Trip report - Madigan
Submitted: Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 22:37
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Member - Ian S (NT)
Hi all,
Pat and I had a few accumulated days off from Mt Dare and took off for a few days. 2 goals, first to supply mapping data for some tracks around here to Old
Andado and second was to drive the
Madigan Line.
The first was hilarious, our first experience at supplying map data. It took us 26 hours to finally travel the 110 kms that normally takes us 2 hours. A few reasons, like stuffing the GPS aerial and losing the data TWICE. We are slow learners!!!
Next, after farewelling Lance and June, the caretakers at Old
Andado, we set off for a solo madigan via the new bypass south of
the Twins across to
Camp 6 all the way to
Birdsville. 2 tyre stakings on the bypass of virgin country but otherwise no tyre dramas for 1400 Km desert. Spinifex moguls after
the Twins for hundreds of k's. Average speed about 6-10km per hour with photo stops. Explored by-tracks and generally had a good, isolated time - only disturbed by a bull camel at one stage and had to persuade it to leave with spotlights and mad gesticulations.
Met up with all the
Birdsville locals at the campground (not long to go Ruth), pub,
bakery, clinic, infomation centre and Blue Poles gallery (keep fire twirling Karsten). Everybody busily preparing for the races this weekend.
Good to get back to the silence of
the desert. Broke a few things like air bags, spring hangers but otherwise a brilliant time. 10 days in total in the swag!!
Now back to the real world of the Mt Dare pub.
Greetings all.
Cheers Ian @ Mt Dare
Reply By: Footloose - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 23:24
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 23:24
G'Day Ian. Sounds like a great "break" that would be a major expedition for some of us.
Lucky buggars :))
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Follow Up By: Member - Ian S (NT) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 00:02
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 00:02
Hi Jim,
The great advantage of being out here is the the people you meet and the oppotunity to travel. We have 'done' 10 Simpson trips this year (only 3 full crossings) but at least 6000kms fo Simpson k's. Great life, great experience.
BTW one of the things that broke (twice ) was the HF aerial connection. Felt VERY naked without HF until fixed.
Cheers, back in Brissy about March 07,
Ian @ Mt Dare
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Footloose - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 00:12
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 00:12
Ian, a broken Hf connection ? Not that I wouldnt for a moment suggest that I'd know the extreme stress it's been under, but it just shouldn't break. Full stop. End of story.
Crikey, being without the HF out there is like being without....err....softdrink :))
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Follow Up By: Member - Ian S (NT) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 00:18
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 00:18
JIM,
one was a bad solder joint (
mine) that I repaired better than the orginal and the other was the corrugations (spinifex moguls) causing sufficient rock and roll to dislodge the 15 pin connector antenna control from thr main box (no retaining screws), so not a Codan problem just an owner problem,
Cheers
Ian@MtDare
FollowupID:
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Reply By: davidta - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 07:36
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 07:36
Hi Ian,
Most of us are back home now after following you down the
Madigan Line (albeit a day behind !). Tom is still in
Birdsville waiting on parts - not happy !.
When we met as you left
Birdsville, you said you were going to try getting to the Geographic Centre - did you make it ?
When I sort out things, I'll have to swap track plots around the Hale river area with you.
Cheers
David, V 575.
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Follow Up By: Member - Ian S (NT) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 08:28
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 08:28
Hi David,
After discovering that I had broken the bracket tops of the air bag on one side and bent the other, we decided that discretion was the best form of valour. We eventually came back on the
Rig Road but continued the mapping project, so it wasn't a waste. Following that a spring hanger and greasable schackle went walkabout so we ended up with a wooden
suspension the last 400km back to Mt Dare. Repairs start tomorrow.
Hope to get out to Geosurveys and the Geographical Centre and on to
Camp 8 in October. We'll keep you posted.
Cheers
Ian@Mt Dare
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 11:50
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 11:50
Hi Ian,
A friend with the same model 79series as
mine broke a greasable shackle on the Gunbarrell last year. I was carrying spares, but spent a couple of hours replacing the front shackle and bush out in
the desert. Stick with the Toyota ones when you get the new vehicle. The Toyota bushes are better than the poly ones anyway - they now come with a steel sleeve.
Cheers
phil
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 08:29
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 08:29
G'day Ian.
Know just what you mean with the mapping hardware technology. I have been frustrated twice due to "interface" or "configuration" problems.
But NO MORE (I hope) Have a GPS mouse to plug into the Notebook and will use the "hand held" as a stand-alone.
Actually, I have missed sleeping in the Swag since buying the Camper Trailer.
We must do a "no accessories" trip and use them again.
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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 08:33
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 08:33
Hi Ian
The new track by pass south of
the Twins. Were you able to pick up any of our tracks from when we did the Geo Expedition earlier this season.
Stephen
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Ian S (NT) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 10:06
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 10:06
Stephen,
Your track south of
the Twins out the swale where you turned south is there but was hard to find. It appears others have created a track further to the North and it cuts into black fella land and immerges on the Colson higher than our original track.
Relatives have introduced us to ?confluences, is that where you register a specific 00 min 00 sec location. I can see there are a few we can do out there. I noted your entry further down the swale. At the time we thought your tracks were oilmen!!
Cheers
Ian@Mt Dare
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 13:02
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 13:02
Hi Ian
You are correct. If you check out the world degree confluence web site, I noted that S25º E136º had not been logged. We intended to go down the Colson before heading east to
Geosurveys Hill. As you know, the size of those virgin dunes would have made it near impossible to head west from the Colson Track, so we did Madigan's 1 and 2, and then made our way south, then east to keep out of the Aboriginal land, then turned south.
Knowing what we know now, this was the easy way to log that confluence. It was a lot slower and harder from
Geosurveys Hill to S25º E137º The only good side of the second confluence, was that there was lots of stone chippings and grinding stones north east of
Geosurveys Hill.
Regards
Stephen
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Follow Up By: davidta - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 13:08
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 13:08
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for your info via phone & email re the Geo Centre a few months ago.
Very helpful & everything you said was true.
We got into the swale that you came up to the centre about 5 km from the shot line that goes up. Your track were just visible most of the time, but in some sections had dissapeared.
When you said that shot line was in good condition, I had it pictured a lot worse than what it was too.
Thanks again & cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 13:32
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 13:32
Hi dadidta
I hope you had a great trip. Thats what it is all about, sharing information and letting others know what they can expect. That easy to follow shot line was good compared to others that were far harder to locate and even drive on.
Cheers
Stephen
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Reply By: Willem - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 09:12
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 09:12
Hi Ian
Good one! I still have to drive the
Madigan Line. Might get there one day.
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Ian S (NT) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 21:42
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 21:42
Hi Willem,
You would have seen enough of spinifex moguls!! not to need to. LOL
There have been a few leaving the Colson for a direct track to the Geographical Centre then up to
Geosurveys Hill. Thats wild country!!
That won't stop you though!!
Regards to you both
Cheers
Ian@Mt Dare
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Reply By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 12:05
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 12:05
We have a new Trek Note coming for the
Madigan Line including the Geographic Centre. As usual, it will be released in an ExplorOz eNewsletter.
BTW - If you aren't getting newsletters (issued fortnightly) it means you have falled off the mail list. To add yourself to the eNewsletter, simply enter your email address into the Mail List box and click ADD (the mail list box is in the left margin of the site). Also, registered users can opt in or out of this eNewsletter, simply check your profile and adjust as required. Because the eNewsletter reaches over 20,000 subscribers, we make our announcements in there, rather than in the
Forum.
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Follow Up By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 12:05
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 12:05
that should read ...."it means you have fallen off", not "falled". Sorry.
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Reply By: davidta - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 13:03
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 13:03
Ian,
Sounds like you a few dramas on the way back to Mt Dare then.
A trip to the Geo Centre is not likely to get any harder, so time will not matter !.
The
madigan line was quite an experience, that's for sure. The track down the
Hay to Beachcomber from
Camp 16 is very different to when we did it 2 years ago too.
If you want them, I have the plots for the whole trip - up to the Geo Centre, the
Madigan Line & down the
Hay etc
Cheers
David
AnswerID:
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