Fuel @ Well 23 CSR

Yes. We arrived at Well 23 last July (2012) to find that 4 drums of recently delivered fuel had been knocked off. Thankfully it wasn't ours but it caused difficulties for the others who had arrived there expecting their diesel.

My specific issue was that the first thing out of the drums were two or more litres of water and crap from the bottom of the drum. Thank god I had a Mr Funnel filter or I would have been in all sorts of bother. I'd suggest the drums were not checked prior to filling. My drum was heavily rusted internally when we did a visual inspection. If I'd had a cold chisel handy, I'd have popped a hole in the top to render it U/S.

All of these matters were reported to Kate at the Capricorn Roadhouse who was apologetic about the dirty fuel. I'm hoping they won't let the backpacker fill the drums next year without adequate inspection.

I believe the Roadhouse had a fair indication as to where the stolen fuel went.

The video was shot that day and includes well 23. Haven't gotten around to blogging it yet.

We had two drums of fuel, 1 desiel and 1 petrol waiting for us when we got there. No problems at all with ours or others that arrived while we were there.

The biggest problem I had was using up my drum. Had to scrounge around for empty 20lt drums. Good service and better placed to do the whole CSR with one re-fill, only needing 160lt in vehicle tanks coming down from the north.

Haven't used the fuel dump but have heard similar stories to Micko's. Also there is the issue of a minimum purchase of 200 litres which doesn't suit everyone.
We topped up at Kunawirritji (well 33) in June 2012 and whilst the cost of diesel was exorbitant at $3.40/L, the overall addition to trip expenses (coming from Brisbane) was generally insignificant. I carried plenty of extra diesel and took on about 60 litres at Kunawirritji. We rang ahead and they stayed open for us on a Saturday afternoon. I would do the same next time.
Tony (Hopbush)

Please I should state that this is a great service provided by Capricorn Roadhouse and I am in no way complaining about the service. Fuel is carted an awful long way out to facilitate travellers needs and at $3.00 neat per litre this year, it was a damn sight cheaper than filling up at Parnngurr ($4.20 a litre).

The Roadhouse cannot be expected to provide security for fuel left at the Roadhouse and this is written in a clear disclaimer when you book and prepay for the delivery. It's unfortunate that there are unscrupulous people about who will take advantage of the situation to the detriment of others.

The Roadhouse staff are very accommodating and I'm sure that on speaking with their fuel drop co-ordinator, a better inspection of drums prior to filling was taking place.

As for amount, I paid for a 200 litre drum, the drum was full (the water was a bonus lol).

From a historical perspective, I was informed by the roadhouse staff that due to thefts on 08/09, they stopped delivering in 2010. The commenced again in 2011 and did not have a single issue through that season. Our arrival coincided with the first theft reported for 2012. The roadhouse accommodated the stranded travellers with a drum of fuel still there for Kenny Maidment (of Canning Well reconstruction fame)

My advice if using the service, make sure you arrive in the area as close to the day of the drop as possible (co-ordinate with the Roadhouse) and use a good filter funnel such as the "Mr Funnel". If you are handy (and I travel with a bloke who is), a Tanami pump can be fabricated for the 200 litre drums relatively easily. Let compressed air do all the work for you.

Cheers Mick

Cheers Mick

Wayne,
I was warned to check as per pic. There was not a problem with the quality or quantity. At that time they were newish owners & may have slacked off a bit by the time Mick got there.
To me represented good value and service.
Mike.

I experienced the problems of arriving at Well 23 in September to find no drum with my name on it. I do not know whether it was stolen or never delivered as the Roadhouse has poor records, and the information that has been provided is so inconsistent that I doubt its truthfulness. I am still in discussions about the matter with the Roadhouse but will make other arrangements for fuel next time.
I asked specifically for a delivery close to the arrival date, but that was completely ignored without any communication.

We had a problem with water and rust in the drum in Aug 2011. We were using a small marine diesel pump that was lowered into the drum with 5 metres of clear tubing attached. The pump was not on the bottom of the drum but touched the side that the drum had been lying on before we lifted it up. We saw the dirt and water coming up the hose and stopped pumping before any entered the vehicle. I would strongly suggest that the fuel is pumped into a jerry can THEN poured into the vehicle. We left approx 30 litres behind, not wanting to push our luck. I contacted the Capricorn Roadhouse and they were very obliging in refunding half the cost of the drum, as they confirmed that the person filling the drums had not done the job properly and had been replaced.

Cheers,

Mike