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.
Western 4W Driver #122 |
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