Fuel on the Canning

is there a difference between saving money and making money , sorry but i would favour the local bloke all week long, want a special go to woolies

Hi Alan,

This is great news for Canning travellers. There had been a decision made by Capricorn in Newman not to service Well 23 Fuel dump this year and I for one am glad it has been reversed.

From personal experience, the site is the subject of periodic pilfering. We arrived in 2012 to find our drums present but many other travellers not so fortunate. There are two things I would recommend.

1. Carry a “Mr Funnel “ fuel filter with you as Kurt, the Austrian back-packer paid bugger all an hour while working at Newman, is not that keen on checking the internal conditions of the drums before filling. He won’t ask a question if they take 235 litres instead of 240 simply because the 5 litres of water and sludge in the bottom takes it up to the appropriate level. This is death to modern common rail diesel and would have been my personal experience had it not been for my "Mr Funnel” filter.

2. Do not arrive at Capricorn running on vapor. Should your fuel be stolen you are in an awful predicament and one not easily rectified. My advice is to make sure you arrive with enough in reserve for a further 200 km. This will at least get you to Parrngurr (Cotton Creek) to fill up which is a better option than spending a lot of time on a sat phone and waiting a week or more for replacement fuel to arrive from Newman (which you may well have to pay for as you have signed your order form under “all care and no responsibility”).

These are the core risks of using the Well 23 fuel dump and you need to be aware of them. Having highlighted them, I hope you do not find yourself in that situation and you have a fantastic run down the Canning. It is a magnificent journey.

The video highlights our journey and a the issues facing others when we were at Well 23.

Cheers and safe travels

Mick

Not sure how many others have used this method but here goes anyway.
A good mate did the CSR run back in about 1984 and built himself a bolt together trailer that was basically a draw bar, steel framework and a cradle made of wooden beams to carry a 44 gallon (now 205 lt) drum of diesel.
This was carried on an axle with Landcruiser wheels, hubs and bearings. The wheels were Cruiser pattern and had 12.5x15" tyres so good flotation. The springs were only heavy enough to carry about 250 kilos total.
I think the drum was emptied by around well 23 and left there. These were the days before disposable fuel drums so the guy from Capricorn could have had himself an extra drum if he chose.
The trailer unbolted and got stored on a roof rack with the wheels and tyres.
From memory the frame of the trailer less wheels weighed only about 40 or 50 kilos and the wooden cradle was burnt in the campfire.

Cheers
Pop

By the by:

Grumpy Graham is not at Kunawarritji (Well 33) and has not been for about two years.

And the community has a real fuel station with roof and floor and proper pums, not the container and dodgy pump system anymore.

Whilst Graham's manner was very surly, he was actually very nice and thoughtful below his unsociable gruff exterior. Extended me many kindnesses over the years including monitoring my hitchhiking adventures progress on the CSR two years in a row. In 2011 he sent out his son Graham Jnr and the school teacher to Well 36 when they saw from my SPOT track, which they were monitoring, that I walked back from Well 37. Graham thought I had given up rather than the reality - temporary retreat instead of defeat. The water at Well 37 was grey and gruel like and I did not wish to drink it. I was soft in those days.

Very nice and social and very pleasant to yarn with Bill Johnson has replaced him. This guy really cares and extended some appreciated assistance to many travellers last year.

His lovely wife Raelene Johnson runs the store and she really is nice too.

Both of them took very good care of the many foot powered travellers last year - gave me free accommodation at the communities motel for 4 days and did the same for Pam, I believe. They also gave refuge to Tony, Pam's driver and to Eddie from France who was cycling from Alice Springs to Perth, but the boys got the abandoned houses - and were very grateful as it was raining and very cold.

There is improvement. :-)

What is the fuel availability like at Bililuna?

We will be driving from Alice Springs to Bililuna and then heading south on the Canning. I am not keen on continuing to Halls Creek (168kms) for fuel and then coming back to the CSR. But if needed then so-be-it.

Fuel at Bililuna appears critical as we won't have enough to get from Alice to Kunawaratjii. I can carry 255 litres. There will be four cars in our group. 250kms to Kunawaratjii and another 260 to Capricorn dump and maybe another 100kms to Parrngurr.

I think one car uses unleaded. The others are diesel.

Any comments?

Phil

Fuel at Billiluna is not a problem , providing store is open - suggest phone ahead & advise of fuel needs