CSR - Finished in 8 Days

Submitted: Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 15:34

ThreadID: 27057 Views:3501 Replies:11 FollowUps:11

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Phil P

Hi all,

Just completed the CSR - fantastic trip. I allowed 19 days but as it was quite hot during the day we kept driving until around 4.30pm. The extra time has allowed us to head further north (currently in Darwin) before heading home to Melbourne in the next 8-10 days.

The only major drama was on night 3 when I noticed the fridge temperature was at 8deg. Upon further investigation I discovered that the 12v plug into to Engel was broken, with all the corrugations the fridge moved slightly forward in the fridge slide and must have put undue pressure on the plug. Lucky I had a soldering iron, I soldered the wires directly onto the 12v terminals of the fridge.

Just had the Patrol serviced in Darwin and was advised that the rear shocks are leaking. These are Koni's that were fitted 14 months ago, so they should be covered under warranty. Heaps of scratches, couple of very small dents and hundreds of photo’s!

Did the trip solo (wife & 2 kids) we met a few others on the CSR that were also suprised at how quick they were getting across.

Regards
Phil P

Trip details so far;

Friday, 16 September Templestowe, Red Cliffs (Motel)
Saturday, 17 September Red Cliffs - Port Augusta (Motel)
Sunday, 18 September Port Augusta - Ceduna (Motel)
Monday, 19 September Ceduna - Border Village (Motel)
Tuesday, 20 September Eyre Hwy - Norseman (Motel)
Wednesday, 21 September Norseman - Kalgoorlie (Motel)
Thursday, 22 September Kalgoorlie (Motel)
Friday, 23 September Kalgoorlie - Wiluna - CSR Well 2a (Camping)
Saturday, 24 September CSR - Well 6 (water) (Camping)
Sunday, 25 September CSR - Calvert Ranges (Camping)
Monday, 26 September CSR - Durba Springs (water) (Camping)
Tuesday, 27 September CSR - Well 27 (Camping)
Wednesday, 28 September CSR - Well 37 (Camping)
Thursday, 29 September CSR - Well 46 (Camping)
Friday, 30 September CSR, Billiluna, Wolf Creek Crater,Halls Creek(Motel)
Saturday, 1 October Bungle Bugles (Camping)
Sunday, 2 October Kunnarunna (Motel)
Monday, 3 OctoberKatherine (Motel)
Tuesday, 4 OctoberKatherine (Motel)
Wednesday, 5 October Kakudu (Motel)
Thursday, 6 OctoberDarwin (Motel)
Friday, 7 OctoberDarwin (Motel)

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Reply By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 15:56

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 15:56

Sounds like the Dakar Rally Phil , but if you are enjoying it that is what is matters . Safe trip back .
Cheers ,
Willie .

AnswerID: 133469

Reply By: lindsay - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 16:55

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 16:55

Pity you could not slow down and you might enjoy some of the solitude and the country. but if you see it as a challenge to do it in 8 days good luck. We did it in 21 days with no dents and no problems or stress.

AnswerID: 133480

Follow Up By: Phil P - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 17:22

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 17:22

It wasn't that I wanted to complete it in 8 days but this is the only time of year I can take 5 weeks off and it's too hot to stop!

FollowupID: 387701

Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Widgiemooltha) - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 17:39

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 17:39

Yea its all very well saying 3-4 weeks for the canning 2 weeks for the grr another 3 weeks for the rest of the Kimberly etc etc but the reality is for most of us we gotta get back to work sometime so you have to make the best of the time you have. it is personal choice wheather you see a bit of more or a lot of less but as long as you arnt setting unrasnable timeframes making thingds dangerous for yourself or others, Its just personal choice.

FollowupID: 387702

Reply By: Crackles - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 17:44

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 17:44

Yes Phil the Engel fridge plug has been a common fault in the past being easily damaged when knocked & seems the design has not been fixed yet. Lucky you had a thermometer on it & caught it in time before the contents were lost.
I doubt it would have mattered what shocks you had on travelling at that speed. 8 days on that track is surely testing out the equipment & a lesser brand may have fallen clean off the car ;-)
Canning Stock Route...............Tick
Cheers Craig.

AnswerID: 133489

Reply By: Member - 'Lucy' - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 18:10

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 18:10

Wouldn't happen to a WAECO

AnswerID: 133492

Follow Up By: Member - Duncan W (WA) - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 20:01

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 20:01

Now Lucy don't start that one off again. LOL

Dunc.

Dunc
Make sure you give back more than you take

Lifetime Member
My Profile My Blog Send Message

FollowupID: 387722

Follow Up By: gramps - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 23:02

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 23:02

On ya Lucy. Give em some stick LOL

FollowupID: 387761

Reply By: Willem - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 20:17

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 20:17

Must be a record....I think the previous one was 11 days.

Like the bloke who did the Simpson in 9 hours on a motorbike.

No time to smell the flowers.

I wonder why you bother?

AnswerID: 133526

Follow Up By: Jack79TD - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 22:51

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 22:51

Willem, I wonder why you bother replying to a post such as this if that is all you have to say. Not everybody has the time that you so obviously have. At least Phil is out there having a go.

Regards
Jack

FollowupID: 387756

Follow Up By: Crackles - Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 16:42

Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 16:42

No Willem it's not the record. I met German tourists on motorbikes who were doing a loop from Darwin to Wiluna on the main road then up the Stock route & back to darwin in 13 days. From memory they allowed just 7 days on the track. I couldn't believe the support vehicle, a Landcruiser tray was able to keep up. They pulled into Durba Springs at 6.30 & were gone before the sun rose. Needless to say they didn't get to see much.....
Personally I can't see the point of driving 4,000KM accross the country at great expense only to drive past a great view, gorge, aboriginal art site or historical marker that's less than 500 metres off the track but that's just me. Many do & really does it matter as they no doubt are there for different reasons, mainly the challenge of just completing the drive.
(& yes Jack he did have the time, 19 days he allowed in fact ;-)
Cheers Craig..............

FollowupID: 387822

Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 20:14

Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 20:14

Jack79TD

Yes I wonder too. Just bored maybe. But you missed my point. That being that why do something at great expense, that you may not get full value out of.

Time is a perception. If you are stuck for time then you have constraints on your life. Make time. Live for yourself and not for others.

And I agree with the points Crackles has made as well.

Hope this has satisfied your curiousity.

Cheers,

FollowupID: 387853

Reply By: Harry - Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 22:38

Friday, Oct 07, 2005 at 22:38

You're so right there Willem.
Bet they had no flies on them , they was going too fast.

AnswerID: 133563

Follow Up By: pf11 - Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 03:21

Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 03:21

Seems like all you people do here is "bag the s*%t out of those that are enjoying themselves. Wouldn't be a case of sour grapes now would it?
Each to there own, as if we were all the same then the world would be a very boring place.
I assume you would also complain if no-one posted anything at all due to the negativity that they recieve.

FollowupID: 387767

Follow Up By: Crackles - Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 18:46

Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 18:46

pf11, as nice as it may be to pat each other on the back at completing a remote area trip, it's equally important for experienced drivers to let others that may be contemplating a similar trip know that 8 days is not normally the time taken for such a run & doing so can cause breakdowns & accidents. Running at high speeds or for extended periods of times when heavily loaded particually in the heat causes additional stress on the car particually shocks, engine & bearings.
Do we have to be so politically correct on EO that no one can take a light hearted dig at the speed of a trip.
Cheers Craig :-)

FollowupID: 387840

Reply By: warthog - Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 09:45

Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 09:45

Where in Templestowe do you live Phil? I grew up in Waratah Dve Lwr Templestowe and had a paper round delivering the Herald when I was a kid in Templestowe. When I left school I was a postie for a while at the Bulleen mail centre delivering in Templestowe, still the most fun job I have had.

AnswerID: 133608

Follow Up By: Phil P - Monday, Oct 10, 2005 at 21:50

Monday, Oct 10, 2005 at 21:50

Hi Warthog,

Greenock Pl, just off Victoria St.

Regards
Phil P

FollowupID: 388128

Reply By: Harry - Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 20:12

Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 20:12

So Pee/Eff 11, if I see you on the side of the road because you've been giving your rig too much stick, I can pass you by as your having a go.
What a wanker you are. LOL
Who pulls up and offers a hand is usually the bloke that is well prepared and making sure he gets through without the hassles of breakdowns and will be in the company of others, for good reasons.
And who foots the bill when the services are out looking for you.
Give us a break mate, there needs to be some sense of responsibilty, especially when out on the Canning or any desert area.
Those with a lesser sense of responsibilty die out there mate, END OF STORY.
No correspondence will be entered into. : )

AnswerID: 133674

Reply By: ats11279 - Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 22:18

Saturday, Oct 08, 2005 at 22:18

Maybe Phil just enjoys driving his 4x4?! I don't think he should be disrespected because of how he chose to do the trip. He took the vehicle in for servicing when he got to Darwin, so I wouldn't suggest that he was cruel on his machinery and he stated that others completing the trip were surprised at how quick they were travelling. On the trip home Phil, may I suggest stopping every now and again, just to smell the flowers and check the sights as many of us do, to let those of us stuck at work know how really great the trip was!

AnswerID: 133694

Reply By: outback epicurean - Sunday, Oct 09, 2005 at 21:35

Sunday, Oct 09, 2005 at 21:35

Two comments,
this is a motel trip not a camping trip.
I have picked up several people and come across 2 accidents in the outback caused by people just going TOO FAST for TOO LONG.
End of story

AnswerID: 133820

Reply By: Phil P - Monday, Oct 10, 2005 at 16:11

Monday, Oct 10, 2005 at 16:11

Wow, all I wanted to do was to advise that the trip can be completed quite comfortably in 8 days. We visited each Well and took showers when there was water available at each one. My idea of fun is not to get to a camp site at 11:30 in the morning and sit in the sun for the rest of the day with limited shade (unless there is a pool available). Most mornings we were on the track at 7:30am.

I always take it easy and allow enough time for plenty of breaks during the day. I always look after my cars and am religious about getting them serviced according to the log book.

AnswerID: 133957

Follow Up By: Spango - Tuesday, Oct 11, 2005 at 15:39

Tuesday, Oct 11, 2005 at 15:39

Phil, I am an avid reader of this forum one thing I will say is alot of the time its not worth posting anything on here, good on you for posting about your trip on the CSR, I live in the North West of WA and back in April posted on this forum about fuel prices, what they were etc, well certain forumites accused me of whinging, why do I live where I live, crikeys I only did the posting for information sake. You cant win, you will find the same types inhabit fishing forum sites as well.

Cheers
Spango

FollowupID: 388211