Western 4W Driver #122 Winter 2022

This All-New

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122nd EDITION Winter 2022

drives us home

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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 122nd EDITION Winter 2022

TRAVEL THE ANNE BEADELL HWY

INEOS GRENADIER

WHICH WINCH TO WINCH WITH?

HIGH QUALITY CAMPING PRODUCTS 4WD ACCESSORIES ROOF TOP TENTS CAMPING FURNITURE FIREPITS & ACCESSORIES MUCH MORE

DRIFTASTOCKTON.COM.AU

CONTENTS ADVENTURES

Edition 122 Winter 2022

Cape to Cape

Adventure with Jon Love from Cape Arid to Cape Le Grand ............................................................................................... 8

WA Station Stays

A holiday experience like no other! ........................................................................................................................................................................ 18

Murchison House Station ........................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Hamelin Station ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Quobba Station ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Bullara Station ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Warroora Station ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24 Cheela Plains Station ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 Mellenbye Station ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Gabyon Station .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Melangata Station ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 Wooleen Station ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Carnegie Station .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30 The Longest Shortcut

Travel the Anne Beadell Highway with Grant and Linda ........................................................................................................ 44

Wander Through the Wildflowers

Plan your tour through wildflower country .................................................................................................................................................. 62

War Rock

Colin heads north of Morowa in the WA wheatbelt ........................................................................................................................ 72

At One with the Land

Immerse yourself in culture with Karaak Dreaming ...................................................................................................................... 101

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FEATURES

REGULARS

Station Etiquette

Things you should know before visiting a station ..................................................................... 31

Seriously Capable

Neil reviews the Ineos Grenadier ..................................... 34

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

54

Making Your Fourbie a Watering Can

David talks water crossings and how they affect your fourbie .................................................... 76

A Dunny is Just a Dunny Is Just a Dunny Or is it?

Off-Grid in the Goliath

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

82

93

Book review

Cathedrals of Corrugated Iron .......................................... 104

Put some Excitement in your Mountain Biking

Product Review ....................................................................................... 107

Vale Bindon the Bushie ....................................... 120 Lights, Camera, Action

Product Review ....................................................................................... 176

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Over the Bonnet ................................................................... 108 Bush Mechanics

110

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

What's in a Name

113

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

The Things You See

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

118

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

121

Let's Go Geo-Touring

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

125

Women in 4W Driving .............................................. 134 Outback Survival Fishy Business

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

139

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

143

Gear to Go Camping Clewed Up

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

Lauren reviews the Goliath camper

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

Bindon's Lore

Which Winch to Winch With

We test out two Aussie-made products

4Thought

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

149

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

152

Fire Cooking ................................................................................... 154 Track Care WA News 4WD Club Focus

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

158

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

165

The People We Meet Goings On

Smart Photography

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

177

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

179

Now We're TAWKing!

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

182

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

185

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

188

Are We There Yet? Subscriptions

171

174

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

Capture the Moment

Supplier Directory Keep me handy!

Silly Snaps

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

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

191

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

192

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

194

Western 4W Driver #122 |

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GOING ON

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 Matt Clarke Natalie Du Preez Administration Chris Morton Steve Larcombe Printing Vanguard Press

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 122 Winter 2022

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s you sit and read this latest edition of what is undoubtedly, the world’s best 4WD magazine, I need you to pause for a moment and think of us.

We are presently somewhere in the Murchison/Gascoyne, Pilbara or Coral Coast (depending upon when you are reading this), having endured weeks of roughing it in our swags, for what will be six weeks away from home. I know, if we are to produce high quality content that you, our readers, want to consume, then this is the sacrifice one must make.

Planning for our six-week 'holiday' started months ago as we looked at what sort of content we needed to be working on.

The areas we were going to visit and the people and places we would experience was the obvious first step. Route plotting, equipment planning, and the all-important sponsorship procurement all take an extraordinary amount of time to ensure the success or failure of any trip like this.

Then comes the logistics. Vehicles need to have pre-trip inspections, spares for critical equipment need to be sourced or backups found. Schedules need to be written, scrapped, and then rewritten again.

Dietary requirements need to be identified, menus planned and shopping lists created.

Where is the additional film crew flying in and where are we flying them out? What extra gear do we need to bring to ensure their comfort?

Shoot lists and content ideas need to be written down. For. Every. Location. As I write this, we are still three weeks from our departure date of 1st June and I feel like I am climbing Mt Everest. In three weeks, we roll out and start our 'holiday'. In three weeks, we get to back off a little and only put in 12 to 14-hour days.

'HOLIDAY' You can see what we have been up to by tuning into Channel 9’s new show, Everything Outdoors, which airs Sunday, 19th June at 5.30pm. Our stories will start to pop up later in the series. You can also keep track of us by following us on social media.

Best job in the world

☺

For those that spend any time online, you might have noticed that we launched our new website a few weeks ago. It was what you would call a soft launch, with no fanfare, at the end of a very stressful weekend. The new site is the culmination of several years of testing some new technologies and looking at how best to deliver good quality content to our subscribers.

We have taken a different approach towards how we deliver our content online and this should be evident from looking at the home page. We have broken up the information contained within to address three core levels of competency.

We are also working through the library of back issues and identifying locations of interest and including them in the 'Find Your Next Adventure' section. We have also included the bones of a knowledge base that we have called 'The Library' as well as the beginnings of an online recipe resource from our own Jo Clews. The intention of the site is to provide a one stop source of knowledge for anyone seeking a 4WD adventure. The site has a few bugs and we are squishing them as we find them, and new content will continue to be added on a regular basis. We would love to get your feedback and suggestions for content you would like to see included. If we have made a mistake, please let us know. After eight weeks of content writing, all the words tend to blur into each other, and things can be easily missed.

4 THOUGHT with CHRIS MORTON Further updates and improvements are also planned, however we will let stage one bed in for a little while before we unleash any more major changes on you.

Finally, we have had to make the decision to increase the magazine price. We are being impacted by global supply issues and sky-rocketing freight costs that have come because of the C word. The cost to ship a sea container has more than quadrupled and global supply of paper has decreased due to mill closures. New demand from companies seeking to replace plastic packaging with fibre-based ones is pushing the price of paper through the roof and there appears to be no end in sight.

Starting with this edition, the new cover price has been raised to $11.95 (a 20% increase) and annual subscriptions have been increased to $42 (a 23% increase).

The last time the magazine cover price was increased was in the Autumn edition in 2018. We have also implemented an annual direct debit function that can easily be cancelled by getting in touch with us.

We had some devastating news in April, when we learned of the passing of long-time contributor, Peter Bindon.

Our condolences go out to Peter’s wife, Nola and their family. Our biggest regret was the limited opportunities we had to get to know Peter better. He was an extremely knowledgeable man, who gave freely and had plenty of stories to share.

He will be missed.

We hope you enjoy our station stay special and consider having your next adventure with one of them. Stay safe and we might see you down the track somewhere.

Western 4W Driver #122 |

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It had been two years since our earlier visit to the Esperance region, and with our hearts set on the crystal-clear water and the almost fluorescent white squeaky sand along the coastline, it didn’t take too much arm twisting to get us back out there.

CAPE TO CAPE Cape Arid to Cape Le Grand

By Jon Love

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urning off Fisheries Road, our journey was well underway and with both tanks fuelled and ready to go we rolled our way towards Kennedy Beach, sitting on the western-most edge of the Cape Arid National Park. With bitumen turning to gravel, and gravel turning to sand, excitement quickly began to fill the cab of the Troopy, but accompanying it was an air of concern. Having filled the tanks no more than ninety kilometres ago, the needle was already pointing toward the bottom quarter of the gauge. I know that the old girl isn’t the most economic bus on the road, but even this didn’t seem right.

Having pulled over to identify the issue, it didn’t take long to diagnose the loss of fuel. Stepping out of the cab I could hear a steady stream of fluid pooling below the car, knowing all too well what this meant.

The evidence of fuel spray was also pretty evident, with the back of the car being covered in a fine layer of diesel and dust. It was far from the ideal way to start the trip, yet fortunately we managed to isolate the leak to the secondary tank, leaving us with eighty litres in the primary.

Leaving our troubles behind us we slowly wound our way through the dunes and wash outs, placing us on a peak overlooking

Making a steep descent into the areas surrounding the Duke of Orleans Bay. Western 4W Driver #122 |

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Kennedy Beach. With a long day of driving behind us it was a welcome sight, and it wasn’t long before we pinpointed our campsite. Sitting comfortably above the swell and dunes sat one of the many large granite slabs that scatter the Esperance region, and as it so happened, made for the perfect place to cosy into and set up for the night. About half way up the rock, with its own mini dune and vegetation surrounding it, the camp chairs were thrown out and a few well-earned drinks cracked and fizzed with life. Exploring the area revealed a number of hidden features, with large valleys of eroded granite that flowed down the face of the structure, making for a very impressive sight during a heavy rain. At low tide a mini beach sat just below our campsite, with large elephantlike rocks scattering the waterline, made all the more impressive by the granite finger that stretched out across the beach, absorbing the impact of the swell with rushing water pouring over the top and into the bay beneath it. Needless to say it was an evening well-entertained, and a perfect way to wrap up the day.

Well-rested and eager to continue the journey, we stowed the gear and prepped for the day ahead. On paper the plan was

simple enough, but the reality was far from it. We intended to move slowly westward over the next three to four days and explore the coastline between the Cape Arid and Cape Le Grand region. Prior to leaving Perth the weather in the region was looking favourable for camping, but when we arrived a severe wind warning had worked its way into the mix.

With the engine coming to life and the full force of the wind sweeping its way across the beach, another day was underway.

Heading west down Kennedy Beach brought us to another rocky outcrop, negotiating the boulders to follow a faint pathway that would, with any luck, guide us over and onto the adjacent beach. And for a time it did, but it wasn’t long before the gaps between the rocks lengthened and the distance to the rolling swell shortened.

Sourcing another track that ran off the beach we decided to double back and seek another way around. As it turned out, much to our dismay, there were no tracks leading back to those beaches, so we decided to press on toward the eastern side of Alexander Beach to find some mercy from the wind, and with any luck a place to call home for the night. With a few more kilometres on the clock the Troopy

Set-up on our first day overlooking Kennedy Beach.

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made its way through winding dunes sloping down towards the waterline. A hidden track caught our eye as we scoured our way toward any semblance of a tuckedaway gem. Unfortunately, with the severe wind warning well and truly upon us, this left little in the way of suitable sites to pitch up for the night. In most circumstances the only possible places to camp were the spots tucked in below the protection of the granite rocks that scattered the beaches, but naturally these places were quickly scooped up by others who had come through earlier. Once more this left us travelling with the wind, heading back toward the dunes with the hope of a swift exit. The snaking left and right coupled with the incline made for a challenging escape, and with the added weight of the Troopy leaning around the corners it made for a hair-raising ride.

It wasn’t long before the almost-fluorescent white sand of Alexander Beach was squeaking below the tyres, and with a rocky outcrop spotted in the distance we had hope for a sheltered place to stay. It didn’t take long for the shape of cars to form through the windscreen - another kick in the guts to a day that was starting to drag on. This happened more times than I cared to remember on this trip, every rock housed a handful of 4WDs, so we would push on a little further west, exploring more with the hope of a vacant spot. Eventually we had travelled the entire distance we planned to do over the coming three days.

This brought us slightly north of the Duke of Orleans Bay, and as we approached, an

inlet too deep to risk crossing stopped us in our tracks. Retracing our steps a short distance brought us to an exit that required a generous amount of shovel work. The impact of the wind had carved out the righthand side of the track and dumped it to the left, leaving a slant too big for the Troopy to risk going over. A bit of reshaping with the shovel and the tyres let down even further, coupled with a bit of right boot was enough to get the job done. So there we were, about to make our way toward the Duke, an area with generous amounts of protected sites to kick our feet up and call it a day, but the world had other plans for us.

Cresting the dune bought us to a simple enough creek crossing only a couple of metres wide and barely half a metre deep.

All was looking well through the crossing when out of nowhere a thud rocked the Troopy, quickly followed by the sound of high-pressure air exiting the rear passenger tyre, causing the car to sag as we limped out of the creek to assess the damage. Looking on the inside of the tyre made it pretty clear it wasn’t going to be salvageable with a few plugs, and retracing our track through the creek I couldn’t pinpoint where exactly it all went wrong. Nevertheless, the damage was done, and all that was needed was a quick tyre change; easy enough, right?

Turns out it wasn’t so simple. The exit to the creek placed the Troopy on an incline, and with a tyre completely deflated the rear end sat even lower. This meant that the bottle jack was unable to lift the body of the car high enough to be able to comfortably remove the dishevelled tyre and replace

A hop, skip and a jump over the slabs of granite to see what the other side can offer.

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Big blowout: Our fortunes at the end of the day starting to run out.

it with the spare, and the fact that they were 33s with decent tread remaining didn’t help the cause. The light was now well and truly starting to fade from the sky and with no stable place to jack the car up from, our options were looking thin. We tried a variety of different options to boost the jack up off the floor, including stacking the Maxtrax and using them as a base, but even four stacked together didn’t give us the height we needed. Our fortunes started to look up as we carved away the rock-hard dirt below the rear spring, giving us the inch we needed to get a comfortable height off the ground. With great relief we were finally able to pull off the tyre and throw on the spare, and with the night well and truly upon us, it was a welcome feeling to pack the tools away and hop back in the cab.

Having burned the wick from both ends toward the end of that day, needless to say we were both pretty spent and ready to call it a night. We had an unsuccessful attempt to snag a spot in the nearby caravan park, so the journey continued on, but it wasn’t long before we threw in the towel and pulled up on a nearby beach. It was a long day behind the wheel, and a welcome feel to lay our heads down on the pillows for the remainder of the night.

The following morning was an early rise and a trip back into the town of Esperance.

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With a few more days ahead of us and eventually the journey home, we played it safe and picked up a spare tyre to cover our previous night's losses. Before long the tyres were back on sand, ready to explore the final areas before the Cape Le Grand region. With keen interest we would spend our time exploring the areas around the Duke of Orleans caravan park. By midday the Troopy was crawling over rocks and zigzagging through dunes in the hunt for another camp, but given the relatively small size of the area, that didn’t take long; not that we were complaining. Much to our amazement we managed to secure a location that felt like our own private beach, with rocks hugging the bay on either side and a protected slice of coast out the front, it felt like our luck had begun to turn.

Despite the severe wind warning being extended for a few more days, the rocks around us provided enough protection to make it a pleasant enough stay. Needless to say the pup was happy enough with the area, having her own private section of the beach to bathe in and an ample amount of room to chase the ball in. A quick dip was on the cards for us. After the last day on the road it was nice to finally go for a swim in the crystal-clear waters of the bay, even if it was in the company of a chilly breeze.

A few gins were enjoyed that night looking out beyond the coast, unbeknown to us the true gem of the trip was yet to come.

There are few better ways to start the day than with a coffee on the brew and the sound of sizzling bacon filling your own private bay, the kind of morning we were in dire need of after being snubbed the previous day. With a coffee in hand and a keen interest in viewing what else surrounded us, the drone buzzed and beeped to life before zipping its way into the air, with the views being nothing short of breathtaking.

The combination of turquoise waters and scattered islands never ceases to amaze me when exploring this region. Inspecting the screen a little more closely I could see another, more protected spot a little further up. We quickly packed up the car and set

off for what would turn out to be one of the best locations I’ve ever set up camp. In no time the Troopy rolled into its home for the next three days, with the awning and tent following suit shortly after. This gem sat at the end of a beach, almost completely shut off to the rest with large elephant-like boulders scattered on the sand and in the water. The orientation of the bay meant that we were completely sheltered from the strong gusts and rolling swell, making it a picturesque landscape to spend the next few days. Over this period we spent our time exploring the area around us, with Hammerhead Bay only a stone’s throw away. Plenty of down-time was enjoyed to

A bay to ourselves was a welcome sight after the previous night’s events.

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Bird's eye-view of our three-day campsite, tucked away from the weather and swell.

Taking full advantage of a quiet beach and some rolling swell to have some fun.

take in the beauty of our little bay, relaxing in our camp chairs and playing with the dog. Plenty of time was spent below the surface, watching the abundance of fish life dart in and around the lumps of coral.

At one point I pulled out the spear-gun, after days of building excitement to catch and cook a fish for lunch. Donning the free diving gear and heading out into the water, a target was spotted and the bungee was 14

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prepped to fire. It only lasted a second before it snapped and rendered the gun useless, with a bit of heartbreak I headed back to shore empty-handed. Bad things always happen in threes, first the fuel tank, then the tyre, and now the spear gun!

Three days quickly went by and before long we were packing up the gear in prep for our final night in the region, even being farewelled with the company of a dugite that, as it turned out, was residing next to our campsite. On the road again and feeling revitalised, our final destination was Wharton Beach. With a keen eye on the lines of swell rolling into the bay, and a lonely surfboard still strapped to the car, it was time to get out for a morning paddle.

Although a very popular spot, we managed

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to find a quiet area away from the crowds to enjoy a surf from. With no shortage of swell, an empty line-up and no one around, there were no complaints from me.

Golden hour in our isolated little gem.

The remainder of our final day passed in a heartbeat, with a little more time exploring the beach we finally pulled up for the evening in the company of a few other campers around us, and enjoyed one final gin watching the big red ball in the sky dip below the distant white caps.

INFORMATION BAY DISTANCE

800km from Perth.

TERRAIN

4WD only. Off-roading with few maintained roads. Mostly sand tracks and dunes with the occasional granite rock crossing.

BEST TIME TO VISIT November to April.

ACCOMMODATION Self-sufficient camping.

ACTIVITIES

Plenty of fishing and swimming on offer, particularly in the sheltered bays.

Lots of hills and rock faces to hike.

Now that’s living! Some well-earned R&R for a few days.

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Excerpt from Hema’s WA state map.

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S

Are you looking to escape the crowds?

Are you looking to take the road less travelled?

Are you looking for a new experience, an adventure that you will not stop talking about?

Have you considered visiting a WA Station Stay?

tation stays are not a new thing. For many years, city folk would go and spend time on relatives' or friends’ pastoral leases during the school holidays, lending a hand during shearing or helping to fix fences. That’s how the love affair started for me. That is where the call of the red dirt ingrained itself just under my skin, becoming a part of me. Growing up, many school holidays were spent in the saddle of my trusty motorbike, mustering mobs of sheep amongst the bluebush and mulga scrub of the eastern goldfields or working the dusty sheep yards during shearing.

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I was fortunate, growing up with parents and an extended family who already had a connection with this magnificent country, but for the majority, these experiences were way off in the never never.

Australia’s economic conditions have vastly changed, and we no longer financially ride on the sheep’s back. Pastoral leases, once sprawling enterprises with tens of thousands of sheep to care for are slowly becoming relegated to history. Resource booms, pests, droughts and other factors have all contributed to closing down many stations. For those that remain, diversification is their only hope of survival. Offering a glimpse into station life or access to an attraction found on their property is a great way for stations to diversify their income.

Living in Western Australia, we are spoilt for choice as to where we can experience something new on a station stay.

Here are but 11.

Bullara Station

Cheela Plains Station

Warroora Station Quobba Station Carnegie Station

Hamelin Station Wooleen Station Murchison House Station

Melangata Station Gabyon Station Mellenbye Station

e c n e i r e p x e y a d i l A ho like no other!

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MURCHISON HOUSE STATION

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s the name suggests, this 150-yearold, 350,000-acre property sits along the northern banks of the mighty Murchison River. Only a short drive from the seaside town of Kalbarri, this property is well-known to many who have either taken advantage of off-grid camping on the station or who have ventured out for a day trip around the property's many tracks.

With over 60km of rugged WA coastline and more than 30km of Murchison River floodplain, those properly equipped are sure to find the perfect spot. For those less adventurous or just starting out, the homestead campground might be more suitable.

An abundance of water around the property ensures that the wildlife is prolific, not only along the river’s edge but further inland due to the presence of multiple springs and permanent soaks.

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The rugged terrain changes from river floodplain, river gorges to coastal sand plains and dunes. The 400-500 million year old Tumblagooda Sandstone is prevalent throughout and is unique to the area.

Best time to visit: April 1 to October 31 (The station is closed to visitors during the summer months to allow for stock management).

For more information or to book: Email: mhsbookings@outlook.com

HAMELIN OUTBACK STATION STAY

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oasting 32km of Western Australian coastline, this 202,000-hectare property borders the Shark Bay World Heritage area and even has its own stromatolites.

Visitors have a choice of either staying in the historic shearers' quarters or their own campsite, suitable for both caravans and camper trailers. There are two communal camp kitchens, both equipped with hot and cold water. The shearers' kitchen is a large, modern space that is well-equipped and features a large stone fireplace and dining area.

The campgrounds also have a large, modern ablution block which is maintained to the highest standards and features disabled access.

Hamelin Station is owned by Bush Heritage Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that buys and manages land for conservation

purposes and works in partnership with indigenous groups and the agricultural sector. Hamelin Station extends the Shark Bay World Heritage area a further 10% and ensures the protection of the extremely fragile Hamelin Pool stromatolites.

Achievable half and full day trips are easily possible from Hamelin Station, with the spectacular Eagle Bluff, Denham, Monkey Mia and Francois Peron National Park all within range.

For more information or to book: www.hamelinstationstay.com.au

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QUOBBA STATION

ess than an hour’s drive north of Carnarvon sits Quobba Station.

Offering some of Australia’s best land-based fishing along its 80km of coral coastline, Quobba has something to offer everyone.

A world-class left hand surf break, beautiful snorkelling and remote, pristine beaches means that you will be spoilt for choice for any length stay.

From basic campsites (with access to showers and toilets, camp kitchen and even washing facilities), well-appointed safari tents with stunning ocean views to cottage and shearers' quarters accommodation, there is an option to suit everyone.

Along with the myriad of marine-based activities, Quobba is also a great spot to see a variety of animal and bird life (both on and off the water) as well as for anyone into astrophotography.

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The station also boasts a day spa, offering a range of services to help you unwind and enjoy your holiday. I am pretty sure Dad would have loved that after shearing 150 ewes back in the day.

For more information or to book: www.quobba.com.au

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BULLARA STATION

ituated perfectly between Coral Bay and Exmouth on the Ningaloo Coast, Bullara Station is surrounded by jawdropping scenery and wildlife.

The Shallcross family welcomes you with open arms to share part of their incredible property, hosting travellers from all corners of the globe for more than a decade. You are guaranteed to leave having had a brilliant experience and gaining lifelong friends.

Experience the authentic Australian lifestyle such as showering under a canopy of stars in the open air, damper tasting around the campfire or an intimate dinner party in the recently revamped 1920s woolshed.

There are private fishing tracks and walking trails to discover on the property as well as accommodation options from unpowered campsites to luxury safari tents. If you can’t stay overnight, pop into the Woolshed café for the famous scones and barista coffee, open 7 days a week.

Bullara Station is only 1.2km off the main road and accessible by 2WD. Camp kitchen, BBQ, laundry facilities, bathrooms, fishing, Telstra signal, pet friendly.

Open: 1 April to 20 October.

For more information or to book: www.bullarastation.com.au

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WARROORA STATION

f you truly want to experience the authentic soul of the outback then Warroora must be on your bucket list.

This family-run cattle station sits an hour south of Coral Bay, astride the Ningaloo Marine Park.

Guests have a choice of accommodation options, with a luxury ocean front villa, selfcontained cottages, renovated stockman's rooms and large, unpowered camp sites, equipped with their own fire pit, toilet and shower facilities and a large camp kitchen.

The homestead is accessible by 2WD, however if you want to access the beach then a 4WD is required.

With 50km of pristine beach front, the area is alive with native animals and roaming stock and is a great place to wet a line.

With such spectacular coastline, it is also a very popular place to snorkel and surf as well as spot migrating whales as they make their way along the coast. The abundance of bird life also makes it very popular with ornithologists.

For more information or to book: www.warroora.com

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CHEELA PLAINS STATION

eading into iron ore country, Cheela Plains can be easily missed as you drive along the Nanutarra Road if not for a fluttering café flag. Turning into the driveway, you quickly crest a small hill that reveals the substantial campground and facilities sitting in the hill’s lee and a seemingly endless Cheela Plain spread out before you.

Cheela is another family-owned cattle station that has opened their doors to guests looking for an authentic outback experience. The campground is built around a central grassed area, where caravans and campers can back into. It provides an oasis amidst the iron ore-rich, red dirt and promotes a sense of community amongst travellers. A large firepit and camp kitchen ensures that there is plenty of room for those wanting to share stories from the road and an onsite café can also provide meals to anyone wanting sit-down service.

The station also offers rooms for those travelling light.

If you only stay one night at Cheela you are doing yourself an injustice. Book in for two or more nights, grab a map and gate key and go exploring through the Beasley River Gorge, which is a window 400 million years

into the earth’s ancient past. Have a swim at Mussel Pool and take a short walk into The Wall and Perentie Falls. If being more remote is your preference then spend a few days camping out here.

For more information or to book: www.cheelaplains.com.au

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MELLENBYE STATION

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eading north from Perth, Mellenbye is our first stop. This is a working cattle station and a great place to come and escape the 9 to 5. There is a variety of accommodation options to suit all travellers as well as an airstrip (in case you were wondering if you can fly in).

The station offers visitors the opportunity to take a guided scenic tour around the property with a 17-seater bus also available to carry visitors who don’t have a 4WD. If you are looking for something a little different, there is also a tram ride out to Burra Lake and even a monster truck. As long as guests have fully equipped 4WDs that are suitable and prepared for outback travel, you can also self-explore marked trails around the station.

There is a large variety of birdlife, with the station proving popular with bird watchers.

It is also a great location for star-gazing and astrophotography.

The region is world-famous for wildflowers.

Mellenbye is an excellent place to base yourself as you explore the surrounding area. The nearby towns of Morawa, Yalgoo and Mullewa offer historic buildings and a glimpse back into the state’s pioneering past.

With the variety of accommodation options, the property is a great venue for large group bookings, weddings, birthdays, family reunions and private functions.

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Best time to visit: Easter, April school holidays, ANZAC weekend and July to October (the station is also open other times of the year with prior arrangement).

Wildflower season is usually best between late August to late September (seasons are affected by the amount of rainfall and how hot it gets).

For more information or to book: www.mellenbye.com.au

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GABYON STATION

he second largest pastoral lease in the Shire of Yalgoo, this 271,500-hectare (almost 671,000 acres) working sheep station offers visitors a 'full' outback experience. Visitors have the opportunity to explore the sprawling property by horseback, motorbike or even on foot. SSAA members are able to hunt on the property with an area also set aside for clay target shooting. The region is also well known for gold strikes and prospectors are invited to try their luck.

Gabyon has worked hard to ensure that they keep their accommodation rates affordable and offer everything from unpowered camp sites, to rooms in both the rustic shearers' or homestead quarters.

A communal camp kitchen and ablution facilities are also available.

The family also offers the opportunity to come and share a meal with them at the main homestead and enjoy some authentic WA outback hospitality.

Volunteering: Anyone who is willing to work hard and enjoy this way of life is welcome to stay and join in on the fun.

There is always something that needs to be done around here, and we can guarantee you won't get bored. Every helping hand is greatly appreciated!

Best time to visit: The cooler months.

Between December and February the temperature often exceeds 40°C.

If you have a trade and would be happy to swap your experience for our experience, please contact us. We would love to have you.

For more information or to book: www.gabyon.com.au

Wildflower season is usually best between late August to late September (seasons are affected by the amount of rainfall and how hot it gets).

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MELANGATA STATION

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he smallest of the stations in the group, Melangata punches well above its weight when it comes to scenery and Jo and Ken love having visitors and showing them around their spectacular back yard. The homestead, more than 100 years old, was designed by the Priest Architect Monsignor John Hawes, who also oversaw the construction of the Geraldton Cathedral. As such, it is the only privatelyowned residential building designed by Monsignor Hawes.

With accommodation available in the homestead, the cottage, the shearer’s quarters and the campgrounds (suitable for caravans, camper trailers, tents and swags), there is sure to be an option to suit. Their latest addition to the accommodation list is the installation of three bell tents, perfect for that glamping experience.

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For those that don’t know, Jo is also Australia’s own self-declared camp oven queen. Her Royal Highness conducts tours of the homestead (complete with her famous home-made scones to finish off the tour) as well as camp oven master classes for anyone wanting to take their camping skills to the next level.

Jo and Ken regularly take visitors on guided tours around the property and they are constantly finding new things every time they venture out. If you are looking for a unique outback experience, speak to Jo about having her cook an evening meal for you and your friends at Tom’s Lookout. This beautiful breakaway country is an idyllic spot to enjoy some great company, some amazing food and moon-rise views of the distant Dalgaranga Hills.

Melangata’s airstrip is also a good option for those that like to plan, land and stay.

Check in with the homestead first so that they know you are coming.

Best time to visit: The cooler months.

Between December and February the temperature often exceeds 40°C. Wildflower season is usually best between late August to late September (seasons are affected by the amount of rainfall and how hot it gets).

For more information or to book: www.joclewscooking.com

WOOLEEN STATION

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estled in the heart of the WA outback, Wooleen is an operating cattle station that has taken a different approach to pastoral lease management.

Owners David and Frances Pollack have taken a leading role in preserving and sustaining the unique ecology of the region.

Their homestead is listed with the Australian National Trust and offers luxurious accommodation options where you can experience the very best the Australian outback has to offer. Home-style cooking and a vast cellar stocked with the very best WA wines assures you won’t forget your Wooleen culinary experience.

Nic Duncan Photographer

Well-marked, self-drive routes offer visitors the opportunity to explore on their own or you can take advantage of the sunset tours.

The station is fortunate to have a large variety of bird life who flock to the windmills and waterholes at dawn and dusk. The placement of bird hides makes it easy to observe them in their natural habitat.

Stay in the homestead, one of the guest houses or even roll out a swag in your own secluded campsite. Regardless of how you stay, you will never forget this spectacular piece of red dirt.

Best time to visit: The cooler months.

Between December and February the temperature often exceeds 40°C.

Wildflower season is usually best between late August to late September (seasons are affected by the amount of rainfall and how hot it gets).

For more information or to book: www.wooleen.com.au

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CARNEGIE STATION

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arnegie is the last station on the Gunbarrel Highway before open desert in the vast area east of Wiluna, central Western Australia. The approx. one million acre station occupies a historical land, with the homestead area nestled below hills and creek lines with original tree blazes from early exploration

by John Forrest.

Operating primarily as a cattle station, there are camping spots and even dongastyle rooms for those who make the cross-country trip towards Warburton and Alice Springs, or the loop drive out from Wiluna to look over the desert shrublands, breakaways and claypans around Lake Carnegie. The lake itself is so huge tides have been recorded when seasonally full of water. When it is dry, its wildlife crossings and islands are a sight to share.

Green grass, fruit trees and a welcoming visitors centre (complete with stove and kitchen facilities) are available to enjoy.

An interesting museum area, book library and television nook occupy one section of the large room. Meals can be provided by prior arrangement.

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Fuel - ULP and diesel is for sale in the homestead area. Muster in winter months is fantastic viewing and at other times tagalong tours of the mill runs can be arranged.

For more information or to book: www.carnegiestation.com.au

e tt e u q i t E STATION

If you have never visited a station before, there are a few things that you should know. Every station has their own rules that are unique to their property, however these are some of the more common ones.

Before you head out to the station you are staying on (and if you are travelling through a town) check to see if they need anything brought out. Even the paper is appreciated.

Stay on the road. Unless you have been given permission to explore further, don’t.

If it doesn’t look as wellmaintained as the gazetted road then you need to seek permission first.

While we are talking about tracks, stay on them. Avoid the temptation to go off-road. This can create issues later on when it rains. A sudden downpour can result in a large amount of water falling onto dry, hard ground in a very short amount of time. That water will look for the path of least resistance, which inevitably ends up being wheel tracks. Subsequent damage can result in a track no longer being traversable until the station can get heavy equipment in to repair it.

Rainfall in excess of 10mm (yes just 10mm) can turn red dirt country into a quagmire.

If rain is coming you may need to sit it out until roads are passable again. If sitting around waiting is not your thing then be prepared to move out very quickly to avoid getting stuck.

If a road is closed due to wet weather that is not an invitation to try out your 4WD skills. It will only end in tears and you will more than likely end up in a compromising position, resulting in you needing to be rescued.

Leave all gates as you find them.

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Fences (along with gates) are extremely important assets to stations. Do not damage either and unless you have permission to pass through, turn around at closed gates and find an alternative route.

Windmills and water tanks make for some spectacular images. Many of these installations can be over 100 years old. They are the lifeblood of stations, providing water to stock.

Please don’t swim in tanks or use water troughs to wash. If you are going to camp near one, ensure you are more than 200m from it so as not to spook livestock coming in for a drink.

Know which stations you are travelling through and whether you are on a pastoral lease or DPAW land.

Keep your speeds down when on gravel roads and be mindful of other road users.

If you encounter an oncoming road-train you might be better off pulling over to the side until the dust clears.

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Driving into the homestead, slow down so that you are not producing lots of dust and covering the owner’s washing in dirt.

Conserve water. Out here it is even more important than ever. If they ask you to have short showers then do so.

Mobile coverage is next to non-existent on most properties. Factor that in when travelling. For the best overall coverage Telstra is your best bet. All stations have a land-line.

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By Neil Dowling

Creating a new car brand from scratch is an extremely daunting task. Creating a brand new 4WD from scratch is an even tougher prospect. We were lucky enough to get a ride in one of the prototypes while it was visiting WA. Here's Neil Dowling's take on the new Ineos Grenadier.

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urprise me. Tell me this doesn’t look like a Land Rover Defender. The old one.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or in a Toyota LandCruiser showroom, the Ineos Grenadier is a spitting image of the previous Defender, the agricultural Land Rover that is a bare-bones design update on the original 1948 Landie and which has kept its look since 1984 right up to its 2016 demise.

History shows it was replaced in 2020 by a Defender that has nothing in common with the old model, bringing about much

frothing at the mouth and gnashing of teeth by dyed-in-the-wool Landiphiles.

Which is why you are looking at a vehicle that is, for all intents and purposes, a pre2016 Land Rover Defender, right down to the boxed front guards, angular bonnet, stick-on headlights and doors that look like they’re been borrowed from a Massey Ferguson.

The crime has been committed by the big UK-based healthcare and chemical company Ineos, or more correctly by its owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Mr Ratcliffe, by chance a multi-billionaire who had a fondness for the old Defender, was one of the loudest teeth gnashers when Land Rover decided to replace it with a vehicle that was nothing like its predecessor.

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Mr Ratcliffe went to Land Rover and offered to buy the plans and license to build an ongoing version. Land Rover declined.

So Ineos opened a new division to make a car. Its Defender lookalike actually shares no components with the old Landie other than a silhouette and, perhaps, some body panel shapes. Silly Land Rover.

Now sections of the global 4WD market are itching to get into an Ineos Grenadier, so named not for the soldier regiment that among other things does a photo-opp for tourists around Buckingham Palace, but for the pub where Jim and his mates concocted the vehicle.

It’s taken seven years but the Ineos Grenadier is now with us. This month Ineos Australia announced that orders are open and that its pricing starts at $84,500 plus on-road costs.

This is a follow-up on the news of its national dealerships (although two for WA seems a bit thin!) and that it expects cars to dribble into showrooms by late this year with more volume promised for 2023.

During its gestation, there were about 100 Grenadier pre-production vehicles running around various countries trying to break down.

These vehicles, made by Magna Steyr in Austria, covered more than one-million kilometres with 300,000km of that spent 36

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off the road in places including Australia where it completed a series of tests and, earlier this year, a roadshow. So Ineos is showing that its new wagon has done the hard yards.

Ineos makes its 4WD in the Hambach factory in France. The plant, which previously made the Smart models for Mercedes-Benz, is now owned by Ineos.

The Grenadier is powered by a BMW turbodiesel or turbo-petrol engine and comes only with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. There is also no premium price for either engine, making the decision more of personal choice rather than watching the wallet.

The $84,500 (plus on-road costs) price of the workhorse-oriented entry-level (at the moment) two-seater Utility Wagon puts it head-to-head with the Toyota LandCruiser Workmate Troop Carrier that starts at $71,350 and climbs to $78,500 for the 70th Anniversary Edition.

All Troopies have manual transmission and unlike the new LC300, retain the 4.5-litre V8 turbo-diesel.

In its last year of sale in 2016, Land Rover sold its five-door Defender 110 for $47,500, along with two-door models and cabchassis and ute derivatives. All came with manual gearboxes and a 90kW/360Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.

The Grenadier appears to be sewn in the same cloth but the drivetrain is quite different. The BMW 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel - expected to be the most popular of the engine choices - has a substantially more powerful 183kW/550Nm. The 3.0-litre petrol has 210kW/450Nm.

to be made as the extra space needed to fit the six and its heavy-duty cooling system meant the air intake was moved to the front, with it now set alongside the headlights.

The engines drive through a full-time 4WD system and Tremec two-speed transfer case with centre diff lock to independent front and rear suspended axles with optional front and/or rear diff locks that are actuated electronically.

The solid axles are made by Italian tractor component manufacturer Carraro with brakes by Brembo and dampers from Bilstein.

The chassis is a full-frame ladder layout (made in Germany by Gestamp) and most of the body panels are galvanised hightensile steel. The doors, bonnet and rear doors are aluminium.

Clever stuff includes the liberal tow hooks and bash plates, roof rails and roof protection strips. The spare wheel has a lockable storage area.

Incidentally, the Grenadier was originally planned to have four-cylinder engines from BMW but smoothness and the need to improve performance - including towing - made the company change to sixcylinder units.

Chassis safety gear is minimal. In fact, the Grenadier skips a lot of the soon-tobe-mandatory SUV safety gear that will include autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring, effective from March 2023.

The bigger-capacity sixes also give the power needed to push a wagon that weighs about 2.7-tonne. But changes had

Instead, the work-focused (but likely to be cult generating) import gets hill descent control as about the only visible in-cab Western 4W Driver #122 |

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... and even a real key for the ignition.

Which you have to turn to make the engine start.

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nanny aid. It does get four-wheel Brembo disc brakes and airbags.

It wears either 17-inch or 18-inch steel or alloy wheels, depending on the variant, with BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres and a full-size spare is standard.

Purists may see the entry-level Utility Wagon as the successor to the Land Rover Defender, mainly because it is stripped down with no fussy features.

It gets a hose-out cabin with vinyl floors and Recaro seats with manual adjustment and a leather-wrap steering wheel and even a real key for the ignition. Which you have to turn to make the engine start.

But it does get satellite navigation when connected to your smart phone and has a 12.3-inch touchscreen (like the engine, sourced from BMW) with access to the infotainment system.

There is a rotary knob for accessing info from the centre touchscreen which BMW owners may recognise as BMW’s iDrive controller. Most of the switchgear is

designed to be operated when wearing gloves.

The main instruments are in the centre stack with the small panel ahead of the driver simply for warning lights.

A roof panel bank has switches for the off-road functions, including diff locks, and switches for interior and exterior accessories.

Defender fans may also note that the Grenadier may look like the old Landie but there are huge improvements in ergonomics, including the fact your right arm doesn’t rub against the door frame.

The six models of the wagon include the Trialmaster and Fieldmaster editions. The names come from the Belstaff clothing company, renown in the past for its heavyduty waxed cotton motorcycle gear and now for fashion clothing, and is aimed at linking Belstaff’s durability with the new Ineos. No surprise with the tie-up with Belstaff when you know that it’s now owned

by Ineos.

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The Trialmaster adds front and rear diff locks, BF Goodrich KO2 off-road tyres, heated mirrors and windscreen washers, roof access ladder and internal utility rails, an auxiliary battery, raised intake snorkel, NAS tow hitch and electrics, and a compass with altimeter. It adds about $11,000 to the entry-level wagon price.

There’s also the Fieldmaster which adds, over the base wagon, 17-inch alloy wheels with locking nuts, Safari top-side windows, access ladder, leather upholstery, heated front seats, carpets and the compass and tow hitch pack.

There is a list of options for the owner who wants to personalise the wagon. These

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include the checker-plate on the front fenders ($460), rock sliders ($1630), roo bar ($1990), full-length roof rack ($2530), removable winch with tow kit ($4050) and even a heavy-duty spade for $60.

Ineos has also been clever mounting all the electronic items the Grenadier’s maximum wading of 800mm. It also has pre-wired switches for accessories.

about above depth spare

The six models are all on the same platform, with a 2922mm wheelbase to make it 128mm longer between the wheels than the Defender 110.

It is 4927mm long (including the spare wheel on the rear door), 1930mm wide and 2033mm wide. This is bigger than the 110 by, respectively, 288mm, 140mm and 12mm.

In comparison to the LandCruisers, it is 53mm shorter than the 300 and 17mm longer than the 76 Series; has a wheelbase that is 72mm longer than the 300 and 192mm longer than the 76; and its ground clearance of 264mm betters the 300 (235mm) and 76 (215mm).

For off-roaders, the important stuff is the 36.2-degree approach angle, 36.1-degree

departure and with a ramp-over of 28.2-degrees - all top notch figures to give the Ineos damn good off-road capability.

On paper at least.

On top of that, it has the impressive 264mm of ground clearance, the 800mm of wading and a minimum of 600mm of suspension travel thanks to the heavy-duty Eibach coil springs made specifically for the Grenadier.

The suspension, with some components sourced from Dana, also has 9-degrees of front articulation and 12-degrees at the back.

The Grenadier has a 3500kg tow rating when braked. It also has a high payload rating with a range of 810kg in the diesel five-seater, up to 906kg for the petrol twoseater. That doesn’t include the driver.

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with Bosch to service Grenadiers at any of its 120 national outlets.

Ineos is aware of the user profile of the Grenadier and will also provide 3D manuals to allow customers - especially those in regional locations - to service their own vehicles.

It also indicates that Ineos could allocate regional 4WD and mechanical specialists to act as agents for the brand.

The two-seater can fit a Euro pallet, thanks to the 30:70 rear barn doors. It also has a total luggage space of 2088 litres.

In its promotional material for the Grenadier, Ineos states that the rear can accommodate three sheep - a reference to the advertising of the original Defender 110.

The five seater has 1152 litres with the split rear seats in the up location, and 2035 litres when the second row is folded down.

Ineos has said that Australia rates fourth largest in the world (after Britain, the US and China) as its potential market. It expects global demand to be about 30,000 units but believes that it will replicate demand by increasing production.

About 1000 units will be available from its mid-year launch with the company watching demand and prepared to increase stock.

It will follow its wagon up with a dual-cab version on a stretched 3227mm wheelbase as early as next year, further boosting its potential audience.

Also under consideration is a sevenseat version, using the dual-cab’s longer platform.

Ineos is looking at about 34 national outlets by the end of 2023, with some being service-only facilities. But it has a deal 42

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That aside, the Grenadier comes with a five year or unlimited distance warranty and roadside assistance program. It will also have a capped-price service plan for the warranty period. The service costs have yet to be announced.

Buyers are asked to go to Ineos’ website and place a $5000 reservation online. Most of the Grenadier sales are expected to be made online, although the dealer network is available for more personal attention.

Ineos Automotive Grenadier Prices Utility Wagon $84,500 Utility Wagon Trialmaster Edition $95,495 Utility Wagon Fieldmaster Edition $95,495 Station Wagon $85,500 Station Wagon Trialmaster Edition $96,495 Station Wagon Fieldmaster Edition $96,496

Sheep and cattle stations have been the backbone of Western Australia’s outback for over 130 years, and hospitality is nothing new for them.

A diverse range of accommodation offers a multitude of experiences.

Grand old homesteads present comfortable respite whilst you watch the day to day work of running a station. Self-contained cottages are relaxed and personable.

Get comfy down at the shearers quarters and imagine life back in the days of booming wool prices. Most stations will also offer you a patch to roll out your swag or set up your camper, surrounded by stunning scenery and whistling birds in the trees above.

Despite the fact you could sit back all day and soak up the atmosphere of the outback, the list of activities you can partake in is endless. 4WDing, hiking, mountain-bike riding, birdwatching, painting, horse treks, walk-trails, guided tours, wildflowers, stargazing or perhaps even lend a hand and get involved in station life.

No matter your choice you can be assured of sharing hundreds of thousands of acres with only a few others. However you choose to spend your time at a Station Stay you can be guaranteed of an experience like no other. Forget the hustle and bustle of city life and allow the wide sweeping plains and ruggedly beautiful landscapes of these Mid-West Station Stays capture your imagination.

wastationstays.com.au

Travelling from Coober Pedy to Laverton via the Anne Beadell Highway, Grant and Linda follow the wheel tracks of the legendary Len Beadell.

THE LONGEST SHORTCUT

By Grant & Linda Hanan

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ith the 4WD re-fuelled and final supplies packed away, it was time to pull out of the opal mining town of Coober Pedy. From here, it’s only a short run up the Stuart Highway to the start of the Anne Beadell Highway.

History-wise, the Anne Beadell Highway is one of the tracks built and named by Len Beadell and his crew around 60 years ago.

At that time, Len had been tasked to put in a network of roads in the outback in order

to support an atomic testing program. As it turns out, the Anne Beadell (named after Len’s wife) is one of his lengthier highways, stretching more than 1,300km from Coober Pedy to Laverton in Western Australia.

When you generally hear the term 'highway', it’s natural for the imagination to conjure up some fancy-pants route that is better suited to a sleek sportscar rather than a 4WD. But the Anne Beadell is far from being suited to something like that. In reality, the 'highway' is just a single lane dirt track which crosses a kaleidoscope of terrain through the Great Victoria Desert. It’s a remote area, and fair to say that traffic can be minimal on the track. In fact, it’s not uncommon to be a few days before seeing another vehicle, if not longer.

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It’s time to hit the track.

The track runs alongside the dog fence for a few kilometres on the eastern end.

The track itself is a combination of firm sand with some washouts, and there’s a likelihood you could experience a bit of boggy mud after rain. It can also be overgrown in places, so a bit of vehicle pinstriping is generally on the cards. And to top things off, there’s a bundle of corrugations.

Yep, we’re talking the shake, rattle and roll type here. They can be so bad that some could easily shake teeth fillings (or perhaps chip a tooth like I did!) So take it from me when I say they’re absolute rippers.

In all seriousness, it’s critical to run appropriate tyre pressures for your setup and watch your speed to help complete the track unscathed. But don’t get me wrong, not all the track is bad when there’s quite a bit of mining happening at the western end. Here you’ll find road conditions significantly improve. This section of the track is wide and generally a very good quality dirt road, so you could use a little more right foot here. But you’ll still need to 46

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keep an eye out for mining trucks which frequent this section. Other things to take into consideration about the track is the time of day you’re travelling. If you’re heading east to west and it’s late in the day, be mindful you’ll be driving into an afternoon setting sun. On the flipside, travelling from west to east and you’ll be on the receiving end of a rising sun if you’re hitting the track early.

Dune crossings have a firm base.

WHAT YOU’LL SEE When a track spans more than 1,300km through a variety of terrain, there’s going to be plenty to experience along the way. How long you should allow to travel the track really comes down to the time you’ve got and where your interests lie. While we’ve heard of travellers doing the crossing in as little as four days, there’s also been those who meander across the track taking two weeks. Ok, that could be us. We generally don’t need to hurry while travelling anyway, so we always allow plenty of time even if it’s just to have a lay day somewhere. So if you can allow somewhere in between 4-14 days you’ll be well covered. We say the more, the better, as it can place less demand on you and your vehicle when you can take things that bit slower.

But it also pays to allow for a bit of extra time when many attractions aren’t signposted.

That’s also another reason not to travel too quickly. Before leaving home, we suggest getting a detailed map and take time to do plenty of research beforehand to make the most of a trip. So what type of things can you see? If you travel the track from east to west starting at Coober Pedy, one of the first things you’ll pass through is the dog fence gate. The track continues and runs along the fence line here in a north/south direction for a few kilometres before turning

Signing the visitors’ book at Neale Junction.

westerly again. Further along, there’s also the test sites located at Emu. This is the area where atomic bombs were exploded during the early 1950s. Two obelisks stand at the detonation sites and there’s some evidence of twisted metal from the towers to be seen. While not much remains of the Emu township per sé, the landing strip located here is still in extremely good condition after all these years. Other track attractions include a number of Len Beadell markers. These are found at key locations along the track that also provide an opportunity to get out and stretch the legs. Some of these markers have visitors’ books as well so there’s somewhere you can record your visit.

One of the ground zero test sites at Emu.

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This scene was quite common along the track.

Plane wreck several kilometres off the ABH.

But as we’ve seen on many outback trips, not everything makes it out of the desert. A 30 year old aeroplane wreck is located off the main track and well worth the detour.

Remarkably, all on board survived the crash after the plane experienced fuel pump issues. Other than the plane wreck, there’s plenty of other wrecks along the track of the two and four wheel kind. There’s abandoned trailers, caravans and vehicles to be found in all various states of decay that now form part of the desert landscape as well.

Closer to Laverton, natural attractions like Bishop Riley’s Pulpit and Point Sunday are listed on maps and worth the stop. Both were named by intrepid explorer Frank Hann more than 120 years ago. These massive outcrops are spectacular sights especially if you’ve been used to the dune desert landscape when travelling from the 48

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east. Another attraction on the western end of the track is the Yeo Homestead. It’s located a little more than 200km away from Laverton adjacent to the highway and is part of the Yeo Lake Nature Reserve. Besides these, keen eyes will find natural rockholes, soaks and trees used to make coolamons by the indigenous along the route.

A slice of history on display.

PLANTS & WILDLIFE If you’re unfamiliar with desert travel, it can be a little difficult to imagine what to expect when travelling the Anne Beadell Highway. For many people, they’re pleasantly surprised when they find it’s not simply some tumbleweeds blowing across a desolate and sandy landscape. The truth is the Great Victoria Desert and the area to its east is anything but desolate. Eucalypts, acacias, mallee and saltbush can all be found along here, and hedge-like spinifex 'gardens' can dominate the landscape in parts. Wildflowers can also be out in full force after a bit of rain and provide a vibrant contrast to that rich red sand. While animal and bird numbers can fluctuate, we’ve come across all sorts of parrots, finches, fairy-wrens and robins. The crested bellbird is one of our feathered outback faves which we’ve often heard during our trips to the region.

As with most desert-style tracks, larger wildlife like camels are present and love to hog the track.

Passing them isn’t always easy, so you could be following them for a while.

Other than these, it’s also not uncommon to come across wild dogs at some stage. If you don’t see them, there’s a strong likelihood you may hear them off in the distance.

Our lunch stop visitor was very inquisitive.

Wildflowers can be plentiful after a bit of rain.

Spinifex en masse looking quite pretty.

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CAMPING While you’ll find some designated spots to camp listed on maps, there really is no shortage of places to pull up stumps for the night along the track. Some of the camps we’ve had have been real crackers.

However, there are a few camping restrictions which are signposted.

For starters, radiation levels make camping unsuitable around the atomic detonation sites.

And there’s also a 50km section within Maralinga Lands where camping is not permitted. Any other restrictions will be covered in the permits needed to travel the track. Some popular places to camp on the SA side are at Tallaringa Well, Emu airstrip, Neale Junction and at the SA/WA border.

Other landmarks such as Point Sunday and Yeo Homestead are often used for camping on the WA end. The homestead here has a cold shower to help wash that red dirt away plus a fireplace and water also available.

Just make sure to boil the water first. The Ilkurlka Roadhouse that’s located on the track has a large campground and provides a bit of luxury with its toilet and shower Yeo Homestead is a good spot to take a break or camp.

Having a lazy start to the day.

Ilkurlka stocks a few supplies, fuel and souvenirs.

facilities. If you’re just passing through, it’s only a few dollars to use the facilities if you don’t have time for an overnighter. All these spots have plenty of space if you’re travelling with a large group, but collecting firewood elsewhere is the go.

FACILITIES You’ve probably heard it before, but remote travel of any sort means you need to be self-sufficient. This includes travelling the Anne Beadell Highway. Carefully calculate your fuel requirements well in advance, and even then, carry some extra. Also take plenty of water and extra supplies. While you may be able to pick up some emergency 50

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water at a couple of the rainwater tanks along the track, you can’t rely on these.

And don’t leave home without some form of communication as well for travelling remotely. We always take a satellite phone with us as a precaution and for peace of mind whenever we’re hitting the tracks.

Besides the facilities at Coober Pedy and Laverton, the only other place that offers fuel and basic supplies along the track is the Ilkurlka Roadhouse.

Diesel is available (around $3.50 per litre) as well as opal fuel (around $4 per litre).

The roadhouse also stocks a few supplies, and you can support the local Tjuntjuntjara Community if you’d like a piece or two of their unique art or artefacts.

PERMITS You’ll need four permits in total to travel the Anne Beadell Highway in its entirety.

And unfortunately, they’re not available from a one-stop shop. Be prepared and apply well in advance as they can take up to eight weeks in some instances.

There’s no hitting the tracks when Defence conducts their tests.

One of these permits provides transit through the Cosmo Newberry Reserve on the Western Australian side of the track.

The other three permits are for travelling through land within South Australia. One of these permits will cover you to transit through the Tallaringa Conservation Park that’s administered by SA National Parks.

Another covers the Maralinga Lands and Mumungari Conservation Park. These permits don’t necessarily cover camping fees either, so check the individual websites for further details.

You can come across more traffic on the western end as there’s plenty of mining activity.

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The last of the SA permits comes from the Department of Defence which covers travel from Coober Pedy to Neale Junction. As Defence periodically conducts testing in the desert, there are exclusion periods where permits aren’t issued. You won’t want to get caught out here so check their website for these exclusion dates well in advance while planning your trip. These dates are listed well ahead of time giving travellers plenty of notice. And if you think you can get onto the track undetected, think again. The track gets blocked by Defence personnel on the eastern end by Mabel Creek Station.

While this is happening, other personnel undertake vehicle sweeps as far as Neale Junction to ensure it’s clear. That’s not necessarily a bad thing when you probably wouldn’t want to find your vehicle is a moving target!

The track can be overgrown in parts.

INFORMATION BAY DISTANCE

1,325km from Coober Pedy in South Australia to Laverton in Western Australia.

PERMITS WA - Cosmo Newberry Reserve www.wa.gov.au/service/aboriginal-affairs/ aboriginal-heritage-conservation (No charge.)

SA - Tallaringa Conservation Park This permit is needed if you’re not the current holder of a SA Desert Parks Pass parks.sa.gov.au (Payable.)

SA - Maralinga Tjarutja Land & Mamungari Conservation Park www.maralingatjarutja.com Allow 4-8 weeks. (Payable.)

SA - Woomera Prohibited Area www.defence.gov.au/bases-locations/ sa/woomera Allow 7 days. (No charge.)

Exclusion Periods during the year may apply to certain areas and access will not be approved during these periods.

FUEL & SUPPLIES

As far as outback tracks go, the Anne Beadell Highway sits towards the top of many a 4W driver’s list of tracks to tackle.

And when it offers so much diversity and gets you well away from the regular blacktop touring found further south between Western Australia and South Australia, that comes as no surprise.

So whether you’re a history buff, nature lover, or simply someone that relishes a bit of a remote outback adventure, the Anne Beadell Highway covers all that, plus more.

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Coober Pedy and Laverton supply fuel and have a supermarket. Ilkurlka Roadhouse (552km from Laverton and 830km from Coober Pedy) has basic food supplies, a public phone, an assortment of local art, and a campground with toilet and shower facilities. Check their website for current opening times and up to date fuel prices. www.ilkurlka.org.au

WHEN TO TRAVEL

Late autumn and winter are the best times to travel when daytime temperatures are mild and nights are cool to cold. However, you’ll need to check the Department of Defence website well in advance, as these times can occasionally clash with their exclusion periods. Summer desert travel is out – it’s just too hot.

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O T H C N I W H C I WH

Struggling to purposely bog the Ranger for the test.

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?

H T I W H C N I W

By Chris Morton

Hands up who has a winch fitted to their fourby? Great.

Now, keep your hands up if you've used your winch in the last 12 months?

O

ver the last couple of years, I have spoken to as many winch-sporting 4WD owners that I could and have come across the same response. The consensus is that very few use their winch on a regular basis, and for many, when they do use it, it is to assist someone else.

Our own Western 4W Driver Wildtrak is fitted with a very reliable Bushranger 4x4 10,000lb winch, snuggly tucked away inside our ARB Summit Bull Bar. It has never let me down and worked perfectly well when I had to pull a 4WD and trailer out of a creek a year or so back.

What options are out there if you don’t want to fit a bull bar or don’t have a winchcompatible bar to begin with?

We tested a couple of Australian-made products to see what works aside the traditional vehicle-mounted winch. Both solutions work on the premise that your vehicle is already equipped with a reliable power plant and winch mechanism and both take advantage of that.

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THE BUSH WINCH

This is a Western Australian owned and run business, and like many inventions, was born out of adversity. The best way I can describe the Bush Winch is that it looks like an oversized hand fishing reel that clips onto your wheels.

The operation is quite simple but does require you to replace your wheel nuts on all four wheels, with a specially made substitute. These new nuts facilitate the easy connection of the winch to your rim.

Connecting the winch is a quick process that only involves lining up the mounting plate with the wheel nuts and twisting into place. Once attached, 30 metres of rope provides plenty of line to connect to a suitable anchor point and the use of soft shackles removes the potential for lethal projectiles.

Once you have extracted your vehicle, removing each winch is as simple as twisting the reel and removing from the rim. Wind the excess rope up and then stow it away.

Pros: • Two winches weigh 10kg, with 60m of total winch rope.

• Very quick to fit and remove.

• Has a very low point of pull, compared with a traditional winch placement.

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Bush Winch in action.

• Can be used either forward or reverse.

Cons:

• Is transferrable to other vehicles (they only require the replacement wheel nuts).

• You need somewhere to store the winches in your vehicle due to their bulk.

• Can be used on both 2WD and 4WD vehicles.

• No installation required (except for wheel nuts).

• More expensive than Bog Outs.

For more information, check out: www.bushwinch.com

• No bull bar required.

• No significant impact on vehicle GVM (bull bar + winch).

• No need to change suspension to cater for additional weight at the front of the vehicle.

• Cheaper than a traditional winch system (winch + bull bar + install).

• No maintenance required (except for changing the winch rope if it becomes damaged).

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BOG OUTS mother of invention, and Paul described himself needing to extricate his vehicle after six hours stuck in a rapidly filling creek bed. He was able to do so using rope and his years of nautical knot tieing (say that fast five times). What eventuated was his Queensland invention, Bog Outs.

Bog Outs resemble a simple rope ladder that attach to one or both front or rear wheels using a tie that threads through the wheel. Laying out the 'ladder', you connect an extension rope using a soft shackle and then tie off to an anchor point. Paul was even able to demonstrate connecting extension rope to the Bog Outs without using a soft shackle or a knot.

We tried a set of Bog Outs a few years ago and even though we connected them incorrectly, we were still able to extract a Ranger that we purposely bogged on the beach.

We were lucky enough to spend some time with their inventor, Paul, while he paid a visit to WA a few weeks back. Desperation is the

When ready, the spinning action of your connected wheels winches the vehicle out.

To disconnect, simply undo your extension rope, release the tie attached to the wheel rim and pull the Bog Out 90 degrees to the vehicle. Slowly drive off.

We were lucky enough to have Paul, inventor of Bog Outs, show us the ropes (pardon the pun).

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Bog Out in action.

Pros: • Two Bog Outs weigh less than 5kg.

• Relatively quick to fit and remove (with practice).

• Winch pull point is at the level of the base of the connected tyre.

• Can be used either forward or reverse.

• Can be used on anything with a wheel.

• Can be used on both 2WD and 4WD vehicles.

• No installation required.

• No bull bar required.

• No impact on vehicle GVM (bull bar + winch).

• No need to change suspension to cater for additional weight at the front of the vehicle.

• No maintenance required (except for changing the winch rope if it becomes damaged).

• Packs away into a soft bag and can be stowed anywhere.

• Half the cost of a Bush Winch.

Cons: • Takes a little more setting up than the Bush Winch.

• Requires a little more time to pack up than Bush Winch.

• Potential for rope to wrap around wheel hub/axle if not fitted correctly.

For more information, check out: www.bogout.com

• Cheaper than a traditional winch system (winch + bull bar + install).

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WHAT WE RECKON We conducted some trials with both winches at the 4WD park located at White Gum Farm and at a beach location north of Perth. Both winches performed as advertised and were able to extract both our 200 series and Ranger from situations that we placed them in without too many issues.

I am a little torn between what is the better winch. The Bog Out’s price and ability to pack down to almost nothing is very appealing, and I am sure with enough practice would be quick to install and break down. On our 200 series, where there is substantially more room between the inside side wall and suspension gear they are almost the perfect solution. On the Ranger, if you attach them wrong there is the risk of entanglement and damage.

The simplicity to fit and disconnect the Bush Winch is a plus and having the winch line nowhere near the suspension or drive line is comforting. Your wheels do tend to look like some Roman Gladiator’s chariot but that becomes a talking point. We intend to use both solutions further and it really comes down to price. Both are great Aussie inventions and both will extricate you from your tractionally challenged predicament.

The most common issue we did come across was finding a suitable anchor point when travelling alone, which is a subject we will address next edition.

If you're looking for somewhere to try out your 4W driving skills, or want to spend some time in the Avon Valley region, check out White Gum Farm Caravan & Adventure Park: www.whitegumfarm.com.au

T

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Wande r through the

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s r e w o l f d Wil

By Chris Morton

Living here in Western Australia, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to spectacular landscapes. The juxtaposition of such differing landscapes, seemingly almost welded together in a titanic patchwork quilt, offers those wandering an almost endless palette of colours and textures from which to paint their next adventure.

A

ustralia’s biggest state offers adventure seekers one of the biggest wildflower collections found anywhere in the world, with more than 12,000 species springing into bloom, 60% not found anywhere else. WA’s wildflower season commences in the north around June, extending to the south coast where nature’s colourful exhibition dies out around November. Rainfall and temperature are the mitigating factors that will affect each wildflower season and you should consult with the visitor centres in the areas you intend to visit before heading out.

If you are planning to head out in your own vehicle, the station stays found north of Perth scattered through the Gascoyne/ Murchsion and along the Coral Coast are ideally suited to offer accommodation options and somewhere to base yourself as you explore. Of course, there are a multitude of tour operators that will also guide you or even transport you if you are not so equipped.

Yalgoo Region

Traditionally the best time to visit is between July and September, when the landscape is carpeted in a cacophony of everlastings. Base yourself at Mellenbye Station, Gabyon Station or Melangata Station and spend some time exploring the station country either with your hosts or on self-guided trips around their properties (where appropriate). The towns of Mullewa and Yalgoo both offer glimpses of our pioneering past with heritage buildings and interpretive signage telling the stories of yesteryear.

Spend some time getting to know the story of Monsignor Hawes and his architectural achievements spread throughout the region. Plunge into Jokers Tunnel and discover the Court House Museum.

Discover an indigenous art gallery at Walga Rock, taking your time to see if you can spot the sailing ship depicted on the rock wall. The surrounding country bursts into colourful life. Take some time exploring Paynes Find and the only working gold battery in the state (established in 1911).

Tour the museum and displays.

These next two suggested trips, although not 4WD destinations, consist of a few spots where having a 4WD is recommended.

Coast Country

(This can be as short as a 3-day drive).

If you are more of a coastal person, then consider meandering up along Indian Ocean Drive to Green Head. Explore the Three Bays Walkway which includes Dynamite, South and Anchorage Bays.

The route chosen has been designed to immerse visitors in the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape and its history.

There is an endangered seal colony, which can be seen up close by taking a boat charter tour. For anyone who is selfsufficient, consider camping at Milligan Island. This is a nature-based, short-term camp ground, equipped with several long drops, gas BBQs and sheltered picnic tables. The camp is only a short walk from Billygoat Bay with views to the nearby offshore islands. $20 per night, per vehicle

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on a first come, first served basis and a maximum of three day stay (or four during long weekends).

For more information, go to: www.coorow.wa.gov.au/coast-to-coorow/ visitor-information-camping.aspx From Green Head, head east towards Coorow. If you have the time, divert to Stockyard Gully Caves. This small cave system is a favourite for many exploring the area and was named after one of the drover’s rest stops used by stockman using the North Road Stock Route.

Reaching Coorow, take some time at the historic Coorow Farm, a community-driven project which is managed by local farmers.

Half of the property is sown for harvest, with the remainder left wild, encouraging wildflower growth. There is also a short, 1.2km Bart Mailey Memorial Walk that winds its way through bushland for those wanting to stretch their legs. The farm is known for its pink fairy orchids, everlastings and many other species.

Moving onto Carnamah, the state heritagelisted Macpherson Homestead, the first building in the district, built in the late 1860s demands a stop. Explore the grounds and

various vehicles and machinery. The area is also well-known for its diverse bird life, with over 180 species having been recorded.

For more information, go to: www.carnamah.com.au/homestead Heading north, Three Springs is the final stop on this short tour. A scenic drive along Robinson Road will not disappoint with usually an abundance of wildflowers on display. Three Springs is also home to the rare Eucalyptus Rose Malle, which can be viewed at the Three Springs Hospital Grounds and on the Sweetman Road, 18km southwest of the town.

The historic walk trail through town will tell the story of the town and is a great way to completely immerse yourself. The local RSL have an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) on display that was operated by one of the local members during the Vietnam War. The Mica Mine Thicket (Dookanooka National Park), also 18km south-west of town, is a natural pocket of bushland that can be explored on foot. 20km north-east of town, you will quite often come across wreath flowers along Bateman Road (between August and October).

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The Talc Mine, 10km east of town is the largest in the southern hemisphere and the second largest in the world. A lookout offers views across the open pit and overburden heaps. The range of soil types and colours also offer opportunities for some great images.

The perfect way to end the day is from Mingenew Hill, watching the colours dance west across the landscape.

Hit the Wildflower Way

To do it justice, the Wildflower Way is a 7-day road trip.

Day 1 Moora, your start point for this 7-day adventure, sits astride the Moore River and is the junction between two distinct botanical districts. The diverse soil types, a result of the region's geology, produces very different plant communities. What was once an agricultural area dominated by traditional wheat-sheep farming, the area has diversified into wildflowers,

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cattle and other grain crops. Wind your way through the town along the Moora Town Walk, discovering the town’s historic buildings, points of interest and the Moora Town Clock. The bronzed draught horse and kelpie provide a life-like memorial to the animals that were key in developing this country.

Day 2 The first group to settle the area around Dalwallinu were Benedictine monks from New Norcia. They ran flocks of sheep across vast pastoral leases, using shepherding methods before being forced out in the early 1900s by broadacre farming.

July to October is the best time to see the wildflowers in bloom.

20km north of Dalwallinu is the small town of Wubin. Between August and September, you will be greeted with everlastings in full bloom following winter

rains. If you stay observant, you could also spot Leschenaultia Macrantha, the wreath flower. A great little picnic spot can be found 6km further east of the town at Wubin Rocks.

The Heritage Wheatbin Museum is worth spending some time looking around and sits next to the modern storage bins.

More pink, yellow, and white everlasting displays can be found around Perenjori between July and October as well as more examples of wreath flowers (September to October). There are also a wide variety of rare native spring orchids to be found in the

area. Perenjori, founded in 1916, is also a great place to park up under the shade on a powered site, grab a chalet at the caravan park or stay in a room at the historic hotel.

They also hold Blues in the Bush at the end of September.

The Church of St Joseph is another example of Monsignor John Hawes' work through the Midwest and Murchison. Don’t forget to call into the Perenjori Tourist Centre and Pioneer Museum before venturing too far.

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Coast Country 3-day drive The Wildflower Way 7-day drive

Excerpt from Hema’s WA state map.

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The Rothsay Heritage Trail takes you through pastoral and mining country, leading you to the John Forrest Lookout. The impressive views across the surrounding countryside are worth it. The Rothsay townsite and abandoned mine features historic graves.

The heritage-listed Caron Coal Stage takes you back to the age of steam trains and following the Caron Rail Trail there is an example of a railway dam.

disappoints when it comes to a wildflower display. The area is also known to reveal wreath flowers. There are two designated wildflower drives, taking you north and south of town, where you can enjoy vistas of sunlit paddocks stretching across rolling hills. Bindoo Hill and the historic Butterabby Gravesite are also worth a visit. Make sure you call into the Visitor Centre.

Day 3

Day 4

You can head into Geraldton and use this as a base for day trips or enjoy the multitude of water-based activities on offer.

The HMAS Sydney memorial is well worth a visit and an opportunity for some silent contemplation of sacrifices made. Back out on the Midland Route, calling into Ellendale Pool, the Burma Road Nature Reserve and the Tracking Station are all warranted.

Depot Hill Reserve is a great spot to see more wildflowers as well as enjoying a picnic, overlooking the Irwin River. If you are anywhere near Mingenew towards sunset, then the Mingenew Hill is a great place to end the day.

The Mullewa Wildflower Show is held in August or early September and is a real showcase for life in the bush. The town has some beautiful architecture and never

Three Springs, as already previously discussed, offers a unique charm and a host of worthy locations to visit. Arrino Gardens

You are spoilt for choice here. Koolanooka Springs, Canna, the Morawa Museum and the Monsignor Hawes Heritage Trail are all worthy of your attention. Coalseam Conservation Park, located between Mingenew and Mullewa is a wildflower mecca. Named after the visible coal seams that can be seen in the riverbed, the acacia shrubland springs to life with everlasting wildflowers after a good rain.

The Irwin River Heritage Trail reveals marine fossils along the banks. Camping is permitted here.

Day 5

Day 6

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is a great spot to learn about native bush tucker and native plants.

25km west of Carnamah, Tathra National Park is a spectacular location for wildflowers. Nyungar for 'beautiful', Tathra befits its name. The Carnamah Historical Museum is located in one of the town’s historic buildings and the town also boasts three giant murals. The post office, St Andrews Church (another Monsignor Hawes creation) and the Uniting Church are all historic buildings around town deserving your attention.

well-known for more wildflowers during the season and you should keep your eyes peeled for local wildlife.

Heading to the coast will bring you out to Green Head. Pristine beaches, suitable for swimming and snorkelling, it is also a great place to wet a line. The Australian Sea Lion colony, located at Fisherman’s Island, is accessible by jumping on board a Sea Lion viewing tour. The various little secluded bays found along the coast are great to explore on foot before heading back to Perth.

Day 7 Coorow, first settled in the mid 1800s boasts a contrast between its agricultural past and the current wildflowers and garden displays. Town Park, located in the main street is a pleasant place to stretch your legs as is the popular picnic spot at Waddi Well. It was used by passing drovers to rest their mounts before pushing on.

The Alexander Morrison National Park is

INFORMATION BAY BEFORE YOU HIT THE ROAD

There is nothing worse than planning your trip, packing the car, and heading out, only to discover that the flowers have decided to take the week off. Worse still, is getting to a location only to be told that “you shoulda’ been here last week”.

We recommend getting the local goss from the people on the ground.

Contact the Visitor Centre for the area you are travelling into before you put pedal to the metal. www.wavisitorcentre.com.au Remember that wildflowers are subject to seasonal variations and weather conditions.

TERRAIN

Combination of sealed roads and formed gravel roads.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

June to October, depending on the area you are visiting.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

wildflowercountry.com.au australiasgoldenoutback.com/page/outback-wildflower-trails

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Our goals are simple; to lead and support people to discover the splendour of Western Australia and to provide you with a safe adventure-filled experience.

Our overall goal is to make sure you see things that otherwise you might not, go to places that otherwise you might not visit and meet some new friends and enjoy their company in a friendly, safe and secure surrounding. Why not join us?

If you are new to four-wheel driving, don’t worry, we will provide you with support and guidance whenever you need it.

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WAR ROCK

By Colin Kerr

Hidden away around 15km north of Morawa in the WA wheatbelt, measuring around 100 metres across and standing about 1-2 metres above the surrounding countryside, War Rock has quite a curious historic background.

T

he rock itself is probably millions of years old, but the legend surrounding War Rock goes back to a time when a war, or some sort of conflict, occurred between two boundary Aboriginal tribes - believed to have been the Gullewa and Irwin Tribes.

Today the site is creatively marked with metal sculpture interpretations of events which took place here on the rock many years ago.

Excerpt from Hema’s WA state map.

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On top of the rock itself today, there is one quite large gnamma hole (a natural depression in the rock) which usually fills with winter rains and can last many months - a quite reliable source of water for local Aboriginals thousands of years ago. There was another deeper gnamma hole also here years ago, but this was filled in by settlers in the early 1900s to prevent stock falling in.

It is not known, but it could be presumed that these gnamma hole features of the rock (and their valuable water supply) were the reason for the ‘war’ which took place here, or perhaps this rock was the site of some form of semi-ritualised conflict or payback revenge between these neighbouring tribes. Exactly what happened here or why, will probably never be known.

Many years later in 1936, downhill from the rock a dam was built as a local water supply for early settlers. The majority of the work digging out an estimated 1,800 cubic yards of earth was done using a 2 ton Holt crawler tractor, supplemented by horses pulling dam scoops and human labour with

Metal sculptures at War Rock.

There is space to park adjacent to the rock.

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Pintharuka Dam, now covered over.

picks and shovels. The water was guided into the dam from War Rock by a series of rock walls built around the edge of the LOGO LOCKUPS rock, guiding rain water into a drain leading downhill to the dam.

INFORMATION BAY To get to War Rock and nearby Pintharuka Dam follow the Morawa to Mullewa Road approximately 15km north of Morawa, and then turning east follow the signs to Pintharuka Dam and the rock around 2km away.

LOGO/ MESSAGING PRIMARY

The Pintharuka Dam was officially opened as a water supply on 5 June 1937. A roof was built over the dam to reduce contamination and evaporation some years later.

Q

Water collection wall at War Rock.

OUTBACK GENUINE HOSPITALITY

This is the Pilbara wordmark YOU East DESERVE IT locked up with the ‘Wildly Colourful, Vastly Different’ messaging.

OUTBACK GENUINE HOSPITALITY

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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

Address: 53 Austin St, Cue 6640

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# | Western 4W DriverTel: 122(08) 9963 162

E: info@queenofthemurchison.com.au Note Web: www.queenofthemurchison.com.au Filenames (.eps, .jpg, .png, svg)

53 Austin St, Cue 6640 Tel: (08) 9963 1625 info@queenofthemurchison.com.au www.queenofthemurchison.com.au

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River crossings deserve your fullest attention and knowing where the exit is provides great peace of mind.

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1 T R A P n a C g n i r e t a aW

By David Wilson

Where I live, there’s precious-few opportunities for getting stuck in the drink. In South Australia our rainfall isn’t extensive and it’s only on occasion when a big wet-weather event occurs, like the one that drenched the SA Outback in early February.

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ou fine folk in Western Australia aren’t immune from the odd cyclone or winter dump either and the nett result of all this precipitation is a plot of land, bisected by creeks and rivers, suddenly running a banker.

Some of our 4WD brethren reckon that those moments are the time to drag out the fourbie and go play, but I’m going to raise a conservative hand here and suggest that land travel might wait until things calm down. Fast flowing and deep riverine systems are a tragedy waiting to happen because 4WDs float, contrary to popular belief.

At the lowest levels, your brake and axle assemblies will be likely submerged and whilst brakes are designed to cop some immersion, sodden brake pads and shoes reduce the vehicle’s stopping ability and need time to dry out. No biggie. Axles however need protection.

You all know the job of the differential is many-fold. Get the torque out to the wheels and turn them, allow wheels on one side of the car to speed up or slow down on a bend and ultimately provide a final drive ratio to determine how fast your vehicle will scoot down that road.

The gears inside that housing whizz around in a bath of oil that keeps them lubricated and happy. As they spin, they get hot and pressure builds inside that vessel and has to be released to the outside world. Manufacturers promoting the 4WDworthiness of their vehicles knowingly fit breathers to their diffs, snorkelled up

On the calmer days though, water crossings are feasible. A bit of planning, a bit of skill and a bit of luck might see you through.

The modern 4WD vehicle isn’t wellendowed to tackle anything deeper than axle-height paddles and that is despite vehicle manufacturers crowing on about 800mm fording ability. Whilst their air intakes might be bonnet height, there’s a lot of other stuff sitting lower that doesn’t like getting dunked.

An outback SA road cut by floodwaters after the February big dump and likely needed significant repair after the water subsided.

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to a higher point to exclude moisture penetrating the housing and contaminating the contents. Others omit that all-important tube rising from the breather valve and the risk of contamination is now real.

The effects of now emulsified gear oil, and left unchecked, are a crown wheel and pinion set corroded and doomed to fail and in likely a short amount of time. Postdunking checks aren’t usually that hard if armed with a socket set. Remove the filler bolt, stick a pinkie in there and check the colour of the oil. If grungy and milky it will need servicing.

Next things to suffer are likely the sparks, and especially the alternator. Depending on where the alternator is housed will determine its susceptibility to immersion.

Some makers site their alternators up high in the engine bay, others not-so. Low positions make them vulnerable to those days when the water is suspending a lot of debris. Crystal-clear streams usually won’t create any chaos, but add ever-increasing amounts of turbidity and ultimately mud and you can expect your electrics will go kaput.

If you are unlucky enough to have your alternator cop a thorough drowning in muck, I’d suggest you respond quickly and pour litres of clean drinking water through it whilst the engine is running and turning it over. That might just flush out the grit from the brushes and the bearings. If it is

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This is all that Toyota offer these days on new Hilux, a breather valve with supposedly a one-way action. If your want is to cross streams you best replace it.

screaming its head off and the battery light is aglow, you’ve likely caught it too late.

Earthing points are next in the firing line along with those all-important ECUs. Because modern autos are so reliant on electronics, they have lots of electrical componentry; relays, fuse blocks, ECUs and earthing points. None of this stuff likes getting wet. Whilst plugs are usually well protected with O-rings providing a snug fit, Any low-lying area will be inundated after heavy rain and flash-flooding, like in the woodland in the Blue Mountains NSW, leaving deep ruts chock-a-block with soupy slop.

storm dropped 30mm and turned an earlier-in-the-day, dry and dusty creek-bed, into a now wheel-height stream and despite the crossing being a shortish twenty or so metres, it was enough to rough-up my Rodeo’s radiator.

As water rushed over the bumper and through the grille, entering the engine bay with a bit of gusto, the spinning fan blades flexed forward and clipped the inner face of the radiator core leaving a circle of crushed fins and crushed cooling tubes. That was a throwaway.

On the underside of the air filter box of most 4WDs you should find a 'duck-bill' grommet designed to drain the assembly if it floods.

Periodic inspection is recommended.

left long enough, lingering moisture will do evil and start corrosion on earthing points and cause all sorts of weird reactions for the car. Usually random battery lights on the dash and unfathomable issues elsewhere, that’ll drain a wallet at your local dealer/ workshop faster than a day at the races.

I mentioned earlier the risk of turbid water, the gluier it gets with silts and mud, the more it sticks to stuff. That poor old radiator makes an excellent trap for sediment to My D-MAX’s radiator was chock-a-block full of silt after a few plunges through a turbid system of creeks and the reason for some early-summer overheating.

Radiator fans are also a source of looming disaster.

I remember thirty years ago being at the Flinders Ranges and a sudden late-Spring Sometimes exits can be way down the end of a creek and the prospects of a duck-dive in a deeper section are real.

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find its way into the nooks and crannies between the cooling fins, reducing air flow through an engine-critical component, that on a hot day might create an overheating issue and cost you a motor.

Speaking of costing a motor, don’t believe the worth of snorkels.

There’s been a bit of an arms race of late between manufacturers claiming who has the deepest fording capability. Isuzu and Ford have been letting the world know that their 800mm claims make them the best and that their intakes are baffled to exclude moisture from entering their airboxes and will save a motor from a hydraulicallyinduced big-bang! Maybe.

ARB stock a Diff Breather Kit that’ll snorkel your differentials to a higher point under the bonnet.

You, the consumer, and believing this to be true, thinks how can I enhance that protection? With a snorkel of course!

There’s a whole heap of bunkum attributed to snorkels, elevating the air intake for less dust or water entry, cooler air temperatures and greater fuel efficiencies, the ram-air effect and more power … it’s the stuff of snake-oil salesmen.

When a modern 4WD is becoming buoyant at barely 750mm depth and you are now bobbing downstream, what’s the point of a raised air intake when what you really need is a paddle? After the water has percolated up through the nooks and Luckily for the owner of this Isuzu D-MAX, both his front and rear axles have factory-fitted diffbreathers, snorkelled up to a higher location.

ARB also stock bras for cars, a Creek Crossing Cover stretches over the front of the grille and excludes moisture from the engine bay.

crannies in the vehicle’s floor and through the service points in the doors and filled the floor around your feet, you’ll know the true meaning of a watering can. Open those doors and watch a torrent of water tip over the door sills.

If you were lucky enough to survive that event, be prepared to do some remedial work, because all of the vehicle’s interior below the high tide mark will need to be stripped out and hung to dry.

If you haven’t worked it out already, I’m not a big fan of taking a 4WD for a swim, but if you must, and now knowing the risks, next time, we will investigate some technique that might save the day and remove some angst from a future journey.

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UNRIVALLED

durability

www.icom.net.au

ny’ first The word ‘dun is thought to d an 33 appeared in 19 alect word sh m a Briti di be derived fro the word e first part of 'Dunnekin'. Th ement, cr ex or ng du 'dunne' means d or w e th from while ‘kin’ is e. us ho ng ni ea ‘ken’, m

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At the Daly Waters Pub, NT. Dunny at the John Dynon Gallery Silverton, NSW.

A DUNNY IS JUST A DUNNY, IS JUST A DUNNY. OR IS IT?

By Colin Kerr

It may depend on how old you are or where you were brought up, or perhaps how good your memory is, but there is no doubt that dunnies have been part of our Aussie folklore for as long as anyone can remember!

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ndeed, the good old bush dunny has always had an air of romance and character from our pioneering past - yes, a place in our history far above what its utilitarian presence really deserves! Now I’ll admit it’s pretty basic stuff we’re discussing here, but as the old saying goes, "Reality should always be faced head on!"

Undoubtedly for some the subject might be taboo, but for most of us listening to light-hearted and humorous dunny stories told down through the years, clearly places them right up there as an important part of our social history! Mostly standing alone down the back yard, these quintessential Aussie structures were to some, even referred to as architectural masterpieces … but indeed it’s hard to imagine why!

lava-tree, latrine, WC (water closet), powder room, privy, Jon, crapper, comfort station, seat of power, Aunt Mabel, Jake’s can, bog house, throne room, toot, little house, dyke, thunder box (or circular ones have been called a thunder dome), and many, many more. Indeed, these small structures all with their own individual character have in fact been and continue to be, a vital appendage to our living quarters wherever we are. One guy also used to call his dunny the ‘loositania’ as it looked like it “would go down at any moment in the wind”!

Whist on the subject of names given to dunnies, it seems etymologists have put much research into the origins and meanings of these curious titles and have come up with some equally strange results. Such a study would in itself make fascinating and entertaining reading!!

Public toilets - Wirrulla, SA.

Referred to by a number of different names including outhouses, bush loos, the thinking or meditating room, la la’s, convenience, pissoir, the-you-know-where, s… house, lavatory, alter room, cloak room, Western 4W Driver #122 |

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Amongst our readers, I'm sure a few can remember in towns and cities where there were only a few long drop toilets, the sanitary man (sometimes referred to as sanno carters, dunny men, whoopee stewards or night soil men) would call into the houses at night once or twice a week with his horse and cart to empty the dunny drum, pot or can, often dragged out through a small trap door at the back of the loo. What Toilet use surveys have a great job that would revealed that people on average Old loo at Cook, SA. have been … and I visit the toilet between six and eight Now, when it came imagine these poor times a day, or about 2,500 times a to the materials used souls would be the year. This is equivalent to spending for the construction of a couple of years of your life ‘butt’ of many jokes and visiting the dunny! those rustic old backyard pranks! … but at least they dunnies, it seems that had a job and I believe, were almost anything goes, and they quite well paid for what they did. come in all shapes and sizes too. Some They’d want to be!! were made of stone, brick or weatherboard, Whilst it might be just a yarn, we heard one corrugated iron, flattened oil drums or story about a lady who had to go during the kerosene tins, hessian windbreak (no pun night. She was sitting comfortably when the intended) strung around upright posts, sanno-man arrived. He opened the access often with no door - perhaps giving rise door at the back, whipped out the can from to the tag ‘room with a view’! Some were under her and called out, “Thanks, Luv.” It made from rough sawn timber or even is told that after such incidents the dunny constructed with decorative cast iron and man attached a bell to his cart so occupants even tree bark or mud bricks. The roof was of the loo could hear him coming! Thank either non-existent, made of iron, some with heavens for our modern sewerage and gables and others with thatched rooves septic systems! made from palm leaves, bushes, spinifex or whatever else was available at the time.

A very public toilet at Maytown, in the old Some eventually had Palmer Goldfields, North Queensland. wisteria, bougainvillea or honeysuckle growing over them.

Inside, the bench-like dunny seats, set up over a deep hole (or emptyable can underneath), were usually made of wood with an appropriate hole in the middle and a wooden or metal fold-down lid or, in a few cases, seats were made of slate, but on cold, frosty mornings these proved to be very cold on tender backsides!

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There should have been a rule - never, ever use stainless steel for a dunny seat in places that get down to near freezing point overnight. Several people over the years have had a ring of skin burnt off their backsides in these situations!

As you can imagine from the above, almost any handyman could put together an acceptably constructed dunny, but did you know that if you wanted a loo properly and professionally built, you called on an expert, known at the time as a privyologist (or should he have been called a looologist?) who knew all the fine tricks of the trade including coat hanger positions, aeration/vents, correctly placed hinges for doors, secure latches to stop intruders from interruption, book shelves for reading matter, penholders with pads for jotting down inspirations (which for many people curiously come to them whilst sitting on the throne), an incense burner and other fancy inclusions … and then there’s the question of whether the dunny door opens inwards or outwards? One argument over the years is to open it inwards, so you can kick it shut if intruders approach! I wonder what these outhouse experts are all doing today?

Another aspect of the old long drop (or pit) toilets which were basically set up over a deep hole dug underneath was the eventual problem of what to do when the hole gets full. Well the most obvious

Caught short at the leaning dunny of Silverton, NSW.

answer was to dig another hole and move the dunny structure over to it. Well, it seems some lazy sods had the brainwave of burning off the contents! One such account goes along the lines - first pour down the hole a few litres of petrol followed by a lighted match. Well, it seems the methane gas combined with petrol and a flame instantly produced a huge explosion, not only blowing the dunny seat high in the air but resulting in the disintegration of the whole dunny structure! Lesson learnt - dig another bloody hole!

Men's dunny - Middleton, Qld.

The word ‘loo’ is believed to have come fro m the French practice of empt ying their toilet pa ns into the street, ye lling, "gardez l’e au" which roughly tra nslated become s "beware of flying shit" – hence the word ‘loo’.

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would flicker creating ghostly shadows Going back to the subject of ‘dunny memories’, I can still recall as a young child eerie stuff indeed. Were these experiences when visiting my grandparents on their the beginning of many haunted loos stories rural farm, having to make my way down that we were told through the years? By the the back path through the garden to the way, after my scary backyard trips I later found out grandma never went out there long drop toilet with its old creaky door latched with a piece of wire. There was at night - she had a potty (then known as a chamber pot) neatly hidden under her bed! no toilet paper here in those days, just I also saw a commode (potty on a stand) in newspaper torn into approximately 6-inch (15cm) squares, strung on a piece of cord or her room during one of our later visits. To be honest, whilst we kids always enjoyed string hanging on a nail on the dunny wall our visit to our grandparents, in one way or on the back of the door. On later visits I recall the squares were often torn from the we couldn’t wait to get home. As they say, when you've gotta go, you’ve gotta go, but previous year’s yellow phone book pages. there is no place like home!

Glossy pages from magazines were never used - they just wouldn’t do the job! There There were stories of a snake being seen was also a drum of white stuff ‘down the hole’ and one (lime) which we had to pour day the farm cat fell in The saying ‘spend a penny’, down the hole (with a (or did one of those which means to use the toilet, is rusty tin) after we’d visiting relative's kids believed to have originated in the U.K. done our business! I who never liked the when those in need were charged a was told at the time it British penny to use public toilets. cat, throw it in? We’ll had something to do This used to be the case in some places in Australia too! with keeping down the smells - indeed, that and all the flies is why these structures were built so far away in the first place!

As a child I recall this backyard trip at night was quite a scary mission, carrying an old kero lamp and on a windy night the corrugated iron cladding on the dunny would creak and rattle and the light flame Public amenities - Scaddon, north of Esperance, WA. The dunny at Iron Knob, SA.

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It is believed the title ‘dunny’ is only used in Australia and New Zealand with a wide variety of names used elsewhere around the world!

never know. For poor old grandpa that was indeed a messy job getting it out!!

I also recall those same kids, waiting for someone to go into the loo and then aggressively running a stick across the outside of the corrugated iron of the dunny, resulting in a frightening and quite deafening noise for the by now very upset tenant. This trick was mostly played on other kids and not adults for obvious disciplinary reasons!

Whilst the sight of backyard thunderboxes might almost be a thing of the past, and the associated folklore, character and iconic charm has all but disappeared, it seems dunnies around the country have these days been given a new lease of life!

What we’re talking about here are mostly those public toilet blocks seen in towns everywhere which have been turned into very creative works of art. Some have been adorned with abstract mural paintings, others include art that identifies them with the town, its local produce, attractions, identities, wildflowers and animals, as well as many humorous ones clearly aimed at the goings on behind the closed dunny doors.

Continuing the light-hearted theme surrounding these modern-day loos is the practise of quite often, not identifying the doors as ‘Mens’ and ‘Ladies’, but displaying signs such as ‘Guys’ and ‘Sheilas’, ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve’, ‘Rams’ and ‘Ewes’, ‘Mares’ and ‘Stallions’, ‘Devils’ and ‘Angels’, ‘Mangoes’ and ‘No Mangoes’, ‘Shake Dry’ and ‘Drip Dry’, ‘Colts’ and ‘Fillies’, ‘Elvis’ and ‘Priscilla’, and in apple-growing country there are dunny signs ‘Pink Ladies’ and ‘Jonathons’ … and the humour surrounding this subject doesn’t stop there!

Around the country on our travels in recent years, we have encountered the sight of toilet bowls out the front of houses for use as letterboxes, and in some places they are creatively used as garden planters for flowers and vegetables! Elsewhere was the sight of a ‘dunny tree’ with a collection of toilet pedestals hanging from its branches,

At the Daly Waters Pub, NT.

Public toilets in Bunbury, WA.

Directions at Paynes Find Roadhouse, WA.

At the Ettamogah Pub - near Albury, NSW. Western 4W Driver #122 |

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and the peculiar sight of a dunny sitting out in a paddock all by itself presumably the outhouse itself had fallen down or blown away years ago!

Over the years there has also been poems written about dunnies. Many feature in songs, stories and cartoons, there are small pottery sculptures made to display on mantle pieces, and if you search a little you’ll find books written on the subject, all reflecting our great Aussie humour and on many occasions, our ability to look back and laugh about our own dunny experiences!

Did you know there is a botanic name for toilet paper which is unfortunately often found strewn in the bush around many roadside rest stops? It is called toiletus obnoxious, or the White Bottom Paper Daisy (or even Brown and White Butterflies). No, it is certainly not a native flower in the Aussie bush - let’s stop its spread before it is too late!

An old loo at Lightning Ridge, NSW.

Continuing on the theme of modern dunny humour - many readers will be aware that dunnies have become, in several outback towns, forms of entertainment in the form of dunny races - mostly with creative names or registration plates such as 4U2PEE or 4U2POO - either carried on wheelbarrows or on their own wheels with ‘sulky-type’ arms to pull it along on the one hundred metre dash or 250 metre marathon, often with dunny paper streaming out the back and one of the team members sitting on the throne inside! In Alaska, I am told, outhouses are mounted on skis and raced across ice and snow! Great fun indeed - all adding another meaning to the expression ‘gotta make a run to the loo’!

In some places they have dressing-up-thedunny competitions as part of local festivals and tidy town competitions.

Ponder for a moment and consider jokes thrown at the folks who live in the curiously named Perth suburbs of Mullaloo and Innaloo!

Another creative aspect of public loos or those found in cafes, restaurants, roadhouses, bars, pubs, etc. around the country are the directional signs to get there or those within the toilet cubical which pass on helpful (?) advice to users, such as:

of trying to • Men to the LEFT, With a view d d historic an s ie because women are save our ol nn du sh gnificant bu e are folk always RIGHT! culturally si er th , ct ing extin are from becom e days who es th • Patrons are requested y tr un co dunnies around the llecting old co to refrain from disposing d an t d) ou ye going destro dismantled/ their cigarette butts (about to be them back to their in the urinal, as they and bringing put on display. to become soggy and properties t ea gr r Long live ou difficult to light! ! s! ie nn du e Aussi

• Don’t be shy to use the toilet brush - that’s what the damn thing is there for.

In places which are subject to many overseas tourists (Asian, Eastern European) there are signs in the female toilets, 'Please don’t stand on the toilet seat'! At home these folk are used to just a hole in the slab 88

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with feet marks to stand on … and let go!!

Then there are the humorous warnings to watch out for, such as the redbacks (spiders) which like to lurk under the toilet seats and frogs that just love frolicking around in toilet bowls! Another classic outback toilet sign is 'Please keep the toilet lid closed - wildlife tends to like to go for a swim and you may not like your fanny tickled!' Whilst on the subject of toilet messages, we have seen some that have been crudely graffittied on the walls by patrons such as the one on a female toilet door, 'If it has tyres or testicles you’ll eventually have trouble with it'. Yes, some are quite humorous, however, there are many that are pretty obscene and certainly not fit to repeat here!

So, on the subject of dunnies and their progressive development over the years, where do we go from here?

the bidet providing a gentle stream of warm water that cleans your backside thoroughly and with a press of a button the air dryer automatically dries you with warm scented air perfuming your backside, all without the need for toilet paper and leaving you feeling oh so fresh and clean! For those still using toilet paper, now mostly disappeared is the old stiff, shiny, scratchy toilet paper squares sometimes found in a small box with interwoven sheets or that very thin toilet paper where you needed several metres at a time to do the job!

Oh for the modern comfort of soft and sometimes colourful toilet paper – one of the world’s great advances in civilised society (if you can find it on supermarket shelves!!) Yes, enjoy, or as they say in French, Bon Crapetit!

Well, first there was the chain-pulling No privacy here, but the view is flush system, later replaced by push lovely - near Marble Bar, WA. button operation and onwards to bush enviro/eco toilets It is believed that with automatic composting the first use of toilet paper in hu that don’t use water or man history dates back to the 6th centur y in early medieva chemicals and some l China.

It then took seve ra l hu ndred years befo public toilets that was used across re it the world. Before actually talk to you, these times people cleaned themselves with their hands welcoming users with and water if avail able or with vario us materials such as rags, wo a voice recording od shavings, lea ves, grass, stones, sand, mo and playing popular ss, ferns, fruit sk ins, corn husks, or in ancie music whilst patrons do nt Rome, the prac tice wa s to use a sponge their business. We have on a stick, wa sh ing it an d placing it back in even heard of toilet facilities a bucket of salt wa in a restaurant that feature an ter! aquarium full of colourful fish built into the walls and one lady reported after her visit she saw plenty of angelfish, but no gropers!

Onwards, we now have electronic toilet seats that lift at the push of a button, or even automatically as you enter ‘the little room’ and closes when you have finished - otherwise known as a marriage saver! What more could you want? Well, then along comes scented toilet rolls, thermostatically heated seats, automatic flushing when you stand up and, of course, Western 4W Driver #122 |

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Now moving on, have you heard that new toilet models have (or soon will) come with facilities to analyse your urine and stools (for cancer, etc.) and check your pulse rate, blood pressure and can tell if you are pregnant! What next indeed? It seems the role of privologists, mentioned earlier, still lives on, and believe it or not, there are already plenty of jokes circulating on these modern toilet devices!

At this point should I raise the subject of guidelines, rules, etiquette, jokes and stories about travellers who use and (the fun part) have to empty chemical toilets/ porta potties? No, let’s keep that one for another day!!

Yes, we have come a long way since the humble days of our iconic Aussie outhouses, but in your future travels, keep an eye out for some of these old relics of a bygone era still seen standing alone and neglected and, in some cases, still being used today!

In conclusion, clearly a dunny is not just a dunny, they have a colourful, nostalgic past and have left an indelible mark on our Australian landscape with their character and humour, which still lives on today and hopefully will for many years to come!

One of Australia’s hnology ions to toilet tec ut rib nt co system, ’ sh flu al ‘du e th was loped in 1980 by which was deve , working for the Bruce Thompson mpany. co ma ro Ca

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Dogs Dunny at Nanutarra Roadhouse North West Coastal Highway, WA. Did you know th at there is a World Toilet Orga nisation which holds an annual World Toilet Summ it and a United Na tions sponsored event, World Toile t Day held on 19 th November each year which prom otes awareness of sa nitation issues around the world .

Toilets at the back of the Community Hall - Dawson, SA

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By Lauren Darge

Every time we hit the road, we see another imported camper trailer, so it’s refreshing to come across a new, Australian-built unit hitting the market.

New owner, Lauren, gives us her first impression of her new Goliath Camper.

W

as it a little risky buying a camper from the other side of Australia without seeing it first? I’m sure my mum would say so. Has it turned out to be exactly what we wanted it to be? Yes! After our seven-week trip up north including Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome and the Gibb, oh and a puppy, we knew exactly what we wanted in a camper trailer.

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Our little off-road trailer with a pull-out kitchen, fridge slide and sleeping quarters upstairs in a roof top tent had served us well, but it was starting to become a bit much for us to set up. It really wasn’t that hard, but we wanted something where we could pretty much just stop driving and climb into bed. Our 270° awning also had a lot of poles which a dog on a rope did an excellent job of taking out, so we wanted less poles.

he could fix on the side of the road if need be, but he also wanted the reliance of something Aussie made. We saw a lot of carcasses of cheap trailers in our travels.

We started our search for something new while we were still on our seven-week trip. Always snooping at everyone else’s set-up during our evening strolls with a beer in hand, wandering through the different campsites.

We were a little nervous about purchasing something we hadn’t seen in the flesh, but we knew it was what we wanted.

We wanted something that was like a caravan, but not a caravan and we didn’t want to set up much. My partner is pretty handy with tools and wanted something

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After looking at many different styles while we were away, we stumbled upon a Goliath camper during some online research. It looked exactly like what we were dreaming of. Small and compact, you can just pull up and go to bed, or stop on the side of the road, open the hatch, and cook up a feast.

The communication throughout the process of our camper being built was excellent with regular photo updates. All up it probably took about six months including shipping to WA. We were starting to get a little impatient by the end with COVID and shipping delays, both beyond anyone’s control, but it was worth it.

The registration process was a little bit frustrating as it had to be inspected in WA and then having to deal with all the paperwork and waiting at the Department of Licensing. We were itching to take it somewhere and get camping.

Once we got it registered, we were off on its maiden voyage a couple of hours north of Perth for a few days.

The only noteworthy part of this short journey other than the price of fuel was all the ‘lookie loos’ eyeing off our new toy.

We picked a rocky cliff spot at Sandy Cape and took advantage of the airbag suspension to make our house on wheels level. It certainly wasn’t a spot you could pitch a tent or park a caravan, but it looked nice! We also knew this spot would get busier over the weekend, so we wanted to start off by being a little distanced from others.

Unhitching was pretty much all we had to do to set up camp which is exactly why we got this camper. Oh, and setting up some chairs and cracking a beer!

The DO-35 hitch makes hitching so easy, especially with a reversing camera. Simply back up, wind the jockey down and flip the lock.

It was very windy at this spot which made us a little worried about having the awning out. We pegged it down through the feet in the poles, as you are supposed to do with this awning, but the pegs didn’t work well in the sand. We ended up using our sand bags that we have had for ages but hadn’t used before. This seemed to work, but when the wind picked up again, we packed the awning away as we didn’t want to damage it. We’ve had some traumatic experiences with an awning we once had on the car taking off with the wind! We have since purchased a privacy screen which seems to be a more secure way to hold the awning down as it allows for a greater area to be pegged down.

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We enjoyed sitting by the camper, watching the ocean, beer in hand and the stereo blasting – which we could get away with as we had no neighbours. The outdoor stereo was a feature we initially thought was a bit unnecessary, but boy is it cool! It also saves the hassle of the portable speaker always being flat when you want to use it.

The kitchen hatch was easily accessible when we were ready for a feed - pop the latches and get cooking. We could hook up the hose for the Weber for a BBQ or simply light the stove. Like most camp stoves, it struggled with the sea breeze howling directly at it, but that was easily fixed with a wooden chopping board wedged in front.

During our first trip we wanted to put the camper through its paces, so we had a hot shower most nights, a luxury that you don’t always get camping. The hot water system was excellent, we even had to have some of the cold tap on and the pressure was far better than most caravan parks – I had no dramas washing my hair. It felt like we used a lot of water in this time, but the water gauge suggested otherwise. The ensuite awning is also a nice touch for a bit of privacy if needed. This is where we would also put our portable toilet when we need it.

There is a 65L upright fridge which makes everything easily accessible, and the little freezer is great for ice and icy poles. We don’t fit as much in this fridge as we do in the trusty old Engel of the same size, but it is definitely easier to find things when you need them. The second fridge is a draw under the bed accessible from the door which is a clever use of space. It also means someone can grab another drink while someone is in the kitchen.

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What I love about this kitchen is the space; everything is accessible, and you don’t feel like you have to keep moving things

The automatic temperature-controlled roof fan works really well to make the temperature inside comfortable if it gets too hot. We liked to just run it for a little while before bed to get the warm air out on hot days and leave a window cracked. You could have all the windows open if you want to as the fine mesh keeps the mozzies out.

The bed is very comfortable, and the headboard is great if you want to sit up and read. The reading lights help with this too. They are in the perfect spot to be able to read in bed and turn the switch off when you’re laying down. They also have USB points and a blue light mode which is great for that little bit of light, but not too much.

You can also put your glasses and other items above your head on the headboard and there is room for stuff like jumpers and water bottles down the side of the bed. There’s plenty of room for all your clothes and towels with the 400-litre cupboard space. to get to other things. On certain slopes I think I would appreciate a step ladder, but I suppose that’s what my tall partner is for!

In our first trip we did a chicken roast in the Weber, and used the left over chicken for lunches. We made burgers and did our own fries, cooked a trusty steak, and of course had bacon and egg breakfasts.

We love being able to hide the dishes in the deep sink to deal with later. Especially when there’s only two of you, no harm doing them after breakfast in the morning.

We were sceptical that the camper doesn’t have stabilizer legs but have found you really don’t need them with the airbag suspension and it’s another thing you don’t have to set up.

The batteries had no dramas running two fridges, lights, speakers and fans for a few days, so we didn’t worry about getting the solar blanket out on this trip but have used it since to top up the batteries when we've set up for a few days.

When it’s time to climb into bed, looking through the stargazing hatch is simply awesome. We haven’t found the sun coming in in the morning a bother at all. If you have an afternoon nap it does get a little warm as the sun shines in through the roof, however you can aim the fan at yourself and be perfectly comfortable.

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The camper is controlled by REDARC Red Vision TVMS System which means everything can be controlled by your phone - you barely have to move a finger. From here you can turn on lights, the stereo, the fridges and water pump.

The camper sat very comfortably on the road, thanks to the airbag suspension, it didn’t feel like we were towing anything at all. We haven’t done the Gibb yet in this beast, but it has handled the tracks it has travelled on very well.

We have also found the jockey wheel on this camper to be the toughest one we have seen. It has more height options than standard jockey wheels and has a double wheel which seems to help with softer surfaces.

The camper is fitted with recovery tracks on the front – we haven’t needed these, but they are in an easily accessible location for when we may need them. We have also found this to be a great spot to hang our canvas bin bag.

We are very keen to continue exploring in this beast.

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Immerse yourself in culture when embarking on a tour with Karaak Dreaming.

By Tori Wilson Images by Josh Cowling

At One with the Land

T

o connect deeply to the earth, read the whispers of the trees, and interpret the secrets of the bushland are spectacular skills possessed

by Aboriginal elder and Karaak Dreaming owner and operator Maitland Hill.

For Maitland however, it's a skillset as natural as breathing.

Spend time with him on one of his cultural tours and you too will gain a wealth of insights into Dwellingup’s natural attributes, and feel truly connected to country.

Identifying bush medicine, tasting bush tucker, learning traditional hunting techniques, and understanding the power of Dreamtime stories are just some of experiences you will share.

feel the place and hear the stream. Listen to country, listen to the birds, listen to what’s coming ... feel the rain coming.”

After selecting a tour with Maitland, start your day at the Visitor Centre’s Waypoints Café for a light snack before heading into the heart of Dwellingup, to Nanga Brook Kep-Bilo (water stream).

Follow Maitland in your car along Nanga Brook Road, lined with ancient forest, and make sure your windows are down to allow you to breathe deep as you enter a natural paradise.

Standing by Nanga Brook, surrounded by tall marri trees, Maitland closes his eyes and speaks a powerful welcome to country to the trees above.

“My goal is for people to connect with country when they come to Dwellingup, to feel country,” he explains.

“When I do a welcome to country, I want (people) to close their eyes and really Western 4W Driver #122 |

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Nanga Brook is a special place. It’s a reflection of the beauty that is found in Dwellingup and of the deep connection Dwellingup has in Aboriginal culture.

Once you step into the captivating bushland, Maitland will invite you to connect with the land by listening carefully to the singing birds, feeling the running water, smelling the healing scent of the eucalyptus trees and red earth.

Along the way, Maitland will share his knowledge about the gifts of the earth and point out traditional purposes of native flora, like the significance of the grasstree.

“The grasstree represents survival. It can last through the bushfires, through winter, all year round. It supplies medicine, fire, warmth. It has a strong scent for cleansing too.”

When dried, the long grasstree flower is used as a matchstick for lighting fires, while the plant’s gluelike resin is used for fixing spearheads and other tools.

Each of Karaak Dreaming’s tours are customised to suit the desires of the group on the day. Maitland explains it’s his aim to ensure guests get the most out of the experience as possible, which they’re sure to do in this breathtaking and unique place.

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BOOK REVIEW

BY CHRIS MORTON

F

or many, the name Alf Couch will not spark any sort of recognition. But if you lived in the sprawling Murchison district between 1915 and 1950 he was almost a household name. While Monsignor John Hawes was working through a series of projects for the church, Alf Couch was busily constructing somewhat exotic looking buildings of a different nature. His most well-known buildings, scattered through the Murchison, were the architecturally unique and widely acclaimed woolsheds that he designed and built.

Given the vast distances to cover and the cost of transporting building material, Alf looked for innovative construction methods to achieve his goals.

Cathedrals of Corrugated Iron, written

by Kerry Marriott and Tony Critch, takes you through the story and legacy left behind by Alf Couch. The pages are filled with archival images and stories of Alf’s life and his unsung achievements constructing what was once vital infrastructure for the pastoral industry.

“Cathedrals of Corrugated Iron is a compilation of the work and words of many generous and enthusiastic people who have contributed to give Alf’s story a leg-up in order that he remains in his rightful position in mid-west history.”

With many of his creations having succumbed to time and weather, it is important that we familiarise ourselves with the pioneering men and woman who helped establish Western Australia and prevent them from fading into obscurity.

Cathedrals of Corrugated Iron can be purchased from the Geraldton Library or Museum, Wooleen Station and the Mullewa Visitor Centre. Failing that, contact Western 4W Driver and we will get you a copy.

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

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Put some Excitement in your mountain biking

By Chris Morton

T

he team at Wanderlust love finding new and interesting gadgets to enhance your adventures and we think they have nailed it with the latest offering from Benelli.

The Benelli Mantus is an electric assisted mountain bike, featuring Shimano gearing.

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A maximum range of about 90km will see you through most tracks that you want to explore.

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OVER THE BONNET Hi Chris, g well.

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Hi guys, Thought you would like this one.

Reading your mag on Bremer Bay while at Bremer Bay. Rob Duncan Hi Rob

the We love seeing our readers visiting we and mag locations featured in the to get hope it was the inspiration for you Bay. er Brem down there and visit Thanks for sending in your photo!

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OUR READERS WRITE The roof top tent is Dune. e by Storage/fridge box was custom mad ch bun at (Gre .

ACS fabrication in Midland ful). help of guys and very John The trailer was custom made by

Papas. fitted.

It’s got a 30-second 270° awning ensuite The shower awning is a Nomad s.

Cao from was all The upper frame work and paint trics.

Elec Auto vale Mid at ouse done in-h eo.

It’s got a Fusion marine grade ster are build All lights fitted to the USB the ding inclu Stedi LEDs charge ports fitted at the entry to the roof top tent for charging phones and iPads when needed.

It also has the Stedi RGB rock lights fitted under the roof top tent which can be changed from party lights to a plain white light or even to orange to help with bugs whilst cooking.

It’s also got an Allspark 100ah battery slimline LifePo4 Redarc the controlled by and 30, r age Man and n RedVisio

setup a 300w Redarc solar blanket. This ly. can keep me off grid indefinite which It has a Joolca hot water unit for can currently runs out of a 20L jerry tank 80L a with go now but I have plans to underneath soon.

60L Other than that it’s just got the out slide both h whic yQ Waeco and Bab . side from each via the Everything can be controlled . app and RedVision was Last but not least, once the build from Josh e mat t bes my complete I had whole LuxCustomCo design and wrap the using ute my trailer in colours to match . build the in used ing logos from everyth Mitch Christmass

WINNER Hi Mitch

auler and That is a great looking mini toy-h as nails. looks well thought out and tough where We look forward to hearing about have. you es ntur adve the you take it and

Congratulations Mitch!

You've won a Red Roads canvas book pouch and Fire to Fork Adventure cooking book thanks to

Got a question?

Got an opinion?

Send us a message!

PO Box 50, Northbridge WA 6865 Email admin@western4wdriver.com.au Western 4W Driver #122 |

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BUSH MECHANICS with GEOFF LEWIS

A SLICE OF PIE

When planning a big trip or that next big adventure it's easy to overlook what we might have for lunch on that first day of hitting the road.

D

epending on where the destination is, the options of grabbing some lunch on the go could be extremely limited and quite expensive.

These thoughts and situations were made apparent to me on my latest trip out bush in the eastern goldfields. I knew I would end up in the same situation - buying an overpriced, extremely sad and floppy example of a pie which probably had spent a good few days waiting to escape the pie warmer at the service station or truck stop.

There must be a better and more affordable way of getting a pie on the run. Well, it turns out there is ...

A few months ago the wonderful team at Goldfields Offroad in Kalgoorlie fitted a 72-litre fridge/freezer to my Land Rover

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Perentie, and while shopping for food supplies for the trip a light bulb when off in my head.

Why not buy a pack of four quality frozen pies and take them with me? The cost of one packet of four pies was the same as the cost of one pie from the truck stop.

The next issue was how would I defrost and heat the pie?

Before heading out bush I plucked a roll of aluminium foil from my supplies and wrapped the pie twice and then popped the bonnet of the Land Rover and found a flat and safe place to sit the pie on the exhaust manifold of the motor.

With the bonnet closed and a flick of the switch the Land Rover rattled into life and we hit the road. After an hour I was greeted by whiffs of pastry baking and the odd hint of beef and gravy slowly defrosting. I was in a rush so it was some two and half hours later before I stopped to attend to the pie.

It is best to let the pie defrost before baking it in your engine bay. By using a defrosted pie you will be able to bake your pie within 30-40 minutes, driving at highway speeds where your engine will be sitting at 80 to 90 degrees (some contemporary 4x4s operate at a higher temperature).

On inspection, the pie was hot to touch as I pulled it from the exhaust manifold of the motor. I carefully unwrapped the pie and was surprised by the results. The bottom of the pie was slightly burnt as it had pretty much been in direct contact with the cast iron of the exhaust manifold, but the pastry on the rest of the pie was fine and the filling in the pie was nice and warm and thawed right through ... success!

So there you have it, you don’t need to buy a fancy 12-volt oven or succumb to the decrepit pie from a truck stop.

Scan QR code to watch Geoff's how-to video.

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wa.gov.au/rsc

DON’T IGNORE THE YAWNING SIGNS

80% of Fatigue related crashes are on country roads.

Take a break every 2 hours and swap drivers regularly.

What's in a Name?

with PHIL BIANCHI

Unsung explorer William Rudall

M

ost of us have heard of Rudall River and the former-named Rudall River National Park. Who was William Rudall? Although Rudall was employed by the WA Government Lands and Surveys Department as a surveyor, he was also a very competent explorer and leader of men.

Yet very little has been written about him, his achievements and the role he played in opening up new country for pastoralism, farming and residential development.

South Australian born Rudall (1861) as a qualified surveyor, came to WA to go prospecting. On hearing of a government surveying expedition traversing country between Cue and Roebourne, he applied for a position and was appointed as second in charge to Surveyor Aubrey Newman.

They had Hubert Trotman, later of Rabbit Proof Fence and Canning Stock Route fame, as their assistant. North of Peak Hill Newman became ill and subsequently died of typhoid. Rudall succeeded Newman as surveyor in charge and Trotman was made second in charge. They successfully completed the work.

William Rudall.

Upon his return to Perth, via steamer from Cossack, Rudall was asked to urgently see both the Surveyor General and the Commissioner of Lands. They asked him to immediately return to the Pilbara and lead an expedition that was to look for the lost explorers, Charles Wells and George Jones, of the 1896 Calvert Expedition.

Wells and Jones had left the main party at Separation Well intending to rejoin the party at Joanna Spring, but they failed to arrive. Rudall pointed out that he had leave and was about to go to Adelaide and marry. He however accepted the request, postponed the marriage and returned to Cossack, arriving 29 November 1896.

Using Braeside Station on the Oakover River as a base, his party set off on 19 December 1896, but when his camels knocked up and due to lack of water, he was forced back to the station.

Rudall River.

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Upon hearing that two men had been murdered eastward he set off on another search and finding the badly decomposed bodies he took them back to Nullagine, where doubt was expressed if they were of Wells and Jones. They were later confirmed to be Aboriginal.

Rudall set off from Nullagine on 25 March 1897 with supplies for two months. He located the head waters of a large river system, which explorer Frank Hann named after Rudall. They continued following the river eastward to Lake Dora but were forced to cross continuous sand hills.

Water was scarce and if the party didn’t locate Separation Well, they would have had to let the camels go, abandon their equipment, and do a 90-mile three-day dash without water to get back to Braeside.

Fortunately, Rudall’s exceptional navigation skills, combined with information he had obtained beforehand, enabled him to locate Separation Well. A relieved Rudall exclaimed, "The country as far as the eye can see is a vast desert of sand ridges and no man could imagine such a splendid well existed."

It was on 27 April 1897 that Rudall encountered explorer Frank Hann. Hann’s party had been three days in the desert with very little water. 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. I call this Meeting Gorge but Saving Gorge ought to be the name of it for me." Rudall provided Hann with water and his party was able to safely get back to civilisation.

On 18 May 1897, Rudall then set off northwesterly in search of Joanna Spring. He had four sick camels from eating poison bush, (one 114

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died), and although the party found or were led by Aboriginals to rock holes with water in them, having sufficient water was an ongoing problem.

While in the area of Tandalgoo Rock Hole on 10 June 1897, and being some 120 miles north east of Lake Dora, the party was experiencing daily temperatures of 124°F (51°C) and found the hot sand burnt through their boots. They were also desperately short of food and were rationed to 20 spoonfuls of boiled flour twice a day, which they supplemented with game if there was any. They ate snake, acacia seed paste, kangaroo and kangaroo rats, parrots, duck, bush turkey, cockatoo, pigeons, yams, catfish and ants.

The party were forced to travel at night preferring to rest under a canvas shelter during the heat of the day. Even the camels found it unbearably hot; they poked their heads under the canvas to get some shade on their faces.

Being forced to give up the search for Joanna Spring, Rudall returned to Braeside Station on 21 June. He then overlanded to Cossack and arrived in Fremantle on 22 July 1897.

Rudall then sailed for South Australia and finally married his fiancée, Dora Moeller. Returning to WA with Dora, Tchukardine Waterhole near Meeting Gorge.

Rudall continued with government and private surveying work. Retiring in 1926, the Rudalls moved to Claremont WA. Dora died in 1928, and William in 1953, aged 92 years.

Although Rudall was unsuccessful in locating Wells and Jones, he had always suspected they were nearer the Kimberley than the east Pilbara, the area of his search. His assumption was correct, the bodies were discovered in the Kimberley. Many positives came from his expeditions. He had explored some 23,000 square miles of country, discovered new pastoral country, accurately recorded the position of many features, named 15 features, recorded the Aboriginal names and locations of almost 100 rock holes, pools and waterholes, recorded many Aboriginal names and words and through good leadership and planning, he ensured that all of his party safely returned from the arduous expeditions.

Rudall has had Mount Rudall, Rudall River, Rudall River National Park (renamed Tjingkulatjatjarra Pool on Rudall River.

H Trotman 1896, A Crofton and J Connaughton 1897 and HWB Talbot 1914 initials at Christmas Pool.

Karlamilyi National Park in 2008), maps and numerous streets in WA named in his honour.

Rudall was a modest man and leader who took adversity in his stride and gave the highest praise to members of his various expeditions saying, "Their courage, loyalty, and endurance were at all times most commendable and inspiring."

No 4WD, air conditioning, Engels or diff locks for him and his men; they did it the only way they knew how, with grit and determination. He and his party may have been ill at times, but they all made it back safely to civilisation. Not once in his journals did Rudall lose control, admit defeat, say they faced or cheated death. His journal entries were very matter of fact and took all of this in their stride.

Some may say Rudall was a public servant going about his work, but he was far more than that; Rudall was a highly regarded leader of men, he successfully explored Western 4W Driver #122 |

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uncharted country, he was an excellent surveyor and had successful dealings with the natives.

Rudall is indeed an unsung hero and explorer. Because of his modesty and reservedness, he didn’t promote himself and his achievements and subsequently many of his accomplishments have been forgotten.

History also paid its part in Rudall’s obscurity, with three cases of mistaken identity.

While I was researching for the books Work Completed Canning and William Rudall, I discovered that photographs used in books and official records to depict Canning were in fact photos of William Rudall. I also discovered that Australian Geographic magazine, in 1997, published a map showing Rudall River National Park.

On this map they included a photo claiming it was of Lawrence A Wells. It wasn’t, they used a photo of William Rudall. And finally, in his younger days while surveying near Penola, he was asked to pay an account at the store. "But I haven’t bought anything from your store," he protested. It was found he had a double, a farmer, with an uncanny resemblance to Rudall who had been booking things up but they were chasing Rudall for payment.

He also had a sense of humour. When being questioned during the 1908 Royal Commission into the Treatment of Natives

by A Canning’s party, he was asked why he was appearing as a witness. "I got a summons saying that if I did not come here, Hanging Rock.

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Yandagooge Creek waterhole.

I should be fined £100, and it brought me pretty quickly."

Nowadays Karlamilyi National Park and surrounds is a remote 4WD adventure offering solitude, challenging 4W driving, a pristine desert environment and many picturesque and impressive wonders including ancient ranges, mesas, bluffs, gorges, rock holes and permanent waterholes. Sights include Desert Queen Baths, Christmas Pool, the Graphite Valley track, Tjingkulatjatjarra Pool, Watrara Pool, Curran Curran Rockhole and Hanging Rock.

Be warned, travellers to this area need to be self sufficient and well experienced in desert travel. Do your homework.

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THE THINGS YOU SEE! with (TRUTHFUL) PHIL BIANCHI

READYMIX MADE ITS MARK A round Australia there are many big things of novelty architecture including the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour, Big Cane Toad in Queensland (not talking about Clive), Big Mushroom in the ACT and let’s not forget the Biggest Liars in Canberra. In WA one would immediately think Big Iron Ore. Not so, the biggest of the big should go to the long forgotten Readymix Diamond on the Eyre Highway near Caiguna.

What’s that you say? You’ve never heard of it? Where have you been? In your defence many of you probably weren’t born then.

So what’s it all about? Way back in the 1960s the WA government let a contract for the sealing of a 500km section of the Eyre Highway from Balladonia to Eucla. The Readymix Group were granted the contract.

At the halfway mark of the project, which Top: Readymix Aerial Landmark.

Bottom: Readymix logo on Google Earth.

was near Caiguna, the company had one of the quarry surveyors mark out the company logo on the ground and then Allan Hoare, the grader driver, graded it. It took him a weekend to do the job.

The diamond shaped sign became the world’s largest sign measuring 3.2km x 1.6km with the word Readymix within it. Each letter was 240 metres (790ft) high by 180 metres (590ft) wide, with a line thickness of 12 metres (40ft). You have to admit these are some staggeringly impressive statistics.

The Readymix logo is a geoglyph. What’s a geoglyph you ask? It’s a flash name for a large design or motif produced on the ground. Technically the Readymix logo is a negative geoglyph because it’s etched into the ground.

Why did the company carve out the logo?

Reading between the lines it seems the company wanted to publicise the project and itself, but not wishing to offend or get into strife, made mutterings that Truthful Phil would be proud of, saying the long, straight stretches of the logo offered emergency runways for aircraft going to and from WA. At the time of construction, it was the largest advertising sign in the world and it appeared in the Guinness Book of Records between 1972 and 1991, as the world's largest advertising sign and the world's largest letters. In the 1970s domestic passenger aircraft would circle the sign and tip the plane so travellers could see it. A number of people have told me they recall impressive views with their aeroplane doing circles over the site when flying to and from the east.

Okay, enough of the dry technical stuff, where is the logo? The turn off the highway

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to the logo is 16km west of Caiguna and to the north. It’s located on pastoral station; at the time of writing the pastoral lease was managed by Rawlinna Station. Permission is required to enter the station and there are a number of gates to open and close.

Leave all gates as you find them. The GPS coordinates for the sign are Lat. 32 13.0543 S and Long. 125 21.5365 E. Do the right thing and ask for permission before entering the station. Don’t be the one who enters without permission and buggers up future access for everyone else.

Rawlinna Station can be contacted on (08) 9022 6428 or (08) 9022 6406.

Intrepid 4W driver, desert explorer and good mate of mine, Alan McCall, visited the logo in early 2021. He had the good fortune to have his drone with him and was able to take some terrific video. Only with the drone can you appreciate the size of the logo and the vastness of the littlevegetated Nullarbor Plain.

and wasn’t taking kindly to it. Fortunately for Alan he was viewing the image being recorded and spotted the eagle coming in at attack speed ready to strafe his drone.

Not wishing to injure the eagle, lose his drone and the footage, he landed the drone and left the eagle to enjoy the serenity of his abode.

How does the Readymix logo compare with the Marree Man geoglyph (Aboriginal man hunting with a boomerang or stick) created in 1998 in SA? Readymix is bigger, the Marree Man is 2.7km tall. The Readymix logo, looking somewhat like the mysterious Nazca Lines in Peru, is clearly visible on Google Earth.

While Readymix may have disappeared as a company name, having been taken over by other companies, out on the Nullarbor Plain the name Readymix lives on.

His drone however did have some difficulty; the local wedgetail eagle thought it was another eagle invading his patch

Wedgetail Eagle taking a dim view of the drone. Photo Alan McCall

Readymix Aerial Landmark western end.

Note vehicle in corner.

Photo Alan McCall

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Vale Bindon the Bushie

By Nick Underwood

We have lost a wonderful storyteller.

Peter Bindon, aka Bindon the Bushie passed away in early April at his home in Yass, NSW with his wife Nola and son Patrick by his side.

P

eter was 78 and for the last 30 years had written his column, 'Bindon's Lore' in Western 4W Driver where he waxed eloquent on his favourite topics of time spent in the bush, the flora and fauna and their relationship to Aboriginal life he studied for the greater part of his.

Much more than that, Peter was an academic with a towering intellect among his peers. Kicking off his career as a teacher, he soon progressed into the earthly sciences of archaeology, geology, anthropology, (spending 14 years as head of this department at the WA museum) ethnography and even Egyptology. So in demand was his knowledge and insight that Peter often lectured in Europe on that region's earliest beginnings.

But his heart was in the western deserts of Western Australia where he studied the Aboriginal lifeways in the region between Wiluna and Halls Creek.

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Immersing himself completely in this study he learnt the language and walked the walk, resulting in books on the Nyoongar language and others on useful bush plants - the latter he put to practical use in creating his own 'survival' bush garden later in life at Yass. Survival in the bush was a skillset he also shared with the Australian Defence Forces.

What we saw and loved from his writing in Western 4W Driver was his inherent love for the bush and the bushcraft imparted from his immense store of knowledge - delivered with a larrikin wit.

Peter was way more than just the sum of his anecdotes but his stories told in his inimitable style will live on in our memories.

Rest in peace Peter. * In his memory we've reprinted a favourite column which we think epitomises Peter's approach to life.

BINDON'S LORE with BINDON THE BUSHIE

Rampant Reptiles

J

im had worked in the herpetological department of a State Museum, in other words he was always a bit snaky.

Now, I can take snakes or leave them mostly the latter and at a fast rate. In fact I was once accused (when only wearing thongs on my feet) of running so fast that I was on top of the scrub instead of on the ground when I met an aggressive brown Joe Blake on a bush track. Jim, on the other hand, strolled around on his bush block in a quiet corner of north Queensland's Daintree clad in bare feet and not much more. Every now and then he encountered some form of reptilian visitor and picking it up and draping it around his neck, he escorted it away from the block without much comment but he sometimes kept them for a day or two to observe their creature habits.

As Bob and I lounged about on the upstairs veranda of his unfinished house and forced down pannikins of Jim's mediocre red wine, he explained why there was a huge Emerald Scrub Python coiled up in a large glass tank downstairs. The snake was waiting for a trip out to another bloke's place where things were quieter and there was no resident cockatoo or intolerant wife. As he said this I knew that there was a story coming up so I topped up our wines and sat back.

Bob and I leaned back on our four-gallon drums sipping the hot wine, while Jim started to explain why he had a large chunk of Elastoplast stuck on the side of his left hand. It was all because of Elmer. About a metre of water pipe welded upright on to an old plough disc and a tee-piece holding a couple more pieces of pipe was the home of Jim's cockatoo named Elmer, a pet since childhood. Elmer had two tins attached to

Reprint from Edition 59, Winter 2006

his perch, one that held water and the other sunflower seeds. During daylight hours, he wandered free around the yard and in the downstairs kitchen, bathroom and laundry of the typical two-storey Queensland house - just a little bit unfinished. But at night, a thin chain around his leg attached him to a ring on the central pole of the perch to keep him out of trouble and he was placed on a pad of newspaper in one corner of the kitchen.

It seems that two nights previously, Jim and his wife Jenny were asleep in the upstairs bedroom when Jenny was awoken by Elmer screeching blue murder - or in this case attempted murder. Jim was sleeping heavily beside her, because he had been testing the wine that he was going to share with us before we arrived, like any good host would.

Eventually he woke up when Jenny's kicking reached atomic proportions. Using simple words uttered very convincingly she directed Jim to proceed downstairs and "see what's making your bloody parrot squawk!" Bleary-eyed and stark naked, Jim staggered down and found about a quarter of a big Scrub Python twined around the vertical post of Elmer's stand.

Scrub Pythons are reputedly Australia's longest and biggest snake, and after he was able to be measured, this one proved to be more than six metres long, which is one big snake. When he turned on the feeble six volt light, Jim saw a lengthy bit of snake still on the kitchen floor and the bit with the head on it was level with Elmer's and was obviously thinking of a late supper.

Elmer was on the absolute end of his perch, chain stretched tight. Every time the snake moved, Elmer fluttered up to the end of the Western 4W Driver #122 |

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chain flapping frantically while apparently trying to lift plough disc and perch into the air and away from danger. Being over 50 years old and equipped with about as many feathers as my hand has fingers, this was quite a commendable effort, particularly as he was squawking at the same time.

Taking in the situation at a glance as they say, Jim stumbled to the rescue. Thinking swiftly, he grabbed the Scrub Python around the neck, but the snake objected to being held, thinking that all Jim should have done was tie a serviette around his neck, not grab and squeeze.

Using the bit of his body that he still had on the ground, the snake put a couple of curls around Jim's leg in retaliation. Unfortunately for Jim, these curls were about as thick as his leg. Understandably, this threw the rescuer off balance and he grabbed Elmer's perch to steady himself. This proved to be a mistake because Elmer mistook the hand of salvation for a piece of snake and sank his beak deep into the side of the hand. In fact he sank it so deeply that both sides of his beak met and he couldn't be shaken loose. Elmer held on to the thrashing hand and arm for grim death, which he could probably see approaching, despite being half-blinded with spurting blood (which mercifully had been hosed off the floor before Bob and I arrived). Jim's only solution to the predicament was to pull the snake off his leg but he made the mistake of trying

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to use both hands, including the one Elmer was fastened to. Having blinked away some of the blood that had been blinding him, Elmer could now see what was what and he wasn't going to let that shiny body any closer to him than necessary. Each time the snake­-holding hand came near him he bit deeper into the hand in his possession and shook his head from side to side to indicate "No!" Jim's eyes were beginning to water and he screamed to Jenny for help just as the python managed to topple him over. Python, parrot, Jim, seed and water thrashed around in a squirming mess on the floor as he heard, "It's your bloody parrot, you sort it out." Adding emphasis to her instructions, Jenny slammed the door to the upstairs portion of the house excluding all the actors in this drama and most of the noise.

Having brought Jim down to his own level the snake proceeded to throw a couple of coils around his neck and Jim told us that things were beginning to get a little hazy. Hoping that his frantic geriatric pet would excuse him, Jim began battering on the floor with his bitten hand - parrot still attached. This brutal treatment by his faithful friend eventually became too much for Elmer and he released Jim's hand and flapped off to the end of his chain to let Jim battle the python by himself.

It took a great effort, he said, still breathless at the thought of it, to unwind those strong coils of snake from his neck.

The snake was probably thinking the same thing, because his neck was still being firmly grasped by the more-or-less non-bloody hand of the retired herpetologist who was not going to let this prize specimen escape easily.

Finally gaining the upper hand as it were, Jim dragged his captive over to the big glass case where Bob and I had first seen him and popped him in.

I glanced over to check that

the strong cover held down with a big rock was still in place as Jim continued with the story. Elmer was restored to his perch and his water and seed tins refilled. Then Jim crept back up the stairs and knocked at the locked door. Taking pity on him and hearing no further noise, Jenny opened the door.

One look and she screamed with horror but after a second glance she burst into laughter. Jim was covered in blood to which had stuck the sunflower seeds along with a couple of parrot feathers. "That bloody kitchen had better be spotless when I come down tomorrow," she said through gritted teeth, slamming the door again and directing him to the outside shower - only equipped with freezing cold water piped directly from the creek. Anyway, he made it through the night and was alive although still not well when we arrived two days later and he told us this story.

Pointedly, and perhaps sensing another dramatic night, Jenny went in to the town to see a film while Bob and I were entertained by Jim. Our night was probably less dramatic than hers considering the state of the track out and the condition of the vehicle she had to drive. Our only excitement was that while Jim provided a scientific description of the Scrub Python, a friendly little Green Tree Snake regularly shot back and forth across the rafters above our heads striking at moths fluttering in the feeble glow of the six volt light. "Look, I'll show you how the anterior supralabials of the Scrub Python are deeply pitted," he said about to remove the big rock. "Leave the bastard in there," one of us said pouring just a tiny drop of wine as a nightcap. Later that night we chose the camping tents with zips on their doors as our places of rest, which was rather strange for two bushies that only ever slept in swags thrown down on the ground.

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LET'S GO GEO-TOURING with SHANE THE SHARKCAVER

SHARKCAVER UNMASKED Spending the last three months at work without a chance to get away was torture for a rambling soul like myself.

I

t had been a long, hot summer and now I finally had leave coming up. Where do I go? Revisit some usual haunts or explore some new ground? All my usual travelling companions were tied up with various commitments, so again, this would be a solo venture. Solo ventures are good, because I can geocache to my heart’s content without having to consider the interests of my non-geocaching buddies.

With the mask mandate now in full swing, it was time to get some fresh air for a change and unmask the Sharkcaver.

Some eight years had elapsed since I had been east of Esperance and with 10 days up my sleeve, I decided a revisit out here would be a great way to spend my time off. With no set agenda, I hit the road for places and caches unknown. Cutting diagonally across the city for the hills, I managed to avoid the majority of the traffic and stopped for a late

The first geocache for the trip.

lunch in Brookton. I knew I wouldn’t make Esperance today and it was looking like Lake Grace or thereabouts would be the time to look for an overnighter. Instead of taking major roads, I decided a scenic tour of the wheatbelt was in order. Although time was getting away from me, I decided to find my first geocache for the trip outside of Wickepin. This was the site of the old West Toolibin school; unfortunately there is now no evidence of its existence, but the geocaching tally had begun.

Some Israelite Bay beach work.

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Within a very short distance, another cache was placed. A short drive up a dirt track brings you to the long-abandoned Toolibin football club, circa 1959. Here there are a few pieces of yesteryear hidden in the scrub that not many would know about if it wasn’t for geocaching. By now, the afternoon was getting on and it was time to think about a camp for the night. There is a place called Jam Patch, a free camp north of Lake Grace.

I went in to investigate.

Here I found a large open area beside a dry salt lake with a few wobblies parked up for the night. I decided to push on up the grasscovered dirt track and found a secluded picnic shelter, just perfect for a

camps available at 'Stavo' for a small fee.

A lot were taken, so I reduced some tyre pressure, engaged 4WD and hit the sandy tracks to the east looking for that ideal position ... and I found it. In typical south coast fashion, the wind was now howling.

The site I found was well protected from the wind and only a stone’s throw from the

Camp 2: Starvation Bay.

water. Although somewhat protected, it was a noisy night with the wind in the trees and the water crashing on the shore.

A perfect location for camp 1: Jam Patch.

Sharkcaver-style overnight stop. The flies were friendly as the sun made its way over the horizon, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the mozzie situation would be like if there was water around.

Come the morning, it was time to make for Esperance. At Lake King, I stopped for the first of the day’s caches. Then it was onto Ravensthorpe for some lunch and a bit of trip planning. It was looking like a late arrival at Esperance, so I decided to detour down to Starvation Bay instead. A geocache is located here, one I couldn’t find before. So I made another attempt and this time walked away with the find. There are plenty of bush 126

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The following morning, I took some roads less travelled (although the number of caravans I passed on that dirt road disputed that claim) and I made the highway about 100km short of Esperance. The price of fuel now being a premium, I duly parted with a wad of hard-earned. Some weather was predicted to come the following day, so I took a gamble to head for Israelite Bay, noting that I had to get out of there the following morning. Cruising east on Fisheries Road was a dream up to the air down point. Round the first bend and the corrugations began, followed by stretches of soft sand and further along, ground that can turn to mush. Numerous chicken tracks upon chicken tracks present themselves to avoid the bottomless pits of ooze when it’s wet. The scenery constantly changing, it’s a welcome relief from the corrugations that

have become a whole lot worse since the last time I was out here.

After negotiating the track through the Nuytsland Nature Reserve, you have to drive on and alongside Lake Daringdella, a large salt lake. Not to be taken lightly if it’s wet, as an international fellow found out the hard way back in July 2020. For him that ended with a two-day, 60km walk back to civilisation to get some help to recover the vehicle. I am always wary when venturing solo into remote places to make sure I take all the precautions necessary and to be reasonably self-sufficient. That said, sometimes the mud just hits the fan when least expected. It can happen to any of us.

The start of the Israelite Bay track.

The Telegraph Station, quality built to stand the test of time.

Don’t let this be you.

Image: ABC News.

Upon arrival at Israelite Bay, the historic telegraph station is a must-visit. Years ago, there was a geocache here, but it’s been archived after it went missing. The Telegraph Station, built in 1896, was a vital communication link between the west and east coast. It’s hard to fathom that some 150 people were out here in its heyday and now I was here without a soul around for miles.

Remnants of a bygone era found at the Telegraph Station.

Heading for Israelite Bay.

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How many full moons have risen over the Tele Station I wonder?

Whilst the sun was shining today, the wind once again hadn’t been so kind. So much so, I opted for the refuge of the shed at the fishing shack. That turned what would have been a pretty ordinary night into a rather pleasant one. I was greeted with the most spectacular sunrise the following morning and had to quickly jump out of the swag for some pictures. With rain predicted, I wanted to get back to Fisheries Road in earnest. However I hadn’t come here to not explore a little, so a little beach work was in order before I departed back towards Esperance. A stop here without visiting the jetty wasn’t going to happen.

Once back to Fisheries Road, the wind that had been plaguing me for days got worse, but so far the rain held off. I decided to head out to Poison Creek for the night.

After a bit of a drive down on the beach, I headed for Seal Creek campground. Only one other soul had made the decision to brave the elements. This campground has

A landmark not to be missed: Israelite Bay jetty.

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been done up since I was here last and I found the 11 sites, all reasonably large in size with a nice clean gravel floor a blessing. Picking a site to give me the best protection from the wind was difficult, as the wind just swirls in the vegetation from all directions. I had to put up a wind break for some additional comfort.

The following day I made the 13km trek down to Thomas Fishery on the opposite side of the park. Soft sandy tracks eventually transformed into some steep descents and ascents, at times over granite outcrops that had you guessing where the track actually was. The scenery out here is amazing.

Thomas Fishery was the site of a whaling station back in 1870, however there is now no signs of its past to be found. Here I found a group of Israeli backpackers that had been 'forced' to remain in the country

Heading to Thomas Fishery.

for the last three years due to the 'rona.

They were killing time before heading off for seeding work. A nice bunch of people that consumed a couple of hours of my day.

Of course, once the drone was put away, the dolphins came out. My plan was to drop into the ruins of Hill Springs on the way out, an abandoned settler’s cottage that only saw occupation for about five years.

But I had wasted too much time with the backpackers, so I pushed on to the west for the next camp.

The short stretch of Merivale Road here closes in quite a bit, so much so the mirrors didn’t stay extended for long and the screeches down the duco made one wince a little. I was making my way to the DBCA campground at Thomas River, Yokinup Mia Mia. It's a well set out campground with a couple of very nice camp kitchens. Here, although the ground is quite high, I managed to escape the wind somewhat. Sometime before bed, I walked to the front of the car in the dark. "I don’t remember seeing that stick there before," I thought, and turning my headlight on, I was in awe that the stick was a juvenile carpet python. Quickly running back to the vehicle, I grabbed a camera to record the occurrence.

Merivale Road: the uncharted section.

My night time friend.

Thomas Fishery.

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Crossing the Thomas River.

Lucky I put a cover over the swag before I went to bed, because the rain came down for a few hours overnight and I had a dry swag to pack up. In the morning, I drove down to Thomas River, descended the eroded entry, crossed the river and drove onto the beach for another geocache.

This cache, an earth cache, takes you to a location where you have to observe the surroundings and answer a few geology questions relating to the site. A traditional geocache is also located a short walk from here, so I bagged two caches in short order.

From Thomas River, I slowly made my way west, stopping in at Alexander Bay for the night. Wind and drizzle made for an uncomfortable camp where I went to bed early. I then shot out to Membinup Beach for a look. The camping here reminded

The cache at Thomas River.

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Membinup camp.

me of Starvation Bay. Again, lots of places were taken, but if you're prepared to lower tyre pressures and engage 4WD, more secluded and protected places can be found ... and I found a ripper spot. However, I needed to go out to Duke of Orleans Bay first. The Esperance coastline just pops with colour when the sun shines. It’s amazing how drab it looks when the sun doesn’t.

So, now disappointed in the Duke with no sun, I made my way back to Membinup for the evening.

The following morning, I made a detour into Cape Le Grand National Park for a cache at Thistle Cove.

Finding my way to ground zero, and then working out a way to get around some granite outcrop, I had another cache in hand.

Once again, I got chatting

with a couple here and wasted too much time to warrant getting the cache at Lucky Bay - that one involving a little bit of walking.

You have to leave something for future trips after all.

Into Esperance again for some of that expensive go juice, I was now making my way for home. At a roadside stop just out of town, a geocache was to be found.

A tricky little bugger it was too, being a dummy retic sprinkler.

One had to unscrew the head of the sprinkler to find the logbook. I’m not sure why I unscrewed the head, but I wouldn’t have had that smilie (the symbol that shows on the geocaching app you have found the cache) if I hadn’t. Heading east and thinking of a destination for tonight’s camp, I noted there was a cache at Fanny Cove and the decision was made. A rough and sandy track slowly meanders its way to the most magnificent patch of beach to visit, serviced by drop toilets and a handful of DBCA campsites. The wind tonight was quite mild for a change and I had a peaceful evening in solitude. Coffee on the beach in the morning was a must now the sun was shining again.

Coffee at Fanny Cove: simply amazing.

I headed out to ground zero, the site of another earth cache, collected the data required to answer the questions and left a happy man with another geocache

The Moir Homestead and that fig tree.

Remains of yesteryear at Moir Homestead.

find. On the way out, I stopped at the Moir Homestead, circa 1873. The 150year old fig tree out the front of the homestead is just mind boggling. The Moir family farmed sheep here. Wool and supplies were transported to and from Albany via Fanny Cove, the place I camped at the night prior. Whilst it’s remote in its own right, it would have been in another world back in the 1870s. It’s worth checking out all the buildings, the grave and the well located on site. Expect to easily lose an hour exploring the place.

From Fanny Cove to home is some 700odd kilometres. After the detour to the Moir Homestead, I decided to do the journey in two days. Here I left the coast and Western 4W Driver #122 |

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Gorge Rock.

The Southern Cross is there ... somewhere.

A roadside tourist marvel.

headed inland. Turning north at Ravensthorpe, I was relieved to find the old international is still on the side of the road, these days sporting a new coat of paint. And with a geocache just a bit further up, it was time for my last find of the trip at the old Lake Newton tennis club.

Just outside of Corrigan lies Gorge Rock, a natural rock formation that was modified to become the town’s swimming pool in the late 1950s. It also provided a welcome overnight stop for me on my way home.

I had a cloudless night for a change so I was able to play with the DSLR on some astro.

A bacon and egg roll washed down with a coffee for the trip home topped off an awesome 10-day trip, mostly unmasked.

A great recharge after three months of being locked up in the city.

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THE RANGE TO TAKE

YOU FURTHER

WOMEN IN 4W DRIVING

Gemma Hofman

Gemma Hofman doesn’t work in the 4WD industry, in fact the 19-year-old is a lifeguard and has only recently taken up the quest for adventure.

Her mum, Nat, is a long-time industry figure and part of the management team for ARB here in WA. It was while speaking with Nat that we heard about Gemma’s recent solo adventure that got our interest.

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G

BY CHRIS MORTON

emma drives a 2008 Nissan X-Trail (the 4WD version) and she wanted to take three months off and go on a solo adventure along the south coast before heading north as far as Broome.

With the help of Mum and Dad, she got her vehicle equipped for the challenge.

Removing the rear seats revealed a previously undiscovered amount of space for Gemma to utilise. She was able to install a false floor from which she could build

up a sleeping area. An area was set aside for a fridge and pantry, and she utilised the drawer already in the vehicle to hold additional kitchen items.

A pair of roof rails allowed her to fit a small awning, and a tent extension at the rear of the vehicle gave her additional space when she needed it. A pair of Maxtrax provided her some recovery options and a UHF radio gave her on-road communications.

Concerned with her safety, Gemma’s Dad bought her a pepper-spray that she said she carried everywhere as well as a Spot 2 Satellite device. This gave her the ability to regularly check in with the family when out of mobile range and gave her some additional peace of mind when hiking on her own.

To ensure that she didn’t stop and pick up any hitchhikers, a caddy occupied the passenger seat and contained maps, a road atlas and kept other items that she may need within easy reach.

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The first part of her threemonth adventure started along the south coast, where she fell in love with the beaches of Esperance. “I will live there one day,” Gemma told us. “I was there outside of school holidays and had beaches to myself. It was amazing.”

Before heading north, she stopped back in Perth for a couple of days. She said it was lucky that she did as the radiator decided to fail on her. When I asked her about other issues that she might have had with the car she said that she was quite lucky. The battery system she had for her fridge failed almost immediately and she had a second battery fitted with a solar panel before heading north. “My starter battery died in Exmouth, but I was able to get that replaced quite easily.”

The car was excellent and was more than capable of getting me onto beaches and along some 4WD tracks. “I had to break out the Maxtrax a couple of times and I was carrying an air compressor so I could drop my tyre pressures when I was going into soft sand.”

Having two daughters of my own I wanted to ask Gemma how she felt when travelling as a single female. “I would always ensure that I was stopping by 4.00pm so that I could see who was camping around me and move if I didn’t feel safe.

I would make friends with any older couples that I came across, building a little rapport with them.” She said that for the most part she didn’t feel threatened, although there were a couple of incidences where some guys were a bit creepy and she would take extra precautions. She had equipped the X-Trail with a pair of spotlights so that if she did need to keep driving at night she could do so with some confidence.

While travelling, Gemma even had an entire back story prepared so that she didn’t share personal information that might cause her issues. “I never used my real name to start with and would indicate that I was travelling with my boyfriend.

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This got a little awkward when I was hiking in a gorge with a guy who was camped nearby at Karijini for a few days, and I was talking to an older couple and used my real name. He was a little confused at first but understood why I was taking precautions when I explained it to him.”

Apart from the beaches around Esperance, Gemma said her highlight was Karijini.

“I only planned to stay four nights and ended up staying eight. Again, it was before the school holidays and I almost had the entire place to myself. The gorges were magnificent, and I could have stayed even longer.”

She said that travelling alone as a female does have its challenges and she had to ensure that she kept her wits about her wherever she went. She needed to be vigilant all the time. “A week before I left, there was an incident near Carnarvon that got all my friends and family concerned. I was worried but that just ensured that I became hyper-vigilant.”

She was amazed at the number of people who do travel and don’t take precautions or think about where they are going. There appears to be a lack of consideration as to how remote WA is and the trouble that you can get yourself into. “I was on the beach at Exmouth and two girls got caught in a rip and were getting swept out to sea. A guy sitting near me and I grabbed some paddle boards and raced out to rescue them.”

Always a lifeguard.

The cost of staying at a caravan park on an unpowered site staggered her. She was surprised to be paying $45 per night for the privilege outside of the peak period.

Fuel was the other one that surprised her.

“I budgeted approximately $3,000 for fuel and ended up using $3,200. A couple of places were nearly $3 per litre.”

She can’t wait to head off on her next adventure. The Pilbara and the Kimberley are next on her list.

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OUTBACK SURVIVAL

SHELTER

with BOB COOPER

If you are fan of any of the 'survival' shows (Survivor does not count), you will usually see the participants constructing elaborate structures that they hope will give them some street cred. Us blokes, in particular, are more concerned about the skills involved in constructing said shelter and going all 'Daniel Boon' with our bush craft than actually building something to meet our key requirements for staying alive. The adage 'keep it simple, stupid' is more important than ever when trying to keep yourself alive.

There is no post-rescue debrief where the authorities will score your efforts and compare how you fare against other people’s experiences. You won’t be hash tagging #madsurvivalskills, #iamasurvivor; you will simply live or die.

Bob Cooper shares his thoughts on shelter building as part of your overall strategy of not ending up dead.

W

hen constructing a shelter either for warmth or for protection from the sun or rain, keep it simple.

Having a masterpiece to shelter under is not as important as conserving your energy and moisture.

If you create a masterpiece and then need to move on, you can't take it with you.

I recommend a simple structure using a survival blanket or something similar. This can be folded up and put in your pocket to be set up in the new location quickly and easily.

Natural shelters While caves and hollow tree trunks can keep you dry, cool or warm, never forget that they can also hide or camouflage you from rescuers.

If you do choose a natural shelter, make sure you leave notes and plenty of obvious attention-seeking signs which point to your whereabouts. A tripod of sticks with a note, including direction arrow and number of steps to your shelter, is a lifesaving idea.

Make very sure your new home is not the existing home of some other creatures which could harm or frighten you. It is

A simple shelter/signal combination constructed from a survival blanket.

essential that you ‘smoke out’ your new home as a deterrent to any unwanted visitors. The main concerns list in Australia includes snakes, wild dogs, wasps, bees, centipedes, scorpions, spiders, ants and bats.

Food cooking and consumption areas Never cook and/or eat where you are going to sleep. It attracts insects that attract small mammals that attract snakes. Wild dogs, dingoes and, in other countries, big cats and bears are all attracted to the odours of gutting and cooking of game.

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Prepare, cook and eat both away and downwind of your sleeping area. Predators are unwanted visitors, particularly when you are asleep and vulnerable.

When constructing your shelter, consider these common hazards: • Look out for dead tree limbs hanging in the living trees which you are considering building under. These snags are known as 'widow makers' as they will fall unpredictably and have caused serious injuries and death in the past.

Do not overexert yourself.

A crudely constructed shelter covering a healthy person is better than a perfectly built masterpiece covering an exhausted person.

Dave Alloway

• Ensure that you avoid all insect pathways and nests.

• Never camp or shelter in the centre of a dry river bed, even if it isn’t raining because a flood up-river could catch you unawares.

• The same applies to rain run-off areas don’t camp there.

• In cold weather, build the door to your shelter on the protected side to help keep yourself warmer and dryer.

• Do not shelter on or close to animal game trails.

• Do not use poisonous plants in your shelter materials.

Shelter and signal combo In order to be more visible to searchers, particularly from the air, you can make your shelter a signal - two for the energy price of one.

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Combination shelter and signal “One x Effort = Two x Yield”.

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FISHY BUSINESS with JOHN BORMOLINI

Our Best for Shore Western Australia enjoys a very expansive coastline. The fact we’re such a big state also means that from the furthest areas in the south to the most northern extremities, there’s enormous variation in landscape, terrain, climate and actual coastline itself.

In short, there’s no end to the possibilities for exploring and wetting a line as you do.

P

eople often ask which are the best land-based fishing locations from around the state and that’s very tough to answer because it depends on what appeals most in terms of type of fishing or camping etc. The fact is there are plenty of options and if you’re contemplating a new part of the state to take in, the following might be helpful.

The Kimberley The furthest and most challenging is without doubt the captivating Kimberley region. Expensive, fully-catered, live-aboard

cruises are fantastic with the right operator and the easiest way to experience what is a truly spectacular and largely pristine part of the world, but they’re often beyond the reach for a lot of people. Besides, the best part for off-road adventurers is the journey and exploration itself.

Careful research and pre-planning are absolutely paramount. Large expanses of the Kimberley are very difficult to access by road and the areas that can be accessed off the highway should be treated with cautious respect. Being self-sufficient and well-equipped is essential so tools, additional spare wheels and even basic parts will make a difference. With the right homework it’s possible to plan to fish some of the worthwhile land-based fishing spots but a dinghy is really what’s needed to improve your chances. Enormous tidal variations (ten metres plus on the springs), crocodiles, ravenous sandflies and midgies, warm temperatures and sound knowledge of the best times to fish need to be taken into account.

Kalumburu at the top of the Kimberley is a long and arduous trek but the country is amazing.

Western 4W Driver #122 |

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Further east, Exmouth Gulf can be another focal point to explore right down to its southern reaches to the Bay of Rest.

Exmouth and the Ningaloo Coast

A Kimberley barramundi from the rocks.

That said, there are places around Broome, up the Dampier Peninsular, Cape Leveque, the Fitzroy River, Derby, Kalumburu and around Wyndham and Kununurra that can be targeted for mangrove jack, threadfin salmon and the illustrious barramundi, along with other species in between. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s an easy place to fish but it sure as heck is one of the most picturesque.

The Pilbara Whilst there’s plenty of advantages to getting into the estuaries and creek systems of the north west that are definitely more easily accessed by dinghies, there’s some very productive shore fishing in these same areas. Good local or firsthand knowledge is key before venturing to just any creek mouth or rock bar but again understanding how the fish respond to the tides and currents makes a massive difference. The top of the high tide for example looks great and makes fishing easier but it’s usually dead. Fishing the last of the run out or the beginning of the run in, is far better.

From Karratha or Port Hedland there are spots in the vicinity to plan day trips from.

Eighty Mile Beach, Cape Keraudren, Balla Balla, Cleaverville, the Dampier and Burrup area and the Forty Mile are just a few.

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The Ningaloo coast is one of our most attractive shore-based locations and if fortunate enough to find accommodation or a campsite, a magical place to enjoy some northern winter sunshine. The whole stretch from the Cape downwards on the west side is simply stunning, with Ningaloo reef itself, the world’s largest fringing coral reef stretching over 250 kilometres, the jewel of this part of the state. In places the reef comes virtually to the shoreline and with it provides excellent fishing opportunities for all sorts of trevally, emperor, mackerel, queenfish, dart, permit, and even bonefish, the salt water fly fisherman’s holy grail.

There are lots of gazetted marine park and sanctuary zone restrictions these days but still a multitude of spots to fish all along the west side, from the lighthouse at Vlamingh Head down through to Yardie Creek and beyond on Ningaloo Station, Cardabia Station, picturesque Coral Bay and then Warroora Station. Small rocky ledges and sandy coves provide lots of spots for a flick but like most searching for something for dinner, late afternoon and early evening on a rising tide will often be when a solid spangled emperor or two will turn up.

Quobba and Steep Point For serious rock-hopping fishos there are two legendary, land-based hot spots worthy of venturing to, even though they are off the beaten track. Quobba Station is on the coast just north of Carnarvon and has some spectacular cliff seascape. It’s not for the faint-hearted and can be dangerous for the unwary as some big king waves wash through the area. Numerous fatalities have occurred there over the years. There are a number of cliff fishing spots across the length of the station’s coastline at High Rock, Whistling Rock, Garth’s or the Ledge, the Caves and Red Bluff, almost Gnaraloo.

Some basic accommodation facilities exist at the homestead and although a

Quobba Station cliff country is not for the faint-hearted but the fishing can be great.

fascinating place to explore, meticulous preparation and precautions are required with the right tackle and equipment if you intend to fish it.

Steep Point, further down near Shark Bay and the most westerly point of Australia, has also long been regarded as something of land-based mecca for serious cliff sports fishos. Getting there is part of the adventure as it’s 4WD only with self-sufficiency and camping atop exposed cliffs, all part of the challenge. In its heyday it was unsurpassed with everything from sailfish, yellowtail kingfish, snapper, various tuna and mackerel species all being caught on the same day. These days the bottom fishing is quieter and the constant threat of sharks taking hooked fish has dimmed the appeal yet it still rates as one of the country’s top angling hot spots.

Steep Point in the Edel Land region of Shark Bay is a land-based hotspot for serious 4W driving anglers.

spot and has shacks to hire for 4WD beach anglers, and Lucky Bay further south is a solid challenge across the expansive dunes for those looking further afield, away from the crowds.

Moore River and Myalup There are lots of reliable surf fishing spots on the lower and mid-west coast, many within easy day reach of the metro area or perfect for overnighters and too many to cover in any detail here. Areas around A solid salmon for the author near Myalup.

Kalbarri Kalbarri has always been regarded as one of our better shore-based fishing locations at an enjoyable holiday location.

It consistently produces our biggest tailor and is arguably one of the most reliable places in WA to catch mulloway. Wittecarra Beach, north of Blue Holes, Chinaman’s and the upstream reaches are all easily fishable for families. Fishing from the small marina jetty also turns up the odd mangrove jack and further upstream in the river, Gregory’s Rocks is one of the many spots to find some black bream. Wagoe Farm, just south of town is also a popular Western 4W Driver #122 |

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licences for both freshwater fishing and marron are required.

Fitzgerald River National Park and Bremer Bay

The beach sections near Myalup are attractive and productive spots to fish.

Jurien Bay, Cervantes, Hill River, and the S Bend caravan park near Dongara all come to mind. Two that I’d single out if you’ve always passed by and never entertained are Moore River at Guilderton, a comfortable day trip north of the metro area. The Three Mile north of the river mouth is a very reliable tailor spot at first light and on dusk and a kayak for bream fishing on the river will also prove handy. The other is Myalup, a little coastal hamlet 140-odd kilometres south of central Perth with a small caravan park and a collection of holiday homes.

The beach section a couple of kilometres to the north is usually the most productive and reliable for tailor, herring, tarwhine and garfish and a favourite for yellowfin whiting fans.

Pemberton for forest trekkers Freshwater anglers and especially the fervent group that are trout enthusiasts focus heavily on the beautiful south west tall forests region. It’s here that rainbow and brown trout become the focus in waterways such as Lefroy Brook, Big Brook Dam and a range of spots on the Warren River (particularly Moon’s Crossing, Regan Road and the Bannister Road Bridge).

Stretches of the Donnelly River are also very good with One Tree Bridge a great spot. There’s something very special about fishing the confines of our magnificent karri country and whilst it can often be damp and hard work hiking to the best streams or sections of river, the surroundings make up for it. And if a trip is timed to coincide with our brief annual marron season, a delicious marron or two could be an added bonus.

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With Hopetoun on the eastern fringe and Bremer Bay to the west, the Fitzgerald is a beautiful southern National Park. Although access can be restricted at times due to dieback and conservation works, the region is again less visited than the south west corner and small bays and beaches between the rocky granite headlands are spectacular. Barron’s Beach, Hamersley Inlet, Quoin Head, Mylies Beach and Point Anne are all areas worth surveying for a cast for our typical, southern surf species. Big southern bull herring, garfish, sand whiting and flathead with salmon and silver trevally (skippy) in the cooler months might all be part of the catch when the conditions are good. Be sure to research the most current information and check with DPAW about restrictions or closures before travelling.

Esperance and the east Without doubt one of the best kept state secrets is the coastline of Esperance. Its snow white, surf beaches tend to be far less crowded than the south west corner and the further east one explores the better it becomes. Cape Arid National Park right through to Israelite Bay is a great region to trek to for a camping and fishing escape and one of the most consistent places to find salmon, almost year-round. Alexander Bay, Kennedy’s Beach, Thomas River and Poison Creek are all proven spots to try especially if there are tell-tale dark masses of fish moving slowly just offshore. Although not good eating, our southern salmon are great family fun to catch and release and they do add enormously to the recreational fishing economy.

Spoilt for choice is what we are when it comes to a coastal fishing getaway somewhere in WA. There is literally something for all tastes and levels of capability or challenge in terms of searching out that great spot and the experience to go with it.

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GEAR TO GO CAMPING Dometic GO Hydration Water Jug

N

ew from Dometic is the first bit of water storage innovation we have seen in a while.

The Hydration Water Jug 11 lets you easily store and pour 11 litres of water as you need.

It has multiple dispensing options built in, including two openings for easy filling, dispensing and cleaning - you can fit your whole hand inside to clean when need be.

Being 11 litres, some people might feel it doesn't have enough storage, but keep in mind, this also makes it way more transportable than a typical 20-litre jerry

- meaning the kids can lug some stuff around camp as well. And it is built tougher than the standard too. It comes with removable webbing handles that double as tie-down points, and the pièce de résistance of this could well be the portable, self powered pump that they are calling the water faucet.

Available from Go Camping and Overlanding.

9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

Dometic GO Hydration Water Faucet

T

his portable, self-powered water faucet is a fantastic addition to the Go Water Jug. A nice and simple onetouch operation with automatic shut-off for water conservation and an integrated LED light for night-time/low-light use makes this fun for the whole family. A single charge will deliver 150 litres of water before having to recharge via the USB port. This makes water delivery a real piece of cake in an expandable and compact format.

Available from Go Camping and Overlanding.

9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au Western 4W Driver #122 |

149

GEAR TO GO CAMPING

Patagonia Down Sweater

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ou've probably seen Patagonia being worn down the local coffee shop, but Patagonia's heritage belongs in the outdoors and Go Camping and Overlanding has brought in a range of gear that represents the core of Patagonia, including their amazing Down Sweaters.

They feature some classic Patagonia hallmarks that you may not even be aware of, such as a recyclable polyester shell and traceable down filling. Now is your chance to head to a proper outdoor store and see why Patagonia is the go-to choice for the discerning buyer who wants the best equipment from a brand that wants to look after our environment.

Available from Go Camping and Overlanding.

9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

Red Roads Possum View Book Pouches

E

very book needs a stylish yet functional canvas protective cover!

The Red Roads Possum View Book Pouches are made here in Perth using Aussie canvas backing with clear fronts the perfect solution for a range of books and maps Available in two sizes, to suit either a book or map closed (small) or open (large). The small suits books with external dimensions 31cm x 23cm and the large suits books with external dimensions 42.5cm x 30cm.

Great for outdoor books by Hema or the Fire to Fork Adventure Cooking Book by Harry Fisher.

Available from Go Camping and Overlanding.

9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta www.gocampingoverlanding.com.au

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GEAR TO GO CAMPING

Bahco Knife

Y

ou have to love the Swedish. They have gifted the world, amongst other things, ABBA, Ikea, Spotify, Volvo, Greta Thunberg (ok so she might not be a gift), the Swedish Chef and Bahco.

Bahco started back in 1862 with the company cutting its teeth producing high quality steel before producing their own fish hooks. The adjustable spanner soon followed before bi-metal hacksaw blades heralded a new era of metal-cutting blade technology. The Bahco brand, a fish and hook, pays tribute to their origins.

Known the world over for their continued commitment to high quality hand tools, their current range of knives certainly do not disappoint. We recently managed to get our hands on the Bahco 2444 Mora Stainless Steel Knife and I must say we are quite impressed.

This multi-purpose knife is 220mm long and has a blade of 102mm. The highquality steel blade, synonymous with the Bahco brand, offers fishermen, hunters and general outdoorsy types an extremely functional knife. It would be equally at home serving duty in the tucker box. The bi-component handle offers the user plenty of grip, especially when preparing game, and keeps the overall weight of the knife to just below 'bugger all'.

With a recommended retail price of less than $18, these are the perfect addition to any adventure seeker’s kit.

You can grab yours from a247.com.au

CGear Three in One Multimat

T

he clever people at CGear have been producing innovative products for the caravan industry for some time now, but it was one of their other products, the Multimat, which was designed to be used as a easily deployable helicopter landing mat that is finding other uses. You see, the Multimat was designed to reduce the amount of debris being whipped up into the air with the landing and taking off of a helicopter. The team quickly realised that there were other, more recreational uses for it.

The Multimat allows for sand and dirt to fall through and is perfect for creating a floor in an awning, under a marquee or even under/ around camp furniture. Being UV stabilized, the sun’s rays wont destroy it too quickly and being made of non-absorbent material, it won’t rot or encourage mould growth.

It’s easy to keep clean and can be used as a wind break or even a shelter from the sun and is equipped with multiple d-rings to make pegging it out or tying it up easy.

Even if cut, the Multimat shouldn’t fray or tear and it is easy to keep clean, simply by hosing it off or wiping it down. Caravan parks love them as they don’t kill the grass underneath.

Grab a Multimat that suits your needs from a247.com.au Western 4W Driver #122 |

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Choc Chip Bickies Choc Chip Bickies You will need: 125gm butter ½ cup brown sugar (the soft one, not raw sugar) 1/3 cup caster sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten, or equivalent powdered egg will be fine, just add with the dry ingredients.

1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 ½ cups self raising flour 2 tablespoons powdered milk (not absolutely essential but does make them nicer) 1 cup choc chips

I

t's been a while since I have had a bit of a show off around the campfire and turned out something just a bit different with next-level camp oven skills.

But I managed to pull off a masterpiece especially for the pages of this magazine and for your enjoyment.

Place the butter, both sugars and the vanilla into a saucepan and melt over a low heat. Allow to cool.

Camp oven cooking is all about practicing and experimentation. It’s a science and just a little bit of magic all at once.

Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Take dessertspoon-size amounts of dough and roll into a ball. Place on a baking tray that will fit easily into your camp oven that has been lined with a piece of baking paper and gently press the dough down with a fork.

It can sometimes defy logic that a few separate ingredients that are nothing on their own can be combined to create something of beauty and deliciousness.

My offering to you this edition are choc chip bickies and/or one giant marshmallow-encrusted delectable bickie that can satisfy even the sweetest sweet tooth's sugar craving.

To make these babies you will need only some basic pantry staples, so here goes.

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Add the flour, choc chips and milk powder to a large mixing bowl, make a well in the flour and add the cooled butter and sugar mix plus the lightly beaten egg.

Put your tray of bickies into the camp oven with a temperature of about 180°C and bake until they are golden brown.

Bickies will appear a bit limp when first removed from the oven but they will firm up and become crispy once they cool down and become cold.

CLEWED UP with JO CLEWS I am lucky enough to have a large steel camp oven that can fit a tray that will cook eight biscuits at a time, so once the first batch is done, just put another batch in and keep cooking till there is no dough left.

about 20 minutes. Remove the camp oven lid, press the marshmallows into the bickie and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the marshmallows are melted and golden and the bickie has puffed up.

Remove from the camp oven and allow to cool for a few minutes then serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream or custard.

Allow the sugar and butter mix to completely cool or your choc chips will melt and you will end up with choc-choc chip bickies (just like the photo of the giant marshmallow bickie - I didn’t wait).

Giant Marshmallow Choc Chip Bickie

I made one batch of eight biscuits and one giant one with this mix.

To cook the giant bickie you will need a tray with sides that will fit easily into your camp oven. I have a flan pan with a removable base that works perfectly.

Take the remainder of the bickie dough and press into your cooking pan.

Score the top of the dough into serving size portions. I got 12 but feel I could have got a few more.

Place the big bickie into the camp oven that has been pre-heated to 180°C and cook for

Instead of choc chips maybe try mini M&Ms or other candy-coated choc lollies.

If making these while out camping, measure out the dry ingredients into a zip lock bag or clip lock box at home, pop a note inside as to what else you need from the fridge or camping pantry to finish the recipe. This avoids the need to take ingredients that you may only use a few spoonfuls of.

Allowing the giant bickie time to cool down will be the biggest challenge you will have with this recipe. Enjoy.

Western 4W Driver #122 |

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FIRE COOKING with CHRIS JELLIE

A Lost Timber Town

T

he south-west of WA is rich in old timber towns and mills, some more well known than others. We stumbled on Grimwade, or East Kirup as it was formally known, after looking for a swimming hole last summer.

Preparing to leave after our second visit, we met an elderly local gentleman named Bill. Needless to say, we didnt leave until over an hour later.

Bill told us of the layout of the town that once was, with many signs still present a short walk off the main road which originally was a railway for the old steam engines.

The wall, steps and handrail from the old general store allude to the presence that existed here at an earlier time. The wall and concrete slab from the old workshop remain, as do the foundations and skids from the old mill.

That's what you see - the hints at what

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was. What you don't see is the people; the people that built the town or lived here.

There is a good group of people around that grew up in the town and form the Grimwade Preservation Society. They have been working for a long time, especially over the last four years, to have this place cleaned up so that more can enjoy it.

At present it is still a fascinating spot to stop and take in some fresh air, with selfsufficient free camping allowed here.

Redfin can be caught and during season, the odd marron too.

But the face of the place will have changed by the time you are reading this. There will be a large-scale clean up in the area, taking out all of the stray pines and wattles.

This will give it some life back, uncovering the former glory of the layout of Old Grimwade.

I’m sure it will also bring back those fond memories for the people who grew up in this town.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Peter from the Grimwade Preservation Society group and threw a few questions at him.

This included a hospital, hall, school, church, houses, singlemans' quarters, a workshop that originally catered to the steam engines and later on to the trucks once they started coming in.

Grimwade town hall.

What do you hope to see here in the future?

“A picnic site where people can go and look. The aim is to have walkways with a lot of the old foundations there, have plaques where the houses, hospitals or any buildings were, singlemans' quarters, that type of thing.”

This started four years ago with Peter, his brother and brother in-law. They wanted to clean the roadways up and level a couple of bays where people could park.

"There was apparently two football teams there in the ‘30s. Grimwade was originally put there for the arboretum and then grew from there. It was a reasonably big place," Peter said.

If you would like to help out or keep up to date with the progress, follow the Grimwade Preservation Facebook page, or email: grimwadepreservation@gmail.com Thanks for the chat Peter, it's really cool to see some passion and the preservation of some cool WA history.

If you would like to stop and explore Old Grimwade, the easiest way is to head east from Kirup or punch into your GPS -33.6978025, 116.0482433.

The town was an arboretum, hosting nearly 100 varieties of trees, many still remaining.

"We want to keep them," Peter said.

"Have the original Tin Man and an information board at the old shop site. That's the vision."

I bet you’re stoked with the place being cleaned up. What does that mean for you and the Grimwade Preservation Society?

"Bloody oath, we all are, we’re all happy. It's saved a lot of hassle. We can now start applying for grants to get rid of the blackberry and do all that sort of thing."

The place is fascinating for me. What are a couple of interesting things you would like to tell others about the town?

"Well, there's a lot actually. The old trains used to run in and out of there. There was a butcher shop and a complete town there."

Western 4W Driver #122 |

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Fire Grilled Asado Short Ribs Beef short ribs are mostly a low and slow-cooked cut. But did you know that you can get them cut thin, across the bones, and sear them hot and fast? Well you can and it is bloody amazing! A decent amount of texture and often quite marbled, it's a heck of a lot of flavour.

We gently grilled some split corn cobs and baked a Campers Pantry Cauliflower with blue cheese sauce and a panko crumb.

I've covered some simple methods in previous recipes and a quick, hot and fast cook is always handy and fun! You've got to keep your wits about you and watch intently as you keep on flipping that meaty goodness.

Equipment

Grill for over-the-fire cooking Weber kettle or camp oven for baking Shallow tray for baking

Ingredients

Asado cut beef short ribs Olive oil or beef tallow Salt Sweet corn cobs, cut into four longways and across.

Butter or beef tallow Char Bro BBQ Lemon #1 dry rub Campers Pantry Cauliflower Butter Flour Milk Blue cheese Panko crumbs Salt and pepper 156

| Western 4W Driver #122

Method

Starting with a roux, get that silky consistency, adding in the blue cheese to taste plus salt and pepper. Err on the side of caution with a blue cheese as it can take over a dish. Aim for a thinner sauce as it will thicken up when baking. Follow the Campers Pantry Cauliflower instructions and add this into your baking tray. Drizzle that cheese sauce over the cauli and add your panko right before baking at a hot temp to crisp up that crumb.

Baste the corn in your choice of animal fats and sprinkle a medium coverage of Lemon #1.

Add corn, cob side down around the edge of the grill, flipping and rotating every couple of minutes until done.

You want a hot grill over the fire/coals by now for searing. I prefer to let my meat come to room temperature for a hot and fast cook as you get a more even heat distribution.

Oil or baste the meat before adding the desired amount of salt and getting them over the hot coals.

Keep on flipping the ribs at 45 second to one minute intervals and build the crust up slowly rather than sear the crap out of each side.

We want these ribs medium, 138-140°F when taking them off the grill for that all important rest. Ideally 5 to 10 minutes if you can keep them warm.

Plate everything up and get into the ribs and corn with your hands!

You will need a fork however for the cauli I hope you enjoy this recipe. Flick me a message on the socials if you’d like me to cover a recipe or technique you’ve had in mind.

😉

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

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PARTNERSHIP WITH MARTU

By Rod Durston

The WA outback is rare earth.

With its unique landscapes, flora and fauna it’s undeniably precious, not just to Australians but indeed, to the world.

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n 1997, out of a desire to care for and preserve this unique part of the planet, concerned 4W drivers formed Track Care WA and so began a long association with the communities and Traditional Owners along the Canning Stock Route. Track Care WA has undertaken dozens of projects along the entire length of the CSR such as BBQs, signage, shelters, well restoration and composting toilets as well as annual maintenance runs to ensure everything is in working order.

Collaboration with Martu people has been on a number of projects, including toilets at Jurrpa to ranger stations at Lampa.

As part of our developing relationships, Track Care WA has proudly signed a Memorandum of Understanding with JamukurnuYapalikurnu Aboriginal Corporation (JYAC formerly WDLAC). This MOU acknowledges Martu ownership of their lands (Martu

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ngurra) as reflected by the Martu Native Title Determination. Martu cultural, social, economic and scientific connection to their ngurra is an essential part of what we all encounter when travelling on this country.

The MOU provides the framework for a continuing relationship and partnership between Track Care WA and Martu to ensure conservation of one of the most

Signing the Memorandum of Understanding to continue the partnership between Track Care WA and Martu.

Dune-top tow on the CSR.

iconic areas of Australia. It facilitates opportunities in areas of common interest and will see a working group of Track Care WA and JYAC representatives established. The MOU reflects Track Care WA’s evolution as an organisation into an environmental and conservation group that makes a positive contribution to the protection of bush heritage and advocates for responsible access for off-road recreational use.

To protect Martu ngurra, Track Care WA and JYAC will work collaboratively to identify and promote sustainable 4W driving and camping opportunities, provide volunteer support in maintenance of vehicular tracks and infrastructure, facilitate controlled access and promote minimal-impact driving techniques to protect the Western Desert’s cultural and environmental heritage. Our MOU will also allow us to give advice to members where there are changes to 4WD tracks and infrastructure, such as seasonal track closures or closures in areas affected by fires and flooding.

Our collaboration will also look for opportunities for Martu employment in works programs, including Martu monitors and advisers for Track Care WA projects.

Track Care WA and JYAC will also work to maintain commonly used infrastructure and identify opportunities for Track Care WA members to engage with Martu

communities for 4WD workshops and seminars where members and Martu can share 4W driving skills and experiences.

Ultimately the MOU aims to maintain sustainable 4W driving through promotion and awareness of Martu culture, maintenance of commonly used infrastructure, implementing controlled access where required as well as promoting minimal-impact driving techniques and providing good bush camping opportunities.

Importantly, the MOU will help to build organisational, as well as personal relationships, between Martu, Track Care WA members and JYAC. Track Care WA will look for opportunities to establish similar arrangements with other Native Title holders along the CSR and other parts of our great state.

JYAC (formerly WDLAC) is a Prescribed Body Corporate established by the Native Title Act. JYAC acts as the trustee for Martu native title rights and interests, including Martu rights to exclusive possession of their ngurra, an area of more than 130,000 square kilometres across the Western Desert region. JYAC is involved in numerous projects for the cultural, social and economic benefit of current and future generations of Martu (www.wdlac.com.au).

CSR long road ahead.

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Winnemia Restoration Project Jimba Jimba Station Campsite south of the Kennedy Range National Park

By Will Baston & John Collins The Baston family have managed Jimba Jimba Station since 1977 so they appreciate its natural ecosystems and are keen to preserve the land for future generations.

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he family also recognise the Yinggarda people as being the traditional custodians of the land and they formalised this acknowledgement by negotiating and then by executing an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) on 31st August 2021. But what is an ILUA? A basic explanation is that an ILUA is a voluntary agreement between native title parties and other people or bodies about the use and management of areas of land and/or waters. You can find a more comprehensive ILUA explanation by visiting the National Native Title Tribunal website.

Over the years, Jimba Jimba Station has noticed an increase in visitors accessing, through its pastoral lease, the western side of the Kennedy Range National Park.

This increase in traffic volumes has raised management concerns about where visitors are camping and what parts of the pastoral lease are being accessed. The Baston family recognise that education rather than prohibition is the answer to solving management problems. By working with the traditional custodians, the Baston family are looking forward to providing informative educational opportunities to visitors about working pastoral stations as they transit Jimba Jimba on their way to visit the western side of the Kennedy Range National Park. This knowledge transfer will focus on appropriate land stewardship 160

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of country as it continues to support a viable pastoral business and provide additional opportunities for alternative complementary uses of the land. As the ILUA matures and future enterprises are identified and realised, they will contribute to the benefit of the wider community while helping to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the district.

The Winnemia Restoration Project is a vision from Jimba Jimba Station to restore parts of the former shearing shed that was destroyed in the 2010 Gascoyne floods and to make minor repairs to former Winnemia shearing shed infrastructure to allow for low impact tourism which will give independent overlanding travellers who are wanting to camp close to and enjoy the Gascoyne River prior to entering the Kennedy Range National Park.

Jimba Jimba Station are working in partnership with Track Care WA to help with the restoration of the site that involves works to establish a small campground.

The planned facilities will include a shower, camp kitchen and general siteworks to offer a genuine bush camping experience within walking distance to the mighty Gascoyne River. Track Care WA are excited by this new opportunity to assist the provision of additional access to interesting locations in the short-term for overlanding travellers. In the longer-term, Track Care WA are keen to assist whenever needed to support future initiatives that will be facilitated by the ILUA as it matures.

TRACK CARE WA NEWS

What a great way to spend a weekend!

Preston Beach is a beachside town that is becoming increasingly popular with holiday-makers, tourists, fishers and day-tripping local Shire of Waroona residents.

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he volunteer ranger service was established by the Shire with the intention of educating visitors and residents of their impact on the local environment and region; encouraging responsible activities throughout the area (including 4W driving) while educating users on the responsible behaviours expected of the area. The small group of Volunteer Rangers are present on the beach every day between Boxing Day and Easter.

Ian (Toyota LandCruiser Club of WA Environmental Officer) arranged to assist Track Care WA to distribute the Preston Beach Code Off Road flyers that outline expectations for preserving our beach access both for ourselves and future generations. The leaflet was an initiative of the Preston Beach Volunteer Rangers and the Shire of Waroona when they joined with Track Care WA to incorporate their Preston Beach leaflet into the Code Off Road brochure. The intention was to promote local information that is consistent and promotes a standardised advice on safe and responsible off-road driving on Western Australian beaches and coastal national parks.

Working closely with Volunteer Ranger Noel, Ian developed and managed the project assisted by Ralph and Sally. Simon and Luke made up the team from the Toyota LandCruiser Club of WA. Phil and John represented Track Care while Noel, Tammy, Dave and Barry rounded out the Preston Beach Volunteer Ranger crew.

Over two days of the March long weekend, we had over 800 interactions with beachgoers and 4WD enthusiasts while we handed out the Preston Beach Code Off Road brochures. It was pleasing to note that

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TRACK CARE WA NEWS virtually 100% of those spoken to were wellaware of the need to protect our pristine coastline. The visitors we spoke with also appeared to be very aware that the use of vehicles on many Australian beaches is prohibited and they appreciated the efforts of the Shire of Waroona and the volunteers who are working together to promote safe and responsible off-road driving.

The volunteer rangers took us all for a run up and down the beach in their ATV and young Luke exclaimed, "This is the best day ever!" A great bunch of people who I’m sure we’ll meet up with again in the future.

The success of this project demonstrates how effective partnerships can be in achieving shared goals of welcoming visitors and providing local information to create a safe 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.

Thanks to the Preston Beach Volunteer Rangers for showing us their backyard and for putting on such a great sunset.

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TRACK CARE WA NEWS

Wanagarren Track Campground Environment Minister Stephen Dawson opened the 16km Wanagarren Track in January 2020. Previously, it was an unregulated off-road hotspot that was developed by 4W drivers and conservation volunteers in collaboration with Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).

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f you like waking to the sounds of lapping waves, the Wanagarren Campgrounds are made for you! Pack your bathers, fishing, surfing and snorkelling gear and camp right near Jurien Bay Marine Park.

The campgrounds are situated right by the crystal waters of Jurien Bay Marine Park in Wanagarren Nature Reserve and features 15 campsites that must be booked online.

Suitable for tents, rooftop and awning tents, all campers must be completely self-sufficient and bring their own portable chemical toilet. Other facilities, water and firewood are not provided. Campfires are permitted seasonally (usually April October) but only in provided fire rings. For more information and booking, check out: parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/site/wanagarrencampground Getting to Wanagarren Nature Reserve is via Indian Ocean Drive and Grey Spur Road. Access to the campsites is for highclearance 4WD vehicles with low-range gears only. Reduce your tyre pressure for soft sand. There is no facility to reinflate tyres on exit.

Following on from the 2020 opening, DBCA continue to maintain the track and have sought volunteer assistance with necessary management activities. In response to this call for assistance, under the guidance of the Toyota LandCruiser Club of WA (TLCCWA) member Ian, in collaboration with Ranger Dave, the volunteer program was developed that is reported below by TLCCWA magazine editor Ralph with help from Ian: We drove up from Perth in the afternoon to set up camp along the Wanagarren Track at sites 15 and 16 and try to find some level ground to set up sleeping arrangements.

Bees were extremely friendly and plentiful seeking out any source of water. In addition, there was the ever-present threat of a tick attaching itself to regions unmentioned necessitating the liberal application of patented repellent mixtures.

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The following day saw us return up the Wanagarren Track to Cervantes to apply hessian matting to a track along the primary dune ridge. The rolls of hessian matting required several able bodies to lift them and then draw out to be pegged with biodegradable pegs. The temperature was 35 degrees in the water bag and no breeze! Matting completed, time for knock off, but no, holes to be dug and bollards installed. Bugger! Eventually, back down the track to camp and some much needed refreshment and a good night's kip.

The next day we broke camp and headed south along the track to exit on the beach just north of Wedge Island. Looking forward to a nice easy run along the beach but again no, Commandant Ian determined that the beach was a bit messy and required us to conduct an emu bob.

Clean up completed we continued and exited through the settlement at Wedge, aired up, said our goodbyes and headed home. Phew ...

A great weekend (or parts thereof for some) camped on the Wanagarren Track and helping DBCA with stabilisation and bollarding of an illegal and destructive track along the primary dune ridge in Nambung

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National Park, south of Cervantes. Thanks to Ralph, Sri, Ian, soon-to-be members Jenny and Kim, and Track Care WA members Tim, Phil, Andy, and also Gary from the 4WD Club of Western Australia.

Ranger Dave is very pleased with the efforts of the combined volunteer workforce and the effectiveness of different groups partnering to achieve shared goals and assignments.

4WD CLUB FOCUS

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he last couple of years has been an interesting time for us as a new club with our launch on 25th September 2019, then Perth going into its first lockdown in March 2020. We really had to be proactive and think outside the box.

Luckily with today’s modern technology we were able to keep a very active engagement with our members by dialling in for regular online meetings.

The vision of our club has been keeping a focus on 4W driving, camping, social events and training. We are always trying to improve and maintain a very active club, and last year was a real testament with us completing 57 events in total.

This year has been an exciting year for the club with our recent rollout of regional subbranches to start catering to Isuzu drivers throughout Western Australia.

The new sub-branches are: Pilbara and Kimberley Region based out of Port Hedland; Mid-West and Gascoyne Region based out of Geraldton; Great Southern Region based out of Albany / Bremer Bay. We are also gearing up to launch the Isuzu Caravan Club of WA Inc. and we are really excited about launching a focus into caravanning, as there are plenty of Isuzus out and about towing caravans and many of our existing members currently do so.

We bring a great lifestyle that focuses on the great outdoors, social activities and community.

We are closely working alongside ARMA (Australian Recreational Motorists Association) with some new community projects in WA to assist with maintaining track access for the future.

If you would like your club featured in our 4WD Club Focus, please email: admin@western4wdriver.com.au

Trip Calendar 2022 18th May: Social Event - 4WD Night at Perth Motorplex.

21st May - 12th June: Long trip - GVD Desert Tasting. Club is heading out into the Great Victorian Desert.

28th May: Overnight trip - Dad Overnighter.

An overnight trip for dads, grandads, uncles and single mums with their kids. Avon Valley National Park and surrounds.

4th - 6th June: June long weekend Bremer Bay (Camp Qualinup). A mixture of 4W driving, fishing and track works at our Great Southern Regional Sub-Branch Coordinator's farm that backs up to Reef Beach Bremer Bay. 18th June: Day Trip - Muchea Hill. A fun day in the sand beyond the Gnangara Pines out through to Muchea Hill.

20th June: Monthly Members' Meeting at the Kalamunda Club - 7.00pm at 18 Kalamunda Road, Kalamunda.

22nd June: Social Event - Cannington Greyhounds. Dinner and a fun night watching the dogs race.

10th July: Social Event - Perth Museum.

11th July: AGM. 13th July: Pilbara Explorer. Heading out to the Pilbara Region and surrounds.

We have a jammed-packed calendar with more events constantly being added that can be found on our website: www.isuzu4x4clubwa.com.au If you would like to find out more about our club, please visit our website or email: info@isuzu4x4clubwa.com.au We would love to hear from you.

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GOLDFIELDS TRIP - AUGUST 2021 The plan seemed simple enough and looked straightforward and reasonable; go and explore around the goldfields and take in the bits south of Coolgardie and then head west and finish around Wubin.

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ovely plan and all looked good until the wettest July for a gazillion years meant that the word of the day during this trip would be 'change' - in fact it came to be the word used hourly on some days.

But we like change and sometimes it’s good for the soul to not know what is going on, especially when you are trying to lead a trip.

The following is a bit of a rundown on how we managed to spend our 12 days on this particular 4WD playgroup and how we ended up in the Great Victoria Desert.

Day 1 After some quick phone calls it was decided that the first night was to be in the caravan park at Hyden. Roads were closed all over the place and it was obvious we were not going to be heading further east to where we were planning on stopping for night one … and so the stage was set for hourly/daily changes for this adventure.

Day 2 Up early (hope they get used to this).

North from Hyden via Mount Palmer and

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By Mark Skeels

Yellowdine to a bush camp between the highway and the rail line. A look around the ruins at Mount Palmer and it was an easy day with a few puddles to get through.

A nice campfire was needed as the weather gods had decided no rain for a while with beautiful clear goldfields night skies. This means the potential for morning ice on everything.

Day 3 Up early and get the fire going … to be a morning ritual. Everyone finished brekkie and packed up and was off to explore rocks and stuff followed by a very nice drive up to the rail line. Before the Holland Track became 'famous' this is what it was like.

What a pity fame has ruined a nice drive.

Big rocks, big salt lakes and what an easy day. At the morning smoko stop it was drop 10 from the tyres, not drop to 10 (lesson learnt by me) - make sure the instruction is understood. Lunch stop and get off the rail line (no names mentioned). Into Jaurdi Station for the night. Nice fire and the promise of another clear night.

Day 4 Up early (if you haven’t worked out by now there is an awful lot of up before the sun on these trips) and fire going and ready for another beautiful day. Surprised a couple of blokes metal detecting at an old mine site, ha ha. When you get out of your 4WD with

ISUZU 4WD CLUB OF WA hi-vis on some think you are something official. They were very quick to let me know they had permission to be where they were … as if.

Another easy run along rocks and lakes and into Kalgoorlie for the night. Some had not been there before so it was off to explore and resupply and do whatever until the next afternoon … sort of like a day off already and it’s only day 4.

Day 5 While some were up before the sun others slept in and as nothing was happening that’s pretty much what happened. Met up in the arvo for a run out to Lake Perkolilli for the night's camp. Another camp of niceness and this time we were joined for a few hours by a family from Kal with their brand new D-Max in a very pretty blue. Nice fire and many stories told (all true with no embellishments).

During the morning when others were off exploring it had become obvious that we were not going to be getting into the area south of Kalgoorlie. Just way too wet and silly to be getting bogged and ripping up tracks so a change in plans was hatched.

I couldn’t wait for my fellow playgroup attendees to hear it and get excited.

Day 6 Again we (well some anyway) followed the pattern of up and beat the sunrise.

During the after-brekkie briefing the maps were pulled out and the Great Victoria Desert became the aim for a couple of nights. It was one of those 'seemed like a good idea at the time' moments. A nice drive along nice dirt roads (dry and dusty) and some even nicer photo opportunities

4WD CLUB FOCUS (the drone was getting a workout) and into an old station homestead which many years before I had the pleasure of taking another group into and there was a very recently deceased camel. This time only a few bones remained which was a pity as I think this group also would have appreciated the smell, as did the others.

This night our campsite was a bit of a 'take what you can find' and an old geo line was the go. Nice views over another salt lake with a small fire as there wasn’t too much wood anywhere.

Day 7 Do I need to say it? Yep, up early, pack up and an easy drive into Laverton. Sunrise Dam Mine still impresses and what was once a dirt road is now wide and sealed.

Showers and coffees and cakes and phone calls and this is where the locals know their business. The Great Beyond Centre manager had foolishly engaged me in a few conversations a year before and most recently a couple of days before this trip.

Permits are required and usually take a few days to get issued … 24 hours and it was a done deal. Nothing but heaps of praise for their efficiency. So armed with permits (and full bellies of cakes) it was off into the Great Victoria Desert along the Anne Beadell Highway. Now a bit of a story here … I have made this particular run many times and had only been back from doing this a month before and from what was previously a really crappy, corrugated, sandy track was now a nice, graded track.

Thank you mining (I think).

What corrugations there were (mainly after the mine bit finished) shook up enough of some of the cars and trailers to sort out a

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few things. Yeo Homestead was the camp and with cloud increasing it was a possibility of rain (nothing happened). A roast dinner of immenseness was enjoyed and a sunset of magnificence ended a very nice day.

now gale force and the clouds threatening it was time to seek shelter in and between some abandoned mining dongas. They did the job beautifully.

Day 8

During the night the storm departed and with the clearing of the sky and dropping of the wind the temperature plunged.

A beautiful sunrise but oh so cold. Into Menzies via Lake Ballard (muddy shoes anyone???) where apparently the coffee was very, very ordinary but the sun was out and it was now above 5 degrees.

I won’t repeat about getting up before the sun … but we did. The sunrise through the clouds enabled some pretty impressive drone footage to be taken. After brekkie and because today would not be a difficult or long drive it was decided to have a bit of a drive along an old track around the lake. A few hours and lots of scratches and a ruined tyre later we were back at the homestead and it was off to the Great Central Road. Cloud was increasing and the weather looked like it was going to be a bit moist (further west there had been more big rains).

On the GCR and with the wind and cloud increasing it was into Giles Breakaway to set up camp. Some moisture attempted to fall from the sky but the wind made sure we were all busy trying to not get blown back from where we had come.

The highlight of this bit was knowing (and being able to see) the super secret spy base … and some didn’t believe me.

Day 9 No need to say it again …

Bit more rain and plenty of wind and into Laverton via the GCR for showers and coffees and cakes and some fuel. Then a nice easy run into Leonora and a few hours spent around Gwalia (if you haven’t been then make sure you go). With the forecast not too flash it was decided to head off and find a sort of sheltered campsite. So as the sun was getting lower and the wind was

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Day 10

A nice drive to find a campsite and what a great little bush camp it turned out to be … sort of.

Day 11 Up early (again) and everything was covered in ice … real ice, and some spent the night huddled around the fire because their sleeping stuff was just not up to it … my swag is just so warm and cosy, I should have some sympathy.

Off we went to have a look around Goongarrie Homestead and out via the

ISUZU 4WD CLUB OF WA west track and eventually into Coolgardie.

This was to be the last night so it was into the caravan park and then the pub for dinner. Even with new owners the size of your meal is, well, just adequate for a few to share … half the schnitzel saved for lunch.

Day 12 Goodbyes and off they went along the highway to Perth and home except for one.

He was not yet done and took the longer way home via nearly 850km of dirt and scenery and water … so much water across the tracks and roads. No wonder the crops broke all records this season (did you know that if it’s wet canola sparkles when using your LED spotlights? Amazing!)

I managed to get home in one piece around midnight so all was good.

So ended the first real long trip by the Isuzu 4x4 Club of WA. There had been a 'shorter' long trip at Easter (thank you Seroja) but this one enabled those who came along to get a taste of what it’s like to be 'remote' for an extended period and get to dip their wheels into the Great Victoria Desert.

4WD CLUB FOCUS What did we learn?

1. Plans change daily, hourly or whatever and you must be adaptable to change.

2. Fuel - this was not an incredibly remote trip but still required a decent fuel range.

As most were towing it was an opportunity to see just how much you need to carry.

Can you easily carry 60-80L extra fuel (not on your roof)? That’s 80kg. The run into the GVD the month before this trip I required a 1600km range. What happens if there’s the possibility that your planned fuel stop is not available? (See #1).

3. Water is for drinking. Get used to baby wipes and taking advantage of what’s around to wash yourself. Work on 3L per person/day minimum. That’s 6L/day if there’s two of you. If it’s 10 days where will you keep 60L? That’s 60kg. What if it’s 15 days? Now it’s 90L (90kg) and what if #1 happens?

4. Comms - as well as the normal UHF in the vehicle there should be a portable unit for each person in the vehicle. This is required because it is so easy to get lost in the remote bits of WA. After a couple of hours walking if you don’t have a GPS with you and your navigation skills are a bit ordinary life can become exciting, and it would be better if it wasn’t. There is sometimes long periods (days even) of no mobile phone coverage so a sat phone is required.

5. Food - whatever you like but you need to be aware that sometimes you cannot replenish your stuff easily and may need to have sufficient for the full trip. But there will always be roadhouses or community places to get some stuff … if they are open and if we get there (see #1).

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4WD CLUB FOCUS 6. Clothing - needs to be suitable for any/all weather conditions likely to be encountered on the trip … but try and be fashionable. Some questions were asked as to why I favour hi-vis stuff. The reason is a bit macabre but I think sensibly … if the SHTF I would like to think that the helicopter searching for me would beat the wild dogs and pigs finding me (plus I still have leftovers from my previous employment).

7. Sleeping stuff - It was obvious before we left that during this trip the nights would be cold … freezing cold, and with a bit of moisture we had more than a few icy nights.

If you can’t sleep you suffer physically and mentally. It is really a fundamental thing that when making the trip into the desert regions of Australia during the winter months you must take sleeping stuff that will handle minus lots of degrees (the set up I had for this trip is not suitable for anything above about 5 degrees … it’s just too hot and uncomfortable but oh so toasty warm when it gets icy). If you are sleeping off the ground, you need to be aware of the cold getting under your bed and make suitable adjustments.

8. Your 4WD - it goes without saying that it needs to be in good condition. It is a very, very expensive recovery operation from some parts of these trips. If you look at the tyres and say to yourself, “They should be ok,” then they aren’t and you need new tyres, and depending on where we go you

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ISUZU 4WD CLUB OF WA may need two spares (and plug kits as well). They will be subjected to rocks and sand and spinifex and other yukky stuff, and we deflate/inflate regularly. How’s your compressor? Then there’s the fuel … see #3.

How’s your suspension? Can it handle the extra weight and the hours of corrugations?

Are you towing? A whole new ball game that requires a lot of extra stuff. The weight of your 4WD when fully loaded and starting out (the weight reduces as we go along).

Everything needs to be secured so it can’t move around or rattle. Corrugations will find the smallest thing and potentially turn it into a major issue. Lots to think about.

The next 'big' trip by the club is planned for May - June 2022. 22-23 days that will once again take in the western bits of the Great Victoria Desert. If you think this is for you keep an eye on the club calendar and hit up the RSVP. We will arrange for a briefing before if needed (or wanted).

Participants: Steve / Karen - MU-X + trailer Ray / Sharon - MU-X + trailer Mathew / Nathan - Colorado D/cab + trailer Stuart - MU-X + trailer Paul - D-MAX S/cab Philip - BT-50 S/cab Mark - D-MAX S/cab

THE PEOPLE WE MEET

BY CHRIS MORTON

The Travelling Jackaroo Sam Hughes is not your typical 19-year old. Along with his rescue dog, Bitsa, he is travelling Australia driving a Chamberlain 9G Tractor, raising money for several charities, including Dolly's Dream and the Royal Flying Doctor Service as well as raising awareness for mental health.

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is unique rig tows his mobile home, a bright orange trailer, topped with the carcass of a small aircraft, a gyrocopter and is adorned with stickers of sponsors and his supported charities.

Sam is a very passionate young man who saw an opportunity to do something memorable that would benefit the wider community by raising money for two charities close to his heart. The Royal Flying Doctor Service helps all Australians in need and is a vital lifeline for those living, working or travelling in remote areas. Dolly's Dream, as Sam said, “There is no place in the world for bullying.”

His planning started well before turning 18 and his interest in tractors was the driving force in selecting a Chamberlain 9G as his vehicle. “My parents thought I was nuts but now they are extremely proud of me.”

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How far have you travelled to date?

“So far we have been on the road for 14 months and covered about 7,000km.

There is still another 14,000km to go and that means about another 12 months on the road.”

How much money have you raised so far?

“To date, I have raised just over $100,000 for my charities. I am hoping over the next 12 months to increase that total as much as I can. Every cent helps these amazing charities achieve their goals.”

How do you sustain yourself on the road?

“I pick up work wherever I can. Usually labouring jobs. I have been earning some money working with the Moscow Circus in Darwin and am going to follow them south, grabbing work with them when I can.”

Sam has a camp built into the trailer he tows, which also carries a small 1981 Suzuki Sierra and a motorbike so he can get around when stopped anywhere for an extended period. Have you ever tried to park a 9G in the Woolies carpark?

responded with, “It’s not about me. It's about helping the RFDS and bringing an end to bullying. That is the best way to help.”

By the time you are reading this, Sam will have crossed over the border at Kununurra and be heading south-west to Broome. He will be cruising the blacktop on an average of about 40km/h, making his way south to Geraldton. He will be at Mellenbye Station on 9th July for 'Hoedowns for Country Towns'.

Sam will then head to Perth and get some maintenance done on his rig before hitting the south coast and then into South Australia.

For more information or to donate to Sam's charities, check out: www.facebook.com/thetravellingjackaroo

How can our readers help?

“Go to my Facebook page and donate whatever you can afford to my charities is the best way to help,” Sam said. I asked him if people can help him along the way by chipping in for fuel and food and he 172

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RFDS: rfds-qld.giveeasy.org/ the-travelling-jackaroo Dolly's Dream: mycause.com.au/p/243337/ the-travelling-jackaroo

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Lithium battery technology is revolutionising the way that we store and use power.

TOPO DC POWER, an Australian owned family business, is quietly leading the charge with their lithium battery power systems manufactured locally in WA. The Centrefire comes in a custom-built, ruggedised case, ready for anything your next adventure can throw at you, and is equally at home hooked up in your vehicle either as a second battery or as a portable unit. The 12-volt, 72 Ah, lithium iron phosphate battery (LiFePO4) packs a whopping 864 watts of power and weighs in at only 10.5kg. The unit also comes with a built-in 40-amp DCDC vehicle charger as well as a 25-amp solar charger, making it extremely cost effective. An external 10-amp mains charger included keeps the unit topped up when you are not out and about.

For extra storage, TOPO also have their slim profile Long Range Lithium series in either a 144 Ah or 216 Ah, fitted standard with both DC-DC and solar charging.

Paired with TOPO’s range of products are their Mag series 12-volt distribution boards, available in a variety of configurations perfect for the DIY or installer minimising the need to drill holes for mounting, reducing installation costs and damage to your vehicle. Creating your very own, customised, modular and adaptable power solution.

To find out more about these great lithium power solutions, call (08) 9457 7809 or check out

www.topodcpower.com.au

GOINGS ON Bendleby Ranges shines with silver at Australian Tourism Awards Luck by name only. Luckraft family focuses on ‘nature to nurture’ while navigating challenging business terrain.

T

he award recognises the Southern Flinders Ranges icon as one of Australia’s top adventure tourism businesses. The win follows gold in the November South Australian Tourism Awards. Kylie Luckraft, director, said, “Wow! We are ecstatic and so incredibly proud to be recognised with Silver at the Australian Tourism Awards!”

The 2021 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards saw Bendleby competing against each state category winner. Some of the adventure tourism candidates were much larger operators. The win is gratifying for the small family-run business with only a handful of staff.

Succession planning success.

Founders pass the baton that leads to silver triumph.

Jane and Warren Luckraft handed over the family business reins to Kylie and Charlie Luckraft a few years ago. What followed was a three-year drought plus COVID challenges. Like conquering their gnarly 4WD tracks, the Luckraft family and its small team rose to the rocky challenge. “We are very pleased and humbled recipients, thoroughly enjoying the continuation and growth of our family legacy,” director Charlie Luckraft said.

Bendleby focussed on the power of ‘nature to nurture’ during COVID The stunning destination is a special place for many 4W drivers, campers and outdoor adventurers. During COVID, Bendleby 174

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The future looks bright for Bendleby Ranges.

Charlie, Kylie, Will, Annie & Ollie Luckraft savour their silver win.

posted beautiful images so people could experience some Flinders Ranges 'therapy'.

Watch this (15,000 hectares) space the future looks bright.

Whilst the silver win is cause for celebration, the team is already busy with their next developments. Bendleby will stay true to its winning formula of 4WD, outdoor adventure and ‘nature to nurture’ focus.

Plans include more choices for current fans and accessibility options to offer Bendleby Ranges magic to a new range of clients.

Bendleby Ranges in good hands Charlie and Kylie Luckraft.

GOINGS ON

Have a bucking good time

I

f you are looking to get your country on then why not consider heading out to the mother of the goldfields, Coolgardie, for their annual rodeo.

The weekend of the 19-21 August will see the town’s golf course transformed into a sea of Akubras, big belt buckles and horses as competitors vie for supremacy in the bull riding, barrel racing and bareback bronc riding events.

Free camping upon registration is available as part of your gate entry.

For more information or to grab tickets go to: www.outbackrodeos.com

DESERT RACING

O

ne of the toughest off-road racing events, the Kickstarters Gascoyne Dash, is on again from 28-31 July.

Competitors will pit their machines against the unforgiving Gascoyne landscape as they race to be crowned 'King of the River'. Spanning two days, the event starts in Carnarvon with an overnight stop in

Gascoyne Junction, before racing back to Carnarvon, across a 500km route.

If you love motorsport then this is the event for you.

Go to: www.gasdash.com or follow the event on Facebook to stay up-to-date.

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Lights, Camera, ACTION

By Chris Morton

S

ince the first GoPro hit the shelves, companies are constantly coming out with new and better action cameras so that we can relive every action-packed minute of our last holiday, trip to the beach, bike ride, pet going crazy … you get the idea.

DJI, better known for their drone tech, have jumped on the action camera bandwagon and released an innovative product.

The DJI Action 2 Dual-Screen Combo offers a plethora of functions and benefits, some you might not have even known you needed until now. A lightweight, aluminium alloy body provides a sleek, minimalistic and solid feel with their innovative magnetic locking design allowing for quick accessory changes.

Record every detail in 4K / 120fps with a field of view (FOV) of 155° that is shot through a custom aspheric lens, which sharpens edges and reduces image distortion. Built in stabilisation ensures that camera shake is kept to a minimum.

The unit is dust, drop and waterproof up to a depth of 10m and thanks to the inclusion of gorilla glass on the touch screen and lens, it’s durable enough for any monkey business you can throw at it.

Check them out at Camera Electronic or go to: www.cameraelectronic.com.au/dji-action-2-dual-screen-combo

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CAPTURE THE MOMENT with UNCLE DICK STEIN We Love Photography

ND, WA SUE JOUBERT - WITHNELL POINT, DIRK HARTOG ISLA

T

here’s no more satisfying feeling for a travelling photographer than capturing a good sunrise or sunset apart from the one when you finally get off the World’s Worst Track with your sump and diff intact. But you can read the rest of the magazine for that …

The winner of this issue’s Camera Electronic voucher is Sue Joubert who captured this beautiful panoramic image at Withnell Point on Dirk Hartog Island. If you Google this as I did you’ll find it on the eastern side of the island looking onto Shark Bay. Keep looking at the map of the island and note that it is not just wilderness - there is an airport, camps, beaches, and a number of tracks running to various points. It’s still an island, however, so if you wanted to get a 4WD over to it you’d need to go to the barge landing and ferry over.

Well done Sue! You’ve won a

$200

GIFT VOUCHER from

Or take a boat, as in the picture. If you want to trail your hand romantically in the water, remember that it is named Shark Bay for a reason.

Now the picture. It’s true panorama as it has an aspect ratio of 1:2.2. Sue has been extra careful to get the horizon level - one of the still-mechanical aspects of digital photography - and positioned the boat perfectly to add interest to the scene.

The colours are everything we want from the meeting of sea, sky and sun, and fortunately her camera has enough dynamic Western 4W Driver #122 |

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range in the sensor and processor to avoid blowing out the sunburst. The black of the foreground is natural and perfect, and there is still a hint of atmospheric haze in the distance to give an impression of space.

Now the selling begins. If Sue got to Dirk Hartog in a 4WD on the barge, she might have taken her camera in a gadget bag, and quite safely, too. Modern bags can be very well-constructed and provide good protection against road dust and knocks.

But if she arrived on that little boat - chased by sharks or not - she needed a bit better protection for the electronic gear. Cameras and water are natural enemies.

Sue, would it be a good idea to spend your Camera Electronic voucher on a Pelican case? You can get small ones that will protect just the camera, medium ones that will take it and an extra lens, or really big ones that can carry complete computers, cameras, batteries, and video rigs.

The writer of this column has a really, really big one that he uses for pro gear that’s so tough he can stand on it to shoot over crowds. If ever he was thrown off a boat with it, it would be a life raft. Pelicans are pretty near indestructible and mean that your expensive photo gear inside them is safe.

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

$200 VOUCHER

from

Email photos to: submissions@western4wdriver.com.au

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www.fredhopkinswa.com.au 178

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SMART PHOTOGRAPHY with KARL FEHLAUER

Tips and Techniques to Make Your Smartphone Photography Better Welcome to my second article on Smartphone Photography. In this edition I will give you seven tips to help you get better results when using your smartphone to capture images.

B

efore I get started, it is important for you to understand the difference between smartphone photography and camera photography. Essentially, smartphone photography is ‘computational photography’.

Computational photography refers to digital image capture and processing techniques that use digital computation instead of optical processes that cameras use. It can improve the capabilities of a camera, or introduce features that were not possible with film-based photography such as digital panoramas and high dynamic range images.

Basically, it is using computer algorithms (software) to produce fine details in images captured by a smartphone that cannot be done by standard cameras.

Now that you understand how a smartphone differs from standard cameras there are a number of pros and cons when using a smartphone for photography.

The Pros: • Everyone has one; • It is always with you; • It is quick and easy to use; • It is small and convenient; • Most photos these days are digitally stored; • Most smartphones (in fact all the top brands/models) are sold based on their camera abilities and performance.

Sunrise at Point Peron.

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There are however, some cons when using a smartphone for photography: • They have very small sensors; • Most have a fixed aperture; • Printed image quality may not be good (due to small file sizes); • You can be limited in the size of prints (if you use the smaller file sizes); • Selfies (enough said, I think).

Now that you understand what some of the pros and cons are in regards to smartphone photography, I have seven tips that will help you get better results when using your smartphone to capture images and video. They are in no particular order but if you follow them you will see an improvement in the quality of your images.

Tip 1 – Clean your lens Many people keep their smartphones in their pocket or handbag and this allows dirt and grease from finger marks and other substances to gather on the lens, therefore reducing the optical quality. To clean your lens, use a soft cloth such as a microfibre cloth to clean it. Using a coarse material will eventually remove any protective coating that manufacturers use to protect the lens and this will eventually reduce the performance of your camera.

Tip 2 – Capture images at the highest resolution / megapixels Capturing at the highest resolution will give you larger file sizes which will give you the best picture quality and allow for better editing and printing of images. This is important as you never know when you may want to print an image. However, saving the image at a larger resolution will mean that you will have bigger files, therefore you may wish to save less images (depending on your storage amount).

Tip 3 – Composition I will cover composition in a future edition but for now learn how to take images using the ‘rule of thirds’. In photography, the rule 180

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Shoalwater Jetty.

of thirds is a type of composition in which an image is divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and the subject of the image is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or along one of the lines itself. Also, changing the orientation of your camera from landscape to portrait can give you a different perspective and create interest.

Tip 4 – Use all of your lenses Most smartphones these days have at least two, if not three or four camera lenses and each lens has a different focal length. By using each of the lenses on the same subject it will give you a different perspective and allow you to create an interesting composition. Just be careful when using the telephoto lens as you may need to shoot at a faster shutter speed if using the ‘Pro’ (manual) mode of your camera, otherwise your image may be blurry due to image shake.

Tip 5 – Get close to your subject The closer you can get to your subject, the better your image will be as you will be able to capture more detail. It will also reduce distortion from smoke, haze, pollution etc. that can reduce the sharpness of your image (and just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there). Also, by getting closer to your image, it allows for better framing and less unwanted negative space - negative space is the parts of the image

that contain objects or patterns, but they don't draw your attention at first glance.

Tip 6 – Use unexpected camera angles Smartphones are smaller and lighter than most cameras and therefore they can be used to a greater effect to capture images from unexpected angles. For example, you can get down really low to the ground to capture detail in the foreground or angle the smartphone upwards and this will elongate the subject thereby giving a different perspective. The opportunities are limitless and are only restricted by a lack of imagination.

Get up close to capture more detail.

• HDR (High Dynamic Range) Great for sunny days as it allows you to capture detail in the over/underexposed parts of the image that would normally be lost.

• Pro Photo (Manual)

Create interest with different camera angles.

Tip 7 – Use all your camera modes and settings When you set up your camera make sure you go into the settings and choose the highest resolution possible. Also select 4:3 ratio as this will use all of your sensor to capture the image. If you choose the other ratios such as 9:16, 1:1, etc. you will only be using a section of the sensor and therefore only capturing a smaller file.

You are better off capturing a larger file and then in an editing program make the changes as this will give you bigger/better files to work with.

Also, most smartphones have different camera modes which when used in the right circumstance can greatly add to your image. These modes are:

Allows you to have greater flexibility as you can make your own settings which allows you to be more creative.

By using Pro mode you are in charge of what the camera does and this allows you to be more creative and obtain much better results.

• Panorama Allows you to take panoramas images • Night Allows you to take better images at night.

Well, there are my seven tips for taking better photos with your smartphone. I hope you take away some useful information and it helps you to improve your smartphone photography.

As with all types of photography, practice makes perfect, so get out there and take photos. It's great fun and you never know what you might capture.

If you have any questions, send me an email at karl@westralianimages.com and I will endeavour to answer them for you.

All of the images in this article were taken with my Samsung S10 or S21.

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

together 24/7 Many people think that travelling Australia with their kids is just a dream.

I’d like to encourage you to turn it into a plan.

I

’m Mandy Farabegoli and I run the website www.travellingaustraliawithkids.com encouraging families to take a few weeks, months or years and travel our amazing country.

I travelled Australia with my husband and three children for two years and it was the best thing we ever did, as a couple and as a family.

In my articles for Western 4W Driver, I address some of the major concerns that families seem to have and that may get in the way of turning their dreams into a plan.

One of the biggest concerns of families considering a trip around Australia is being together all the time.

What is it really like being together 24/7?

It’s obviously different for every family, but for most, the hardest part is the first few weeks as you get used to this very different lifestyle.

You are together 24/7 and it can be very, very tough. Be under no illusion:

• You will be physically and mentally bumping into each other.

• One or both parents may not be used to the intensity of being with the children every hour of every day and it can be exhausting.

• You will get time with your children.

Time is the most precious gift you can give them.

• Shared memories that will be forever part of their growing up as you explore and experience amazing places together.

Most families say that it takes them 2-3 months to really get in the swing of things, so prepare yourselves that it might not be the fantastic experience that you hope it will be ... immediately. Be patient and you will grow into it.

We asked our TAWK families who are on the road what are the hardest parts, the best parts and how they make it work.

Here are some of their thoughts: First, we will address some of the hardest things about being on the road?

“You think you’re going to be on a holiday but really, it’s so NOT a holiday! Life still goes on and as at home, it has challenges, maybe even more so on the road. Young ones need constant supervision, so you really can't relax until they go to sleep at night and by that time you’re pretty much spent anyways.”

BUT

“It’s really hard when it rains non-stop and everything is wet and muddy, and nothing will dry. Then you may have kids that wet the bed for consecutive nights in a row, without a washing machine. That’s definitely harder on the road!”

• You will learn so much about each other as you start really connecting with each member of the family.

“When one gets sick, you ALL get sick as you are in such close proximity of each other all of the time.”

• You may have to learn how to live together all over again.

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“My son hated being away from home at first, especially his friends. He longed to be back to his normal life. Sometimes a parent’s dream is not a child’s dream. He did settle and enjoy it, but getting through those first few weeks was hard.”

“Schooling the kids! I found it so hard at first with all three of mine being different ages and abilities. It was overwhelming, and it took quite some time to realise this was not what the trip was about, and then we decided to concentrate on the reading, maths and writing a journal. It took so much pressure off us all and we were then able to enjoy the trip.” (A great travel journal is available on our website – Mandy TAWK) “Consecutive days of driving can spoil a trip. We learned that the hard way. Slow down!”

“Those 3am trips to the loo with or without the kids, especially in the pouring rain!”

I miss the connection we all had when travelling in close confines.”

“When you are together so much, you learn to get along, accept each other’s differences, especially temperaments, work out how to work together as a team and learn how to recognise when each needed to give each other space (not just physical, which isn't always possible). I think it made us a much more cooperative and collaborative family.”

“Shared experiences - good and bad.

Knowing completely each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Mutual common bond.

So many good laughs. Loads of terrible singing and dancing. Lots of random and unique rituals. Shared and ongoing passion for being better to the planet. Whilst there's always going to be negatives, the positives far outweigh them.”

“Not having any private couple time! Kids are there for everything! No such thing as private conversations anymore and forget trying to row or get into heated 'discussions' in a campsite.”

There is an adjustment period when you first start. I would say the first six weeks will have ups and downs as you learn to be together 24/7. Then things start to settle down as you all get used to this new way of living. There are so many great things about travelling Australia with your kids and being together 24/7.

The best parts of being on the road?

“Once you have found your groove and routine, everyone will start to relax and you will reconnect again without the outside stimulation such as work, school and other commitments. We loved sitting outside under the stars at night, eating dinner and conversing as a family. Now that we have finished travelling, I can honestly say that

“You see the best of your children when they're happy and alert instead of just the end of the day grumpiness of after school.

The kids can just be themselves without the peer pressure from school friends. You see them grow so much as individuals and learn so many new skills that they would not be subjected to in a classroom.”

“We loved it!!! We miss it terribly. There are still opportunities for you to have your own space and time which I think everyone Western 4W Driver #122 |

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needs. Sometimes it might only be a few minutes. You just might have to be proactive in creating those moments where you go for a walk on your own or do something by yourself and vice versa for your partner. It's healthy to do that for yourself, by yourself if you’re someone that needs that, but the joy and connection you can get from being around your fam 24/7 for me is priceless.”

“Hubby and I talk more on the road. At home we are busy so don't spend much time together. Our last four month trip saved our marriage and allowed us to reconnect.”

Making being together 24/7 work There are many things that you can do to make being together 24/7 work. Again, the below answers are also from real families.

“My husband did the Australian tour of Bunning's stores. It was his time out. A break from everyone and time for him to wander around in peace. I think he thought that his fishing time might be that, but the kids always wanted to join him then.

I used to go for a walk - even just round the campsite, sometimes half an hour was all I needed.”

“Talk and just make sure you are both on the same page. Everyone does need space and time too - you really need to sit down and have a conversation about how you both see the trip working for everyone.”

“We found it good to split kids between the two of you, so you have quality one on one time with each child, teaching new things, learning more about the individual personalities, delving into personal interests etc. What seemed to solve a problem at first become one of the nicest things we did.”

patience, but we seem to get along better together than apart without the distractions of life at home.”

“The best thing is for all members of the family to have some time alone. When needed, give everyone permission to have a break. Take it in turns doing stuff with the kids. Let mum take kids for an afternoon one day and leave dad at home, maybe a Saturday afternoon footy match on the radio with a few beers, go fishing or biking or walking. Then dad returns the favour and takes the kids out for the afternoon another day and mum gets a chance to do something by herself. You all need down time and alone time - even the kids, so facilitate that for all members of the family.”

Saying “later” can very soon become never!

“Everyone thought we'd end up divorced choosing to live on the road, but it was the best we'd ever gotten along. We were able to put our family first instead of all the other stuff that seems to come up at home.”

Life on the road is an adjustment, but it’s like anything else, you will work it out. Do not let anything put you off taking some time out to take your family around Australia. It will be one of the best things you will ever do for you and for your kids. They grow up so quickly, that if you keep saying later, it can very soon become never. Go travel Australia with your kids!

“As we spent most days exploring, our kids always went to bed early and still do giving us one on one time round the fire or under the stars. My man has no tolerance or

More information to help you turn your dream into a plan is available on the Travelling Australia With Kids website: www.travellingaustraliawithkids.com

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

Written by kids ... for kids

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AT MELANGATA

W

e spent the school holidays at Melangata Station and had the time of our lives!

Recent rains had filled up the billabongs so we spent each day playing in the water on kayaks and catching tadpoles. The station has a pair of Maremma dogs (just like the one in Oddball) that just loved hanging out with us. They have a very important job of looking after the sheep. We went on a short walk along one of the creeks and found a couple of turtle shells and even followed some old stage coach tracks. Jo made us all some scones and donuts in the camp oven, which were delicious. In the evenings, we played spotlight and toasted marshmallows on the fire. All of us slept in a giant glamping tent called a 'bell tent'. On our last night, we drove out to a beautiful break-away (like a small, rocky cliff) that had

One of Jo's beautiful Maremmas.

views to a distant hill. We had a sausage sizzle cooked on the fire and home-made sausage rolls and sticky ribs, cooked in a camp oven. There were some friendly little frogs that would join us in the showers and toilets but they were harmless. We can’t wait to go back.

Fun on the billabong at Melangata Station.

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PUZZLES FOR KIDS MELANGATA word search D A G T O F J Q P H L H C Y H S O L

BELLTENT BILLABONG CAMPING CAMPOVEN COOKING DOGS FIRE FLOCK FUN HOLIDAY HOMESTEAD KAYAK KELPIE MAREMMA MARSHMALLOW MELANGATA SHEEP STATION TADPOLE YALGOO

M E L A N G A T A U U O K D J Y M K

C R B E L L T E N T N L Y V B X A V

K E V B U C V K E L P I E B W G R Z

N Q I A C I L N X Z Q D O S J B E P

HOW OLD AM I? Read the descriptions of the kids to find out their ages.

Write their ages below.

Maddy

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Pete

| Western 4W Driver #122

Ashley

M F Z H O P Y M K D P A K B P V M U

B H F L O C K A O B C Y R I R E M W

T O W G K C M R S T A D A L O I A G

E M D S I N G S T A D P O L E F D M

I E Y K N S Z H D L W O M A X I P Y

C S H M G O R M B V J G J B E R M A

R T A F Y X D A M C A M P O V E N L

G E X E N W O L S Z T A T N Q R J G

C A M P I N G L N A I N I G H B T O

H D R G L E S O F K H W Z X D Z L O

K J U A U T V W U Q S T A T I O N U

S H E E P F E L N C F L E F P J W S

F O I C F M Q N I X K A Y A K H Y Q

Kelly is 3 years older than Pete.

Jack is the same age as Ashley.

Max is 2 years older than Kelly.

Pete is 9 years old.

Ashley is 3 years younger than Max and 2 years older than Maddy.

Max

Kelly

Jack

Answers on page 191.

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DS-2 PITCH BLACK DOUBLE DOME SWAG

Designed as a swag, delivers like a house. For sleep whenever you need it.

The world’s first swag with Pitch Black Tech® - to keep out up to 95% of sunlight.

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

DIRECTORY BULLARA STATION STAY

See page 23

Experience the raw Australian outback on a working cattle station situated between Coral Bay and Exmouth, on the Ningaloo coast.

We offer a range of accommodation from two beautiful self-contained cottages, traditional Shearers Lodge, The Outcamp, authentic and spacious bush camping (perfect for caravans and tents).

Burkett Road, Exmouth Gulf WA • 08 9942 5938 stay@bullarastation.com.au • bullarastation.com.au

CHEELA PLAINS STATION STAY

See page 25

Cheela Plains Station is a family owned and managed working cattle station nestled in the semi-arid, pastoral rangelands of the Pilbara in northern Western Australia. Our station-stay is a welcome stop for travellers on the Nanutarra-Munjina Road between the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef and Karijini National Park.

174 Nanutarra-Munjina Rd, Paraburdoo WA • (08) 9189 8251 E: cheelaplains@gmail.com • W: cheelaplains.com.au

GABYON STATION STAY

See page 27

Just a two hour drive from Geraldton, Gabyon offers you the unique chance to visit or stay on a real, working West Australian sheep station.

We offer many choices of affordable accommodation including camp sites with communal kitchen, toilet and shower facilities or book a room in the rustic shearers or homestead quarters.

1 Gabyon-Tardie Road, Yalgoo WA • (08) 9963 7993 www.gabyon.com.au

GNARALOO STATION Sitting high on an escarpment with panoramic views of the dunes and the beautiful Ningaloo Reef is Gnaraloo Homestead.

It offers a range of self-contained accommodation to suit all budgets and for groups of all sizes.

08 9245 5406 • 08 9942 5927 bookings@gnaraloo.com.au • gnaraloostation.com

MELANGATA STATION STAY

See page 28

In the Yalgoo region of WA, this sheep station has a unique homestead and offers various types of accommodation from our campground with basic facilities and plenty of room for tents, camper trailers and caravans, to our Homestead Dinner, Bed and Breakfast package.

For more info and booking, contact Jo on 08 9963 7777 E: melangatastationstay@gmail.com W: www.joclewscooking.com

MURCHISON HOUSE STATION

See page 20

Located just 12km east of Kalbarri, come and visit a working station with over 150 years history.

The Homestead Camp Ground offers unpowered 2WD accessible bush camping and stretches for about 200m along the rivers edge. Bush camping is available for people who are 4WD capable and self sufficient.

5618 Kalbarri - Ajana Rd, Kalbarri WA • 08 9937 1998 mhsbookings@outlook.com • murchisonhousestation.com.au

WARROORA STATION STAY

See page 24

Warroora is a cattle station ideally situated one hour south of Coral Bay. This is the perfect location to access the Ningaloo Marine Park.

Guests can choose from luxury ocean front villa, self-contained cottages and renovated stockman’s rooms. The campground, located 1500m from the beach, offers large unpowered sites.

Minilya Coral Bay Road

190

# Ideally located south of Coral | Western 4W DriverBay 122

Access the 50km of Ningaloo Coast Choose from self-contained accommodation options Ocean view villa

www.warroora.com

a C c T t ] E F a C c T t ] E s a C c T t s \ E a C c t s ] F + c C a E ] \ s t c T t s \ + F S a C c T t s + F

DIRECTORY

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

ACCOMMODATION Queen of the Murchison........................................74 BATTERIES/BATTERY SYSTEMS Battery World............................................................ 33 Topo DC Power....................................................... 173 BRAKES Bendix Brakes.........................................................100 CAMPERS/CARAVANS & TRAILERS Explorex Caravans.................................................123 Off Road Equipment................................................ 61 CAMPING SUPPLIES Bob Cooper Outback Survival............................138 Drifta Stockton........................................................IBC Go Camping and Overlanding............................148 OzTent.......................................................................189 COMMUNICATION Icom............................................................................. 81 DESTINATIONS Shire of Ashburton.................................................104 Shire of East Pilbara.................................................75 WA Station Stays..................................................... 43 ELECTRONICS Camera Electronic.................................................. 176 Wanderlust...............................................................107 4WD PARTS & ACCESSORIES ARB......................................................................... IFC-1 Drifta Stockton........................................................IBC Goldfields Offroad..................................................106 Make Tracks.............................................................. 92 Maxtrax..................................................................... 133 Medicar Automotive Solutions...............................17 MyTuff4x4..................................................................141 Off Road Equipment ............................................... 61 Supafit Seat Covers...............................................124 Tyrepliers................................................................... 60 MAGAZINES Western Angler.......................................................142

MAPS & NAVIGATION Hema Maps..............................................................105 WAITOC...................................................................... 91 MECHANICAL SERVICE, REPAIRS & REPLACEMENT Fremantle Fuel Injection........................................ 53 Goldfields Offroad..................................................106 Medicar Automotive Solutions...............................17 MyTuff4x4..................................................................141 Turbo Tech............................................................... 147 United Fuel Injection.............................................. 99 MOTOR VEHICLES Fred Hopkins - UBCO Bikes................................ 178 Toyota..................................................................... OBC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS Fremantle Fuel Injection........................................ 53 Manta Performance Exhausts.............................103 Turbo Tech............................................................... 147 United Fuel Injection.............................................. 99 PHOTOGRAPHY Camera Electronic.................................................. 176 Wanderlust...............................................................107 SUSPENSION West Coast Suspensions....................................... 117 TRAINING & TOURS Bob Cooper Outback Survival............................138 Char Bro BBQ (Fire Cooking School)................ 157 Epic 4WD Tours..........................................................71 WAITOC...................................................................... 91 TYRES Tyrepower.................................................................. 15

ANSWERS

Maddy is 9 years old Pete is 9 years old Ashley is 11 years old Max is 14 years old Kelly is 12 years old Jack is 11 years old

Western 4W Driver #122 |

191

KEEP ME HANDY!

To download a printable copy of this information, register for the Members Only section at: www.western4wdriver.com.au

Emergency Contact PHONE NUMBERS NAME

INFORMATION

PHONE NUMBER

Police, Fire, Ambulance

EMERGENCY ONLY

000

Police WA

Non-urgent assistance

131 444

Fire WA

Non-urgent assistance

133 337

Ambulance WA

Non-urgent assistance

(08) 9334 1222

Royal Flying Doctor Service WA

24 hour medical & emergency

Royal Flying Doctor Service QLD

24 hour medical & emergency

1300 69 7337

Royal Flying Doctor Service NSW/ACT

24 hour medical & emergency

(08) 8088 1188

Royal Flying Doctor Service SA

24 hour medical & emergency

1800 733 772

Royal Flying Doctor Service NT

24 hour medical & emergency

Main Roads WA

Road conditions

138 138

State Emergency Services (SES)

Natural disasters & emergencies

132 500

Wildcare Helpline

For injured wildlife

(08) 9474 9055 office hours only

Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)

National weather warnings

1300 659 210

Lifeline

Crisis support & suicide prevention

13 11 14

RAC

Roadside assistance

13 11 11

1800 625 800 Sat phone: 0011 61 8 9417 6389

Central Australia: 1800 167 222 Top End/Darwin: 000

80 CHANNEL UHF INFORMATION Below are the main UHF channels being used in Australia detailing each channel’s main use. To download the full list, register for the Members Only section at: www.western4wdriver.com.au Channel:

Frequency:

Use:

Channel Spacing:

CH 10 CH 11 CH 18 CH 29 CH 30 CH 40

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

192

| Western 4W Driver #122

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KEEP ‘EM COMING FOLKS. All you need is a potentially funny situation, a good sense of humour and of course, your camera. Send your silly snap to: Email: admin@western4wdriver.com.au or Facebook: www.facebook.com/western4wdriver 194

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WESTERN 4W DRIVER 122nd EDITION Winter 2022

TRAVEL THE ANNE BEADELL HWY

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WHICH WINCH TO WINCH WITH?