Mereenie Loop Rd and Namatjira Drive in Falcon?

When we went through in 2008, no sand problems on the Mereenie Loop; just the corrugations. Nothing we needed 4wd for. Namatjira Drive is bitumen.

Motherhen

Nah, yer'll be riht...the locals drive those roads every day in Falcons

Yeah, you actually have the Alice Mercedes . Parts are readily available at the side of the road or at Hermannsberg etc although EA-EB etc seems most popular.

I was there in Setember 2008 and the bitumin had just been extended from Glen Helen to the Loop . On the Hermannsberg rd it went to Hermannsberg.


My only advice would be to take spare centrebolts for both the car and the trailer and check the centrebolts and tightness of the U bolts at regular intervals. The common failure seems to be broken centre bolt,springs move, tyre grabs guard, main leaf breaks, axle swings 90degrees.

Make sure you have good shocks and rest them every now and then.

Maybe buy a sheet of perspex/cardboard and cover the tailgate window of the Falcon.
Regards Philip A

back in the "good ol days (not) " these 4wd only tracks were our normal roads we travelled in kingswoods,falcons and valiants . they didnt close the roads if 1/4 of a mill fell 200ks away

so yea basically thats a highway compared to what usedto pass as a road

G'day

We did it last year in a Pajero towing a Kimberl;y Kamper without blinking.
I would drive the Meerenie Loop in an AU (that's our second car) but only if there was just one passenger and not towing anything and driving at 50km/hr

Absolutely no way would I drive it towing something as heavy as n Ultimate or Kimberly. Can it be done, yes if you go slowly enough, but you'll pay for it one way or another.

What's the tow ball weight of an Ultimate, 100kg? You won't need any spares for the Ultimate but it will put enormous strain on the Ford

You will be ok Mate !

Falcons are basically the only vehicle " the brothers" use

there should be heaps of spares, up that way too !

Cheers
Bucky

Dont forget to buy your permit to travel the loop , it is very important , the permit funds the signage on the loop that states "please respect our land by not littering" , you will then laugh or cry at the mountains of red[midstrength] or green[ vb] cans lovingly left at the roadside.
Ford Falcon do it easy brother , falcon like eagle we got in Australia , we got no lion like dem holden fellows recon.

Hi Love Empty Roads

Nice pictures and nice to have a name for us to address you with L.E.R. Sure we used to do most of our travelling on worse roads before 4wds were common. Most people are only using 2wd on the 4wds anyway.

You will see more of the locals with Landcruisers than sedans these days, but there are sedans around Hermannsberg, and the well used area to the west of Hermannsberg is the worst patch, and the softest. Don't try pulling off the road along this stretch with a 2wd.

It shouldn't take much time getting to Kings Canyon. We went from Hermannsberg after spending a few days at Palm Valley which is worth a visit if you have time. However it took us all day as we helped people who had broken a spring on their camper trailer limp in. The camp ground at the Kings Canyon resort is very nice, and looks across to the range. The resort has recently changed hands so cannot comment on new management. Don't leave anything outside your rig, as the dingos will take it - even in the day time. They took our sullage hose from the sullage pit, but it didn't come free from the caravan.

Mh

I am not sure if I am going of the tangent a bit here, but going through my old photos just made me try to show off a little and share the nice places I have been in Bolivia with my VW,a and brings tears to my yes when I remember the exact spots and circumstances. Anyway here they are

This is just after I have changed the floor (yes you can buy new floor sheets)



I have also painted some bits and pieces nice blue - that air filters with the carburetors are the week link, they keep falling off on corrugations



It has been modified to be as high as it can gets





This is a road in the vicinity of lake Titicaca – highest lake in the world 3800m - failry rocky ride, I hsve driven it with a hired Patrol and one has to go really slowly otherwise you get spinal injuries, with the VW one can just fly over it.




Driving along a old inca trail with Lake Titicaca in the background



On a local ferry on the lake Titicaca



Going up to Chacaltaya, the highes sky lift in the world (5300m) That is the club house in the background, unfortunately the glacier melted away and there is no more skying there.



Road up to Chacaltaya



At the top of Chacaltaya with the left overs of the sky run - car has problems with power at 5300m, as there is very little oxygen



Going up into the Andes in vicinity of La Paz (Capital of Bolivia)



Few hundred meters higher up, at close to 5000m, very little vegetation, just rocks and clay, nut much of a road either



The road (or track rather) gets worse, a car has not passed here for a while



View from the highest point of the road (the track can be seen folloing the ridge line)



Another venture high into the moutains around La Paz, exploring some roads, this is end of one.



Another track leading to old mine - altitute around 4000m



End of yet another track, top of a ridge line at 5000m, the landscape is just fantastic. Got to the snow again - mind you La Paz is at latitute of 16 Deg 30' S which is bit more north then Cairns, but because you get so high you get snow in these moutains.







Bush camp near a town called Cochabamba, Bolivia



On a way to a Carrasco NP which is down in the lowlands water from here drains to Amazon



Driving through the southern some what arid lowlands north of the city of Santa Cruz, reminds me bit of Africa, even though I have enver been there.





took a while to get these out of the road



Did not have to cross a dry creek this time !!




Exploring some dry hills around locality of Samaipata (huge indian fortress listed as unesco herratege site)





Some emergency repairs - lsot some nuts and gearbox got loose



Got stuck in a sand again, crossing a river bank, took me a whiel to dig msylef out and winch myself out with a small hand winch. Used that log as an anchor (i tried the tire first, the winch can be seen next to the stick)
Amboro National Park near Santa Cruz




Hit a deep hole, going too fast and my steering rod got bend, needed to take it apart and use a hammer to get it back into shape. In my VW it is under the fuel tank, which is in the front, so that had to get out too, took only couple of hours.
Amboro NP




Back on the blacktop, and going to fast (80km/h) lost a whole wheel including the brak drum, the central nut hodling the wheel to the axel came off. Found the wheel in the bushes, then managed to hammer the whell back in the position, adn got a spare nut.




This is a pit stop in Santa Cruz after I have returned form the eastern amazon (some the pictures from that trip are in the previous post), after couple of thousands kilometers on a bad roads I hsve lumbered back to Santa Cruz, and had major repeiars done on the engine (changed cylindes and valves) but






Oh well I love (and sometimes hated) that car
Hope I am not offending anybody by posting these photos here even though they have nothing to do with the subject of the original psot


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Gday,
No problems mate.
After looking at your photos, I reckon you would be able to get a 2wd through Boggy Hole! ( a VW that is......dont know about a ford!) lol

Cheers