Month: June 2013

Lovely clear night, not too cold, for some. Heavy dew kept the mud on the trailer sticky. Last nights campfire sprung into life again with a prod and a few sticks, amazing how much heat the old dry jam wood creates.

Breakfast of porridge or Weetbix, coffee then the pack up begins. It was slowed by my discovery that one of the engine drive belts had twisted and needed repair. An odd thing to happen indeed. The belt was newish, only a few months old, and I’d checked them all for tightness before leaving home. No harm done, but something else to ponder the hours away.

Kerry hurt her back packing up so we had a little walk to try to loosen her up. We found the track we had camped beside led further off into the bush with a wide graded pathway to somewhere. Found nothing interesting, or another pile of wood and ring of stones. We’d chosen a good spot.

Back on the main road by 9:45 we headed north towards Cobra station. At times the road was slippery and I took it as easy as I could to avoid chopping up the road and making it difficult for those following. We’d been given the latest road conditions report by the Shire office at Murchison, which said the Dairy Creek station to Cobra road was open to 4WD. So on we plodded. Dip after dip, floodway after floodway. Some with water, some dry, but low speed and caution were needed at every one. The choice to camp by the road really paid off.

A few hills appeared in the distance to break the standard flat landscape of the interior. The turn off to Gifford Springs station came. That’s the road towards the coast and was an option for us to head towards Emu Creek station as an alternate route. There were was no road closed signs, which was a good omen. No matter what, we had decided to rest up at Cobra, let the roads dry that little more. Soon after the turn off, we came across a long stretch, perhaps 40 metres of heavy mud that looked very cut up with deep wheel ruts. Caution, steady power and a great VeggiCruza got us through, with the trailer pulling us offline towards the ditch at one stage.

The greeting at Cobra was rather terse, as the Bangemall Inn owner had closed the road yesterday, unbeknown to us. He showed us a tourists vehicle that had rolled at that same spot when the tyres got caught in dried ruts. The seriously injured driver was lucky to survive. After we explained where we had come from, what advise we had been given, he has warmed and become regularly chatty.

So here we are at Cobra Station. Roads are closed all around, no way out. We have toilets, hot water, showers and food. We also have selection of mud from each of the stations we have passed through, packing up around 150mm deep on the trailer.

We joined Jim, Pedro and Rob around their fire for a good old country chit chat. They read books here. There’s Slow speed Satellite Internet, no radio, no TV, no mobile. Someone heard we have a new prime minister via telephone call. I asked Jim if that meant a whole lot to him. He’s lived on Cobra for forty years, I’ll leave you to imagine his reply.

Sitting by the campfire, the night sky bright with stars it’s easy to recount the days travels. Especially when eating chocolate. Kerry has calculated how many pieces per day to make it last. We each have a block. I stuck to the quota on night one, for a bit, but since then, well lets just say mine will be all gone well before hers!

We’re about 100km from Cobra station and on the Dairy Creek to Cobra Road. We’re not ON the road as such, but about 300m off and hidden in behind some recent diggings that we assume are for road base. Someone had left a pile of timber and a fire ring, so rather than gather all our own wood it made sense to use theirs!

We might as well be right on the road, we came across one car travelling today, and a push bike. But first the story needs to go back to Wooleen where we spent last night. Great accommodation. Very happy to pay their asking price as a concrete way of supporting their ventures.

The road into Murchison was dryer than yesterday, with minimal overnight rain.
We arrived at Murchison settlement roadhouse, one of three buildings if you count the toilet block. The other is the shire office. Yes, there is no town in the Shire of Murchison, just this settlement, hamlet is too English a description. This oasis of tall river gums, rammed earth buildings and inhabited by 17 locals. Not quite sure where they live ….

Coffees bought we got to ask about Sid. Sid was a character we met two years ago at Murchison. He wasn’t the gardener, he was the raker. A quietly spoken gentle man who’d obviously had a drink or two in his life, he was happy to tell us his life story, spin a few yarns and generously share his smelly camphor concoction that kept the flies away. A real character of the bush. He couldn’t talk for too long though, he had raking to do. He carefully place his upturned milk crate in the correct spot on the servo gravel forecourt, place his wheels bin behind d him, then sit and rake. Taking long deliberate sweeps with him leaf rake, he would clear a semi circle then move along. He might not have always been a peaceful soul, but he was when we met him, and I’m sure I spotted a tear I his eye when I gave him a couple of small Easter eggs two years ago. Not so good for his diabetes, but I’m guessing that didn’t bother him much.

Sadly Sid died not so long ago. They had a memorial service for the community last Friday A few of his ashes were spread under the gazebo.

Next stop was the Shire Office of the Shire of Murchison. We needed to check the road condition to the north, knowing the Karratha and port Hedland region had record breaking rain, 220 ml in one day, and this rain had been heavy further south too.
We’d been listening to the ABC radio each day, with my new antenna doing a wonderful job keeping us in touch in the outback.

The news was not good from the Shire. We could get into Cobra along Dairy Creek road, our original plan. But once there the roads to the east and west were closed. And the road north of Mt Augustus though Pingandy station was closed. Ashburton Downs Station had 45mm of rain so it was likely the way north from Cobra, Mt Augustus will be barred. There’s a big fine for going on closed roads, you may get stuck but worse you cut up the roads and it hardens with your wheel tracks and needs expensive grading to fix the mess.

We figured the roads would dry out quickly and we’d get to Cobra and see how things panned out.

Whilst at the Shire offices, I noticed they sold special edition number plates. After a bit of a think, and Kerry pleased she’d found my next birthday present, we’ve ordered MU128 which might be delivered by … 12.8! So no longer will my car be frowned upon in the streets of Carine, I’ll be a visitor from the country in a very country vehicle!

With all this mucking around, it was 11am before we hit the road again. Despite the rain, the road was in good condition and allowed for an easy 80 to 90 kmh speed.

We arrived at the special Bilung Pool for lunch and tossed up staying the night. The best place to camp was down by the billabong amongst the river gums and perenties. Unfortunately the river sand was possibly a little too risky to negotiate towing the heavy trailer, and travelling alone we need to make sensible decisions about driving off the beaten track. But for a really cool campsite, this one ticks all the boxes.

For some of the day we’d noticed some wiggly lines on the road. Push bike lines. A bit odd to see these In the middle if no where we speculated that it was the exercise routine for the grader driver. But this was not the case, and before long we came across a young chap we named Peter for want of knowing his real name. Well kitted out with plenty of carry bags, solar panels for his technology and a bike helm it sitting unstrapped on top of his floppy brimmed sun hat. He seemed very happy to have some people to talk to. He was on his way to Darwin and had spent a week at Wooleen, having left Perth three weeks ago. He’d not heard any news about rainfall and road closures but may have been reassured by me saying that by the time he gets there they will be open again. He was certainly very pleased to be given two oranges and apples!!

 

On we drove, the road got rougher, but with decreased tyre pressures 35 in the font and 40 in the rear, the veggiCruza sailed through it all with 4wd engaged.

Realising we still had two hours to go to get to Bangemall Inn, yes it’s called bang ’em all Inn, we started looking for a spot to camp. Of course this was just after we had passed a number of nice creeks, but this spot is fine. Up high with graded access to the gravel pit. Fingers crossed we will be able to get past Cobra in one direction or other tomorrow.

 

 

Sitting on the front deck of our unit in the Morawa Caravan Park this morning, the happy chatter of a child broke the silence. Alongside was Chelsea, no longer the flower girl of 26 years ago, and Connor, her delightful four year old. She’d dropped off her two elder children at school and popped in for a visit before we left.

Connor helped pack up the car, and was rather impressed when I unpacked my hiking stove from its bright yellow box then unfolded the spider like legs that transforms it into a little stove. Then when I connected gas bottle and lit up the flame, well that was REALLY AWESOME. Several things had Connors stamp of awesome, but this was REALLY awesome.

Chelsea’s a lovely gentle woman with great family values, raising good kids in a country town. Not always easy or idyllic. All praise to her and all like her.

Mullewa was the next town; we’re getting to the edge of what’s familiar now. North on the Carnarvon to Mullewa Road had us on bitumen for quite a way us but this gave way to gravel road in good condition.

Also headed into heavier clouds, eventually light rain began falling. At about the 150km mark we turned off to go to Twin Peaks station, and the rain was heavier enough to to warrant continual wipers. The flood way over the flowing Murchison River was negotiated without difficulty, but not long after there was the ominous road sign warning ’slippery when wet’. Well it WAS wet, with frequent puddles, and yes it WAS also slippery.

Fortunately the VeggieCruza now has four wheel diff locks, so essentially all four wheels are rotating at the same speed giving maximum traction and not individual wheel slip; perfect for the precarious position we were in. 4WD and the lockers were engaged, and the steering wheel gripped with enthusiasm to point the front of the car in the right direction.

A drier Wooleen Station appeared, half an hours drive from their boundary!
Also making an appearance is an annoying windscreen leak. The old windscreen leaked, this is the first rain since the new one was fitted. Carpet is wet, bugger.

We were met at Wooleen by blond Bianca, not black haired Frances, who had gone home to Melbourne with David for the weekend. The drizzling rain had us rethinking the camping option we’d booked down by the river. Wet tent, wet firewood, wet station tracks to traverse. No thanks. Luckily one of their lovely rammed earth chalets was empty. Folks, these are seriously good accommodation. If you want a getaway week, weekend or are passing through, call into Wooleen. www.wooleen.com.au. Just make sure it hasn’t been raining too much, the roads get slippery!

So we have a nice bed, a kitchen sink, showers, toilet and the best thing, an open fire where someone else has collected the wood! No Internet, so blog will be loaded later when we do have coverage. The map page is the best place to find just we are at any time as it doesn’t rely on Internet connections for me.

Morawa 4:30pm

The gentle sounds of chopping wood. Overcast skies and spots of rain.
A country town in the wheat belt.

Looking forward to seeing our Flowergirl Chelsea tomorrow morning. I suspect she won’t be wearing her pink dress like she was 26 years ago.

Brake and bearing adjustments worked a treat. No further trouble expected. VeggieCruza went better into the strong winds after a fuel filter change.

Sausage sizzle for dinner and our last warm house for a while. Morawa Caravan Park has great units and villas, nice and new. Recommended stopover.
Morawa Caravan park

Hats off to the truck drivers who put up with the rough roads they have to negotiate each working day. Yes their heavy weights cause the damage, but the condition of the small section of the great Northern Highway we travelled was atrocious and I expect that is what its like for the whole 1200 km to Newman. Uneven, rough riding, a tough office for the truckies.

And the narrow roads between the country towns must be hazardous during wildflower season with tourists towing large caravans.

Thumbs down to those who to those who fund our roads in the country.

Off to Mullewa in the morning, then to Wooleen station for the night. Not likely to have reception for a few days for blog updates. Follow the dots on the map to see where we are.

We’re away…

Left home around 9am to the putter patter of rain on the new windscreen. Never left home in the rain before.

Travelled via Northam negotiating the wide loads on the highway.

Headed north to Goomalling and a quick safety check revealed a warm brake on the trailer. Adjusted up the wheel bearing as the wheel spun freely when it was jacked up off the ground so probably not the brake dragging. I had a jammed trailer brake on the bash, so am a little wary of these electric brakes.

Now in Wongan Hills having some soup of the day and garlic bread, after finding the brake still hot and adjusting both of them. Not a difficult job, easy lying on bitumen. Will be a lot yuckier lying on a dirt road.

Weather is cool
And overcast with a strong headwind

Crops are green. Not much traffic. Land for sale in Wongan Hills; interesting…