Back in Alice Springs

Submitted: Tuesday, Jul 01, 2008 at 21:45

ThreadID: 59420 Views:3655 Replies:6 FollowUps:9

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Wayne (NSW)

Arrived in Alice Springs yesterday( Monday) and to night they are celebrating my visit with fire works. That is very nice of the people of Alice springs to do that.

Not much to add about the Canning trip, Wayne's Wife (AKA Belinda) has been posting the up dates.

The track is good but does get chopped up when trailers are dragged over the dunes. Passed a convey which had a trailer and you could feel and see the fresh scallops in the track.

Between Well 45 and Well 46 the grass is very high in the middle of the track. We were stopping every 15min to check the build up. The vehicles that collected the most were the utes with all the bash plates under the vehicle. Checking and clearing all the vehicles meant we didn't get a build up of spinifex.

The corrugations are still just as bad from Well 32 to Well 35. We camped at Well 33 just to have a break from them. No flat tyres or blown shocks this trip only the fuel tank brackets braking and a roof rack failure all of which were repaired on the track.

The Troopie didn't escape with out a problem either. A broken fuel sender unit wire. All of a sudden the big tank was showing empty. No fuel spillage and the motor was still running. Climbed under the vehicle that afternoon in camp and solider the wire back together. Fuel gauge is now working again.

Fuel used. The Troopie was not the most economical or the worst when it came to using fuel. Considering it would weight about 3.6t and was the lead vehicle it used about 160lt from Wiluna to Cotton Creek. It then used 160lt to Well 46. I then went to the other tank and used about 40lt to Billiluna and then onto Balgo to get fuel. This is only a guide and the fuel used will vary from vehicle to vehicle.

The Sat phone worked 95% of the time with out a problem. I made about 17 calls between Vic and Belinda while on the Canning and most calls went for over 5 min. The times I did have trouble getting through were the same nights I had trouble with VKS.

I wish those who are doing the Canning soon all the best and that they have a trouble free trip.

Wayne

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Reply By: KiwiAngler - Tuesday, Jul 01, 2008 at 22:59

Tuesday, Jul 01, 2008 at 22:59

Wayne

Great report mate - Belinda has kept us well posted while you were away - you might have troubles 'wrestling' the mouse back off her :-)))

I tried to selcall you a few times on the evening skeds but no luck.

I have done all the prep I can and am now waiting VERY impatiently for the 12th July to arrive so I can see the CSR for myself

What was the crossing at Savoury Creek like?

Thanks for the fuel useage data my Nissan come sin about the same weight so it will at least give me a benchmark - I have the 2 L/R fuel tanks fitted now so with 145lt and 70lt even allowing that I cannot extract every lt out. I should be ok if I fill up at Wiluna, Cotton and Billiluna as you did :-)

I will try to selcal you tomorrow evening sked :-)

AnswerID: 313368

Follow Up By: Wayne (NSW) - Tuesday, Jul 01, 2008 at 23:12

Tuesday, Jul 01, 2008 at 23:12

KiwiAngler,

Savoury Creek crossing was dry and easy. There was some evidence of vehicles getting stuck before we arrived. I still walked the crossing first but it was all good.

Wayne

FollowupID: 579418

Reply By: Member - Footloose - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 08:29

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 08:29

Ur missus tells us that you were using a Globalstar sat phone? I'm surprised at the coverage if that's the case.
Good to see you had an almost uneventful trip. Alice should be a tas quieter these days also ?

AnswerID: 313385

Follow Up By: Wayne (NSW) - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 09:37

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 09:37

Footy,

The coverage has been getting better from Globalstar and to be fair the Sat phone that I have is in a in car kit with an external aerial.

I can see when I have coverage because the phone is on when ever the ignition is on in the vehicle. If I do need to make a call I just wait for a good signal and make the call.

I thought that the fire works were for me but it is Northern Territory Day and because they can they let off fire works.

Wayne

FollowupID: 579445

Follow Up By: Member - Footloose - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 09:49

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 09:49

Fire works ? What are they ? LOL Haven't seen any apart from public performances for years !
Interesting about the Globalstar ...

FollowupID: 579447

Reply By: Member -Signman - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 09:58

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 09:58

Did ya catch up with Ken & Olga ???

AnswerID: 313397

Follow Up By: Wayne (NSW) - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 16:01

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 16:01

Signman,

Spoke to them Monday afternoon.

I am a bit concerned about the amount of fuel carried by the petrol vehicles that they have with them. One is towing a camper and the other a 2.7 Prado might be a bit light on for fuel by the end of the trip.

I was able to log in with VKS Adelaide base on Monday night. The signal was fading in and out but I was able to get through.

Wayne

FollowupID: 579494

Follow Up By: Member -Signman - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 16:37

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 16:37

Wayne
How many vehicles did the end up with??

FollowupID: 579499

Follow Up By: Wayne (NSW) - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 16:59

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 16:59

Signman,

Nine vehicles.

Wayne

FollowupID: 579504

Reply By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 17:25

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 17:25

Thanks for the news on Globalstar, we took ours out in the bush (Southern WA) recently to see how it was going and the reception had improved but to hear that you got 95% coverage on the CSR is promising, with that news I'm glad we hung onto ours, however we will find out how it performs when we go to Birdsville.

Cheers

D

Simba, our much missed baby.

Lifetime Member
My Profile Send Message

AnswerID: 313463

Reply By: Wayne (NSW) - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 23:14

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 23:14

Dear Darling Husband... see you in 5 days!

Love,

The Wife xx

p.s. If it's fireworks you want, I'll see what I can organise ~ lol

AnswerID: 313540

Follow Up By: KiwiAngler - Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 23:29

Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008 at 23:29

Belinda

With a welcome home message like that, expect Wayne to pick up a few tickets for speeding as he rushes home to 'ignite the wick" :-))))))

FollowupID: 579593

Follow Up By: Wayne (NSW) - Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 22:06

Thursday, Jul 03, 2008 at 22:06

LOL

Just as well he's taking a plane then! :-)

FollowupID: 579797

Reply By: Bob of KAOS - Monday, Jul 07, 2008 at 09:25

Monday, Jul 07, 2008 at 09:25

"The track is good but does get chopped up when trailers are dragged over the dunes. Passed a convey which had a trailer and you could feel and see the fresh scallops in the track."

Excuse my skepticism Wayne but after a convoy has been through you can tell the observed changes on the track are due to a trailer?

Are you sure they weren't due to an overloaded vehicle, tyres over inflated, too much power (wheelspin), failed shockers, or just the volume of traffic.

Which wheels do you suppose caused the scallops? The trailer or the towing vehicle.

AnswerID: 314219

Follow Up By: Wayne (NSW) - Tuesday, Jul 08, 2008 at 09:43

Tuesday, Jul 08, 2008 at 09:43

Bob,

You are right, I did assume that it was the vehicle towing the trailer at fault.

I will however qualify my statement about the vehicle, the trailer and the track.

First of I have driven over a few sand dunes, I estimate 20,000, so I have seen the approach and the decent.
I have also followed vehicles over dunes and some know what to do others have no idea.

The sand dunes that we crossed after the convey with the trailer were freshly chopped up. It was just after lunch and the dunes were soft because of the heat of the day.
As you know the approach to the dunes on the Canning are different to the approach to the dunes on the Simpson Desert. The turn at the bottom of the dune slows a vehicle down and when it is towing a trailer it will not have enough momentum to crest the dune. Backing the trailer up and using the straight approach runway is in most cases the only way that they will get over the dunes.
On this occasion I could see the wheel tracks of the vehicle that towed the trailer and the failed attempt, the reversing and the fresh scalloped tracks as the vehicle need more power and wheel spin to make it over the dune.

This vehicle is not the first nor will it be the last to chop up a track. The statement I made was that I could tell when a track has been freshly chopped up.

Wayne

FollowupID: 580354