Ebook 107 (Final)

different markings as a juvenile conditions are needed to get to theircompared to the mature adults, young grounds. They’re often a better nightred emperor have bright banding that time feeder than in the day also,will see three distinct dark red bars which makes life more difficult for theagainst a pale background. As an recreational angler. Although they doadult the colouration becomes a more take deep water jigs and soft plasticconsistent all over bright orange red. lures, fresh whole squid and smallBig red emperor certainly present bottom dwelling baited fish tend toas a stunning fish. draw more success.Any red that eventually comes to Interestingly, unlike nearly all of thethe surface on the end of the line other true emperor that are part of theobviously gets anglers excited but Lethrinidae family, the red emperorwhen its an 8 or 10 kilo fish there’s is really part of the sea perches ormuch to rejoice about, such is their the Lutjanidae family that includesrevered status. Many still regard them species like the mangrove jack, scarletone of the very the best eating fish in sea perch and Maori sea perch. Giventhe ocean. its size and impressive form, those inCatching the prized red emperor is not the naming game probably decided itan easy task compared to many other was more deserving of the “emperor”angling species. There are certainly tag because it definitely sounds moreessential elements to consider but fitting I reckon.even then, they’re never a sure thing. Whatever the case, as recreationalTo start with they’re found in particular anglers we’re lucky to have our varietyareas, over relatively flat bottom and of emperor species to catch. Long maythe depth of water often means calmer they still be around for us to enjoy.- Tailor made to suit your vehicle @solarscreenaustralia- 3 year warranty- Highest quality 9-layer thermal fabric- 100% Australian made & owned- Over 20,000 Satisfied customers‘Cool in Summer, and Warm in Winter’ learn more at: www.solarscreen.com.au Western 4W Driver #107 149

A BUSY BEE When the Spring has sprung there’s no better way to spend a long weekend than head for Bee Keepers NP and adventures above and below ground as Amanda and friends discovered.150 Western 4W Driver #107

WEEKEND Words – Amanda Burton Images – Red Dirt Australia We venture into Stockyard Gully. Western 4W Driver #107 151

hose big bucket-list-ticking you are not enamoured with bollards trips that last for weeks there are sandy tracks to the north (and even months if you’re and south of the main campground that twist and turn their way to a fewTlucky) are something we informal 4WD only campsites. Access can be boggy and tight, and if someoneall dream about. But if you’re has beaten you to them, space forsaving up every minute of turning around can be a challenge,your measly four weeks a year but if you score one they areannual leave towards “the big absolutely stunning.trip”, you can become a very We were in luck and got the pick ofstay-at-home type of camper. the bunch. It was then time to burnThis is when you need to look a off some of that lunch with a strolllittle closer to home and make along the coast. Clambering over thethe most of thoselong weekends.There is plenty out there, sowe grabbed a couple of matesto find out just how muchyou can fit into an (admittedlybusy) long weekend.The Jurien Bay Bakery was our meetingpoint and if you can’t find something totempt your taste buds here, you’re justbeing too fussy (mind you, best leavethe Weight Watchers calculator at home,this is the real old-style pastry-and-sugar overload type of bakery). Suitablyrefuelled we continued the 10kmnorthwards to Sandy Cape RecreationPark. Access to the campground is via7.7km of good gravel track off IndianOcean Drive, which brings you to themain bollarded campground. If, like us,152 Western 4W Driver #107



limestone cliffs took us around to the In really hot weather, best let them bee.sweep of the gorgeous white-sand bay Are they trying to protect the cave orand then out to Sandy Cape Lookout. their public liability - or both.Nothing boring about this coastline.Sweeping vistas, crashing waves, cameras” warning. The next few cavesprotected bays, limestone caves, soft are, I felt, equally well protected by theirwhite sand – it has it all. With appetites current occupants -the feral bees. Werestored it was back to camp for the certainly came to the conclusion thatbest part of the day – beer o’clock the entrances had enough “wow factor”around the campfire sharing tales that we didn’t need to risk going in anytall and true. deeper. If you want to find these cavesThere’s nothing more relaxing than you’re going to have to do a bit of priorlying snuggled in bed listening to the research with your maps and GPS – justgentle lapping of waves just metres driving in to see what you can find willaway, and it was tempting to whileaway the whole weekend here, but wehad a busy bee planned. The bees, inthis case, were to be found in DroversCave National Park located betweenthe two Beekeeper’s Nature Reserves.Drovers Cave NP isn’t really developedfor anything. There are just a few(very) soft, sandy tracks, plenty of thickbush, wildflowers and if you’re feelingadventurous (and don’t suffer from abee allergy) some interesting cavesto be found. Though the deepercaves are locked off (I’m nottotally convinced about the CCTVsecurity camera warnings) thereare still some deep crevices withamazing pendulum hives of bees.I’d certainly never seen anythingquite like it, and each cave with itsresident population of feral beeswas more impressive than the last.This is definitely one of those “doat your own risk” adventures, asthere are plenty of warning signsthat the feral bees can becomevery aggressive if disturbed. Takesthe “tread lightly” message to awhole new level.The first cave we found (after a bit ofpoking around in the scrub, nothinghere is signposted) was DroversCave. An unfortunate outcome of theextensive vandalism previously visitedupon it, it is now locked up tight with arusted metal front door, plastered withthat “you are being watched by security154 Western 4W Driver #107

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Lesueur NP has some great walk trails - time to smell the... wildflowers. Hakea Neurophylla.likely see you finding nothing. amorous little green jewel-like beetlesAfter a couple of hours of fun playing which call these flowers their boudoir.in the sand tracks, adding some Back to the vehicles it was a short hikebush pin striping to the vehicles and further northward to seek out somecompeting with the bees to spot slightly more accessible and less bee-the wildflowers (there’s even a few friendly caves. If you’ve never checkedorchids to be found if you look carefully) out Stockyard Gully Caves, do. It iswe headed back to the bitumen and an especially great one to do with thenorthwards to Lesueur National Park. kids as it’s easy to access and whenThis one is much more civilised and you’re half way through and turn off thedeveloped than its southern Drovers torches they get to experience what realneighbour, but still well worth a look. “pitch black darkness” is.There are a number of different walk The entrance to the Stockyard Gullytrail options, and the diversity ofwildflowers made for a very stop-startstroll and full camera cards. Don’t missthe gorgeous pink Hakea Neurophyllawhich is a highlight of the flora ofthe park and keep an eye out for the156 Western 4W Driver #107

Cave has a few small beehives (well, the head-height rock hanging downsmall in comparison to what we had from the ceiling about half way alongseen that morning at the caves in and you’ll be all good. Along the wayDrovers) then it’s torches on and in you’ll spot old stalactites and maybeyou go. It’s an easy walk, the ground some little bats and big spiders (thoughis smooth and sandy with plenty of I admit I didn’t try very hard to look forhead room, just keep an eye out for those last two). The walk through is Western 4W Driver #107 157

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just long enough to get a good A relaxing second night’s camp attaste of caves and darkness Lake Indoon.without getting bored or too Splendid white spider orchids wereclaustrophobic. Last time we tried a treat at Lake Indoon.to take the Pearsons Track shortcut do these shorter trips. There really isfrom Stockyard Gully Caves out a lot to do right here on our doorsteptoward Lake Indoon it was a and it’s just as good as some ofvery tight squeeze, but those locations you travel days to getsomeone has been busy to. I think this is where I get to add in awith a bulldozer and this plug that, if you need inspiration, looktime our paintwork was no further than our esteemed Editor’snever at risk. It’s still a bit Explorer Series “4WD Days (and/or)bumpy with the limestone Weekends Out of Perth”. They’ll providerocks, but nothing a gentle plenty of inspiration to help you keep thepace won’t manage. dust off (or should that be dust on?) yourLake Indoon is a grey 4WD between the big trips.nomad hotspot, but if youtrek off away from themain entrance there area few more private spotsto be had. After a full-onday, it was a convenientplace to pull out the fire pit and overa beverage or two reflect on whathad been a varied and very enjoyableweekend. Though this was only oursecond night away, the wide range ofdifferent things we’d seen and done issuch a short space of time and distancemade it seem much longer.It’s definitely worth making the effort toAre We Weird To Name Our Camper?Actually, no don’t answer that. way without the name. ImaginationYou may have noticed the bright is a powerful thing, by assigning anpink new number plate on the inanimate object a name you arecamper. Well, there’s a story behindit. Anthropomorphism (even the namesounds like some type of nasty phobia)is the attribution of human traits,emotions, and intentions to non-humanentities. I realize most people don’t nametheir cars, much less their camper, butmy Husband isn’t most people. He wasfeeling a connection to our new camperand believed she deserved a name.Giving something a name tends tocreate a type of bond, a relationshipthat’s unlikely to be there in the same Western 4W Driver #107 159

essentially giving it a personality. Queensland number plate she wasOur model of camper are affectionately christened with that provided the idea –nicknamed “Q’s” (short for Quantum) 505 UCY – Lucy – Series 4 Supercamper.and for those of us of a certain vintage, LUCY Q4. So now when I say we’rethe first “Q” name that springs to mind taking Lucy camping, you’ll know it’s notis Suzi Q(uatro), rock diva extraordinaire. the new mistress (though she does getNice ring and association there, but given an awful lot of time, money and attentionour camper is series four, we probably lavished on her) she’s our Lucy Q4: themissed that obvious boat. It was the glamping diva supercamper.Sandy Cape Recreation Area Excerpt from Hema’s WA State map.Camp sites at Sandy Cape are subject toa first come first serve basis (there are 78bollarded sites). There is no pre-bookingof sites and there are no provisions foroverflow camping once all sites are full(which often happens at peak times).When on site, camp fees can be paiddirect to the camp host, otherwise at theinformation bay honesty box. Camp feesfor Sandy Cape apply to the entire LandReserve area - this includes the 4WD-onlyaccess areas north and south of themain campsite.Camp fees are $20 per night per campsitefor up to 2 adults and 2 children, withadditional adults $3 per night andadditional children $2 per night.Camp fires permitted from 2nd April(excluding Easter) to 19th September.Fires must be contained in a fire pit(BYO) and BYO wood.Lake IndoonLake Indoon is located in the CarnamahShire, along the Eneabba-Coolimba Road.It is approximately 12km west of Eneabbaand 19km east of the coast and Leeman.Camping at Lake Indoon is free,maximum of 72 hours. There is anablution block with flushing toilets andrainwater when the tank is full.160 Western 4W Driver #107

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learing the AirC From the EdMany of our readers and especially those whoown 70 and 200 Series LandCruisers shouldnow have a heightened awareness of thefallibility of their air intake systems and itspropensity to dust ingress.Dust in the motor can have serious and cheapest line of defence. Following financial consequences as this my disaster I’ve taken two steps to stop writer discovered in a horror end dust getting past the airbox seal in our to 2017 and for many it could 70 Series. The first as mentioned in thestop your favourite recreation in its last edition was to run a line of greasetracks. With knowledge of the problem, along both sides of the filter seal. Thiswe know vigilance is the key and keeping catches dust but doesn’t close any gapsa regular weather eye on the state of so the second step was to run dense 5filters and looking for signs of dust on mm sticky-backed foam about 1 cm widethe engine side of the system is our first along the inside edge of the airbox lid Western 4W Driver #107 163

where it makes contact with the Like water, a small amount offilter seal. The surface must be ingested dust can do a lot of damageclean and dry before the foam to your engine.goes on and if you use the right who also specialise in snorkels, exhaustfoam you’ll find it will go round systems, canopies and the like. They arethe corners of the lid without presented here in alphabetical order.crinkling. Use one length onlyand butt the two ends togetherwell to complete the seal. A lightdaub of silicon in the join willhelp close the gap. Since thenwe’ve run several dusty roadswith no sign of dust ingress butI know this is no permanent fixand sooner or later we’ll need tobite the bullet and replace the airbox orfind a permanent fix of some kind. To thatend we’ve had a bit of a look around tofind the key manufacturers of replacementairboxes and discovered the few playersin this game are custom fabricatorsAAA Exhausts and FabricationsBased in Queensland, this companymanufactures everything from exhauststo truck bodies.On the 4wd side they make canopies fortrade or travel, tool boxes, performanceexhausts, snorkels, intercoolers andprovide a range of suspension andlighting options.Their airboxes cover Toyota, Nissan andFord and average around $850 with filter.(200 Series) Toyota models include the HDJ Turbo Diesel, 200 Series and 79 Series V8. For Nissan they cover Navara and Patrol and for Ford, the Ranger. All their airboxes are 2.5 mm aluminium with 6 mm flanges and they take standard OEM or K & N panel filters. Owner Jason says, “If you can think of it, they can build it”. To suss out their range go to www.aaaexhaust.com.au or call Jason on 07 4952 6331.164 Western 4W Driver #107

Fatz Fabrication cone filters - wet or dry. Another nifty feature is aThis company, also based in Queensland clear Perspex lid so youcut their teeth in competition and can do a visual onextreme off-road so their products have your filter.been designed with endurance and Airboxes are powderfunctionality based on their experience coated and costs start atin off-road racing. Fatz make products for $680 plus freight. To seeToyota, Nissan, Ford and Mazda plus a more go to www.fatzfab.few US brands. com.au or call them onThey fabricate 07 4936 1588.polished snorkelsand airboxes withstandard plumbingor full intake kits,VDJ 4” stainlessexhausts, bull bars,rear and scrubbars, custom trays,aircraft grade alloysteering arms andengine mounts.Fatz don’t usepanel filters in theirairboxes - preferringMoonlight Custom Fabrication and WeldingMoonlight is a Western Australian any make and model 4x4. The MoonlightCompany based in Wangara Perth. They air box is configured to maximise the surface area of the panel filter to a claimed four-fold increase. Their air boxes are stainless steel, use the factory mounts to install and start from around $830.00 for a VDJ 70 Series air box. To find out more, check out their website: www.moonlightcustomfabrication.com. au or phone Kelly on 0467 224 758.specialise in custom 4” stainlesssteel snorkels, air boxes, intakeand intercooler piping. Modelscovered include the Toyota VDJ 70Series, 100/105 Series, 80 Series,HZJ/HDJ 70 Series and Hilux.Nissan models include GU, Navaraand Pathfinder. Moonlight can alsomake custom snorkels for almost Western 4W Driver #107 165

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Camp Oven Clewed upMaintenance with Jo ClewsFinally Melangata Station is feeling the effects of the approaching cooler Seasoning of a camp oven is a simple Autumn and Winter months and process and if done regularly will mean after what seems like an inferno generations of trouble free cooking, Ieternity, which in reality is only six-eight will go through all the variants fromweeks, once again days are cooling and a brand new camp oven to a woefullybecoming shorter, which for me, is the abused camp oven so you knowideal time to start thinking about all things exactly how to tackle your own. Thesecamp oven. methods apply to cast iron as wellSo while I have camp ovens on my mind as steel and for the sake of makingnow seems like the perfect opportunity life easier I will assume we will beto inspire you to go and dig your poor seasoning the camp oven at home andneglected camp oven out of the Redback use the kitchen oven or hooded BBQinfested corner of the shed, where all the for the process. Camp fire method willother underutilised camping equipment be provided as tips at the end.resides, dust it off, season it up and getcooking up a storm. The sole purpose of seasoning a camp oven is to provide a protective barrier between the bare metal of the pot and the food you are cooking. This prevents your food being tainted with a metallic taste, and is especially important when cooking things directly in the pot like roasts and stews. Straight off the shelf out of the box brand new Brand new camp ovens come with an oily protective coating to prevent the metal rusting before it is purchased, this must be removed before the seasoning process can begin. Step 1. Immerse the pot and the lid in a trough of warm soapy water and give it all a good scrub until the coating has been removed. Step 2. Place the pot and the lid into the oven or hooded BBQ at about 200degC until all traces of moisture have dried. Step 3. With gloved hands, carefully remove the pot and lid Western 4W Driver #107 167

from the oven to a heat proof surface Step 1. Fill empty dirty camp oven withand apply a thin film of spray oil or oil water and heat up, doesn’t needon a paper towel to the inside to boil.and outside of the pot and lid Step 2. Allow to cool then with a dishmaking sure all excess has been cloth wash down the inside.thoroughly removed. Step 3. Discard dirty water and allowStep 4. Place the pot upside down and it to dry.the lid right side up in the oven and Step 4. Re season if necessaryallow the oil to bake on at 200 degC following step 1-5 for the bush methodfor two hours. It’s wise to repeat this or 2-4 if at home.process a few times to make sure there Quick fix while out bush.is a good layer of seasoning before Step 1. Follow cleaning instructionsembarking on your camp oven cook up. then dig a well in the coals of the campPre-seasoned Camp ovens. fire and place the clean pot in the wellThere is a good American brand of and heat up.cast iron cook ware that I love called Step 2. Carefully remove from theLodge and an Australian brand called coals and spray with oil or oil on someSolidteknics that sell pre seasoned paper towel, making sure all excess iscast iron. thoroughly removed.This does not mean that they never Step 3. Replace pot back into the wellhave to be seasoned again, it’s just of coals making sure hot coals comethey have had the first seasoning and right up the sides.once you use the equipment and it is Step 4. Leave the pot in the hot coalsclean and free of food then you will until the oil on the pot starts smoking.need to follow step two – four to buildthe layers of seasoning up fornext time.Woefully Abused.If for some reason you have a badlyneglected camp oven that may havegone rusty or had residual food weldedto the pot, when one too many bevvieswere consumed whilst having a cookup with the mates, then fear not, allis not lost. Even the worst camp ovencan be bought back from the dead. Thisapplies for cast iron as well as steel,but cast iron is slightly more forgivingof mistreatment.Whatever you need to do and by anymeans you see fit, e.g. a wire brushon a drill, a hammer and cold chisel, amolasses bath or even a sand blasting,anything it takes to get the inside ofthe pot and lid back to bare metal thenfollow step two – four to make your oldfaithful pot like new again.Tip. A well maintained camp ovenshould not need detergent or harshabrasives to clean out after a successfulcook up.168 Western 4W Driver #107

Spread the oil with paper towel or of the pot as that’s where all the magic hubby’s favourite hanky. happens. It should always look glossyStep 5. Leave pot until it stops black without sooty residue getting onsmoking, at this point the oil has now fingers, it should never be shiny metalbeen cooked on. as it will rust, the outside is just goingRepeat if necessary. to get dirty, dusty and covered in ashTip. Well maintained and seasoned so can be a little rough looking.camp ovens should not need a Tip. Practise, practise, practise andprotective layer of oil to prevent rust, you will only get better at cooking inonce the oil is cooked on it prevents your camp oven and it will become anrusting very well. essential and not just an optional extraTip. Put all your efforts into the inside when packing for a trip. Enjoy. Back to the coals for a bake on.Our Airbox could save you $1000s Airboxes made to suit your 4x4. 4 inch inlet and outlet allows unrestricted dust-free flow from snorkel through to engine.6 Featherstone St PH: 07 4936 1588Parkhurst, QLDwww.fatzfab.com.au Western 4W Driver #107 169

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In the 1970’s Denis Bartell blazed a number of vehicletrails across the Simpson Desert, some of which wefollow today and others that haven’t been repeatedsince. Ron Moon got to talk to the legendary....OUTBACK ADVENTURERIfirst met Denis Bartell when I was editing an outdoor mag and Denis packed incidents in the 25kW 3-cylinder, was about to set off on a walking 2-stroke 540cc Suzi, including being traverse of the Simpson. By then, hung up on spinifex clumps andwhich was in the mid 1980’s, he had teetering on a roll over on a number ofalready carved a name for himself occasions, and a busted front axle onwith some incredible vehicle exploits the return trip, he arrived back at Capein the desert. His first record-breaking Bryon lighthouse, 9 days 2 hours andcrossing of the Simpson was in July 20 minutes after he had previously left1977 when he set out from Cape Bryon it! The following year he set out again,to make a double crossing of the in a more powerful 800cc Suzi for acontinent, with the east-west crossing record breaking west to east crossingof the Simpson to be entirely cross and in 1979 he set out on another first,country and to pass close to the centre to follow Dr CT Madigan’s 1939 routeof the desert. After a number of action- across the northern Simpson, which he completed again in a little Suzuki. DB takes a compass bearing during the 1979 Madigan Line Expedition. Western 4W Driver #107 171

The following year saw Denis back in on earlier forays, his route lay not inthe desert, this time in a shorty Land a straight line but in a longer sweepCruiser doing, what I believe, was south to take in the life-giving watershis greatest achievement by vehicle of the wells. That crossing – the firstin the Simpson. With his teenage unaided walking crossing of the desertson, Richard, they headed east from – took 24 days.Dalhousie in the footsteps of David Still it wasn’t enough and the followingLindsay’s 1886 expedition. Using his year, he set out on his greatest physicaltried and proven navigation method challenge – a walk from Burketown on(way before GPS), Denis went on the Gulf of Carpentaria to Adelaide onto cross the Southern Simpson, the Gulf of St Vincent, via of course,discovering six of the eight Aboriginal the Simpson Desert. His Gulf to Gulfwells found by Lindsay as well as expedition wasn’t without its dramas or “... The following Water was a rare but pleasant surprise year he set out on on the ‘79 trip. his greatest physical challenges, not the least of which was a challenge - a walk pair of stuffed knees which showed up from Burketown ... to before he entered the northern section Adelaide... via.. the of the desert. While many people Simpson Desert.” would have given up, Denis simply changed from doing an unsupportedfinding two of Lindsay’s blazed crossing to having an airdrop, whichtrees. A government sponsored meant he needed to carry less food,expedition around the same timehad failed to find any of thesewells and Denis was later askedto find the remaining two wells,which he did in 1983 when hetook a group of archaeologiststo all eight wells. Denis hadalready revisited the wells when,in 1981, he had also discoveredanother well mentioned, butnever visited by Lindsay. In1981 Denis followed the routeof the explorer John McKinleyfrom the ruins of Blanchewaterhomestead, just off the Strzelecki Trackto Lake Hope, Cooper Creek, LakeMassacre and Coongie Lakes beforereaching the track network that tookhim to Birdsville. In 1984 he set outon another ground-breaking trip. Thistime it was on foot, and again acrosshis beloved Simpson Desert from AlkaSeltzer Bore to Birdsville. Using the oldAboriginal wells he had rediscovered172 Western 4W Driver #107

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and importantly, water. His 2500km trek the creek towards Lake Eyre. Threeacross the continent took five months days hard consistent paddling broughtand after that challenge, both knees him onto the waters of Lake Eyre, onewere operated on. of the very few people to have paddledIn late 1985 he became the first person the Cooper all the way to the lake.to drive a solar-powered car from That year he received an Order ofDarwin to Adelaide and the following Australia medal for his achievements,year he was back leading an expedition followed in 1994 by the Australianto all the wells he had previously Geographic Society’s gold medal, asdiscovered in the Adventurer ofSimpson for the Year.the SA Dept of “(Canoeing down the In early 1994Environment Cooper) ... was no ‘walk in Denis trackedbefore heading down Ted Colson’soff prospecting the park’ with ..a number of son, Danny, andfor gold for a fewyears across nights spent sleeping in his with a string ofthe Outback. swag on top of all the gear camels followedDenis was back in in Danny’s father’s in his canoe.” footsteps fromSA when, in mid- Bloods Bore to1989, the Cooper and its tributaries Purni Bore and then the Approdinnacame down in flood. He pushed his Attora Knolls and onto Poeppel Corner.canoe into the flow at the Nappa Crossing ‘Big Red’ they arrived inMerrie crossing and set out for Lake Birdsville, just 14 days after they hadEyre. Confused by the many channels left the western side of the desert.through the huge lignum swamps Then followed a series of recordthis trip was no ‘walk in the park’ with breaking trips down the Darling, andmany channels ending as dead ends Murray Rivers before he was back inand a number of nights spent sleeping the Simpson in 2006, helping supportin his swag on top of all the gear in his his daughter and her friends on acanoe. He ended that sojourn charity walk to raise money forat the Birdsville Track, the the Breast Cancer Foundation.flood not reaching Lake Eyre, He was back in the Simpsonbut the following year and again in 2009, raising a toasteven bigger flood oozed down to a departed friend, and theThe cart long abandoned,DB crosses the last duneout of the desert on hisway to Adelaide fromBurketown.174 Western 4W Driver #107

following year he acted as vehicle was then that I could easily relive, inbackup as his son walked across the a most vivid form, my past journeysdesert in his footsteps. and scenery from its ever changingTalking with Denis on our recent landscape – I could truly be at onecrossing of the desert I had to ask with the spirit of the desert ‘ A lot ofhim about ‘Big Red’, the great dune people have followed his example andhe had named on his double crossing sat on that mighty dune as the sunof the desert in 1977. His reply was rose in the east, or sunk in the west;touched with feeling, ‘I had named it the desert and that dune, is then, atduring that first double crossing and its most magical. Today Denis’ lives inin 1980 while sitting on one of its fiery south-east Qld, but his heart – and thedomes I was so inspired by the most incredible legacy he created – is inmagnificent sunset I had ever seen that the Simpson!I wrote a poem called ‘Big Red’ and forOverlander magazine (August 1982) More infoI wrote a story called ‘Three TracksAcross The Simpson’, where I duly Denis has an easy-to-read andnoted its position on the map.’ enjoyable book titled, Desert Walker -He continued, ‘Promoted through Outback Adventurers with Denis Bartell,the media, the mystery and romance which tells of his extraordinary life.of a big red sand hill was born and More than anything it is an upliftingover the past 40 years and 70 plus yarn meant not only to entertain butcrossings, mostly solo, a ritual formed also to motivate. The DVD, Outbackbetween that dune and me. A sunset Adventures with Denis Bartell, detailswhenever possible from Big Red was three of his travels across and aroundsomething not to be missed for it the Simpson. You can find this and more at: www.desertwalker.com.au Eating dust can be bad v for youvrehicleh’sealthKeep the demon dust out of your engine with a Moonlight filtration system. Custombuilt here in Western Australia, Moonlight’s stainless steel airboxes seal firmly to keep out the finest dust particles and feature a filter with four times the surface area of the factory filter (VDJ70 series).Contact Kelly orTyrone for the local solution to yourair filtration problems. We manufacture snorkels andair boxes for a wide range of 4WDs.PHONE: 0467 224 758Unit 4, 31 Dellamarta Rd, Wangara, WA 6065www.moonlightcustomfabrication.com.au Western 4W Driver #107 175

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ECLIPSECROSS OVER From Neil DowlingPeople who have trouble pronouncing thename Mitsubishi - c’mon, put your handsup - better start learning to say it correctlybecause it’s becoming one of the mostpopular SUV makers in Australia. Western 4W Driver #107 177

or those who have mastered the is considerably bigger inside despite art of putting the “u” and “i” in the sharing the wheelbase. right place - there’s a new model However, the Eclipse Cross has a decent luggage area of 341 litresFname to nail onto the end of it - (about the same as a VW Golf) with the rear seat in place and the slidingEclipse Cross. Don’t even attempt this seat mechanism on its most rearwardafter three or more glasses of red wine. position. It increases to 448 litres withIt may be a mouthful (the name, not the seat pushed forward and when thethe wine) but the Eclipse Cross is the back seat is folded down, expands tonew SUV from that car company.Though it is an all-new mid- 1136 litres.size model, it uses the same Surprisingly, the Eclipse Crossplatform as the smaller (in is a really pleasant drivinglength) ASX and the bigger (in machine, coming with anlength) Outlander. all-new 1.5-litre four-cylinderThis platform is also shared petrol engine cranking 110kW/250Nmwith the outgoing Lancer and driving through a rathersedan and liftback and this is personable continuously-variablethe reason it exists. Mitsubishi transmission (CVT) that I usually dislikehas no plans for another as much as rockmelon.sedan. It currently has only There are two front-drive versionstwo - the baby Mirage and the (which we will conveniently ignore)small-car Lancer - and globally, and one all-wheel drive. Mitsubishi -Mitsubishi stopped which by the end of this year will sellmaking the Lancer seven SUVs/utes and only one car - islast December. knowledgeable about all-wheel driveThere is no car to systems so the Eclipse Cross Exceedreplace the Lancer model has a decent on-demand systemso the Eclipse with a lockable AWD for low speeds.Cross will become There’s also hill descent.the token family The cabin design is more upmarket“sedan”. If you don’t than the Outlander and ASX, with aunderstand any ofthis, go back to thesecond paragraphand have another glass of wine.The vehicle is termed a crossover - amix of an SUV and a wagon - so itleans more towards being a stylishinterpretation of the SUV box. This“coupe” style - a word so ill-used itsounds like it came out of America- is indicated by the sloping rooflineand narrowed rear glass. BMW alsodoes it with the X6 and X4 SUVs, andMercedes has it in the GLC Coupe SUVand CLS sedan.The good news is that young peopleprefer this racier design, though itcrimps some cabin and luggage space.Compare the Eclipse Cross with theOutlander, for example, and the latter178 Western 4W Driver #107

neat touchpad to fiddle with and the CVT in any brand.locate things on the dash screen Mitsubishi has another, cheaper,(this is not distractive?) and a version of the Eclipse Cross comingcomprehensive audio, connectivity towards the end of this year thatand ventilation system. would be worth considering if it comesIt doesn’t come with satellite with all-wheel drive. The Exceednavigation, and it’s not even an option. specification driven comes withBut it comes with a USB port so you 360-degree camera, leather, rear cross-plug in your tablet or mobile phone traffic alert and unintended accelerationand use Google Maps or some similar control and even the entry-level LSapp. Tested offroad in Tasmania, the has welcome autonomous emergencyGoogle Map info and visuals were braking and lane-change warning.excellent, up to date (especially with Thanks to the long wheelbase, reartraffic) and simple to operate. It will seat legroom is more than plentifulsuck some data from your mobile with the sliding feature giving cabinphone account, though. flexibility for adults or children.In the dirt the Eclipse Cross is Nuts ‘n’substantially better than the ASX bolts- which suffers from very short Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Exceedsuspension travel that introduces some Built: Japanannoying kidney massages - and onpar with the Outlander. Price: $38,500 plus costsThe engine, however, is moreresponsive than those available in Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl petrolthe Outlander. The only downfall iswhen things get serious in the dirt and Power/Torque: 110kW/250Nmthe CVT begins to lose its ability toefficiently transfer engine power to the Transmission: CVT auto, AWDwheels. Not an unusual aspect of Fuel economy: 7.7L/100km Western 4W Driver #107 179

WEIGHTY ISSUES When is enough enough? Hopefully when you know you’ve reached GVM and not when the weight of an overloaded vehicle threatens to destroy your on-road safety. To better understand his payload, Jeff Pollard got out the scales for a surprising result. 180 Western 4W Driver #107

lanning a trip up the Canning load you carried and if that has Stock Route this year prompted us contributed to your accident. to do a camping trip with a just a Remember too that there is a limit for your roof rack, which you don’t wantPtent to test things out after eight to exceed, even just in the interests of safe handling over dunes andyears of towing an off-road camper. on corners. So get those bathroomWhen we used to go camping around scales out and start weighing. WeighDarwin we were very minimalist yourself and partner too and no wishfulcampers and fitted two kids, two thinking. You can get weights for thingsadults, dog, all our fishing and like bull bar, winch and tow bar fromcamping gear plus a fridge in the Hiluxand a boat on top and didn’t seem to Time to hit the weighbridge and checkbe too squeezy. Fast forward the suspension.20 years and either vehicles the suppliers, or check on ebay forhave got a lot smaller or we weights. If you are towing a trailer,have more STUFF. No kids don’t forget to add tow ball weightor dog now but there doesn’t too. You may need to remove someseem to be enough room in stuff from the car to the trailer. Oncethe current Prado, even with you are all loaded up with full waterthe third row seats removed. and fuel tanks and all your STUFF, goFollowing our tenting trip over to the nearest weighbridge and checkChristmas, I began weighing all the weights including each axle tothings in and on the vehicle make sure you are under the limits.and got quite a surprise. We Don’t leave this till you’re heading offwere overweight. Some of on a trip. You might need to go backthe stuff that normally travels home and repack. GVM, tare weights,in the camper is now in the kerb weights and axle weights cancar. I must admit I now carry be found in your vehicle handbooktoolbox and recovery gear, or the manufacturer’s website or bytyre changing gear, better doing a web search. Know what eachchairs and table than beforeand a lot more clothes and Western 4W Driver #107 181bedding than we needed travelling inthe Top End. All of this adds up and Itended to forget all the stuff alreadyattached permanently to the car suchas bull bar, winch, awning, solar panel,tow bar, extra battery, roof racks,snorkel, and the list goes on.Checking the Kerb weight againstthe Gross Vehicle Mass, gives me apayload of 668 Kg. When I deductpassengers and all the fixturesmentioned above, it doesn’t leavemuch for extra water, fuel, food andclothing etcetera. In fact I have hadto start culling non essential items tomeet the weight limit. And, meetingthe weight limit is essential to keepingyour insurance cover in event of aclaim. One of the things an insurancecompany may do is check how much

GVM=2998 Kerb weight=2330 Payload=668 Item Weight battery, wiring, charger 22 Awning 12 BBQ 6 Bed and pump 3 Check you don’t exceed maximum roof Bedding 10 rack payload.term means and do the calculations. Box of cooking gear, gas etc. 25Tare weight includes 10 litres of fuel,whereas Kerb weight is full fuel tank. Box of food 25Check your tyres while you are at it toofor max load rating. Many vehicles we Box of maps, phones, iPad 4see on outback roads I would guesswould be very overweight and that has Bull bar 80implications for not only insurance,but wear and tear on suspension and Chairs 14fuel economy too. Lots of vehicles aredamaged on outback roads simply Clothing 20from being overweight. You want to letyour tyres down for corrugations or Compressor 7sand driving, but you can’t go as lowas you might like if you are overweight. Fire extinguishers x 2 2Following is a list of my items andweights. I haven’t included food and Fridge 25grog yet, so we may be going a bithungry on the next trip. Gas bottle 3.3 kg full 9Happy travels. Doesn’t look to be loaded up but it’s Ground mat 6 not far off GVM. Jerry cans diesel 40L 34 Jerry cans water 70L 74 Less 3rd row seats and -42 Maxtrax 8 Passengers 160 Puncture repair kit 1 Recovery gear 12 Roof rack & fittings 12 Shovel 2 Solar panel 8 Table 4 Tent, poles, pegs 7 Toolbox 20 Tow bar 23 Tyre changing gear 10 Winch 25 Total 628 Rear axle 1480 Front axle 1480 Weighbridge total 2960 ** Total on roof rack including awning, roof rack, jerry cans, fuel, shovel, solar panel and Maxtrax is 76 kg.182 Western 4W Driver #107

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184 Western 4W Driver #107

Words & Pics by Colin Kerr Knowles Cave on the old track between Cook and Nullarbor Station.It’s been there since 1917, but forus it all started a couple of yearsago when we stopped off at Cookfor a brief 30-minute visit on ourIndian Pacific Rail trip across thecountry between Sydney and Perth. Western 4W Driver #107 185

nce quite a bustling little town to take in more of this intriguing little with a population of around 400, place – as one of the local signs say, Cook, like all of these railway “in the middle of nowhere”! Roll on a couple of years and with aOtowns on the transcontinental quite extensive road trip underway (4WD and off-road caravan) our travelrailway line across the Nullarbor, plan included our promisedquickly went into decline when modern return to Cook.diesel locomotives (which could travel After making enquiries on roadlong distances without refuelling) conditions and topping up with fuel,replaced steam and the rail line itself etc. at Border Village and then brieflywas upgraded with concrete sleepers. checking out a few of those lovelyThe need for quite large crews at Bunda Cliff lookouts on the SA side ofeach of these towns to maintain the the SA/WA border, it was time to turnaged infrastructure had now gone and off the Eyre Highway (signposted 142Cook’s permanent population at the km east of Border Village) and headtime of our visit had reduced to just directly northwards to Cooka handful. 105 km away.During our short stay we quickly Overall this all-gravel outback trackwalked around parts of the old town (only periodically maintained), wasand everywhere we looked this near in quite fair condition with just a fewghost town had history and character. corrugated sections, some minorAll too soon however, we were washaways and a good deal ofherded back onto the train to continue bulldust. With tyre pressures loweredour journey. in both the Landcruiser and caravan,As we looked back out the train we were able to maintain a steady pacewindow at this historic centre we knewthat one day we’d have to come back186 Western 4W Driver #107

(25-50 km per hour) for most Class is out forever at the old school.of the trip. A memorial mural for a railway workerAlong the way there are remains on the tank stand.several points of interest, all around, the outline of the littleincluding a crossing of the settlement of Cook could be seen fromnow unmaintained Old many kilometres away on theEyre Highway, sections of distant horizon.the historic vermin fence, On arrival in town, things looked veryold mileage markers, rustytanks and windmills, and19 km south of Cook rightbeside the road(marked with anold tyre) is one ofmany limestoneblowholes foundacross much ofthis flat treelesssection of theNullarbor Plain.As we rolledon furthernorthwards withnothing but a flatsalt/blue bushplain landscapeGET PHONEDOWN TO 9534 6733FOR AN AMAZING RANGE OF 4WD Get Serious! ACCESSORIES AND AUTO PARTS U16 FALCON COMMERCIAL CENTRE, FALCON WA 6210 www.mandurah4x4.com.au Western 4W Driver #107 187

different from our previous General store, post office and repeatervisit – there were no people station all in one.to be seen anywhere! This from the crews from quite a few goodsindeed, was a real contrast to trains that come through and severallast time when the whole place hundred Indian Pacific train passengerswas crawling with 250 plus who invade the place for 30 minutestrain passengers who were twice a week, they normally don’t seewandering everywhere around many visitors at all.the small village. Yes, this Allan, who is also the town’s self-time the wide main street and proclaimed Mayor with a plaque neareverywhere else was totally his front door to ‘prove it’ was happydeserted. As we began looking to tell us some of the town’s historyaround and considering where and point out a few of the settlement’swe were going to set up the main features. He also showed uscaravan for an overnight stay,we spotted a small ‘Manager’s A relief for some, maybe.Residence’ sign. Here wecaught up with Allan Sunman andhis partner, just two of the town’sfour current residents who work on arotation system to ensure someone ison duty here in the town at all times.This lovely couple made us feel verywelcome and explained that apartTRUST YOUR 4WDTO THE SPECIALISTS Est. 1986ARMADALE 4WD SERVICE CENTRE 7 KEATS RD, ARMADALE PH: 9497 3066 www.armadale4wd.com.au188 Western 4W Driver #107

a nice, secluded area behind the oldschool for us to set up camp for ourstay. Obviously this also meant thathe’d know where we were in town inthe unlikely event of an emergency,and we would be well out of the way ofany of the train crews and the invasionof Indian Pacific passengers due thefollowing afternoon.Yes, quite intentionally, we plannedour return trip here to Cook to coincidewith the Indian Pacific calling in –and our plan was to quietly standand watch the spectacle unfoldbefore our eyes.In the meantime we spent our timequietly wandering around townchecking out places of historic interestincluding the old hospital site, thequaint local school, the sports grounds,the now filled-in swimming pool,cricket ground, tennis and golf groundsand clubhouse, the general store, theold railway station, the police lock-upgaol cells and dunny, and many othernow deserted pieces of Cook’s railwayhistory … and what about some of thetown’s quite quirky signs – they werea real scream! If you did you’d get their undivided attention. Western 4W Driver #107 189

As the town’s population was decliningand the local hospital was under threatof closing, signs appeared (and are stillthere) chasing customers. The hospitalwas eventually closed in 1998. Anotherclassic sign is still outside the oldgeneral store warning “Any arseholethat steals from this camp will be gut,shot and left for the eagles to feed on”.Going back to our nice secludedcampsite in the old school grounds,well, it turned out to be perfect –extremely quiet, except for a few birdsin the trees, plenty of sun for our Dunny doubled as the local bank with a shitty interest rate. His ‘n’ Her’s gaol cells. in the train for a couple of days) tosolar panels, we could see most of the hurriedly scattertown from our caravan window and like a stirred upwere only about 100 metres from the ants nest around‘Town Centre’! Even the regular goods what we felt bytrains passing through Cook were far then, was ‘our’ littleenough away and fairly quiet and did town. We spoke to anot noticeably disturb the peace and few as they rushedserenity of the place. Running almost around and all werean hour earlier than expected (but extremely surprisedwho cares out here) the Indian Pacific at the history androlled into town next day and, just as interest they werewe expected, disgorged almost 300 finding in this little outback centre, andpassengers, all eager to get some were equally surprised to find ‘otherexercise (after sitting on their backsides visitors’ in this lonely place. After the mandatory 30 minute stop a ‘shrill’190 Western 4W Driver #107 from the train’s whistle signalled the passengers to immediately return to their carriages and within minutes the town returned to normal – once again there was not a soul in sight. We had our ‘our town’ back to ourselves. Our one night here in Cook actually turned into two – a restful break on our Nullarbor crossing. On our final morning, we called in and said our goodbyes to the caretaker and headed back south retracing our steps towards

the Eyre Highway. Bore, well and ruins on the NullarborJust under 50 km south of Station Track.Cook however, it was time much smaller Ivy Cave however, wereto put another deviation the most interesting natural landscapeinto our travels – on a features along the way and were welltrack heading diagonally worth checking out. Also a feature out(southeast) towards here is the many wombat holes seenNullarbor Station. across the countryside – sometimesOur research on this single even encroaching onto the track.lane, quite rough and rockytrail, proved to be spot onand was not much morethan a goat track in parts, but‘doable’ with our off-roadcaravan taken slowly withcare. Apart from keepingalert over the many roughlimestone boulder sections, there wereplenty of other interesting sights alongthe way, including rockholes, caves,rusty wrecks, windmills and wells, acouple of old structures, a significantbore and tank (once an importantstation watering hole), and an oldsheep dip structure. The large andquite spectacular Knowles Cave andNORTHERN SUBURBSGO LOCAL!4W DRIVERSPH: 9408 6448 U2A/10 • Suspension/Upgrades PENSACOLA TCE, • Recovery [email protected] CLARKSON WA 6030 • Specialty Camping Equipment • General Accessories • Fridge/Freezers • 12v Battery Systems • UHF Radio/Navigation • Roof Racks • Bullbars/Side Protection • Rear Wheel Carriers/Towbars • Differential Lockers • Air Compressors and Tyre Accessories • Spotlights Western 4W Driver #107 191

These are the southern hairy nosewombats which must be in prolificnumbers across this part of thecountry. Although this trail (from theCook Road turn-off), including someshort side tracks and a couple of shortwalks, was only approximately 80 km,it took us nearly 5 hours to complete.All too soon in the distance we couldsee the outline of Nullarbor Stationand Roadhouse and then road trainsand other fast moving traffic along the‘black-top’ Eyre Highway.We were back into civilisation afterseeing just two other vehicles on thesetracks over the past three days. Acouple of years earlier we had travelledthe Old Eyre highway between BorderVillage and Nullarbor Station viaKoonalda Homestead and now addingthis additional side-track adventure offthe black-top was a great adventure.We might just do it all again one dayand see what else we can findalong the way. Excerpt from Hema’s SA State map. Old utes never die, they just lose a few parts. The track down to Nullarbor Station is in pretty good nick but watch out for the odd wombat hole.192 Western 4W Driver #107

• There is no fuel or any other services systems flowing through this barren at Cook – fill up and stock up before landscape. leaving Border Village or Nullarbor if • Cook was named after early travelling the other way. Our trip in Australian Prime Minister Sir Joseph total from Border Village to Nullabor Cook. via Cook was just under 400 km. • Telstra mobile phone service/internet is available in the Cook township.• Tracks north of the railway line at • A section of the railway line out here Cook lead to Maralinga Tjadutja is the longest straight railway line in lands and entry is forebidden the world at 478 km. without appropriate permits and • In Cook’s heyday, a special train then only on approved tracks. serviced the town and other railway Phone Permits Office on (08)8625 settlements along the way. It 2946 or email senioradmin@ was known as the Tea and Sugar maralinga.com.au Train. In reality, it was a mobile shopping centre carrying anything• The vast Nullarbor Plain is the from hardware, household goods, a world’s largest limestone karst huge range of food stuffs, fruit and landscape, covering an area of vegetables, even a butcher’s van and 270,000 square kilometres. Out banking facilities. It ceased operation here over 250 caves are recorded, in 1996 after operating for 80 years. some leading into underground river • All water in Cook is brought in by train. Previously underground water from an artesian aquafer was used. Western 4W Driver #107 193

STINGER ALERTThe Department of Biodiversity, - avoid touching jellyfish of any species Conservation and Attractions - cover bare skin by wearing a stinger (DBCA) is reminding people to suit, rash shirt or wetsuit to reduce thebe aware of the potential presence of risk of being stungIrukandji jellyfish following sightingsand reported cases of Irukandji - be able to recognise Irukandji jellyfish - make yourself aware of the signs andSyndrome along the Ningaloo Reef and symptoms of Irukandji Syndrome, andin Exmouth Gulf. - understand what to do in the case ofPeople should: a suspected sting.STINGER -FREE TAGALONGSot sure what to do and where to go in Spring?NAt Campfire Escapes we have the perfect answer with a coupleof new destinations in Septembersure to satisfy your wonderlust. You’llwonder how you lusted so longwithout joining our Wildflower tour,this year running from 7th - 9th(allnew) and our famous ‘Beyond theHolland track’ on the Queen’s birthdaylong weekend. From there the fun goes further with our ‘Dads ‘n’ Kids’ weekend in October (think marroning, YUM!, 4w driving and raft racing) followed by our new ‘Between the Capes’ at the end of October, Shutterbuggers in November and a dash down to D’Entrecasteaux national Park in December. Don’t miss out on an excellent adventure with Campfire Escapes from September on. Hit the website for more detail: www.campfireescapes. com.au or call Nick on (08) 9291 8303 or Andrew on 9317 2344 and join us for a weekend to remember.194 Western 4W Driver #107

from the smaller Goings On species may be A Keesingia gigas found near Exmouth minor and go 2016. Pic: CSIRO unnoticed as nothing more thanSpecies of Irukandji along a minor irritant,the Ningaloo Coast and while stings fromExmouth Gulf the larger Keesingia gigas have resultedA relatively small Irukandji jellyfish in excruciating pain(likely to be Malo bella) has been in some patientsreported in Exmouth Gulf, Muiron at the sting site.Islands and in the open ocean west Further signs andof Tantabiddi since March this year. symptoms may notMalo bella has clear cube shaped be immediate andbells (typically the size of a finger generally appearor thumbnail) with one thin trailing between five to 45tentacle on each of the four corners. minutes after theThese jellyfish can be very hard to see initial sting. Thesein the water. A second and much larger may include (but are not limited to)species, Keesingia gigas, was recorded severe generalised muscle painalong the Ningaloo Coast in 2016 (particularly back pain), headache,and 2017 with isolated reports from nausea, vomiting, anxiety, restlessness,2018. Keesingia gigas has elongated, breathing difficulties, sweating andclear, cube-shaped bells 10 – 15 cm elevated blood pressure.in diameter and 20 – 40 cm long withone short paddle-like tentacle on each First Aidof the four corners. Both species cancause Irukandji Syndrome. - Follow the principles of DRSABCD (Danger, Response, Send for help,Symptoms and signs of Airways, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation).Irukandji Syndrome - Liberally douse or spray the area with vinegar for 30 seconds (do not rinseThe initial sting from an Irukandji the area with fresh water).jellyfish may vary in intensity. Stings - Transport to hospital. - If symptoms and signs do not develop, it is recommended that the patient should remain out of the water and be monitored in a safe location for at least 45 minutes. Reducing the risk The risk of being stung or the severity of a sting can be reduced by wearing stinger suits or rash shirts made of nylon or lycra, or wetsuits. Any bare skin, especially hands, feet and the face may still be at risk if they are not covered. If you suspect you have seen an Irukandji jellyfish, please do not touch it under any circumstances. Please report any sighting to DBCA’s Parks and Wildlife Service on 9947 8000. Western 4W Driver #107 195

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