Willy Willys

My mum used to call them Dust Devils , sometimes Dirt Devils , when she was on a station near Mt Magnet WA

Hi Steve,
In my blog (finished last night on Painted Desert etc.) I relate a story of how a willy-willy was responsible for the deaths of a mother and her four children at Beltana SA. Sparks from a fire well away from their home blew to the house which caught fire and collapsed on them. I will always think of that when I see a willy-willy in future. But, like you I am fascinated by them and am at a loss to how they start from nothing, get quite ferocious, and then peter out. That's nature.

Cheers,
Min

Yes Steve we also saw many Willie willies this trip one in particular was on our return from Tunnel Creek on the Gibb River Road, it came towards us then backed away was nearly the full width of the road, kept going for quite a few minutes before disappearing into the bush.

Harry

Interesting post! We are currently on the road and have been hit twice by willy's. Once at Mt Bundy Station which fortunately only left the van full of dirt and leaf litter. The second one was at Tomato Island on the Roper but that one caused damage it lifted the awning over the top of the van and buried a peg in the other side of the van. Took some straightening up for us but funilly it swerved through the parked van missing everyone else. We think these thing happen in threes so we are holding our breath for the next one. We saw one two days ago going into King Fisher Camp that was just like a fire as described

Kind regards

Back in March visiting friends out in Kukerin, had just finished packing up the car and were saying our goodbyes, I opened the door and was attending to the little Mr in the back seat and all of a sudden BLAM this willy willy came up the paddock, engulfed us in sand and slammed the car door shut on my arm. Then as quickly as it appeared, it took off up the paddock, zig zagging all over the shop. It was awesome, despite the pain and bruising to my arm!!

a "willy-willy" is an Aboriginal word for a dust devil. According to wikipedia dust devils "form when hot air near the surface rises quickly through a small pocket of cooler low pressure air above it. If conditions are just right, the air may begin to rotate".
I've also heard them called cock-eyed bobs - wonder where that name comes from?
Cheers Heather L

Back in the 60's when I lived at Waikerie SA on a fruit block quite often one would hear the grass rustling and it was a tiny willy willy about a foot high, they always amused me.
Then later in my life driving trucks I used to count all the large willy willy's around the horizon between Winton and Boulia.

.

Here's one for you Steve on the Lake Barlee Youanmi Road.







Cheers
Alan

Steve,

Back about January, 1965, we were travelling along a station road, about 40 clicks north of the Barkly Highway. Between us and the h'way, in the desert country were about 8-10 willy-willys, standing like sentinels, and all almost cylindrical in shape. Don't think I've seen this since, though have seen plenty of them over the years.

More recently, in 1982, we were camped in a caravan, with annexe all set up, south of the road from Urandangie to Tobermorey, doing some earthmoving. Our 2nd daughter was only 2 or 3 months old, and we'd been to the Isa to get some extra stuff for her. The boss had just washed all this new clothing, and it was hanging on the line, attached to the annexe. A huge whirly-wind came through the camp, folded the annexe over the top of the 'van, and "tooK" most of the new clothes with it. Mother was really peeved because some of the new items were pilchers, to keep the daughter's bedding dry. We did find some of the clothes, but the pilchers probably rotted away, along the Qld/NT border.

I've always called willy-willys by the term whirly-winds, and can't remember where I picked the term up. Have only heard of cock-eyed bob's over the past couple of years, through working for a bloke from WA.

Bob.

Ha ha, would have been time to come down and have a calming ale, after that experience Steve!!!

That reminds me of an Eric Jolliffe cartoon where Saltbush Bill is up the top of his haystack, looks up with alarm to see this whirly-wind coming straight at him. And it's full of cow's, goannas & other debris.........

Bob.