Not one to take much video, The Doc made an exception for the spectacular Quobba Blow Holes near Carnarvon, Western Australia. No sound track other than the rather strong winds at the time. Just over 30 seconds.
Monthly Archives: August 2015
Newhaven Sanctuary, Central Australia
On the trip home from the Kimberley The Doc visited AWC’s Newhaven Sanctuary (jointly managed with Birdlife Australia). Newhaven is 350 kilometres north west of Alice Springs and borders the Great Sandy Desert. Report is here.
Charnley River – Artesian Range Sanctuary
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.
I’m back
After 4 months on the road The Doc is back in Sydney, planning his next trip to New Zealand!
Back home next week
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!
Yahoos, bogans and tossers
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 🙂
Katherine to Kununurra – The Kimberley
AWC Sanctuaries
The Doc has managed to visit quite a few AWC sanctuaries now, including:
- Bowra
- Brooklyn
- Buckaringa
- Charnley River-Artesian Range, really counts as two, as Charnley and Artesian are sooo different
- Faure Island (well The Doc saw if from Shark Bay)
- Mornington-Marion Downs
- Newhaven
- North Head
- Piccaninny Plains
- Scotia
- Yookamurra
If you would like to know more about the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) and the great work they do, visit here.
The trip home
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!
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