Appears to be a Rest day - I'll come back and fill in the other days as data comes available ...Yeah in the middle a bloody nowhere !!
Cheers, Bantum ...
Appears to be a Rest day - I'll come back and fill in the other days as data comes available ...Yeah in the middle a bloody nowhere !!
142kms from the Eagle Hwy junction to the Burnt Out Nissan as marked on Hema Maps Great Desert Tracks-North West, another breakdown this time not the cars fault, I just didn't see the hidden Termite mounds in the middle of the track hidden under or behind the Spinifex. I hit 2 of them over the course of the day and we notice that they started to tear out the captive nuts out of the chassis on the front passenger side, 6 hours later all fixed! We camp on the track that night.
Termite mounds are a feature on the Gary Hwy. They look great, but are right on the edge of the track and are dangerous ! They're hard as concrete and the smaller ones are often hidden in spinifex clumps right on the edge of the track. Hit one and you'll cause major damage ... !
Tall spinifex are a feature on this section of the Gary Hwy. The clumps are very sharp and spiny! The reason for the CV boot guards ...
Disaster ! Camp is set up on the track itself for emergency repairs ...
128kms from the Burnt Out Nissan Patrol the Gary Hwy to the Kunawarritji Community The Canning Stock Route WA.
555kms from The Kunawarritji Community taking The Canning Stock Route WA to Kintore ( Walungurru ) NT via the Red Center Way ...
Back on the road, it's not long before the corrugations strike again. This time a hole in Shaggy's radiator. Also cracks in one of Phil's wheels on the Brumby ...
539kms Kintore to Alice Springs NT via the Red Center Way & The Tanami Track.
Getting ready for the day's drive in to Alice Springs, then disaster #3. So lucky the Brumby didn't roll, Phil did a brilliant job to keep control!!
Then we notice the rear CV is shot, so we mix and match axles to get him going ...
Disaster !!! ��
The LCA front bush bolt snaps, pushing the wheel back in to the guard and the Brumby careering out of control !! ��
After driving a return trip of 700kms to get a s/hand Wheel Bearings, we repaired Shaggy just to drive 3kms up the road and a Road Train Fuel Tanker is broken down with a Belt tension problem, 30 minutes later she's all good and we are on our way
The team checks in to Alice Springs for repairs, maintenance and some much needed down time
We let off some steam with fireworks on NT Day
Fire works ...
202kms Alice Springs to The Old Andado Track (Binns Track) NT via Santa Teresa heading towards the start of the Madigan Line crossing of the Simpson Desert.
We say goodbye to Alice Springs and hello to the Madigan Line in the Simpson Desert.
Of course, breakdowns aren't far away lol
243kms The Old Andado Track ( Binns Track ) to Madigan Camp Site #6, the Diff support bracket has broken away on Uncle Phil's Burmby (Bee-Doo) and Darren welds it up, nice job !
110kms Madigan Camp Site #6 to Madigan Camp Site #13 via the Madigan Line Simpson Desert. Today tough going for Uncle Phil's Brumby (Bee-Doo) he broke a lift kit bolt and lost the 50mm block for the lift kit, we were well prepared and had some 50mm box steel and a lift kit bolt to suit, so it wasn't too long and we had it fix. But we then notice that both torsion bars had broken! WOW, we then had to dump a lot of weight and shared Bee-Doo's load among the other Subie's and what we couldn't carry was buried. Bee-doo drove all the way cross the Simpson Desert and back to Brisbane roughly 2000kms with broken torsion bars. Just shows how tough these little cars are!
Disaster! Phil's breakdown #3. After stopping for another over extended left rear axle, Andy notices the cause...The rear left lift block is missing!! ��
We set to making up a new block and we're on our way again ...
224kms Madigan Camp Site #13 to Poeppel Corner ( NT, SA & QLD Border Corner ) via the Madigan Line & The Hay River Track.
169kms Poeppel Corner to Birdsville QLD via QAA Line & Big Red. All arrived at the base of Big Red, but not all made it up and over Big Red, Supa-Roo on its second attempt broke a rear shock and was force to climb Little Red a few kms south of Big Red. The rest of the crew made it up & over Big Red.
We leave Poeppel Corner and head for Big Red and Birdsville via the QAA Line with several salt flats then lots of sand dunes along the way
We make it to Birdsville for a very appreciated bed and shower at the Pub. The next day Andy and Matt unload the cars and head back to Big Red to show the big 4wds how it's done!
Dinner that night was eventful with confusion reigning in the kitchen. Phil and Dave have to wait for their meals and Matt gets groped in the dining room! ����