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Tony Stott – Part 6: Tony’s Outback Adventure

Arkaroola, Australia, desert, lakes, Landscape, landscape, plains, Plant, river/creeks, SA, sunrise, sunset, Tony Stott, trees

In 2014 Tony and I travelled around outback NSW, Queensland and South Australia. Places like the Warrumbungles, Broken Hill, Marree, the ochre pits at Lyndhurst, ruins at Farina, Arkaroola Wildness Sanctuary, Innamincka, Brachina Gorge in the Flinders Ranges, Epsilon in outback Queensland, Cameron’s Corner, Tibooburra, Menindee Lakes and lots of others.

Characters like Talc Alf, roadtrains and huge coal carrying locomotives, the odd emu and even some water in this parched part of Australia.

Tony had a long chat with Talc Alf and enjoyed his stories (Alf was also the Outback postmen, talc carver, talc miner and general dogs’ body!).

Here is a map of the trip. The kink over Lake Frome near Arkaroola in SA was a plane flight we both took around Arkaroola. Doug Sprigg was the pilot and he thanked us all for financing his hobby (flying) when we returned. Lake Frome is the whitest salt lake in the world and is used by NASA to make various measurements.

Tony often spoke about the trip. He had photos on his phone he would show to nurses on his many trips to hospital. Tony is in five images below and I have written a little story around each one.

Coffee at the Innamincka Pub in SA

We had a shower at the public shower block – after being so remote for a few days a shower felt amazing.

Tony is drinking coffee before lunch. Then on to juicy steak sandwiches, chips and salad in the dining area. Then cake and ice cream for desert. The food was superb. The Innamincka Pub at the time was owned by the same people who owned the Birdsville Pub, Innamincka had better food IMO.

Tony also retained fond memories of the Innamincka Pub. We talked about it for years after.

Canonba near Nyngan Outback NSW

Tony sitting beside the car near his tent around 6.30am. My bed is in the Patrol.

We had refuelled and resupplied at Nygnan the previous afternoon and drove out to the free camping ground at Canonba. It was on the Canonba Road about 10kms out of the Nygnan township. Close by us in the camping ground was a wandering drover with his dogs (hidden by the Patrol).

Canonba was once an important Outback town when it was a supply depot for Cobb & Co coaches. Once the railway went through Nygnan, Canonba disappeared.

Middle of nowhere

Tony with the trailer gate down boiling the billy for tea. We had camped overnight in the middle of nowhere. The driver was tied. We camped beside the Wool Track between Ivanhoe and Cobar, NSW. It was an access road to the surrounding stations and not a single car drove past the whole time we were there.

Coally Station, Far North West NSW

Tony is leaning on the passenger’s seat setting up his camera. This was at a small ephemeral wetland off the Silver City Highway near Coally Station Homestead.

Earlier we had driven through Cameron’s Corner (fancy hamburgers for lunch that time, yum), then through Stuart National Park in the far north eastern corner of NSW.

Epsilon Station, Outback Qld

The image with Tony standing at the car door looking forward was near Epsilon Station in remote Outback Queensland. We were travelling out of the area on private roads used to service the Moomba Gas Field oil wells. Earlier we saw the white camel also pictured.

The road is called the Nappa Merrie-Santos Road. We were on the Santos end, Nappa Merrie Station (Ranch for any American readers) being at the other end. In remote Australia it is common to name roads after the destinations at each end, it sure helps you know where you are going.

How do I remember these details? First, I add keyword to my images. Second, I keep a travel diary to help indexing. Last, I add GPS co-ordinates to the images. Here I mainly used the GPS co-ordinates and memory.

Due to some medical issues with Tony (bruising mostly) the trip lasted only two weeks instead of the planned three weeks. Due to Tony’s limited mobility I was visiting places where I could drive Tony close to the scenery or eating place. It worked out well. I still remember those delicious BLTs (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches) at the Blenheim Pub, Flinders Ranges. SA.

Click on the first image and a slideshow will appear. Take five minutes to look through the images.

Happy Easter everyone. He is risen!

Tony Stott – Part 5: Tony’s motors

Australia, motorsport, Tony Stott

I recently scanned more of Tony’ personal slides including some of his cars. His beloved Holden, purchased from Garry Rogers Motors.

Tony later upgraded that to a green Holden Torana GTR XU-1. He often spoke of this car.

I know Tony had a Ford V8 along the way but have no photo (EDIT: photo found). He upgraded the Ford to a 1998 White WRX with gold Simmons mag wheels, then founded the NSW WRX Club and later upgraded to a White Subaru 4 door STi, with the number plates Sic Em.

Tony and many others loved the dirt days at Bathurst where we see Sic Em in action below.

When he moved to Forster, Tony took the STi and later sold it to finance his Hobie Adventure Island. It was a smart move as Tony enjoyed immensely sailing around the lakes and out to sea. Tony was then using a Holden Commodore Wagon as his motor, serviced free of charge by Dave Dick. Thanks Dave.

Tony Stott – Part 4: F1 drivers

Australia, motorsport, Tony Stott

Not only did Tony photograph the F1 cars, he has several images of F1 drivers. A few of which later died on the track, so Tony told me.

The image with Tony speaking to the driver was a photo I found when helping clean out his unit. It is just an iPhone image of the photo. If you do not recognise a young Tony, it is the image with three people in it and Tony is on the left (last image in list).

Dan Gurney
Jo Bonnier
Karl Jochen Rindt
Jackie Stewart
Pedro Rodríguez de la Vega
Graham Hill
Mike Spence
Guy Ligier
Graham Hill
Tony talking to Jacki Ickx

EDIT: from Paul Harper:

Wow. I have seen some of these before, but not all of them.

Top left, Dan Gurney – great American driver who started the tradition of spraying champagne on the winners podium. When he won at Le Mans, he no doubt appalled the french organisers by spraying his bottle of champagne over the other winners and anyone else within range! Also invented the little flap on the end of the wing (gurney flap) that greatly increased the downforce produced for very little additional drag. He was a genius engineer as well as a genius driver.

Immediately below Dan Gurney, Jackie Stewart. Nothing more needs to be said.

Also a couple of shots of the late great Graham Hill.

I have seen the pic of Tony talking to Jacki Ickx before. Amazing.

EDIT2: Top right is Karl Jochen Rindt. He was a German-born racing driver who represented Austria during his career. In 1970, he was killed during practice for the Italian Grand Prix and became the only driver to be posthumously awarded the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship. (Source: Wikipedia) His name is on his racing suit!

Driver to the right of Jackie Stewart is probably Pedro Rodríguez de la Vega from Mexico.

Third row left is Mike Spence, Spa 1967. I found a copy of the image Tony put on the web. He was killed in an accident in 1968 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Middle of the top row is Jo Bonnier, Swedish driver. He was killed in the 1972 Le Mans race.

Bottom row, middle image, Guy Ligier, French driver.

Tony Stott – Part 3: motorbike racing

Australia, motorsport, Tony Stott

Tony did not limit himself to fast cars, fast motorbikes were also on the menu. They look like British motorbikes, but I know nothing about motorbikes. The safety gear has sure improved since those days. Images sponsored by Foster’s Lager.

Tony Stott – Part 2: European motorsport

Australia, motorsport, Tony Stott

Images Tony took at various motorsport events across Europe. Nick Hutchin’s believes one of those red Ferraris is a very rare variant. EDIT: it is car 24 a Ferrari 330P4, 1967 Le Man`s 24hr, finished 3rd. Thanks Nick.

Unfortunately, Tony misplaced or lost many of his slides, but enough remain to indicate he did have create a rich legacy on his European trip.

The name Englebert plastered all over one of the images was probably the Belgium tyre manufacturer that was big in F1 in the 1960’s. The location is probably Spa Raceway in Belgium in 1967.

You have probably not seen Tony looking so young!

Tony Stott – Part 1: F1 Monaco

Australia, Tony Stott, Uncategorised

A good friend, Tony Stott, recently passed away after a long illness. I will be posting images over the coming weeks in memory of Tony.

I meet Tony through the NSW WRX Club over 20 years ago. We shared a common interest in the WRX and driving more generally. We stayed in contact and often spoke about cars, boats and travel.

I sometimes met up when I drove past Forster going north, more than once at the Nabiac Roadhouse around 1am! I drove into Forster to have lunch every so often.

In 2014 I took Tony on a trip to remote parts of Australia which he enjoyed immensely. I will get to those images later. Let’s go back a few years.

In the late 1960’s Tony travelled to Europe by ship and took images of various races including the F1 at Monaco. Tony took these images curb side with no safety barriers – how things have changed. I scanned those images a few years ago.

In memory of Tony I present some F1 images from Monaco.

Solar panel installed

12 volt, 4X4, Australia, crimping, tips, wire, terminals, lugs, guide, Nissan Patrol, NSW, Uncategorised,

The Doc had to replace the Patrol’s auxiliary battery charger, with a new Redarc 1225D which has a solar panel input. The Doc purchased a 100w Giant Solar panel (which uses A grade solar cells) and installed it himself on the roof rack, allowing space for the recovery tracks, jerry can and second spare tyre.

The wiring goes along the bottom of the roof rack to the gutter. The wiring then goes down the gutter behind the snorkel (visible on the right), through some body work just in front of the windscreen into the engine bay and plugs into the Redarc 1225D.

The panel is secured by six M10 eye bolts to the roof rack (five are visible in the image below). Six M12 bolts fix the panel to the brackets. The brackets are 4mm thick. The roof rack should come off before the panel ever does!

The panel has been working well and keeping the auxiliary battery topped up, with power to spare. The Doc has been using this extra power to charge various household batteries in the Patrol.

The Doc is now testing battery monitors with their iPhone & Android Apps to get real time data on battery condition. The Patrol’s Autron voltage gauges only work when the car is turned on. It is part of an ongoing project to extend battery life of the Patrol’s starter and auxiliary batteries. EDIT: battery monitor review is here.

Rain on the solar panel

New Zealand revisited

Lake Tekapo, lakes, landscape, Landscape, mountains, New Zealand, Queenstown, river/creeks, South Island, Southern Alps

Some images from The Doc’s New Zealand trip. Well known locations but from some different angles, like Queenstown, the blue lakes at St Bathans, Moeraki Boulders and the Southern Alps. Click on the images to see the sideshow at full size.

West MacDonnell Ranges – The Red Centre

Alice Springs, Australia, bark, clouds, desert, Landscape, NT, reptiles, sand, States, Textures, The Red Centre

It took some time but The Doc has finished his Guide on the West MacDonnell Ranges. The Guide starts and finishes at Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Guide is here.

You can then do the East MacDonnell Ranges, that Guide is here.

The Guide on the West MacDonnell Ranges has detailed maps, location notes and images. The number of images meant The Doc had to use high compression and so there are some artefacts in some images. It is a very detailed Guide. You could easily spend 2 or 3 weeks doing the West MacDonnell Ranges and another week doing the East MacDonnell Ranges.

Nissan Patrol Update

Australia, Nissan Patrol

Corrugations over several years have taken their toll on a few items. The Doc is thinking on going to the Kimberley in 2020 and is doing some preventative maintenance and fixing a few things. Changes in February 2020 include:

  • New sensor for the Autron battery voltage and amp gauge. The “Hall Effect Current Sensor” was shaken to pierces by corrugations and replaced;
  • The interVOLT EBI Pro died (do not know why, perhaps too many corrugations) and was replaced with a Redarc 1225D DC to DC charger to charge the auxiliary battery;
  • The auxiliary battery also died (at least it was still under warranty). The Doc can plug a solar panel into the new Redarc charger as well. The Doc is thinking of installing a small solar panel onto the roof rack (EDIT: a 100W solar panel has now been purchased and installed);
  • The coils (aka springs) were replaced after 140,000 hard kilometres;
  • Bushes on the front and rear were replaced. It seems the front bushes on the Patrol need to be replaced about every 60,000km. One of the rear bushes was falling out, which is why The Doc asks his mechanic to do checks on the car. The mechanic identified the bush issue which was fixed when the coils were replaced. This way issues get fixed before they become major problems;
  • Brant Alarm keypad was replaced, it was worn out;
  • Wiper blades were replaced; and
  • New wheel alignment – an alignment must be done after bushes are replaced.