure is a significant resource to off-road driving on Western Australian support this. beaches and coastal national parks, supported by organisations including For more information on the Preston Beach Department of Biodiversity, Conservation Volunteer Rangers, please contact the and Attractions Parks and Wildlife Services, Shire of Waroona.

rtaking 4WD training through a registered ing an incorporated 4WD club. mist may reduce visibility on beaches, and are full of blind corners and hill crests.

Drive conditions on the day and avoid driving at drive slowly on coastal off-road tracks and beaches to 20km/h. Enjoy your drive and the

at tyre pressure is reduced to maximise the efore entering sandy tracks and beaches. d look like the example photo below.

Make driving speed is also reduced to maintain he tyre pressure has been reduced.

It is res are reinflated whenever you encounter aces and before driving on the road.

Always pressor with a gauge for this purpose and urer’s specifications for your vehicle.

Always tell someone where you are going and your expected return time and arrange to travel with another vehicle.

If you become bogged or break down you are generally safer staying with your vehicle until help arrives, but if you have to hike out avoid walking in the heat of the day and leave a note in your vehicle of your intentions.

Survival situations cannot be anticipated and bush survival training is definitely beneficial to everyone using the Code Off Road series.

Ensure you have an approved Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) distress beacon or another form of reliable satellitebased communication equipment.

Contact emergency services by calling 000 or via your satellite communication device.

CODE OFF ROAD

https://www.lnt.org.au/resources/green-gu ides.html https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/department/p ublications/ publication/off-road-vehicles-in-western-a ustraliamanagement-of-off-road-vehicles

ore entering sandy tracks or beaches. y conditions engage second or third gear eer clear of sharp turns or sudden braking mentum.

he beach, aim to travel at, but not above . Check tidal and weather conditions on ving over piles of seaweed, be especially nergy beaches and be aware of steep ormal beach processes or storms surges. hes are different. able vehicles to pass without damaging use them and resist the temptation to

rossings can look deceptively shallow. walk the crossing and if you can’t walk mpt to drive. Wheel axle height is a good ep you should go.

GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

One of many vehicle issues tended to by the Preston Beach Volunteer Rangers.

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If you would like your club featured in our 4WD Club Focus, please email: admin@western4wdriver.com.au

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estern Patrol Club is a Perthbased 4WD club that grew out of an online forum group that shared a passion for the Nissan Patrol, sharing knowledge and ideas to support their fellow 4W drivers. As it grew, the group got together and decided to turn it into something more and in 2008 the club was formed. As part of the WA 4WD Association, the club aims to promote and encourage members in the safe recreational and touring use of their vehicles through organising trips and social activities for everyone to join in on.

Fast forward 13 years and the club is still going strong with 29 members. While the club still has the majority of Nissan Patrol owners, in early 2020 the club opened its membership criteria to owners of all makes and models of 4WDs including Toyota LandCruiser, Isuzu D-Max and MUX and many more.

Members enjoy a range of activities organised by the club committee, including but not limited to social events, day trips, beach runs, overnight camping trips, weekenders, night trips and even extended adventures to name a few, which all happen over the 12 month period. The club is very family orientated, focusing on trips that the whole family can enjoy, promoting and encouraging our members' children to get them involved in 4W driving fun.

A number of marquee events are included in our club calendar each year.

The June long weekend is set aside for our Annual Camp Oven Cook Up and Gymkhana. Over the span of the weekend, there are Gymkhana Events which must

4WD CLUB FOCUS

be completed in your 4WD, a quiz night and of course, our Camp Oven Cook Off, which involves every meal for the night being cooked over the camp fire. No gas or electricity allowed.

In October the club is proud to have members support the Kalgoorlie Desert Race, a weekend of offroad racing for motorbikes and cars. Members assist in track marshalling and race monitoring. This event and others like the Gascoyne Dash, is something the Western Patrol Club are honoured to be involved in.

While it is new to our calendar, Dirk Hartog Island has quickly become another club favourite and is sure to become another regular trip available for members to look forward to.

The Western Patrol Club meets on the 4th Wednesday of every month (unless stated otherwise) starting at 7pm at Belmont Sports and Recreation Centre, Abernethy Road, Belmont.

Guests and visitors are welcome to come along, listen to any of the presenters attending and talk to members about why Western Patrol Club is the club for you.

We welcome new members, whether they be new to 4W driving or have experience to share.

Membership fees are $70 a year for two adults and dependants under 17 years.

For more information on the club, upcoming trips or how to join, email us on: wpccommittee@westernpatrolclub.com or visit Facebook: @WesternPatrolClub or our forum: westernpatrolclub.com/forum Western 4W Driver #121 |

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THE PEOPLE WE MEET

BY CHRIS MORTON

Boe and Kimberley from Outback Cleanups Australia

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his edition of The People We Meet is a little different. We didn’t meet Boe or his girlfriend Kimberley on the road somewhere. We met them at the 2021 Perth 4WD and Adventure Show in Perth.

I had heard about Boe and Kimberley’s great work previously and wasn’t aware of their presence at the show until I walked by their vehicle.

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For those who don’t know, Boe started a not-for-profit organisation called Outback Cleanups in 2019, with a goal of removing rubbish from remote coastal areas, bushland and marine environments around Australia.

What made you start Outback Clean-ups?

What has been your more memorable destination?

“I spend a lot of time camping and exploring and the amount of rubbish I was coming across was concerning. Every time I went out I always made sure to bring back a bag of rubbish that I had picked up. After getting my own 4WD and trailer, I was able to go out on more regular trips and bring back more rubbish. I was injured at work and eventually made redundant as a result.

I wanted to do something that was positive and would make an impact.”

“We keep getting drawn back to the Kimberley. It’s everything about the place.

The people, the weather, the country. The harsh, unforgiving landscape is the perfect place for Outback Cleanups to work. Who else is going to do what we do?”

“The final push was during a visit to Mexican Hat Island and Fowler’s Bay in South Australia. The camp sites were trashed and there was so much rubbish on the beach.

We collected as much as we could before heading into Esperance with a plan in my head and some basic designs to get some signage on the troopy.”

That is how Outback Cleanups Australia was started.”

What is the weirdest thing you have had to pick up?

“We found a sawn off shotgun, which we quickly handed into Police, along with some suspicious white powder packages that had washed up on a beach. We have found several small boats in various state of repair. Lots of whale bones, the front end of a sailboat and plenty of 5c pieces.

The most memorable would have to be taking nine hours to winch a Series 1 Land Rover out of a sand dune. That one was hard work and it all started when I spotted a piece of wood sticking out of the sand.

Thankfully, no bodies.”

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Tell us about your vehicle?

“We drive a 1993 HZJ 75 series RV LandCruiser Troopy, which I always wanted as a kid. Named Boomy the Troopy, after the unbreakable gear box went boom, she has travelled 250,000km in six years, all towing a trailer. By the time your readers see this, she will have ticked over 500,000km. I have set her up for touring.

A strong, Front Runner roof rack gives me somewhere to carry the tinnie, and bar work all over it provides plenty of panel protection. We want to be able to focus on the clean ups and not worry about vehicle damage or have a vehicle that needs constant maintenance. We ripped out the back seats, converting it to a two seater. It

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has 2.5” Old Man Emu lift, 800kg constant rear springs and a Mid Coast Fabrication custom ladder. We have two awnings, one on the side and one at the rear. Because of the ladder I can’t make a 270 degree awning work. I built the rear bar myself and it carries the outboard and spare tyre.

Speaking of tyres, we run 285x75x16 Toyo Open Terrain muddies. I have never had a flat tyre in six years. The engine is the original 1HZ naturally aspirated donk. We fitted a Pace Maker exhaust, dual battery system using two Century batteries, a REDARC inverter. I upgraded the brake pads and rotors with a Bendix upgrade kit.

Our Bush Ranger winch gets a regular work out pulling bigger bits of rubbish out. We run a GME UHF and cel-fi go. Anywhere I could replace OEM parts with Terrain Tamer parts I have and the clutch is an upgrade from Extreme Outback.

What makes the story of Outback Cleanups more fascinating is that Boe and Kimberley do all this work on their own. They rarely get given tip passes from local shires and rely heavily on fund raising from merchandise sales and donations. They are indebted to the companies that sponsor them with material support. In the last three years they have collected, catalogued and disposed of over 63 tonnes of rubbish.

If you would like to support Boe and Kimberley's great work, head over to www.outbackcleanupsaustralia.com and buy something from their online store or join their Patreon from only $3 per month.

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GOINGS ON A GONG FOR NICK

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ick Underwood, the founder of Western 4W Driver magazine, has been awarded an Order of Australia medal in this year’s Australia Day honours list. The award was for Services to the Community and Travel Writing in relation to his efforts in publishing Western 4W Driver and expanding the community’s knowledge of 4W driving.

Nick said that he was thrilled with the award and sees it as a nice way to finish off a 30year career. He said that his biggest thrill was taking those new to the 4WD lifestyle away and seeing them achieve things in their 4WD that they never thought possible.

Congratulations Nick and we look forward to seeing some pics when they present you with the award at Government House later this year.

Mr Nicholas Underwood, WA

For service to the community, and to travel writing.

26 January 2022 Author and Publisher • Author, the Western Australian’s 4W Driver’s Guide, 1989 • Founder and Editor, Western 4W Driver, 1989-2019 • Publisher, Explorer Series Trip Books, 4WD Travel Guides, including Days out of Perth, Weekends out of Perth, South Coast, Goldfields, Pilbara, Hann’s Track, Holland Track and Cave Hill, and Days out of Melbourne.

Track Care WA • Organiser, Clean-up of Canning Stock Route, 1997 • Inaugural Chair • Former Secretary • Founding Member, since 1997 Business • Co-Founder and Co-Owner Campfire Escapes, since 2000

A Dash to the Gas

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he Gascoyne Off Road Racing Club are looking for volunteers to assist with this year’s Gascoyne Dash. No experience is necessary and the weekend promises to be bigger and better than ever. If this is something that you might

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be interested in, then head over to: www.gasdash.com/volunteer and fill out their Volunteer Expression of Interest form.

GasDash runs between 28th April to 1st May 2022 with the race starting and finishing in Carnarvon.

GOINGS ON

WA’s newest National Park Dryandra Woodland

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he State Government has announced the creation of our newest national park, Dryandra Woodland.

Approximately 22km north-west of Narrogin, the park is an easy two-hour drive from Perth. The site was chosen due to it containing the largest remanent of original vegetation in the western Wheatbelt, boasting a diverse range of flora and fauna.

Accommodation is available at the Lions Dryandra Village with campers catered for at both the Congelin Campground and the new Gnaala Mia Campground. Numerous walking trails and guided nocturnal tours at the Barna Mia sanctuary as well as a 23km self-drive along the Darwinia Drive Trail means that there is plenty of ways to experience the Dryandra Woodland.

Have a bucking good time

T

he Coolgardie Rodeo is back for 2022 with plans afoot to host the bronco busting bonanza over the weekend of August 19-21.

The event will kick off with a Ute Muster which will have over $3000 worth of prizes up for grabs before the main event leaps into action. With a prize pool of $20,000, the bull riding, barrel racing and bareback bronc riding promises to wow.

For more information or to secure tickets, go to www.outbackrodeos.com Please note that this is a COVID Safe event and tickets are only available for prepurchase with NO ticket sales at the gate.

Camping at the venue is FREE. Western 4W Driver #121 |

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GOINGS ON

AN AUSSIE ICON

F

ounded in 2001 by Brad McCarthy, Maxtrax has been acquired by US company Clarus Corporation for an undisclosed sum. The sale, announced on 1st December 2021, adds to Clarus’s already impressive portfolio of brands including Rhino Rack and Black Diamond.

John Walbrecht, President of Clarus Corporation, was reported saying that, “We are so pleased to partner with an amazing company and founder.” He went on to say that, “We look forward to welcoming the Maxtrax team to Clarus and continuing this 'super fan' brand's legacy of allowing overland enthusiasts to take the easy way out.”

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Brad McCarthy said that he was, “Excited to have found a partner that shares our commitment to offering outdoor enthusiasts the best products for their adventures and a track record of growing successful brands whilst retaining the Maxtrax brand DNA and ethos of only producing the absolute best products possible.”

You can read the entire press release here: https://www.claruscorp.com/pressreleases/detail/233/clarus-acquiresmaxtrax-the-market-leader-in-vehicle

OUTBACK GENUINE HOSPITALITY YOU DESERVE IT

OUTBACK GENUINE HOSPITALITY YOU DESERVE IT

Plan a stay at the grand old Queen of the Murchison Guest House & Address: 53 Austin St, Cue 6640 Cafe, and soak in the historyTel: of (08) Cue. the preserved buildings, 9963Admire 162 E:gold, info@queenofthemurchison.com.au fossick for photograph amazing sunsets.

Web: www.queenofthemurchison.com.au

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Address: 53 Austin St, Cue 6640

# Tel: | Western 4W Driver 121(08) 9963 162

E: info@queenofthemurchison.com.au Web: www.queenofthemurchison.com.au

53 Austin St, Cue 6640 Tel: (08) 9963 1625 info@queenofthemurchison.com.au www.queenofthemurchison.com.au

CAPTURE THE MOMENT with UNCLE DICK STEIN We Love Photography

GRAHAM HOWE - GARY JUNCTION HIGHWAY, WA “Just go straight on … you can’t miss it …”

Well, Graham Howe didn’t miss it.

He went straight on east on the Gary Junction Highway in search of some fuel and stopped briefly to take the winning competition picture.

Why the stop - besides the inspiration of a wonderful red landscape at sunset?

Besides the cooperation of the moon stopping at just the right part of the sky?

Besides the chance to stretch the legs after a long stretch of road? Well … the road itself.

As Graham mentioned in his covering letter, some roads do go like that - they become corrugated with use over long stretches.

That banding you see cross the red gravel makes for a great picture element - a sort of repeated pattern. The artist in you revels.

The fact that it is juddering away on your suspension and your nerves for kilometre

Well done Graham!

You’ve won a

$200

GIFT VOUCHER from

after kilometre is another thing. You just have to stop and let the rattling stop for a few minutes. And you need to look at a horizon that isn’t bouncing for a while.

That’s probably just what Graham did when he took this picture. And good on him for sending it in.

Western Australia, like western Canada, the Ukraine and Mongolia, can supply high quality horizon, and a lot of it. Sometimes you can get it in full 360º and keep it for half a day. Sometimes you don’t need to Western 4W Driver #121 |

177

share it with anyone else as you may not see anyone for hours.

But carry on. They can’t make roads like this forever - they must run out of corrugations eventually. Or shock absorbers.

Technical note: There is no spot that isn’t a picture. Keep your eyes open like Graham did when you are out on the road or in the bush and you’ll see something that makes for a good composition. There are interesting and noteworthy scenes everywhere. If some of them involve bogged vehicles or broken suspensions there are other sections of this magazine that can help.

PS: Remember to spend your Camera Electronic voucher wisely. They have three stores with lots of goodies for the travelling photographer. And the streets around them are paved flat …

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

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Email photos to: submissions@western4wdriver.com.au

The painted, multi-hued Pilbara

Boasting fabulous waterholes and superb gorges, deep slashes in the elevated plateau and narrow gaps in the razorback ridges, ancient rocks, glowing red at sunrise and sunset, dominate the landscape.

Almost all our trips will take you away from caravan parks, campgrounds, shops, crowds, walkways and signs. Most trips require a 4WD or at least greater clearance than conventional highway transport.

We’ve deliberately stayed away from well-known tourist attractions accessible to 2WD vehicles.

Don’t miss them while your up there, but expect to share them with crowds of other visitors.

Product features: • History of the area • Locality maps • Travel advice • Trip notes and GPS waypoints for each trip • Descriptions of features to discover along the way • Flora and fauna

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY FOR $19.95 www.western4wdriver.com.au/shop 178

| Western 4W Driver #121

THE TRAVELLING PHOTOGRAPHER Where was I?

with UNCLE DICK STEIN

If you are a person over 60 years old reading this column you will know what a 'Senior Moment' is. I am totally familiar with the idea, having experienced them for over a decade.

T

hey are initially frightening, but soon become less so - you go into a room and cannot remember why.

The remedy is easy - retrace your steps to wherever it was you were before and wait until the thought recurs. Then come back into the room and get on with it. The only hazard is the staff or the family begin to recognise the pattern of behaviour and start to laugh at you. If they are younger persons you have the consolation that they will one day come into a room and …

Which is why the travelling photographer will welcome the digital age with open arms.

Our cameras and computers can save us a lot of puzzlement. Oh, they are machines complex enough to frustrate Einstein, but several features are wonderful: A. Every image you shoot makes a file in the memory card that has a separate subfile. This records the time and date the image was shot - as well as details of the camera and exposure used. You can set your camera beforehand to record a great many more details of the shot as well, but the basic stuff is automatic.

You can see this information instantly on many cameras by looking up the file in the menu. Other times it will go through to the keeper in the computer file that you see in post-processing.

This will tell you WHEN you took the picture.

And HOW you took it.

B. Many cameras can be set to record the GPS coordinates for the image as it is shot and include them in the information file.

This will tell you WHERE you took it.

C. But who are the people in the picture?

I think the one on the left with the strange expression is my brother-in-law but I’m not sure about the rest …

The best camera in the world can’t tell you this - you have to ask the subjects who they are. But then you can use the video function built into your digital camera to do a tiny little recording for the next file a recording that need not be perfect, but does have sound.

Look at the person, say their name, and the in-built mic will pick up your voice. You’re not making Hollywood - just verbal notes of who was in the last picture. Then transfer it to your album at home as a caption.

That’s WHO sorted…

D. Why? Why did you take the picture?

Well that may sound like philosophy, but it’s more practical than that. What inspired you at the time may not be evident weeks later.

You’ll be able to sort out the magnificent sunset easily, but not the vague grey shapes in the bush in a half light. Whether they are kangaroos or aliens may not be evident from the image.

Use that video recording trick to annotate the images that are doubtful - or even the ones where you have shifted location and need to remember that.

That’s WHY. And your Senior Moment is complete. You know all you need to know to be on top of the situation and now you can laugh at the staff and family. And show them the 3,500 pictures of your recent trip - all in one sitting. They’ll not laugh again …

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SMART PHOTOGRAPHY with KARL FEHLAUER

Introduction to Smartphone / Small Sensor Photography Welcome to my new column on smartphone/small sensor photography where I will pass on tips and techniques for creating better images and video from your smartphone (and tablets) or small sensor devices such as action cameras (GoPros / DJI Osmo Action etc.), drones and other portable devices which capture images with a small sensor.

A

ll of the above devices have one thing in common and that is they have small sensors and usually (but not always) will have a fixed aperture at a wide setting such as F2.8 or F1.5.

Having smaller sensors means that they are less efficient in taking images in low light conditions and can suffer badly from ‘digital noise’. Also, because they have fixed apertures it is very easy to overexpose your images unless you use very fast shutter speeds or filters.

In future columns I will go into what aperture, shutter speeds and digital noise mean, what is meant by having a fixed aperture, and we'll look at accessories such as neutral density filters and how they are used to improve your image-taking skills. For now I would like to concentrate on a brief introduction into smartphone/ small sensor photography.

You may ask "Why?" and the answer is very simple. Virtually everyone nowadays has a smartphone which has a camera and each day literally millions of photos are taken with these devices for both pleasure and work.

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All of the top brands (Samsung, Apple, Google, Sony etc.) now market their smartphones on the capabilities of the cameras in those devices and many of those devices have multiple cameras with different focal lengths (more about focal lengths in a future column).

Of particular note is that the latest releases of the top of the line smartphones Samsung S21 Ultra, iPhone 13 Pro Max, Google Pixel 6 Pro, Sony Xperia 1 III etc.

- are sold based on the photographic and video capabilities of their cameras and in particular with the S21 Ultra, Pixel 6 Pro and iPhone Pro Max, their low light capabilities, especially when taking astro/nightscape images.

In the past, astro/nightscape images were the realm of the high-end full frame cameras such as Canon, Nikon and Sony, but now with the new phones mentioned above, you can capture some outstanding images in low light conditions if you know how and have the right equipment, but more on that in future columns.

Not all smartphones are made equal and the saying, "You get what you pay for", is very evident when looking at the capabilities of these smartphones. When it is time to upgrade your phone you will need to take extra consideration when deciding on what type of smartphone you want and its camera capabilities, in particular if low light capabilities are a concern. All of the phone makers have high-end and budget lines, so check out each phone's specifications before making the purchase, particularly if photography/videography is your main reason for updating.

That said, it may not be necessary to go out and buy the latest and greatest new smartphone as soon as they hit the market.

Instead I would strongly suggest looking at previous models and you might find that they well and truly meet your needs, in particular the capabilities of their cameras.

Also these phones are usually a lot cheaper when the newer models are released, which means that you can save a lot of money, and with those savings it means you will have some money to purchase accessories such as filters, tripods or a decent editing program.

I am an Android smartphone user (Samsung S21) but everything I talk about will also be the same, if not similar, for iPhone users and therefore the advice that I am providing will be very similar for both platforms albeit with some small differences.

Most people tend to use ‘auto’ mode when taking photos and that is fine and in many cases will suit that person’s needs; however, if you want to be creative or to have full control on how your images turn out then you need to get out of auto and learn how to use your smartphone’s ‘manual’ mode.

In many cases, using auto mode will produce very good images and if you are happy with the results you are getting, then please keep using it but keep reading this column because future articles will

cover topics that will be just as pertinent to you as well as someone who is using manual mode.

Most of the major brands will have a number of different modes in their camera menus. For Android smartphones they will have ‘Pro’ and ‘Pro Video’ modes which are their manual modes and allow you to manually set different parameters such as shutter speed, ISO and white balance to get the correct exposure for your image. I believe that iPhones have similar modes.

Photography can be very confusing while trying to learn and hopefully through this column I will try and make it less so. In future columns I will cover topics such as using the ‘Pro’ modes, tips and techniques to get the best out of your smartphones, exposure and other settings, and 'how to' tutorials including how to create timelapse and hyperlapse videos and much more.

Well, that is it for my first column and I hope you have got something out of it.

The images in this article were taken with my Samsung S10 or S21. If you have any questions or suggestions please email me at karl@westralianimages.com and I will see what I can do to help you.

Remember, the best camera is the one that you have with you, so get out there and take photos and have fun.

Western 4W Driver #121 |

181

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

ROMANCE ON THE ROAD One of the most frequently asked questions when we were travelling around Australia was, “How do you keep your ‘romance’ alive when you are sharing such a small space with your children?”

I

f you are thinking of travelling our great land with your children, this may be one of your questions too and one that I'm sure many of you want to know the answer to.

You are now all living in really close quarters and obviously still need a bit of 'you' time.

So how do you manage to … ‘engage’ and keep your romance alive?

I’m Mandy from Travelling Australia With Kids (TAWK) and not only have I personally had to navigate this, but also answer this question regularly when people private message our Facebook page.

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| Western 4W Driver #121

Therefore, I thought the readers of the magazine who have been picking up tips in our regular Travelling Australia With Kids column might be interested too.

Obviously, when you are travelling with the kids around Australia in a camper or caravan, those intimate moments can be more of a challenge, but certainly not impossible. You just need to be a bit more creative and a bit less impulsive. You don’t want a bit of ‘road-mancing’ to traumatise the children into thinking an earthquake is occurring - as that is what our kids thought one night. It brought a whole new meaning to, "Did the earth move for you?!"

So, what can you do? It really all depends on how old your children are. Luckily for us, they were young and did not put two and two together (which is of course what we were trying to do!) If they are young enough, then normally with the fresh air and exploring all day, they fall asleep pretty quickly and solidly, and you can make hay while the moon shines.

children set up in the tent to watch a video or do an art project. Don’t forget to mention that they must knock on the door to ‘wake you’ from your rest, before heading in.

If the kids are a bit older, sleeping in a tent next to the camper can be exciting and a bit of independence for them too, which in turn gives you some back, OR of course you can sleep in the tent and alleviate the ‘rocking’ issue.

Just ensure that as well as good suspension, you have secured most things in the van or camper as well as the chains on the drawbar as the clanging of things may get into a rhythm if anything is loose.

Not forgetting to secure any zips or cupboards that may clink or clank away as these noises may wake "When the van is a-rocking, the kids more than don’t come a-knocking!" the rocking.

If you have aircon or heaters, then often they are not as whisper quiet as those at home and the noise from these can often help with any involuntary sounds. Making the most of windy nights, with all the natural banging around you (meaning other natural noises from the wind and not the other campers!) can help any of your movements blend in.

Then of course, a bit of coughing at ‘the finale’ might be able to deflect any other noises that may disturb them.

Like most things on the road, you must be adaptable and flexible - not in ‘that’ way!! and make the most of your opportunities.

But if you used to be night romancers, then you may need to rethink and take your chances when you can during daylight hours.

Setting up a small tent next to your setup can be handy, especially for when you need to have a ‘rest’. You can then get the

You can also make the most of the time if the older kids find friends and hang out for a bit especially if they are old enough to go to the pool for a while. You can always just be honest and say, "You might want to be at least an hour before you return as otherwise you may hear or see something you’ll wish you hadn’t."

(An hour!?) It would of course gross them out BUT you can bet your life they will stay away.

If you are adventurous, then you’ll have the outside opportunities covered anyway, if not, then it’s now or never! Australia is a big country, so when travelling around you will no doubt find ample opportunities in the BIG outdoors. Just watch out for those ticks, as trust me, I found out that one the hard way!

It’s important to keep your romance alive any time and you can still do that on the road. Sometimes it’s planning and other times opportunities. Where there is a will there is a way.

Don’t forget the caravanner’s chant "When the van is a-rocking, don’t come a-knocking!" If the kids are blissfully unaware, then most other folk, if they see it rocking will be ‘rooting’ for you.

Western 4W Driver #121 |

183

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

Written by kids ... for kids

Here are ten things to do while you're there.

7 8

Take a hike: There are plenty of hikes to choose from, but the easiest for kids are Kalamina, Dales or Hamersley Gorge.

Try to stick to Class 2 or 3 depending on your age and how adventurous you are.

9

KIDS AT KARIJINI Planning a trip to Karijini?

1

2

Swim in a waterhole: There are many waterholes to cool off in and kids won't complain about the cold water like adults do! Take a pool noodle or something to float with as some waterholes are deep and the way in may not be easy.

3

Get dirty: Don't worry about getting dirty! Explore and enjoy nature!

Sit under a waterfall: The one at Fern Pool (see photo below) is beautiful but make sure you take a floatation device if you're not a strong swimmer as the water is very deep and cold.

Tackle an adventurous gorge: Older kids will enjoy the adventure of the spider walk at Hancock Gorge, but younger kids may need to be carried through the trickier sections. You will also get wet!

10

Put down your device: This is a great opportunity to experience nature. You won't want to miss anything with your eyes glued to a device.

Lookouts: There are many lookouts to enjoy and they are a safe way to appreciate the view without having to climb down into them.

4

Stargazing: Head outside and check out the night sky in the evening. Being far from the city lights means you can see so much more.

5

Spot the wildlife: You will hear dingoes at night and you can find lizards sunbaking in the gorges. There are kangaroos, birds and many, many ants.

6

Check out the visitor centre: There are interactive displays and interesting information about the history of the park, as well as souvenirs, maps and brochures.

Swim across to the waterfall at Fern Pool.

Western 4W Driver #121 |

185

PUZZLES FOR KIDS KARIJINI word search C J D N G W H B Y M W S N L A X V Q

CLIMBING DALES FERN FORTESCUE FRUITBAT GEOLOGY GORGE HAMERSLEY HANCOCK HIKING JOFFRE KALAMINA KNOX LEDGE LOOKOUT OXER ROCK SWIMMING WATERFALL WEANO

LOGIC GAME

W A T E R F A L L K E B J O F F R E

H P L R C L I M B I N G X O Z J W R

A I G Q U V F C V J F H R K H B U K

G L E D G E S H O V U A X O X E R Z

O M O C F H I K T O L V Y U C W T M

E T L X K A L A M I N A E T T F N L

D A O W D M N B V D S G O R G E O I

Move 3 matchsticks to make 3 equal squares

A Z G D T E Z R M F I U J G Z R I B

L N Y G C R N U A R Q E W E A N O E

E M F Q H S M Y Q U P Q D O R W P Q

S K P C R L D S W I M M I N G L J X

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

R O C K F Y P S S B T W H A L K S O

Y S B X K A G K H A N C O C K U K Z

R C U O F I E R J T P S B K I E N V

P H I K I N G D N G U F A Y J G O L

J T N H O P W C T L B H Q X M B X M

Move 4 matchsticks to make 3 equal triangles

Answers on page 191.

Hey kids!

Tell us about anything exciting you've seen on your travels for a chance to win a prize and have your letter or photo published.

Email: submissions@western4wdriver.com.au

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| Western 4W Driver #121

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189

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Emergency Contact PHONE NUMBERS NAME

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000

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133 337

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138 138

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132 500

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13 11 14

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476.6500 476.6750 476.8500 477.1250 477.1500 477.4000

Simplex - 4WD Drivers - Convoy, Clubs & National Parks Simplex - Call Channel only Simplex - Caravan & Campers Convoy Channel Simplex - Pacific Hwy (NSW) & Bruce Hwy (Qld) Road Channel Simplex - UHF CB Broadcasts Simplex - Highway, Truckies & Roadworks Channel

12.5 KHz 12.5 KHz 12.5 KHz 12.5 KHz 12.5 KHz 12.5 KHz

190

| Western 4W Driver #121

SUPPLIER DIRECTORY

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

ACCOMMODATION Great Southern Outback Tours & Accom.........122 Queen of the Murchison...................................... 176

MAPS & NAVIGATION Hema Maps..............................................................156 WAITOC....................................................................... 11

BATTERIES/BATTERY SYSTEMS Topo DC Power........................................................ 70

MECHANICAL SERVICE, REPAIRS & REPLACEMENT Fremantle Fuel Injection....................................... 134 Goldfields Offroad.................................................... 81 Medicar Automotive Solutions............................128 Midland 4WD Centre.............................................. 35 Turbo Tech.................................................................97 United Fuel Injection.............................................120

BRAKES Bendix Brakes.........................................................109 CAMPERS/CARAVANS & TRAILERS Explorex Caravans.................................................125 Off Road Equipment............................................... 92 CAMPING SUPPLIES Bob Cooper Outback Survival............................148 Go Camping and Overlanding............................166 OzTent.......................................................................145 COMMUNICATION Icom.............................................................................75 COMPLIANCE VanWeigh..................................................................119 DESTINATIONS Shire of Ashburton................................................... 19 Shire of East Pilbara................................................ 45 ELECTRONICS Camera Electronic..................................................165 Wanderlust...............................................................123 4WD PARTS & ACCESSORIES ARB......................................................................... IFC-1 Goldfields Offroad.................................................... 81 Make Tracks............................................................. 127 Maxtrax.....................................................................IBC Medicar Automotive Solutions............................128 Midland 4WD Centre.............................................. 35 Off Road Equipment .............................................. 92 Soundwave Car Stereo.........................................184 Supafit Seat Covers................................................ 59 Tyrepliers..................................................................138

MOTOR VEHICLES Fred Hopkins - UBCO Bikes................................. 96 Toyota..................................................................... OBC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS Fremantle Fuel Injection....................................... 134 Manta Performance Exhausts.............................. 69 Turbo Tech.................................................................97 United Fuel Injection.............................................120 PHOTOGRAPHY Camera Electronic..................................................165 Wanderlust...............................................................123 SUSPENSION West Coast Suspensions........................................111 TRAINING & TOURS Bob Cooper Outback Survival............................148 Char Bro BBQ (Fire Cooking School)................163 Epic 4WD Tours........................................................ 83 Great Southern Outback Tours & Accom.........122 WAITOC....................................................................... 11 TYRES Tyrepower................................................................155

LOGIC GAME ANSWERS

MAGAZINES Western Angler.......................................................150

Western 4W Driver #121 |

191

S

illy NAPS

T

here is nowhere that the long arm of the law cannot reach … unless of course you are travelling through the Kimberley during the wet season.

Glen was tasked with recovering this hapless police vehicle after it became momentumly challenged back in 2019 after attempting to negotiate a 'small puddle'. After multiple attempts to recover, the vehicle was left for six weeks so that the area could dry out and heavy machinery could be brought in to complete the rescue. In this case, Glen was operating a 30 tonne excavator and was able to pull the LandCruiser out by its bootstraps.

This is a good reminder to never assume the depth of any puddle and either check it first or go around it. For his troubles, Glen will receive a pair of Maxtrax.

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Get your pic in to win this great prize or, if you can’t wait, go to www.maxtrax.com.au to learn more.

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 #121

This All-New

LandCruiser 300

121st EDITION Autumn 2022

drives us home

PILBARA

KARIJINI: GORGE BY GORGE CORUNNA DOWNS AIRBASE HICKMAN CRATER punda rock art MILLSTREAM

toyota.com.au

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The All-New LandCruiser 300 is as powerful, capable and durable as ever. It is built on the legacy that began with supporting the construction of the Snowy Hydro in 1958. But todays LandCruiser is more than a survival tool for a tough and uncompromising country. It is the evolution of a legend that is over 60 years in the making. So whether you are powering over logs or towing out of bogs, the All-New LandCruiser 300 will always drive you home.

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WESTERN 4W DRIVER 121st EDITION Autumn 2022

AND MORE!

PAJERO SPORT EXCEED WET ‘N’ WILD IN THE KIMBERLEY ARE YOU OVERLOADED? HOW DO YOU TELL?