Kimberley Trip

Submitted: Sunday, Sep 01, 2013 at 14:57
ThreadID: 104144 Views:1851 Replies:1 FollowUps:0
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Not long back from finishing my second trip in consecutive years of the Kurunji Track & Gibb River Rd, Mitchell Plateau. As expected, a fantastic place to explore and will most probably do it again in a few years times as I have many other trips to do. Hopefully the Simpson is next.
A couple of things that stood out for me was that I fitted an extra fuel filter in Kununurra on the advice of the local dealer. Two days later a chap at the park approaches me and tells me that he had to get a hire car to continue his trip as he needs another motor fitted to his Prado (3lt turbo) due to bad fuel. This happened to him at the Bungles.
The second concern I had was the amount of people travelling these remote roads with either no radio comms or are operating on another channel. Very frustrating and has the potential for a serious outcome. Channel 18 is not a highway channel.

Munji
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Reply By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Sunday, Sep 01, 2013 at 16:48

Sunday, Sep 01, 2013 at 16:48
Good to see that you enjoyed the trip. Bad luck with the fuel. We took on 100+ litres at Turkey Creek in 2009 without an issue. That may be the same place. It can be pot luck with dirty fuel in the bush. But Turkey Creek is hardly in the bush. That's a major inter-city highway (Number 1).

For decades we have been travelling the outback without a radio and not one prang in the outback. Nor have I needed to use one for anything other than courtesy stuff or a nothingness chat. Up until we joined a club we didn't HAVE to fit one to the car. Thousands of people have been doing the same since roads were made in the bush. Why is it all of a sudden so dangerous and "has the potential for a serious outcome"?

Also there are bundles of channels we are allowed to use. Why should I chat with a mate on the "advised" channel (40, 10 or whatever) and air all my dirty laundry for everyone to hear.

Sorry mate this is a bit over the top but a UHF radio is not an obligatory item to have in your car and it's not required by law to only operate on say for example channel 40. Yes It is a very helpful item to have in your car for emergencies and to hear if a vehicle is coming at you just the other side of a sand dune in the desert. Agreed. But not obligatory. Yes. I have two. One to listen to the "advised" or chat channel and a hand held in the glove box.

I am curious about what you thought of the Karunji Track. We started at sun up and took a whole day with the sun in our back for the whole circuit. It got a bit soft on the mud flats at one stage but nothing to worry about. Even located the hills and sites they used in the film Australia.

Phil
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