Great Victoria Desert Update

Submitted: Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:08
ThreadID: 45701 Views:2288 Replies:5 FollowUps:10
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Just back from a lovely 9 day jaunt through the desert.
Emu to Vokes Hill was in better nick that I remember before. Don't be turned off by the corrugations - take it easy and its a nice drive. Saw a few of the marble gums just east of Vokes Hill that I hadn't noticed before. Found my 4 previous entries in the 3 visitors books! The road south from Vokes Hill (via Cook) is still not often travelled, but takes you through some brilliant stands of black oak, past a lot of historic native wells, and through some of the lushest country out there. There was water in Waldana well and Bringina Well, and if you wanted to dig a bit, you'd find it in the Churina wells. The two shed tanks labelled on the Hema maps had good rainwater.

Not a lot of native wildlife, but lots of camels, heaps of rabbits, and looked like lots of cats. Birdlife was prolific - looked like the desert had had some of the recent rain. Most nights about 7 degrees, and days were a pleasant 22-25. Camping in the mulga and red sand was nice - great for camp ovens. A few flowers were out - some of the wattles were flowering.

Diesel was $130.9 at Penong and Nundroo and $169.9 up the road at Nullabor. Yalata roadhouse has been repainted, but is still closed. The truck got $12.2 l/100k - we run low tyre pressures and take it easy. Spent last night at Ceduna foreshore - pretty noisy after midnight, but we were safely behind iron bars!!!

Cheers
Phil
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Reply By: Footloose - Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:13

Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:13
Phil, I'm jealous. Havent been north of the tar on that stretch :(( I always get a good nights sleep in Ceduna these days, now that I know which motel to stay in :))
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:46

Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:46
Footy,
Its great desert country, but when you're out there, its pretty lush, so its hard to believe its a desert - pretty isolated - no one comes and gets you out when you break down - not even at Theo's rates :-)
But the trip from Coober Pedy to Vokes Hill and down to Nullabor is a very easy 9 day trip from Adelaide, so only have to take a week off work for a quick desert "fix".

Cheers
phil
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Follow Up By: Footloose - Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:58

Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:58
Remote areas don't phase me. I rekkon you can break down and be just as remote in a capital city if you don't have money :))

I crave the isolation, at least for a while.

That area would be no worries if I broke down, I'd just go to the loo and as soon as my strides were around my ankles, along would come some tourists :))

Yes there was plenty of vegetation all the way to 80 mile Beach last year, and with recent rains I imagine parts are looking better than they have for a while. No doubt the camel population will increase :((
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 23:20

Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 23:20
We didn't see another vehicle between the totem sites and Nullabor. And the track down to Cook is getting a bit overgrown on the north end - previous vehicle tracks were about 2 weeks old. Yep the isolation is good!
May's a good month for travelling - get in before everyone else!
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Follow Up By: Footloose - Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 23:25

Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 23:25
Phil, I'd love to , but I'm committed to playing volentary tour guide out around Birdsville in a few weeks. And I'm betting that part of the trip will be wet ! Ugh. At least we won't be camping...maybe :)))
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Reply By: Willem - Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:18

Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:18
Phil

Did you go up through Maralinga?

Bloody good fuel consumption,eh? What, 50kmh?....LOL

Cheers
AnswerID: 241294

Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:36

Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:36
50kph - you're kidding - I never go over 1000rpm in 4th gear - thats about 40!! I got all the way back to Port Augusta today on the fuel I took! Most desert trips I get 13-15 l/100k, but with the GVD, theres a heap of flat country called the Nullabor that helps the consumption.

As others have mentioned before on this forum, Maralinga is likely to be handed over to the Maralinga Tjarutja people later this year,(unless delayed yet again).
Its very likely that the current tight access to the area will be then freed up, and visitors will be encouraged. At the moment access is severely restricted.
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:47

Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 22:47
So in answer to your question - no we went west from Coober Pedy :-((
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Follow Up By: Member -Signman - Monday, May 21, 2007 at 09:15

Monday, May 21, 2007 at 09:15
Willem
Permits for access to transit through Maralinga can be obtained ( if you go through the right channels). I have one in my hot l'il hand at the moment- for a trip in August.
But then- I seem to remember on one of your posts that you don't subscribe into having to obtain permits!!
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Follow Up By: Willem - Monday, May 21, 2007 at 09:22

Monday, May 21, 2007 at 09:22
Signman

Yep, You are right. I think the Permit System is a blight on our society.

Nevertheless, I normally apply for them for 'sensitive' areas but get annoyed when needing to get one to travel a 'through' road. Most of those times I don't bother.

So there you have it in a nutshell.
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Reply By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Monday, May 21, 2007 at 09:39

Monday, May 21, 2007 at 09:39
Good to see you havnt forgotton what a toyotsas for. Sadly Since moving to perth it has curtailed activitys for me with just one Woodlines trip and a scoot down the yowie rocks track in recent times. Im up to 7 plugs in the MTRs but at least None have been wrecked (there was one $60 dodgy sidewall repair tho)
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Monday, May 21, 2007 at 10:02

Monday, May 21, 2007 at 10:02
Hi Davoe,
If you're still staking tyres, you must be going somewhere off the bitumen, which is good to hear.
We had an average run with the tyres. Six vehicles and 3 punctures - one was a rock thru the tread of a BFGATKO that was still leaking after 4 plugs, so it got patched. One was a small sidewall stake on a Bridgestone that sealed with a single plug, and the other was a sidewall cut on a brand new Silent Armour that sealed with 3 plugs, but got a patch as well (3 vehicles were running Silent Armour). One guy had a 100series rental vehicle which was held together with gaffer tape by the end of the trip - a light fell out, and a side window spontaneously bleep tered into a thousand pieces - must have had something wrong with it - looked like it may have been repaired before.

Cheers
Phil
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Reply By: Des Lexic - Monday, May 21, 2007 at 13:20

Monday, May 21, 2007 at 13:20
Glad to hear the country is looking good. we plan to finish off the Anne Beadell in sept from Neale Junction although I'm still working out the final details to NJ yet. Weather it is up the Connie Sue or in from Vokes Corner still working it out.
I know what you mean by corrugations LOL although they were timid compared to the Gunbarrell. Tyre pressures are the key.
Damned Camels are becoming a real pain though.
Hope to have a chat at Warraweena in a few weeks.
AnswerID: 241389

Reply By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Monday, May 21, 2007 at 19:53

Monday, May 21, 2007 at 19:53
Great Trip, Phil G - you must have a good boss who lets you go on so many holidays each year. How'd you get a job like that? We leave this Friday for one month - lookout SD and various other parts - here we come! Talk to you when we get back - or from Bdv anyway where the power is!
AnswerID: 241458

Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at 06:52

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at 06:52
Hi Ruth,
Funny you mention bosses - mine hired a 100series and came on the trip!
And he and I approve the leave for the department. To stay sane, I'm giving the LSL a bit of a hammering this year :-)

We'll all be keen to know how the new truck goes. Sounds like the recent rain will have dried up in time for you - the Simpson will be nice.

Cheers
phil
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