Road Update Tanami and CSR

To me, Impassable means “that we don’t think you’ll get through, but if you want to do it, do it at your own risk”, Closed means “you can’t go there and if we find you there, we’ll throw the book at you (i.e. sell your first born to pay the fine)”.

Probably has something to do with legal or financial liability and the difference between the two can be found in some arcane subsection which only the oldest, crotchety, dry and crusty Departmental Legal Officer knows.

There may also be some other differences, a muddy, slippery road with standing pools of water that has a firm base may be impassable, but if the base is also wet and traffic is going to result in considerable expense to rectify they may close it

Hi Nargun51

Just to let you know, there has been two recent troopie rollovers on the Tanami, one near Wolfe Creek and the other near the Balgo Hills turn off. The one near Wolfe Creek had a double fatality, and it was because the troopie wheels went into the ruts from cars driving through mud. The inexperienced driver apparently (two people survived) pulled hard right hand down on the steering wheel to get out of the ruts, and the vehicle rolled down the steep embankment.

Impassable means unless you have heaps of experience and are quite local, don't bother trying. Closed means just that, although many locals ( I am not saying if I do) simply drive around the closed sign and use sidetracks, which are very manageable provided you know them. (Again, I am not saying that I do this).

The second rollover all survived, but tyres at 50lb and a loose steering damper did not help at all. The corrugation sorted out another inexperienced person, I am just amazed at the speed I see people doing on corrugation, and how much they wander all over the road, but there you go. Try hitting the brakes hard in mud when 800kg of Brahman Bull suddenly appears in front of you, it could be very interesting.

Yes there is a substantial fine per tyre on the road, but that is to keep the completely inexperienced of a road that is exteremely dangerous when there is water around, but then I could be wrong, it is just what a Shire member told me.

Cheers

yeh!!! very sad to have that loss of life & injuries. . . it is a challenge for any vehicle to do that track or any other remote track in Aus. MARC I must agree with U . . people must have the right type of tyres and more importantly the right pressures and the right speed and driving attitude. Those tracks are car Killers . . . I have been passed by people who don't leave a dust trail but a vapour trail. . .I can't believe the speed some people travell over those roads. One small mistake at those speeds and the result is not going to be good. . . I saw three vehicles between halls Crk and yuendunu. . .a fuel truck heading away from Bililuna towards Halls and a motor cycle and a Land cruiser 80 series that went past at mad speeds. I also came on 2 Aboriginal men who lost the LF wheel on their cruiser and had been there 2 days . . I gave them some food water and bread .. and reported them to Yeundumu Police who knew about them so all was good. I was staggered at the number of wrecked vehicles on the side of the track . . and there are many that would have been removed Marc I followed your posts B4 I left so thanks 4 that. Good to have a real local reporting on conditions.
Regards
Don

Hi Don
Unfortunately I must agree with all that you have said. I have lived in this area (East Kimberleys in general) all my life, and I'll never see 50 again, and I do not classify myself as highly experienced or qualified on these roads, I don't trust the roads around here, even though I normally know them well.
I will always try to give people updates on the local conditions and the like, whether they choose to accept what I say or not is their business. There is so much bulldust (holes filled with soft sand) and other traps on the road at the moment that it is getting dangerous.
Unfortunately tyre tracks have shown what happened, and the lack of braking tracks shows that in the last double fatality, there was no attempt to slow down, they simply try to rip themselves out of the ruts, and lost control of the vehicle. A local contract musterer found the vehicles, and fortunately like many of us he carries a satellite phone, hence he was able to get medical assistance in relatively quickly, and the two survivors got help.
At present any higher pressure than 30lb, and any speed greater than 80kph, and the driver is simply asking for trouble.
To respond to your last comment, I know of 17 vehicles that were in accidents that have been removed in the last 9 years, which is far too many. I have found opnly one roll over, no fatality fortunately, but the husband had both legs broken, and the wife was not conscious from hitting the windscreen. Her seat belt was so obviously not on, as she wouldn't have removed it in her condition. All I could do was ring the police, and apply a pressure bandage and full length splints with sticks to hald the mans legs steady, and chuck a "space blanket" one of the shiny thin things, over the woman to stock her getting into shock. Sat phones in the sticks are a good investment.
Cheers