before visiting a station

from Western 4W Driver #122 Winter 2022

Silly Snaps

STATION Etiquette

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.

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. 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.