Jack Absalom - Legend!

Not just a Legend, but a "larger than life one" too.

Some years ago he was the guest speaker at an opal expo. in Quilpie and we were camped next to him in the 'van park.

With his love of opal, and being miners ourselves we struck up quite a rapport.

What an entertainment, with his bush yarns he kept us laughing for hours.

And not too dusty with the paint brush either.

A number one, all round top bloke.
furph

Uncle,

Are you sure your Uncle was killed flying a Jindavik because they are a remote controlled pilot less aircraft.

I think you will find that he was flying the Pika which was the forerunner of the Jindavik.

It first flew on 4 November 1950 and was a manned proof-of concept vehicle. The Pika is the only manned jet aircraft to be designed and flown in Australia.

Two were built, A93-1 being lost in an accident in April 1951. The sole remaining example is now at the Point Cook RAAF Museum.

The first Jindivik flew in August 1952. Initial production ran from 1951 to 1986 with a total of 502 examples being delivered to Australia (182), Sweden (10), US (42), and Britain (268). The production line re-opened in 1997 when Britain ordered another 15 examples.

Cheers,

Cruiser

Cruiser, yep true they were a pilotless aircraft, however the first few had to have a pilot on board when flown.
chers unc.

Actually, if anyone here has the resources, his name was Donald Walter. I would love to know more about it, I have tried to search the net for info but to no avail.
According to info from his 2 sisters (my aunt) & my mother (now deceased) it was a Jindivik.

cheers and thanks Unc

And then he advocated to burn your tyres if you were stuck in the bush!!!

Traveller,

If the boys James Annetts and Simon Amos burned their tyres they would probably still be alive today.

Cheers
Eq.

Maybe if Giles Loder treated them better they would probably still be alive today.

Regards

Richard

The reasoning behind burning a tyre is that anyone within sight including aircraft have a tendacy to check out what's causing the black smoke. An excellent way of attracting attention when lost if not quite envionmently friendly these days.
Cheers Craig.........

Craig,

I too was puzzled by the steel wool. Funnily though it probably has an application now as so many new cars come with a 12V socket, but no cigarette lighter!

cheers

I challenge anyone to start a fire with a car cigarette lighter.

The advantage of the steel wool is that it is running white hot and sparking with the leads connected while the cig light will cool down beyond a useful temperature before you can get it to the prospective tinder.

Owen

to light from cig lighter roll up a piece of paper in the vehicle, light and carry to fire.

Spinifex burns just as black as rubber. Unless ofcourse, you are in the Tirari Desert SA :-)

Crackles - reading the book "The Rabbit King" which is about Jack McCraith and in that book it states that McCraith employed Jack Absalom in the 1960's to supply him with Kangaroo meat. Jack was a roo shooter and artist at that stage. Jack Absalom went on to be in charge of 60 roo shooters in the Broken Hill District.

I used one of Jacks hints in 1979 when I broke a spring on a trailer on the Gibb River Road. With an old spare tyre casing and some rope we got into Derby where we had the spring welded.


A J

Not being a smoker, I don't always have a light on me.
Have been caught out cold and wet on the motor bike on a few occasions when a fire would be nice to warm up by.

Easy, tissue or rag in the tank so as to be wet with petrol, close tank,
place tissue etc on engine block with spark plug lead resting on it.

Kick over engine and take burning cloth/tissue to the set fire.

Nice!

Can do the same with a bit of wire across the battery, how many carry steel wool? not me.

cheers

I lived at Kings Canyon resort for two years. Before I got my cruiser I had done the Ernest Giles Road and the Mereenie Loop road more times than I can remember in my Front wheel drive Corolla Hatchback, with only 1 blowout as a drama.

I distinctly remember waiting to talk to one of the young receptionist there, who was explaining to some young German tourists that it was severely dangerous to travel the Mereenie in the 2WD they were driving. The look of disappointment on their faces was so obvious, but they obeyed what was the "official" line
that came from the receptionist mouth. I would have like to explain to them the realility of it all, but would have been in trouble going against official policy.

It's the perception that influences people here, what is one mans everyday track is anothers adventure of a lifetime. I can imagine the Germans when they got home. "We got to this really hard outback track but were advised against it because it was so dangerous." Poor guys, if they only knew.

Agree entirely Gone Bush - I just did a big trip where I crossed Aus twice E-W-E in my Navara D40. Drove the Telfer Mine Rd, Wapet Rd, Gary Highway, Gunbarrel Highway, GCR, and then across the Simpson. Never used low range once and only use H4 in the Simpson - didn't need it anywhere else. The biggest issue in my view is that vehicles have to be bolted together pretty damn well to survive the corrugations. So bottom line is that I'm wondering when I might get a chance to use (ie get some value out of) my air locker, winch, 3 inch lift etc etc. I reckon that you could do most of this country in 2WD.....with a sturdy vehicle and at a sensible speed for the conditions.

We were at Hall's creek with two maps,
One showed the 'Tanami Highway', the other showed the 'Tanami Track'.

How confusing would that be to a German tourist?

cheers