While at AWC’s Mornington Sanctuary The Doc became aware that Australian Wildlife Conservancy (“AWC”) had taken full control of Charnley River Station (formerly Beverley Springs Station). Click here for the report with pictures.
After 4 months on the road The Doc is back in Sydney, planning his next trip to New Zealand!
The Doc is making tracks and will be back in Sydney next week, after 4 months on the road. The car has been serviced, bushes replaced, windscreen replaced, the electrical problem fixed (wire became exposed and was shorting on the towbar) bonnet scoop upgraded, dents removed (mostly stone hits), front drag links upgraded, wheels aligned and the outside washed. The Patrol is running like new.
While in Ballina The Doc has been taking it easy, whale watching, watching some movies (Ant-Man, Fantastic 4 and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) and working on the car. Plus watching Series 1 to 6 of Inspector George Gently.
Time to go home to catch up on domestic matters and prepare for the upcoming New Zealand trip in September!
Gripe time.
The Doc is surprised that the number of accidents and fatalities in The Kimberly is not much higher. Some of the stupidity witnessed beggars belief.
The way people risk their lives and others is also of concern.
Fatalities
There was 3 fatalities on the trip. The first two were from the Mt Hart Aboriginal community. Both were not wearing seatbelts and were thrown from the car and killed on the Gibb River Road. An avoidable tragedy, if they were wearing seatbelts (the survivors were all wearing seatbelts).
The other was a young German tourist, 19 years old, who walked on the edge of a gorge and it gave way. He fell 20 meters and was killed. There were signs everyone in Karijini warning against this.
These tourist destinations do not draw much attention to the deaths, for obvious reasons. At Mitchell Falls and Karijini tourists die, and it is not an unusual event. A local said it happened most years at Karijini. Hint: if country folk put up a sign to warn of a danger, they mean it.
These poor souls paid a high price for making bad choices. But they are not alone. The Doc has grouped the others into Yahoos, Bogans and Tossers.
Yahoos
This group includes the litter bugs, who seem intent on ruining Australia. It will lead to one thing: locking up more parts of remote Australia. Shame on you.
A Ranger told me the Euros, or European tourists, were big offenders. While The Doc is at it, Euros please slow down, you are not driving on an Autobahn but rough, punishing outback roads. One Troopy was being driven so fast down the Cape Leveque Road it looked like it was on a pogo stick!!!!!!!!!!! You are not in control of your car.
Drawing “aliens” on mud flats at Wyndham probably also qualifiers for this group. Hint: think men’s genitals. One of the vistas from Five Rivers Lookout, click here.
Bogans
The Doc slowing down and moving to the side of the road is not an invitation to go flat out down the middle of the road covering him in rocks and dust. Bogan. Unfortunately, a very frequent occurrence.
Learn how to drive properly on outback roads, here are some hints.
When you see a trailer, table and chair in the campgound, it means someone is camped there, before you. So do not set up camp all around the table! Bogans.
Dual cab Hilux wins the award for the most overloaded car on the Gibb River Road.
Tossers
The group who endanger not only themselves but other road users. Like the Toyota 100 Series driver that sped past The Doc on the Gibb River Road.
The Toyota 80 Series driver who over took me on a dirt track, by driving on the side of the track at over 90kmh. Try using the UHF and let The Doc know you were there, he would happily pull over and let you pass safely.
The fool at Karijini who overtook The Doc as he was overtaking another car – a double takeover on a dirt track.
The rogue truckie who turned his high intensity light array when driving towards The Doc and left them on, deliberately. The sooner tossers like you lose their licence the better.
A lot of Prado drivers.
The Doc now feels better 🙂
The Doc has managed to visit quite a few AWC sanctuaries now, including:
If you would like to know more about the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) and the great work they do, visit here.
Over the past few weeks The Doc has made his back to the East Coast from the Australian West Coast. He is in Ballina, northern NSW having the car serviced and getting some minor repairs. Plus having a break from the road. Here is the trip back through the Great Central Road, Plenty Highway and Donaghue Highway – Australia’ longest shortcut. There was a “short” detour to AWC’s Newhaven Sanctuary in Central Australia. The GPS datalogger decided to stop working for a day, or The Doc forgot to turn it on!
This Kimberley/Pilbara Trip has finished. The final Odometer milestones were:
CARNAGE, CARNAGE, CARNAGE. In an earlier post The Doc commented “The first 5 kilometres out of Barcaldine was like a kangaroo slaughter house.” Barcaldine (pronounced Bar-cool-den) is on the way to Longreach, the birthplace of QANTAS in Outback Queensland.
The Doc made the return trip yesterday. Kangaroo and wallaby carcasses were littered everywhere: grey ones, red ones, young ones, old ones, small ones, big ones, all dead. To give some idea of the scale of the carnage, the road is 110km long, there is a carcass every 5 meters, giving a total of over 22,000 carcasses. If someone said The Doc was wrong, the real figure is 50,000 carcasses The Doc would not argue the point.
One grey nomad commented over the UHF radio: “I have never seen so many dead roos”. Even the truck drivers were discussing the body count.
The area is gripped by a severe drought drawing the roos to the roadside and their deaths. The least number of carcasses is now on that first 5 kilometres out of Barcaldine!
Having been on the road for nearly 2 years The Doc decided to write a guide for off-road trailers. It is mostly common sense and it will apply to most trailers, not simply those used off-road. Having the trailer serviced is a separate issue and should be done before any major off-road trip.
It is written for trailer newbies, like the The Doc was at the start. So some readers may find it simplistic, but you will be amazed at how many people make no checks and pay the price.
If you buy a new trailer The Doc also suggests some other checks including that all nuts and bolts are tightened correctly including the wheel nuts, nuts on the jockey wheel and the towing hitch.
Guide for off-road trailers checks when on the road can be read here.
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