Drinking Water

Thanks Bob-we've been through Winton a few times now but haven't tasted anything but the servo's 1 litre bottle of water (oh! those darn unenvironmental bottles!) and the Gregory's booze!
I thought I'd better pack a bottle of cordial to add a dimension to the bore taste...!
"Soda"...that's a description that will make sense when I drink it, I'm sure!! I'll taste it and look knowingly at the hubby like a real connoisseur..."Hmm...that's what Bob meant!"
:)

Hell, I've even traded water for alcohol, litre for litre for in remote area's.
It's a very nice commodity to have in the outback :)

I had never thought of that. Thanks Bill, most useful.

Perhaps the reason they put those on the taps is to stop people stealing the water which is effectively what you are doing.

Someone can still leave it running regardless as they arent auto shutoff.

I think the issue is leaving taps running and I will trust myself to do the correct thing.

But, as mentioned, the use of the tap is theft. And that is NOT doing the right thing! The issue is the scarcity of the resource, and the cost to the local community to provide it. If you ask at the servo, you might be asked to pay for some water - and you should! If you help yourself by use of one of the 4-way tap handles, you're simply a common thief!

A lot of those town park security taps are used as it may be recycled water, so beware !!!
Barry.

Bwahahaha......great idea, STEAL the water.........LOL
Maybe if you get the Mrs to chat up the bloke on the checkout and get your kids to knock off the bottled water out of the fridges at sevos too? RATFLMAO.......

The reason they put those taps in is to stop what you propose.

ANY tap can be left running except those that arent turned on.

Respect the fact and ask for what you want.

Far too many think they have an entitlement to help themselves to whatever they want.

If you cant afford to pay your way stay home.

C'mon, let's not get carried away. Of course I am not in favour of or advocating theft. It is usually pretty obvious when tap handles are not provided because water is scarce or when it is done to prevent taps being left on. As in all things, use your head.

Another handy gadget is a jiggler syphon..........most people only lock their fuel caps to stop sniffers.............I don't reckon they would mind at all if ya helped yourself to that either....Bwahahahahaha

Sorry couldn't help myself.

I was taught that if the tap is not there - there a reason. Leave it alone!

We take 55 litres in a tank under the car and 20 or 40 litres in a jerry can in the back of the car. We have never run out and some trips have taken two weeks to get back to civilisation. And with three in the car in places like the WA deserts, Simpson and the CSR. It sure is nice to have a shower when we get back to civilisation.

Ref my last reply to Hairy. On further thought I think you are correct.

True. I did read that. The problem with forums is that you can't always get an idea who agrees and who doesn't when you can't actually see the body language of those standing around (and not posting). So I added another one. Not meaning to be a negative criticism. Okay??

I also added how much water we carried for three occupants for our CSR drive and how it was carried. PS No wine, coke or beer. Added a lovely very old bottle of port for a sip after dinner. I thought that may help also.

So enjoy the trips and maybe get used to carrying more fluid supplies instead of using the shops etc on the way.

I saw Galvans on a map but hadn't found any info...thanks for your heads-up!!

:)

Galvans Gorge at 17^09'01.61"s 125^28'10.56E. Google earth has it marked in the wrong place. Car park is just off the road and is a ten minute walk to the water hole pictured on Google earth.

delete previous ,,sorry I got it wrong. Marked at the right spot on explore oz maps,, 16*47'54.18s 125*50'54.12"E

And I'd agree that that is the best course.

In thinking about it more, I think Hairy you are right. I don't of course carry such a spanner. When I lived in Alice there would always be 20 litres of water in the car even when we were just up and down the highway.My first response when I read the suggestion for a spanner was, well fine, but having thought about it more, I reckon you are right.

Thanks Robert!
I'd seen a few references to water availability while I was making Gibb notes. Thanks for the exact info there...you've saved me having to go back through Ron and Viv Moon's Kimberley book to find them all again!
We have a Kia Sorento (the model that has dual range 4WD) and it's been lifted and had a snorkel added and has off-road tyres...people can never work out what model it is because it doesn't look like any other Sorento! The Beast has breezed through the Strezleki, Birdsville, wet black soil and more.
The trailer is homemade by a fitter and machinist who doesn't do things by halves (these darn fitters!) so we have faith in it doing the Tanami and GRR. Actually, it's about the size of your TVan if you exclude the fact that we just have a back door and not the cool extra tent-bit that you have, and we have no kitchen like the TVan...But we do have a solar panel, a tv, underbed storage, space for the car fridge, storage shelves...and no kitchen means that by necessity we eat out at the local pubs etc bit more often!!!
It'll be replaced by a real van in the next 12 months...we just didn't want to take a real van on the Tanami and GRR!
We don't feel the urge to do the extra-challenging Mitchell Falls Road when there are so many great places we can access more easily. As hubby says to some sights "Great experience and all, but we do have to get home again!"

Looks like I'd better hit the camping store for a filter of some sort as well as the lemon cordial!
:)

Hi Robyn,
We always carry bulk water from home plus 10 3l plastic bottles (the kind that orange juice comes in) and refill them as required. That way you can fill up with poorer quality water without contaminating your known good quality supply. And 3l bottles are much easier to handle. We find that if we ask when we refuel we will be able to fill up the smaller bottles. Sometimes the bore water doesn't taste so great but have found that proper lime cordial does wonder for the flavour. One rule we follow is that if we have an opportunity to fill empty bottles we always fill them, regardless of the quality of the water - they can easily be emptied if better quality water becomes available. Using this system we usually bring home some of the water that we set out with 2 or 3 months earlier.
Cheers,
Val.

We do a similar way to Val but often buy bottled water at supermarket for drinking and all other water for cooking and cleaning
Much better having multiple smaller containers so that you can grade your water quality and use accordingly

We haven't needed bigger water supplies so far because we haven't been that remote but we're about to invest in a couple of water jerry cans for ease of packing.
When it comes to decanting or refilling or cooling, hubby swears by using old wine cask bladders because they fit into whatever space is available in the car fridge. I questioned their strength but we haven't had any punctures.
Must admit, he gets funny looks holding a wine bladder to a tap to fill it up ("Geez, look at that cheapskate there at the tap watering his cheap booze down!") and when he broke 2 toes in Airlie Beach, it was a nice cold wine bladder from the car fridge that soothed the pain. I wonder what people thought when they drove out that servo and watched him sitting with a bright silver wine bladder on his foot...!
I might start saving a variety of bottles so we can be ready for anything. Thanks for the advice. And it's nice to know that water can return home after 2-3 months!

:)

Wow-the little devices invented by enterprising people (and the little home-made devices that are also out there!)
We have, so far, only ever succeeded in taking our cash (never rain) to drought-stricken areas.
Great for us, but not for them. Thanks for that info!

:)

Yep, we've seen their water! We drank melted ice and soft drink in Innamincka. That's the day we really discovered that soft drink did absolutely nothing for a real thirst...we'd get almost to the end of the can and still be thirsty!
It's amazing how to empty your melted esky's contents onto the lawn in suburbia but drink it and relish it like a fine champagne in the outback, eh?!
The water certainly was a milky coffee colour in the river, but not a lot different to the water that we used to get pumped into our houses when we lived on the Murray River! You'd walk past a brownish coloured loo and think "how embarrassing, I'm sure I flushed!"

:)

Never heard of it! Thanks for the tip and I will look it up and make a note.
:)

Thank you for your words of wisdom, Morry.
Too true.

:)

Agree
Concentrate on just keeping a supply of good drinking water as a seperate supply, and then you can afford not to be so fussy about whatever other water you pick up for cleaning etc

Also don't rely on a system that needs a hose to fill up, often you will need a bucket or jerry to fill up off a rainwater tank or need to collect from a river