Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 at 10:17
Juergen,
Peter and Willem have summed up the dunes very
well.
Communications on the CSR can be different to the Simpson.
UHF, HF and Sat phone are about the same but there is another form of communication and that is visual.
Crossing the
Simpson Desert I would pause or stop just over the top of a dune and have a quick look at the dunes in front of me. A glint of a windscreen, a sand flag, head lights or the crackle from a low watt UHF is what I would be looking for.
If I or any one else in the convey sees any of these signs I know of on coming vehicles.
On the Canning because the track over the dunes is not a straight line it is very hard to pick up an on coming vehicle. As you crest the dune the track might go to the left or right for up to a kilometer before it crosses the next dune.
Unlike the
Simpson Desert the dunes on the Canning are very different. This is how I would describe the crossing of a dune on the Canning.
The track would be flat and sandy with corrugations, as the track gets close to the base of the dune the track takes a sharp turn, the sand is soft and deep.
The track now starts to climb and the scallops on the dune are deep. From almost a standing stop at the base of the dune the vehicle has to power up, but not too fast. You vehicle will be heavy and the tyres will be at a low pressure.
Vegetation will be on either side with a build up of sand as the track pass through a small cutting leading too the bowl.
Have one vehicle on the face of the dune at a time and when the lead vehicle has made it up to the bowl, call the next vehicle and describe which way the track goes.
When the vehicle has made the top, the track could turn in either direction or go straight ahead. You will not know until you get there which way the track goes.
Follow the track through the
sand bowl on top of the dune, this bowl could be big enough to hold a small convey, and then exit off the dune in much the same way. It is almost a blind crossing.
Calling each vehicle through on the UHF will allow other vehicles to hear your call and they should try and call to find out where and in what direction you are travelling.
One thing that I do find annoying is after I have made contact with another convey is that they have no idea where they are. When asked what was the last
Well or how far from it they have no idea.
Another form of communication that I have found that works is the bush telegraph. When you meet another vehicle stop and have a chat. Vehicles going in the opposite direction can tell you what the track is like and any thing to look out for or if there is another convey ahead of you.
The
Simpson Desert has some vegetation usually off to the side of the track, on the Canning in some
places the Grevillea shrubs almost cover a vehicle.
Landing a plane or helicopter along the track becomes a problem. They can't land just anywhere and the distance that they might have to fly in search of a stranded convey might be too far.
On the southern end of the Canning there are cattle stations that can help and the same on the northern end.
Kunawarritji (
Well 33) has a landing strip the same as Cotton Creek (
Rudall River National Park)
So the ends and the middle are alright for medical emergency but to get to those place could be a couple of days driving.
Wayne
AnswerID:
357222
Follow Up By: wendys - Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 at 21:13
Tuesday, Mar 31, 2009 at 21:13
Wayne, can relate to what you say about other parties knowing where they are. Crossing the Simpson dunes, heard CB traffic getting stronger over a period and thought they must be coming towards us, though we could see no visual clues on dunetops. We were going from Dalhousie to
Birdsville - i.e. west to east. Contacted the traffic and asked which way they were going, saying what we were doing. The woman passenger replied that they were going west to east too, so they must be behind us. Crested a dune and just managed to stop nose on nose to vehicle coming towards us. The woman laughed and said she'd never been able to tell west from east! They did not have a flag. We were not impressed. Since then, I use place names, not directions.
FollowupID:
625444
Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Wednesday, Apr 01, 2009 at 04:59
Wednesday, Apr 01, 2009 at 04:59
wendys when were on the Simpson last year, there was a female voice that was saying "approaching the dune", then "cresting the dune" They didn't say which direction. I thought it was heading the same direction and she didn't respond when asked.
I got over the top of a dune and just going over when a "cresting the dune" came over the UHF. It was a single vehicle and admonished me for not holding back.
I replied that, I heard the "cresting the dune" when I was at the top, they hadn't said which dune, their location, nor had they said anything about direction.
FollowupID:
625492