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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 5:36 pm
by Matt
When you get as high as townsville feel free to call and say hi or stay the night or whatever? I Really wish i could get time off work it suxs so bad!!!!
Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 8:32 am
by Fatz
Well Guys,
Bluesteel and I are off today for the big journey.
Is a shame that all of you pulled out
Would have been great to put some faces to names.
Anyway. Will call back in 6 weeks with some pics and stories of our adventure from Tassie to Cape York!!!
(Thanks Matt, Ill be taking up the laptop and Internet card, if we head around townsville area, ill shoot you a pm with my number.
Toodles
Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 9:17 am
by brumbybear
safe trip guys and enjoy...
Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 9:40 am
by vincentvega
good luck guys and please keep us up to date with your progress. I am heading up in September so i will be watching your trip with interest.
If you need any help when your passing through brisbane (parts / tools etc) PM me. I have lots of good contacts in the area
Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 11:53 am
by El_Freddo
Have an awesome trip! Let us know if you need a patch of grass to pull up on for the night, although I'm a little bit west of the hume its not too far off...
Take loads of pics!
Cheers
Bennie
Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 6:17 pm
by fredsub
spotted this
http://forums.overlander.com.au/viewforum.php?f=40
part of the guidelines....
Cape York Miser Challenge 2011 Participant Guidelines.
As I have stated before, this is not an “event” so rules are not what these are. I think we have seen enough response in this thread to be satisfied that enough of us are keen to come together in 18 months or so to make it happen so since it was Phil and I that had the epiphany we have penned a few things that we’d like considered.
The only real RULE is that anyone who decides to participate does it in the spirit of the event. There is nothing to be proven, nothing to win and nothing gain other than the experience and the satisfaction of participating. No one will be checking for compliance or checking bank accounts for expenditure and no one other than the participant is responsible for his own enjoyment or safety. Phil and I are not offering a tag along, we just offer an idea that we reckon could be kinda fun.
The number is going to be set at $3000 but truth is, we don’t need a number. The real challenge should be to do it as cheaply as is possible. If it cost you $4000 and you have a trip of a lifetime then well done. If you do it for $1000, you are a legend and I will kneel before you (but that’s it, just the kneeling OK! My middle name aint Monica).
The idea is simple and could/should be a hell of a lot of fun. Buy a vehicle, the choice is yours, drive from Cairns to the Tip (well as close as we are allowed to these days) and back to Cairns via a yet to be determined route for as little money as you can. While I won’t make a 4wd only rule, I’d hope that most would get themselves a capable machine coz if we all show up in 75 model Gemini’s we may be in a bit of strife. Given the route that we have in our head at the moment I’d strongly recommend a 4wd or at very least a vehicle with good ground clearance and really strong recovery points.
seems to me a subie with welded rear diff would be a winner here and also easily come within the cost constraint. Although I bet if someone turns up with one, they'll make a point of picking a tough track....
Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 10:48 am
by DavesB4
DavesB4 wrote:Bad news I am afraid
I am probably not going on this journey
:-(:-(
Well not this year at least...
Funding the trip has become a bit of an issue for me and I have had to pull the pin.
Maybe next year???
At least there might not be as much water in Queensland then.
I know this is an old thread - and that it has been a couple of years since this trip occurred, but I am again planning another attempt to take my old MY99 Outback up to the tip. I'd really like to have a crack at the Old Telegraph Track but I don't intend throwing serious amounts of dollars into the old green girl to be able to do it. At the end of the day, if it won't go there, then we'll just go around and up the main road.
I'd like to take the front bar off and maybe fit a nudge bar of some sort. I am keen on swapping the shocks and springs for something a bit more serious than the worn stock ones in it at the moment. A visit to my local ARB store this morning suggested that they only cater for those with trucks...
And I might also fit it with taller rims and tyres - if they fit under the stock guards.
This will be my third attempt at this trip and nothing will get in the way this time. I seem to be a little more prepared each attempt (until some external force prevents me from leaving here!).
My intentions currently are to leave somewhere in July and be away for as close to a month as I can get for the round trip.
Is there anyone on here that can supply me with experiences good and bad to draw from and local knowledge about the terrain and about suitably preparing the Outback for the journey.
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:23 am
by vincentvega
If the car is in good mechanical condition then you probably only need to spend money on suspension.
A set of king springs and KYB struts will do the job for you. If you want to do some of the tougher stuff then a 2" lift kit would help too.
Most of the really tough sections up there have bypass tracks and the distances arent huge so you dont have to worry about backtracking. If it gets too tough just go around.
I would invest in a good set of AT tyres too. one spare is enough but I carry a repair kit and compressor too just in case. Heaps lighter than a second spare.
I have been up that way 4 times in the past 5 years so let me know if you need any more advice.
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:24 am
by vincentvega
another tip.. drive to brisbane then put your car on the train to cairns. Saves a heap of driving and doesnt cost much more than fuel would have.
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 12:06 pm
by NachaLuva
DavesB4 wrote:A visit to my local ARB store this morning suggested that they only cater for those with trucks...
That doesnt surprise me
Also consider a snorkel, not just for the river crossings but also to suck in cleaner air. I also found a small HP increase but best of all a great sound under WOT
Bring lots of spares: air filter, fan belts, top & bottom radiator hoses (put the new ones on & keep the old ones as spares), headlight globes, fuses, oil & coolant, cable ties esp the big HD ones, couple of old steel coathangers or fencing wire.
Offroad kit: 5T snatch strap (the 4WD trucks will prob have 8T but that can damage your Subie!), distibution strap, 3.2T shackles x2, 4.7T x1, compressor, tyre repair kit (make sure it has steel handles), cheapo picnic blanket (for working under the car), recovery tracks (either MaxTrax, TREDs or make-your-own cut down milk crates
)
This is what I have...
RIDGE RYDER 5,000KG SUV SNATCH STRAP - SCA
RIDGE RYDER 8,000KG EQUALIZER STRAP - SCA
Ridge Ryder 4,500Kg Winch Extension Strap - SCA
BLACK RAT 3.2 TONS 16x19 mm x2 BOW SHACKLES - eBay
BLACK RAT 4.7 TONS 19x22 mm BOW SHACKLE - eBay
Kinchrome 12V 72lpm 150PSI Compressor
Bushranger Plugga III Tyre Repair KIT | eBay
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:06 pm
by tambox
I did the trip last year, sorry, Sept 2012, these years fly by now.
A lot of the telegraph is doable, but some are deeeeeep.
Talk to the locals about the path to follow through the crossings, they make it much easier/possible( do not ignore this).
We did the first few crossings that were fun, missed the deep crossings and did the last few.
An enjoyable no problems trip.
If you want problems, do the deep ones in the middle, but don't blame me.
The main roads are dusty corrugated dirt, a Commodore would do them, once.
Slow down for the oncomming trucks and the rest is easy, except for the walk to the tip, yep you have to walk the last couple of Km.
Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 8:15 pm
by DavesB4
Thank you all for your invaluable advice. I have always harboured thoughts that the Tele track was passable and that a thoughtfully prepared Subaru should have no trouble with it. I take on board the advice re the deep crossings. These and the required approach and departure angles in and out of the creeks have been my main concerns. It is a comfort to know that there are bypasses to most if not all of these.
Most of the things you have all suggested were already on my list and it is nice to have those confirmed.
I am not looking for problems at all. I just want to take on the challenge of travelling up the old road whilst I still can and succeed in that goal.
Plus it might be nice to be able to tell those who don't consider a Subaru a "proper" 4WD that they need a bit of rethink.
I will continue with my research until I leave in the second half of the year. I might even prepare a trip thread with pics and all to post up...
Thanks again.
Dave Hill
Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 10:44 pm
by NachaLuva
DavesB4 wrote:I might even prepare a trip thread with pics and all to post up...
Hey Dave, yep do that...we love lots of pics
Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 11:22 pm
by vincentvega
Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 6:19 pm
by DavesB4
"Its just not what the 4x4 mags make it out to be. Lets face it they talk it up to sell aftermarket 4x4 parts."
I just read this line in one of those links and it echoes exactly the kind of thing I have thought. There is no value in them reporting an easy trip up to that part of the country. My visit to ARB recently sort of confirmed it for me when I discovered that they
"don't do stuff for Subarus - but we can help with all your recovery gear"...
Yeah - Right
Maybe the Subarus don't need all that stuff in the first place?
My plan is to take but not need recovery gear.
Thanks again (and again!!) I will keep my research going until I leave. It all looks as I thought thus far - with the pleasant discovery that there are bypasses for all the really tricky bits.
