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best pizzas I’ve ever tasted every Friday down to Erina Waters in Artimore Creek.night. It was at the Blinman “Pub in the This was altogether a fantastic two-dayScrub” that I learnt about PARs. Public drive despite the ice on my swag when IAccess Routes are selected 4WD tracks camped out in localities as awe-inspiringthrough pastoral properties where station and remote as any bushie could wish.owners have agreed to free entry for the I’ll skip most of my highway travelspublic. They combine exhilarating, scenic following the old Ghan line up throughdriving with interesting destinations. Beltana, Leigh Creek, Lyndhurst, MareeDeparting Blinman next morning in and on to Oodnadatta, then out to Marlathick low cloud on the Glass Gorge on the Sturt Highway, except to mentionscenic drive, it was just as well there Farina which is well worth a visit forwasn’t much scenery visible as I had to the wonders being churned out fromdodge countless road-hogging wallabies its restored underground bakery andbounding at me out of the mist. This the ongoing conservation work beingroute took me out to a network of PARs carried out on the stone ruins there bythat proved to be one of the highlights volunteers, a project that has been goingof my trip. Countless creek crossings on since 2010. Great to see such an effortand steep hill climbs on challenging devoted to preserving the emotive tracestwisting tracks through the foothills of of this historic bush town. Other spotsthe magnificent North Flinders Ranges worth a visit if you’re passing throughsaw me at the fabulous ruins of the long- this way include the Peake Telegraphabandoned Nuccaleena copper mine. In Station and the mound springs thata State with a seeming surplus of stone controlled the route of the Overlandruins, this is an exceptional gem in the Telegraph, the Oodnadatta Track andwilderness. The PARs, often windingalong on narrow creek beds gouged “Countless creekout by seasonal floods (these would beimpossible to travel in wet conditions), crossings and steep hillalso led me through Hannigan Gap andout to Patawarta Gap before I passed climbs on challengingthe Artimore Homestead ruins andfollowed the bed of Erengunda Creek twisting tracks through the foothills of the magnificent North Flinders Ranges.” the old original Ghan Railway. My back went out along this stretch and I was glad to reach Alice Springs where I had a two-day spell. Between Alice and Katherine I was unimpressed with the historic towns of Daly Waters and Larimah. Both seemed to be just huge caravan parks to me. However I did find the old Elsey Cemetery fascinating and beautifully maintained. I obtained my Kakadu Visitor Pass ($30) in Katherine before popping in to picturesque Edith Falls for a look around. I also visited Umbrawarra Gorge before taking the Kakadu Highway turnoff Western 4W Driver #109 149

Our cruise past Pine Creek and following boat was that route out to Cooinda. ignored by After passing the adjoining birds and campground crammed with crocs alike. caravans and campers, A darter settling in to my luxurious dries off digs at the resort made me under the feel that maybe the expense northern was worth it. Next day I sun. visited the awesome Jim Jim A rufous Falls cascading down from the night heron top of the escarpment, then feeling slightly had a relaxing afternoon bird- conspicuous in watching at Sandy Billabong. the light of day. The ultimate high spot of my entire trip came the following morning when I arose early to take the daybreak cruise on Yellow Waters. The cruise boats ply these rivers and flood plains several times a day all year round and are completely ignored by masses of birds and crocs alike. This allowed us to get as close to all the wildlife as anyone could ever wish, while the encyclopaedic knowledge of our guide added to a truly unique experience. Determined to try a bit of 4w-driving in the National Park, I spent the afternoon on a track up the West side of the South Alligator River, checking out free-camping areas at Alligator, Bucket and Red Lily billabongs. Following gradually diminishing wheel tracks over mud flats out past the latter spot, I decided not to press on as I was very much on my own out here and would be in quite a fix if wheels broke through the surface. After executing a very careful three point turn I was retracing my route on firmer terrain through thick bush when there was a bang150 Western 4W Driver #109

and a deafening squealing A glimpse of the Oscar Range as Ifrom beneath the bonnet and passed through the Kimberley.dense smoke began pouringout from the engine bay. I around blind corners. I had to get twoquickly turned off the ignition wheels onto the gravel for all oncomingand I must admit my hands traffic, and get right off the bitumenwere shaking a little as I lifted for the many road trains transportingthe bonnet. However, it was cattle to Darwin, a dangerous hazard. Itjust a broken air-con belt was actually a relief when the bitumenjammed against the pulley. ended and, whether I imagined it orA stick must have unseated not, the surface seemed to improveand broken it. I prised out the once I’d crossed into good old WA.remains, moved the Troopie Another phenomenon was an urge toto a shady spot and popped a new one reach home, so rather than spendingon, then continued my drive feeling time wandering around the Kimberleymuch relieved that it hadn’t been worse. as I’d originally planned, I high-tailed it(This was the only vehicle trouble I had South. At journey’s end, after three andon the entire trip.) The day was topped a half weeks, I’d added 11,000kms to myoff by a walk around the fabulous rock art odometer at a cost of less than $5,000galleries of towering Nourlangie Rock, split more or less evenly between fuelthen Barramundi for tea back at Cooinda and accommodation expenditure.before drifting off to a well-earned sleepserenaded by the restful calls of Curlewsand Little Barking Owls.Exiting Kakadu via the Arnhem HighwayI began the long haul home next day,camping in a very pleasant spot atKathleen Falls before choosing to take theBuntine Highway down to Halls Creek.The top half of this highway was oneof the worst roads of the whole trip. Anarrow strip of bitumen with high verticaledges corkscrewed over crests andWhat’s in a name? with Ian ElliotMount Disasterhad a query recently from Mike had his doubts about. My research Donaldson, President of the confirmed these doubts. Although Kimberley Society (the publisher of not far from Forrest’s route, he never visited it and it’s not shown on the planIthose fabulous Rock Art books) who of his travels. He makes no mention of the feature in his diary while inwanted to know how Mount Disaster in the general vicinity, nor is there anythe Kimberley came by its name. This evidence that he or any member of hisfeature lies North of the Tarraji River party were involved in any disaster inon the former Oobagooma Station the region. I went to Cancelled Publicand several sources suggest it was Plans and found the name absent onnamed during Alexander Forrest’s 1879Kimberley exploration, a view Mike Western 4W Driver #109 151

all plans prior to 1890 in PRO holdings kind of commemoration of the receiptavailable on the internet. It is not of such terrible news. Newspapersshown on Cancelled Public Plans 11K were full of the North-West PearlingNos. 1 to 3 (1884-1890) but pops up on Fleet disaster for months. The numberCPP 11K No.4 drawn on 19/8/1890 and of schooners and luggers sunk in thatcancelled on 16/11/1894 and is shown storm off 80 Mile Beach was great, andon all subsequent plans. Other features it was an event unsurpassed in WA’sshown for the first time on CPP 11K No. history. Mount Disaster at the time of4 are the “Taragee” (now Tarraji) and Leeming’s surveys was just beyondupper Robinson rivers, both traversed the boundaries of Grant, Anderson &by Lands Dept. Surveyor George Edgar’s Oobagooma Station and wasWaters Leeming in 1887. His Traverse later incorporated as part of that station.Point L26 on the Tarraji is only about I imagine their homestead would have5km South of Mount Disaster so I’m been his headquarters during thosefairly sure that he used this hill as a trig surveys. He traversed every riverstation and at least recorded the name, around this region and there are quitealthough pastorallands were already Excerpt from Hema’s WA State map.taken up in this area atthe time so the name a few. His traverse points are all showncould be connected to on CPP 11K No.4. His supplies couldthe lessees. I searched have been brought in from Derby byTrove for Leeming’s road (a track running along the Southactivities in 1887 side of the Robinson River had beenand found that, after gazetted as Road No. 230 on 11 Februaryreturning from a trip 1886 and a road connection betweento his parent’s home Oobagooma and Derby gazetted in 1891in Melbourne he was was probably used much earlier) or seasent up with Surveyor (luggers could enter a tidal inlet at theG.W. Nuylasy to the bottom of Stokes Bay and get up as farKimberley to undertake as Robinson Landing within easy reachtrig work, traverses and road surveys. of the homestead). If he was there inHe is mentioned in May 1887 as being April, there is no doubt he would havenot out for 14 in a cricket match in Derby received and read newspaper accountsbetween The Town and The Port and later of the pearling fleet disaster and I thinkhe is mentioned in an article concerning that it is a pretty logical assumption thatthe survey of W.J. O’Donnell’s route this is what gave rise to this name.from Derby to Halls Creek. It appears hedid heaps of traverses in some prettyremote areas but there is no mentionof any disaster occurring and he andNuylasy returned South in November1887. A Trove search with the keyword,“disaster”, revealed nothing connectedto the hill, the locality or the stationin that year. However, in April 1887occurred the North-West Pearling Fleetdisaster with the loss of dozens of boatsand some 140 men and it may be thatthe hill was given this name as some152 Western 4W Driver #109



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POWER TO BURN... Part 2INSTALLINGYOUR BATTERY SYSTEMIn issue 108 we kicked off this series with an informationoverload. Everything you need to know when consideringbattery options for your own auxiliary system. Now we needto integrate the new battery, or batteries into our electricalsystem. There’s plenty to learn here, so get your study face on!We already talked about different ways to accomplish the same mounting the battery in the end result. The purpose of each is to previous instalment. Now ensure your auxiliary batteries receive we have to cover selecting charge while the vehicle is running,a charger or isolator to manage the and that power is only drawn fromauxiliary batteries, choosing the right auxiliary batteries when you switchwiring for the job, and making the the engine off. Let’s break these threeconnections with safety, durability and categories down and have a look atefficiency in mind. how they work.Solenoid Isolators, Electronic Solenoid IsolatorsIsolators & DC Chargers A solenoid is rather like a massiveThree different names, for three relay, just like the relay that controls spotlights – but capable of flowing Western 4W Driver #109 155

hundreds rather than tens of amps. Redarc’s SBI-Think the old Cole Hersee solenoid, 12 for surgethe big round cylinder shaped device. protectedThese were generally rigged to automatedignition power, sometimes to the oil activation.pressure switch. This way, the batterieswould only link once the ignition was the twoon, or the oil pressure built up. batteriesIn the past; people also used fully together formanual switches, like marine isolator emergency jump switches. starting if No need for your main goes flat. solenoids Voltage drop is not a problem here! Just bolt when the batteries are close to one this thing the another, and connected by proper size of a dinner gauge wire. plate to your Capable of flowing high current. transmission tunnel, run Great! So what are the downsides? battery cables all over the Compatibility with smart place, and alternators is out of the question hope you without modifying the systemremember to switch the batteries The auxiliary batteries must bewhen you arrive at camp. No way I installed close to the main battery,could trust myself with that, I barely most likely under bonnetremember to lock my hubs in! Your batteries should be of theNeither of these are really suitable same chemistryfor modern vehicles with computer The batteries will equalise when thesystems due to the inherent danger of separator links up (your chargedvoltage spikes; with the exception of a battery will begin to drain into thefew manufacturers who have created lower charged one)hybrid solenoids. Think productssuch as the Redarc SBI-12 or the What - there are differentNational Luna Split charge isolator alternators?(which actually incorporates a ColeHersee solenoid). These take the basic Pre 2010, the fixed voltage alternatorsolenoid, add surge protection and was standard issue. But post 2010some basic electronics to automate we started to see smart alternators,activation. The result is a solenoid that temperature compensating alternatorslinks your batteries at around 13.2 and other practises related tovolts, and separates them at emissions. These things are tunedabout 12.7. to put out just enough to keep yourThere are plenty of reasons to consider starter battery kicking, so link upthe simple solenoid isolator. They are: a second battery to it and you get Cost: The solenoid and wiring can terrible charging performance. Others often be had for under $200. may not charge it at all. More on this Simplicity: Your solenoid carks it, in a future instalment. it’s simple and cheap to swap out. Jump starts: Most of these can link156 Western 4W Driver #109

Electronic Isolators outputs (typically two or three). To divide the charge between batteriesThese move away from solenoids and ensure charge isn’t leaching fromand into relay switching. There’s one battery to another, installing astill a mechanical component (the diode isolator involves re-routingrelay) but electronics play a larger alternator power straight to therole in managing the switching and isolator rather than going through themonitoring the charge. At the basic main battery. Some models will alsoend, these relays are surge protected, have an extra terminal to be integratedwill connect your auxiliary to charge with your charge regulator, to keepat about 13.2 volts, and disconnect your alternator pumping power to thethem at 12.7 volts. This is the category battery system. So why might youthat your voltage sensing relay (VSR) choose a relay isolator?would fit into. At the higher end, arelay isolator may actually read the Cost. Just like solenoid isolators,auxiliary charge level and control relay isolators are quiteinput. Vehicle protection functions may reasonably priced.be present to safeguard more delicate Options for solar input onelectronics; automatic current limiting some models.so that it cuts the power if overloaded, Capable of flowing high current.and even solar input. All are features If you choose a diode isolator,of the Piranha DBE180XS. complete isolation of each battery.There’s an interesting variant that I’d And some reasons not to: If choosing a diode isolator, voltage Piranha’s DBE180xs - a top end relay drop over the diodes is an inherent isolator with overload cut-out and problem. For quality diodes it may solar input. be as low as 0.3 volts, or as high asclass as an electronic isolator, called 0.7 volts for cheap diodes.a ‘diode isolator’. This type of isolator Still not suitable for batteriescontains no mechanical parts, yet installed at the back of vehiclesis very simple. The core element to or trailers.these are the diodes; simple electronic Compatibility with smartcomponents that allow current to alternators is still out of theflow only in one direction. The diodes question without modifyingin an isolator are much larger than the system.you might find in a home appliancehowever. They are capable of handling DC Chargersthe full input of your alternator anddividing it between a number of In cases where your auxiliary batteries must be installed down the back of the vehicle, or you’re putting a system in a trailer; you may have issues with voltage drop. This is one of the reasons that DC chargers are becoming so popular. In battery situations like the one mentioned above, a DC charger is capable of compensating for the voltage drop and delivering a healthy charge to your second battery. It’s essentially a smart charger designed for a 12 volt system which has dropped Western 4W Driver #109 157

in price significantly over the last eight draw off that battery; it won’t keep up.years or so. Can’t contribute auxiliary batteriesHere are a few other reasons you might to cranking.choose the DC Charger: Slower charge than you’d get from the alternator alone. Most Much more efficient charging. Your batteries will live longer, and achieve alternators deliver 80 amps much closer to 100 percent charge. or more. 40 amps is Solar input. Many have usually the highest MPPT solar regulators output for a inbuilt, so you can DC charger. wire solar directly into the system. Converting Pesky low output current & voltage alternators are no creates heat; they will longer a problem! lower output if they get A DC charger will boost the too hot which means they output to suit the battery need plenty of ventilation. being charged. Not ideal under the bonnet. Handles dissimilar battery chemistries using unique charging profiles (very Battery Management Systems important for new lithium batteries). Eliminates problems with voltage These fancy buggers handle drop when installed correctly. everything to do with your auxiliarySome things which may be system. Mains power and DC chargingconsidered cons: built into the same unit. You can Somewhat expensive. often run your loads through the unit Inability to supply high current. They as well, giving you information on supply usually between 20 and 40 current draw, voltage, hours remaining amps depending on the model, so at current load, and more. Some if you run equipment with a higher models even take it a step further with switching for individual accessories.the systemRight, you’ve got the batteries, and plug installation. ISO standard 6mmthe brain’s sorted. Now let’s get it all cable measures the cross sectionalconnected. Before we look at how area of the conductor, not includingit works for each system, here are insulation. Automotive standard 6mmsome general points that apply to ALL cable measures the cross sectionalwiring installations. area over the entire diameter, so you may have 4mm of conductor and 2mmWire Gauge: of insulation. This leads to problems! To make things more confusing,This is a bit of a pain in the anything over around 6mm tendsbackside, because there are different to be measured in the B&S (Brownestandards everywhere. Take a 6mm & Sharpe) standard, which is thecable for instance; which is the same as the AWG (American Wirerecommended minimum for a fridge Gauge) standard. Pay attention to the158 Western 4W Driver #109

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standards you are using, and find a Termination:conversion chart if necessary. Poor end connections lead to high resistanceFuses: – not good! Use a set of crimpers designedEvery cable attached to a positive for the job to get thebattery terminal must be fused. Even for very best result. Asa separator based system, you’ll need you’ll be working withone as close as possible to the main pretty heavy gaugebattery and wiring here, you’llanother at need access to somethe auxiliary heavy duty cablebattery. With crimpers. These canthe high be quite expensive, so find a friendlyamperage auto sparky who’s willing to crimpflow, your some cable with you over a couple ofmost likely beers. I won’t go into soldering thesechoices are connections, which seems to be a matterthe giant MEGA fuse or a circuit breaker. of preference. It’s good enough for autoMake sure that inserting the fuses or manufacturers to only crimp, so that’sconnecting circuit breakers is the last good enough for me.step of your install though, forobvious reasons. Solenoid & Relay Isolator WiringInsulation: For a basic separator system, I wouldNever leave a cable join or terminal not consider anything less than 6exposed. Grab some good quality B&S as a minimum. If you’re using aelectrical tape, as the cheaper stuff separator with the jump start feature;tends to lose adhesive and come off go even thicker at around 2 B&S. Theypretty quickly. Wrap every cable join in a can handle around 100, and 200 ampsbit of that. Even better; use heat shrink! respectively. To be absolutely sure, andThere’s also a nifty product by Dynagrip to compensate for voltage drop you willcalled Brush On Electrical Tape which easily find a wire size calculator online.dries like a rubber coating – I’ve used Redarc has an excellent one on theirthis to insulate terminals on isolators website. Here’s what a simple solenoidand circuit breakers with great success. or relay isolator install might look like:Cable Protection: Western 4W Driver #109 161Wrap every piece of wire in conduit,and cable tie it until it can’t move.Conduit is also a good chance to makethe installation look tidy by bundlingmany wires in the same conduit. Cabletie your new loom to existing wiringlooms, chassis rails or solid brake linesand ensure they are well clear of hot ormoving parts.

Isolator Wiring You’ll generally find an alternator power input, maybe a solar powerYou’ll need to know the maximum input, power output, earth for thealternator output, and also the battery, earth for the charger, andmaximum output at each terminal possibly an ignition trigger wire.on your isolator. Typically an Gauge sizes required for wiring thesealternator output may be 100 amps, units are usually called out in theirso 4 B&S cable to the isolator would instructions, often between 8 B&S anddo. If it is a twin output isolator, thediodes will divide the current evenlybetween the two; so a 6 B&S cableto each battery would suffice. Again,it all depends on the length of thecable run – you’ll find an online wiresize calculator very helpful.As mentioned earlier, wiring up anisolator can be a little more complex.Here’s what your isolator installwould typically look like: (top right)DC Charger WiringThe bundle of wires hanging off the backof a DC charger make it appear MUCHharder to install than it really is. Web: toodyayautocentre.com.au Heading Off? Registered Repairer MRB6464 Email us for our extensive list of162 Western 4W Driver #109 pre-trip checks. Avon Valley Supplier of TIRES Email: [email protected]

battery it is managing. Here’s how the Projecta DC-DC charging system in my vehicle is set up (left):4 B&S. As previously Parallel Battery Setupsstated, DC chargers areable to compensate for Linking batteries in Parallel (positivevoltage drop over long to positive) will add the capacity of thecable runs, but only batteries together, while keeping theon the INPUT side. voltage the same. In my case, two 58Therefore, the charger Ah batteries fit nicely in the side floormust be mounted as and can be thought of as one battery.close as possible to the They charge together, drain together, and give me 116 Ah. Both batteries should be exactly the same. Well, we’re part way there! Now you’ve got the perfect battery installed for your needs, and it’s all hooked up to your vehicle electrical system. But how do we expect the alternator to fulfil our power needs all the time? We can’t. Which is why you’ll be learning all about alternative 12 volt power sources in the very next edition. Western 4W Driver #109 163

50 AMP ChargingLAT batteries are a fact of life. and the alternator simultaneously and They need to be charged up to do with inbuilt Green Power Priority it their job and while they are kept automatically selects the solar charge first, taking the load off the vehicle’sFin good shape via alternators or alternator. The 50-amp charger is compatible with standard and variablegenerators, they quietly die if left voltage/smart alternators and can bealone for a week or three. Batteries go used in both 12 and 24-volt vehicleback a heck of a lot further than one systems. Designed, tested and madewould think. in Australia, it can take any conditionsCar batteries first arrived in Hudson cars our less-than-gentle environment canin 1918, but weren’t adopted by most throw at it. The BCDC1250D comes withmakers until a few years later. nationwide backup which includes aIn fact, the first battery dates back to 2-year hassle free warranty, technicalaround 250BC - we kid you not.Called the Parthian or Baghdad support and after-salesbattery, it was found in an service.area of Iraq occupied by The company alsothe Parthians between recommends you248 and 226 BC, use their onlineand comprised a dual batteryvase-like vessel selector, whichwhich contained a has been designedcopper cylinder held in to help you tailor yourplace by asphalt. It was onlynecessary to add an alkaline liquid to ideal dual battery setup.complete the electric element. It probably won’t work aSo did the Parthians have cars? Nay. Parthian, but it will certainlyWe could theorise forever, but to get give every other battery a Redback to what’s more relevant to the Bull-like charge. Ole!modern era, those bright folk at Redarchave just produced a new, bigger, more Redarc On-Linepowerful 12-volt dual input 50amp in-vehicle battery charger. They call it the Only five on-line resellersBCDC1250D. It’s a modern device with a Australia-wide have been chosenred line running down its back and a 50- to represent Redarc in an on-lineamp charging output makes it the most shopping format and autoelecoz.powerful in Redarc’s BCDC range. com.au is the only one chosen inIt will charge all major lead-acid Western Australia.batteries and includes a lithium Now you can enjoy the(LiFeP04) charging profile. convenience of on-line shoppingThere’s also an extra charging stage for the BCDC1250D and Redarc’sknown as Soft Start which has been entire range without leaving yourengineered so that it can handle more screen, bonus!demanding applications. Go to autoelecoz.com.au forThe BCDC1250D has separate vehicle everything Redarc.DC and solar inputs which ultimatelysimplify the installation process.The unit will charge from both solar164 Western 4W Driver #109

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If any plant looks out of place THE ITCHY in our dry inland landscapes it’s the Desert Kurrajong Eora (NSW) word for ‘fishing line’ (Brachychiton gregorii). reference to these peoples’ use of Amongst the generally greyish the fibrous bark. The bulging trunks bushy vegetation, this tree of a number of species also lead overtops most of its neighbours to them being called ‘bottle trees’, and catches the eye with a and these do indeed store water in bulging trunk and dense canopy of large, bright green leaves shaped like an open hand. The species was named in honour of A.C. Gregory and is unusual among the ca 35 species in being a desertdweller- most are tropicaltrees of 20-40m height foundin the Australian tropics inWA, the NT and QLD. Twospecies occur in Papua NewGuinea, and several othersspread down the east coastinto NSW and Victoria. Thecommon name ‘kurrajong’ is anadaptation of garrajun, a Daruk/166 Western 4W Driver #109

GARRAJUN Popular Botanicstheir wood, but bulginess varies quiteconsiderably. Kurrajongs generally withlose some or all of their leaves in the Doctor Krisdry season. For some, this is an annualevent, but others (including the desert bright red flowers in late spring,kurrajong) keep their leaves unless there before the growth of new leavesis a deep drought. Where the plants with the onset of summer rains.are deciduous, flowering occurs when These plants are hairy - tinythe tree has no leaves; as the flowers straight, branched or star-shapedare brightly coloured and relatively hairs occur all over the plants,large this event can produce a stunning including the bell-shaped flowers. Thedisplay, which lends some horticulturalvalue. The Illawarra Flame Tree (B. tube of the flower’s bellacerifolious) is one example, has 5 pointed lobes atand is now grown worldwide. It the top, so they look likeproduces a spectacular show of a stars when seen face on. While a few speciesThe desert kurrajong is have green flowers,a slimmer version of the most are either brightlybottle tree (left). coloured or white, and they may be blotched with bright red. Interestingly, pollen and seeds are produced in different flowers on the same individual. The tough, elliptical or boat-shaped and pod-like fruit splits down one side to reveal numerous seeds inside. These pods make perfect miniature boats for creekline regattas - but beware, they carry a kick! Among the seeds lies a loose mass of tiny, brittle star-shaped hairs. When the fruit splits open, these hairs are released, and if they contact your skin can cause irritation, itching and sometimes allergies. This is the source of a third name “itchy tree”, coined by generations of Aussie kids who experienced its effects. Western 4W Driver #109 167

OUR BIG BABY168 Western 4W Driver #109

EVA By Bruce & Deb ShorterOur Nissan 4.2 diesel Ute with a Trayon camperon the back had served us well for over 12 years.We’d travelled the Canning Stock Route, the AnneBeadell, the Gunbarrel and many more tracks,named and un-named but we hadn’t had enoughor seen enough of Australia by any stretch of theimagination. We love it ‘out there’. Western 4W Driver #109 169

e had taken a five-year hiatus impressed with the from 4-wheel driving to sail construction and the Queensland coast and New the way everything works. WeWCaledonia but the backtracks andthe wide-open spaces of Australia still wouldn’t changecalled. And so our search for a new ship- a thing.of-the-desert began. Retired from both VA modificationswork and sailing we took the time to enjoy to the Ivecothe research. We wanted something to suitour own needs and style of travel. For us King Springs andoutback travel is about the journey and we heavy duty swaylike to move on most days. We travel alone bars combineand rarely spend much time in one spot so to give the tallwe knew we wanted something that was vehicle somesafe, carried plenty of water, had stability on road.heaps of electricity, was simple topack up and that could literally goanywhere, particularly across themighty sand dune country. Havingbeen bogged at Boggy Hole (really)on the Fink we also knew the valueof a good winch. We travelled fromWA to the east coast of NSW andQueensland to inspect vehiclebuilders and look at a range ofmodels. We eventually settled onEVA [Expedition Vehicles Australia].At the time of our trip east EVAdid not have a finished product toinspect so it was a giant leap offaith when we made our decision In the cab suspension seating andto go with them. Justin Beall and Anthony a forward control driving positionParke made us feel confident enhance the height of the IVECO.with their engineering andtechnical knowledge and theyhad passion for what theydo. They were enthusiasticand easy to work with, so wecommitted. Having said that,on the day we stepped outof the taxi at EVA’s factory inQueensland my heart was inmy mouth. First glimpse andWOW! As I climbed the stepsand entered the modulefor the first time nothingdisappointed. I was like a kidwith a new toy at Christmas.it’s now 8 months and 16000kms later and we are just as170 Western 4W Driver #109

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included increasing the fuel Passenger seat rotates to be part of thecapacity from 90 to 270 litres, accommodation. Note the inductionfitting adjustable King Coil cooktop.Over Shocks front and rear,progressive bump stops, In the cab there are magnificentsway bars front and back, diff suspension seats, [dial in your weight]and transmission breathers, and the passenger seat rotates 36037 inch wheels, ECM engine degrees. There’s a tyre pressuremapping, an upgrade to the monitoring system on the dash, UHFwater alarm plus additionalfuel management filtersand a 17500lb rear mountedwinch with cradle that canbe transposed to the front ifrequired. In the cargo holdthere’s a 3/4 hp compressorwith air holding tank thathandles tyre re-inflationssuper fast. There is a waterpump to provide endless water supplyfrom a stream or any nearby watersource, a fishing rod tube, extra GPO’sand lighting but best of all there is a30-litre drawer drinks fridge. Gettinga cold beer at the end of a long drivecouldn’t be simpler. CV BOOTSQTUOICFKIT LANDCRUISER SPLIT Suits 79, 80, 100, 70 series with solid axle front.$115 Prevent sand and grit incl post abrasion, water corrosion, pitting and seal damage to the swivel housing.Gearless Centre Differential eliminates axle wind up... for the best mining driveline. PH: 0352 722 844 E: [email protected] www.gearingdynamics.com172 Western 4W Driver #109

radio and an Exogear mount for the Comfy bed across back,iPad on the dash. The EVA walk through cabinet on RH side extendsinto the module is the biggest in the up to be toilet and shower.business, so easy to get out of your seatand walk back into the module. at the touch of a button.The module has 212 litres of water and Kitchen is a speciallya 100 litre grey water holding tank. 400 created lightweight designwatt solar panels on the roof, 3 x 120 with soft-closing drawersamp deep cycle batteries and a 1600 that remain closed evenwatt inverter/charger. The roof is raised on the worst corrugations. The finish is luxurious. The fridge/freezer is a Webasto 130 litre together with a Webasto diesel stove and hot water / heating system. With huge storage under the lift-up double bed, an interior shower and toilet, TV and air- conditioning, it’s the complete comfort package in a compact unit. Having taken possession of the new baby we decided to go home to Western Australia the long way round. We thought of leaving the vehicle on the East Coast but the temptation to show it off to family and friends was too great.Under-bed storage can beaccessed from either side.A quiet campsite in theNorthern Flinders.

Exploring the tropical Imbil NP. via Thurston National Park to Bourke and the Darling River. From DirranbandiWe did a shakedown trip to Imbil to Hebel we hit some seriously wetNational Park and we were glad we did weather that turned the normally dry,because getting used to the Iveco 24 dusty tracks to bogs but the new truckgear splitter box system required a bit coped well. The mud certainly took theof concentration. Debra, my wife and raw, new look off the rig! Further southnavigator has a penchant for nefarious we loved Gundabooka National Park“short cuts” and mysterious “unused “ where we were completely alone andtracks. Day 1 saw us stuck down a deep saw clouds of wood swallows risinggully on the side of a mountain with me high in the sky at sundown. The walktrying to find the right gear to back-up to the distant range was wonderful.all the way out. I was sweating buckets The route along The Darling was verybut the day ended with a beautiful wild dry and dusty in stark contrast to ourcampsite, a red wine and a runningcreek in the background. Before we leftQueensland we wanted tosee Carnarvon Gorge sowe headed north and onthe way stayed overnightat Cracow Beach, aswimming hole for thelocals on the DawsonRiver. It was green andattractive in an otherwisedry cattle country butthe bugs and all thingsthat bite were fearsomeat sundown. We headeddown on the back tracksThe big IVECO wasdwarfed by the Big Crayfish.174 Western 4W Driver #109

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earlier days. It’s amazing Nullarbor tracks tested thethe extremes of weather overhead clearance.experienced when travellingbig distances. It had been of the very steep sides of the sandymany years since we had track, but we did. Finally, another runbeen to the Flinders so down the now closed old Balladoniapassing through SA we took Road where the corrugations and thea detour back up into that March flies were of mega proportions.beautiful range country. The On to Esperance, Albany and a sedatephoto opportunities were run home to Perth. There’s no doubtirresistible and although we about it, our new vehicle is a rock star.stopped overnight to see the It’s a showstopper and we’ve enjoyednow busy Wilpena Pound we the many people wanting to talk withalso found some wonderfully us and photograph it. The end of thequiet and natural campsites journey home for us is justin the north. Heading down, the beginning.we had great stops on theEyre Peninsular at places like Coffinbay, Venus Bay and our favourite,the surfing spot of Sheringa Beach.Eventually however, it was down to theNullarbor again, the inevitable fate ofa Western Australian heading home bythe quickest route. We have discoveredthat far from being “Null” or nothing,the Nullarbor can yield many secrets.We’ve always taken detours to discoverthe caves, the rockholes, the old fuelstation at Koonalda, Wahgunyahconservation reserve and the oldtelegraph stations along the way. Thistime the Eyre Bird Observatory wasa highlight for us. Coming down offthe high plateau was spectacular andat one point we wondered if the “TallGirl” would handle the extreme anglesJust love the Flinders.176 Western 4W Driver #109



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CAST INTO THE something as a fishing location. Boat and shore based anglers can do veryMURCHISON well once they have the spot “wired,” to use the fishing parlance. Off shore seesThe west coast holiday the mix of northern sub tropical and destination of Kalbarri is well southern species merge here, as the known to any West Aussie and waters mix. The iconic West Australian dare I say to many from around dhufish can be caught alongside coralthe country who’ve ventured over this trout, red emperor and pink snapperside with a caravan or 4WD. It’s the whilst mackerel, tuna and trevallysort of place that attracts those looking species mix with the more southernfor a variety of things to explore and Samson fish. And from shore there’s noenjoy rather than a singular attraction doubt that this area is home to some ofand Kalbarri has that in spades – the the best tailor and mulloway fishing inNational Park Gorge country, coastal the State.cliffs and interesting coastline,wildflowers, the town set on the river The deeper holes and snags tend tomouth of the Murchison with places hold the bigger fish.to swim, fish, boat, kayak, sandboardand more. Yes, its 600 kilometres away (Reckon that one’s a bit hungry JB.)from suburbia but for many the tripis worth every kilometre. Dependingon your preference it’s always offered Western 4W Driver #109 179

Kayaking is a great way to explore and fish the upper reaches. The author with a Murchison River tailor almost in the middle of town.When all that fails or it’s time for white wash but this is only for thosesomething different, there’s always who know what they’re doing and itsthe river. The Murchison is actually the usually best done with someone upsecond longest river in WA and whilst front casting and a skipper on the helmit might not pump out the volumes of steering the boat, motor running andthe mighty Fitzroy, Ord or Fortescue in constant control. From Chinaman’sin full wet season flood, it does hold Point long casts from the rocks willwater in its lower reaches year round. sometimes lure one of these tailor andIt is navigable for a few kilometres at night, a mulloway. It’s the fishiestbefore becoming too shallow but canoe looking water around but doesn’tand kayak enthusiasts can take in long always live up to the promise. Juststretches of its meandering course inside the estuary or mouth there areeffectively upstream almost to the deep channel sections to anchor up in aMurchison House Station homestead. small boat and soak a bait for passingA kayak will certainly give greater fish, cruising on the tide. Be wary ofaccess to all of the best spots but from anchoring right in the middle of thean off road explorer’s point of view channel though because the big craythere’s plenty to check out via a whole boats won’t be too concerned aboutday trip or even overnight. Technically, “rockin your boat” with a big wake ifcamping too close to the town site you’re in their space. Again mullowayis of course not permitted but some and tailor can turn up in catches heregood research with Google Earth or along with whiting and silver bream.good first hand advice from those inthe know will steer you to the bettersections of river that hold fish.Starting with the river mouth itself,there are good possibilities for shorecasters or small boat anglers. Therough treacherous mouth sectionnear Black Rock holds big tailor in the180 Western 4W Driver #109

Murchison River mulloway for the author.The mulloway become a distinct than one tempting option.possibility in these upper reaches in the In years gone by it was notdeeper channels, particularly at night. unusual to get up to a dozenThe ideal situation is to use a sounder “runs” in one night sessionto locate the deepest sections of the when the mulloway were on.river channel or holes and anchor, Early Winter and Spring oftentargeting the incoming tide as the best produced the most consistenttime to fish. A small live baited bream results but more recently itor whiting with the reliable pilchard has become difficult to findon another outfit will ensure that any them in prolific numbers.patrolling mulloway will have more I’ve seen freezer trucks pulled up at the wharf loading loads of crates of big mulloway caught professionally just offshore when they aggregate during spawning. Sad because they don’t have significant commercial food value. Venturing around the corner and a few hundred metres upstream on the side opposite civilisation provides some stretches of nice sandy bank to wander with a light flick rod in searchOur 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 #109 181

of yellowfin whiting. The rising tide and tracks that follow its course is a decentthe clearer sections will usually turn a challenge but there are some greatfew up on a bloodworm or river prawn, spots to explore. The best all roundprovided the pesky little juvenile silver option is using the vehicle to get you tobream or sand whiting don’t attack first. the best areas and then use a rooftopAt the commercial boat pens and jetty canoe or kayak from there.on the opposite side (Fisherman’s You’ll need to follow the road to theWharf) there’s a straightforward spot most northerly part of Kalbarri’s built upto fish from that provides a natural area where the bitumen will lead ontohaven for a more recent convert to a gravel road alongside the water. Thethe Murchison – the mangrove jack. first kilometre or so will have the riverChanges in water temperatures in in close view but after that it becomes athe last decade or so have seen more maze of riverside tracks, some of whichnorthern species establish themselves will be deep, dry sand. Don’t be slackin this neck of the woods but out foxing and ignore the basic rules of deep softthem isn’t easy. They’re very wary of sand driving or it will give grief. As it is, these broad Follow tracks to get to some of the best spots upstream.any tell - tale bits of tackle connected to shallow stretchesa tasty morsel. Fish with nothing but a up to 10 kilometrestotally hidden hook embedded in a half upstream have somemulie or small fresh whiting, allowed braided sectionsto sink unweighted near the pylons. where trying yourAnd when the hook up comes hang on luck for the wilyand wrestle them out and away. The black bream maypopulation is not big but continues to yield some successsustain itself it would appear, with the but typically they’llodd jack caught throughout the year. be ravenous littleExploring the watercourse further juveniles that willupstream from here by boat is limited attack a small piece of prawn. Theto about five kilometres by dinghy (up bream are definitely the main quarry toto the area around Goat island) hence target throughout the river upstreama kayak or canoe can be a great way to everywhere beyond the estuary.tackle things. Four - wheel driving the Fresh river prawn (and bloodworm) are without doubt the prime bait for182 Western 4W Driver #109 black bream. At the right time of year it’s even possible to collect your own small shrimp - sized river prawns from the river bank areas with a dap net or simple homemade version fashioned from a coat hanger and old stocking. In tight next to the reedy banks there are often very small prawns or shrimp that can be quickly threaded onto a fine hook three or four at a time. Naturally any

bream around will scoff them. Soaking a bait for a blackFurther up (and accessible more bream, the Murchison’s mostdirectly rather than following the prolific species upstream.watercourse the whole distance)there are deeper sections in A reasonable black breamthe meander and around Stork from a weedy bank for aisland, to Nanny Goat Well and young Marc Bormolini.Gregory Rocks, where carefulsurveillance will turn up some spin gear more suited todeeper holes and the occasional bream they’re an absolutesnag of trees and debris that blast but catch and releaseprovides the only given their poor eatingperfect home for credentials. A very smallbigger bream metal slice or whitebait orto hide out. prawn constantly and slowlyDropping a bait retrieved will attract theminto dark shaded if they’re there. And if youareas or near find one, there will alwaysthese snaggy be another half dozen around. The othersections brings option is to go into Murchison Housethe best results. station and camp there exploring thingsThese older downstream from there as a base andfish are very with the advice of the station owners.cunning and The Ed’s intrepid better half and co pilotwary so it’s not penned a great write up on this spot inunusual to find a previous issue not that long back andthem pick up the it’s well worth a re-read. The owners willbait and move give specific advice and direction onoff slowly so it where you can fish and tracks to followpays to let the via a map that they make available.fish take some The history and intrigue of the placeslack line before has been well documented and the rivertrying to set the hook. Be aware also and its sometimes difficult-to-get-tothat bream will move according to flood surroundings have always held somepattern. If there’s been a big flush or mystery for fishos and off roaders alike.winter rains that change the salinity It’s certainly worthy of a look.levels, then many fish will move furtherdownstream. The Murchison is also one Western 4W Driver #109 183of the few spots where I’ve encounteredpopulations of the enigmatic giantherring. (Elops hawaiensis) This sportsfishing prize that can grow to well over ametre in length provide a great anglingchallenge. Powerful and explosive theywill jump and race all over the placetrying to throw the hook. Without beingtoo specific, it has been in the shallower,more saline downstream sections andthe summer months, when I’ve foundthem, sometimes by accident. On light

COOPER PROS ON THE HOLLANDOriginally fitting Coopers 315/75 tyre, it’s important to look after them to R16 STT PRO to our 79 series get the best out of them, so we rotate Landcruiser a while back, we them at regular intervals and rebalance recently added a set to our newly during rotation. We also swear bybuilt custom quad camper for a trip our tyre sensors (Sensatyre) whichback to the WA deserts and along the are internal transmitters fitted insideHolland Track. Having the ability for the rims to monitor actual pressures,our tyres to be interchangeable simply but more importantly, internal tyremakes sense; not only when it comes temperatures. Having this informationto carrying spares, but the fact we can at our fingertips means we’ll regularlyalso rotate them between the trailer adjust pressures subject to the roadand vehicle given their load surface, our speed and the weight we’recarrying capabilities. carrying, ensuring we’re operatingOur generation of STT PROs have been within the optimum manufacturer’sout a while now and the current set recommendations.on the Landcruiser has some 25,000 To see how they performed on ourplus kilometres on them. But like any quad trailer, we recently spent a few184 Western 4W Driver #109

TRACK From Linda Bloffwitch days along the Holland track from Hyden to Coolgardie. While it’s not a difficult track, it had numerous water and mud filled wombat holes after recent rains. This made towing a bit challenging at times as the track is narrow in parts and our trailer is wider than the wheel track of the vehicle. We also found tyre pressures played a big part on the comfort of the ride as the track surface is constantly changing. We encountered sand and rock, but other times there was a firm track base which would quickly change to sloppy mud. As wet as the track was, we used a variety of pressures depending on the circumstances to avoid losing traction with the trailer. The STT PROs have a very aggressive tread pattern with scoops in the pattern which we found helped clear out the mud and gave good traction, and the raised rubber ribs in the tyre grooves helped to push stones out of the tread. We used to joke that these were self-cleaning tyres. While mud terrains are notorious for chipping, this has been improved with the new silica compound, and there’s no doubt that running the right pressures for the conditions has helped by allowing the tyres to soak up the terrain and simply roll over rocks. As a tyre that’s designed for 80% of the time on dirt and mud, with 20% for road and sand, we get some road noise on the blacktop, but don’t find it a problem when we regularly rotate and rebalance the tyres. There’s no doubt they’re at home on the dirt, and since that’s what we crave, that suits us to a tee and we’re more than happy with our tyre selection. Western 4W Driver #109 185

SSANGYONG COMEBACKKorean car-maker Ssangyong From Neil Dowling makes a return to the Australian market after a two-year absence Standard across the board will sprouting three models also be a seven-year, unlimitedwith strong safety and equipment distance warranty plus a seven-yearinventories. roadside assistance program andThe three are the return of nameplates capped-price service.Musso and Rexton, plus the third small-SUV, the Tivoli. Prices start at $23,490 The Rexton’s entry-level EX wagon hasdrive away for the front-drive entry- a 165kW/225Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrollevel version though there are a few engine mated to a six-speed automaticall-wheel drive variants.More attention is likely for the Rextonand Musso. The three-version Rextonwill be available from $39,990 driveaway for a front-drive turbo petrol,then two all-wheel drive turbo-diesels.All Rextons are automatic, have sevenseats and sit on a ladder-frame chassis.The Musso dual-cab ute is all-wheeldrive with the same separate chassisand shares the 2.2-litre turbo-dieselengine and automatic transmission asthe Rexton. Prices start at $30,490drive away.Ssangyong Australia said thenew range of models will all haveautonomous emergency braking (AEB)and forward collision warning (FCW).186 Western 4W Driver #109



with part-time 4WD and a low-range rated at 3.0-tonne towing capacity.transfer case. But Ssangyong Australia said theFeatures will include lane departure vehicle was being worked on to raisewarning, high-beam assist, AEB, FCW, that to 3.5-tonne to suit Australiandual-zone air conditioning, and Apple conditions and customer demands.CarPlay and Android Auto. The Musso also has a 6.75-tonne GCM.The EXL will come only with 4WD Standard features are the same asand a 133kW/420Nm 2.2-litre four- the Rexton with the addition of acylinder turbo-diesel and limited slip differential and full-sizeseven-speed automatictransmission (withlow range) licensed byMercedes-Benz.It adds nine airbags,blind-spot detection, rearcross traffic alert andlane-change assist.The top-spec version isthe Ultimate that addsheated and ventilatedleather seats, 20-inchalloy wheels, 360-degreecamera, sunroof and anelectric tailgate. spare wheel. The Musso EX hasIt adds new TPU seats, nine airbags, a six-speed manual or six-speedblind spot detection, rear cross traffic automatic transmission with part-alert and lane change assist. The range- time 4WD and low range and 17-inchtopping Ultimate comes complete with wheels. The ELX adds 18-inch alloyheated and ventilated leather seats, 20- wheels, CarPlay and Auto, blind spotinch rims, 360-degree camera, sunroof detection, rear cross-traffic alert andand a powered tailgate. lane-change assist. There is alsoThe Musso dual-cab has the same an Ultimate version with the extradrivetrain as the diesel Rexton and is gear of heated and vented leather seats, sunroof, 20-inch alloys and188 Western 4W Driver #109 360-degree camera. The baby Tivoli comes in six versions including petrol and diesel, manual and automatic, front-drive and 4WD. The 4WD versions are the Ultimate and Ultimate Two- Tone with an 85kW/300Nm 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine and automatic transmission. There is also a XLV model in three specification levels that has a 245mm longer body for additional cargo room.

BLOODY THE THINGS YOU SEE!CORRUGATIONS With (Truthful)Corrugations, ripples, ridges or wash boarding, call them what Phil Bianchi you like, they would have to be the most despised part of any life I raced over the top of corrugationsoutback trip. They are probably the and sustained damage including:most misunderstood as well. Any destroyed shocks, torn shockie mounts,opinion on how they are caused or fractured inner guards, fracturedhow one should travel over them will battery mounts, wrecked tyres andstart an argument that’s up there with hitting surprise ditches at speed;Cooper tyres v BFGs, Engels v Waecos I decided that in my replacementor dare I say it Toyotas v Nissans. vehicle, a 100 series, I would take aSome say that corrugations on tracks different approach. I now use lower tyresuch as the Canning Stock Route, pressures and have reducedGunbarrel or Connie Sue Hwy are speed to loping along at acaused by hard tyres, overweight comfortable speed like avehicles and speed. Others say that grandpa (I am one). Sincespeed isn’t a factor and that the best using this technique I haven’tway to travel over them is at speed damaged any guards, batteryso you skim across the top of them. cradles or shockie mounts,Another group claim you’ll wreck your wrecked any shocks orvehicle doing that and it’s best to lower tyres and have reduced mytyre pressure down to as low as 20 psi orthodontist’s bill to nil. (Noand travel at a comfortable slower pace. new BMW for him).What’s the answer? Upon selling my While determining where youbeloved 80 series, which earlier in its stand on causes of corros, note the following. At the end of every straight section of the above corrugated tracks, when drivers are forced to slow down because of tight bends, the corrugations disappear. The vehicle weighs the same; tyre pressures are the same as is the wheel base, tyre size etc, the only difference being speed. Some corrugations I have come across, I reckon are tall enough to have approach and departure angles, even cast shade. Others such as those on the CSR, I reckon are responsible for people running out of fuel because they are so tall they add at least another 200 kms to the journey. When on the CSR I lower tyre pressures to around 20 Western 4W Driver #109 189

psi and leave them there until coming there are numerous other issues I feeloff the CSR three weeks later. I recall are involved:meeting two chaps seeking to crest a • Wheel base of vehicle; some vehiclesdune in a V8 70 series, with dirt roostertailing and digging tank traps, they will have both sets of wheels on top ofstruggled despite three tries to get corros; others would have one on topover. Feeling somewhat embarrassed of a corro and the other in the bottom.they let us through; we sailed over • Wheel diameter; the larger the wheelwithout a problem. Calling us over the the flatter the footprint.UHF they asked how we did it. Let your • Soil type i.e. sandy, gravel or graveltyres down to around 20 psi we replied. and sand and how well or solidlyWhen we met later, they said they still these are mixed.had some difficulty getting over ‘but Looking to the future, maybe we needletting your tyres down works’. Asking a university to develop a Phd programwhat pressure they used, ‘35psi, and offering studies in ‘corrugationology’.then we pumped them back up again!’ Logically they should have the courseThis is old school thinking; softer tyres based at Wiluna because the famousdon’t have an increased puncture risk; CSR and Gunbarrel Hwy will be on itsthey allow you to absorb bumps and doorstep giving access to any amountnegotiate rocky terrain and dunes much of injured vehicles coming off theseeasier and give you a far better ride tracks. Hopefully then we can once andand reduce the stress on the vehicle for all settle the question of causesespecially suspension components. of corrugations. I dream of ploddingOn the CSR, tracks leading into Well along a badly corrugated track and33 have numerous chicken tracks being diverted by a lollipop mancreated by drivers seeking to avoid because of workers, and hopefully spotcorrugations. These corrugations a lab coated person, head down tailwould have to be the biggest I’ve ever up, with protractors, lasers and everycome across, it was like driving over ‘ometer’ in creation strewn around40 or 50 kms of small logs spaced at them while measuring corros. Folks300mm intervals. I also suspect that when touring the outback keep an eyecorrugation formation isn’t only about out for ‘corrugationolgists’ lying downvehicle weight, hard tyres and speed; on the track. Hereabout is a photo of one at work; notice the hi-vis beanie.190 Western 4W Driver #109

PTURE TCAHE Proudly sponsored byM We Love Photography MENT With Graham CahillMitre been to ENZED the bottom of the fiord is about 500m deep. These Stirling Falls are one of aWhen I saw ‘Capture the couple of places where tour boats stick Moment’ in our their bows under the falling water. latest mag, I was reminded of this Western 4W Driver #109 191backlit photo I took inMilford Sound this July.Here’s the background:Milford was miss-named asound. It is actually a Fiord,which is glacier carved.Typically Fiords have steepto vertical faces above andbelow the waterline, anda “U” shaped flat bottom.Sounds are formed byriver action and have “vee”shaped channels.On the left is Mitre Peak,nearly 1700m high, with“The Footstool” this side ofit. The knob on the right isThe Lion, (1300m) and the“lower” hill behind that is“The Ramparts” with “TheHephalump” peaking ataround 1500m. Between theLion and The Hephalumpis a dish shaped valley, a‘hanging valley,’ formed bya tributary glacier, and thisterminates in Stirling Falls,150m above sea level andthe main fiord. Near here,

To wash the Poms. Photos with or Now toddle off and see New Zealand’swithout brollies are mandatory. There is Southern Alps for yourself.quite a downdraught generated by the I’ll catch you guys up one day.falling water (think chilled water-blaster) Cheers,and it is fairly cold in July. And the rest Ian Whyteof the year. The kids went forward for aquick photo shoot. I stayed in the stern. I absolutely love an image that holds myI was still bloody cold. attention, for whatever reason. In thisSo much for the background. case I was convinced I was looking at aThis scene of Mitre Peak and tropical Asian paradise complete withMilford Sound is one of the most coastal vista’s and steamy, humid air….photographed in New Zealand and I’m till I saw the snow-capped peak. I wasnot normally inclined to snap it myself. completely confused and was just aboutHowever, on the walk back from to Google snowboarding resortsthe wharf to the carpark the Milford inThailand when it dawned on me thatMariner jumped out at me. It was a in fact, I was looking at New Zealand!really stand-out focal point - and I went That’s the beauty of light and the way inOMG: WTF’s the camera! which it can totally transform an image.Adding to the attraction of the In this case we are shooting directlybacklighting is the mist to the right of into the sun (which has been cleverlythe Mariner. It’s from the Bowen Falls. masked using that tree branch to greatA large creek (if found in Australia it effect) which of course gives us a harsh,would probably be called a river) falls almost warm feeling to what is innearly vertically and smashes itself actuality a cold place. In post-productionover boulders with the downdraught I would remove the small lens flaircarrying the mist out. There’s a lot to issues and I would also crop out thelook at in this scene and the photo has bottom third to just above that waterfour horizontal areas rather than the line, leaving the vegetation only.This“normal” three. But that works as long would serve to bring the main imageas top and bottom layers are balanced. into better position and get rid of theI wanted to use a filter for the sun. clutter at the bottom.Sometimes there are problems when Over all though, this is a difficultthe sun shines directly on a lens. What situation to photograph and in thisbetter than a natural filter: leaves? For instance it’s been done exceptionallyboth the sun as well as the reflections well….now I just need to get to NZ andoff the water. In another photo I used try it for myself!the zoom and I like it for the improved Graham Cahilldetail. However, I made a bollocks ofit. There is only a little bit of foliage Well done Ian, you’ve wonin the top right corner of it and it isa distraction, an irritant, in that it A $200 GIFT VOUCHERconstantly draws your eye awayfrom the good stuff, but doesn’t fromhold your attention.I should have moved back 20ft or so THATS IT FOLKS!and framed the leaves so that they Email us a pic for some TECTIPS &were in the right hand third of the you could cwominpa@e$c2o0m0uVseoiumcahgeers!.comframe, like in this pic. 20 20 vision Email to:in hindsight. If you must know whatequipment I used it was an iPhone 6.192 Western 4W Driver #109

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Celebrating 50 Years of Landroving from Greg BremnerBlack and Gold was the theme when inaugurating member acknowledged 92 members, past and present, with a presentation. The Chairman of the gathered on Saturday 22nd of Western Australian Four-Wheel Drive September for the Landrover Association spoke on the achievementsOwner’s Club of Western Australia of the Club as a founding member of the(LROCWA) celebration of its 50th Association and presented the Club withAnniversary. Formed in 1968, the Club a framed memento.is one of very few similar organizationsthat has survived and flourished LROCWA can be proud of itsfor five decades. The long weekend achievements over 50 years of Clubcelebration, held at White Gum Farm, activities. The challenge now is for theMalebelling was attended by both past Club’s leadership to maintain existingand present members and with three members and attract new members soinaugural members in attendance and future generations can experience thea documentary visual presentation of joys of 4W driving and exploring theearly trips and events it was a nostalgic Landrover way.weekend for those attending.Activities over the weekend were varied,including a fishing competition and ofcourse some 4W driving. The primarymotivation for selecting the venue wasthe 4WD Track and this provided a lot ofentertainment for those watching as wellas the adventurous few who tried outtheir vehicles. There was even an adverseconditions winching demonstration for amobility challenged Landrover.A catered dinner for all attending onSaturday night was the opportunityto acknowledge the achievementsof the Club over 50 years and the194 Western 4W Driver #109

The hydrogen roadmap GOINGS ONWITH all its gold, diamonds, wool, nickel, wheat and a There’s a lot of whole lot more, Australia sure national interest has a lively export market. in the plan. “We’ve establishedBut what about exporting some of our a strong networksunshine? Did we hear you murmur of partners andsomething along the lines of ‘surely you collaboratorsjest’ or possibly a cruder form of same? that supportFact is, our national science agency, current researchthe CSIRO, reckons an economically- and technologysustainable hydrogen industry could developmentsoon be happening and it has produced initiatives right acrosswhat it calls ‘The National Hydrogen the hydrogen energyRoadmap’ to develop what’s needed to value chain,” Drrealise the full benefits of a Patrick Hartley said.hydrogen economy.Hydrogen is a clean-burning fuel with Now if we all had hydrogen generatorsmany uses, from powering vehicles, to under the bonnet, this could be astoring energy and it can service multiple remote re-fuelling station - no need formarkets if produced using low-emissions expensive storage facilities.energy sources.The Roadmap says Oz hydrogen He knows because he’s the CSIRO’stechnologies are reaching maturity, with Hydrogen Future Science Platformthe R&D done and it presents a new Director. Now there’s a job title withexport opportunity for Australia. a difference.A current barrier to market activation is “While much of the technology is ata lack of hydrogen refuelling stations a mature stage, there is considerablefor transport, and the cost of hydrogen scope for further R&D to further improvesupply for some applications. process efficiencies and develop newBy 2025, clean hydrogen could be cost- applications,” he added.competitive with existing industrial The Roadmap, by the way, is sponsoredfeedstocks such as natural gas, and by 21 industry and government bodies.energy carriers such as batteries in many Roll on 2025, we say.applications, the CSIRO says.“Australia has a unique and urgentopportunity to turn significant naturalresources, including coal, gas, andrenewables like solar and wind energy,into a low-emissions energy product andship it around the world – in some casesliterally exporting Aussie sunshine,” chiefexecutive Dr Larry Marshall said.“The Roadmap provides a blueprint forgrowing Australia’s hydrogen industrythrough coordinated investment to beglobally competitive.” Western 4W Driver #109 195

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