Western 4W Driver #125 Autumn 2023

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125th EDITION Autumn 2023

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ASTROTOURISM SPECIAL:

125th EDITION

Autumn 2023

THE OOMBI TRACK

PREPARING FOR THE CANNING STOCK ROUTE ANNE BEADELL HWY PINDAR

THE RANGE TO TAKE YOU FURTHER

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

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Edition 125 Autumn 2023

ADVENTURES The Oombi Track

Duncan Wilson drives the rugged and remote Oombulgurri Track .................................................................................... 8

Eclipse Chasing

An astrotourism special .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34

Experience Exmouth's Total Solar Eclipse ............................................................................................................... 35 Eclipse Chaser ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 39

Along the Anne Beadell

Ron and Viv Moon take us on one of Australia's longest desert forays ..................................................................... 52

Don't Blink or You'll Miss It!

Visit the historical town of Pindar with Kerry Marriott .......................................................................................................................... 78

Historic Story of Love, Jealousy, Adultery and Murder in the WA Outback

Colin Kerr visits the Kanowna Pioneer Cemetery ..................................................................................................................................... 112

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FEATURES Preparing for your CSR Trip How to get yourself and your vehicle

ready for your desert adventure .............................................. 20

Burnt Out!

Protecting yourself in spinifex country ........................ 46

Go For Gold!

Western Australia's new goldfields ..................................... 63

Raptor Review

REGULARS The Front Matter ................................................................................. 6 Bush Mechanics ......................................................................... 120 What's in a Name .................................................................. 123 The Things You See .......................................................... 128 Fishy Business ................................................................................ 131

A long-term test .................................................................................................. 72

Outback Survival .................................................................... 137

When a 4WD Really Isn't a 4WD ..................................................................................................... 86

Gear to Go Camping ...................................................... 141

Drive to the Rock ...

But Walk to the Top

The importance of granite outcrops ............................... 92

Australia's Unrecognised Heroes John Collins researches the efforts

of the VDC in WA's north west ............................................. 102

Camper Compliance

Is your camper/caravan road legal? .............................. 116

Light-weight Power House

Clewed Up ................................................................................................. 144 Fire Cooking ......................................................................................... 146 Capture the Moment ................................................... 148 Smart Photography ........................................................ 150 Now We're TAWKing! .................................................. 155 Are We There Yet? ............................................................... 157

Product Review .............................................................................................. 118

Subscriptions .................................................................................... 160

What's the Go at the Show?

Supplier Directory .............................................................. 161

All you need to know about the

Perth Caravan & Camping Show ...................................... 153

Silly Snaps ................................................................................................. 162

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 5 #

Vanguard Publishing 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 EDITION 125: Editors Karen Morton Tori Wilson Graphic Design Karen Morton Content Karen Morton Michael Collins Advertising Matt Clarke Natalie Du Preez Administration Steve Larcombe Sally van Heemst Printing Vanguard Press

Cover image: The Oombi Track Crossing the Drysdale River.

by Duncan Wilson

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Vanguard Publishing 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, Vanguard Publishing accepts no liability for loss or damage.

Vanguard Publishing reserves the right to amend publication schedules and frequencies.

CHANGE IS A A

s we start 2023 off with our 125th edition — yes that's right, 125 editions from almost 35 years of continuous quarterly publications, it’s hard to believe I know — it is only fitting that we pay homage to our pioneering founder Nick Underwood and recent editor Chris Morton. Nick started this wonderful little publication dedicated to 4W driving in Western Australia, way back in 1989 and then sold his interests in the magazine in 2019 to our recently departed editor, family man and red dirt warrior Chris Morton.

The grind of continually being away and on the road doing the editorial stuff for the magazine eventually took its toll on Chris and, as he mentioned in the 124th edition of 4Thought, after multiple surgeries and other responsibilities calling, it was time to call it quits and get a real job (whatever a real job is these days!). So, we salute both Nick for his amazing vision back in 1989 in starting the publication and Chris for having the courage to take on the mag in 2019 and have a solid crack at top job for this distinctively Western Australian publication. I should also mention Chris’s lovely wife Karen as coeditor, graphic designer and contributor

Edition 125 Autumn 2023

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THE FRONT MATTER with MICHAEL (SPIKE) COLLINS

WONDERFUL THING! whisperer! Karen has been the backbone of everything behind the scenes since 2019! We tip our hats to three incredible people!

So as the helm changes for the third time in its history, we embark on the next iteration of Western 4W Driver. So, who’s who in the zoo you may ask! Well, the team is led by Chad van Heemst, the managing director of Vanguard Media Group and Vanguard Publishing (formerly Premium Publishers), the publishing arm which produces, prints and distributes Western 4W Driver. Tori Wilson or Torz, is the group’s chief editor, Michael Collins (myself) is the new director of content, Matt Clarke heads up all advertising sales and Karen Morton — who you should all be familiar with by now! — remains the graphic designer and visual wizard for the magazine. I guess over time you will get to know the team and the quirky nuances that make them fit for purpose, well fit for the creation of this magazine at least!

Over the past 35 years, the magazine has been blessed with some incredibly talented content writers who have not only become the absolute backbone of the publication, but are the magazine’s family. Their contribution to the success of the magazine is, without a doubt,

astonishing. I look forward to working alongside these wonderful people across many future editions. We also hope to introduce a couple of new contributors to the magazine and some new content segments as well. Our primary focus is to ensure that we continue to deliver quality content to our much valued and loyal readers.

Change is a wonderful thing! Having been an avid subscriber of this little but bold publication for many years, with a bookshelf full of many back editions taking pride and place in my home office, a change of work direction is refreshing.

It’s a chance to reconnect with dust, mud and some fresh air or perhaps the chance to dig oneself out of an incredibly soft sand dune. So, it’s time to throw away the suit and tie, dig out the swag and hit the road once again. Hopefully I see you out there sometime!

Cheers, Michael (Spike) Collins

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THE OOMBI TRACK

BY DUNCAN WILSON

Duncan Wilson ventures along the breathtakingly rugged and remote Oombulgurri Track, led by Balanggarra Elder Colin Morgan.

Crossing the Drysdale River.

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No walk in the park, the remote Oombi Track is as rewarding as they come — graced with gorges, mud flats, boab trees, ancient Aboriginal art and glorious sunsets.

T

he Oombi Track starts at Home Valley Station in Balanggarra land and ends around 400km away at the Carson River on the Kalumburu Road just south of the Aboriginal community of Kalumburu. Today the only way you can legally undertake this track is via a tag-along tour operated by the Just Over the Hills Tag-along tour company.

The start of the Oombulgurri Track.

Colin Morgan with his ever-present cup of tea .

Our Just Over the Hills’ guide for this trip was Colin Morgan, a proud Balanggarra man and elder. His son Ronny normally guides the trips but was indisposed for ours. Introductions were made and Colin explained a bit about what we would be experiencing.

We were finally on the road, now a five-vehicle convoy, and it wasn’t long before we came to the locked gate at the start of the Oombi Track.

It was easy going at first as we skirted tidal pools and drove over dry mud flats. A minor trap for the unwary is a narrow tidal creek that nearly saw me embarrassingly being bogged. Engaging low range solved that problem.

We passed through some lovely scenic country before we started to gain elevation and the track became quite rocky.

Our first real obstacle of the trip was a very steep drop down that required a large amount of track building due to the size of exposed rocks and the very deep wheel ruts. With judicious rock placement we were all able to descend without incident.

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The track continued to throw up varying degrees of challenges and it wasn’t long before we started a steady descent towards the Durack River and the infamous very wide rocky crossing. Colin in front with his wealth of experience made it look easy. The following vehicles all needed a bit of rock replacing and a guiding hand for us to get through.

Even though I had a rear diff locker in my 75 series LandCruiser Troopy, I still managed to get hung up on one particularly large rock that required me to be winched backwards enabling me to get a better line.

When we had all safely negotiated the crossing, it was only about 150m or so before we had reached our campsite for the day, perched on flat ground above the Durack River.

In the evening we got to know each other better and Colin explained various differences between our cultures, and answered any questions we had.

Dawn at our camp above the Durack River.

Once we were all packed the next day, Colin did a smoking ceremony to welcome us all to his country and to ward off any evil spirits. Quite an honour and a first for me.

The Durack River below our campsite.

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again in rocky and hilly terrain. The numerous creek gutters in the main, were very narrow and with steep sides caused the rear of the vehicles to ground.

The scenery was ever changing and brutally beautiful in its ruggedness. One minute we would be driving up rocky sloping hills, and jump-ups with varying levels of difficulty, to wide flat, spear grass covered plains where the occasional mob of scrub cattle would be seen. Pandanis trees marked the position of creeks.

Christie participating in the Smoking Ceremony.

Moon Crossing at the Forrest River was via a very steep and stony section of track, which led onto flat rock shelves with benches of varying heights. This soon led to Jeela Crossing where we stopped for lunch, and given that the temperature was in the high 30’s, was also a good place for a well-earned swim and wash. Word of warning though, it's best to sit down and slide in as there was a thin layer of algae on the rocks making them extremely slippery.

Jeela Crossing.

Today would see us trying to catch a barramundi in Bulla Nulla Creek. Colin had well and truly whetted our appetites telling us that the previous trip had caught over twenty barra between them. Drawing closer to the creek and our morning’s barramundi fishing spot, we stirred up large flocks of brolgas. A couple of small pools at the side of the creek each held a saltwater croc, but as we approached, they slithered under the surface with just their noses visible.

Well as much as we tried not one of us caught anything – not even a cold. Tony did however, managed to drop his lure onto the head of a cruising crocodile.

Once back on the Oombi Track we were

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Following lunch, we exited the riverbed via a steep sandy section of track and then headed to the abandoned township of Oombulgurri and the absolutely beautiful Camera Pool on the Forrest River.

Sitting on the banks of the pool, Colin told us about how his people had been removed from their homes and the town abandoned. Interesting but also very disturbing. An internet search will provide plenty of information regarding this incident.

The entry into the town of Oombulgurri is via an avenue of spectacular boab trees.

The deserted streets are eerily quiet and now being reclaimed by nature. All Aboriginal houses have been demolished.

We exited the town via the community’s old airstrip and the track took us across a 16-kilometre-long dry flood plain where we could finally get into fifth gear.

An avenue of boab trees welcomed us into the town of Oombulgurri.

Camera Pool on the Forrest River.

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We made camp around the 4:30pm mark. The view over the plains below was spectacular and it was hard to believe that we were actually only a short distance, as the crow flies, from Wyndham.

It had been warm overnight and we were all up at dawn, as had become the norm.

Once on the track, our first bit of fun was at a jump-up locally known as Lovejoy’s Jump-up so named after an army chaplain who had worked in the region.

A bit of track building was required for the vehicles that didn’t have any form of traction control or diff lockers. Once the loose rocks had been packed in the offending spots, we all sailed up, albeit with a bit of wheel spin for some.

Once up the jump-up, the terrain opened up and we started to again see scrub cattle in the open plains. Small gutters again plagued our progress and we My swag set-up with a view to die for.

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constantly had to be on our toes as it was very easy to drive headlong into one.

Fortunately we were all travelling slowly and the brake lights of the car in front help immensely.

Just before midday we came upon another De Lacourt River crossing. Unlike the previous crossing which had been deep soft sand, this one was all rocks and big deep pools. We had arrived at what is colloquially called “Paradise Pool”.

We made camp above the main river on some nice flat ground. Most just sat around and talked, or gathered firewood, while some went for a dip in the nearby feeder creek. The water was refreshingly cool and an opportunity to wash off a bit of grime.

The next day the track was initially very flat with the usual washouts and gutters to keep us busy and on our toes. This gave way to vast spear grass plains that skirted the Campbell Range. Within the spear grass areas and on the sides of the hills, a fair amount of the track had been heavily eroded forming very deep gutters

and, in some spots, so bad that diversion tracks had been forged.

The track bordered an area where the original Berkley River Homestead was built. Today there is next to nothing to identify this fact, however the Adamson Airstrip that serviced the homestead and used in WWII is still in excellent condition.

Our flat terrain driving soon ended as we encountered our first jump-up of the day.

This jump-up was called “The Steps” and when we saw it, it was obvious why. The jump-up consisted of rock steps from bottom to top and fortunately the steps were reasonably sized making the ascent relatively easy.

Around the time of morning tea, we came to the Berkeley River fording point, which was a hard bottomed wet fording.

Parking on the rock shelves we followed Colin, rods and tackleboxes in hand, to where the freshwater met the saltwater of the Berkeley River. When we arrived, a large saltwater crocodile was slowly swimming past. We estimated it to be between 3 and 4m in length.

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As much as we tried our fishing tally stayed the same with none of us catching anything, I did however entice at least one barra to look at my lure.

Returning to our vehicles, the track out soon took us to our camp above the Berkeley River arriving at 2:00pm on the knocker and I was absolutely knackered.

Around the campfire Colin kept us entertained with some Dreaming stories about the emu constellation and why bush turkeys only have two eggs.

According to Colin, Aboriginal legend has it that emus were creator spirits that used to fly and look over the land. To spot the emu, look south to the Southern Cross; the dark cloud between the stars is the head, while the neck, body and legs are formed from dust lanes stretching across the Milky Way. Interesting, but I still couldn’t see what he was pointing at amongst the stars.

On the road again by 7:00am and the good thing about this day’s drive was that we had lots of easy-going sections allowing for faster speeds for most of the time. Only issue was the constant little washouts, gutters, drains, and tiny creeks that required constant gear changing.

Python Pool.

At one stage the track crossed a deepish creek fed pool lined with an abundance of small beautiful blue lilies. Because the water depth was going to be about 600mm at it’s deepest we waited for our vehicles to cool before we crossed.

Our next challenge, if you could call it that, was a notorious, very muddy section but we were able to skirt around it easily, none of us wanting to see just how boggy the mud was.

We arrived at Oomari and Python Pool close to midday and we spent most of the afternoon cooling off in the creek, reading, snoozing, and talking.

Berkeley River.

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Later Colin took us to a nearby gallery of Aboriginal art. When we got to the art site, Colin first had to ask the ancestors permission for us to be here and take photos. He explained the cultural significance of the art, and their linkage to the Dreamtime stories.

The absolutely beautiful Python Pool looked like it would make for a fantastic, aquatic recreational area, but Colin put the dampener on that stating that the ancestors would only permit Aboriginal people to swim here.

The next day we left the main track and turned off to a section of track, that had been forged by Colin’s family and friends that led to a campsite from where you could walk down to the King George Falls.

Bradshaw or Gwion Gwion rock art.

After lunch we walked the supposedly 800m to the falls. This late in the dry season all that was in evidence was the tiniest trickle of water finding its way over the falls. The views were absolutely amazing, we just looked in wonder at nature's majesty. It was really an honour to be allowed to be here.

King George Falls.

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17km after leaving yesterday’s camp we were back on the main track.

Pretty close to midday we arrived at the Drysdale River. Once over the fording point, we turned left following the course of the river over soft white sand to a place amongst the trees where we could make our camp. The temperature was nudging 40 degrees, and it didn’t take long before we all found a spot in the river to cool down in.

Drysdale River camp sunset.

I wished I’d packed my solar panels but I hadn’t, trying to keep the weight down at the expense of charged batteries. A big failing on my behalf, but that’s another story!

Drysdale River.

Breaking camp the next day we were soon out of the river sand and back on the more familiar hard packed station tracks. As usual we had to keep a vigilant eye out for washouts, of which there were many. In the main though it was easy going and a lot faster than what we were used to.

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We arrived at the Kalumburu Road and the end of the Oombi Track about 90 minutes later, and I think we were all pleasantly surprised to find it in excellent condition, only recently graded and as yet not showing signs of degradation or corrugations. Woo hoo!!!

The Oombi Track isn’t to be taken lightly; your experience will depend on when you travel. We were at the end of the dry so water levels were low. What you will need though is a well serviced vehicle, good solid tyres and the ability to fix any

punctures, good suspension, at least a 50mm lift, ideally larger tyres than my 31s, solar panels, if possible, a rear diff locker or traction control, at least 800km range of fuel, and importantly a good sense of adventure.

My thanks to the other people we travelled with and importantly our guide and teacher Colin Morgan, a true gentleman, a man resolute in his cultural beliefs, and a credit to his family and his people.

The track file for the Oombulgurri Track – 530km.

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CSR Sign at Billiluna.

Photo: Sue Gallagher

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PREPARING FOR YOUR CSR TRIP

BY PHIL BIANCHI

Why does the Canning Stock Route attract travellers from all over Australia and internationally? Is it the vastness of the desert, the desert oak groves, magnificent vistas, the beauty of the Breaden Hills, Thring Rock or Durba Gorge? Or is it following in the footsteps of drovers and explorers, the challenge of driving in a relatively pristine desert environment and crossing over 1,000 sand hills?

Whatever your reason, a trip along the CSR will be the trip of a lifetime, a trip full of adventure and challenges.

T

his article will discuss preparing your vehicle and yourself for a CSR trip, in fact this guide could suit preparation for any extended desert adventure.

Initially the CSR commenced in Halls Creek, then followed a series of waterholes along Sturt Creek to Billiluna and then to Well 51 via Delivery Camp Waterhole.

Assuming that we are travelling the CSR north to south, the route described here commences at Halls Creek and heads, via roads, southward to Billiluna.

It’s at Billiluna that the modern-day CSR adventure begins. It ends at Wiluna.

Why north to south? Because it’s the way the drovers took their cattle. Leaving Halls Creek, the Great Northern Highway

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An excerpt from Hema's WA state map.

CSR expedition leaving Cue in 1906.

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section is bitumised and after the turnoff onto Tanami Road it’s a well-formed gravel road through to Billiluna. Tracks after the Billiluna turn off, although well formed, at times are rutted and corrugated in parts, with very sandy dune crossings and with rocky and washed-out sections.

While most CSR adventurers use 4WD vehicles or travel as a tag-along with a guided tour, other travellers include motorbike riders, cyclists, walkers, and runners. It is also used by Aboriginal people returning to country, scientists, geologists, and prospectors. Canning could not have envisaged its popularity and this change in use back in 1910, when upon completion of the stock route, he telegraphed his boss Harry King from Wiluna, with the words, "Work Completed, Canning".

Off to Newman.

A vehicle trip on the CSR is not to be taken lightly; thorough vehicle preparation is key. Don’t toss your camping gear and food into your vehicle and head off like it’s a weekend camping trip. If you do, you’ll come unstuck in a big way. Vehicle recovery costs can be up to $14,000 and that’s if the vehicle can be recovered at all.

Getting ready Plan for the worst. What do these wise words mean? Apart from mechanical problems such as axles, water pumps, rollovers and such, there is the possibility of major computer and/or electronic failures, even on new vehicles. You need to make sure every component of your vehicle is up to the job. For my 2019 CSR trip, I began planning in 2017. To ensure I had a mechanically trouble-free trip, I prepared my vehicle thoroughly, replacing CVs, front wheel bearings, suspension bushes, shock absorbers, hoses and belts, tyres, batteries, oils and filters and so on. I even had the starter motor and alternator rebuilt. I was ready, or so I thought. My two-year-old water pump seized between Well 23 and

Parngurr. I was lucky that vehicle retrieval to Newman cost me only $4,000. Yes $4,000. If that had occurred on the CSR, the rough tracks, corrugations, and sand dunes would have meant it could have been up to triple that.

Make sure you know how to use your tools and equipment. There’s no point getting your exhaust jack out then reading the operating instructions for the first time when you’re hopelessly stuck in mud. Test and train at home and become familiar with all equipment.

Organise with a friend back home to be available for assistance should you need parts or a rescue. Ensure they have all your vehicle’s details, so the correct parts are purchased.

Travel in company so you can get a tow to help or to a safer place, while waiting for parts or a rescue.

D-Max rescue by 16-ton MAN 4WD truck.

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Vehicle preparation Before departure have your 4WD inspected and serviced by a reputable 4WD shop. Many non-4WD mechanics don’t understand the rigours and stresses on vehicles caused by tracks such as the CSR. The corrugations on the CSR are tall and relentless; they will find any weakness in your vehicle and the result could be catastrophic. Do all repairs before you leave; it’s cheaper, quicker and doesn’t potentially ruin the trip for you or everyone else in the party.

CV joint total collapse, a preventative maintenance item.

Corrugations near Well 35a.

Inspect all belts and hoses, including heater hoses, for wear and tear. If they are more than two years old replace them. It’s a cheap preventative repair.

Look for weeping fluids, fatigue cracks in bodywork, loose battery cradles and unrestrained wires. Check batteries ensuring they hold charge; most auto electricians will do this for free. If batteries are more than 12 months old consider replacing them.

A leaking fuel tank could end your trip.

springs are more than two years old, I strongly advise replacing them.

Pay particular attention to bushes, these rubber components get stretched and flexed constantly when on off-road terrain.

Have your cooling system pressure tested.

Most radiator service centres will do this without cost.

Ensure vehicle tyres have more than 50% tread. If not, you are strongly advised to buy new ones. Deeper tyre tread significantly reduces puncture risk.

Check all suspension components including shock absorbers, springs, tie rod ends, ball joints, CVs, bushes and so on.

If any components are slightly suspect replace them. If shock absorbers and

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Suspension repairs.

Keep the vehicle’s centre of gravity low.

Don’t place heavy items on roof racks; secure them low down inside the vehicle.

Just because there’s vacant space up there doesn’t mean you can load more.

"Broken axle …

Total repair cost $30,300."

Secure all items inside the vehicle and on the roof rack. In the event of an accident loose items can become missiles.

Here are examples of vehicle damage that I noted on my 2019 CSR trip: • A seized water pump on my 100-series LandCruiser destroyed the radiator and all fittings between. Towing cost was $4,000, and repairs in Newman $3,600.

• Broken axle on a D-Max at Well 15 resulted in an $8,500 towing fee, $12,200 mechanical repairs and $9,600 panel and body repairs, including panel damage while on the tilt tray. Total repair cost $30,300.

• Numerous vehicles including Troop Carriers, LandCruisers, Land Rovers, Nissan Patrols, broken springs, and shock absorbers.

• Other breakages and failures included alternators, starter motors, roof rack mounts, back door locked shut, broken axle, numerous tyres destroyed or punctured, external bar work and roof rack welds cracked, complete electrical failure, suspension rubbers destroyed, fuel tanks split and leaking, fuel tank solenoid failure, spotlight mounts broken, broken shock absorber mounts, radiators leaking and battery trays broken.

Pack food and drink tightly to prevent rupture or rattling. Consider wrapping a sheet of newspaper around each item.

Carry water or spare fuel in several containers in case one container splits or leaks.

Recovery gear At minimum you should have the following recovery gear: • Pair of Maxtrax.

• Snatch and tow straps.

• Long handled shovel. Short-handled shovels are useless if you’re bogged.

• Rated recovery points front and rear.

• Rated bow shackles.

• Tree protector and a snatch block if using a winch.

It is highly recommended that someone in your team has experience and knowledge of using recovery equipment.

If not, undertaking a 4WD course is highly recommended.

I repeat and can’t emphasis strongly enough, the corrugations and rough track will exploit any weakness in your vehicle. Be thoroughly prepared.

Loading and packing Overloading or incorrectly loading of vehicles is one of the main contributors to vehicle failure. Overloading vehicles also significantly increases rollover risk, especially on the CSR with its tall, sandy, and often dug out dunes.

Exceeding the gross vehicle mass of the vehicle could nullify any insurance claim.

A short handled shovel is of little use here.

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Tyres and repairs

Tools list

Most vehicles on the CSR will have punctures or suffer tyre damage. It’s essential you have at least two spare wheels with tyres, a quality tyre pressure gauge and 12-volt compressor and tyre plugs for tubeless repair. Of course you always carry a wheel brace, jack and jacking plate to suit your vehicle, don’t you?

Apart from the usual spanners, screwdrivers, hammers, pliers that suit your vehicle, also strongly consider having at least the following items: • Jumper leads.

• Duct and electrical tape.

• WD40 type water dispersant.

• Cable ties.

• Twitching wire.

• Quality ratchet straps.

• Glues and silicone sealant.

• Gloves.

• Multimeter.

• Gas soldering iron and solder.

• Jack stand, for under vehicle work.

• Cordless drill and charging system.

• Cordless angle grinder.

• Drill bits.

Punctures can happen anytime.

Carry spare tubes to get you out of trouble.

Delaminated tyre.

Equipment and spares • Paper maps.

• GPS and compass.

• Sand flag.

• Radiator spinifex seed protection screen.

• Radiator hoses and belts.

• Spare UHF aerial.

• Spare filters; fuel, oil and air.

• Fuel tank and radiator repair putty.

• Coolant.

• Engine, transmission and differential oils.

• Workshop manual for the vehicle.

• Fire extinguisher.

• Spare fuses, switches and relays to suit your vehicle.

• Lengths of electrical wire in varying sizes.

• Assorted electrical terminals and crimping tool.

• A mixture of suitable washers, nuts and bolts.

If you’re travelling in a group of vehicles, don’t double up, reduce vehicle weight by sharing tools and equipment.

26 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

Stores, Food and Fuel supplies

Permits and access

A trip on the CSR will, for the typical traveller, mean you are away from being able to purchase fresh food for about 3-4 weeks. Be flexible, use tinned, dehydrated, and long-life foods, also rice, pasta, nuts and root vegetables.

All CSR travellers are required to have access permits issued by Kuju Wangka.

Application can be made online at: permits.canningstockroute.net.au

Most communities have a store, however, city travellers may find the prices more expensive and the range limited. Do remember you’re travelling in remote country; almost all goods sold come from places such as Alice Springs or Newman, which could be 1,000km away.

Generally, community stores offer meat, bread, butter, milk, general household items and other provisions. Fuel is usually opal and diesel.

Store contact details: Balgo Supermarket (08) 9168 8894 Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm Saturday and Sunday 8am-12pm Billiluna Store (08) 9168 8893 Monday - Friday 8am-11am and 2pm-4pm Saturday and Pub Hols 8am-10.30am

Why are permits in place? Traveller numbers are increasing every year, resulting in increased impact on facilities and country. Funds raised from permits assist various Aboriginal groups to manage the CSR more effectively and to work with Government agencies, TrackCare WA and other voluntary organisations, in seeking to protect the environment, the campsites and the facilities along the CSR. Permit fees are: • $295.00 for a non-commercial light vehicle (eg. Toyota LandCruiser, Nissan Patrol, motorbike).

• $575.00 for a non-commercial heavy vehicle (eg. Oka, Mitsubishi Canter 4WD). Note however, these vehicles are not recommended for CSR travel due to environmental concerns and poor track conditions.

• $485.00 for a commercial permit (light or heavy vehicle).

• $150.00 for a cyclist or trekker. Bicycle travel and trekking on the CSR without the use of a support vehicle is not recommended due to harsh and difficult terrain.

No city prices here.

• $150.00 additional fee for trailers. Trailers are not recommended for CSR travel due to environmental concerns, poor track conditions and high risk of breakdown.

Local resident.

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Permits are issued with numerous conditions and exclusions including: you must stay on the CSR track, not use firearms, don’t create new tracks or campsites and so on. See Kuju Wangka website for full details: canningstockroute.net.au

"Expect to use significantly more fuel on the CSR"

Permission and fees are payable for anyone leaving or accessing the CSR via GlenAyle Station and Well 9 or Granite Peak Station and Well 5. Fees are payable at the homestead and the fees at the time of writing were: • Granite Peak, $30 regular vehicle, $15 motorcycles, and trailers and $40 for Okas, trucks and buses.

• Glen-Ayle Station, $20 access fee.

Fuel consumption figures vary greatly because of driver skill, vehicle weight, speed etc. Here are a few examples which may give a general idea of consumption:

Fuel usage

• Toyota V8 4.5L tray back, 17.2L per 100km.

Expect to use significantly more fuel on the CSR than normal because of over 1,000 sand dune crossings, rocky, sandy and washed-out tracks and because of the weight you are carrying.

Here are the distances for CSR travel and between fuel supplies. Note these figures do not include side trips.

Halls Creek to Wiluna Halls Creek to Billiluna Billiluna to Kunawarritji Kunawarritji to Well 23 Well 23 to Wiluna Wiluna to Kunawarritji

1,850km 170km 642km 253km 724km 977km

• Toyota 80-series 4.2L, aftermarket turbo, 18.2L per 100km.

• Toyota 105-series, 4.2L, aftermarket turbo, auto and towing, 29.3L per 100km.

• Toyota Hilux 2012 3.0L turbo diesel, 19.2L per 100km.

• Nissan Patrol 4.2L Turbo diesel, 20.6L per 100km.

• Nissan Patrol Y62 5.6L V8, 22.2L per 100km.

• Mazda Bravo, 2003, 2.5L turbo diesel 19.6L per 100km.

• Triton 2016 auto, 2.4L diesel, towing, 24.5L per 100km.

28 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

Zebra Finches at Well 41.

Photo: Graham & Denise Sweetman.

Medical matters and emergencies Travellers should ensure they are fit enough to take on the trip and have sufficient supplies of all medications they need. While some communities may have emergency clinics, there aren’t the medical supplies and services you expect to access in a city. Plan thoroughly, it’s your health.

Each traveller should ensure they take adequate supplies of prescription medication. Also consider taking ‘just in case’ medications including pain management and anti-diarrhoea tablets, antihistamines for bites and stings, general antibiotics in case of severe infection etc.

Camels are a common sight on the CSR. Photo: Graham & Denise Sweetman.

Ensure you have an up-to-date and comprehensive first aid kit, preferably an ‘Off-Road Motoring Kit’ as offered by St John. Also consider purchasing a ‘Bites and Stings Kit’.

People with medical conditions should strongly consider advising the trip leader of their condition and that full details of the condition and medication used are in a sealed envelope, marked confidential, in their vehicle’s glove box. Such information could be crucial in saving a life.

Determine in advance who has a current first aid certificate.

Camping on the CSR. Photo: Phil Bianchi.

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Water availability on the CSR Over the years numerous volunteer groups have refurbished wells. Water may be available at the following sites, but a bushfire or well collapse could change that. Also note, the quality and quantity of water supply available varies from season to season, so it's user beware: Well 3

Poor, water needs to be treated

Windich Spring (waterhole)

Good, but needs to be treated Well 5

Good

Well 6

Good

Well 9

Poor, water needs to be treated

Well 12 Good Well 15 Good Durba Spring (waterhole)

Good, but needs to be treated Well 18 Good Georgia Bore

Hand pump, water quality good Well 26 Good Well 33 Good Well 41 Slightly salty Well 46 Okay

Durba Spring.

Well 49 Good It is your responsibility to ensure any water collected is safe for human consumption.

Toileting and toilets Toileting is a serious issue on the CSR, please manage it discreetly, don’t leave used paper, wipes and deposits near campsites or scenic areas.

Should there not be a toilet, then walk a distance away from the camp for both privacy and for ensuring your business is well away from the well or site you are visiting. Dig a deep hole, do your business, then burn the toilet paper in the hole but don’t start a grass fire. Or take it back to the campfire for burning at a discreet moment.

Animals will smell the poo and dig it up.

Photo: Cheryl Veale.

If you haven’t burnt your paper, it will be blown around, which is a disgusting sight.

Toilet locations: • Well 3 • Windich Spring • Well 6 • Well 12 • Well 15 • Durba Spring (double) • Georgia Bore • Well 26 • Well 33 • Well 41 • Well 46 • Well 49 (double) • Stretch Lagoon

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Communications and Safety It is your responsibility to ensure you are travelling and operating in a safe way. It is totally irresponsible to expect or rely on other people to have safety equipment for your benefit. You should ensure that you have at least one form of emergency device, such as a satellite phone, EPIRB or a Personal Locator Beacon, SPOT or HF radio. It is preferable to have two or three of these, so you have backup.

UHF radios All vehicles travelling the CSR should have a UHF radio that is permanently

fitted. Handheld UHF radios won’t do the job; they run out of battery power, fall on the floor and out of reach but most importantly they don’t have the transmitting range of UHF radios with external antennas.

UHF Channel 40 is the designated channel on which to announce your presence to all vehicles in the area. The risk of head on collisions in sand dune areas is very high.

A sand flag, like those on mining vehicles, should also be considered a compulsory item. Many dune top collisions have been avoided because a sand flag is spotted before the vehicle appears.

A high mounted sand flag is a vital piece of safety equipment.

Photo: Cheryl Veale.

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Road conditions The CSR wheel pad does not receive any maintenance; it is at the mercy of the weather, traffic volumes, driving skills of travellers and speed, tyre pressures and weight of vehicles.

Cyclones and local rain events can result in track diversions around boggy or washed-out areas.

While this guide seeks to assist travellers with advice including vehicle preparation, permit requirements, travel and track information, it is the responsibility of the users of this guide to ensure that you understand the information, the difficulties and harshness of the CSR, and that you have a suitably prepared vehicle with adequate communications and safety systems.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether you have the skills and knowledge to tackle such a trip and that you take full responsibility.

INFORMATION BAY CSR Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/ canningstockroute Kuju Wangka: Email: kujuwangka@outlook.com Website: canningstockroute.net.au Granite Peak Station: Phone: +61 8 9981 2983 GlenAyle Station: Phone: +61 8 9981 2989

REFERANCES The 4W Driver’s Guide Canning Stock Route

By Phil Bianchi western4wdriver.com.au Work Completed, Canning.

A Comprehensive History of the Canning Stock Route 1906-2010

By Phil Bianchi hesperianpress.com

PLANNING A TRIP ALONG THE CSR? This is the only guide you need!

A wealth of information is provided to help you plan your trip, along with detailed Hema maps showing the location of all the wells and other sites along the length of the Canning Stock Route.

Product features:

• • • • • •

History of the Canning Stock Route Preparing for your trip Where to buy fuel and supplies Where to camp Detailed maps of the entire CSR Trip notes and interesting facts from Halls Creek to Wiluna and all the wells in between.

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY FOR $39.95 www.western4wdriver.com.au/shop 32 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

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Eclipse Chasing An Astrotourism Special

Total Solar Eclipses, for some, are a once-in-a-lifetime, soul-piercing experience. In Western Australia, we’re incredibly fortunate to have access to two mesmerising Solar Eclipses occurring over the next five years.

Astronomy experts and eclipse chasers Greg Quick and Dr Kate Russo share with us the significance of, and how to best experience, the 2023 Ningaloo and 2028 Kimberley Total Solar Eclipses.

34 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

Experience Exmouth'S Total Solar Eclipse You can experience a total solar eclipse from somewhere on Earth pretty much every year.

If you have ever witnessed this majestic site, you will understand why people travel the world to see them.

BY GREG QUICKE

near Exmouth on the far west coast of Australia at 11.28am. Three minutes later, travelling at over 770 meters per second, or 2787 km/h, the dark shadow of the moon will leave the Exmouth peninsular to continue on through the Murion and Montebello Islands and across the Timor Sea, touching down on Timor Leste and West Papua before lifting off the Earth somewhere in the Marshall Islands nearly three and a half hours later.

T

o experience the magic for yourself, you will need to be in that place where the moon casts a narrow path of shadow From Exmouth, the 40km wide shadow on the Earth at the right time. Unless you of the moon will block the sun out of are somewhere on that path you will get Map showing the 2023 a partial eclipse at eclipse visibility in WA. For more information go to best or nothing at all.

Just after 10.30am WA time, on 20th April 2023 the shadow of the moon will touch down near the Kerguelen Islands in the deep southern Indian Ocean half way between Perth and Capetown. As the Earth turns in space and the moon travels through space to go around the Earth, the shadow cast by the moon will race across the Indian Ocean to make landfall at Ningaloo,

ningalooeclipse.com

Image: ningalooeclipse.com

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 35 #

the sky for a little over 60 seconds. In the partial phases of the eclipse leading up to this amazing minute, the moon will take nearly an hour and a half to make its way across the face of the sun and the same again as it moves off the sun after the total phase of the eclipse. This is one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena. If you ever have the chance to get to a total solar eclipse, crawl on your hands and knees on broken glass, do anything you can to be there.

You can see the partial eclipse progressing in the dappled shadows on the ground under the trees taking on a crescent shape and being kind of weird with feathered edges. You’ll think

Shadow of a woman and pinhole camera during a solar eclipse.

Safely view the eclipse through a colander.

Crescent shaped shadows of the plant leaves during a solar eclipse.

your eyes are playing tricks on you. And maybe they are! If you happen to have some nail holes in a tin roof, the light hitting the ground through the holes will have a bite taken out of them that becomes more obvious as the moon moves further across the face of the sun.

What you are seeing in this impromptu ‘pinhole camera’ is an exact image of the sun. You can make your own with a piece of cardboard with a big nail sized hole punched in it. Let the sun shine through the hole on to the ground or

on to another piece of card and you will get the same effect. Projecting an image onto a screen using binoculars or any small telescope will show you even more detail and maybe even some ‘sunspots'.

Projecting into a cardboard box with a piece of white card in the bottom for a screen works well. The box acts as a shade for the screen. If you do this using a telescope or binoculars, make sure you guard the eyepiece well so that no one looks into it. Pay close attention and be prepared to quickly knock the telescope out of alignment with the sun if anyone attempts to look in the eyepiece.

There is very real danger in trying to look directly at the partial phases of an eclipse.

It’s a good thing that our natural instinct

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makes us look away if we do try to look at the sun. Ignore this natural instinct and the sun will very likely damage your eyes.

Eclipse ‘glasses’ will let you watch the sun directly, as will solar filtered telescopes and binoculars. Looking at the sun through an unfiltered telescope is likely to result in a smoking hole coming out the back of your head. Be aware!

Eye safety & solar eclipses

Things to remember

Viewing an eclipse can cause permanent visual loss.

As the moon covers up the sun for that magic minute, you can risk a glimpse.

What will you see? The sun’s atmosphere or corona becomes visible in a way not possible when the full glare of the sun is present. Jupiter, Mercury and Venus are likely to show themselves in a darkened star filled sky. The birds will go to sleep, it will go dark, maybe the wind will pick up, or die down. It will be obvious that there is something very special going on.

Using indirect methods to view an eclipse is recommended.

What will you feel? When I think of other eclipses I’ve experienced, I remember the power hitting me hard in the chest like a physical blow. If we think about the sun as the source of everything that we are, then blocking out that source even for a minute, I could liken it to switching off and restarting a computer.

That’s why Exmouth is the only place to be for this mostly ocean-travelling eclipse.

Or you could wait until 22nd July 2028 when a total solar eclipse comes through the Prince Reagent River in the heart of the Kimberley region before crossing the whole of Australia to go right through the middle of Sydney.

The moon passes between us and the sun once in a lunar cycle. This is called ‘new moon’. Because the moon is inclined by five degrees in its orbit around the Earth in relation to the Earth’s journey around the sun, at most new moons, the moon passes to one side of the sun or the other and there is no eclipse. With that fivedegree inclination of the moon’s orbit, the moon spends half of its time above the plane of the solar system and half below. It crosses this orbital plane twice in a lunar cycle at two points called the ‘moon's nodes’. If we happen to get a new moon while the moon is at a node, we get a solar eclipse. This is always a daytime event. A lunar eclipse is when the full moon happens at one of the moon's nodes and the moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. This is a night time event and you can be anywhere on the night time side of the Earth to see it.

I’ll be in Exmouth on 20th April 2023 to share my experiences with those lucky enough to be joining me.

Damage occurs rapidly without any pain.

Loss of vision does not occur until after the eclipse.

There is no treatment and children are especially at risk.

About Greg: Greg Quicke is a self-taught astronomer who started astrotours.net in 1995 with no idea that it would still be going nearly three decades later. With a significant grassroots following for his live performance star shows, he joined Professor Brian Cox as the Practical Astronomer for the final 4 seasons of the BBC’s and the ABC’s Stargazing Live. Dubbed ‘Space Gandalf’ by the audience, Greg and the ABC went on to make the multi award winning 10 part television series A Stargazers Guide to the Cosmos, based on Greg’s first book, Earth Turning Consciousness - an Exercise in Planetary Awareness. Now with a second book, Is The Moon Upside Down?, published by Penguin Random House, Greg continues to present in live performance for you in Broome, Western Australia and globally for special events.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 37 #

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Eclipse CHASER Can’t make it to the 2023 Total Solar Eclipse in Ningaloo?

Don’t fret. There’s another within Western Australia on the horizon — 22nd July 2028 to be exact.

I

f you manage to make your way to the Kimberley's Lake Argyle region for this moment, to a bush camp with friends and loved ones, you’ll be perfectly prepared to experience something spectacular. Having watched the moon slowly cover the sun, you will be excited as you turn full circle, marvelling in the weird light as if on a Hollywood film set.

It won't seem real. You will have felt the temperature drop, and birds have taken

BY DR KATE RUSSO

flight. Just before 11am, your heart will skip a beat as you notice an approaching darkness. Goosebumps and chills pass over you. You will make an involuntary noise when your world suddenly turns upside-down as the sun disappears.

For five long minutes, you gaze with your mouth open, taking in the ethereal beauty of the sun's corona. It will feel like nothing else on Earth.

The 2028 total solar eclipse will be the one that seduces us all - the Great Australian Eclipse. Hundreds of thousands of Australians and international travellers will come together to view this total solar eclipse from a wide path that will traverse the country, from the Kimberley in Western Australia, across the Northern

Totality, Wyoming 2017.

Photo: © Kate Russo.

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Total solar eclipse – what you need to know

Territory, Queensland, a tiny corner of South Australia, and into New South Wales. Those in Sydney will see off the moon's shadow from our lands in style, within sight of the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House. There will be plenty of room across the country for everyone.

Sharing this awe-inspiring moment in a convoy of your closest family and friends would be the ultimate outback experience to cherish for a lifetime.

I will be somewhere along this highly accessible path, gazing up in wonder and awe. I am an eclipse chaser, and these moments define who I am.

Over the coming 15 years, our land will be crisscrossed with the moon's shadow, giving Australians rare opportunities to see a total solar eclipse in 2028, 2030, 2037, and 2038. The next chance is tantalisingly close – only a few weeks away, on 20th April 2023.

A total solar eclipse occurs when there is a perfect alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth, as seen from your location.

Occurring during the day and lasting around three hours, the moon will slowly move in front of the sun until blocking it out completely, culminating in a peak moment called 'totality' that lasts only minutes, depending on your location.

The sun's outer atmosphere – the corona – is visible as an ethereal crown around the black disc of the eclipsed sun. In darkness similar to a full moon-lit night, it appears as if there is a hole in the sky where the sun should be. The eclipsed sun is a wonderous sight, bordering on the impossible, and leaves you in an inbetween state of light and dark, day and night, fear and exhilaration, insignificance and connection. The experience is challenging to describe to anyone who has never experienced it.

A total solar eclipse happens only once every 375 years in any one location on Earth - waiting for a chance encounter is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

However, every 18 months, on average, the moon's central shadow is cast upon the Earth, forming a 'path of totality' usually only 160km wide and over 16,000km long. Eclipse chasers like me

Australian eclipses. © Terry Cuttle 2022

40 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

Argentina 2019.

Photo: © Kate Russo

will travel anywhere to get into that narrow path every 18 months or so. As more and more people experience this as a chance encounter, the eclipse-chasing community grows. What was once niche and quirky is now mainstream.

How to see a total solar eclipse There are four essential elements of seeing a total solar eclipse. Firstly, you must get into the path of totality to experience it. Secondly, you need to avoid clouds at all costs. The total eclipse will still happen, but you will not see it if menacingly fluffy whiteness obscures the view. Thirdly, you need to plan to minimise any chance of last-minute things stopping you from seeing it.

And finally, you will need solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes during the partial phases. However, once the moon completely covers the sun, it is perfectly safe to observe with the naked eye, and it is a spectacular sight.

Getting into the path of totality - 20th April 2023 The circumstances of this path make it challenging for most Australians to consider. The narrow path of the moon's shadow for April 2023 covers an area only 40km wide and 60km long across

the Exmouth peninsula, which includes Cape Range National Park and several islands off the Shire of Ashburton under conservation management. The capacity of this small, remote region is far from what is needed to allow everyone to experience this total eclipse, which also happens during the peak holiday season when the Exmouth town of 3,000 swells with 10,000 visitors. While the weather is promising, the main challenge is finding a place to stay in or near the path, which is well outside the comfortable driving range for most. The maximum length of totality is just over one precious minute.

If you have already secured a campsite or other accommodation within the path of totality near Exmouth, then you can relax knowing you will experience totality.

A great program of entertainment in Exmouth awaits. If you still need to make your plans, then a few options are still open.

Firstly, try to secure a place within the path of totality for at least the night before and the night of the eclipse.

Despite rumours of no availability, options still exist. Put your name on a waiting list, and consider all possibilities. Given the remote location of this eclipse, already having a caravan, 4WD, and being selfcontained means you have a much better chance of making this happen.

The next option is to secure a location near the path of totality and travel in on the day of the eclipse. The only road option into the Exmouth Peninsula is

Totality, Argentina 2019.

Photo: © Kate Russo.

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via the Minilya-Exmouth Road, recently upgraded to cope with the demand. The other option is to stay nearby in Onslow and access a boat to get into the path.

Having a boat puts you at a significant advantage.

Suppose those options are not possible for you. In that case, you must accept that you will not see this total solar eclipse where the sun is 100% obscured by the moon. Any location outside this will only be a partial solar eclipse, regardless of how close. A partial eclipse is interesting but misses the fully immersive, lifechanging, awe-inspiring wonder of totality. Be aware that we eclipse chasers will NEVER settle for seeing a partial solar eclipse. We chase to get into the path of totality, not next to it.

Options for viewing the partial solar eclipse in WA Everyone across Australia on 20th April will see a partial solar eclipse. The closer one is to the path, the higher percentage of the sun will be obscured, as seen in the table below.

The human eye will only discern changes in light when the sun is more than 70% obscured. There is no advantage to

traveling great distances if the sun from your new location remains under 70% obscured.

If you have the means and the resources, it may be worth hitting the road and setting up camp somewhere where the sun is over 95% obscured. The towns of Carnarvon, Coral Bay, and Onslow are making plans for an influx of people for the partial eclipse and offer a range of activities, celebrations, and astronomy outreach options. You will be within striking distance of the path of totality and can try to reach the path on the day. If you cannot get into the path, experiencing a deep partial solar eclipse will at least give you a taster of the epic experience that awaits you in 2028.

Beyond the bucket list Many are mistaken when they assume a total solar eclipse is just a science or astronomical event. It is so much more.

You do not 'see' totality – you experience it. Totality happens above you, around you, and within you. My first total solar eclipse awakened a much deeper understanding and appreciation of life, the vastness of our universe and our place in it, and a deeper understanding of 'time' and how we spend our time.

The experience was life-changing and has changed the trajectory of my career.

SOLAR ECLIPSE 20 APRIL 2023 - See how much the moon will cover the sun in your location.

LOCATIONS WITHIN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

% SUN COVERED

OTHER AUSTRALIAN LOCATIONS

% SUN COVERED

Exmouth

100

Darwin NT

84.4

Onslow

99.3

Cairns QLD

52.7

Karratha

97.5

Ulura NT

50.4

Carnarvon

95.9

Adelaide SA

21.0

Broome

91.3

Melbourne VIC

20.5

Joffre Gorge, Karijini

91

Sydney NSW

19.1

Geraldton

85.5

Brisbane QLD

16.1

Perth

76.5

Hobart TAS

5.2

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I now research the eclipse experience, help others get into the path, and prepare whole communities for what is to come when they are lucky enough to be positioned within the path of totality.

Next opportunities Immediately after totality, the most common question is: When is the next eclipse? Here is a rundown of where we eclipse-chasers are heading next.

14th October 2023 - An annular eclipse will be visible from eight US states.

Eclipse chasers unable to secure plans for this April will likely be heading here.

8th April 2024 - Six months later, the path for this total solar eclipse sweeps from Mexico to Canada, crossing 15 US states from Texas to Maine. This 'Great North American Eclipse' will command even higher audiences than the 'Great American Eclipse' of 2017, with the path being twice as wide, a longer duration of totality at nearly four and a half minutes and over 3,000 communities now preparing for an audience of around 50 million. Epic.

12th August 2026 - a total solar eclipse will be visible from Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, lasting under two minutes.

2nd August 2027 - the path crosses over North Africa, with a whopping 6 minutes and 30 seconds of totality visible from Egypt.

We do not have to wait for these big, grand moments of celestial mechanics to experience awe and wonder. Western Australia is home to some of the darkest skies in the world. Many remote areas have little light pollution, allowing for incredible stargazing opportunities.

Research confirms experiencing awe in these fleeting moments helps us to feel humbled and more altruistic and is good for our mental health. So get out there and share our wonderful country, day and night, to connect with the immensity of our universe and understand our place within. There is no better way to start than with a total solar eclipse - an event worthy of the hype. Do what you can to get into the path to fully experience the total solar eclipse – if not in April this year, then definitely for July 2028.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION KATE'S WEBSITE beingintheshadow.com KATE'S FACEBOOK @beingintheshadow

It will then be Australia's time to shine, with total eclipses in 2028, 2030, 2037, and 2038.

Not just about nature's grandest show

There is so much to see and experience under the Milky Way, and many things you can do. You can use apps to help you find your way around the night sky. Sign up to be alerted when the International Space Station flies over. Arrange an allnight sleep out to watch the next meteor shower. Learn and understand Australian indigenous astronomy interpretations of the night sky. Watch our dramatic storms and incredible lightning streak across the sky.

SOLAR ECLIPSE GLASSES All Australian glasses are imported, make sure that your glasses are not counterfeit. Buy with confidence from Kate’s website.

BOOK Kate’s book is perfect for eclipse beginners in showing what to expect. Signed copies available from her website.

ECLIPSE INFORMATION eclipse.asa.astronomy.org.au

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HELPFUL HINTS FOR THE SOLAR ECLIPSE Before you leave for your trip

If you are in the path of totality

• Purchase quality solar eclipse glasses and any additional solar filters if using binoculars or telescopes for safe solar viewing

• There is no 'best way' to experience totality - it will be memorable regardless of your circumstances as long as you are within the path

• Download relevant information, including weather apps, night sky apps, campsite locators, etc.

• For first-timers, a group experience offers contagious excitement and guidance on what to do

• Prepare for mobile reception and wifi access to be unreliable

• If going alone, find a place where you can see the horizon for that 360-degree sunset experience

• Print any essential information out, such as maps, eclipse details, and timings • Bring cash and consider other methods of payment if EFTPOS is down • Bring everything you need, including fuel, food, water, medications, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and other sun-protective clothing • Ensure you have a celebratory drink at the ready

Things you can do during the partial phases • Use rugs on the ground, recliner chairs, and hammocks for more comfortable viewing of this high-elevation eclipse • Ensure easy access to shade, sun protection, and plenty of water • If near trees, look for little crescent suns projected through the leaves onto the ground • Project your own little sun crescents using objects with small holes, such as the humble kitchen colander • Monitor changes in temperature as the eclipse progresses • Notice your shadow, which will appear sharpened on one edge and blurred on the other

• Turn all camera flashes off, along with other light sources around you • You can safely remove your glasses during the total solar eclipse • Totality is very short at just over a minute, depending on your location use your time wisely • Set your video up to record your group reactions, starting 5 minutes before the totality • Record your personal experience in a short video clip immediately after totality • Consider sending your clips to kate@beingintheshadow.com to use in future outreach • Welcome to your new life of eclipse chasing!

About Kate: Dr. Kate Russo is an author, psychologist, and eclipse chaser who has seen 12 total solar eclipses from six continents over two decades.

She is a leading expert in the human experience of totality and a recognised international authority on community eclipse planning. Kate is Founder of Being in the Shadow, and is based in North Queensland.

• Listen and watch for changes around you, focusing on birds and insects

44 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

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There are a number of reasons a vehicle can catch fire but when travelling in our desert country there is one cause that far outweighs any other.

Ron & Viv Moon bring you this report.

BURNT OUT!

BY RON & VIV MOON

46 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

O

n our most recent desert jaunt leading a trip for my son’s tour company, Moon Tours, we came across a total of five burnt out vehicles dotted along a couple of remote desert tracks.

These had all succumbed to a spinifex fire. When I posted a few pics on Facebook I was told, by the experts you find on social media, that I didn’t know what I was talking about as they could well have been electrical based fires. Not in these cases though!

Two of the vehicles we’d seen had been burnt out many years previously (I had photographed one of them, a Landie, in the late 1980s on my first trip across the Talawana Track), but three of them were pretty recent – a Prado sometime between May 2021 and June 2022, a Prado and trailer in April 2022 (more of which later) and an FJ Cruiser sometime since 2018. While the FJ was a petrol powered beast, the two Prados were diesel powered …. which proves spinifex fires don’t discriminate!

The burnt out Prado and trailer as it was when we came across it.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 47 #

Then after our last trip, another vehicle went up in flames on the Talawana track; this time a 300 series Cruiser, which made news reports all over Australia!

Important for all of us to remember and be aware of: spinifex is highly flammable!

This was the first victim of a spinifex fire we came across recently, just south of Lake Cohen on the Gary Highway. It wasn't there in June 2021.

Fires caused by spinifex and burning out a vehicle are nothing new and we’ve seen plenty in our 40 years or more of travelling our remote desert country.

They seem to be more common these days - maybe because more people are travelling remotely, and many of those people have far less experience of the dangers involved and the daily/hourly inspection checks that need to be done.

The owner of the 2018 diesel Prado towing the trailer, Jo Poole, has been in touch with me after I posted some pics on Facebook, to tell us what happened.

Jo was an experienced desert traveller and with his brother-in-law were travelling in two vehicles. Jo continues the story:

An early victim of a spinifex fire - this burnt out Land Rover I photographed in the late 1980s.

We were travelling along the Talawana Track when the kids heard a ‘pop’ and at the same time a warning appeared on the dash indicating the rear suspension air bag had a fault.

I stopped the car and the kids got out with a full detergent bottle of water and the fire extinguisher. I reached the back of the car to see the smoke turn to fire which immediately ignited the spinifex on the ground.

I jumped back into the driver’s seat and moved the car a few metres to try to get access to underneath the car. It didn't help in the slightest.

The flames were bigger now and the smoke was bad and black and it became apparent that if we didn't move back we would be burnt or suffocate.

There was fire inside the car!

After good rains spinifex was growing tall and thick along the Canning Stock Route - this is when it's at its most threatening.

I jumped back in the driver’s seat and did a big U-turn onto the open area next to the track. I grabbed my phone, camera and the wife’s phone, jumped out and placed them on the ground.

48 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

A spinifex fire quickly destroyed this Prado and camper trailer.

A diesel particulate filter (or DPF for short) is part of a diesel car's exhaust system that's designed to filter out harmful soot to reduce emissions. As they have finite capacity, the trapped soot periodically has to be emptied or 'burned off'.

The boys had finished all four extinguishers. We knew there was no more we could do and moved to a safer distance. IT HAD BEEN LESS THAN 90 SECONDS SINCE I STOPPED!!

We waited until the fire subsided enough so we could get the phones and camera from where I put them. I was the only one from our car with shoes, but otherwise we were all OK. After the fire we ended up driving to the Kunawarritji community at Well 33 on the Canning Stock Route. We rang Newman Police when we got close; they were very uninterested and reminded me that we were forbidden to enter the community. I reminded him that it is our only way to escape certain death in the desert and hung up.

and The Canning in a 1998 petrol Prado and was much more vigilant about spinifex build-up.

I had our latest Prado programmed previously to show when it was doing a burn of the DPF. It had started one prior to the fire but I couldn't tell you if it was an hour or 20 minutes. We timed a couple of the burns on this trip at 25 minutes!

I was a little complacent as I was now in a diesel! I did things like The Gunbarrel

Interestingly, our replacement vehicle is a 2021 VX Prado and the DPF handbook says, in red, not to drive on long grass while it's doing a burn and comes with a manual button so you can do one on safe ground.

Jo and the family stopped and checked their radiator and cleared it of spinifex, but didn't check underneath at the same time.

Once a spinifex fire starts the heat is intense with much of the aluminium in the vehicles, including wheels, bullbars and even engine blocks, melting.

I asked Jo what the lessons were.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 49 #

This is what a radiator looks like after a vehicle drives through spinifex.

When asked if there was anything he would change or carry next, Jo answered: Absolutely. A 4kg extinguisher instead of a 1kg unit. A grab bag (we lost a lot of small expensive things, like cash. And a deluge/soaker extinguisher for just this purpose. Maybe a 20 litre jerry can size one with a battery and suitable pump, big hole so you can fill it as it's operating, and a long enough wand/sprinkler head to poke it under your vehicle through the brush/spinifex.

There’s a few good ideas there!

Modern diesel are just as susceptible to spinifex fires as are petrol vehicles; maybe with the DPF burn-off, even more so!! Do your DPF burns – they burn at between 900 and 1200 degrees centigrade - on a pretty regular basis and in a cleared area free of any grass or spinifex.

When in spinifex country check under your vehicle regularly; at least once a day!

If there is a noticeable build-up make it much more often. On some trips we’ve been checking and removing spinifex every hour or so! A pair of garden or welding gloves and a thick piece of wire will help remove the spiky The bigger the better - the small most common ones are not much more than useless!

Clearing spinifex from under a vehicle is not pleasant but it's better than the alternative!

stuff. This is MOST important – prevention is much better than trying to put the fire out once it has started!!

We’ve found the small 1kg or 1.5kg powder fire extinguishers, commonly seen and fitted to vehicles are, while not completely useless, pretty limited in what they can put out. Go for something bigger – we carry a 4.5kg powder extinguisher nowadays.

Secondly, a spray water bottle is a very good option; the bigger the better.

Maybe, the Ryobi 15-litre water sprayer would be the go – they have a big lid for refilling quickly from a jerry can and a long wand for reaching under the vehicle … and you can use it in the home garden!!

Have a grab bag with your valuables in it and that includes a sat phone or satellite communicator. And lastly, travel with somebody else, who can carry you to safety if your pride and joy goes up in smoke!

For spinifex fires nothing beats water. We always carry a spray bottle but have upgraded to a powered garden sprayer for desert trips!

50 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

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Along the ANNE BEADELL

BY RON & VIV MOON

52 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

With a couple of trips along the Anne Beadell Highway in the last 18 months, Ron and Viv Moon take you on one of Australia’s longest desert forays through the Great Victoria Desert.

T

he well hides amongst a bramble of scrub and for a few moments I wondered if I was even in the right place.

Then my mate Owen gave a call from a few metres away and while he was close I couldn’t see him, such was the thickness and verdancy of the trees and bushes hiding him … and the well.

the opal mine workings, the colourful opal having made the town world famous.

Tallaringa Well was first discovered by Europeans by the little known SA explorer, Richard Maurice, and he then used it as a watering point on his expeditions through the area between 1897 and 1902.

The well was rediscovered by Len Beadell during his grading of the Anne Beadell Highway in 1953 and now nearly every Anne Beadell Highway (ABH) traveller stops there to check it out. Most walk away disappointed as today it is nothing more than a dry, small shovel-sized hole in the centre of a low depression, more often than not covered with the remains of some long-ago roof rack, abandoned by some luckless traveller. Even when Len discovered it, the well was not much bigger or any more impressive than it is now, however, having visited a number of such wells in desert country in the past, they were once dug down to some considerably depth to obtain the life giving fluid and Maurice records that it flowed water at a seemingly, now improbable 1,000 gallons (4,500 litres) an hour.

The Anne Beadell Highway is one of the many famous routes across the deserts put in by Len Beadell and his legendary Gunbarrel Road Construction Party and was named after his wife, Anne. In 1947 Len had been tasked with finding and establishing a site for a rocket range, the town becoming Woomera and the rocket range extending across the country to the Indian Ocean. Today, while smaller in size than back when it was first established, it remains the largest land-based rocket range in the world.

We set up camp close by, our party revelling in the isolation of the desert and the myriad of stars that appeared as darkness swept over us. We were on the Anne Beadell Highway, about 130km west of Coober Pedy where we had left the blacktop of the Stuart Highway and headed first out through a pot-marked landscape, where white mullock heaps crowded around each and every one of

Near Mabel Downs homestead we rattled onto the ABH proper, the road changing suddenly, and not for the better, as the nearby sign told us that it was 1,300km to Laverton, the next town at the far end of the fabled ‘highway’.

Len Beadell doing what he was famous for.

Photo: Beadell family.

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In 1952 Len was then asked to find a site for a series of British A-bomb tests and after exploring westward into extremely remote and trackless country, unseen by Europeans since Giles had been through the region in the 1870s and Maurice at the turn of the 20th century, he chose a spot he called Emu. In 1953 his crew built the road from Mable Creek, then on the Stuart Highway, to the test site. In 1962, after building his famous Gunbarrel Highway and other desert roads, they returned to push the Anne Beadell westward to Yamarna station and the WA road network. The story of Emu, the recce and the roadmaking are told in Blast the Bush, one of Len’s many highly readable books (see: lenbeadell.com.au).

Next morning, pushing through a band of thick scrub, the track hemmed in by dense bush and overhung by numerus branches, the country suddenly changed to more open saltbush country, heralding the approach of the A-bomb test sites.

Back in the 1950s at the height of the Cold War, Britain wanted to test its recently developed Atomic bombs and conned the Australian government into allowing it to test them in remote areas of Australia. The first explosion was out on the Monte Bello Islands off Exmouth, soon followed in October 1953 by Totem 1, the first A-bomb to be detonated on the Australian mainland. This was a 10Kt device (a Kt is the equivalent of 1,000 tonnes of TNT) and was exploded on top

Leaving the pastoral country behind we crossed the eastern boundary into the Tallaringa Conservation Park, the track being surprising good - but I guess that’s a matter of opinion and how much you’ve been exposed to rough tracks and corrugated roads. To get through the Dog Fence, which forms the park boundary here, you need to detour a few kilometres south to a gate through ‘the netting’, as it’s called by those who maintain it. Our camp, close to the well itself, was just 14km further on.

Through the Dog Fence - make sure you shut the gate!

54 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

Totem 1 explosion at Emu, seconds after detonation with the blast cloud already rising to over 200 metres.

of a 31-metre tower. Just 12 days later Totem 2, a mere 8Kt bomb, was again detonated on top of a steel tower. While there is little to see at either site, there are concrete monuments at ‘Ground Zero’ to both explosions, while a few fragments of twisted metal - the remains of the towers, which were basically vaporised by the blasts - can be discerned poking out from the sands.

After wandering and wondering around both bomb sites we headed just south of the ABH, and basically opposite the bomb sites, to Observation Hill where all the dignitaries stood to watch the bomb blasts – standing there, I can’t help but think it would be a bit too close for my liking!

Pushing on, we soon came to a track junction close to the site of the once vibrant Emu village and the airstrip on the claypan, just a short distance to the north. The Anne Beadell does a bit of a dog leg through here, passing an old bore that once supplied water to the town (it no longer works), a little used camping area, and a more recent, fully

automatic weather station. A track heads south from here too, to Maralinga and the more extensive A-bomb sites there, but this route is closed to the general public (check out Western 4W Driver edition #123 for more info on Maralinga). You can find out more of our Atomic bomb legacy by visiting: dirtroaddiaries.com.au/ australia/atomicbombs/ The track west, less used now, continued much as before and we cruised along easily, the suspension and lower tyre pressures soaking up most of the bumps and corrugations. Still, we had come across the first of the camper trailers abandoned along the track before we got to the bomb sites and on an earlier trip a couple of years previously we had broken a shock absorber bracket along this section of the Anne Beadell. We had removed the shock and the bracket and pushed on – a little slower than previously with the knowledge that such downfalls are all part of the adventure and you need to be able to handle such breakdowns; leaving a trailer though, stripped and abandoned in the scrub, is abhorrent

Breaking out into more open country along the ABH.

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Passing Annes Corner and the Mount Davies Road (another of Len’s roads but now out-of-bounds) we entered the Maralinga-Tjarutja Lands where signs indicated our fate if we didn’t have the correct permits. Rangers from Oak Valley (the main community in the lands) often patrol the ABH these days, remote cameras have been installed, while much environmental work is being done including trying to control buffel grass and exterminating feral cats. Their work needs to be applauded and we need to do the right thing, obeying any request and staying on track and being very careful with campfires.

We crossed into the 21,300ha Mamungari Conservation Park, which straddles the ABH from about 75km west of Annes Corner all the way to the SA-WA border and is classified as an UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. While some maps show a ‘No Camping Zone’ for about half the distance along the ABH, there is no mention of the zone or any camping restrictions when you get a permit from the Aboriginal Traditional Owners, not sure what is going on there.

Just a short distance further on we were at Voakes Hill Corner. At the corner an original post and plaque, erected by Len, still stands indicating its position and distances to Mabel Creek and Laverton, amongst others. Len’s plaques are a feature of most of his tracks but sadly most of the originals have been flogged so Connie, Len’s daughter, has replaced them with identical ones, apart from a small brand in the bottom right exposing them as faithful replicas. Also here, another of Len’s roads heads south to the Trans Australian Railway Line, meeting it at the small railway town of Cook.

At the turn-off to Voakes Hill - you'll find some different spelling for this landmark, but it should be 'Voakes'.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 57 #

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To reach Voakes Hill, continue on a little further west to find a somewhat confused track spouting northwest. Follow it for about an hour before taking a short walk through mallee scrub to the crest of the hill, where you will be rewarded with expansive views of this vast and remote wilderness area. The hill was named by Maurice during his 1901 expedition from Ooldea to the Rawlinson Ranges after a member of the party, Bill Voakes.

For travellers along the ABH, the Friends of the Great Victoria Desert Parks (fgvd. org.au), have developed an interpretative self-drive trail west of Voakes Hill Corner.

Take the time to stop at each of the seven numbered posts and learn a little about the surrounding plants of the Great Victoria Desert, an area of impressive biodiversity in almost pristine condition.

One of its most spectacular sights is the woodlands dominated by taller, regal black oak trees that often grow to 20 metres or more.

Next morning and almost imperceptibly, the ABH deteriorated again west of the corner and continued like that, pushing

through the occasional band of thick vegetation before breaking out again into sandy plains dominated by spinifex, mallee, low scrubs and occasional stands of the aforementioned black oak, or cypress pine.

The first indication that you are closing in on the WA-SA border, some 170km west of Voakes Hill Corner, is the somewhat sudden appearance of the ephemeral Serpentine Lakes, named by that great WA explorer and name giver, Frank Hann, in 1908 after one of this travelling companions. The lakes stretch northsouth, close to the border, for over 100km and are considered an important wetland – on the occasions they have water in them!

Almost immediately as you leave the lake bed you cross into WA and within 100m the track, or road now, improves out of sight. Wider and straighter, the Laverton Shire who look after a vast area of WA, send out a grader every couple of years to ‘touch up’ the track. Of course, such improvements mean you can travel faster and with the increase in speed

The ABH contines westward, straighter and wider.

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come corrugations. We were pretty lucky, the road being only lightly corrugated for most of the way with the occasional wash-away from the recent rains to watch out for.

That night we camped at Tjutatja Tank, a pleasant camping area with a modicum of water, established and maintained by the local Aboriginal people of Tjuntjuntjara, known as the Spinifex people. The surrounding land, or 'Spinifex Country', is managed and looked after by the Spinifex people who allow access and camping along the ABH without the requirement of a permit; something that should and could be replicated elsewhere in Australia.

We stopped at the remote Ilkurlka Roadhouse, being made welcome by Phil Merry, the sole resident and manager, and while our vehicles drank heavily from the above ground fuel tanks, the humans raided the store for essential supplies like ice cream. Nearby is another well set up campsite for travellers.

Once back on the road we made good time, ignoring yet another set-up camping area and the turn-off to the aircraft wreck located 10km north of the ABH. We crossed the Connie Sue Highway at Neale Junction, both names taken from the Beadell family songbook. Near

Ilkurlka Roadhouse offers fuel and basic supplies - and a campground.

the junction is a small camping area with a water tank, all dominated by one of the most spectacular trees to be found in the Great Victoria Desert, a marble gum. But this area had been ravaged by a bushfire within the last 12 months so we pushed on, camping after having made over 260km for the day, including a longish stop at the roadhouse.

The road continued in pretty good condition the next day and we stopped at the flat-topped peak of Bishop Riley’s Pulpit, another feature named by Frank Hann. Some of the more energetic of us climbed the peak while others just drank in the solitude and scenery while sipping on a brew.

The peak heralds the eastern boundary of the Yeo Lakes Nature Reserve, but the lake remains out of sight if you stick to

60 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

the ABH. At the abandoned Yeo homestead, now a Parks WA run camping site, you can wander through the one-room home and check out the often brackish water point complete with windlass, and wonder what it took to live here and wrest a living from this harsh land. Near here a track does head north to take you closer to Yeo Lake itself.

At Point Sunday (a feature named by Hann in 1903) the ABH veers south-west towards Yamarna, another deserted homestead that lies in complete ruins, while gold and copper mining companies search and drill in the surrounding area; Laverton, is less than 150km away.

We struck north to the Great Central Road, our adventure pushing towards Tjukayirla Roadhouse and more of Len Beadell’s roads as we headed north through the Gibson, Great Sandy and Little Sandy Deserts; but that’s a story for another time!

Camels were often seen they do untold damage to our desert country, especialy around waterpoints.

INFORMATION BAY ANNE BEADELL HIGHWAY

The ABH is rough, sandy in parts, overgrown in others, and over 1300km long with only one fuel stop along the way – Ilkurlka Roadhouse - some 660km west of Coober Pedy.

You must be completely self-sufficient to travel this route and experienced in remote desert travel.

Otherwise, join a 4WD club or a tag-along tour such as Moon Tours (www.moontours.com.au).

PERMITS

For this trip, you will need a number of permits: Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) Permission to enter the WPA (which includes the ABH and the area around Emu) can be obtained on-line at: www.defence.gov.au/bases-locations/sa/ woomera/visits-tourism-travel or email: woomera.enquiries@defence.gov.au Maralinga-Tjarutja Lands – SA To traverse the Aboriginal land here in SA and to obtain a permit to camp in the Mamungari CP you need to contact the Maralinga-Tjarutja Council.

Email: reception@maralinga.com.au Phone: (08) 8625 2946 Dept of Environment& Heritage – SA To drive through and to camp in the Tallaringa Conservation Park you require a Desert Parks Pass.

Phone: 1800 816 078, or visit: www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/ tallaringa-conservation-park#fees Ngaanyatjarra Council – WA To obtain a permit to traverse the section of road from Yarmarna Station to Neale Junction, apply online at: www.wa.gov.au/government/document-collections/ apply-permit-access-or-travel-through-aboriginal-land or email: reception@ngaanyatjarra.org.au Pila Nguru (Spinifex Country) - WA WA border to Yeo – no permit required.

OTHER IMPORTANT CONTACTS Ilkurlka Roadhouse: Phone (08) 9037 1147 Email: ilkurlka@spinifex.org Outback Recovery – Laverton: Phone: 0428 196 306 Coober Pedy Towing: Phone (08) 8672 3000

MAPS & MORE INFO The Beadell Roads Map & Travel Guide www.westprint.com.au Great Desert Tracks Atlas and Guide www.hemamaps.com.au

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 61 #

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GO FOR GOLD Western Australia's New Goldfields

BY AARON RADDOCK

You’re sure to strike gold if you know where to find it…

Exploration geologist with over 25-years' experience throughout Australia and internationally, Aaron Raddock, shares his nuggets of wisdom.

‘A

the local caravan parks are abundant with stories from prospectors about their days of not finding any gold.

bsolutely YES’ is the simple answer to those wondering if there is still plenty of gold that can be found prospecting within Western Australia.

Thankfully gold is not randomly spread everywhere, with nearly all gold areas confined to one rock-type marked on all the maps as ‘Greenstone-Belts’.

More importantly, greater than three quarters of the Kalgoorlie and Pilbara Goldfields consist of completely barren granitic rocks. It’s easy to understand why

Every year we meet countless people prospecting without knowing to easily avoid the granite areas that have no gold potential, but it is more surprising the amount of people prospecting without genuine off-road vehicles, restricting them to easy access roads and to travelling only short distances within close range of the nearest town

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 63 #

accommodation. One of the common factors of successful prospecting trips we have seen is the simple ability to ‘get off the beaten track’ or ‘go that little bit further’.

It’s understandable there would be reservations out there that all the main gold-bearing areas have been heavily picked-over and all the ‘low hanging fruit’ of big nuggets are gone. Just as vehicle manufacturers have made improvements in leaps and bounds to our vehicle’s suspension, off-road tyres, torque output, etc. that has enabled our off-road vehicles to reach more rugged terrains, metal detector technology has equally undergone a generational improvement.

visiting their ‘old patches’ have produced large volumes of nuggets. It has been increasingly acknowledged that we are in the beginning of all the old goldfields in the Australian being considered ‘new again’.

The most attractive features of this new generation of metal detectors technology is that it has enabled the detectors to become significantly lighter and with a high level of ‘automation’. This basically means that whenever I want to go detecting I can be gone in less than a couple of minutes.

Minelab have continued to be the leader in the industry, creating whole new generations of metal detector technology in both gold detectors and treasure detectors. The technology behind the GPZ-7000 and the more recently released GPX-6000 is finding all types of gold to extreme depths and has taken gold detection to a whole new level.

When camping with friends or family, there is often lots going on, but there are also plenty of moments worth seizing when there isn’t much happening and we have just under an hour to a few hours to spare. These are times that we often quickly grab the detectors and head out to see if we can find a little yellow surprise buried away somewhere in our amazing outback. Some of our biggest nuggets were found in a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ decision to kill some time.

This combination of greater access and upgraded sensitivity in the GPX-6000 has not just resulted in the discovery of countless new areas of nuggets, but in the last 12-18 months most prospectors re-

We’ve had many occasions where we were in a gold bearing location that had areas that we could access for detecting, so we pull over and were detecting in minutes. What a great way to stretch our

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legs and maybe find some nuggets to pay the trip's fuel costs.

Obviously, no one wants to be the next generation in caravan parks talking about having not found any nuggets when a small amount of the relevant information would have made a huge difference.

TIPS FOR PROSPECTING IN CREEKS Prospecting in creeks is still one of the best places to start when looking in a new area, but there are good places and bad places within the creek system.

The BEST areas to focus your time are the areas where you can see piles of concentrated gravel that basically looks like a ‘mixture’ of different sized rocks piled up. These areas cause a reduction on the speed (and energy) of the water flow that will encourage any nuggets in flowing water to fall between the rocks.

All the information you need to precisely locate literally thousands of gold rich areas no bigger than a basketball court is free and readily available, but from the seemingly endless piles of information that is out there, which bits will actually help you to find the areas where you can dig up some nuggets?

Have a good look throughout the creek for any areas where you think the water flow would have been interrupted or disturbed, such as the inside bends of the creek. Stay away from sandy banks. These are the areas that have more constant water flow and will just be a waste of your precious time.

A cruel fact about finding these gravel areas in creeks that have most consolidated gravel areas

A prospecting training course can teach you all the important techniques for finding gold.

The prospecting training courses held regularly at the Reeds Prospecting store in Perth, provide a concise six-hours detailing the important knowledge and techniques that pin-points hundreds of gold rich zones throughout Western Australia. These courses have helped to provide a consolidation of the crucial and useful information that fast-tracks the learning curve for those starting out in prospecting and has increased the success for those that have already been prospecting for many years.

There are many simple and easy tips that dramatically increase the chances of finding your share of Western Australia’s riches that we assumed would have been ‘common knowledge’ but unknown to far too many prospectors.

When prospecting in creeks, focus your search on areas with piles of concentrated gravel.

and transported (alluvial) dirt that has trapped the gold nuggets is that it is usually the most difficult ground to dig.

It seems that gold wants us to physically earn every nugget we find.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 65 #

USING QUARTZ VEINS TO HELP FIND GOLD BEARING AREAS

Look on both sides of creek beds in older, preserved layers of gravel.

Yes, it is true that the original source for the vast majority of gold nuggets in Australian goldfields comes from quartz veins. However, DON'T look for 'clean', white and 'healthy' looking quartz veins as they are literally in every area of Western Australia and gold rarely arrives in quartz veins that are thick, solid and bright white or glassy looking.

Yes, you can definitely expect that many creeks can be the WORST place for metal detecting as most of the man-made metal trash in the area has also washed into the creeks and concentrated in the exact locations that gold is also most likely to be found.

Don’t worry about these creeks full of metal trash, as the path that the water has flown in has changed many times over the years. Look at both sides of the creeks in the banks for older gravel layers that have been preserved. This is where any gold nuggets would have been trapped thousands of years ago, when there was no man-made trash flowing down the creek. So, the only detector signal you’ll get through old gravel layers will be from a nugget.

Quartz outcrop.

Gold will almost only 'hitch a ride' in a quartz vein if it is travelling with its 'ugly mates', which are the minerals that oxidize to create the dark brown

Nugget found with the Minelab GPX 6000 metal detector.

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iron-oxide minerals and a dull black or gun-metal-grey 'staining' caused by manganese-oxide minerals.

Brown colored iron-oxide minerals in quartz veins are unfortunately very common and most of these do not have any gold in them, however it’s this gunmetal-grey 'staining' that dramatically increases your chances of finding the quartz veins with gold in them.

Quartz.

Look for quartz veins that appear to have been broken up into angular pieces and cemented back together with an iron-oxide rich glue.

Keep a look out for quartz veins that appear to have been broken up into angular pieces, that have quartz and iron-rich fluids injected within all the cracks in the quartz vein. This looks like an iron-oxide rich glue has cemented all the broken-up pieces of white quartz back together.

A gold vein running through this piece of quartz.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 67 #

Obviously, we can’t go metal detecting anywhere we want and there are strict laws outlined for any prospecting in each state. All the information to go legally prospecting in Western Australia is provided on the website: Department of Mine, Industry Regulation and Safety, in the ‘Minerals & Mining’ section, under ‘Prospectors & fossickers’.

Visit dmp.wa.gov.au/Minerals/Prospectorsfossickers-1525.aspx#lifestage=PAE

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For those already enjoying the lifestyle associated with remote 4WD activities, metal detecting is a great add-on to the list of activities when passing through the goldfields.

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We would consider one of the greatest hurdles preventing a large number of people wanting to go prospecting is that they do not have an off-road 4WD vehicle that will allow them to access the dirt roads.

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There are also prospecting groups like APLA (Amalgamated Prospectors and Leaseholders Association) that provide its members with all the support for starting out at any level of prospecting activities or taking the plunge to own their very own Prospecting Lease, as well as established social prospecting groups like the West Coast Metal Detecting club.

 (08) 9250 3388

68 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

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RAPTOR REVIEW

A LongTerm Test

Over the years, protective coatings have become increasingly popular to use on 4WD vehicles and all sorts of trailers.

BY GRANT & LINDA HANAN

I

f you’re looking to protect your 4x4’s canopy and outer surfaces, the typical choices like the raw alloy finish, industrial paint, or auto paint probably come to mind. But rather than applying one of these finishes to our 79’s canopy, we were looking for something different. Whatever we chose had to be able to live up to our expectations, especially when we regularly travel to areas where vehicle pin striping can be the norm.

Grant and Linda initially applied Raptor to their 4WD canopy some years ago and share their experiences with this type of product.

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We knew the novelty would soon wear thin if we needed to touch up the duco after every trip!

After spending a decent amount of time researching protective surface coatings and paint finishes to see what was on the market (we’re talking 7+ years ago now), we found there were a few available. But we didn’t simply choose the first one we came across, as whatever we chose had to meet some specific criteria.

Naturally, we were after something where the finish would look good, but it also needed to be easy to touch up by us if need be. That’s one reason why we didn’t opt for simply an acrylic or enamel style paint as touch ups can often be visible.

We also looked for something where professional spray painting qualifications didn’t come into the equation, and the product wasn’t going to take a truckload of cash to apply it.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 73 #

WHAT WE CHOSE With all that in mind, we ended up finding something we thought would work well to do the job. The product was Raptor, which is made by British manufacturer, U-pol. Besides Raptor working on metal, it can also be used on plastic, vinyl, fibreglass, concrete and even wood. But it’s also waterproof and UV resistant, so you could say the opportunities for its use are plentiful.

Raptor comes in a kit form in either black or a version that can be tinted any colour, plus it’s available in a few different sizes.

There’s a one litre and two litre sizes for smaller jobs, or there’s a four litre option for a more substantial job. Each of the kits come with an amount of Raptor base as well as a hardener which you mix together and apply. Besides these, there’s also a larger five litre tin available which contains the Raptor base only.

With the undercoat job completed it’s on with the Raptor.

HOW TO USE IT At the time we initially used Raptor, it was a popular choice around the auto industry to be used as a ute boot liner coating. So our plans to put it on our ute’s canopy back then was a little left of field. Our canopy had seen a series of different coatings used on it in the past, so we started by having it sandblasted and took it back to bare metal. From there, we followed it up with a urethane two pack undercoat primer for adhesive and rust prevention purposes. We’d been advised that Raptor was easy enough to apply, especially when you can simply use a roller or brush for different finishes.

However, we ended up choosing a Schutz gun as our weapon of choice. We simply wound up the regulator to get the desired finish and were good to go.

The gull wings were removed for full coverage and application.

The canopy was placed on trestles to help paint all over including the underside.

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HOW IT WENT

The hardener was first mixed with the Raptor base before being attached to the Schutz gun.

We decided on a motley finish after initially finding the fine finish showed imperfections. We also liked how our motley finish could easily be touched up. One thing we learnt on the job was you need to make sure you keep moving while you’re applying the product, to avoid having a too heavy splatter by staying in the one position. Besides spraying the canopy’s exterior, we also sprayed a few areas inside the canopy as they would be visible when the gull doors would be open.

The canopy was initially stripped and then removed to do the job properly.

It was touch dry after 24 hours, but we left it for a few days to completely harden.

One gull wing completed, the other prepped and ready to paint.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 75 #

We ended up giving the whole canopy two full coats all over and three coats for the areas that would be subject to cop more of a hammering (the wheel arches and the canopy’s underside).

We used around eight litres for the job in total which included the canopy’s outside, underneath, and partly inside.

It was touch dry in around 24 hours and continued to harden off for roughly the next five days depending on the temperature.

Touch ups are easy using a compressor and Schutz gun.

It’s advisable to mask any areas you don’t want painted.

WHAT WE THINK It’s now been some years since we’ve applied the Raptor to our canopy and we have been extremely happy with its performance. We’ve travelled through some hellish terrain during that time and all we’ve done is a couple of light touch ups here and there. It’s a strong and durable product, plus it’s easy to clean when you only need a high pressure washer with some mild detergent. We’ve been so impressed with its performance on our canopy, that we ended up using it when we had our custom quad camper built a couple of years ago. And more recently, our little 40-series was given an all-over Raptor look for something different as well.

It seems we’re not alone when it comes to singing Raptor’s praises, as it’s gained considerable popularity across a number of sectors. Besides initially being used as an automotive bootliner product, the RV industry is another area that’s got in on the Raptor act as well. You only need to get along to a 4WD or caravan show these days where you’ll see manufacturers using Raptor on highly exposed areas as a sacrificial coating.

We were so impressed with Raptor’s performance on our canopy, we used it on the front toolbox, lower sections, and the rear of our quad bike camper.

76 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

For more info: raptorcoatings.com.au

Our 40 series with its unique all-over Raptor finish.

SUMMING UP From our experiences with the product, we think there’s many good reasons to go down the Raptor path. It’s been a cost-effective solution that can easily be done as a DIY job, small quantities can be purchased, and it can be used for a number of applications. And just like its namesake, the coating has been tough and durable when we’ve thrown all sorts of things at it while on the tracks. At the end of the day, it’s been an all-round good product for us to use. So it also comes as no surprise that Raptor’s standout performance across various market sectors has solidified its position as a major player in the protective coating market.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 77 #

DON'T BLINK OR YOU'LL MISS IT!

Pindar WA

BY KERRY MARRIOTT WITH TONY CRITCH

Entrance to Pindar.

78 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

Pindar Hotel in wildflower season.

Wreath flowers.

Tourists travelling on the Geraldton - Mt Magnet Road mostly drive straight past the tiny hamlet of Pindar without as much as a sideward glance, let alone venturing in for a look.

The handful of buildings that survive in that settlement of bygone days might look lonely and insignificant to some, but Pindar’s history is anything but.

In wildflower season, Western Australians wander out yonder, and Pindar welcomes them as they pass enroute to see the beautiful wreath flowers which grow prolifically on the nearby Beringarra Road.

Those that do venture into Pindar might be surprised to discover the grand old Pindar Hotel and the unique Stoner and Wright Garage, both isolated and frozen in time, but would be even more surprised if they knew the role both buildings played in supporting an enormous and prosperous wool industry that once thrived in this region.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 79 #

I

n 2017 during a visit to Mullewa, the town of my youth, I was driving the Geraldton-Mt Magnet Road and passing Pindar with local friends when a comment was made inferring that little was known about the history of its pub.

This surprised me, because by nature of my birth I knew plenty about it and had always concluded that the local population would have known likewise.

It was my great grandmother who was largely responsible for building the iconic Pindar Pub and further, my mother was born in one of the upstairs rooms and lived there in her early years. She returned to Pindar in her late teens and worked with her Gran in the pub.

That conversation triggered my memories and as I reflected on past family

conversations relating to the place, I realised that I was probably the only remaining descendant who knew the pub’s history, but more poignantly, possibly the only living person that knew it. With encouragement and assistance and the space of a couple of years later an historical account of Pindar and the pub titled “A Matriarch and the Murchison” was published.

My great grandmother, Mary Augusta Gill, who built the pub in 1907, is the heroine and matriarch in the book. Her first husband, Thomas Jones had tragically died some years previously and by 1907 she had remarried and was by then the mother of six boys, five from the first marriage.

As they found their feet in Pindar the hotel thrived and Gran saw to it that there was diversification.

80 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

The boys owned and worked a couple of farms and a sheep station nearby, but due to drought, depression and family complications over the years, they all moved on, except for my grandfather, Harry A Jones, who remained and lived in Pindar and operated camel and donkey teams north from Pindar, as far as Byro Station, some 300km away.

It was this, the life and times of my grandfather that led to the next book which is very much part of and locked into the Wool Wagon Pathway epilogue.

Harry lived most of his life in Pindar and in the early 1920s he operated his teams on the lower end of what is now called the Wool Wagon Pathway. In the early 1920s, along with his camel and donkey teams, he lugged building materials north from the railhead to create vital station infrastructure including windmills, fencing and woolsheds, and then in season (May to October) he transported some of the many thousands of bales of wool that was shorn in the Murchison back to the Pindar Railhead.

Despite the fact that Pindar was always a small town it became a bustling place, developing to become the biggest railhead for wool in Australia in those early years. Add then the arrival of trucks in the mid to late 1920s, which led to the unceremonious demise of the teamsters and the genesis of the unique and still standing Stoner and Wright garage.

This simple building, which over the years has greatly impressed many, led to the research of the unconventional but outstanding work of Alf Couch and to marvel upon many similar buildings he erected throughout the Murchison.

So it is Alf Thomas Couch who is the undisputed hero of the next publication “Cathedrals of Corrugated Iron”.

“Alf Couch would have been a name known by virtually every inhabitant in the vast Murchison District in the period 1915–1950, but since, as the wealth and notoriety of the area has slowly declined, so too has the name and work of this once renowned, pioneer builder.”

Stoner and Wright Garage on Sharpe Street, Pindar.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 81 #

Map courtesy of: www.outbackpathways.com

The Wool Wagon Pathway epitomises the true Australian outback. It is a land of distinct horizons, glorious vistas, unlimited sunshine, wonderous dawns and sunsets and spectacular night skies.

You will travel through some of Australia's legendary sheep and wool country.

You can drive the Wool Wagon Pathway in either direction. Start at Geraldton or Yalgoo and head north from Pindar, a historic railhead for the region, into the Murchison and Gascoyne. Another option is to drive the Wool Wagon Pathway southward from Exmouth, travelling a remote outback road to Gascoyne Junction and into the Murchison.

For more info, go to: www.outbackpathways.com

82 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

The Wool Wagon Pathway as it has become known, at its zenith was the passageway for this valuable commodity wool, from as far north as Exmouth. It may seem far-fetched to contemplate now, but wool was Australia’s number one income earner right up until the early 1980s so this “pathway” was in fact a vital artery in keeping Australia’s economic health in shape.

Alf Couch’s curved, corrugated iron roofs were seen throughout the Murchison but his six magnificent woolsheds were his testament. Tragically, due to time, tide and the elements, not one of these structures remain.

Two corrugated vaults intersect monastically.

Corrugated iron is a common material yet Alf Couch’s ability to work with this material transcends beyond the outback shed into the realm of the outback Cathedral.

Other examples of Couch’s enduring work are located along the Wool Wagon Pathway at Wooleen and these are special. This property is where he created an eclectic set of structures including the homestead, the stables, the blacksmith shop and workshops. All of these remain as a wonderful static demonstration of his talent. The shearers’ kitchen at the Old Wooleen Woolshed site is “the absolute must-see example” of this talent featuring his innovative vaulted roof.

Couch’s masterpiece was said to be at Boolardy Station which lies just to the north-east of Wooleen. Here was located his most acclaimed woolshed along with a whole arrangement of buildings where all, including the out houses, had his signatory curved roof. It became known as the Boolardy Top Shed Complex.

Some buildings still exist but today this area is seriously out of bounds to the everyday visitor as it is now the home of Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.

My grandfather, Harry Jones, at the Boolardy Top Shed Complex in the 1940s.

Top Shed, Boolardy Station.

Shearers' kitchen, Wooleen Station.

The domed roof was high enough to take the raised arm of a Ferrier Wool Press, and had glass skylights in the main roof as well as above the verandahs.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 83 #

The Boolardy site was chosen by CSIRO as home to the observatory for its unique criteria. It has excellent sky coverage, suburb radio quietness, as well as stable atmospheric and weather conditions. The observatory site was established under an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with the Wajarri Yamaji, Traditional Owners and native title holders of the land.

Close up artist’s impression of SKA-Low antennas in a station.

Photo: DISR

Already home to world-leading telescopes like CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope, the observatory is also the Australian site of the world’s most technologically

ambitious radio telescope project – the international SKA Observatory.

The SKA Observatory will build the two largest radio telescopes in the world, SKA-Mid in South Africa, and SKA-Low in Australia. Both telescopes will combine to explore the universe in unprecedented detail and on-site construction was announced in early December 2022.

Today, Pindar remains the gateway to the Wool Wagon Pathway which is now a popular tourist drive. In Pindar, along with the pub, the recently restored Stoner and Wright garage can be viewed, which conveniently, is a miniature version of Couch’s Woolsheds. The forlorn little house next door was Wright’s dwelling during the period the business operated.

Ten interpretive signs have recently been installed in Pindar to give tourists a picture of the town’s past.

Pindar is located 30km east of Mullewa, the turn-off is on the north side – don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

GENUINE OUTBACK HOSPITALITY YOU DESERVE IT

Plan a stay at the grand old Queen of the Murchison Guest House and soak in the history of Cue. Admire the preserved buildings, fossick for gold, photograph amazing sunsets.

Owner Joyce Penny has created a fresh and homely environment for travellers and workers.

Address: 53 Austin St, Cue 6640 | T: (08) 9963 1625

E: info@queenofthemurchison.com.au | W: www.queenofthemurchison.com.au

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The secret to enjoying any of our trips is to relax and just take it all in your stride.

Our overall goal is to make sure that you see things that otherwise you might not, go places that otherwise you might not visit, and meet some new friends.

If you are new to four-wheel driving in the outback then don’t worry, we aren’t.

We are here to assist you.

It doesn’t have to be extreme to be EPIC Check out our website for upcoming trips

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Contact us on 0456 684 532 adventure@epic4wdtours.com.au

Toyota likes to pitch its RAV4 as a go anywhere type of vehicle, but the caveat list is long!

When a 4WD REALLY ISN'T I’ll apologise in advance to some of you who have worked this out, but for those who might be wading into 4WD ownership for the first time, and relying on the advice of a car salesperson or well-intentioned others, buyer beware.

I

had a phone call last week with a lady I’ll call Julie. Julie rang about participating in a 4WD training session with me. The conversation explained the activities undertaken in the program, when and where, and of course, cost.

With a date selected and payment about to be taken, I asked one more question, “What are you driving?”

“A RAV4,” was the reply.

86 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

The RAV4 does have a locking centre-differential which does afford better mobility, but without LOW range it's better to be stuck in the 'burbs than a boggy beach.

expectations, because I knew Julie was keen to be travelling the length and breadth of the country.

She was livid, and whilst the vehicle was second-hand, it still cost her a bomb that was now dead money.

If you’re like Julie, got some long-service coming or maybe retirement, what constitutes a 4WD?

BY DAVID WILSON

a 4wd “Ah, I’m sorry, but your vehicle isn’t suitable for the course and we’ll have to leave it there”.

After a very pregnant pause Julie came back with, “No, I’m sorry but I do have a 4WD, it has a 4WD button and the car sales guy assured me it would go everywhere my friend’s Prado would”.

I hate these moments, when my realitycheck deflates the balloon of great

There are a couple of clear requisites, one is having a transmission that employs both a HIGH range set of gears and a LOW range set of gears that will propel the vehicle via all four wheels. Another is having a bit of clearance and the undergubbins not shrouded in plastic from one end to the other (although this is becoming an issue on vehicles that fit the 4WD criteria).

There are other considerations obviously.

Picking a wagon over a ute and vice-versa will be a decision based on a personal preference. Some, wanting to sleep in the vehicle, think a wagon is the go (doesn’t turn me on though as I like some space), whereas others want carrying capacity and only a ute will provide that option.

Others tow, so payload is important to them.

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steep or boggy, because LOW range increases the torque output of the motor thanks to the wonder of gears, and is your get-out-of-gaol-free card when conditions go beyond the scope of mere mortals.

That was the point I laboured with Julie. The RAV4 missed that critical element for offroading.

Toyota’s Prado is a nice medium-sized wagon, has full 4WD capability with HIGH and LOW range and decent clearance underneath, but I don’t ever want to sleep in one!

You’ll see part-time 4WD transmissions on just about every commerciallyspecced 4WD going, most dual-cab utes, the 79 series LandCruiser and the Jimny.

What I want to do here is to cover some fundamentals, so Julie and others can go shopping fully informed, instead of blindly and potentially duped.

There are two forms of 4WD, part-time and full-time. Julie’s RAV4 is another category called All-Wheel-Drive (AWD).

See that badge? Mentions nothing about 4WD!

Part-time is the simplest form, using a transmission that relies on 4WD usage only being employed on a loose surface; sand, mud, rock and gravel are A-OK, not bitumen, concrete or paving. The system can engage 4WD at speeds up to 100km/h on dirt (not that that’s necessarily a good idea (100km/h), because it’s too fast on a surface lacking grip) in HIGH range and when selecting LOW range the vehicle needs to be stationary.

The LOW range facility is imperative for those moments when the track becomes

Toyota’s LandCruiser 79 series is about as basic a part-time 4WD you could get and definitely oldschool traditional.

Full-timers are a little different because they run in a form of 4WD on all road surfaces, including bitumen.

Think vehicles like Jeep’s range, Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport and Triton, Toyota’s Prado and Land Cruiser 300, Ford’s Everest, Ranger Wildtrak and Raptor, along with all of Land Rover’s range being typical candidates.

Now, whilst they have power going through all four wheels on a bitumen road, the torque split is biased towards the rear, meaning more energy/driving

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Mitsubishi have a toe in each camp with their Super-Select AWD/4WD transmission that will offer both part and full-time 4WD offerings at the twist of a dial.

Ford’s new Ranger Wildtrak offers a full-time transmission hooked up to a powerful 3.0 litre V6 diesel, when the lesser 2.0 litre four-cylinder diesel version gets part-time. It’s all about pricing and putting bums on seats.

force exits the rear wheels compared to the front. That’s by design, so as not to load up the steering too heavily around town. Having all four wheels being driven will be extremely beneficial on those days when the blacktop is wet or that wellmaintained dirt road makes conditions a handful.

You’ll already know that the job of a differential (that big black round blob seen in the middle of an axle between the wheels) allows wheels to travel at different speeds, essential to make changes in direction. Putting a differential in the middle is genius, because it allows the front end to travel at a different speed to the back end with some inbuilt slip and thus avoid the part-time lurgy of “wind-up”, an axle/differential/ gearbox-busting phenomena borne out of driveline tension.

Now, how is it so, that this form of 4WD can operate on hard surfaces, when a part-timer can’t?

It is all to do with a gadget found in the middle of the transmission called a centre-differential.

Being a dial/button-activated 4WD system, all of these vehicles benefit from

Land Rover’s new Defender follows the Classic Defender’s heritage in being a full-time machine but adds plenty of new high-tech sophistication with its off-road modes.

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some driver intervention in the form of deliberately locking the centre-differential or employing a terrain-mode. Selecting a sand/mud/rock/gravel setting tunes all the differential and engine/wheelspeed traction algorithms to deliver an optimum result. It’s worth noting that in this form you won’t want to be operating on the bitumen, because you’ll likely risk the same breakages as you would have with a part-time jigger.

The overwhelming majority of vehicles sold today are automatics and for good reason, because it’s easy. Julie’s RAV4 was

even more incompetent for trail work because it was a manual. Having a vehicle restricted to only a HIGH range set of gears, with a low-torque petrol engine, slugging it out in sand or mud, is a recipe for a fried clutch! Ouch!

Let’s finish this yarn with clearance. If the underbelly of the car is getting caught in the easiest of settings (read a beach), then its prospects of making solid progress are zero.

Nope, an AWD RAV4 might be a nice car, but a 4WD it isn’t!

Running a RAV4 in the mud is a highly dubious practice as it will get stuck and quickly, and when you’re revving the daylights out of it to restore some motion, you can bet that clutch is going to cop a beating!

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DRIVE TO THE ROCK ...

BUT WALK TO THE TOP

BY DR JOHN H COLLINS

John Collins explains how we can reduce our impact on granite outcrops and the importance of these valuable ecosystems.

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G

ranite landforms have fascinated people the world over from the earliest times. In Western Australia, there are many easily publicly accessible granite outcrops, that are often found located in national parks and other reserves, within an hour’s drive from Perth.

For these reasons, granite formations have become increasingly popular for motorised and non-motorised recreational activities with many locations becoming developed or commercialised for tourism purposes. The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the interesting fundamentals of granite ecosystems including their importance to heritage, conservation, recreation, and utility community use values.

One of the main sources of water for the Aboriginal people were gnamma “holes”.

A gnamma is a natural cavity that are very

commonly found in hard rock, particularly granite outcrops, which act as natural water tanks that are replenished from underground stores and rainwater run-off from the stone catchment. Gnamma vary in shape and depth with many having a small surface area that helps to minimise water loss from evaporation. Grammas are also the simplest type of water supply associated with granite domes.

Perhaps the most important heritage value of granite domes, historically and in the modern-day, is the provision of drinking water. Historically in the Southwest, the Noongar people traditionally travelled country using their six seasons annual calendar to guide them to locations where different types of food was found. They placed great reliance on the water needed to keep people alive which was stored in

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depressions within granite domes. The depressions or gnamma “holes” are sacred sites because of their essential water supply function. These gnamma were safeguarded by a stewardship system and as the water tends to become contaminated with soil and extra debris easily, they were regularly cleaned.

Noongar people would often place slabs of granite rock over the entrances of the smaller gnamma to reduce evaporation and prevent the accidental drowning of wildlife from falling when seeking water. Larger rock-holes such as the pit gnamma located at the base of Derdiden Rock (Shire of Wyalkatchem) are rare and highly valued. Noongar people had strict protocols related to who would drink the gnamma water first. Once the water was found to be safe other people would take turns, one by one, to drink.

Much of Western Australia is arid with low and unpredictable rainfall, so the Aboriginal inhabitants and European explorers, as well as gold seekers, have all relied on water-filled gnamma for their survival. Although rainfall is low and unpredictable, water can be found if you know where to look. Being a scarce and essential requirement to sustain life, limited water supplies caused conflict between groups.

The Kalgoorlie gold rush drove a rapid increase in the number of Europeans needing water to sustain themselves as they sought their fortunes in an arid landscape that become known as the Western Australian goldfields. The Aboriginal owners of these goldfield lands had depended on and protected such seemingly hidden water sources for many thousands of years. However, reportedly the new arrivals often forced this ancient knowledge from the Aboriginal people to help them locate a variety of water sources, that included wells, claypans, soaks and springs.

Although important part of Aboriginal traditional culture, the gnamma does

not yield sufficiently large amounts of water to be developed into public water supplies. Nevertheless, there are traditional Aboriginal cultural practices related to the use, development and, management of gnamma.

For the early European settlers in Western Australia, the gnamma were an important source of water in the parched outback.

History of water collection from granite rocks is well documented in Western Australia, and there are some examples of interest to overland tourists. One account describes how Holland on his trip from Broomhill to Coolgardie in 1903, excavated a shallow well adjacent to a large granite rock dome on the side of Lake Carmody and on other occasions obtained water from gnamma. Since about 1890, public water supplies have been developed, using run-off from granite rock domes at approximately 200 locations throughout the Western Australian wheatbelt. These water storage reservoirs are typically formed by concrete walls, reinforced concrete tanks or excavated earth tanks.

Run off from the granite dome into the reservoir is generally achieved using grouted rock or masonry walls arranged in a slight gradient to direct the rainfall into the holding weir, tank or reservoir.

Although water collection from granite domes has diminished in importance over time, a general increase in water salinity in wheatbelt farmlands increases the value of water catchments on granite outcrops. Water salinity is very low

Niagara Dam in the Shire of Menzies constructed by the Railways Department in 1897-1898.

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from granite dome runoff and the best quality groundwater is associated with and found near large granite outcrops.

Water supplies based on catchment from granite outcrops are also very dependable and the quantity of stored water doesn’t vary from year to year as much as farm dam water supply systems. An added benefit for farm use is that water collected from granite rock water systems has very low levels of turbidity making it an important resource for applications such as pesticide spraying operations.

ANOTHER ERA A good example of granite dome water catchment systems is Beringbooding Rock, which is located 70km north of Mukinbudin on Beringbooding Road, Mukinbudin or approximately 350km east of Perth.

Beringbooding Rock has the largest rock water catchment tank in Australia, built in 1937 and holding two and a quarter million gallons or 10 million litres of rainwater. The tank and catchment were built by hundreds of “Sustenance Labourers” transported from Perth for the project. The water catchment system and the tank was constructed at a cost

of 10,000 pounds (decimal equivalate $20,000) to construct. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia the construction cost was equivalent to $973,811.12 in 2021 currency value. What is sustenance labour?

Sustenance labour was a product of the Great Depression that is said to have commenced when the New York Stock Exchange collapsed on October 24th, 1929. This saw companies collapse, prices for raw materials like wool and wheat plummeted and there was a surge in unemployment. When the world markets collapsed, the effects were eventually felt in almost every corner of Western Australia. During the first six months, unemployment increased from 9.6% to over 15% and continued to a peak of around 25% by December 1930. Government struggled to find ways to end the depression and sometimes came up with policies that only made things worse. In January 1931 the basic wage was cut by 10%. The government reasoned that the now discredited “trickle down” economics concept of putting money back into the bosses' hands would result in them re-investing the savings and thereby stimulate economic activity.

Water catchment bunding at Beringbooding Rock.

Photo: Karl Fehlauer.

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It was thought that a 10% wage reduction would not unduly affect workers' living conditions. However, a 10% income cut to someone earning 2,000 pounds may have been manageable, the same cut to people on less than three pounds per week proved to be disastrous.

A sustenance allowance was introduced, and camps set up for single men with the first being at Blackboy Hill. The scheme provided an opportunity for Roads Boards (local government) projects to suddenly become viable. However, The West Australian (Perth, WA: 1879 1954) of the 15th of August 1933 reported that the sustenance allowance scheme operated by the Darling Range Road Board would end, causing the dismissal of 25 sustenance workers. These men could only be replaced with four full-time workers.

Although life in the country at least held the promise of milk and some basic foods, over 700 farms were abandoned in 1932 and in the following year Western Australia voted to secede from the federation, although this never eventuated. Farmers often stood by their community and if a farmer was declared bankrupt, it was not unusual for all the local farmers to turn up to the mortgagee auction. Any strangers were taken to one side and told to get out or to keep quiet. Goods were then purchased for a few pence each and handed back to the original owner at the end of the auction.

Many people believe that this practice was a demonstration of Australian mateship at its very best!

HOW IS GRANITE FORMED? Granite is one of the most abundant rocks on earth. It is an igneous rock, formed from molten lava below the earth surface, and characterised by large crystals of quartz, feldspar, mica and hornblende.

The continents are dominated by granite.

It forms the ancient cores of long eroded continents that like Australia, once had

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Examples of Red Granite outcrops in the Murchison.

lofty peaks and impressive mountain ranges connected with the youngest continental mountain ranges.

Granite is formed in several different ways. Some granite was formed in areas between the continents as they drifted apart, but most formed in zones of collision between continents and ocean crusts, and regions where continents were amalgamated. About 1,300 million years ago, three rafts of continental crusts were joined and formed the major part of what is now the Australian continent.

Some of the relics of various continental collisions in Western Australia can be seen as old, deeply eroded mountain belts, like the Porongurups. One of these continental rafts now makes up the southern Western Australian Yilgarn Block. The Yilgarn Block is an ancient continental mass primarily of granite that was formed around 2,600 million years ago as smaller rafts of continental crust amalgamated and formed zones of granite. Today the Yilgarn Block has been eroded to become the flat land zone we are used to seeing today, and it is therefore one of the oldest land masses on the earth.

In Western Australia the shape and topography of granite outcrops varies widely. They may be massive single or multiple dome shaped rocks that dominate the surrounding landscape, piles of tumbled boulders or flat sheets of granite at soil level.

The main features of an outcrop are associated with the rock surface, which may have been sculptured by erosion over millions of years. The rock surface varies according to its mineral composition from smooth to rough and with fissures, crevices, cracks, pits, and dimples. Detached or partly attached flat rock slabs may be on the surface.

Rounded boulders, mushroom shaped rocks, or caves that have been formed by erosion, may be found on the rock, or scattered around its base. Despite the seemingly inhospitable nature of granite dome surfaces, they are home to an amazing variety of plants and animals.

Flourishing Flora & Fauna Surrounding the outcrop is a soil “apron” of varying depths. This “apron” is usually the area where water that runs off the rock accumulates. The “apron” zone is

The Ornate Dragon (Ctenophorus ornatus) or ornate crevice-dragon is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. It is found on a limited number of granite outcrops of Western Australia. This image also shows an example of a Grey Granite Outcrop located in a high-rainfall zone.

Photo: Dave Robinson.

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very important and often provides a habitat that is utilised by different plants and animals from those found on the rock. The habitat of individual outcrops is determined by a number of factors that include: present-day rainfall; geological climate history; the configuration and topography of the granite outcrop; and the surrounding historical land use.

Together these informing factors create sharply defined habitat zones and so determine which plants and animals can survive on or around the outcrop.

In Western Australia, granite outcrops have been categorised into three major rainfall zones. The high rainfall zone is between 800mm and 1400mm, the transitional zone is between 300mm and 800mm, and the arid zone are areas with less than 300mm of precipitation annually. The rocks within these three zones can be more or less defined by their colour; grey rocks in the high rainfall zone, brown rocks in the transitional zone and red rocks in the low rainfall zone. These colour differences are due to the presence or absence of specific organisms, such as the different species of lichens that are determined by the local rainfall gradient. There are major habitats to be found on or surrounding each granite outcrop.

A sundew is a genus of approximately 152 carnivorous plant species in the family Droseraceae. Sundews are widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions, especially in Australia. Carnivory does not provide sundews with energy but rather supplies nutrients, particularly nitrogen, in poor soil conditions.

Photos: Thilo Krueger.

Granite rock sheets can be bare and exposed but they may also be covered in lichens, mosses and bacteria. These granite slabs may be detached from the parent rock, or they may be semi attached but both provide shelter and protection that is utilised by insects, spiders and other small fauna. These neighbourhood tenant species in turn attract predators such as lizards and birds, together with feral apex predators including foxes and cats.

Cracks and crevices are also important habitat. Horizontal cracks may provide shelter for invertebrates as well as lizards and geckos. Vertical cracks may be filled with soil and provide root spaces for ferns,

Example of a Sward that has a distinctive vegetation complex, comprising plants that love the granite soils and/or the extra moisture that is collected on the outcrop.

Photo: Thilo Krueger.

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pincushions and larger shrubs. These cracks may also channel and hold water.

Holes and caves under and among tumbled boulders may provide shelter for larger animals such as echidnas, wallabies, goannas, and pythons. Small holes could be homes to dunnarts, native mice, and bandicoots. When light can enter the cabins delicate plants such as rock isotome (Isotoma petraea) and wild tobacco may grow.

Swards or rock meadows are soil filled shallow depressions of the granite rock or around the edge of the outcrop that provides habitat for plants to grow.

Swards contain a series of different plants which flower over winter or spring. These plants are also especially adapted to survive when the soil is baked dry during our long hot summers. Swards are home to many small invertebrates and of course the predators wanting to eat the resident fauna species.

Islands of shrubs or trees may occur on outcrops where the soil has accumulated to adequate depth. These plants are often dwarfed and twisted and may reach great age because of their isolation has protected them from fire. Scrubby thickets will often occur in areas around the rock where water runs and collects, and the soil is deep enough to support the plants root system. These thickets are important nest sites and food sources for many insects, birds, and mammals. Common shrubs in these areas are tea trees, tammas, hakea, grevilleas, and wattles. The apron around granite outcrops has a different species assemblage.

A common tree on the apron of granite outcrops is the rock sheoak as it germinates perfectly after a disturbance and forms a dense growth of young saplings. Many saplings die and gradually, over a period of years,

Yorkrakine Rock Nature Reserve is off Yorkrakine Rock Road, north of Tammin and south of Wyalkatchem. It is an example of a Brown Granite Outcrop showing a shrub tree island.

Photo: H. McGreal.

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the thicket changes to become an open woodland of large sheoak trees. Before clearing for agricultural land, the granite outcrops would have been surrounded by woodlands. Granite outcrops will be most ecologically valuable if they are surrounded with untouched remnant natural habitat (uncleared woodlands).

Changing land uses, such as the overuse of picnic areas or motorised recreation, can threaten the values associated with granite domes as they are not as rugged as they first appear to a casual observer. In fact, a renowned granite outcrop researcher has noted that vehicle wheel track damage to swards has not shown appreciable signs of regeneration in the more than four decades that he has been monitoring the site! Many of the conservation, recreation, heritage

and utility values can be impacted by inappropriate use of granite outcrops.

Table 1 outlines the values, threats, conflicts and management challenges that land managers and custodians need to consider. This threat matrix also provides detailed information that will be of interest to motorised recreationalists concerned about keeping their chosen hobby low impact, which in turn reduces the prospect of areas being closed to this interest due to environmental degradation of the land. For this reason, it is best to appreciate granite outcrops by driving to the rock and then carefully walking to the top. There are many interesting sights that will reward the curious who take the time to carefully observe the flora and fauna of these special Western Australian surroundings.

An example of an overused picnic/camping area near Yalgoo.

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AUSTRALIA'S UNRECOGNISED HEROES The Carey Downs ”D” Company, No.5 Sector, Section 3 of the 11th North-West Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC).

BY DR JOHN H COLLINS

Squadron Leader Donald Thomson training the Northern Territory Special Reconnaissance Unit (NTSRU).

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Many readers may be unaware that during World War Two, Australia had a "Dad's Army", that was similar in form and organisation to the British Home Guard. hese rag-tag groups of people have historically gone unrecognised, and I suspect were probably considered a “bit of a joke” due to a lack of resourcing.

However, recent military fights clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of guerrilla warfare waged by a motivated, under-resourced, but hardy population protecting their homeland even against the world’s most powerful military forces. I believe that any 11th North-West Battalion (11th N-W Bn) encounters would have been significant had our homeland been invaded during the hostilities of the 1940's. It is unfortunate that the efforts of so many remain unrecognised by the military establishment and unidentified by the wider Australian community.

While members of the VDC were in theory awarded the Australian Service Medal 1939-45 for three years' part time service, unfortunately, most members of the 11th N-W Bn had their period of enlistment terminated at around two years and six months of service as the war moved north towards Japan and the imminent threat of invasion contracted.

Photo: Australian War Memorial RC02370

T

ANZAC Day at Gascoyne Junction My interest in Australia’s WW2 history began with the persistent experience reported in ANZAC DAY at Anjo Peninsular (Western 4W Driver #121) printed before ANZAC Day 2022.

Like many people, I was not fully aware that my family are a significant part of this Australian “Dad’s Army” which is an extraordinary bush military history that I really only discovered accidently.

It didn’t sit well with me once I realised the efforts of many people, some of whom are my immediate family and many more unknown individuals, is “pretty much” forgotten. So, I decided that with ANZAC Day 2023 approximately one month after the publication of this edition, together with the ANZAC Day event planned at Gascoyne Junction, there is an encumberment upon me to Australia. c.1942. Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) members investigate the 11th N-W Bn “D” conduct an incendiary exercise using home-made bombs.

The VDC was to engage in guerrilla warfare to the best of its Company Carnarvon with my ability should the Japanese invade the country. father Monty’s service as the Photo: Australian War Memorial P02018.091 representative volunteer.

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Cutting the Empire Apron Strings?

Successive Australian governments since the 1920s recognised that Japan posed a potential military threat, but lack of will and resources, as well as an excessive reliance on Britain, led to a long period of neglect of Australia’s armed forces.

In 1937, with a European war imminent, the Australian government significantly increased its expenditure on defence and its recruiting for the home-based militia or Citizen Military Force (CMF).

In July 1940, on the initiative of the Returned Sailors’, Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia (now RSL), the Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) was formed for volunteers exempted from the militia or CMF but willing to train for roles in guerrilla warfare, local defence and reconnaissance.

Nearly 30 per cent of men liable for service in the CMF were exempted by the Manpower Directorate because they worked in ‘essential services’ and nearly 14 per cent more were graded medically unfit to serve or older than 35 years old. In addition to combating labour shortages in strategic areas, the Directorate imposed industrial conscription being the sole power to decide who worked where.

This included issuing identity cards

to all Australian adults together with organising raids on hotels and racetracks to round up those evading war work.

Monty was one of the first 50 Western Australians to be awarded a Private Pilots Licence. He was trained by the Brealey Brothers (later Sir Norman and Wing Commander Stanley, DFC) of the Perth Flying School at Maylands Airport. Nell Collins wrote that …“With the RAAF suffering an acute shortage of airmen, in early 1940 Monty volunteered and was accepted to become a Flight Instructor. However, this acceptance was cancelled by the Manpower Directorate, and he was ordered to remain at his job managing Glenburgh Station. In 1942 Monty, joined the VDC as they were looking for skilled bushmen volunteers to be trained into guerrilla war type teams organised by the Australian military. This involved regular training periods for the whole period of the war”. Nell’s brother served in the RAAF as a flight instructor who trained Spitfire pilots while posted in Britain.

The 11th North-West Battalion Area of Operation

The 11th N-W Bn VDC geographically covered an area of about 1,294,994 square kilometres (500,000 square miles) that extended from Shark Bay northwards to Mount House Station and Wyndham in the Kimberley. The volunteers performed a very important part in the defence of the north-west. Prior to garrison troops being made available, the full responsibility for the defence of the coastal area was on the shoulders of the 11th These two Federal trucks were owned by the Collins family at N-W Bn to guard all the Glenburgh Station. They are an example of station motor transport that was available to VDC troops! Monty Collins is standing. ports, assisting in loading Photo: Photographic History of Carnarvon and the Gascoyne Region and unloading ships,

by Cecily Agnus Miller 1996.

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keeping observation posts manned and construction of Anti-Aircraft posts and slit trenches.

The 11th North-West Battalion Command and Control Structure The 11th N-W Bn was under the command of Major R. T McInerny and based in Port Hedland with an alternative battalion headquarters located at Indee Station. The battalion was then broken into four smaller groups or companies with alternative headquarters named after the stations to which the section leader belonged. Group A company was located at Mount Anderson Station, which is located on the Fitzroy River to the south of Derby. Company B was located at Indee Station. Company C was centered on the coastal Ningaloo Station to the southwest of Exmouth. Company D was located at Mardathuna Station northeast of Carnarvon. Each company was then made up of sections that were named for the station to which the section leader resided. This method of organisation was adopted because the volunteers were being trained to fight a guerrilla war, and

"Dot" Healey astride Spike with the ever faithful Buddy and Bobby (in the shade) at Glenburgh Station c1961.

this was the only viable plan where men are spread over such vast distances. The section locations were chosen by taking into consideration the most suitable point to where the men could quickly converge or rendezvous while considering the availability of communication facilities such as telegraph, telephone, radio or message runners. It was estimated that it would take up to 48 hours under normal conditions, with available motor transport that was privately owned by the stations, for all personnel to assemble at the section rendezvouses.

Forming Guerrilla Bands and Preparedness

An example of the famous “Pedal-Set” High Frequency (HF) Radio used on many stations during and following WW II. Invented by Alfred Traeger after he was contacted by Rev John Flynn to assist in experiments which were to enable remote families access to medical treatment by using radio equipment. The HF Radio was used by the Royal Flying Doctor for decades and the technology helped to educate generations of “School of the Air” children living in remote locations.

Meanwhile, inland volunteers were being enlisted and formed into guerrilla bands by regular Army officers. This required the Army staff to travel in Blitz trucks loaded with available supplies, rifles and other equipment as a Japanese invasion was believed to be imminent.

The population was unprepared as demonstrated by “A”

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Company WO2 Buckingham, who reported coming upon a band of about six men in the Kimberley who had armed themselves with a “fair-sized” heap of napped stones as their only defence against invading troops! Another group of men nearby had gathered a collection of large rocks that they proposed rolling down-hill to engage the invaders.

Fortunately, the different defence strategies were not tested in anger!

Mounted Guerrilla Troops Inland groups such as miners and including station personnel were armed and equipped as mounted guerrilla troops and they were trained to operate as such. It was also considered that it would take between seven and ten days for sufficient horses to be concentrated at various strategic points. It was anticipated that these mainly inland sections would remain long distances from the shoreline and as such could not be expeditiously used for coastal or beach defences. However, the military considered mounted troops to be invaluable for operations against airborne or paratroops that might endeavour to seize in land potential aerodromes.

Medical Support, Resourcing and Preparedness Each company area had a medical officer or doctor appointed who, in emergency, had the responsibility of moving the aid posts to concealed positions as the occasion demanded within their respective areas. Surgical paniers, stretchers, splints and other medical supply items were sent to each Company, which were held in reserve for use in the case of hostilities. A well-trained medical section was established by “D” Company and Dr Piccles, who practiced in Carnarvon, was the designated Medical Officer. As with other groups, “D” Company identified various places as Aid Post locations so that in the event of hostilities, the Doctor and the

medical staff could move patients from one locale to the next as the up-to-date tactical situation necessitated. The “D” Company movement plan was to shift the Aid Posts firstly from Carnarvon to Brickhouse Station, then Doorawarra Station, then Jimba Jimba Station, then the Gascoyne Junction settlement and then to Carey Downs Station. Patients would be transported in a covered utility modified to carry two stretchers, which had been donated by Mr Patrick Young of Carnarvon who was a member of the “D” Company Mobile Medical Unit. Only two other patient transport vehicles, carrying two stretchers each, were available for the remaining three northern Companies of the 11th Battalion!

Evacuation Plans Each VDC Section was responsible for the development and implementation of their own evacuation plan. These prescriptive evacuation plans would operate if and when evacuation was ordered by a superior authority. Each Company of the VDC was responsible for the evacuation of women, children and the infirmed, which was carefully planned and formulated, although Aboriginal people do not appear to have been included in these departure procedures. For example, the Roy Hill (“B” Coy, Section 8) evacuation plan described how the station’s eight wives and ten children would be transported

Billy Collins with Elsie Collins Fitzgerald at Maylands Airfield.

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A secluded permanent river pool in the Shire of Upper Gascoyne that is similar to the Carrandibby Gorge bivouac location.

including the allocation of private cars with their identified drivers and particular destination locations. The plan prescribed who would muster saddle horses with the assistance of Aboriginal stockmen who would then be “dropped” at the Roy Hill Station Yards.

Carey Downs Station, No.5 Sector, Section 3.

My particular interest is No.5 Sector, Section 3 with Section Leader William Edward “Billy” Collins, an uncle who owned Carey Downs Station, and associated activities that communicate at least part of my families VDC World War Two story. Other Sector No. 5 Sections were established at Lyons River Station (S1), Mount Philip Station (S2), Landor Station (S4), Mulgul Station (S5), Yarlarweelor Station (S6) and, Three Rivers Station (S7). The “D” Company Carnarvon Section No. 6 comprised sections Boolathana Station (S1), Manberry Station (S2), Coorralya Station (S3), Callagidy Station (S4), Woodleigh Station (S5), Shark Bay (S6 & S7), and Carnarvon Town (S8).

Together “D” Company Section Nos. 5 & 6 anticipated they would be able to field a trained and mounted guerrilla force of 193 VDC soldiers.

Merton “Monty” Montague Collins at Glenburgh Station.

Carey Downs Station Evacuation Plan The Carey Downs Section evacuation plan appears to have been very Collins family centric. The Collins extended family planned to bivouac at Carrandibby Gorge which has a permanent water supply and shelter. The Carrandibby Gorge is near other permanent water sources associated with the Wooramel River so that they had other options if their location became compromised.

The site is within a triangle of roads that would have been useful for resupply and other transport needs. The encampment site chosen was also relatively close to a bush telephone system that was partly reliant on the stock fence wires. This would have allowed the troops to easily connect using the Type “J” British Military Field-Telephones of the day. I suspect a Pedal-Set Radio would have been located at the encampment too so that messages could be received from other VDC Sections.

The group comprised the Billy Collins family, the Alan Douglas Milne family (Grace Milne nee Collins) the Monty Collins Family and the John Percy

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PRIVATE MERTON MONTAGUE COLLINS W76975 SERVICE DATE OF BIRTH PLACE OF BIRTH DATE OF ENLISTMENT LOCALITY ON ENLISTMENT PLACE OF ENLISTMENT NEXT OF KIN DATE OF DISCHARGE POSTING AT DISCHARGE

AUSTRALIAN ARMY 13 APRIL 1906 CARNARVON, WA 13 MAY 1942 CARNARVON, WA CARNARVON, WA COLLINS, NELL 29 DECEMBER 1944 11 BATTALION VOLUNTEER DEFENCE CORPS

Example of a Service Record that can be sourced from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Fitzgerald family (Elsie Fitzgerald nee Collins). It is unclear if other neighbouring families were included as the actual documented evacuation plan hasn’t been located, however, this information has been provided to me by two of Alan Douglas Milne’s daughters, Joan and Grace.

Family members 11th North-West Battalion, No.5 Sector, Section 3 VDC who served include, Merton Montague Collins, William Edward “Billy” Collins, Alan Douglas Milne, Richard Montague Milne, Kenneth Alan Milne, Mark Henry Critch, John Percy Fitzgerald, and neighbour Peter Alfred “Dot” Healy. Other Collins family members served in the regular forces as members of the RAAF, Army, Merchant Navy, and the RAF. Their service to Australia is formally recognised and memorialised elsewhere.

War Memorial plaque at Yirrkala, in the Northern Territory in memory of the Yolngu men.

Photo: Joy Dalgleish courtesy of Virtual War Memorial Australia.

“It Should Not Be Forgotten”

memorial that acknowledges these volunteers firstly within the Shire of Upper Gascoyne. Perhaps this mainly Collins family reflection will stimulate interest and perhaps others will begin to more widely research their own families to include all the 11th N-W Bn volunteers.

This is genuine Australian bush heritage and rangeland history.

Researching this story has highlighted the lack of information available about the efforts of VDC volunteers and many other people within Australia. I intend, that with the assistance of others interested in this period, to be able to populate and construct some form of

It is very apparent that there are many untold stories from this period of our history that need to be remembered and I hope ANZAC Day stories become an ongoing feature of the Western 4W Driver. In the poetic words of Rudyard Kipling…“Lest We Forget”.

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Historic story of

Love, Jealousy, Adultery & Murder in the WA Outback

BY COLIN KERR

Today, an all sealed road runs between Kalgoorlie and Kanowna, but the last train to Kanowna ran in the 1930s.

Kanowna’s population peaked in 1899 and slowly but surely declined when gold was becoming harder to find, and by 1953 it had been entirely abandoned.

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When gold was discovered in good quantities in Kalgoorlie in 1893, history records that it started one of the biggest gold rushes ever seen as hopeful miners and prospectors flocked into the area from all around the world. s they quickly spread out through the region, rich gold deposits were also reported in a number of other nearby locations, some of which are still producing huge quantities of gold from open cut and underground operations today.

In a recent visit to the now deserted ghost town of Kanowna, we called into the town’s historic cemetery where we were surprised to see several Japanese graves (sadly the headstones on the graves, with Japanese calligraphy, lay smashed and neglected). Knowing that in the early days out here in the WA goldfields there were very few Asians (unlike the goldfields in Eastern Australia), we were curious and in a subsequent investigation found quite an intriguing story behind them.

Back in the early days, one of these locations was at Kanowna (originally known as White Feather), around 20km north-east of Kalgoorlie, where the townsite was gazetted in 1894. By 1899, with good quantities of both alluvial (surface) gold (and seam gold from small underground mines) still being found, the town of Kanowna was a bustling community of 12,500. In its heyday this was a modern community with shops, a post office, a hospital, 16 hotels, two breweries and an hourly train service to Kalgoorlie.

Final resting places side by side of Ji Yano and Sono Samamoto.

A

It transpires that in the boom times out here, a Japanese couple, Yabu Chomatsu and his wife, Sono Samamoto, were laundry workers in Kalgoorlie. When their relationship broke down early in 1902, Sono moved to Kanowna where she began living and working with another laundry worker named Jintiro Yano.

Entry to Kanowna Pioneer Cemetery.

An intriguing side issue here was that laundries in those days were often a cover for prostitutes, and Sono was an active participant in this trade (out the back of the laundry) and Yano acted as her ‘pimp’!

Later that year, Sono’s husband (Yabu), apparently still smarting after she left him in Kalgoorlie and jealously finding she was now in a new relationship with Ji Yano in Kanowna, Yabu (who was known to be a violent man), bought a revolver and bullets from a Kalgoorlie ironmonger and on 10 December 1902 he took the 5.30pm train to Kanowna. On arrival

An excerpt from Hema's WA state map.

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the TOWN's NAME Kanowna’s past alternative name, White Feather, is believed to have come from a violent dispute between two groups of miners where one of the groups during the altercation, took to their heels, running away showing a lack of courage. The remaining men named the lease in memory of this event. When the Government decided to declare a townsite however, the Under Secretary of Mines (HC Prinsep) stated that the Aboriginal name of the place was Kanowna, and this was gazetted in 1894.

The name reputedly came from the Aboriginal word ‘Kana’ or ‘gana’, which means ‘place of no sleep’ or ‘can’t sleep’. The term supposedly referred to the extremely stony ground in the area making it an unpleasant place to camp.

There is debate however, that the name Kanowna may not, in fact, have come from this Aboriginal background at all.

It seems that one of the early diggers out here came from Kanowna Station on Cooper Creek in South Australia and brought the name with him!

Headstone for Ji Yano.

he calmly walked to the house where Sono and Ji Yano were living and shot them dead as they ate their dinner. He apparently then caught a train back to Kalgoorlie. One report however, tells that Yabu actually rode his bicycle 20km each way from Kalgoorlie.

When police eventually caught up with him, he didn’t give up without a fight and opened fire on Constable JP Brown who had been sent to apprehend him.

The constable instantly returned fire, wounding Yabu and taking him into custody.

During a high profile, well-publicised trial for wilful murder where Yabu claimed in his defence that he had been provoked by finding his wife in the ‘act of adultery’ (and claiming he should only be on trial for manslaughter) and the judge referring to Yabu’s ‘demented’ state of mind, he was found guilty of murder and was initially sentenced to death but this was eventually commuted to life imprisonment.

Today, there is very little left of this once busy centre of Kanowna with only a series of small signs in the bush showing where the main buildings and infrastructure was once located. If you look closely

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GOLD HOAX

Headstone for Sono Samamoto.

you can still see some old garden beds and footpaths.

Just out of town, the historic cemetery, mostly neglected and pretty overgrown, is still easily accessible off the main road and contains a number of old graves with other sad and tragic stories to be told.

At the time when gold production was showing signs of slowing, local priest, Father DP Long, was tricked into believing that a large and quite long gold nugget weighing about 45kg had been discovered in the area. He was sworn to secrecy but his excitement over the nugget could not be contained, and the ‘sacred slug’ or ‘golden sickle’ nugget was soon common knowledge. With the passing days, angry prospectors demanded to know where it had been found.

Eventually Father Long dramatically announced the location (he had been told) to more than 1,000 anxious diggers from the balcony of a local hotel. A short-lived rush ensued and many claims were pegged – but no gold was found. It had all been an elaborate hoax!

The graves of Sono (age 26) and Yano (age 49) lie side by side, neglected with broken headstones laying on the ground. Nearby we found another broken and neglected Japanese grave which we found was of Sono’s daughter, Misayo Yabu, who died as an infant.

Today, after the discovery in 1986 of further large amounts of underground gold, the Kanowna Belle open cut/underground mine continues to produce good amounts of payable gold from its operations.

Final resting place at Kanowna for Misayo Yabu, Sono Samamoto's infant daughter.

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CAMPER COMPLIANCE Is your offroad camper compliant and legal to be on the road?

Here’s what David Goulding of Camper Trailers WA has learnt in his 32 years of business.

S

BY DAVID GOULDING CAMPER TRAILERS WA PTY LTD

ome people may think towing is as easy as connecting up your trailer to a tow vehicle’s hitch ball and away you go.

But if you want to tow on sand, mud, or corrugated tracks and not damage your tow vehicle, there’s a bit more to it than that.

400kg. Fill two water tanks at 200L (200 kg) and it's likely you are NOT LEGAL to be on the road. The road authorities (weights and measures regulators) are now clamping down on this and taking RVs off the road — so manufacturers, WATCH OUT!

Start by keeping the tare weight (camper empty) as close to 1 tonne as possible. This will allow you to have a greater payload (carry capacity).

When hiring out my offroad campers, the first thing I ask my customers –

Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM)

is tare weight plus the maximum payload.

Example:

Eureka series 2 offroad camper Tare weight: ATM: Payload:

1 tonne 2 tonne 1 tonne

My experience in selling campers/ caravans over the years is that most manufacturers allow payloads of just

“Is your tow vehicle downball rating adequate to tow my camper?”

TIP: Check your car manual or Google it!

Example:

Eureka offroad camper downball weights on drawbar Camper’s empty downball weight – 150kg Camper’s typical downball weight (load) – 200kg Hence your tow vehicle/4WD should have a rating on the tow hitch of 200kg max to be legal to tow a Eureka offroad camper.

The only way to be sure of your weights is to take the camper/caravan over a public weighbridge, before and after loading up. It’s inexpensive and gives you peace

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of mind. I don’t think there are many caravans on the road today that are under weight. Something to consider on your next purchase, or when over-taking one on the open road at 100km/h plus.

When at the weighbridge disconnect your tow vehicle and weigh it without the camper connected. You might find that you vehicle is not lawful when loaded up, exceeding your manufacturer's Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM).

Are the 240v fittings and appliances compliant?

Questions to ask yourself Did you check the VIN plate when purchasing/hiring your camper/caravan?

Can you locate this certificate and has it been filled out correctly?

Has your camper/caravan been worked on by a Licensed Tradesman in WA? WA has some of the strictess regulations in the land, which is peace of mind with so many campers/caravans being imported!

Is your new/used camper/caravan safe to use? Is it roadworthy?

Does it match what’s on the rego papers or the actual weights when you took it over the public weighbridge? BUYER BEWARE! This camper has a very good payload of 960kg, meaning I can take my 3.75m dinghy and 15hp motor camping as well!

Are the gas fittings/appliances on the camper/caravan compliant?

When was it last checked?

These are all important questions to ask yourself to ensure your camper is compliant, legal and most importantly safe, when travelling on the roads. The last thing you want on your trip out yonder is a broken chassis from too much weight sending you home with your tail between your legs.

When in doubt — ask an expert.

Can you locate this WA Compliance Badge and has it been filled out or is it missing because it has been imported?

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PRODUCT REVIEW

by CHRIS MORTON

light-weight power house Late last year, the team at Projecta stepped into the lithium battery market, leveraging years of experience from parent company, Brown and Watson International. “Not another lithium battery!” I am hearing you say, however, hear me out. I think the team have managed to deliver a highperformance battery without going over the top in price.

compatible with most battery mounts and locations. Despite what some manufacturers claim, I would not consider placing a lithium battery under the bonnet.

he Projecta lithium LB100-BT utilises LiFePO4 chemistry, which is considered the safest of all the lithium battery technologies and is equipped with an inbuilt Battery Management System (BMS). The BMS provides the battery protection against under/ over voltage as well as against heat. It also monitors individual cell voltages, balancing them when required.

Projecta have undertaken extensive testing against a range of competitor batteries and found many of their claimed discharge rates were not correct.

I can only offer anecdotal evidence based on what I have experienced or observed and agree. It’s my opinion that you do get what you pay for.

T

Like almost every new device coming to market, the LB100-BT is equipped with Bluetooth, allowing you to connect to your smart device to monitor battery status, current, state of charge (as a percentage) and any alarms that may have been triggered.

It can be installed with up to three other identical batteries in both series and parallel. A three year warranty and more than 2000 cycles provides anyone thinking of buying one some peace of mind.

The battery is housed in a standardised N70 case, and weighs 12kg, making it

What I really liked about this unit is its ability to discharge at up to 150 amps, able to power up to a 2000-amp inverter, making it ideal for caravan and 4WD applications. When I compare this new battery to the two I installed in the Ranger, there is more than a 30% saving per battery, for the same performance.

Hind-sight is a wonderful thing.

I went and bought a Projecta lithiumfriendly mains charger as well as their new dc-dc charging unit for a battery system upgrade on our caravan. I’ve removed the two 100aH lead acid batteries as well as the old charging system and am going to replace it with this new system. At a conservative 80% utilisation, compared with 50% of the old batteries, I will only be 20Ah worse off, while saving more than 40kg in weight.

With plenty of solar capacity already fitted to the roof of the caravan and being able to keep the battery topped up while driving, this is not really a great concern.

If we find that we need additional power, there is still room for a second battery to

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expand our storage capacity, if required.

Are you still sitting on the fence when it comes to lithium batteries? These are some things to think about when considering your next battery upgrade.

Energy density: Lithium-ion batteries have a much higher energy density compared to lead-acid batteries, which means they can store more energy in a smaller and lighter package. This makes them ideal where weight and size are critical factors.

Efficiency: Lithium-ion batteries have a higher efficiency rating, meaning they waste less energy as heat and can deliver more of their stored energy as usable power.

Cycle life: Lithium-ion batteries have a much longer cycle life compared to lead-acid batteries, meaning they can be charged and discharged many more times before their capacity begins to degrade. This can lead to lower replacement costs and less environmental waste over time.

Self-discharge rate: Lithium-ion batteries have a much lower self-discharge rate compared to lead-acid batteries, meaning they retain their charge for longer when not in use. This makes them more convenient for applications where the battery may be left unused for extended periods.

Operating temperature range: Lithiumion batteries can operate over a much wider temperature range compared to lead-acid batteries, making them suitable for use in a broader range of environments and applications.

Cost: Although lithium-ion batteries are typically more expensive upfront than lead-acid batteries, their longer cycle life and higher energy density can make them a more cost-effective solution over the long term, especially for applications where the battery is frequently charged and discharged.

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BUSH MECHANICS with GEOFF LEWIS

NON-TECH TOOLS Many of us may feel that we need to take a fancy tool kit when heading out on our next adventure and this is partly true, though it is another added cost for many who are just starting out.

W

ell, some of the best tools can be found not at your local hardware store but instead at your local markets or second-hand store. These tools may have fixed and saved a few stricken travellers over the years already, but still have plenty to offer.

Many older tools are better quality than their newer revivals, are much easier in their operation, and don't require ... you guessed it ... batteries.

Here are a couple of tools that I think might be worth looking out for next time you're browsing through your local weekend market or second-hand store.

Soldering iron We are all well versed in the electric and gas soldering irons but there was a time when both electric and gas weren't commonplace. These soldering irons are nothing more than a chunk of steel on the end of an iron rod that can be heated up

by simply lighting a small fire on the side of the road or using your fire at camp to heat the soldering iron.

The advantage of these soldering irons is that they are simple, they don't require a large power inverter to run them, and you don't have to worry about them running out of gas or having to pack additional gas to run them.

Fencing pliers These can be one of the handiest tools you can take away with you. I have fixed and fashioned many things over the years with my fencing pliers and these are designed to work with heavy gauge fencing wire and can cut, bend, etc. with greater ease than their other plier counterparts.

Jack The bottle jack is a must and can be found in many second-hand stores. They can be easily rebuilt, though there is always the problem with the hydraulic seal failing. So

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my next suggestion when you're on next bargain hunt is to keep your eyes out for a screw jack or mechanism-driven jack.

Hydraulics is a relatively new addition and before this, all jacks used a basic worm drive system. The advantage with these is that they don't rely on hydraulic fluid and therefore don't fail and don't go down over time when under pressure.

The drawback is that they required more effort to jack up your 4x4 as you don't have the hydraulic ease and assistance.

However, you will definitely work off your lunch or get your steps up without having to take one step. There is always a bright side to anything.

Stillsons / the humble pipe wrench Sometimes a spanner just isn't enough.

This can be the case with hub nuts on stub axles which have failed on trailers and campers due to overheating. A simple box hub spanner won't provide enough leverage and at this point, you don't care about saving the nut, you just want it off so you can fit the new wheel bearings and hub nuts before nightfall. Not much to ask for, right?

I carry a small set of Stillsons which were given to me by my grandfather who bought them back in 1950 as an apprentice plumber in the UK. I now carry them in my Land Rover and they have come in handy more times than I can remember, especially if you have that one nut that is one size up from your spanner or socket set. Yes, it might damage the nut when taking it off and putting it back on, if not done correctly, but if it gets you to where you need to go, that is all that matters.

These are just a few examples and there are many more. So next time you are planning your next big adventure or maybe the shed is looking a bit empty, it might be time to go tool shopping because let's be honest ... You can never have enough tools.

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WHAT'S IN A NAME? with PHIL BIANCHI

Lonely Bush Graves & strange deaths Many a soul has left their bones in Western Australia’s vast outback and deserts. Often these graves are remote and forgotten, with only a wooden cross or a cross marked out on the ground with rocks to show the burial. Unfortunately, some are buried, but their name is unknown. Although unknown, at least their body was buried rather than be left to the elements or torn apart by animals. Many others died in unusual circumstances or like Alfred Gibson and Ludwig Leichhardt who just disappeared in the desert.

Stephen Grace (died 1907) On his return from the 1906-1907 expedition to determine the feasibility of a stock route between Wiluna and Halls Creek, Alf Canning reported seeing auriferous country a few miles northeast of Karara Soaks (later to be Well 24). A party of four prospectors Robert Kirkpatrick (leader), Bill Kirkpatrick, William Phillips and Stephen Grace followed Canning’s tracks from Wiluna, northward to Weld Spring and then

to the McKay Range where they spent some time prospecting. On 24 August 1907, while camped at Gunanya Spring, reports claim they were awoken by their barking dogs as about 50 Aboriginal people, native to the area, approached to attack.

Phillips and Grace received wounds which at that time did not appear serious.

After some treatment the party agreed to go eastwards and check the country reported as gold bearing by Canning.

Finding it wasn’t auriferous they headed back west, towards the Rabbit Proof Fence. By this time Grace’s condition had worsened.

Prospectors: Stephen Grace in middle, others unknown.

Photo courtesy: R Smith.

At the Rabbit Proof Fence they met boundary rider Bob George. The party travelled down the fence, with George, to Jigalong, to seek medical assistance. At Jigalong, Grace and George continued towards Wiluna. Phillips by this time had recovered, and he and the Kirkpatrick brothers headed for Ophthalmia Ranges to continue

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Dowling was born in 1910 at Northam. Aged 14, he went to Meekatharra to start his work with stock. Under the watchful eye of expert horseman Harry Farber, Dowling became a master with horses. His first droving trip was with a mob from Anna Plains to Meekatharra. He then made five treks taking mobs of cattle from the Kimberley to Queensland.

Stephen Grace's grave on the Rabbit Proof Fence.

Photo: Phil Bianchi.

prospecting. They felt comfortable that Grace would make a full recovery and was in good hands.

However, on the journey down the Rabbit Proof Fence Grace’s condition worsened.

He died on 10 October 1907 and was buried some 50 miles from Wiluna, near the 380 mile peg on the Rabbit Proof Fence. Later, Grace’s remains were reinterred in the Wiluna cemetery. In 1976, the Geraldton Historical Society marked his grave site on the Rabbit Proof Fence with a plaque.

In June 1982, prospector Mark Creasy, discovered three substantial pools on a creek running SW out of the McKay Range. Creasy suggested that the pools be named Grace Pools; this was approved on 14 April 1983.

Wally was an experienced bushman and spoke several Aboriginal dialects. He also wrote poetry; much of which was published and some however was too risqué to publish.

His only break from droving was when he enlisted during World War II, where he served in the 2nd AIF in the Middle East, Greece and Crete. After being wounded in Crete in 1943, he was discharged from the army.

Dowling was a master of spinning yarns and holding an audience; he had a way of making the most unbelievable yarn believable. Many a young drover listened to him in awe, with Wally completing the most incredible superhuman deeds.

Wally Dowling (1910–1959) Wally Dowling, also known as the King of the Canning Stock Route or The Barefoot Drover, travelled the CSR more than anyone else. Dowling also called himself Desert Rat No. 1 and listed his permanent address as, ‘The land of long leads and short feeds’.

He took nine mobs of cattle down the CSR, the first in 1931 and the last in 1957.

In addition, after taking each mob down, he took the plant of horses, camels and equipment back up the CSR to the Kimberley. An amazing feat you’ll agree.

Wally Dowling.

Photo courtesy: Peter Strugnell.

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Wally was a great raconteur and very liberal with the truth; many of his stories were taken up by journalists and historians and have been published and then republished and used as references by others. Slowly, what started out as a yarn has often been accepted as the truth.

seen, and you would be very fortunate to find one let alone two together.

Here are some examples.

• "At Godfrey’s Tank, Godfrey, a member of David Carnegie’s 1896 exploration party, jumped off a ridge when he was carrying a shot gun. He died and he’s still there."

Fanciful, but not true.

• On one journey down the CSR near Well 14, his horse galloped and they hit a desert oak, breaking Wally’s leg in two places. He had his men kill a bullock for meat, then with his leg straightened, they wrapped the fresh bullock’s hide around it. As it dried, it tightened and stiffened and formed like a plaster. He then rode Jackie Jack, the riding camel, for the remainder of the trip. Later Dowling was to say, "The leg set, but it isn’t very straight, but near enough." This is a great yarn, but it would have taken up to a week for the hide to dry, so it isn’t true.

• "Five minutes after you’ve killed a beast for meat, there’s nothing left, not even the blood. The Aborigines took everything."

This is impossible, it would have taken them days to remove most of the carcass.

• He talked about droves of prairie dogs that lived in burrows of 400 or so. "They look unborn; hairless skin, filmed eyes, blind and have suckling mouths." Here, he is most likely talking about the marsupial mole which is as he described; having suckling mouths, filmed blind eyes and hairless. Marsupial moles do not live in colonies of up to 400. They are very rarely

• "You’ll see thousands of dead horses along the track." It would be impossible to have thousands of horses out there; there wouldn’t be enough stockmen to manage them let alone sufficient water or feed.

In June 1959, at the age of 49, Dowling died of influenza at Mistake Creek, on the Mistake Creek Station. His grave is some three miles north of the homestead and some twelve miles inside the Northern Territory border. Dowling was on his way from Wyndham to Inverway with a droving plant, when some unseasonal rain delayed him near the Mistake Creek homestead. He went to see the overseer’s wife during the day and got some aspirin and cough medicine. That night he died in his swag. Good friend Cleanskin (Bill) Hamill buried Wally on the banks of the creek.

Cleanskin said of Wally, "He worked hard, lived rough and probably his only enjoyment in life was a few days in convivial company, at the local pub at the end of the trip. As long as he had a bit of beef, a lump of damper or Johnny cake with a quart of tea, he reckoned he was well fed."

Aspinall, John (1873-1896)

Wally Dowling's grave at Mistake Creek.

Photo courtesy: W Noble.

Aspinall was killed by a lightning strike and his grave may have been lost forever if it was not for Alf Thompson, a prospector who in February 1980, stumbled across a sheet of iron faced down. Turning it over he found a faded inscription ‘Sacred to the memory of JOHN ASPINALL late of ... ...Point Otago NZ Killed by ....ning March 18th 1896 Aged 23 years Gone but not forgotten.’

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 125 #

Thompson tidied up the forgotten grave site and began a personal quest to find out more about Aspinall. He eventually found relatives in New Zealand and was told John left a diary. Thompson then wrote a fascinating book about Aspinall titled And Some Found Graves: The Goldfields Diary of John Aspinall, Hesperian Press.

Aspinall’s diary began in 1895 when he left New Zealand, and his last entry was made in 1896 prior to his death when he was struck by lightning. Ironically, his last entry mentioned that there were thunderstorms around.

His grave, some 15km west of Laverton, has been restored and is now featured as part of the Golden Quest Discovery Trail.

Fred Savory's grave.

Photo: Phil Bianchi.

Fred Savory (died 1901) Savory was a pastoralist. He died 11 December 1901 aged about 36 years, at Burranbar Pool, 90km southeast of Newman. He was buried near his homestead; his lonely grave being marked by a marble headstone surrounded by a cast iron fence.

Born in Bendigo, he had been living in WA for 16 years. Fred Savory and a partner, John Horrigan, built a brush shed homestead. They were attempting to establish a station on the later named Savory Creek. All that’s left today are some decaying yards and a lone grave.

Savory Creek was named in 1904, in Fred Savory’s honour, by Alfred Canning during his survey of the Number 1 Rabbit Proof Fence.

John Aspinall's grave at Hawks Nest.

Photo: Phil Bianchi.

It took me a number of attempts to locate the grave; its location had been kept quiet because it’s situated on an operating cattle station. The owners don’t want all and sundry charging about, stirring up the cattle or vandalising their equipment.

Don’t go there without permission. Do the right thing.

126 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

On 10 January 1896 whilst at prayer, Goulam Mahomet (no relation) who was kneeling behind him, drew a pistol and shot Tagh in the back, killing him. Goulam made no attempt to flee; he waited for the law, handed over his revolver and was gaoled.

In the previous year Goulam had a quarrel with Tagh. Tagh took out a summons against him and the matter was proceeding through the courts. Faiz convinced Tagh to settle the matter out of court, but despite the settlement Goulam bore a grudge and resented Tagh. After he killed Tagh, Goulam said, “I have done what I wanted to do, now I will give myself up to the police.”

Tagh Mahomet.

Goulam was tried, found guilty and was executed at Fremantle Prison in May 1896.

Photo courtesy: Battye Library.

Tagh Mahomet (died 1910) Tagh Mahomet and his brother Faiz had a successful camel-carrying business throughout the goldfields. Tagh lived at the Afghan camp at the eastern end of Coolgardie, and next to his house was a small mosque.

Tagh is buried in the Afghan section of Coolgardie Cemetery and his tombstone has as part of its inscription, “Killed at the hands of an Assassin.”

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Tagh Mahomet's tombstone.

Photo: Phil Bianchi.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 127 #

I'M FROM THE GOVERNMENT ...

With over 40 years of 4W driving experience under my belt, I’ve been involved with or had to deal with many officials from government agencies. This isn’t going to be a public servant bashing article, after all I used to be one before retirement.

It’s a humorous look at how I’ve seen some government officers interact with the public or volunteers. I also give credit to a group of hardworking government officers.

I

n the mid-1990s the Eastern Suburbs 4WD Club, due to a very hot bushfire, completed numerous volunteer projects in the Avon Valley National Park including relocating long drop toilets, car body removal and creating a group camping area at the site of the park ranger’s former homestead. To create this large area for camping, long and tall retaining walls were built, drainage installed and soil backfill created the level surface. The campground was to be named after Cec Barrows, a former Parks and Wildlife ranger. On the due date a senior Parks and Wildlife official came to the opening, had a look around, and with a cuppa he chatted to a few of us. However he didn’t give the impression he was across the scale of what we had achieved in the park. He gave a prepared speech about who Cec was and what he had done, and about the future use of the new campground. He then mingled for a short time and he quickly left. I felt disappointed; I knew he was a busy man but making a bit more effort than a token visit would not have hurt him. It was like a script out of Yes Minister, he didn’t really want to be there, but pretended with polite gestures and with a few, “By

jove, well done chaps,” type comments.

He picked up a rock and looked at it seemingly to show interest. Suddenly he muttered, “I must be orf,” and he buggered off.

In August 2022 I was part of a citizen science camp, known as Desert Discovery 2022, at the site of Yeo Homestead on the Anne Beadell Highway. Although all of us were volunteers, there were many highly qualified and highly regarded botanical, mammal, reptile, insect and bird experts among the teams. The science camp ran for almost three weeks.

At the beginning of the project, scientific staff from the Department of Biodiversity Cultural Attractions Kalgoorlie office were to join us for a week. Here we go, was my initial thought. Will this be a repeat of the ‘jolly good show’ and ‘I must be orf then’ type of encounter I had previously experienced with Parks and Wildlife?

The DBCA crew, all women, drove from Kalgoorlie to Yeo Homestead in one day, dragging a heavily laden trailer which also carried 1,000 litres of water for us.

One thousand litres of water, now that’s impressive, I thought. They set up camp in the dark, then joined us for supper.

At sun-up the next morning they had already finished breakfast and were driving out of camp to take equipment out to sites to install pit lines. There weren’t any nine to five workers among this lot. I wasn’t used to seeing such keenness with government officers. This group were 110% hands on. They assisted us at the project in all manner of ways, including botanical collecting, digging, and installing pit line bucket traps, installing Elliot traps, inspecting traps three times a day and the digging of twelve marsupial mole pits.

What’s a marsupial mole and a mole pit I hear you ask? Marsupial moles are strange looking mammals; they

128 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

THE THINGS YOU SEE! with (TRUTHFUL) PHIL BIANCHI of a shovel, the prodigious amount of dirt coming out of a pit would have done a colony of Bugs Bunnies proud. Well done ladies.

are blind and spend most of their lives underground. They’re between 12 and 16cm long and weigh between 40 to 60 grams. Their pouch has evolved to face backwards so it does not fill with dirt and they swim rather than tunnel through the sand.

Towards the end of their stay with us, one of the botanists remarked, “We sure appreciate the help the ladies have given us, but I’m so looking forward to when they leave so I can slow down!”

The day before the DBCA team left, they came out with the mammal and reptile team and using a petrol-driven post hole digger they brought with them, dug lines of bucket-sized holes for pit line use the following week. They carried and manoeuvred the post hole digger like it was a toy. A few of us got on the opposite end of the post hole digger for a photograph, but I noticed how quickly they handed back their end of the digger.

There wasn’t any, “By jove, well done chaps,” or token interest shown by this DBCA team, and without any doubt they surpassed any expectations I had. Great job ladies, many thanks to you for your support at DD 2022.

The pits were dug to determine if there had been any mole activity and there was always a hope we would find a mole. Pits were dug on the northern face of dunes and dug east west so the sun would shine onto the southern surface of it. Each mole pit was 1200mm long, 800mm deep and 400mm wide. That’s a serious hole.

When the DBCA ladies were on the end

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 129 #

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FISHY BUSINESS with JOHN BORMOLINI

Further Changes to protect our Stocks It hasn’t been very long since recreational anglers had to get used to a two-month closed season on catching any demersal species in the West Coast Bioregion. This ban from the 15th October to 15th December was designed to ease fishing pressure on our iconic, heavily targeted bottom species. Now it appears fishing management authorities believe this measure is not enough.

New rules intend to extend protection for our iconic demersal species such as the WA dhufish.

F

ollowing the usual, well-worn, “consultation” process and a steady, orchestrated communication trail, the State Government has announced a series of further changes aimed at protecting our demersal fish stocks in the west coast region. Despite vocal opposition and petitions from various recreational angling quarters against specific aspects of the ban and how it was substantiated, the outcome has been a significant extension to the closure for boat fishing anglers.

Essentially, the current two-month demersal closure will now push out to a total of six months for recreational fishers in the West Coast Bioregion (from just north of Kalbarri down to Augusta). By the time this is in print the new measures will be well in force and stipulate that catching demersal scale fish from a boat will be prohibited from 1st February to 31st March (inclusive), and then again from 1st August through to 15th December. The exception in this second period is the two-week September/ October school holidays. (but more on that later).

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The newly announced extended demersal ban does not apply to shore-based fishing.

132 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

- reduced bag limit of 1 demersal scalefish; - reduced bag limit of 1 large pelagic finfish; - reduced finfish possession limit of 5kg of fillets from any species, plus 5kg of fillets from large pelagic finfish (must have skin attached for identification purposes); OR 1 day’s bag limit of whole fish.

• Shifting the timing of the Abrolhos Islands baldchin groper spawning closure to be 1st October to 31st December (inclusive).

Pink snapper are another species considered under threat.

Whilst this new broad brush measure applies to boat fishing and not shorebased angling, different rules will apply or be permitted for charter and commercial fishing. A major concession for charter and commercial operators is that they will be able to fish all year round.

The changes to the demersal fishing rules are expected to remain in place until 2030 with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development monitoring the impact of the new changes on stock recovery.

It is accompanied by a series of other measures and changes in the periods when anglers are able to fish and these include: • A boat limit of four demersal scalefish per vessel.

• A mixed-species daily bag limit of two demersal scalefish (except coral trout, coronation trout and western blue groper).

• The WA dhufish boat limit has been removed, so an individual angler can catch up to two WA dhufish.

• Removal of size limits for WA dhufish, baldchin groper and breaksea cod to limit barotrauma.

• A maximum of one bait or lure per line can be used when fishing from a boat for demersal scalefish.

• Implementation of Abrolhos Islands wilderness fishing:

• Extending the timing of the Cockburn and Warnbro Sounds pink snapper spawning closure to be 1st August to 31st January (inclusive).

Clearly the main objective has been around protecting the long-term sustainability of our main west coast demersal species such as the WA dhufish, baldchin groper, breaksea cod, and pink snapper. Anglers must not ignore the fact however, that it covers every defined demersal scalefish species – and that’s a long list.

A good example would be that these changes impact those that have turned more to deep drop fishing off Perth and the west coast, in recent years. Deep water target species such as grey band cod, blue eye trevella, bass groper and hapuka will all be off limits and not able to be fished for half the year now, by recreational boaties.

I also think many will overlook the slow change that’s occurring in the distribution of typical west coast species so it’s not just dhufish and pinkies. Since our warming sea water trends from the last 15 years or so we now see more common northern species turning up further south. Red throat emperor are a good example. Anglers will need to remember that the ban applies to ALL demersal species – not just the more typical southern iconic species we’ve caught for generations.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 133 #

of the closure periods with the exception for the September/October holidays. Closer scrutiny would show that this is not as attractive as it sounds.

It’s hard to argue that our more iconic demersal species don’t need careful protective measures, especially when they are not difficult to catch with the right know-how.

Western Australian dhufish are a very easy fish to catch, once you have the right location or fishing spot where they’re known to congregate. A range of baits and artificial jig lures will entice them and their large bucket mouth means they hook up easily.

For recreational boaties, (most with smaller trailer boats) the April school holidays is certainly a very good time to be fishing along the west coast and generally there’ll be good boating days.

Andrew Roberts with a The July holidays and beautiful baldchin groper, a the September/October favoured demersal species holidays however, are a especially along the mid-west. different proposition for Pink snapper are also west coast boaties from not that difficult to land Augusta to Kalbarri. In July it’s the middle provided again that the location is good of our southern winter and good days in and the right feeding time and berley are that fortnight are often rare. to their liking. Some fresh squid, octopus or an attractive soft plastic presented And the September/October holidays are in the right way will soon have a pinkie arguably the windiest period, especially interested. Baldchin groper are a little on the mid-west coast with few good trickier and more prolific further north boat fishing days. In reality, April, May and of the metro area but also a species of possibly June will become the fishing concern. The Abrolhos is one of their key window, along with Christmas and New hotspots and hence why there are some Year for metro or west coast boating special considerations for the area. anglers.

Notwithstanding the need to keep monitoring fishing pressure and adjust for its impact, one of the key features promoted within the changes is that recreational boat anglers will still be able to fish for these iconic demersal species in the two-week school holiday periods.

This comes about due to the timing

Pink snapper fishing with light gear is a great challenge.

The other concern is like so many things that involve a major change, there is often a significant impact or side effect, further downstream. The ramifications of six months of closure along the west coast may well increase fishing pressure on places further north such as Shark Bay, Carnarvon, Coral Bay, Exmouth, etc. as metro anglers look further afield – even more so than they do now. Perhaps we’ll be seeing further regulation changes for the Gascoyne Bioregion as a necessary consequence in a few year’s time.

Only time will tell as we head into greater uncertainty around our environmental future. Hopefully, if this is the regulatory medicine we have to swallow, the results will turn out to be positive and we’ll appreciate the benefits of better fishing.

134 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

With over 40 years experience teaching Outback Survival, Bob Cooper has produced what he calls the ‘Trilogy for Survival’.

Along with enough water, Bob believes every time you go bush, no matter what form of transport, these three items should accompany you in case something doesn’t go to plan and you’re in an emergency situation – anywhere.

A quality Three stretch elastic bandages. Quality survival blanket. emergency/survival kit. Multiple uses and first aid.

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OUTBACK SURVIVAL with BOB COOPER

DESERT SURVIVAL MYTHS, MISTAKES & TRUTHS Find yourself stranded with little or no water in a desert and you will find yourself in trouble. Deserts rival the harshest environments on earth with an unforgiving temperament and a lack of tolerance for fools.

Myth: Skin rashes and/or chafing are a problem only in the tropics or jungles.

False: In arid climates excessive sweating with rapid evaporation can build up nasty deposits of salts, causing debilitating rashes particularly in your upper thighs and groin area.

If you are experiencing chafing, take off your jocks or undies. If you have limited water then give yourself a ‘sand bath’ using warm/hot sand under armpits, crotch and feet. Rub off those unwanted skin irritations, especially between your toes. Use the heat of the day to clean your clothes by draping them over bushes.

This will kill off any fungi and bacteria by using the sun’s heat as a sanitiser.

Myth: Drinking your own urine is okay.

False: Urine is full of the stuff your body has just rejected, in a concentrated form, and it can be a mild poison to your liver and kidneys, that’s why

it was expelled from your body system in the first place. If you must recycle your urine, urinate into a solar still, then drink only the water that is distilled off.

True: The darker your urine the worse your state of dehydration.

Myth: You can drink either radiator fluid or windscreen washer water.

False: They both contain harmful additives that cannot be separated safely from water by any technique.

Myth: Black plastic bags work best over any tree branch to produce drinking water.

False: Black cuts out light which reverses photosynthesis and produces only a few drops, or worse, no water and it will kill the branch within hours. Instead, use clear plastic bags over non-toxic trees and get great results.

Drained off every four hours yields best return for your effort.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 137 #

Myth:

Mistake:

Warmth is not important in a hot desert.

Not knowing how much water we actually require, per day, every day.

False: In hot deserts you could suffer from hypothermia and hyperthermia in the same day.

Our bodies require a minimum of one litre per 25kg of body weight.

Myth:

Mistake:

Australian desert scorpions can kill you.

Not knowing that sipping water does not prevent dehydration.

False: In Australia we do not have scorpions or centipedes that can cause death. Beware that in other countries there are scorpions that can deliver a fatal sting.

Myth: ‘Glare blindness’ happens only in snow.

False: It can happen in deserts too, causing painful and debilitating stress to your eyes. This can result in temporary blindness. It is preventable by wearing a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses to reduce glare.

If you don’t have sunglasses you can improvise by making a pair of glare goggles by: • Stick wound plaster strips on the front of reading glasses, leaving just a narrow slit to limit the amount of light entering the eyes.

• You can also make glare goggles out of firm paper or thin cardboard. By cutting out the shape of a large pair of sunglasses with slits to see through and tie some string on to hold it in place.

• Reduce glare by rubbing charcoal on your cheeks and under your eyes.

Your body requires a minimum of a cupful (250ml) of water each time you drink. This is important because drinking any less means that the other organs in our body will 'steal' it first, robbing the brain of its necessary supply. This can lead to poor decision making, irrational thinking and deteriorate to a condition known as dehydration dementia, increasing the chances of making critical errors.

Mistake: Exerting too much energy in the desert.

Do not climb cliffs, slide down screedslopes, jump off anything, as depicted in some reality TV shows, because you do not have a film crew, a chopper or medic on hand. You do not run in a desert unless something is chasing you.

In hot conditions do nothing in the heat of the day except rest, as do all healthy desert dwellers.

TRUE: Smoke signals.

Smoke signals during the day and large fires at night work very well in deserts.

TRUE: Snakes hunt at night.

The warm and hot nights are the preferred hunting time of desert dwelling snakes, but not lizards.

138 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

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GEAR TO GO CAMPING Crashpad Tailgater Ute Bag with Mesh Insert

T

he Crashpad Tailgater bag has been designed so that those of you that drive vehicles with a tailgate can now hang a bag off there, giving you even more storage options and especially for those items you don't want to throw inside like rubbish, dirty clothes, wet recovery gear ... the list is endless.

Features include:

• The bag has four clips that attach to the tailgate cover so that it can easily be removed.

• The exterior is made from hard coated waterproof 410gsm canvas.

• The tailgate pad is lined with a soft felt backing to help avoid scratching the paint on your tailgate.

• Lined with 600gsm PVC, for easy cleaning.

• Custom Crashpad zipper puller.

• Eyelet in the bottom for drainage.

• Handy side storage pocket made from tough truckers mesh.

• A tough internal bag made from truckers mesh to make rubbish removal quick and easy.

• In addition to the soft felt backing of the tailgate pad there is a sheet of protective wrap to put on your tailgate as an extra layer of protection.

And it's all made in Oz!!

Dimensions of bag are: height 52cm, width 57cm, depth 22cm with a volume of 65 litres.

The Tailgater is available as a complete package (that is, with the mesh bag included) this coming Autumn in store at Go Camping & Overlanding in Balcatta, with the expected price of $275 walkaway!

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 141 #

GEAR TO GO CAMPING

Oz Braai Stainless Steel Camp Billy

F

ancy a cuppa? Strong, durable and rustically reminiscent of something you might have fashioned in metalworks class back in high school, this is a 100% 304 stainless steel Camp Billy and for those hanging for the return of campfire season, a very exciting release indeed!

Made to last a lifetime and with looks that could kill, the butchness of the Oz Braai Camp Billy just looks bloody good – both in the fire and in the hand!

With almost a 2-litre capacity, there’s enough volume for about eight cups of English breakfast, strong java bean coffee or the richest hot chocolate for you and your mates.

Fill it up and sit it directly in the fire with the lid on, waiting for the steam to release through the top hole to indicate it’s ready.

Best of all, because nothing says "camping novice” quite as loudly as a cheap and nasty aluminium billy melting into a raging campfire, you can rest assured the Oz Braai Camp Billy is made to last a lifetime from the highest grade 304 stainless steel you can get.

You can just smile and nod as your friends offer advice like, “Careful mate, that’ll melt in there like that,” as though you were born yesterday!

Just don’t let it out of your sight, because guaranteed, it’ll end up “accidentally” mixed in with your mate’s gear at the end of the camping trip – never to be seen again!

Now in stock at Go Camping & Overlanding for $149 (as at time of printing).

142 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

GEAR TO GO CAMPING

Exped Cloudburst

A

lthough most of us are touring this great land in our cars, often you might pull up to a nice little spot and need a small backpack to go explore or perhaps do the shopping. The Exped Cloudburst 25 (that being 25-litre volume), could just be that perfect little pack, a combination of a waterproof pack sack and a lightweight backpack.

The roll-top closure keeps contents dry and provides quick access to the main compartment. Taped seams and recycled PFC-free nylon fabric with a water column of 7000mm (tech talk for "waterproof") protect against moisture.

This is a great option for visiting and swimming through gorges like in Karijini, though be sure to double store your electronics in a second dry bag or pouch just in case.

The front shock cord holder gives you the ability to compress the contents so they don't move around, plus offers attachment options for items like wet clothing or thongs.

The wide mesh shoulder straps are lightweight and quick drying, and the pack has a foam insert at the back which can help you carry loads up to 5kg.

All this for a great little price of $89.95 at Go Camping & Overlanding.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 143 #

Dreaammyy, Cre ORANGE SOUP

However you choose recipe to use this versatile Be sure . you to up ly ire is ent own to do some of your come and n tio nta experime ernative alt n ow r you h wit up y, uses for this Dream p. sou e ng Ora y am Cre

“Orange soup? Orange soup!! Have you gone mad in the heat Jo? Ya can’t make soup out of oranges, ya drongo.”

W

ell, yes, you would be entirely correct on all counts there. I have been making orange pumpkin soup this way since my Blackwood Café days in Nannup, a whole other lifetime ago, and always got the same response to orange soup on the menu.

My orange soup is made from orange coloured vegetables: pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots.

We all have our favourite way of making pumpkin soup and this is mine.

Over the years I have discovered that this dreamy, creamy creation is just perfect for a number of other dishes as well. It makes a beautiful smooth sauce for a vegetarian or chicken curry, can be used as the base for pumpkin and feta damper (I am sure I have given you this recipe already), creamy pumpkin pasta or just a good old steaming hot tin pannikin of pumpkin soup with a hunk of hot bread or damper dripping with melted butter on a cold winter's day.

144 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

CLEWED UP with JO CLEWS

Vegetables can be roasted or fried off to create a bit of colour and extra flavour to the soup.

To create this pot of wholesome goodness you will need very few ingredients and this is another reason why it’s so good. It's economical and all the ingredients travel well and last for ages if you want to make the soup from scratch when you are out camping.

Orange Soup (Pumpkin)

You will need: ½ of a medium sized butternut pumpkin, roughly chopped 2 medium sized onions, roughly chopped 2 medium sized carrots, roughly chopped 1 medium sized orange flesh sweet potato, roughly chopped Enough water to just cover the cut up vegetables in the pot ½ can coconut cream Salt and pepper to taste Place all vegetables and water into a large pot, bring to the boil and allow to simmer until vegetables are well cooked and soft.

Allow the vegetables to cool and blitz them in a food processor, blender or use a stick blender until a smooth consistency.

Return the soup into the pot to continue cooking or reduce slightly if still a bit watery. Add salt and pepper to taste then add the coconut cream a few minutes before serving with your favourite hot bread or crusty damper. Enjoy.

A small amount of mild curry powder or the addition of some roasted garlic can spice it up a bit.

Chop up some extra vegetables, eg. cauliflower, broccoli, onion, sweet potato, fry in a pan until tender, add curry powder then the pumpkin soup for an awesome vegetarian curry.

If making this while camping, just use a potato masher and mash the daylights out of the brew until you come up with a rustic version that will still have a bit of texture to it.

Soup can be used for a delicious pumpkin and feta damper.

Soup can also be slowly reduced to make a creamy, dreamy sauce for pasta. Just add some cheese, Italian herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped chorizo, a handful of frozen peas and some baby spinach. Guaranteed to tickle all your taste buds.

Soup can be frozen for 3-6 months so you will always have some orange deliciousness to create another amazing meal.

I always use butternut pumpkin as it is quite dense and sweet so makes a good thick, stick to your ribs, soup.

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FIRE COOKING with CHRIS JELLIE

A RUGGED BEAUTY

L

ocated east of Albany, it's a good five and a half hour drive from the big smoke. Worth it? Heck yes, or I wouldn’t be letting you in on this secluded and little known gem. Now, I’m not usually a “Parks and Wildlife” site camper, however, this is a great exception to that rule.

Heading down the gravel road, you always wonder what is in store for you at the end. As you wind through the scrubland towards your destination, you’ll get glimpses of the cascading granite as it falls into the entrance of this beautiful inlet, Mount Manypeaks to your right.

Be wary if you are intending to camp, as there are only nine sites here which are on a first in, first served basis. Only two of these you can park your car in, the rest are walk in, ranging from 10m to 100m so come prepared. Some of the walk-in sites offer exceptional views across the inlet toward the mouth, where the Southern Ocean shows its strength.

If hiking is your thing, this place offers some spectacular opportunities, from the top of Mount Manypeaks to winding through multiple secluded pools up the Waychinicup River. For the keen fisho, King George whiting, skippy, squid

and herring are quite common. If you are feeling adventurous, venture out the mouth on a calm day and try for a western blue groper.

An abundance of wildlife calls this National Park home. From tiger snakes, carpet pythons, heath monitors and skinks, to quokkas, quendas, and if you have a sharp eye, honey possums and mardo. There is also a local program to increase the numbers of Gilbert's potaroo.

It truly is quite a special place full of life and history. While I’d like to spout on about Waychinicup, I think you really need to experience and discover things for yourself.

This georgeous place is positioned perfectly out of phone reception so you can properly unwind. The facilities here were upgraded a few years back to include a long drop toilet, all the creature comforts ...

Cheynes Beach Holiday Park has a shop for anything that may need to be stocked up on for an extended stay here.

The only downside is fires are not permitted, which is far outwayed by the place itself. It is the south coast too, so be prepred for four seasons in one day. I’ve seen a few tents destroyed over the years plus a few horror stories.

Go forth and discover.

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Squid Tenticle Salad T

hose that have read my recipes in the past, know I like to utilise everything, nose to tail. I think this fits the box well.

This is a great, simple lunch or side to a main meal.

I sourced the lettuce, onion and the cordial from roadside stalls and the squid was caught by a good friend the day before.

I hope you enjoy this one!

Ingredients Salad • Quality lettuce of your choice, washed and roughly chopped • Halloumi cheese, cut into strips • Squid tenticles, preferrably fresh, chopped roughly with a dash of olive oil for cooking • Red/Spanish onion, sliced in thin half rings.

Salad Dressing • 1 finely chopped chilli, seeds or not is up to you • Olive oil and vinegar in equal parts. The rest below, to taste.

• Balsamic vinegar - Black Garlic & Co. aged black garlic and jarrah honey worked amazingly!

• Dash of Wilarra Gold passionfruit cordial syrup (thank me later) • Salt and pepper

METHOD Heat hot plate up until it reaches medium to high heat.

Cook halloumi cheese until golden brown. Let cool slightly before adding.

Cook squid tenticles until just cooked through. Again, let cool slightly before adding.

Build in layers, starting with lettuce, red onion, halloumi and squid.

Drizzle over the dressing and dig in!

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 147 #

CAPTURE THE MOMENT with UNCLE DICK STEIN

Daniel Roissetter

HILLMAN RIVER LAKE SYSTEM, EAST OF KALGOORLIE

D

aniel Roissetter is to be congratulated on his image taken out to the east of Kalgoorlie. This is past Bulong on the Hillman River lake system. This is a remarkable picture on many levels: A. It is perfectly composed. The studio photo books all tell you to have your main subject 1/3 from the edge in the middle of your frame to maintain people’s interest.

But what do you do when your most spectacular feature - the entire sky - is too far away to adjust and too heavy to lift?

You put the bulls-eye of the pole star exactly in the middle - as Daniel did. How he managed this is his own secret, but

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Well done Daniel!

You’ve won a

RED ROADS FIRE RISER VALUED AT $149 from

I think he knows more about the stars than I ever would. Had this been the only element of the photo, it would have been good - but then he added …

B. The well-exposed lake, trees, and horizon.

Just a hint of glow over the water, but it makes an entire plane of focus to frame the stars. Long exposure, of course, unless you speed up the celestial mechanism.

Most of us don’t have permission to do this. And then he found …

C. The old Ford. Yep, I looked it up on Google to see what model. It’s a bit newer than the traditional bush ’37 Ford by the ghost gum, but in just as good condition.

The brilliant thing Daniel did was provide enough light to bring it up into view without over exposing it.

Some cameras will let you do this while showing a visual record of it on the back LCD - Olympus and OM System cameras in particular provide a progressive exposure without overloading previous information.

Perfect for dead dark areas like this lake.

So Daniel gets to go to Go Camping and Overlanding in Balcatta and collect his prize. An enviable prospect!

Oh, by the way, Dan - I showed the photo of the Ford to a friend of mine who owns a panel beaters. He said, "No worries, mate.

That’ll buff out."

Send us a photo and you could win a PRIZE

from Email photos to: admin@western4wdriver.com.au

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

Learn more at charbrobbq.com.au

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SMART PHOTOGRAPHY with KARL FEHLAUER

OTHER CAMERA SETTINGS Welcome to my next article on Smartphone Photography.

Here I will quickly touch on three more settings in your camera that that you need to understand so that you can take the best quality images.

T

hose settings are white balance, focus and metering. These three settings can have a significant impact on the quality of your images and if you get them wrong, they can be difficult to correct when post processing. Therefore, it is better to get them correct in your camera settings first so that you don’t have to worry about it later on.

I will try and keep the explanations simple, as it can get very technical and confusing and even the most experienced photographer gets confused at times.

Of the three settings, only white balance can be ‘easily’ fixed in post processing (i.e. in Lightroom / Photoshop etc.) Metering can be fixed when post processing but it requires the use of masks to adjust the exposure and can be very complex and time consuming. Unfortunately, if you get your focus wrong, nothing can fix it.

(measured in Kelvin or simply ‘K’) of the light that you are photographing and is used to match the colour of the light source so that white objects look white.

Confused yet? Basically, what WB does is to remove colour casts from the images caused by external light sources.

Objects photographed under different lighting conditions can appear to have colour casts that the naked eye cannot see such as an object photographed inside and under fluorescent will have a bluish tinge to it, whereas an image photographed under harsh sunlight may have an orange colour cast.

To remove these colour casts you need to adjust the WB settings in your camera and this is particularly important if you are saving your images in the JPEG format because it is very hard to do so in post processing. Some smartphone

White Balance White Balance (WB) in its simplest terms, relates to the colour temperate

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Rockingham lights.

cameras allow you to use filters to make adjustments and these don’t always work and can often make images look worse.

If you are saving your images in RAW format, then it is much easier to make those adjustments when post processing; however, it is better and less time consuming to get it right in camera first, rather that relying on making the corrections later on.

To add to further confusion, if you are just using the automatic photo mode, you cannot make any adjustments in camera and the camera’s computational photographic algorithms will make all the adjustments for you and it won’t always get it correct, which is why I always recommend that you learn to use the manual or ‘Pro’ camera mode and make the manual adjustments.

Image 1 - 6000K.

In manual (or ‘Pro’ mode) find where your WB setting is (usually marked as ‘WB’) and click on that and you will have a choice of ‘Manual’ or ‘Auto’ settings.

Leaving it in ‘Auto’ means the camera will decide what setting the WB should be; however, I strongly suggest that you select ‘Manual’ and play around with the settings to see what the effect will be.

In manual, there will be an adjustment wheel on the bottom with numbers ranging from 2300K (Cool) to 10000K (Warm). Adjust these settings until you are happy with the colour of the image.

Image 2 - 4750K.

The three images of the orchid demonstrates the difference in the WB or colour temperature. In all three images the settings are the same except for the WB and were taken with my Samsung S21. Image 1 has a colour temp of 6000K and is too warm (or yellow), Image 2 has a colour temp of 4750K and is too cool (or blue) and Image 3 has a colour temp of 5100K which I think is a more natural look.

If you are interested in learning more about white balance there is a lot of information online, but my best suggestion is just to play around with the settings and try different colour temperatures.

Image 3 - 5100K.

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Focus

Metering

Focus is simple to understand, in that an image is either in focus or it isn’t, but what does this mean?

Every modern camera has automatic metering modes to allow you to choose the correct exposure for your image (see Western 4W Driver edition # 124 The Exposure Triangle). There are three types of metering modes: ‘Evaluative or Matrix’, ‘Centre-weighted’ and ‘Spot’. Every camera has a built-in light meter that automatically reads the reflective light and determines the optimal exposure.

Again, in the simplest terms, focus is that part of the image that is sharp and clear.

The amount of the image that is in focus is dependant on the focal length. I won’t go into too much detail as I have covered this in Western 4W Driver edition # 124 where I explain how Aperture and Depth of Field work.

Most smartphones will allow you to choose either ‘Auto’ or ‘Manual’ focus.

Auto focus lenses only came into existence for cameras back in 1977, before that every lens required to be manually focused.

In most cases ‘Auto’ focus works very well, especially if your eyesight isn’t good (such as mine). I tend to leave my focus set as ‘Auto’ but there are times when I will choose to use ‘Manual’ focus such as low light conditions, macro (when focus stacking) and timelapse photography.

In ‘Auto’ focus mode, most smartphone cameras will allow you to select either a ‘centre point’ or ‘multiple points’ modes. Centre point simply means that the centre point of the image will be the point at which the camera focus’.

Whereas ‘multiple points’ the camera has a grid system of a number of points (this varies between camera models) and then chooses which points it wants to focus on.

I prefer to use ‘centre point’ as I prefer to have control over what I am focusing on but I recommend that you try both to see which suits you and the image you are trying to capture.

In ‘Manual’ focus, you choose which part of the image you want in focus. There are some benefits of manual focus, such as keeping the same point of focus throughout a number of images, for example, when shooting a timelapse video, but I prefer to use ‘Auto’ focus as these days it is very accurate.

In ‘Evaluative’ mode, the camera reads the entire scene and decides on the correct exposure. This is the most common setting and generally will produce the best results.

‘Centre-weighted’, chooses an area around the centre point of the image to get the exposure reading. This is extremely useful in portrait photography where you want the person's face to be correctly exposed but you aren’t as concerned about the background of the image.

‘Spot’ metering only evaluates the area around your focus point and is used by a lot of macro and wildlife photographers.

As before, have a play around with the three different modes of metering to get an understanding of how they work and how you might use them in the future.

If you are shooting in ‘Manual’ or ‘Pro’ mode, I would suggest leaving your setting in ‘Evaluative’ (or Matrix) mode to get a general exposure reading and then use your exposure triangle to get the exposure that you want for your image.

Conclusion Hopefully, I have given you an insight into how these three settings can help you to achieve better results and to create better images. Now all you have to do is get out there and practice and practice some more.

Until the next edition, keep the shiny side up, get out there and have a great time.

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What’s the Go at the Show?

All you need to know about the Perth Caravan & Camping Show It's back on! Everything you need to explore this incredibly diverse state we call home will be on show at the 2023 Perth Caravan & Camping Show at Claremont Showground from Wednesday 22nd to Sunday 26th March.

W

hether you're an experienced adventurer with pindan dirt and salty waters coursing through your veins, an avid traveller looking for your next awe-inspiring experiences, or new to caravanning and just seeking to hit the road and broaden your horizons — you'll find the equipment and expertise you need at this year's Perth Caravan & Camping Show.

Some of the best memories are made while on holiday and Western Australia is home to some of the world’s most spectacular caravan and camping holiday destinations, ripe for exploring.

From the rugged Golden Outback to the distinctive pindan earth and invigorating gorges of WA’s North West; the tranquil blue waters of the Coral Coast to our stunning South West; or even right on our doorstep around the city of Perth, we’ve got it all.

Stay for a week, a day or a month; with 300 days of sunshine and some of the world’s finest destinations, WA is truly the land of endless adventure. In doubt of where to go or how to get there? Your next caravan and camping adventure starts here.

Naturally you can expect a bounty of caravans, camper trailers, motorhomes, tents, roof top campers, slide-ons and camping equipment to compare, all in the one place.

What's new? Check out this year’s headlining demonstrations for practical insights into how to elevate your experience once you hit the road. Learn to tow and reverse with Global Gypsies, understand the 4WD basics with Eureka 4WD Training, and discover camp oven cooking tips with regular Western 4W Driver contributor Jo Clews.

Come and meet our very own camp oven queen, Jo Clews, and discover her hot tips for camp oven cooking.

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Call into the Webster Pavilion and meet tourism experts from across the state who can assist with the journey throughout WA’s incredible destinations.

Travelling by caravan, with a camper trailer, planning on pitching a tent or even renting a chalet; the experts are on hand to help you plan everything from ‘glamping’, eco-stays, remote destination adventures and all stops in between. Make sure you come and say hi to our team at the Western 4W Driver tent to have a yarn about your last great adventure, what’s coming up next, or how to get started.

With leading manufacturers and dealers from Australia and around the world all in the one place, if you’re after a deal, this is the place to be. Whether you’re upgrading your existing set up, purchasing your first caravan, or looking to get kitted out for a camping trip, it’s a good idea to get up close with the products and gain expert advice before you buy.

A few useful tips to make the most of your visit to the show.

Across the weekend, kids can enjoy free activities in the Stony Creek Campers Kids Fun Land with a bouncy castle, climbing wall, face painting and farm animals to keep every member of the family entertained.

About the organisers The Caravan & Camping Show is brought to you by the Caravan Industry Association WA who are the peak caravan and camping industry body for Western Australia. Incorporated as a not-for-profit association in 1961, they represent and support their members to enhance performance, promote the industry and collaborate with government and the wider tourism industry.

Their membership of over 280 businesses consists of owners and operators of tourist parks, caravan parks, residential lifestyle villages, manufacturers, retailers and repairers of recreational vehicles, camping equipment and accessories retailers, tourism operators and associated services industries.

Bring the family The show is a place for the whole family, as that’s the best way to make memories and often how you’ll travel!

Head to the Piazza for food and entertainment. It’s a hive of activity, with live music, catering vendors, seminars, and plenty of shaded seating.

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EVENT DETAILS 22 - 26 March 2023 Wednesday to Sunday 9am to 5pm Claremont Showground

NOW WE'RE TAWKING! Travelling Australia With Kids with MANDY FARABEGOLI

IS THIS YOUR YEAR TO TAWK? I

’m Mandy Farabegoli and I run www.travellingaustraliawithkids.com, a website 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. I am here today to tell you, you CAN too! So as 2023 starts, start your plans now.

Your trip of a lifetime I’m sure you have seen on social media all the families that are now travelling Australia. Each one of them started where you are today, wondering if this could be possible for their family. Wondering how they could make it work, how they could finance their travels, how they could homeschool their kids, how they could

leave their jobs and/or possibly work on the road.

The one thing all those families do have in common – they did it! They took that leap of faith and you can too! If you messaged any one of those families – and you can via their social media pages – pretty much all of them would say it’s the best thing that they have ever done.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

Lao Tzu

Are you ready to take that single step?

If so, our Travelling Australia With Kids website has all the information that you need to start turning your dream into a plan. I encourage you to visit the site and have a click around all of the Frequently Asked Questions.

The Decision is the hardest part But first, what is that first step? The first step is the decision and yes, the decision is the hardest part, but once you make that decision everything else will fall into place for you.

I speak at the Perth Caravan and Camping Show, a seminar for approximately half an hour and I get to meet the families who are thinking about travelling and wondering if they can do it.

Often one partner doesn't want to; they are worried that either the kids will fall

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behind with their schooling or they don't think they have enough money or their jobs won’t allow them to, any number of excuses. There will always be reasons not to. Always!

After chatting with me at the show many of them come to realise that they can do it. I think my excitement and my experience helping them to overcome their fears or show them the way that they can do it gives them hope. Getting excited, they can now see a way and realise they do want to but keep thinking they will do it later. That the time is not quite right yet, that they need more money.

BUT the main reason you need to do this and to start your plan soon is because the children grow up and before you know it, it will be too late. Saying "later" can very quickly become "never". So, make your decision and you will see how everything will fall into place.

“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you have always wanted. Do them now.”

Paulo Coelho

When should you go?

When would be the best time to take the children around Australia? NOW! That is the answer. NOW! Go as soon as you can.

If you go when the children are young, the chances are you will go again when they get older.

Every age has its different benefits and setbacks. I always put them into different categories: the pre-primary schoolers, primary school children, and high school children. Work out where you are, and again, pop over to our website for detailed information and the pros and cons of each age group.

Can you afford it?

People often ask me how people can afford to travel Australia with their kids? I always reply with, "Can you afford to have children?" I mean, frankly if you totalled up all the costs over the years, you’d think you couldn’t afford them either BUT you do have them, so you can equally work this out.

You do not have to travel in the big shiny new car and caravan. You can travel in a cheap second-hand caravan as we did.

Ours cost us $6,000 and did not miss a beat for our two years on the road. We sold it ten years later for $3,500! Meaning the van cost us $2,500 in 10 years. So, do not think that the only way to do this is in a brand-new van. Mind you, if you did commit to buying a new one, you can sell it when you get back. I know some families travel in a tent. Where there is a will there is a way – so find that way!

What about work?

Never forget work is exactly that, work.

And yes of course we all need to make money, but work in my opinion should not dictate your life. If you decide to go for an extended period, you can find work on the road - again more information on this is on our website. One thing that the last few years has taught us during the COVID period is that many people can and do work remotely so this may also be possible for you. One thing I know for sure is that on your death bed you will not be wishing you had worked harder, longer or more.

No regrets The time to travel Australia with your kids is now. Do not risk saying "later" and it quickly becoming "never". We have a small window of time with our children.

Make the most of this time and travel Australia with your kids.

For more information please visit our website and follow our socials. www.travellingaustraliawithkids.com

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Involve the kids!

Make Your Own Pinhole Camera to Watch the Eclipse

A

total solar eclipse is a special event that happens when the moon moves in front of the sun and covers it completely for a short period of time.

3. Tape the white paper on the inside of the box directly across from the square of aluminum foil with the pinhole. This is where the sun’s image will appear.

The moon and the sun line up just right so that the moon blocks all of the light from the sun and creates a shadow on the Earth. This shadow moves across the planet, and if you're in the right place, you can see the total solar eclipse.

4. Cut another 2cm square hole in the lower right corner of the long side of the box. This square hole is the viewing hole.

You will be able to see the white paper through this hole.

It's important to never look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, because it can damage your eyes. But if you have special eclipse glasses or a pinhole projector, you can safely watch the eclipse and see the moon and the sun line up in the sky.

Get the kids involved for this life changing event and have them craft their own pinhole projector to view the eclipse.

You will need: Cardboard box with a lid (eg. a shoebox) Small square of aluminum foil Small square of white paper

5. Stand with your back to the sun, close the lid and look through the open square onto the white paper. Focus the sunlight through the pinhole and on the white square of paper.

The image of the eclipse is projected through the pinhole onto the viewing surface. You will be looking at a projection of the eclipse instead of looking directly at the sun.

Look through the open square at the white paper and you will see a small projected image of the sun

Utility knife or hobby knife Direct sunlight through the pinhole and onto the white square of paper

Tape Pin What you need to do: 1. Cut a 2cm square hole in the lower right corner of the small end of the box.

2. Tape the aluminum foil over the cut out square and poke a pinhole in the centre of the foil. The pinhole is where the sun will shine through.

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PUZZLES FOR KIDS SOLAR ECLIPSE word search DAY EARTH ECLIPSE LIGHT LUNAR MOON NIGHT ORBIT PARTIAL PATH PENUMBRA SHADOW SKY SOLAR SPACE STARS SUN TOTALITY UMBRA VIEW

B M J P G U M B R A Z P W N H B X E K H F A O R C Y S Q F U S H A D O W R E A R T H M B K I S G E Y K A H P D U T T X L B T Y L M J U T D Y B I P A Z I E D E N R O T Z F E C S J O V W L A F Q O S N W B Q M C Q R M Y I S I L G S P A C E V X S L U N A R E Y G Y Z P E C U P Q S X I N Z S P W D H V I D N A Y T D T A P J B G Q M L T K O G U I L O J A C S A H A E G R L F E R M J V T O R S E I N E K M D N P C F B D S A V S F W G H I F S O L A R K R Z H L C Y Q X T O K C Q X MW X V A T N I W S U N L H P Z H S V Z A C B K I T P G P W N B A T I U L N R K D A G Y J U O R B I T M V M O O N O E U H N U L I E A Y H V G J K R J C F X T R H L W A T Q O I

Help the spaceship fly to the moon then return to Earth.

Answer on page 161.

158 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

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Holland Track & Cave Hill Woodlines

$17.95*

4WD Days out of Perth

$19.95*

4WD Weekends out of Perth

$19.95*

4WD Days in the Goldfields of WA

Out of stock

4WD Days on the South Coast of WA

$19.95*

Explore the Pilbara in your 4WD

$19.95*

Hanns Track

$24.95*

Canning Stock Route

$39.95*

Postage costs for trip books: 1 book - $3.00 2 books - $6.00

Qty

Total $

See postage costs below

Postage $ 3-8 books - $10.00

Total $

DELIVER TO: Name Address Suburb

State

Email

Postcode Phone

To order and pay online via credit card or PayPal, go to www.western4wdriver.com.au

Make cheques payable to Vanguard Publishing Post to: PO Box 50, Northbridge WA 6865 Phone: (08) 9291 8303

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Contact phone no.

160 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au



Expiry

Your quick-find reference to products and services in Western 4W Driver ACCOMMODATION Queen of the Murchison...................................84 BATTERIES/BATTERY SYSTEMS Battery World.......................................................... 108 Projecta.........................................................................119 Redarc............................................................................ 62 BRAKES Bendix............................................................................... 3 CAMPERS/CARAVANS & TRAILERS Adventure Campers............................................127 Camper Trailers WA.............................................. 38 Off Road Equipment..............................................51 CAMPING SUPPLIES Bob Cooper Outback Survival......................136 Drifta Stockton.......................................................IBC Go Camping and Overlanding.................... 140 COMMUNICATION Icom.................................................................................111 4WD PARTS & ACCESSORIES Drifta Stockton.......................................................IBC Goldfields Offroad..................................................33 Make Tracks WA.................................................... 106 Maxtrax........................................................................ IFC Medicar Automotive Solutions.....................101 Off Road Equipment ............................................51 RLD Design................................................................ 56 Supafit Seat Covers..............................................122 Ultimate9.................................................................... 135

DIRECTORY

MAPS & NAVIGATION Hema Maps................................................................ 58 WAITOC.......................................................................... 19 MECHANICAL SERVICE, REPAIRS & REPLACEMENT Fremantle Fuel Injection.................................. 45 Goldfields Offroad..................................................33 Medicar Automotive Solutions.....................101 Turbo Tech................................................................... 91 MOTOR VEHICLES Toyota........................................................................ OBC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS Fremantle Fuel Injection.................................. 45 Turbo Tech................................................................... 91 Ultimate9.................................................................... 135 PROSPECTING Reeds Prospecting................................................ 69 SHOWS Perth Caravan & Camping Show................. 70 TRAINING & TOURS Bob Cooper Outback Survival......................136 Char Bro BBQ (Fire Cooking School)...... 149 Epic 4WD Tours....................................................... 85 Red Track Eco Adventure Tours................... 38 WAITOC.......................................................................... 19 TYRES Tyrepower...................................................................139

MAGAZINES Western Angler.......................................................130

PUZZLE ANSWER

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 125 | 161 #

S

illy NAPS

Found ourselves "parked" at Israelite Bay twice in two different environments.

Firstly, stuck in the lovely soft white sand.

Proudly sponsored by

Then it was a huge challenge to get the camper out of the salt lake (solo).

Steve Spencer come in twos, Steve, mate, they say things eme. I guess extr the to it ng taki but this is (pardon the besides an old sinking feeling the fun! pun) this trip has been twice can now take Israelite Bay 2 - Steve 0 ! You next time the you with a pair of Maxtrax !

Bay elite you visit Isra

How you get stuck is your business.

How you get out is ours.

Now you can take the easy way out with Maxtrax.

Get your pic in to win this great prize or, if you can’t wait, go to www.maxtrax.com.au to learn more.

KEEP ‘EM COMING FOLKS. All you need is a potentially funny situation, a good sense of humour and of course, your camera.

Send your silly snap to: admin@western4wdriver.com.au

162 | Western 4W Driver #125 | western4wdriver.com.au

THE RANGE TO TAKE YOU FURTHER

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

DRIFTASTOCKTON.COM.AU

MAKE THE ROAD AHEAD SMOOTHER WITH A TOYOTA GENUINE SERVICE

125th EDITION Autumn 2023

11.95

*Toyota Genuine Parts/Accessories purchased at and fitted by a Toyota Dealer to a Toyota vehicle which was purchased on or after 01/01/2019, are warranted for the remainder of that vehicle’s Toyota Warranty Advantage period, or 2yrs from installation (whichever is greater). Genuine Parts/Accessories purchased from, but not fitted by, a Toyota Dealer are warranted for 2yrs from date of purchase. See toyota.com.au for T&Cs. These warranties do not limit & may not necessarily exceed your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Vehicle shown fitted with optional Toyota Genuine Accessories, sold separately. See your Toyota Dealer. Towing capacity subject to regulatory requirements, towbar and vehicle design and towing equipment limitations. Ask your dealer for Toyota Genuine Towbar capacity and availability details. Towbar, tow ball and wiring harness sold separately.

T2020-014300 TOY1393

PLUS

RRP $

toyota.com.au

2023 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

Print Post Approved 602669/00784

SEE YOUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER

WESTERN 4W DRIVER

When you’re planning your next trip on Australia’s rugged, long and winding roads, go the extra mile and check whether it’s time for a Toyota Genuine Service. Expertly performed by Toyota Trained Technicians and using only Toyota Genuine Parts* – backed by a Toyota Warranty Advantage – we’ll make sure your Toyota remains in peak condition to go the distance.

ASTROTOURISM SPECIAL:

125th EDITION

Autumn 2023

THE OOMBI TRACK

PREPARING FOR THE CANNING STOCK ROUTE ANNE BEADELL HWY PINDAR