Western 4W Driver #128 Summer 2023/2024

128th EDITION

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WESTERN 4W DRIVER

Introducing our most performance-focused diesel HiLux to ever hit Australia. Inspired by Dakar DNA, the GR Sport delivers an increase in power andtorque thanks to its 2.8L turbo engine.

Sporting 17” alloy wheels and high-performance front rear suspension – it’s tuned to take on more. Amplify your adrenaline and your adventure with off-road features including heavy-duty rock rails, skid plate and aluminium sports pedals.

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Summer 2023/2024

128th EDITION Summer 2023/2024

GR HILUX ROAD TEST DEEP DIVE INTO FULL-TIME 4WD

TRANS ACCESS ROAD THE RUGGED SOUTH WEST PHOTO ESSAY

GO ANYWHERE. GO EVERYWHERE.

With the right 4x4 parts to get you there.

SUPPLIER PARTS & ACCESSORIES It is our top priority to supply and fit your 4WD with the very best 4x4 accessories and gear developed for Australia’s toughest terrains, as a proud stockist of ARB and other quality 4x4 brands.

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S T N E T N CO ADVENTURES

Edition 128 Summer 2023/2024

Traversing the TAR

Grant and Linda Hanan share their experience travelling the Trans Access Road ..................................... 6

The Big Boot

Ron and Viv Moon travel down the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia ................................................................ 26

Wilderness Camping in Warren National Park

Tori Wilson trials a camping experience in a towering karri forest ................................................................................... 42

A Quest Rich with Reward

Colin Kerr explores the Golden Quest Discovery Trail ............................................................................................................................. 54

The Awe-inspiring Kennedy Loop Track

Chad van Heemst delves into culture and country in the Kennedy Range .................................................... 74

Discovering Karijini - Land of Gorges & Waterfalls

Matt Clarke explores Karijini National Park with RedTrack Eco Adventure Tours .................................. 90

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FEATURES GR Hilux - Ready for the Roads Less Travelled

Ray Cully road tests the Toyota GR Hilux ................. 18

The Rugged South West

Photo Essay by Salty Davenport .............................................. 36

Back to Basics — Deep Dive into Full-Time 4WD David Wilson explains the ins and outs

of your full-time 4WD ................................................................................ 46

REGULARS The Front Matter ................................................................................. 4 Bush Mechanics ......................................................................... 103 What's in a Name? ............................................................. 106 The Things You See! ........................................................ 112 Country Stargazing ......................................................... 114 The People We Meet ..................................................... 116 Outback Survival .................................................................... 123 Fishy Business ................................................................................ 127

An Alternative Tool for Hunting Treasure

Gear to Go Camping ...................................................... 133

Luke Clatworthy looks at

Clewed Up ................................................................................................. 136

Nokta Metal Detectors ............................................................................. 70

No Service? No Worries!

Smartphones step up their game with

emergency SOS satellite technology ............................. 87

4WD Club Focus ........................................................................ 138 Capture the Moment ................................................... 142 Smart Photography ........................................................ 144 Now We're TAWKing! .................................................. 148

Kick Back with Convenience

Product Review .................................................................................................... 98

The Trusty Toolbox ............................................................ 152 Crossword Puzzle ................................................................. 154

Perth Caravan and Camping Show .............................................................................. 100

Subscriptions .................................................................................... 158 Supplier Directory .............................................................. 159 Silly Snaps ................................................................................................. 160

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Vanguard Publishing ABN 70 616 133 870 26 John Street, Northbridge WA 6003 PO Box 50, Northbridge WA 6865 Phone: (08) 9422 4330 admin@western4wdriver.com.au www.western4wdriver.com.au EDITION 128: Editor Tori Wilson tori@vanguardpublishing.com.au Graphic Design Karen Morton Content Tori Wilson Michael Collins Advertising Matt Clarke matt@western4wdriver.com.au Natalie Du Preez natalie@vanguardpublishing.com.au Administration Steve Larcombe Sally van Heemst Printing Vanguard Print

Cover image: The South West

by Salty Davenport

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Vanguard Publishing or the editors but those of the authors who accept sole responsibility and liability for them. While every care is taken with images and photographs, and all other material submitted, Vanguard Publishing accepts no liability for loss or damage.

Vanguard Publishing reserves the right to amend publication schedules and frequencies.

T

hat time has hit where the temperature soars and we wonder where the year went. The last three months, let alone the last year, have just flown by. Joining the team shortly after the 2022 Perth 4WD and Adventure Show, it feels like only yesterday, yet here we are, having just finished the 2023 show. A huge shout-out to the team at Premier Events, especially Peter and Chris Woods. Bravo! These guys certainly know how to put on an amazing show!

I am continually in awe of the 4WD community. The camaraderie and mateship within this group is truly unique. Whether it's your first 4WD show or your thirty-first, the true sense of communal spirit is remarkable. Just like the previous year, I really enjoyed chatting with many young 'Content Creators.' Their passion, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurial spirit is infectious.

This year, being front and centre in the new ‘Travel Zone’ was a highlight for the Western 4W Driver team — bringing travel to one place. We were bustling with both new and old readers. It was a heartwarming reminder of our magazine's journey, reminiscing with those who've been with us since our inception 35 years ago and inspiring new readers today!

A special mention goes to the incomparable Phil Bianchi. His generous time over the weekend and magnetic presence on the stand were invaluable.

His passion and knowledge, particularly of WA's history like the woodlines, the Goldfields, and the Canning Stock Route, led to inspiring and heart-warming conversations. Thank you, Phil!

Edition 128 Summer 2023/2024

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THE FRONT MATTER with MICHAEL (SPIKE) COLLINS We were also thrilled to see many of our amazing contributors drop by the stand to say g'day. Grant and Linda Hanan even made the trip all the way from Adelaide! Jo Clews, journeying daily from the cooking tent to our stand, graced us with some of her culinary delights from a camp oven, including gluten-free goodies just for me! Thanks Jo, and don't miss her 'Puffy Pizza Bites' recipe on page 136.

The 4WD and Adventure Show reinforced that Western 4W Driver is more than just a magazine. It's a family, a collective of individuals united by dusty trails and the stories we gather along them.

Welcome to the 128th edition — where our pages are graced once again by the insights and experiences of an exceptional group of contributors. Grant and Linda take us on a journey along the Trans Access Road (TAR). Ron and Viv Moon explore the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia — you'll have to read on to find out if they caught anything!

Meanwhile, join Colin Kerr in discovering the Golden Quest Discovery Trail. This 965km loop through the Goldfields is a must for anyone interested in our gold mining history. Plan for Autumn or Spring in 2024, though, as the summer months can be quite hot! And when you do get out there, drop into the Grand Hotel in Kookynie and have a beer with Willie!

John Collins has penned an interesting piece on cellular black spots and game changing technology from the phone manufacturers! As usual Geoff Lewis finds a solution to a missing bolt! Hey, and it was great to catch up with Geoff at the 4WD show as well!

Our wonderful editor, Tori, experienced wilderness camping with my old mates Toni and Graeme Dearle of Pemberton Discovery Tours where she met the inspiring wildflower smartphone photographer Sophie Xiang. You can learn a thing or two from Sophie on page 116.

We’ve also introduced our first photo essay in this issue, offering up some visual inspiration for travel spots this summer season. Photographer and wanderer Salty Davenport captures the essence of the South West.

I've spoken a lot this year about the Kimberley, especially the community impact due to the destruction of the old bridge at Fitzroy Crossing from that 'once in a hundred years' flood. I'm incredibly impressed with the State and Main Roads' response. The new bridge is nearly complete, months ahead of schedule, with an opening date of 10th December.

Start planning for the 2024 Kimberley dry season!

A heartfelt thanks to our readers for your amazing support this year. We have loved putting together the pages of this local and independent publication. We look forward to 2024 and even more incredible stories from our reputable contributors.

Try to stay cool over the summer months, find a shady spot to camp, or perhaps head south to discover some of the incredible towns in our invigorating South West or a deserted beach (good luck) for a swim!

Cheers, Spike

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G N I S R E V TRA THE

TAR

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DA HANAN

BY GRANT & LIN

Linking eight stations along the Nullarbor, the Trans Access Road is a trip back in time for those with knowledge of its history. Grant and Linda share their insights and experience tackling the track.

A

fter travelling almost every main bitumen and dirt road that heads out of WA, the Trans Access Road (TAR) which parallels the Transcontinental Railway was next on our bucket list. This route between Kalgoorlie and the Stuart Highway in South Australia is nearly 1,700 kilometres long and follows a railway

line. It’s about here you could very well be asking what’s the big drawcard.

Researching the route some years ago, we were more than keen to hit the tracks so to speak. Besides having rich railway history, we learnt it was going to be a destination with a difference …

One of the vehicle relics along the TAR.

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HISTORY The initial talks of a rail link between western and eastern Australia goes back to the late 1800s before Federation.

The colonies were then only linked via a single telegraph line further south by the Eyre Highway, and a rough sea voyage that took almost a week. It was John Forrest who led the charge for the railway, stipulating the construction of an east/west rail link as a condition for WA to join the Commonwealth. He wasn’t alone in his thinking, with many arguing the railway was needed as a better transport system for commerce between the colonies. But it was also suggested without a rail link, it would be difficult to move military troops quickly should Australia’s southern and western shores need defending. Although the railway link was approved by the Government and WA joined the colonies at Federation, everything to do with the railway stalled.

It was some years later before anything went further.

Things finally kicked off in June 1908 with a survey that covered 980 kilometres from Port Augusta to the SA/WA border.

A month later in July 1908, an expedition left Kalgoorlie that was to survey just

over 730 kilometres from the western end towards the SA border. Both surveys were done and dusted by the middle of September in 1911. Construction of the railway began a year later at Port Augusta, where an elaborate ceremony was held to mark the grand occasion led by the Government General, Lord Denman.

Similar fanfare was held five months later in Kalgoorlie by the Prime Minister of the day, Andrew Fisher.

Labour was always going to be the key for the project’s success. The Nullarbor Plain wasn’t the easiest region for men and their families to live. Shade and water were scarce, and coping with sizzling summer temperatures would have its challenges. Picks, shovels, cart horses and camels were the main source of labour, supported by two Roberts steam-driven track-laying machines imported from the USA, costing £2,500 each. Each machine was able to lay four kilometres of rail per day, so not a quick project by any stretch of the imagination. The process started with a loco positioned at the back of each tracklayer to help propel it forward.

Camels carried sleepers to the railhead where the tracklayer helped teams of men get sleepers onto the rail bed. After a sufficient amount had been laid in

The original siding building at Forrest.

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advance of the tracklayer, wagons were positioned on both sides of the tracklayer with each holding a forty-foot rail. These were attached to the tracklayer’s jibs before being lowered onto the sleepers.

Waiting doggers knocked in spikes on every fourth sleeper laid, which was just enough to hold the gauge while the train moved forward over the new length.

Other doggers and platers followed behind to add the rest of the dogs and to attach the fishplates. The loco would return to a temporary depot to reload when it ran out of sleepers and rails.

Other trains carrying ballast would follow the tracklayer at other times that were hand-packed by gangs of navvies to stabilise the track.

At its height, nearly 3,500 men were employed on the project that lived along the line at intervals with their families. By the time the rails were joined together from east to west by Ooldea in South Australia, the project took five years in total and was completed on 17th October 1917. This was despite major setbacks due to Australia’s involvement in WWI. The project stats included 2.5

million hardwood sleepers being laid, plus 140,000 tonnes of rail for the 1,693 kilometres of track. The first passenger train set off from Port Augusta a few days after completion and arrived in Kalgoorlie nearly 43 hours later. When the rail link was completed, nearly 50 sidings between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta were established an average of 30 kilometres apart. Many sidings were named after Australian prime ministers, although a few past premiers and vice regal personalities made it into the mix.

Pockets of maintenance settlements were located all along the rail line to ensure the track was kept in operational condition. As nothing really grew out on the Nullarbor, two trains were set up after the rail link opened to specifically take supplies to those living in the isolated areas of the railway. Affectionately known as the Tea and Sugar Train, it supplied nearly all the provisions needed for railway folk along the line a couple of times each week. The storeman’s car could be likened to a country emporium stocking all the essentials plus a few luxuries. And a butcher’s car enabled

The WA/SA border sign has seen better days.

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sheep to be butchered as the train rattled along before being replaced with a refrigerated butchers van in 1944. During the 1950s, a children’s toy library, infant health clinic, and a theatre car were all added to the train.

Besides being a supply lifeline for those living along the track, the arrival of the Tea and Sugar train turned into a social highlight for many railway families. However, when diesel electric replaced steam locomotives by the 1950s, and timber sleepers were progressively replaced by longer lasting concrete sleepers during the 1970s, fewer people lived along the railway. With an everdwindling customer base, the Tea and Sugar trains were finally withdrawn in 1996.

Other historical key points of the railway include the site of a 1942 WWII Prisoner of War camp by Nurina siding. This siding is located nearly 500 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie where approximately 300 Italian prisoners of war were put to work on the railway to expedite the replacement of sleepers. Men were placed at six locations along the railway, while a military camp was established at Cook for headquarters staff. The men

Steam train on the east west railway in 1919.

Photo: State Library South Australia

were engaged on the line for more than 1.5 years until the war ended. Most were repatriated by the middle of 1947, although some were given permission to remain in Australia.

Ooldea also played a significant part historically because of water at the nearby Ooldea Soak. Being situated a few kilometres to the siding’s north, water was extracted from the soak and used to keep the steam engines going.

Records suggest a phenomenal 45,000 litres per day was pumped from the soak to the siding. When the water initially being pumped was of insufficient purity, a condensing plant was erected nearly twenty kilometres east of the Ooldea siding. Firewood was needed on a mammoth scale to fuel the condenser, so a woodline was set up nearby for collection. This had disastrous effects on the surrounding landscape and left it completely denuded. By the 1920s, a total

The head of the woodline at Ooldea.

Photo: State Library South Australia

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We spent some time looking around Rawlinna.

of 50 bores and wells were sunk in the soak’s vicinity, but less than half provided good sufficient water for the train locos, domestic chores, and other uses. By this time, the soak was stretched to its limit, and the pumping station was closed in 1926. Water was then brought in from Kingoonya to the east for those who had relied on the soak’s water supply. The railway construction was certainly a very iconic piece of Australia’s history and a mammoth task to be undertaken back then. With a solid understanding of the track’s history under our belts, we were ready to tackle it for real …

In fact, the LandCruiser was lucky to do 25km per hour in between these two sidings, so it felt like we were stuck in second gear. We bumped along for what seemed endless kilometres when things started to improve after Cook. Soon those rocky sections became less frequent before finally disappearing completely.

One thing to mention here is we found there can be a couple of tracks (if not more) that run parallel with the railway.

TRACK INFO After restocking our supplies and fuel in Kalgoorlie, it was a short 10 kilometre run south along the Goldfields Highway before turning onto the Mt Monger Road. With plenty of mining happening around the place, road conditions were A-grade. Turning onto the Trans Access Road nearly 30 kilometres later, road conditions continued to be a breeze all the way through to Rawlinna. But that’s where our good run ended. Road conditions varied from Rawlinna, but progressively worsened when travelling east. There was never-ending kilometres of limestone rocks that made the trip slow-going when towing, especially the area around Mundrabilla towards Forrest.

The site where the railway was linked from east to west.

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The short detour from the TAR to the Karonie dam was well worth it.

So, we were periodically referring to our navigation system for help when this happened. We found sticking to the track with the “Telstra NBN cable below” markers is the way to go. The track that sits closest to the railway is more of a maintenance track that had bits of sharp steel and old dog spikes laying around that looked far from tyre friendly. But if time is of the essence and you’re going to travel the TAR in sections, all isn’t lost.

A good map shows there’s various entry and exit points to get on and off the track. From the Eyre Highway, Nullarbor Roadhouse, Cocklebiddy and Madura are spots where you can head north to the railway. And they’re good places to top up fuel tanks before reaching the TAR. We were surprised the amount of phone coverage we had along the track as well. It was something we could easily have done without and didn’t rely upon it, as we always carry a sat phone for emergencies.

ATTRACTIONS When you live in a rural area like us that has little traffic, we found the passing trains were a bit of a novelty. These mammoth caterpillars can span well over 1.5 kilometres in length and operate 24/7. They’re pretty loud! Although we did become more attuned to their passing as time went by. Other than seeing the trains, a deathly silence filled the days and nights with all that nothingness travelling the Nullarbor Plain. It was actually quite an eerie experience. At times we wondered whether train drivers thought us crazy seeing a lonely vehicle trackside in the middle of nowhere. Yet each train driver seemed more than happy to sound their horn and offer a passing wave as they clattered along the ribbon of steel.

We also found it paid to occasionally get off the track to explore areas a bit further away. On the western end,

The Indian Pacific makes a couple of trips each week between Perth and Sydney.

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We found a few cooking relics from one of the old railway camps.

Numerous rock paths remain at the old Nurina WWII POW site.

places like Cardunia Rocks is nearly five kilometres off the TAR by the Karonie siding. The work that’s gone into the water catchment area and dam is pretty amazing. We spent a day poking around the granite rocks and quarry before capturing the picture-perfect dam setting just before the sun dipped.

Railway sidings were other good spots to take a look around, though good maps to discover their location were a plus, especially when the siding signage was a mixed bag. Out of nearly three dozen sidings we visited, some signage was good, some illegible, and completely non-existent for others. We could see just about all the old railway camps from construction or track maintenance days have been bulldozed and buried.

Although we found it’s still possible to locate a few relics for those with a keen eye.

Like travelling the Eyre Highway from WA to SA, the railway also has its own longest stretch of straight rail track. This section begins just east of the Nurina siding and spans 477 kilometres to end in between Watson and Ooldea sidings. And just like its coastal counterpart further south, it’s rare to find any trees or bushes anywhere

along this section. Venturing further east, the small town of Rawlinna is the start/ end point for the Connie Sue Highway.

The town once boasted a post office, school and a hospital that was used by train passengers and railway folk, plus surrounding remote stations. These are well and truly now long gone, but there’s a few of the old railway buildings still remaining. The site of the Nurina POW Camp lies in between Haig and Nurina and its signpost is one of the better quality signposts still standing. Besides some well laid out rock paths, there’s little evidence of anything else here and little imagination is needed. Another attraction is the historical trail at Forrest which provides plenty of good info about the town’s history and points of interest. The trail starts at the historic airport hangar, then onto some key locations including the original siding building and the town’s museum, before finishing in the main street.

At the WA/SA border, there’s the Deakin Obelisk erected in 1926 that commemorates this special location.

It was disappointing to find the border signage another example of neglect, not dissimilar to the siding signage.

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Once over the border and into South Australia, the TAR now sits alongside the Nullarbor Regional Reserve to its south.

Cook is around 140 kilometres east of the border and was once a small town of 300 people before shutting its doors in 1998. We stopped briefly to look at the old railway buildings, the twostorey school, plus a couple of iron police cells that been moved to their present location alongside the railway. Cook was privatised well over a decade ago and still has a few people stationed here regularly.

Ooldea is located 150 kilometres further on from Cook when heading east. A monument celebrating 100 years of the joining of the rails in 1917 is located just prior to reaching the siding. A little further on, a small memorial is dedicated to Daisy Bates who lived in a tent a few kilometres north of the railway. Daisy arrived at this remote location in 1919 and spent the next 16 years dedicating her life to providing the local Aboriginal people with welfare

The old police lockups at Cook.

assistance. Ooldea was a significant ceremonial and trade centre that had been used by numerous Indigenous groups for many years. Ceremonies were still being held during the mid 1940s and were known to attract as many as 500 people.

The commemorative plaque at Ooldea dedicated to Daisy Bates.

The vermin fence runs parallel with the railway for some kilometres.

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Taking in the sunset along the straight railway section of the Nullarbor Plain.

CAMPING From the western end, we found the camping at Cardunia Rocks was a real trip highlight. Besides being well away from the railway line for somewhere quieter, we found the location perfect whether you’re travelling solo or in a convoy of vehicles. There’s plenty of space to accommodate everyone and there’s plenty of shade as well. Further east, the township of Forrest is another

top spot. In fact, it’s one of the very few places along the TAR that has visitor facilities. Camping is offered next to the old Bureau of Meteorology Mess near the Forrest airport. Here you’ll find a shower, toilet, and a kitchen. For something a little more upmarket, a few original BOM houses remain in Forrest’s main street that are available for overnight stays. At the eastern end of the TAR (referred to as the Tarcoola Road by local folk), you can also camp at the small township of Kingoonya. The town’s caravan park

One of the few nights we camped amongst trees.

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has good, clean facilities and located in great proximity to the pub that dishes up some fabulous pub grub. Alternatively, there’s a free camp with toilets almost opposite the pub where you can set up for an overnight stay. Although in reality, camping along the TAR can simply be wherever you choose to pull up stumps for the night. There definitely is no shortage of places! Keep in mind there’s hundreds of kilometres of track across the Nullarbor Plain with very little vegetation, so protection from the elements will be non-existent. That also means little privacy from your travelling companions and the passing trains when nature calls!

INFORMATION BAY LOCATION The Trans Australian Railway track runs between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta, and is approximately 1,700km in length.

DIFFICULTY Medium — it’s a very remote track and the area is extremely isolated. You’ll be lucky to see much traffic other than passing trains. Carry extra fuel, food, water and comms for the trip. It’s really important to carry a satellite phone as you can’t rely on getting help from passing trains if you get stuck.

FUEL & SUPPLIES Fuel is the big ticket item to consider for this trip when it’s around 1,700km in length, although less likely to be an issue if you’re only travelling part of the track. Forrest is 500km from Kalgoorlie and stocks diesel for around $3.00 per litre and Unleaded for around $3.90.

Kingoonya on the SA end has a 24-hour fuel pump, selling diesel for around $2.65 and Unleaded for $2.55.

No other facilities are available anywhere along the TAR, so you’ll need to be completely self-sufficient.

There’s still a few old sleepers around the place located off the main track.

PERMITS No permit is required for the section from Kalgoorlie through to Ooldea in South Australia. Contact Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) for a permit to travel east of Ooldea. Tel: (08) 8217 4222.

WHEN TO TRAVEL The Nullarbor Plain has a desert climate, so winter and autumn are the best times to travel. Day time temperatures are generally mild, with cool to cold nights.

Avoid the warmer months when it’s just too hot and little to no shade.

Sturt's Desert Peas bloomed around Tarcoola.

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REPCO AUTHORISED SERVICE CENTRE Exciting new showroom & product range now available!

• Ironman 4X4 Accessories • Mechanical service and repair • Log book servicing • Full auto electrical service • Satellite phones and communications

AUTHORISED SERVICE

1/35 Great Eastern Highway, Kalgoorlie Phone (08) 9091 4797 www.goldfieldsoffroad.com.au

Keeping you on the road ... even when you’re off road

GET

BEHIND

THE WHEEL

Ray Cully

With

GR Hilux Ready for thes Travelled Roads Les

BY RAY CULLY

The Toyota Hilux line-up has expanded with the addition of the GR Sport, an elite but rugged model designed for all-terrain performance. With unique visual features that hint at its superior capabilities for both on- and offroad escapades, this new release is sure to turn heads and spark conversation among Hilux owners nationwide.

T

he GR Hilux race car piloted by Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel inspired this successor to the Rugged X. Their performance-oriented racing Hilux dominated in the 2016 and 2017 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup championships, culminating in a triumph at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in 2019.

Without slowing down, the team then clinched back-to-back wins at the Dakar in 2022 and January of this year.

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Over two years, Toyota Australia's vehicle evaluation division put the Hilux GR Sport through extensive testing. The vehicle covered more than 100,000 kilometres, mainly at Toyota's facility in Anglesea, Victoria, but with plenty of real-world rigorous tests. This included trials in the sand dunes of SA, desert regions near Mildura, and the Victorian high country. Additionally, the vehicle was put through towing challenges over extended distances. And, as part of its global development program, altitude testing was also carried out in Argentina under extreme conditions.

Those well tested enhancements include suspension, engine, and driveline upgrades, along with additional modifications to the underbody. They have, without doubt, elevated the Hilux's performance in order to stay competitive against some tough opponents.

The prestigious GR insignia confirms the sophisticated design and engineering expertise built into the new model. And it’s not all below the skin as this latest Hilux boasts a tough and attractive exterior, courtesy of the collaborative efforts between Toyota's Design team at Altona and TDEM (Toyota Daihatsu Engineering Manufacturing) in Bangkok.

With both improved performance and stylish branding, the Hilux is likely to broaden its appeal beyond the existing die-hard fan base right across the dual cab market.

Given a strong base to build upon, the idea was straightforward: develop a superior version of the Hilux with enhanced off-road capabilities and improved on-road performance. Sounds simple, but it would be no small feat for the engineering team, given that Toyota refused to compromise current towing, payload, and off-road capabilities and insisted that the changes did not impact the vehicle's reliability and durability.

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 128 | 19 #

A Sleek Exterior You'll need to decide which colour option suits you best, whether it be Glacier White, Frosted White, Silver Sky, Eclipse Black or Feverish Red — which looked appealing on our test vehicle, regardless of whether it was clean on departing the driveway or when it came back drenched in mud from a day of testing.

Alternatively, you could opt for a twotone black roof paired with Glacier White, Frosted White or Feverish Red. The GR's tough truck aesthetic is stamped with distinctive gloss black badging, door handles, and exterior mirrors, giving it a rugged and durable appearance.

Easily noticeable on the GR is its wide and commanding stance, achieved through a 15mm increase in ride height.

This height adjustment is accompanied by a considerable boost in track width, reaching 135mm at the front and an impressive 155mm at the rear. To accommodate these changes, the GR boasts large dark grey over-fenders to house its 265/65R17 Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires, which are neatly fitted onto sleek gloss black 17-inch alloys.

Peeking through these wheels are eye-

catching bright red brake calipers proudly displaying the GR logo.

Emblazoned in bold silver lettering, the word "Toyota" adorns a sleek black grille embellished with the striking GR mesh design and logo. This spacious opening serves to cool the powerful 1GD-FTV

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Assessing the Extras

turbo-diesel engine effectively, even during strenuous pulling tasks.

It's great to see that the GR badge is a sign of serious business. Instead of the usual side steps for looks, there are heavyduty rock rails that are the real deal! And let me tell you, they're impressive. Made from 2mm-thick steel tube and coated in durable black powder, they can hold a fully loaded Toyota thanks to the 350MPa grade steel used for the underbody square tube and mounting points.

Enhancing the rugged aesthetic of this GR, streamlined black winglets extend from the darkened headlights. The lower bumper boasts striking design elements in silver and dark grey, which not only add to its handsome appearance but also improve its off-roading capabilities with a wedge-shaped design. These seamlessly integrate with the fender flares and feature futuristic fog lights, while also creating a smooth transition to the external shoulder that houses the aerodynamic ducts near the fog light bezel, reducing turbulence around the front wheel arches.

The newly designed skid plate, situated beneath the front bumper, is constructed from 4mm-thick pressed and lasercut aluminium alloy with a matte silver powder-coating for added durability and sleek appearance. It proved effective as it crossed a steep dry creek bed, with the plate smoothly brushing against the gravel upon exit. Knowing that safety system compatible protection has been built into the design, to protect the components behind, provides comforting reassurance when hitting the gnarlier tracks.

The step bumper at the back allows for effortless access to the rear tub, which features a five-piece black liner and a branded headboard with ‘GR’ logo. The floor is designed to prevent slipping,

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and built-in dividers help secure load separators for hassle-free packing of awkward or bulky items.

It was disappointing to discover that the tail gate lacked a lift assist. It may sound lazy, but given it’s becoming increasingly common across the board, why hasn't Toyota done the same? And while we're on the topic of affordable luxuries, it would be nice to have a 12v socket for the car fridge and a light as well.

However, hats off to Toyota for clever planning and avoiding unnecessary costly additions that many buyers don't want. Whether you want a soft tonneau cover, hard lid, canopy, sports bar or dust defence kit because of your daily gravel road commute, the decision should be yours. How many pricey chrome-plated sports bars have you seen ditched in favour of a practical canopy or sturdy racking? Thanks for being smart, Toyota!

The tail gate includes a satisfactory reversing camera, but my biggest tick went to the striking red recovery points.

These are built with 20mm thick steel plate and a sturdy cross-sectional design, and have been proven to handle an 8,000kg snatch strap or 9,000lb winch.

Impressive! High tensile bolts securely attach them to the towbar, which is equipped with a tongue, tow ball, and wiring harness as part of the standard

package, allowing for a maximum towing capacity of 3,500kg when using brakes.

Open the door and you'll find the standard Toyota Hilux layout—nothing unexpected or extensively updated. If you've owned a newer Hilux and are looking to upgrade, you'll feel right at home as everything will be familiar to you.

Or, if this will be your first Hilux, the layout is well-designed and easy to navigate, making it easy for you to adjust and get comfortable.

For your hard-earned GR dollars, you'll mainly get surface treatments and a touch of personalisation not found on other models. The front sports seats are moderately bolstered and wrapped in suede and leather, accented with contrasting grey stitching and the essential GR insignia on the headrests.

To complement the darker interior, they have changed the headliner to black. The driver's seat is power-adjustable in eight ways, while both front seats come with heating capabilities. You can also expect go-fast red seatbelts, a sporty leather-clad steering wheel with paddle shifters, and toggle controls for audio, phone, vehicle settings, and cruise control. Plus, you'll notice a GR emblem at the bottom of the wheel and a red 12 o'clock marker.

The aluminium pedals add a nice touch to the overall design. And the trim pieces on

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the top of the dashboard and the doors have a funky appearance with a finish known as "Technical Mesh." A purpose designed GR Sport shift lever and allweather floor mats are also noteworthy additions, especially useful when walking through messy conditions.

The instrument cluster receives the GR treatment, sporting a distinctive start-up animation, and it’s backlit with a blue hue to match the other controls and interior lighting.

For many controls, the centrepiece is the floating 8.0-inch touchscreen, equipped with satellite navigation and the familiar AM, FM, and digital radio features. It also offers wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, and voice recognition as standard.

In addition to standard features such as Hilux door pockets, bottle holder and coffee cup recesses, you also enjoy the convenience of those nifty coffee cup holders that pop out of the dash for driver and passenger, dual zone climate control, a smart entry and start function, auto headlights with USB, and dual 12V accessory sockets with an additional AC220V socket.

While Toyota advises that the audio quality has been enhanced by adding a nine-speaker JBL premium system, it may not meet your expectations, as it seemed to require a significant increase in tonal settings to achieve satisfactory sound. Perhaps the Hilux cabin has poor acoustics that make it an audio challenge.

The GR Sport comes equipped with a standard panoramic view monitor, which allows owners to see their surroundings easily when manoeuvring into tight spaces. However, I overlooked the activation button located by the driver's knee, as I assumed it would be accessible through the touch screen, like most vehicles. Doh!

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The Drive Where the real magic comes together for the GR is in the driveline and suspension set-up. Unequivocally, the GR drives better both on and off-road than any previous Hilux.

Starting with the power plant, Toyota turned their attention to the humble 2.8L. In the guise that sits in the Hilux Rogue, it churns out a very respectable 150kW and 500Nm of determination.

But by changing the turbocharger characteristics and fuel injection control through the dark art of ECU remapping, they have effectively unleashed a potent 165kW of urgency and sufficient torque to pull the door off a bank vault liberating no less than 550Nm of grunt from only 1,600rpm and pegging it there until you run north of 2,800rpm.

What’s that mean in real terms on the road? The short version, this is a Hilux with attitude!

With that much forward go now readily available on tap, the six speed auto needed a little help to harness this GR’s newfound energy and gusto. A tweak here, a small enhancement there, plus a simple change in operating oil pressure control has seen shift speeds sharpen, allowing the Toyota boffins to take full advantage of the 2.8’s new capabilities by enhancing the shift characteristics

for a crisper more responsive reaction to driver demand in either normal or sports modes.

The GR drives with an assertive confidence. You rarely pull on its burly capability in daily driving, but if you need to, it will respond with authority. This is what the Hilux has been waiting for, it’s now got the performance to match its bold good looks.

Stopping power is courtesy of those bright red callipers, 338mm x 28mm four-piston fixed callipers at the front and 312mm x 18mm single-piston floating callipers at the rear, hanging onto large, ventilated discs on all four corners.

But as I was to discover, the best was not the crisp engine performance … from the moment I pulled out of Toyota’s driveway, the change in ride quality was immediately apparent.

I was convinced the engineers had somehow replaced the old, outdated suspension system with memory foam!

Hit a bump in the road and it can be felt, but the cabin jarring jolt was subdued, the abrupt force encapsulated and quickly smothered as the suspension compressed and rebounded as though the shock absorbers were filled with honey.

The engineers must have spent days around the cauldron looking for

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incantations to get the suspension this good. Was it a revelation? Of course not, but for an unladen dual cab ute with origins nearly back as far as Fred Flintstone, it was pretty darn close.

Technically, it’s all pretty simple. Up front you’ve got double wishbone and a stabiliser bar, outback old-fashioned leaf springs and hang on … where’s the stabiliser bar?

Toyota has recalibrated the coils up front with increased rigidity, and they’ve fitted KYB mono tube type dampers with increased piston diameter front and rear, tuned specifically to suit the Hilux GR Sport. And you guessed it, the rear sway bar got the chop in favour of more rear axle articulation.

With the recovery points on the rear, it’s interesting to note that the OEM towbar also helps improve the torsional rigidity of the chassis, contributing to enhanced handling stability while offering a 3,500kg braked towing capacity.

On the black top unladen this is an impressive ride (for a vehicle in this class). Off-road it just gets better, that suspension worked really well and the flex in the rear end allowed us to keep wheels planted to the point the rear locking diff was along for the ride, although I’d never underestimate its usefulness when the situation arises.

We threw dips, holes, hills, awkward twisted angles, wash out and deep, muddy puddles at the GR and it just played through all of it. But the most noticeable impact was after leaving the dust, ditches, slush, and rough surfaces; the GR drove home like a well-mannered daily driver.

When it comes to occupant safety, it’s a Hilux to its core. The GR Sport offers all the active safety technologies found in the Hilux Rogue. There’s Toyota Safety Sense4 Pre-collision system with day and night pedestrian and daytime cyclist

detection, high-speed active cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, road-sign assist (speed signs only), blind spot monitor, tear cross traffic alert and panoramic view monitor — just remember to turn it on! Two front and four rear parking sensors, ABS, vehicle stability and traction control, Toyota Connected Services, trailer sway control, downhill assist control, seven airbags, ID Box anti-theft immobilizer and two rear ISOFIX points.

You’re covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre Toyota Warranty Advantage.

This is extended to seven years on engine and driveline when having it serviced by a registered Toyota dealer. And every new HiLux comes with capped price servicing of up to $290 per service up to 3 years or 60,000km, whichever comes first.

What can I say? It’s a Hilux. Only this one’s better for all the right reasons and even if you’ve not before been a brand fan, this is one dual cab you need to consider for pride of place in the driveway!

Fast Facts

Model: Toyota Hilux GR Sport Price: $81,867 Options: Premium paint: $675 Two-tone: $1,000 Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel Output: 165kW/550Nm Transmission: Six-speed automatic Fuel: 8.4L/100km Warranty: 5-year/unlimited kilometre Safety rating: ANCAP 5 Stars (tested 2019) For the latest in automotive news and more great vehicle reviews, make sure you check out getbehindthewheel.info

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The

BIG BOOT

BY RON & VIV MOON

Stunning beaches, wild rocky headlands, secluded bays, offshore reefs, historic lighthouses and long jetties ideal for dangling a line make the Yorke Peninsula of SA a classic touring and camping destination. Ron & Viv Moon give you an exclusive guide.

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he name wasn't one to win awards or even attract many campers but 'Mozzie Flat' tucked up in a small depression amongst sand dunes, just back from the beach, is a little beauty for just a couple of campers and their vehicles.

We had stumbled upon it as we had wandered west of Edithburgh along the southern coast of Yorke Peninsula, our travels having started just a couple of days earlier.

Campsite at Mozzie Flat.

Yorke Peninsula — that big boot shaped piece of land west of Adelaide with the Gulf of St Vincent on one side and Spencer Gulf on the other — has much to attract the camper wanting to experience some of the best summer and water attractions along our long southern shoreline.

For many, the coastal delights start soon after leaving Port Wakefield at the head of the St Vincent Gulf, where you swing south along the Yorke Highway, hugging the coast for the next 120 kilometres or so.

As you head down the highway you'll pass turn-offs to the small coastal villages of Port Clinton and then Price, both of having a laid back feel about them and a pleasant pub and camping ground.

Further south is Ardrossan, a much bigger town of over one thousand souls and a very long jetty used to load salt and dolomite (used in steel production). The huge silos that dominate the town store grain, but this is trucked further south for larger ships to take on board.

Moonie admires the sweep of sand and reef at Browns Beach - one of the best salmon fishing spots in South Australia.

This coast and its jetties are popular with shore, jetty or boat fisherman, where whiting, tommy ruffs, snapper, garfish and squid vie for the bait. Crabbing is extremely popular, with blue swimmer crabs and sand crabs being the delectable catch.

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The long beaches make great spots for fishing.

Shipwreck sign at Troubridge Hill.

Just south of Ardrossan is Parara, which is the first of 19 bush campsites that you'll come across that the Yorke Peninsula Council has designated and maintains around the coast of the peninsula. While this is the only one on the east coast of Yorke, these bushcamps offer a variety of coastal places to stay and enjoy — like Mozzie Flat — and are certainly worth checking out. For more details, see the information bay at the end of this article.

Edithburgh

Further south you'll pass short diversions to Port Julia, Port Vincent and Stansbury — all offering pleasant camping grounds, great pubs and protected beaches ideal for the kids to paddle and play in, or for the adults to laze beside or throw a line from. Some people never ever get any further south than these small coastal communities and once you visit you'll probably understand why.

Matthew Flinders was the first European in the area in 1802 when he first sailed into a great inlet he named St Vincent Gulf. Around that time he named Troubridge Hill and a patch of treacherous shallow water just offshore from today's Edithburgh, the Troubridge Shoals. A few weeks earlier he had sailed far up into what he called Spencer Gulf, discovering and mapping the coast and scattering names like confetti on any prominent headland, hill, reef or beach, including naming Yorke Peninsula.

Of course, you can just as easily head inland as you swing around the top of the gulf for the drive south, but you gotta say the peninsula isn't too bloody exciting away from the sea. The gently rolling hills of the inland are for the most part a granary of wheat, oats and barley, with a few patches of spindly tree to break the monotony. There’s a bit of history in each of the towns but again it is the coast and the coastal towns that hog the lion's share of the region’s traditions and heritage. I can say that as my family helped pioneer much of the region around Yorketown in the 1880s, but with three of the four sons being killed in WWI, they never continued their association with the Peninsula.

Edithburgh, on the heel of the Yorke Peninsula, is the undoubted focal point of this eastern and south-eastern coastal area and it's a popular spot for fisherman, divers and other aquatic sports lovers.

It's a great little town full of history with many reminders of the days when this town was once one of the biggest and busiest ports on the SA coast.

Between then and the official settlement of the colony in December 1836, sealers and whalers were occasional visitors to this southern coast. With the establishment of Adelaide, shipping from England and around the coast multiplied tenfold with the Parsee being the first to be claimed by the Troubridge Shoals in 1838. Today, six wrecks can be found in the immediate vicinity; the Marion, which sunk in 1851, being the most famous, even though no one died, the 350 emigrants all making it to shore safely.

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Not so lucky were the crew of the SS Clan Ranald, which sank in 1909 just a few nautical miles west in the shadow of Troubridge Hill. Of the crew of 64, 40 were drowned and, in all, 36 bodies were recovered. In the Edithburgh cemetery, taking up the back corner of this consecrated land — as if the Australian government officials of the time didn't know what to do with the 31 bodies of the drowned seamen — is the largest mass grave in Australia.

The other five bodies, white British officers of the ship, were buried in individual graves in the main section of the cemetery. The 24 survivors, which included 20 Lascar seamen were, incredibly as it seems these days, jailed as 'illegal immigrants' under the White Australia Policy and then deported.

Troubridge Hill lighthouse is a modern beauty.

You'll find many artefacts from the shipwrecks in every coastal community on Yorke Peninsula.

Also found in Edithburgh is the Clan Ranald's anchor, now in its full glory after a 15-year restoration project. The nearby museum is worth checking out while a large area of the town's centre is taken up by the 17ha Edithburgh Native Flora Park. Down at the seaside the tidal swimming pool is a safe spot for kids and adults to get wet while the jetty not only makes a great fishing platform but is also a popular and a premier diving and snorkelling site with a couple of iconic species — the leafy sea dragon and the striped pyjama squid (actually a cuttlefish) being two relatively common inhabitants.

There's plenty of accommodation in the town while the camping ground is right on the coast. Troubridge Island, just offshore, is a bird watcher's paradise and a diver's or snorkeller's delight. Accessible by permit only, the original lighthouse keeper's cottage is also available for rent.

Divers on the remains of the wreck of the Clan Ranald.

Photo: Diana M Fernie

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Today, the Clan Ranald shipwreck is part of the Yorke Peninsula Shipwreck Trail that leads people from Edithburgh along the south coast of the peninsula to the 'toe' at Cape Spencer and north to West Cape in the spectacular Dhilba GuurandaInnes NP. In all, there are over 20 wreck sites along this short section of coast, testimony to how dangerous this coast was before better ships and improved navigation gear.

From the town we took the Shipwreck Trail that soon becomes gravel and first leads to Troubridge Hill and its spectacular red-brick lighthouse, one of the last to be built in Australia in 1980.

Overlooking the scene of the wreck, the ship's remains can be found in 20 metres of water less than one kilometre offshore; it is protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act. By the time you’ve reached the lighthouse you've already passed a couple of bush campsites and Mozzie Flat can be found just a short distance west. Sticking to the gravel road, which you shouldn’t have any issues with, you'll pass the village of Port Moorowie and then at the far end of Sturt Bay come to the 242ha Point Davenport Conservation Park. An area of high biodiversity with a range of habitats including beaches and foredunes, the park is home to a small estuary that is listed as a nationally

important wetland, with 70-odd species of birds having been recorded from here. Sadly, access can be difficult and camping is not allowed here, or in any conservation park in SA, for that matter.

Further west along the shore of Foul Bay you pass a few shacks along the low cliffs before coming to Hillocks Drive, a privately owned patch of land that takes up a great section of coast dotted with rocky headlands, quiet sandy beaches and rocky pools, where dispersed camping is allowed. We loved it when we last travelled this coast, but it is popular over the summer holiday season.

Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park You'll be forced onto the blacktop just before arriving in Marion Bay with its beach shacks, store and camping ground and your last chance to pick up any supplies before heading into Dhilba Guuranda-Innes NP. The park is one of the highlights of Yorke and a fabulous spot for diving, snorkelling, surfing (try Chinamans, Trespassers, Daly Heads or Pondalowie itself), fishing, or for doing sweet bugger all.

The park is also home to 140 species of birds, including the shy but often heard western whip bird as well as the Most of the dirt roads are easy fare for an SUV or 4WD.

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Camping at Hillocks Drive is very pleasant.

Just beyond the Stenhouse Bay jetty, in very shallow water, lies the wreck of the Hougomont.

spectacular white-bellied sea eagle and osprey. Western grey kangaroos are common and the tammar wallaby, once common all through the peninsula, were re-introduced here back in 2004. Reptiles such as brown snakes and sleepy lizards are common while whales frequent the coast during the winter months.

Walking trails take you to highlights in the park; the one-kilometre loop walk to the tall 67-metre high cliffs at West Cape and its stainless steel lighthouse being a particular favourite of ours.

Inside the park you'll soon come to the Stenhouse Bay Visitor Centre and the nearby campground, while deeper in the reserve, on the southern shores of the protected Pondalowie Bay, is another large campground set back off the delightful beach. Three islands shelter much of the bay, which has long been a safe anchorage for the cray boats that fish this wild coast.

The turn off to the spectacular Cape Spencer lighthouse is worth taking while the historic township of Inneston is also passed along the road to Pondy. This is worth a detour to see how people lived and worked in this arid and remote location, mining gypsum which first started in 1889.

While you can drive further north from Pondy to Dolphin Beach and Browns Beach, where you'll find another camping area, to continue north you gotta turn around and head back to Marion Bay where you can take a good road north to Corny Point. From this road, lesser roads take you west to the coast at Daly Heads, Gleesons Landing, Point Annie, Swincer Rocks and Gravel Bay, most of which offer bush campsites as well as fishing, snorkelling and surfing.

Corny Point, at the northern tip of the boot of the Peninsula is adorned by a spectacular lighthouse built in 1882. The coast swings east here to Point Turton where it again swings north along a low and sandy shoreline, often fringed by rocky reefs, past Hardwicke Bay, Port Minlacowie, Parsons Beach, Port Rickaby and Wauraltee Beach — the latter a

The great sweep of beach at Pondalowie Bay offers everything from calm protected waters to a cracker of a surf beach as well as rocky reefs ideal for snorkelling.

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highlight with its wide expanse of sand beckoning campers, swimmers and fishers alike. For the most part, a dirt road skirts close to the coast but at times access to the beach is via a sandy track which will definitely require 4WD and often, low tyre pressure.

easily read and enjoyable book, The Last Grain Race, by Eric Newby of his exploits in 1938 on board the four-masted barque, Moshulu, captures the drama of this annual event. Then WWII came along and, by the end of that conflict, the great windjammers had been superseded and the grain race was no more.

Port Victoria

Around the island though a series of eight wrecks now make up the Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail and most are in shallow water making them easy to explore with either a snorkel or a scuba tank. The fish and reef life here are excellent!

Historic and delightful Port Victoria, protected by the low smudge of Wardang Island a few kilometres offshore is an incredible destination. Good beaches, a nice pub and camping ground, lots of history and some fabulous diving and top fishing around Wardang make it so.

Little known is the fact that the island was involved in the war against rabbits in this country being the primary site for the development and release of both myxomatosis in the 1950s and the calici virus in 1996. Some say an enterprising farmer snuck ashore, pinched some infected rabbits and released the calici virus before the scientist had gotten around to it!

At one time Port Victoria was also one of the great windjammer ports in Australia with ships from Europe riding at anchor here waiting to be loaded with grain before they raced back to their home country, the fastest making a fortune with top prices for the rich cereal. The The track to the lighthouse gives great views of the coast.

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The Blue Devil is one of the most beautiful fish in the sea and often found on the reefs around this coast.

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The remains of the wreck of the Ethel have long sunk into the sand.

history which is shown off each year in the annual Cornish festival, the Kernewek Lowender.

From here it is just 60 kilometres south east back to Port Wakefield, having done a circumnavigation of the fabulous 'Big Boot' of Yorke Peninsula; I'll guarantee you'll want to come back!

INFORMATION BAY For info and permits on bush camping on Yorke Peninsula, see: visityorkepeninsula.com.au/camping or phone: 1800 202 445.

As you head north along the coast you'll pass three bush campsites before coming to the popular holiday destination and the historic 'copper triangle' of Moonta, Wallaroo and Kadina. Copper had been discovered at Kadina in 1859 and the rich mines and subsequent smelters and ports required meant the area boomed.

Today this area is the most populated on the peninsula with the towns providing all the facilities and fine beaches and fishing you'd ever need .... and a lot of

For info on Hillocks Drive and the camping there, see: hillocksdrive.com Info on marine parks of the region can be found at: marineparks.sa.gov.au For info on the fabulous Innes NP visit: parks.sa.gov.au/parks/dhilba-guurandainnes-national-park

Beach and campground at Port Victoria.

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The Rugged

SOUTH WEST Photo Essay IMAGES BY SALTY DAVENPORT

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P

erth-based photographer Salty Davenport roams Western Australia in search of telling stories, documenting the journey along the way. It's all about seeking the places less travelled, the roads that somewhat lead to nowhere or everywhere depending on your outlook. When the seasons change and the temperature begins to warm up, his focus shifts from the desert to the sea.

He begins to look at maps of where he can drive to and then how he can go further through the bush and beach by car, foot or boat. He looks at places he’s yet to go, if and how he can source food there and what his camping options are. Are there islands and can he get to them?

These photos are a compilation of a few trips that are fresh in the mind for Salty. If your field of view is as broad as Walpole to Bremer, then you can easily identify all of these places. From steep rocky declines down to an ultra-soft sand beach with waves lapping on the tyres, to thick overgrown bull banksia reminding you of the width of your car for hours on end — all tracks taking you somewhere very picturesque down there.

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Salty chooses not to mark locations on photos, however, with a little bit of landscape and vegetation knowledge, these photos will reveal their own locations.

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The South West is forever changing with the seasons along with the tides and swells. There's always a new surprise at locations you've been to before, each time you revisit. Places are always evolving. When exploring the South West throughout the year, you're greeted with a change in the colour, shape and temperature of the landscape and bushlife. As a photographer, for Salty, it's a dream to explore. Nights camped up along the coast with no wind, big seas and no moon, with the stars out is the ultimate reward.

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In the South West, you’ll find breathtaking beauty met with the unforgiving nature of the ocean as it crashes upon its coastline.

Visit saltydavenport.com @saltydavenport

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Photo: Tourism WA

WILDERNESS CAMPING

IN WARREN NATIONAL PARK Tori Wilson trials WA Wilderness Camping — a pop-up camping experience surrounded by towering karri forest, coaxing people back into nature.

E

scaping the city and returning to nature can be one of the best ways to reset your mental health — an antidote to burnout and a chance for mindfulness as you focus on each task at hand amid the most peaceful surroundings.

For that reason alone, it should be something accessible to everyone.

However, time, gear, or even experience, are luxuries that not all of us have at our immediate disposal. With this in mind, WA Wilderness Camping has curated

BY TORI WILSON

a unique, pop-up camping experience equipped with all the essentials — right in the heart of the tranquil Warren National Park.

Located 15 kilometres south of Pemberton, Warren National Park is a stunning woodland sanctuary, set beside the winding Warren River. Graceful karri trees tower above, painting the surrounds with dappled light, allowing dainty maidenhair fern foliage to thrive as undergrowth. A feature along the

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86-kilometre Karri Forest Explorer drive trail, the park beckons visitors to get out and engage in activity. The river’s clear waters are a focal point for kayaking and canoeing, offering a peaceful way to explore the park's natural beauty; while the 10.5-kilometre Warren River Loop Trail is one of the most well-regarded trails in the area, taking hikers through the old growth karri forest, through groves of sheoak and Warren River cedar, and all the way to the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree — a colossal 75-metre karri tree pegged for climbing.

Departing Perth Friday afternoon after a week in the office, it took over four hours to arrive at Warren National Park (no thanks to a crash on the freeway).

The sun had well and truly set by this point and, having dodged a few potholes along Old Vasse Road off Vasse Hwy before taking Heartbreak Trail into Draftys Campground, the sense of relief when we pulled up to the impressively kitted out camp set-up was high. Admittedly, any well-versed road tripper would know Friday afternoon in peak hour is possibly the most rookie window to take a trip down south. But the reality is, this is the only option for some desperate to get away with just a weekend up their sleeve, thanks to work or kids at school.

We were fortunate enough to be invited

by Toni and Graeme Dearle of Pemberton Discovery Tours to experience their WA Wilderness Camping, providing the unlikely opportunity to get out and enjoy camping of an exceptional calibre with the convenience of booking a room.

Experienced campers, 4W-drivers and tour guides themselves; Toni and Graeme have thought of just about everything you’d need to getaway to the Southern Forest, hassle-free and with peace of mind you haven’t left an essential item behind.

Upon arrival, a small pathway led us to a secluded site, a stone’s throw from the

Photo: Tourism WA

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river’s edge (though at this point, it was a too dark to see much of the beauty of the forest). Everything we needed to settle in for the night was ready and waiting. A family-sized BlackWolf Turbo Lite Plus 300 Tent was assembled, with a large awning extending out to merge with a sturdy OZtrail Deluxe 3.0 Gazebo, providing plenty of shelter. Inside the tent, a double bed stretcher with a mattress was set up inside, with an excess of space to bring in bags, lay another mattress on the floor and with a single stretcher available in the corner, too. Upon connecting the battery box, the gazebo was illuminated with light. Underneath, a long picnic table draped with a red table cloth welcomed us with a bowl of lemons and wine glasses perched atop. Essentials provided included a dual burner stove, kettle, plus a couple of large tubs of just about any cooking vessel or utensil you needed, bins, and a washing up station. Even a barbecue was included in the private set-up, which, for us, was the ultimate highlight, having arrived hungry and ready with ingredients to make burgers.

Little luxuries like mosquito coils didn’t go unnoticed either. With camp chairs set up by the fireplace and some wood laid out, all we needed was a little kindling and some fire starters we brought along to keep warm and admire the sky.

The most mesmerising and meditative moments of camping are often these evenings under stars, along with the early mornings as day breaks. Waking up to birdsong and crisp air. Making a coffee surrounded by stillness and zero rush required. Venturing out before settling in again with a good wine, or whisky, by a fire as the last of the sun’s golden rays dissipate and the stars reveal themselves, shining brightly, free from light pollution.

At Warren National Park, warm sunlight filters through the canopy of surrounding karri trees and casts the most beautiful light upon the site, morning and at dusk.

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Thanks to WA Wilderness Camping, we were able to make the most of the brief time we had available. Waking up well rested, we explored the stunning national park, passing Maiden Bush as we strolled a portion of the Warren River Loop Trail — a glimmering spot to launch your canoe or kayak or even go for a dip off the platform. Making our way to the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree, it was unfortunately closed for maintenance, but it was an impressive sight nonetheless and would easily give unparalleled views of the lush forest from a new perspective (deservedly earned after a seemingly precarious 165-peg climb to the top). Accessible by car along the Heartbreak Trail, or via a short walk from the Bicentennial Tree, Warren Lookout too provides a healthy dose of scenery, with sweeping views stretching down through the valley toward the river below.

partner or friend to experience a night away from civilisation), short on time or energy and need a weekend away, or just don’t have the right gear yet — WA Wilderness Camping enables more of what we should all be doing in Western Australia, basking in the serenity of its undisturbed natural spaces.

Photo: Tourism WA

INFORMATION BAY

Pemberton is brimming with opportunities for serene scenery — in your vehicle and out. Beedelup Falls within Beedelup National Park, Pemberton Pool, Big Brook Dam, and the Gloucester Tree within Gloucester National Park are a few worth adding to your list of places to get out to and explore.

WHAT'S IN TOWN

For true 4WD adventure, Yeagarup Dunes within D’Entrecasteaux National Park is where you want to get to. This enormous, land-locked mobile dune system is a surreal sight and the last thing you’d expect to see as you emerge from karri forest, which it continues to swallow in its path while gradually creeping further inland. The mountain of soft sand is quite the challenge to navigate — but we’ll save more on that for a future edition of Western 4W Driver where we divulge the epic experience of exploring the dunes with Pemberton Discovery Tours.

For now, whether you’re new to camping and seeking comfort (or convincing a

Pemberton is a charming town worth visiting while you’re in the area.

Historically a timber town, it’s got a ton of character and a friendly atmosphere. Stock up on supplies at the local IGA, grab a pie at Crossings Bakery, or treat yourself to a night of local tapas at the Treehouse Wine Bar or a whisky at Jaspers.

The community-owned Pemberton Caravan Park set within old growth forest beside town, is another scenic option to park up and pitch your tent or setup the camper trailer. It’s on the doorstep of some epic mountain biking trails and right beside the natural Pemberton Pool.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit wawilderness.com.au to learn more.

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Back to

basics

Prado offered full-time 4WD since its inception with the 90 series.

DEEP DIVE INTO full-TIME 4WD

Get to know the ins and outs of your full-time 4WD and how to best handle your vehicle under various conditions.

BY DAVID WILSON

I

found myself in the classroom the other day with a 90 series Prado petrol in the mix.

I haven’t had one of them for ages and it got me thinking about how full-time 4WD transmissions have evolved since the initial commercial applications in the 4WD autosphere that came with the firstgen Range Rover in 1971.

Before we explore the finer details of this style of transmission, it’s probably worth spelling out what it does.

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The Grandad of full-time 4WD was the Range Rover Classic all the way back to the 70s.

Jeep’s Grand Cherokee in likely its natural home but it’s still a very competent off-roader.

In my last essay we canvassed part-time systems. The main point of difference between the two drivelines is whether they can run in 4WD on a hard surface (bitumen, concrete or paving) or not.

• A full-timer delivers power to all four wheels, irrespective of the road surface (with a usually 70/30 torque-split rear/ front) • This is especially beneficial on a wet or icy bitumen road

You’ll recall I mentioned that a part-time 4WD needs a loose surface under its wheels (sand, mud, rock, or gravel) when HIGH or LOW range is selected, to prevent the onset of this thing called “wind-up”.

• Having this ability on a paved road and without “wind-up” pain, is all due to the placement of a differential in the gearbox — the centre-differential

Wind-up occurs on the wrong surface when changing direction, turning left and right, the differing wheel speeds create a conflict, not only side-to-side, but also front-to-back, twisting up axles, CVs, diffs and gearbox to the point where if the energy is not released, something will go bang.

• Depending on the vehicle, locking that centre-diff on a 4WD trail gives you driveability equal to a part-timer when jammed in 4WD, a 50/50 split of torque, front-to-rear • That locked/unlocked moment can occur at speeds up to 100km/h • Plenty of full-timers now offer advanced terrain-mode settings when 4W-driving off-road that “tune” the vehicle for the surface you’re driving on • A full-time 4WD offers sophistication a part-timer can’t — with torque vectoring, quicker/slower applications of throttle response and brake-traction wheel taps to control wheel-spin on sand, mud, rock and gravel.

Relieving that tension is what a full-time machine does, because it has a gadget that the part-time doesn’t have … another differential and found in the transfer gearbox.

Having that centre-differential running in its open mode creates a disconnect between the front end and the back end, cancelling out any unwanted stress and therefore denying the big-bang moment.

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So, where might this style of transmission be advantageous for you, the average 4WD Joe or Janet?

A full-time transmission offers sharper steering on those days when the surface is less than perfect. Think those rare days when it’s pissing-down with rain and the tyres can’t pump the road dry quickly enough, or a sudden snap-cold has left ice on the road. Another moment would be a high-speed dirt road.

In some parts of the world having an ability on ice is a good thing.

The torque split on plenty of full-timers has always been an interesting point of conversation, because manufacturers have almost always offered a bias to the rear, around 70% of the drive propelling the back end and 30% to the front.

That imbalance has been deliberate and it’s all about the steering loads you’re used to if you’ve come from a rear-wheeldrive driving experience.

With a part-time 4WD when you engage HIGH or LOW range you get a 50/50 split of torque and all the benefits of better grip, shorter braking distances, and less tyre wear (on the back wheels at least) whilst you are on the dirt. Running a 50/50 split of torque around town on the blacktop in a full-time machine will reward you with heavier steering, so those chores of navigating the supermarket car park and dropping the kids off at school will be loathsome, better to lessen the amount of energy sent forwards and therefore lighten up the load.

Old-fashioned hydraulic power steering systems were good, but not a particularly precise tool for sensing differing surfaces, nor speeds.

Suzuki’s Grand Vitara was a competent full-time 4WD before it got urbanised.

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Thankfully with the uptake on EPS or electric power steering systems, greater steering finesse can now be achieved with an additional benefit, less fuel consumed.

With a hydraulic pump-and-pulley powersteer set-up attached to the crank, the loads imposed by the steering added another drag on the engine and cost to operate. If you’re driving something recent, that doesn’t happen anymore, as an electric motor, powered by the battery, turns the steering rack left and right. No drag.

LandCruiser 300 now uses a switch to flick between High and Low range but retains its centre diff-lock button.

Despite plenty of makers' claims, I’ve yet to find a set of fancy-schmancy traction programs that can outsmart a driver with an experienced head on their shoulders.

And that is why the majority of these fulltime 4WDs have programs for sand, mud, gravel, ice and rock and some finessing in-between, because plenty of new owners likely haven’t got a clue!

I’m expecting soon we’ll see more and more full-time machines offering that 50/50 split instead of the current rear wheel bias, because frankly, it’s safer.

There’s history on this, because I can remember driving Suzuki’s Grand Vitara of a decade or more ago, the one that retained a proper 4WD gearbox with HIGH and LOW ratios that quoted a near balanced torque-split, and it was a very capable AWD (that’s All-Wheel-Drive) before you got to the rough stuff, and it steered sweetly, on and off the blacktop.

What do we need to know about a full-timer once we depart the made roads?

With the centre-differential open, there’ll be no traction-enhancing help available to you unless that diff is supported with a viscous coupling, torque-vectoring or a torque sensing (Torsen) capability and augmented with traction electronics working via an engine speed detune and/ or brake application.

I’ve always found that locating the centre diff-lock button and pushing it, is the best way to dial out drama, making the car behave like a part-timer, with no slip in the middle.

LandCruiser 300 makes use of terrain modes for dealing with pesky surfaces.

And there is the problem with the modern 4WD. Keep building in more and more complication (that the engineers conjure out of a moment of electronic fantasy), then, ask the sales and marketing team to explain something that’s nearly inexplicable, and later, put a driver behind the wheel and expect they’ll get it, is pushing a you-know-what-uphill moment. It’s a big ask.

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There’s still a space for simplicity, for a practical moot point and a look to the past provides it.

There are plenty of times when having the torque and slow speed manoeuvrability of LOW range, is a massive advantage on the hard stuff, think when towing a boat out of the water on a concrete ramp or reversing a caravan up a steep paved driveway, moments when wind-up with a locked centre diff will be laden with angst.

But having the ability to make all the changes in direction you want when delivering the boat or the caravan to its destination, with no chance of screwing a CV, the front diff or the transfer case, is pure gold. It’s something you used to be able to get away with on a part-time 4WD by unlocking the hubs and using LOW range in 2WD to get the job done.

Pity that the Japanese world didn’t take a leaf out of Land Rover’s book, as the transfer set-up in the early Rangies and the Classic Defenders was clever, because you could elect to lock/unlock the centre-diff in their full-time transmissions manually in both ranges, HIGH and LOW.

Classic Land Rovers used a full-time transmission that offered locked or unlocked options in both ranges.

Toyota with the later Prado 150 and the LandCruiser 200/300 series, finally got with the program in the last decade, but Mitsubishi’s fabbo Super-Select transmission is a locked LOW range proposition only. Hopefully the next-gen Triton/Pajero Sport pairing will rectify that in 2024.

It’s worth mentioning that activation of these systems has almost entirely gravitated to an electronic selector.

Rotary dials it seems are the go, a transfer lever is now the domain of the only hairon-your-chest 4WDs left in the world and that’d be Jeep’s Wrangler and Gladiator cousins.

Jeep Wrangler is uber capable off-road and on with an advanced 4WD full-time kit.

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4WD TAG-ALONG TOURS ACROSS WA

Join us on a 4WD tag-along adventure tour, taking in the raw beauty of WA’s landscape and history.

The secret to enjoying any of our trips is to relax and just take it all in your stride.

Our overall goal is to make sure that you see things that otherwise you might not, go places that otherwise you might not visit, and meet some new friends.

If you are new to four-wheel driving in the outback then don’t worry, we aren’t.

We are here to assist you.

It doesn’t have to be extreme to be EPIC Check out our website for upcoming trips

www.epic4wdtours.com.au

Contact us on 0456 684 532 adventure@epic4wdtours.com.au

stokes my manhood every time (possibly too much info there), but when you make that move, you know you got it and it’ll be accessible for a long, long time, because a mechanical linkage is an easy fix in the shed at home, whereas a snafu dial and its electronics is a trip to Doctor Sparks.

So what’s the best practice?

Next-Gen Ranger Wildtrak V6 diesel offers a fulltime transmission with electronic activation and terrain modes.

The rotary selectors are pretty robust because they are upstairs in the cab.

But it’s what’s at the end of the wire that connects it that’s the worry, entering the transfer gearbox and periodically bathed in water or corrosion-promoting goop. If you use your 4WD for what it was designed for, one day, in a decade’s time, it’ll likely fail you.

There is something satisfying about grabbing the transfer lever of a Gladdie or a Wrangler and picking LOW range. It

If you’ve got a full-timer with an Auto/ AWD position, then use it around town on the blacktop. Enjoy the sharper steering it brings.

When the bitumen runs out and the high speed dirt emerges, lock up the centre-differential. You could use the Auto position, but nothing beats a locked centre diff-lock for better poise on the dirt.

And when the track turns to poop, stop, select neutral, then LOW, then grab a drive gear and move on, ideally with the centre-diff locked to prevent the onset of that pesky wheel spin stuff that always seems to get in the way.

Jeep Gladiator in the wilds of NZ where the author confirmed their off-road prowess is apex good.

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A Quest Rich with Reward

The Golden Quest Discovery Trail

Colin Kerr divulges in detail the array of attractions, rich history and outback Aussie atmosphere to be experienced when traversing the epic Golden Quest Discovery Trail.

At Lake Ballard, near Menzies.

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BY COLIN KERR

W

hen you’re out there in the WA Goldfields, and you’ve already checked out the Super Pit and other attractions around Kalgoorlie-Boulder, then it's probably about time you go for a deeper dive, getting to know the history and culture of this one-of-a-kind place. The Golden Quest Discovery Trail unearths the real gems of the area, stirring a sense of nostalgia with its rich heritage buildings and attractions, outback scenes, plus wildlife and wonder along the way. It's a trail full of discovery and intrigue.

It was back in 1892 and 1893 that the area here in the Eastern Goldfields hit the headlines – Paddy Hannan, Bayley and others had struck rich alluvial gold!

museum At the open air

Mostly coming on foot pushing their wheelbarrows containing no more than bare essentials (pick, shovel, a swag, cooking utensils, water and meagre supplies) – the hardy prospectors of the day arrived in their thousands – all hoping to make their fortune – one of the biggest gold rushes the world had ever seen was well underway.

Today, over 100 years later, Kalgoorlie’s Golden Mile and surrounding Eastern Goldfields regions are, with modern technology and machinery, continuing to produce more gold every year than those old timers could have ever dreamed of.

Whilst many of the early settlements and shanty towns out here no longer exist or are virtually ghost towns, there is

- Coolgardie.

& Riverina.

Dusty road - between Mulline

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still plenty to see and do … and with the creation of The Golden Quest Discovery Trail, it is now possible for visitors to follow in the footsteps of the early explorers and prospectors in the comfort of their modern vehicles, some with all the comforts of home built in – a real contrast to those early days over 100 years ago!

With a comprehensive 160-page spiralbound trail guide in hand (so you don’t miss anything), which comes equipped with an audio accompaniment in the form of two CDs (good value at an all up cost of $39.95 – available at Goldfields visitor centres and other outlets), the trail sets off from Coolgardie in a 965-kilometre loop and finishes on the famous ‘Golden Mile’ and Super Pit Lookout in Kalgoorlie.

With Coolgardie (39km south-west of Kalgoorlie) being the early administrative centre for the Eastern Goldfields and still retaining plenty of history and charm (gold was first found here at Fly Flat in 1892), this is an ideally chosen place to start the trail and indeed even today, Coolgardie has plenty of interest and attractions.

Before heading out of town, make sure you check out some of Coolgardie’s lovely old buildings, its enormously wide main street designed to enable wagon trains to turn around, the old railway station (free overnight camping for fully self-contained vehicles allowed here), the wonderful indoor and outdoor museums, the fully restored Warden Finnerty’s residence, the well-kept Pioneer Cemetery and the site of a tree where prisoners were chained up for all to see.

The trail organisers suggest a minimum of three days with overnight stops in Leonora and Kookynie (it would be less rushed over four or five days), but in reality it is up to you. There are a number of other places where accommodation is available along the way or, as many do, simply pick one of the campgrounds to be found (or a nice piece of bush) and enjoy several nights out under the stars.

As we have done in this report, to fit in with road conditions at the time you are also free to vary the suggested route as you go.

The old Railway Station - Coolgardie.

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THE GOLDEN QUEST DISCOVERY TRAIL

As the trail progresses there are over 25 identified and well signposted sites with information boards providing a wealth of knowledge about each place and the people who lived, worked and died there.

The whole trail in fact, is littered with old ghost towns, run down, forlorn and quite remote cemeteries (some in the process of restoration), old rusting machinery, abandoned mine shafts, old buildings in various stages of disrepair, sometimes just piles of bricks and tin where once stood quite large goldfields towns and settlements – now there’s nothing but memories!

ALONG THE TRAIL Following a sealed road at first then a good gravel road north of Coolgardie, the trail passes the old Bonnievale townsite where a dramatic rescue of a miner from a flooded mine took place in 1907. Further on is the ruin of the quite impressive Premier Hotel at Kunanalling.

The remains of the Premier Hotel, Kununulling.

There are too many places of interest to detail here, but in this report we have endeavoured to cover the main highlights. You will quite likely find plenty more of your own.

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It is virtually all that is left of the town and is certainly worth checking out.

Can you imagine how this place (and a number of others you’ll find) would be really ‘swinging’ on a Saturday night (or probably any other night) back in its heyday! Here at Kununalling is also the story of a shady, heavy drinking caveman character linked to a double murder — quite chilling.

After several other stops along the way, some 73 kilometres from Coolgardie, Rowles Lagoon is a real birdwatcher's paradise with a variety of ducks, plover, swans and others to be seen. There is a good free bush campsite here (including toilets, tables, picnic shelters and barbeques) right on the edge of the water.

Another interesting aspect of this trail is accounts of early explorers like Carnegie and Giles who passed through this countryside well over 100 years ago. At Ularring Soak, for example, Ernest Giles found a valuable supply of water at the base of a large granite outcrop. Whilst he and his small party camped here, it is reported that they were attacked by a ‘grand and imposing army’ of over 100 Aboriginal people, ‘painted, feathered and armed to the teeth’. None of Giles' party was harmed and the report referred to the ‘routed army carrying their wounded and disappearing behind nearby trees’.

Subsequent reports and enquiries however, have thrown much doubt on what really happened here and why … and whether the tribe in fact, had any hostile intentions towards the white party — particularly when it was also reported that they had earlier in the day spoken to several of the Aboriginal people (coming to the waterhole) and had seemingly befriended a young Aboriginal girl.

Clearly, no one will ever know what really went on here on that day back in October 1875, but it certainly adds just a little bit more intrigue to this lonely, but attractive

granite outcrop setting here at Ularring.

This is also another nice setting for a bush camp with toilets but no other facilities.

Further up the road (past several other abandoned settlements) and following signs to Lake Ballard, one of the trail’s most unusual surprises awaits. Here on a large salt lake (one of many in the region) is a major international art project costing over $600,000, called ‘Inside Australia’ where British sculptor Antony Gormley a number of years back, created a most unusual scene. Fifty-one taut, sticklike representations of human figures, all cast in steel, have been spread out over several square kilometres of the usually dry lake bed. Although it is hard to believe, the figures are individually based on reduced body scans taken of local residents of Menzies — yes, hard to believe indeed! This curious location was apparently chosen to represent the heat, the loneliness, the wide-open space and sheer remoteness of the Australian desert landscape. Imagine also the logistics of getting these strange, surreal creations set up in this well and truly outback location!

At Lake Ballard, near Menzies.

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For more info, check out gwalia.org.au

Garage, Gwalia.

At Gwalia, near Leonora.

This is indeed a fascinating, even eerie, look into the world of abstract art, and for most visitors, who are free to wander around the lake to view the works completely dwarfed by their surroundings, it leaves more questions than there are answers, but then again, perhaps that’s exactly what it is supposed to do. If you are camping here in the small adjacent campground (toilets, tables and fireplaces provided), the statues by torchlight make a truly memorable and quite haunting sight — I wonder what the local wildlife would think about this??

— and the sunsets here can be truly amazing.

As the trail rolls on towards Leonora you pass through the old settlements of Copperfield and Mount Ida and then onto Granite Creek — a nice picnic spot and a place to look out for wild budgerigars in the river gums.

At Leonora, the largest town in this northern section of the trail, there is a variety of accommodation, services and

supplies available. Just out of town the old settlement of Gwalia (now virtually a ghost town) still retains (in various stages of restoration) some of its original buildings, including the old Patroni’s Guest Home, Mazza’s Store and the State Hotel as well as a fascinating outdoor display of old miners’ shanty town huts all set up like they used to be. Nearby the huge open cut mine, still in operation in underground tunnels, can be seen from a lookout and the museum on the hill (including the largest timber incline headframe in Australia) overlooking the mine is also well worth a visit.

Gwalia is also the place where Herbert Hoover (who later became the thirtyfirst president of the US) as a young 23-year-old mining engineer became manager of the large Sons of Gwalia mine

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back in 1897. Hoover House, the mine manager’s residence designed by Hoover, is today a bed and breakfast facility – the only accommodation available for visitors in the historic town and the only presidential house outside of the US!!! Delicious snacks, including lovely Devonshire tea on the home’s stately verandah overlooking the open cut mine, are excellent and highly recommended.

Free camping for self-contained RV’s is available on a flat, cleared area on the hill beside the museum (and Hoover House) overlooking the town and mine.

Statue of Dr Laver - Laverton.

Morning tea at Hoover House, Gwalia.

Travelling east on the sealed road between Leonora and Laverton a pleasant free campsite at Malcolm Dam is just three kilometres off the main road, the large Murrin Murrin nickel mining operation can be seen as well as the now reopened historic Poseidon Nickel Mine at Windarra.

The township of Laverton marks the turnaround point of the trail. Fuel, services and accommodation (including a caravan park) are available here and also a ‘not to be missed’ attraction is The Explorers Hall of Fame — an excellent display taking visitors back to the days of explorers and early settlers across the region. Also here in town is the story of Laverton’s Hero, Dr Charles Laver, after whom the town was named. As well as being a prospector, Laver was also the region’s local doctor, and in this capacity

rode his bicycle hundreds of kilometres to and from remote mining camps to treat the sick. A bronze statue of him and his bicycle today stands proudly in the centre of town. The old police station complex including the gaol is also worth checking out via a short tour (small donation) provided by volunteer caretakers — a great insight into policing out here in one of the country’s roughest, wildest towns over 100 years ago.

Cells at the old Police Station Complex - Laverton.

As the trail swings back westwards, some of the beaut features worth exploring are the old railway bridges near Malcolm

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The old Municipal Chambers Mt Morgans.

and the nearby town of Mt Morgans (or what remains of it) has a particularly interesting history. At this old settlement (named after Alfred Morgans who was Western Australia’s shortest term premier when his government was defeated in parliament in 1901 after only about a month in power), the Mt Morgans Municipal Chambers (near the crumbling remains of the old railway platform) is the sole surviving structure. Back in 1903, Mt Morgans was a thriving centre with some 500 buildings and 1,250 residents. In fact, the story behind the establishment of the town, involved a formally conducted race (with plenty of trickery and deceit) one day in November 1899 by men, women and children, some on horseback, others on bicycles, in buggies and on foot over a distance of nine miles (just over 14km) from behind a starting line strung across the main street of nearby Mt Margaret

township to peg their blocks of land in the new township of Mt Morgans where a new gold deposit had been found.

In those days miners regularly moved on from one mine or strike to another and it is reported that in just over a month most of Mt Margaret town site had been demolished and moved to the new ‘hot spot’ – Mt Morgans, which by 1903 then boasted some six hotels (including the Royal Hotel which was brick by brick moved and rebuilt from its former location in Mt Margaret), a brewery, ice works, plus a Workman’s Club, numerous stores, chemists and much more … now just the Municipal Chambers (built in 1900) remains.

A picnic shelter here is a great spot for a cuppa and break from your travels with an excellent view of the huge current mining operation in the background.

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Willie the horse, on the verandah of the Grand Hotel, Kookynie.

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The National Hotel - Kookynie.

It is now onto Kookynie, which once had a population of over 3,500 people but now boasts only about a dozen defiant, hardy souls, some of whom can usually be found in the town’s only remaining pub.

The Grand Hotel with its resident friendly horse Willie often greeting visitors at the doorway (yes, this can these days be described as a proverbial ‘one horse town’), which has been continuously trading since 1902 and provides a caravan park and camping behind the hotel. Both staff and locals here are always happy to fill you in with plenty of local history and, of course, a yarn or two about the place and its colourful past. Around town, or what is left of it, the ruins of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and National

Hotel (there was a total of seven pubs here in 1903) are worth a visit and as you walk around and explore some of the other now crumbling remains. Pause for a moment and try to envisage that this place once had two newspapers, 11 coffee places, four confectioners, a couple of cordial factories, numerous stores, several banks and churches, a Mechanics Institute Hall, a brewery, a ‘red light’ (brothel) district and quite incredibly, seven brass bands to keep the population entertained! Also worth seeing on the outskirts of Kookynie, are the fascinating granite outcrops, Balancing Rock, Split Rock and Hanging Rock — strange shapes indeed in this desert landscape.

Holding the rock up at Hanging Rock, near Kookynie.

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Niagara Dam - near Kookynie.

As the Discovery Trail meanders further out of town, other tales come to light, like the story of Niagara Dam, constructed in 1897 with cement carted some 220 kilometres by 400 camels, each loaded with two wooden half barrels of cement weighing in total around half a ton. This must surely have been a real sight at the time and a massive project in this remote corner of the goldfields. The dam, in fact, was commissioned because of a severe lack of water at the nearby booming settlements of Niagara and Kookynie and was also to be used as a plentiful supply of fresh water for the railway locomotives that would soon be steaming along the new railway linking Kalgoorlie and Menzies. In the end, costing an enormous sum (at the time) of £62,000 ($124,000) the dam in fact was never used — because around the time of its completion, a plentiful supply of good underground water was discovered at Kookynie and the dam, now a delightful picnic and camping spot, became a real ‘white elephant’ of the day. There are toilets and even a dump point located in the camping areas and a couple of quite easy walking trails here with information boards along the way. This was a great spot to spend a couple of nights on our recent travels.

Moving along … much of the background information on the Discovery Trail and plenty more — with photographs, personal stories and illustrations (on Kookynie and other centres along the trail) — is included in the official guidebook and accompanying 25 CD audio tracks and what’s not can easily be gleaned (sometimes flavoured with wit and imagination) from locals you’ll find along the way. The guidebook also includes maps, distances and guidelines on travel times, stopping points and even a recommendation on how much time to allow at each location.

Further south and now back on the Goldfields highway, the town of Menzies still retains some of its original character with its lovely Town Hall, the Menzies Hotel and a handful of other historic buildings. Around town, a recent local project has seen the erection of a number of metal sculptures based on pioneers of the past, each with inscriptions telling their story. Whilst here, a visit to the old Menzies Cemetery is a must! Apart from plenty of interesting stories, there are a number of remarkable tin/sheet metal grave memorials (headstones). Built with a high degree of craftsmanship and artistry by a local tinsmith/blacksmith,

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these creatively built memorials, some with scrolling, embroidery, vases, doves, leaves, clasped hands, flowers (roses, lilies and tulips) all made of metal and all still in excellent condition despite being around 100 years old.

Moving on, the old Coongarrie Station Homestead is also a popular spot to camp. There is a lovely three-kilometre bush walk trail here giving visitors a good opportunity to see some of the local gimlet, blackbutt and salt gums and also to enjoy the quite prolific bird life in the area. The camping facilities include toilets, hot showers, picnic tables and fire places/ barbeques (camping fees apply). Cottage accommodation is also available.

This area not only has a history of gold mining, it is also part of an old coach route, it is rich in Aboriginal culture and like a number of other places along the trail, there are stories of sandalwood (sought-after perfumed wood) and colourful tales of the hardy sandalwood cutters, some of whom are still making a good living here in the Goldfields.

Onwards now to the old settlement of Siberia and yet another interesting old cemetery, and then not far away is the Ora Banda Historic Inn, originally built and owned by comedian and entertainer Alf Garnett in 1911. This once beautiful old pub was sadly gutted by fire in May 2019 and today, with only its external walls still standing and totally burnt-out inside, is a sorry sight indeed. This once iconic pub,

The Cemetery at Menzies.

Siberia Cemetery.

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The well autographed walls of the Broad Arrow Tavern - between Menzies & Kalgoorlie.

now with an Aussie flag flying half-mast outside, also made headlines back in 2000 when, after an altercation inside, Gypsy Joker bikie Billy Grierson was that night shot dead across the road. Former WA Police Chief and Ora Banda Hotel owner at the time, Don Hancock, was suspected of the shooting. Soon after the old pub was subject to a bomb attack and the hotel owner’s residence was torched. Hancock himself only a year or so later was killed (along with one of his good mates Lou Lewis) in a revenge car bombing outside his home in Perth to where he had moved. The current hotel owner, Mike Lucas, is hopeful that the old pub can in time, be rebuilt.

A little further on another ‘must’ is to call in and have a drink or cuppa at the much ‘autographed’ Broad Arrow Hotel — everywhere you look the walls, the doors, the ceilings and even the dunnies are all covered in writings, autographs and stories — quite a sight indeed! This old pub is also famous these days for their wonderful ‘Broady Burgers’ — they are delicious!!

The Ora Banda Pub (burnt in May 2019).

The Ora Banda Pub prior to be ing

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burnt.

As the trail heads further south towards Kalgoorlie a short side trip to see the old cemetery (1km off the road) at Paddington provides plenty of historic interest, and just a few kilometres out of Kalgoorlie look for a signposted track leading into the old bush two-up ring — sadly now somewhat in a state of disrepair, or perhaps this is the way it always looked. In recent years the old ring was only used on special occasions, but now with a revival of interest (and

Spotted Military Dragon (Ctenophorus maculatus).

special approvals) two-up is held here once a week on Sunday afternoons.

These events are indeed great occasions, well patronised with a food van stationed outside and hundreds of dollars won and lost on each toss of the coins!

On the edge of town, the Hannan’s North Tourist Mine, also incorporating the Mining Hall of Fame, is a ‘must see’ in Kalgoorlie where the full history of this fabulously rich gold mining region is laid out, as well as the opportunity to experience an underground mining operation and ‘gold pour’ and you can even have a go at panning for gold.

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With the Golden Mile and a visit to the Super Pit Lookout now in front of you (the richest square mile of gold bearing earth ever discovered) you have now reached the end of The Golden Quest Discovery Trail — an exciting adventure that links the goldfield’s historic and memorable past with its modern 21st century present and even includes glimpses of what is to come in the future. Whilst in the historic town of Kalgoorlie-Boulder check out the centre’s many old buildings, the KalgoorlieBoulder Museum, the many old pubs and ‘skimpies’, perhaps the infamous Hay Street brothels (one is even open for informative tours), Paddy Hannan statue, a wave-ride pool, the Old Time Lolly Shop and plenty more. A fitting end to a great outback trail of discovery.

The Super Pit - Kalgoorlie.

INFORMATION BAY LOCATION The 965km trail starts at Coolgardie and ends at Kalgoorlie, but can be done in sections or in the opposite direction.

WHEN TO TRAVEL Autumn and spring are best times to venture the trail.

It can be very hot in summer and try to avoid wet conditions — mostly in winter. Be prepared for cold nights in this outback/semi-desert area.

VEHICLES The trail is open to all vehicles (including off-road caravans and camper trailers) driven with care — high clearance is desirable.

A 4WD is best if exploring off the main trail.

Make sure your vehicle/caravan/camper trailer is well serviced and suitable for gravel road conditions.

Carry vehicle spares, extra food and water.

TERRAIN The unsealed sections — in total around 500km — are generally good condition gravel, subject in places to some corrugations. Rain can make these sections impassable. Carry ample food, supplies, water and fuel for any unforeseen delays. Other road sections are sealed. There are many large trucks/road trains on the roads out here often carrying huge modern mining equipment – give them plenty of room.

WHERE TO STAY •

For Super Pit tours, check out kalgoorlietours.com.au

Campgrounds and caravan sites are available in all main towns. Along the trail there are also a number of good bush camping areas – most with toilets and some with barbeques, tables and bins.

Take rubbish with you if no bins provided.

PERMITS No permits are required to travel on any section of this trail.

MOBILE SERVICE Mobile service is available in all main towns. Some trail sections will be out of range. A satellite phone or HF radio is handy for emergency communication.

FOR MORE INFORMATION goldenquesttrail.com

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AN INSPIRATIONAL SELF-DRIVE ADVENTURE IN WA’S GOLDFIELDS Explore woodlands and the goldrush past on the Golden Quest Discovery Trail.

A guidebook is available from Visitor Centres along the trail and select bookstores, with audio available to download via the website.

Complementing the guidebook and audio is a free companion app that provides additional interpretive and regional information.

FREE APP!

GOLDENQUESTTRAIL .COM

An Alternative Tool for Hunting Treasure

BY LUKE CLATWORTHY

In Issue 127, the Spring Edition, of Western 4W Driver, I introduced a brief history of the development of metal detectors, the two major metal detector brands in Australia and how these can be an important part of any 4W-driving kit. In this article, I’ll be focusing on an alternative brand of metal detector gaining in popularity, both in Australia and across the globe. What is the brand you may ask? It is Nokta who manufacture a very interesting range of metal detectors with some unique features, covering both coin and relic hunting as well as searching for gold.

N

okta Engineering commenced in Istanbul in Turkey in 2003 and experienced major growth fairly quickly, with its range of metal detectors now available in over 100 countries. Their range is renown for their very competitive price compared to some of the larger manufacturers of metal detecting equipment. They also pride themselves on delivering units that have the latest features available on other more wellknown and more expensive brands. Their range covers all levels of expertise and are light-weight and extremely simple to operate. Nokta metal detectors are fantastic value for money and their coin and relic hunting detectors also have an extremely unique feature that make it stand out from the rest, especially for those with a passion for 4W driving.

Sounds intriguing? Let us delve a little deeper into their models and capabilities.

The brand’s top of the range coin and relic model is called the Legend. It is a simultaneous, multi frequency metal detector (SMF) making it an ideal multipurpose unit. It has two ‘Multi’ and five ‘Single’ operating frequencies ranging

The Legend.

from four to 40 KhZ allowing it to be programmed to operate effectively for all types of targets and ground conditions.

Like some of the other major brands on the market, it has four search modes; Park, Field, Beach, and Goldfields. It operates efficiently in trashy areas and has excellent stability when searching beaches for coins, jewellery, and other relics. Best of all, it is fully submersible in both fresh and salt water to a depth of three metres. One of its other features important to any 4W-driver wishing to add a metal detector to their range of equipment when they head for the beach or bush, is that it can be compacted to 63 centimetres in length; ideal when space is at a premium as well as making it easier to handle and operate underwater.

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The Legend Pro-Pack.

Some of its other features that it shares with some of the larger, more well-known manufacturers include a built-in clock and time tracking capabilities and can be purchased with comfortable, light-weight Bluetooth aptX™ Low Latency Headphones or fully waterproof headphones if you are searching for targets underwater. The Legend has advanced discrimination settings allowing you to successfully identify and block out specific metallic junk items. It can also be used to detect for small gold nuggets in relatively mineralised soils such as those found in our Eastern Goldfields, Murchison, and Pilbara regions.

As mentioned in my initial article, if your main focus is detecting for gold, Pulse Induction (PI) metal detectors are best suited for your needs and our highly mineralised soils. However, the Legend is still a very handy piece of kit to take on your next sojourn into our wonderful gold-producing regions, especially if you decide to spend some time detecting in and around some of our numerous gold mining ghost towns and settlements.

The Legend is lightweight, only weighing in at 1.4 kilograms. It also can be programmed to vibrate upon detection of a target. This is a wonderful feature for hearing impaired users as well as for detecting underwater. It has a backlit LCD screen and a very handy LED Flashlight built in. Just perfect when out in the bush and you cannot sleep, and you decide to try a little night-detecting. It can also be charged via a USB Port / Charger or power bank. Depending on the operating frequency and settings you use when operating this detector, it can provide up to 20 hours of use in the field.

You can purchase the Nokta Legend from a growing list of sellers across Australia.

The best value for money is the Legend Pro-Pack. The Pro-Pack includes two different sized search coils (12 x 9’’ and 6’’), the above-mentioned Bluetooth aptX™ Low Latency Headphones, Waterproof Spare Battery & Charger and USB Charging and Data Cable as well as some other accessories for $1,200, making this a real bang for your buck package.

Nokta also have other, less expensive detectors as part of its lineup. These include the Simplex Range, just below the Legend in price and capabilities. The Simplex is very popular in the United Kingdom and Europe in particular. It is an ideal beginner's metal detector for coin and relic hunting. It shares some of the features, settings, and capabilities of its

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— looking at your detector screen to see what treasure you have just detected!

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Nokta does not forget your children either. They have the Mini Hoard metal detector which is the world’s first waterproof kids’ detector. It has been designed especially for the youngest members of your next 4WD adventure. Like its more expensive siblings, it allows the operator to detect and discriminate those pesky junk targets. It is fully collapsible and waterproof, very lightweight; perfect for the kids to get into detecting and keep them fully occupied. Best of all, the price for one of these units is $179 and comes with some funky detector stickers to allow them to personalise the look of their detector. Screen time for the kids would take on a whole, new dimension

(Postal Address: 2 Elliot St,

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Stanhope Gardens

Legend cousin. With its simple operation and light weight design, it is comfortable and practical to use. Its best equipped model is the Simplex Ultra. This metal detector offers accurate numerical object identification, iron discrimination and a pinpoint function, for precise treasure locating. The Simplex BT starts at $499 through to the Simplex Ultra WHP Pack at $709 that also includes Bluetooth Headphones, USB Charging and Data Cable and a Nokta Simplex Cap to keep off the sun’s rays when detecting. For the budget conscious (and today who isn’t) this is a great option.

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The Simplex Ultra.

Finally, there are of course other brands of metal detectors available in Australia, which we aim to cover in future editions of Western 4W Driver. In the interim, what can you find detecting in Western Australia on your next 4WD adventure?

Stay tuned as I will share with you what can be found when enjoying this fantastic pastime and how you can improve your chances of success. Happy 4W-driving everyone and remember, metal detectors can make that 4WD or camping trip that extra mile more golden.

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There you have it. Like any major purchase, it is vital that you undertake some thorough research prior to buying and select the metal detector brand and type best suited to your needs and level of expertise and interest. The Nokta metal detector range is a very viable option that combines outstanding design and features with very competitive prices.

To learn more or to find dealers across Australia, visit noktadetectors.com.

 (08) 9250 3388

The Mini Hoard Waterproof Kids Detector comes with a sand scoop and sifter as well as stickers to personalise the look of the detector.

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3HIRE 6 7 G•RTRAINING E A T E A S•TSALES ERN HIGHWAY Complete range of Minelab I D VHunting A L E ,Detectors WA 6056 Gold and M Treasure

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edy The Awe-inspiring trackKennedy Loop Track

AN EPIC ROAD ADVENTURE AWAITS… The Kennedy Loop Track is an adventure just waiting for the 4WD enthusiast. Test your skills and journey into the remote and rugged beauty of Kennedy Range National Park. There is no phone service, no fuel and the track is suitable only for 4WD vehicles with their experienced crew. The track has been rated moderate with extreme places providing access to the remote Western side of the Kennedy Range before crossing over the range top to enjoy the more accessible eastern side. Travellers will need to allow a minimum of 1.5 days to complete this 270km epic trip from Junction to Junction.

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28.6km

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7 300 000mN

Extract from Upper Gascoyne Visitor Guide

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280 000mE

115°00' 300 000mE

320 000mE

115°20'

340 000mE

please respect our pastoralists, traditional owners and yourself by being fully prepared

Chad van Heemst delves into culture and country of Kennedy Range National Park, joining Wooramulla Eco Cultural Journeys on a trip around Kennedy Loop Track.

T

he Kennedy Loop Track has long been a favourite 4WD track, thanks to its dramatic and diverse landscape coupled with ease of accessibility. Being just two hours (160km) from Carnarvon and within minutes of the amenities of Gascoyne Junction, this 4WD track offers a short escape from Perth, an easy way to add variety into a coastal road trip or, for our family, a key highlight along the Kingsford Smith Trail, covering Mount Augustus,

Gascoyne Junction and Quobba Station north of Carnarvon over eight days.

We shared our journey with some newbie 4WD enthusiasts, who only two weeks prior had taken collection of their brand new 300 series Toyota LandCruiser and Cub Camper Drifter in tow. I took it upon myself to set a holiday that delivered a challenging 4WD track in the wilderness of the remote Kennedy Range National Park, locally named Mundatharrda, Eastern gorges.

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nestled against both ancient aboriginal culture and pioneering pastoral station country.

The Kennedy Range is a vast, ancient sandstone plateau with a stunning range and gorges carved out 250 million years ago when the region was a shallow ocean basin that filled with sediment, later compressing to form layers of sandstone and shale. Substantial geological faults in the Earth’s crust drove these layers above sea level to showcase stunning cliffs rising 100 metres above the Lyons River Valley plain on the east and various fault systems and natural springs on the west.

On top of the range sits a field of ancient sand dunes — rows of red, dry dunes decorated with spinifex, scattered acacia, grevillia, banksia and mulla mulla species endemic only to this region and with a unique ‘flat tip’ shape. The Kennedy Range National Park is 75 kilometres long, ranging from 12 to 25 kilometres wide and is home to more than 400 plant species (including 80 species of

annual wildflowers), 20 mammals species including nine bats, 33 reptiles, and 100 bird varieties including the fairy wren and famous crowned emu-wren.

Thanks to some great advice from our friends at the Gascoyne Junction Community Resource and Visitor Information Centre, namely Ainsley Hardie and her team, we booked ahead and managed to engage Rennee and brother Anthony Turner, local Yinggarda people from Wooramulla Eco Cultural Journeys to guide us on our trip. Over the years, I have travelled many parts of the world and never regret investing in a local tour guide to add additional depth and context. This was no exception and they delivered beyond expectation.

Most visitor information notes the eastern side of the Kennedy Loop Track is suitable for 2WD vehicles, whilst the western side is suited for high clearance 4WD vehicles.

I would caution, that whilst the eastern side is accessible via 2WD, only enter from Carnarvon — our friends suffered a

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pair of tyre punctures coming via Cobra Dairy Creek from Mount Augustus, a common story for those who come ill prepared with road terrain tyres without appropriate side wall protection. Our Wild Trax, courtesy of our friends at Tyrepower, handled the road conditions with ease.

After arriving as the sun set at the Gascoyne Junction Pub & Tourist Park, we had little time to make preparations for our Kennedy Loop Track tour early the next day. Fortunately, we were in luck.

Ken (Park Manager) and Clint displayed the local hospitality and resourcefulness our country friends are renowned for and, late that mid-week night, located us a spare tyre whilst we plugged the second.

If you stay late enough at the Junction Pub, you will be sure to catch this good company.

It would be remiss not to make comment on Gascoyne Junction in general. The local Shire has made some great capital investments in recent years, the entry point to town, the Two Rivers Memorial

Park, has rolling green lawn and shaded picnic tables whilst the Gascoyne Junction Pub & Tourist Park has received upgrades and is well acquainted with new washing facilities, kids' park and dump points. These efforts have not gone unnoticed, the Shire of Upper Gascoyne was awarded the 2023 National Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Town Sustainable Community Award and the Tourism Council of WA judged them as Finalists in the Top Tiny Tourism Town. The Gascoyne Junction Pub adjoins the park and offers a great variety of food by Chef Omo, a pool to cool off in and importantly, barista coffee in the morning. It is truly a small oasis in our outback with a population of only 70.

Our 270-kilometre Kennedy Loop Track journey began in earnest the next morning. Rennee and Anthony picked us up from the caravan park, guided us to the Gascoyne River and shared with us their own personal journeys. Rennee is one of only six remaining Yinggarda

Eastern gorges.

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people alive who retain their ancient language and explained that tour guiding is a welcomed way to celebrate their culture. By sharing ancestral stories on country, Rennee is able to build connection and yield understanding to ensure culture is saved and protected in the future.

“For as long as I can remember I’ve been taking friends and visitors to the places that I love, the places where I feel most connected to country,” was a sentiment from Rennee that resonated.

Anthony, during a quieter moment later in the tour, reinforced the importance of sharing country. In his words, country wants to be with people, only by being on country can one come to share its environment, to understand its importance and learn to protect its very being.

Rennee brought with her a number of artefacts such as a ancient hunting stick (Woomera), ceremonial shield and a range of local foods and medicines that are abundant in country. Each item presented was given context, a shared family story, cultural insight and everyday pragmatic use. Rennee then performed a welcoming ceremony, where we were invited to throw sand and announce our arrival to local caretaker spirits. This introduction was an immersive way to

begin, not only did it provide a greeting moment, it shifted our energy and introduced a new lens to view the local environment.

Being Yinggarda people from the eastern side of the Kennedy Range, Rennee and Anthony carefully constructed the tour to focus on ecological and European history on the western side avoiding Thudgai, Wajari and Baiyungu mob cultural stories before elaborating on their lived cultural elements on the western side. The southern entry point to Mundatharrda nestles ancient trade and ceremonial meeting grounds that require respect.

Even Anthony, who previously worked as a ranger in the national park, carefully avoids certain access points and activities that traditional spirits are known to take unkindly to, even in recent times.

We departed on the tour proper from the south, passing by Winnemia sheep shearing sheds that have been recently restored by our friends at Track Care WA on behalf of Jimba Jimba Station (established 1878). This is a great spot to camp overnight, fees payable (visit winnemia.com.au). From here we travelled north through Gascoyne River itself. It had been a dry year in the Upper Gascoyne so the river was shy of any moisture and the sand was soft, behaving similarly to beach sand. The width of the

Mooka Springs.

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river is an impressive 200 meters and I can only imagine it would be quite a rush passing through when filled with water.

We dropped our pressures to 18psi and easily traversed through — far easier than I first anticipated to be frank.

As you work north from the Gascoyne River you are travelling through reclaimed pastoral leases (from 1977) until you reach untouched national park areas along the northern and central sections. Our first stop was Mooka Springs, mooka meaning ‘running waters’ in the local Aboriginal language, where we stopped to see Mookaites. The stone displays a range of stunning colours including red, white, tans, purples and pinks. Mookaite is made up of bullions of fossilised silicate skeletons of marine organisms called Riodlarians and has been described as chert, opalite, chalcedony or combinations of all three. Locally, the Mookaite was an important resource for Aboriginal tools for hunting and building material, offering razor sharp edges that the young ones on tour handled with care.

Mooka Springs was a short drive and represented a classic rest stop with a beach-like sand onsetting a large spring.

Remnants of the past are nearby, building structures remain from Mooka Station, actively farmed by George Hutton until the late 1970s. It’s hard to imagine this country with its rocky outcrops was actively farmed and considered home only a handful of decades before.

It was difficult to leave the sanctuary of Mooka Spings, however we pressed on past Yenny Springs before arriving at our campsite for the night at Chaffcutters Spring. We had left our camper trailers back at Gascoyne Junction, preferring to travel light with tents and/or swags for the night. Here, we found a nice wide campsite to ourselves, a space that could have easily accommodated a tag-along tour of 10 vehicles. Rennee cooked up some delicious kangaroo stew that she had prepared the night before whilst Anthony took us on a short walk pointing out natural springs bursting from the ground and demonstrating Mooka Springs.

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for choice in WA, this was yet another wonderful spot for astro photography and nightscape photography (refer John Collin’s recent article in edition 124).

Camped at Chaffcutters Spring.

how his people used to prepare springs before taking advantage of their water source. Here we also encountered a large hollow nearby camp that no one seemed too keen on adventuring into.

Anthony delighted in providing the kids a few bedtime stories to make for an uncomfortable night’s sleep. Rennee in the meantime had finished dessert and set up a telescope, zeroing into Saturn and providing the kids with some handson experience in refocusing and following the natural rotation of the universe. Spoilt

Day two started at sunlight, we had full day's driving in front of us to reach campsite. The transition from recovering pastoral stations through to the untouched national park was quite stark as we progressed north through Pharaoh Well and Lake Julia. Our tour guides were quick to stop and point out ancient stone markers along tracks that would be unremarkable to the untrained eye.

Anthony also spotted a set of dingo tracks and spent time showing the kids how to emulate various animal track prints with their hands. All the while, we took short stops to view local fauna and understand their various uses in aboriginal culture including proxies for our commonly known mint, wild lemon grass, green bird flower and tobacco harvested for food and medicine.

Chaffcutters Spring.

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As we neared the top of the Kennedy Range, the 4WD adventure became more demanding and fun! We ambled along slowly along this section largely remaining in high-range. At the top we found travelling easier going along the sand dunes, where shrubbery and native flora were scattered across the sand. Be sure to stop and sign the visitor book, here we found evidence of recent passing by the DACA two-wheeler tours.

There a number of great vantage points at the top of the range at Mini Mesa, Great Gorge and The Neck, each offering spots to park and take a leisurely stroll for some photography. Whilst it was close to midday when we arrived in these areas, I am told it is ideal to visit these sights at daybreak to view the sun rising from the eastern side of the range.

While at The Neck, Rennee began sharing her ancestral stories of Yinggarda people and the Ant Dreaming story that provided a topographical explanation of how the Kennedy Range were formed. Without sharing the story in full, a great war was waged by a greedy (“dala” in local language) Ant and March Fly. Whilst the Ant was ultimately victorious it came with a final blow where the March Fly's

Round stone used for cultural wayfinding.

Dingo tracks.

Mulla Mulla.

Anthony taught the kids how to make animal prints with their hands.

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Honeycomb Gorge.

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eye was shattered across the landscape, forming Mingah Munda — what we know as Honeycomb Gorge.

From here we exited the national park to the adjoining pastoral station, making our way towards the eastern side gorges.

Rennee shared with us a running commentary of the cultural significance of places on the eastern side, explaining how the landscape dictated men and women’s country. We stopped to view the remains of an 1870’s shearing shed. The structure was still in reasonable condition and the sandstone walls held visible evidence of fossicks and the earliest of ancient seabed living crustations, made more easily visible once you applied a splash of water.

Fossils in shearing shed.

We arrived at Temple Gorge around 3pm in the afternoon and it was still very hot, limiting our ability to complete the various walking trails on offer that range from Class 3 to Class 4, from 300 metres to 5.8 kilometres. Rennee and Anthony took us for a walk to Honeycomb Gorge, highlighting spiritual watchmen in the cliff faces, evidence of inscriptions from the Western Desert people and sharing some stories akin to common day Lord of the Rings. The range on this eastern side is spectacular and a must-visit destination on your future travels.

pool and our camper trailers, I would recommend staying overnight at the Temple Gorge campsite to take full advantage of the sun setting and rising early the next day. As it was, we got up early on day three and returned to the gorges to hike some of the trails at sun rise (approx. 60-min drive). I particularly enjoyed the Class 4 Escarpments Trail (3.4km return) that ascended up a narrow gorge to the top of Drapers Gorge. From here you can view the Temple Gorge campgrounds and digest the beauty of the steep ranges.

Whilst we returned to Gascoyne Junction that night to enjoy comforts of the

If you have never completed the 270km Kennedy Loop Track, then make it a Driving the Western Track.

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bucket list addition. If you have been lucky enough to visit, then you should consider a return, this time through the lens of local tour guide operators Rennee and Anthony. Be sure to book ahead to avoid disappointment, Rennee from Wooramulla CT is based in Carnarvon and busy conducting a range of tours, so prior notice is essential.

Deciding the best time to visit will be dependent on the onset of spring and rainfall during winter, which dictate accessibility to the ranges via Gascoyne River crossing.

There are a range of events on in September — from the Gascoyne Junction Races (hosted over three days) to Gascoyne Food Festival and Landor Races — that require advance booking, as evidenced by a poor forlorn figure we met lamenting his denied entry at the gates of the Junction Race Club. For us, we intend to return, next time to attempt the Gascoyne River as a water crossing, experience the carpet of wildflowers in their full bloom and hopefully sight a Dawson’s Burrowing Bee. Scan QR code for more info on the Shire of Upper Gascoyne

INFORMATION BAY Rainfall is erratic and tracks may be closed at any time. Check road conditions at uppergascoyne.wa.gov.au/roadreport or phone 08 9943 099.

The Kennedy Loop Track is 270km. Allow a minimum 1.5 days as for 50% of the track your top speed will be between 10–50km per hour.

The western side of the range is only suitable for high clearance 4WD. There are no marked walking trails on the western side.

Recommend visiting from the end of March to the start of October. November to April is hot and uncomfortable for camping and potentially deadly if you get stuck in the remote area.

There are no facilities. You will need to be self-sufficient and BYO resources.

There is no mobile phone coverage in the park.

Many tracks are narrow. Beware of oncoming traffic. Drive only on existing tracks.

Pets are not permitted in the National Park.

WHERE TO STAY Camping at Temple Gorge Fees apply and limited spots are available.

Contact the Shire of Upper Gascoyne Community Resource Centre on (08) 9943 0988.

Winnemia Campground A remote nature-based campsite right beside the Gascoyne River at the entry to the Kennedy Range National Park. Go to winnemia.com.au Gascoyne Junction Caravan Park A range of accommodation is available, barista coffee, Chef Omo’s cooking with a beer garden and a swimming pool. Go to junctiontouristpark.com Ph: (08) 9943 0868.

PERMITS No permits are required.

Tracks traverse through National Park with access in and out via private property/pastoral stations. There is no access into Kennedy Range from North West Coastal Highway on the Mardathuna Road.

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NO SERVICE?

No Worries!

BY JOHN COLLINS

Smart phones step-up their game with Emergency SOS satellite technology.

display signal strength and other network connection icons. In some instances, uses will note SOS Only adjacent to the signal strength icon. This ensures SOS calls can be made to 000 using the alternative network whenever there is sufficient signal strength available. However, this feature ONLY works when a cellular or a Wi-Fi internet connection is available and does not provide SOS coverage in NO SERVICE circumstances. ONLY satellite enabled devices can communicate in service “black-spots” provided the device has a clear view of the outside sky.

‘B

ack in the day’, the primary means of long-range overlanding communication was the high frequency radio that first came to prominence with the Titanic in 1912 incident, and what an expensive and bulky device it was. We’ve come a long way in recent years with the development of smartphones and the technology that comes with them.

Satellite-communication emergency locating-beacons is the latest safety communication advancement to take note of — with Apple introducing Emergency SOS via Satellite in May 2023 with the iPhone 14 line-up and Samsung recently announcing it will be following suit by adding similar capabilities to its Galaxy S24.

Emergency calls can be made from any mobile phone within Australia when cellular connection is available, even if your phone is not connected to your contracted service provider or a Wi-Fi internet. When travelling, your phone will

Emergency SOS via satellite is available on devices running iOS 16.4 or later and incorporates several of the other useful iPhone features, including Emergency SOS, Medical ID, emergency contacts and find my-location sharing. All these features remain available when connected via the satellite system. Apple administers this service, using emergency specialist staff who are trained to contact emergency services in up to 12 countries around the world. The service is free for two years from the time of activation of your new satellite capable iPhone.

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A trip to Geraldton via the Indian Ocean Drive confirmed there are numerous cellular reception “black-spots” interspaced with SOS Only services from other networks. I noticed my iPhone 15 Pro regularly displayed the satellite status icon while travelling and without needing directional orientation to locate the connected satellite. While not being fully aware this was a feature of my new mobile phone further investigation followed as my purchase was largely informed by the exception low-light capabilities of the handset camera.

I found the iPhone SOS interface is easy to operate by pressing and holding the side button while simultaneously pressing one of the volume buttons, until the Emergency SOS slider appears. With Emergency SOS via satellite, an easy-to-use interface emerges on your iPhone to give the user help utilising a satellite connection and a short questionnaire “pops up” for the user to answer vital questions with a few simple taps, which are then transmitted to dispatchers in the initial message. This ensures they can quickly understand the user’s situation and location. The transmitted message includes the user’s questionnaire responses; location, including altitude; iPhone battery level; and Medical ID, if enabled. Message

transmission is achieved using an Apple designed algorithm that reduces the data size of the message by 300%, ensuring users can send or receive messages typically within 15 seconds. This software engineering, together with custom designed and built components, ensures that the iPhone 14 and higher can avoid a bulky antenna while delivering exceptional performance from a rapidly transiting low bandwidth satellite constellation.

My most appreciated Emergency SOS hardware feature is the demonstration mode.

This mode facilitates connection to an active in-range satellite without contacting emergency services, which allowed me to experience the process and familiarise myself with the service. Like many people, I sometimes “carpool” on short trips and I find it comforting to know that my iPhone 15 Pro is providing Emergency SOS capability for me irrespective of the safety equipment capacity of the host vehicle.

While Apple is currently leading, other manufactures are working to bring satellite directto-mobile technology to other smart phone users. Optus is collaborating with SpaceX to deliver satellite direct-to-mobile technology, but the level of proposed service delivery rollout timetable is unclear.

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Discovering

Karijini

Land of Gorges & Waterfalls

BY MATT CLARKE

Kermits Pool.

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Matt Clarke explores Karijini National Park with RedTrack Eco Adventure Tours, witnessing surreal scenes of contrasting colours, tranquil waterfalls, dramatic gorges and hidden pools.

K

arijini National Park within the Pilbara region has been a destination I’ve been in awe of since I was barely old enough to get behind the wheel. Located 1,500km north of Perth and around 80km north-east of Tom Price, Karijini National Park is the second largest national park in Western Australia covering 627,422 hectares. Something about the ancient geological formations, deep gorges and dramatic red-earth landscape makes it feel like another planet, magnetic and ripe for exploration. So, when I bumped into Dave Goulding of RedTrack Eco Adventure Tours in Perth and he invited me on one of his tours to Karijini National Park, it seemed like a no brainer to pack up the gear and hit the road.

WA. While many of us are totally capable of navigating challenging terrain and traversing remote destinations in harsh conditions, the level of confidence a tour like Dave’s is a valuable asset. If it’s your first time to Karijini, you’re not overly experienced navigating remote parts of WA or with your 4WD, or you just want some quality banter, local insights and good company, Dave’s your guy.

We departed RedTrack Tours' base in Balcatta at 8am following a standard safety check of the camper trailer and radio check, zipping north with Nalbarra Station (about 500km away) in sight. With just a quick pitstop at Jenny’s Bakehouse Treats in Dalwallinu along the way, nearing Nalbarra Station we spotted an emu and some chicks making a cheeky dash across the road — welcome to the outback! As the sky turned to amber, we pitched camp for the night. Dave got the fire roaring, and after a hearty stir fry, we shared stories into the night.

Dave knows Karijini like the back of his hand. A true Aussie character, he’s spent a lot of time trekking for years around Karijini, Tom Price and Newman. His real passion is being out amongst the red dirt and, about 30 years ago, he founded Camper Trailers WA, encouraging more people to get out and live the dream exploring the vast expanse of Western Australia on the road. He turned it up a notch five years ago with addition of RedTrack Tours to his repertoire, now personally getting out and guiding people in some of the most remote destinations in Dave from RedTrack Eco Adventure Tours with his vehicle.

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We’d hired one of Dave’s camper trailers for the trip and have gotta give it to him, it was a well-considered piece of equipment. We went for his Eureka Series 2 — Hard Floor Off-Road Camper Trailer, proudly Aussie made, and had it up in about 10 minutes. It was kitted out with a comfortable queen-sized bed, power (thanks to two heavy duty long-range batteries), a gas bottle, 100L water tank, lighting, an impressive storage system, a pull-out kitchen with a sink, gas and stove. You could add an Engel fridge too, but we brought along our own. The flipover hard floor kept things nice and clean in a dusty environment.

Upon reaching Karijini National Park, we headed straight for water. Karijini's geology is an incredible sight, worthy of appreciation. The park is home of the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga Aboriginal people and one of the oldest

landmasses on the planet. Its rugged terrain, sculpted over 2.5 billion years, is a geologist's dream. The park's most iconic features are its deep, sheer gorges carved by the erosive forces of water over millennia. Sites like Hancock Gorge and Weano Gorge reveal layered rocks that range from iron-rich banded formations to ancient shales and dolomites.

Dales Gorge was the first site we explored, trekking along the Dales Gorge Trail and witnessing the vegetation thicken and the rocks develop a richer colour of red, stopping for lunch along the way.

We reached Fortescue Falls which is easily accessible and the only springfed waterfall in Karijini National Park, cascading down a series of natural terraces, with a refreshing swimming spot awaiting at the bottom. From Fortescue Falls, we followed a short trail, reaching the tranquil oasis that is Fern Pool. We

Dales Gorge.

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plunged into the pool for our second dip for the day beneath waterfalls — quite the introduction to Karijini! Fern Pool has a handy platform that leads you into the waterhole safely. A short swim across to the edge of the cave-like waterfall allows you to to sit for a moment and soak in the sun. It was a lovely enclave surrounded by rock, facia and trees, with an owl sitting high in the branches and even a colony of hibernating bats. About a three and a half-hour round-trip all up, by the time the day was done we were ready to roll into Karijini Eco Retreat and make camp.

One tip from experience — make sure you keep your rubbish completely secure, away in your camper trailer until properly disposed of. A slip-up saw us chasing a dingo through the bush trying to reclaim ours and avoid a litter infringement.

The major perk of being based at the Eco Retreat was the convenient access

Fortescue Falls.

Visitors swimming at the base of Fortescue Falls.

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to Karijini National Park — the natural treasure we were all there for. We were right on the edge of Joffre Gorge (Jijingunha), which was another dreamlike sanctuary to explore. Dave explained all of the hidden spots to discover. He’d already prepared us by ensuring everyone on the tour came equipped with their own inflatable device. We used the Park's steel built-in ladders to climb down about 100m to the base of the gorge.

Once there, we started blowing up the inflatables before jumping into water and paddling about 500m to 1km towards a secluded gorge. We brought along a rainbow lilo and reckon from above it would have been quite the sight, with a few of our fellow tour guests bobbing beside us with their pink flamingos. Once arriving at the gorge, we enjoyed a bite to eat that we’d carefully carried over in a dry bag, kicked back and took a nap on a cool rock.

With so many refreshing places to cool off within Karijini National Park, it can be

hard to know which to dip into next. Dave grew up camping through the gorges, so has a good idea of which are worth spending time at, offering insights into how the landscape was formed along the way. All of the gorges through Karijini converge at Oxer Lookout, Dave told us.

Kermit’s Pool in Hancock Gorge had to be one of the most memorable spots we experienced and I recommend it to all visiting the park. It’s known for its narrow, steep and dramatic cliffs and accessing the pool requires a bit of adventure. To arrive at the pool, we had to drop into freezing, chest-high water and wade our way through, swimming at some points where it got too deep. As the gorge gets progressively narrower, eventually we were required to spider crawl using our hands and feet, shuffling between the walls of rock that formed a narrow crevice.

Once arriving, it felt well worth the effort.

The water was a stunning emerald green and contrasted sharply with the deep red rocks of the gorge, layered with rocks.

Joffre Gorge.

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oBaC RGES  rf RD TiP

See Western Australia’s amazing Pilbara Region with a road trip adventure, taking you off the beaten track on an unforgettable experience. Discover the real Aussie outback travelling through some of the world’s most stunning and ancient natural landscapes, towering gorges and plunging waterfalls, to a bucket list island escape.

We were well and truly refreshed after spending some time there, with the sounds of trickling water echoing along the way.

Weano Gorge and Handrail Pool was a highlight worth experiencing, and while we didn’t try it for ourselves, Knox Gorge and Knox Lookout are on our list for next time. With an impressive collection of gorges and waterfalls flowing through Karijini National Park, make a checklist and work your way through them — they each have something rewarding to offer and, at the very least, are a cool reprieve from the heat.

We were lucky to make it through the entire RedTrack tour without a single hiccup on our vehicle — a 2014 Toyota Prado. Though one couple joining us weren’t quite as fortunate, so ensure you service and check your vehicle well before departure.

GET A BATTERY THAT LASTS LONG.

INFORMATION BAY A Parks Pass is required to enter Karijini National Park and is available at entry points or online from Explore Parks WA. Ensure you have plenty of fuel.

There are no fuel stations within Karijini National Park and the nearest fuel stop is at Tom Price, 80km west.

The nearest supermarket for supplies is in Tom Price, 80km west.

Key roads are sealed but a 4WD or AWD is recommended for exploring the park.

For more information about Redtrack Eco Adventure Tours, check out: redtracktours.com.au campertrailerswa.com.au

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PRODUCT REVIEW

by Chad van Heemst

Kick-back with Convenience Front Runner Expander Camping Chair Choosing the best chairs for your needs always comes down to your personal priorities. Are you chasing comfort, a certain weight or size?

For me, the optimum chair is one that is small, easy to pack/unpack, durable and, of course, comfortable.

In my opinion, the Front Runner Expander Camping Chair which I tested out on my recent journey along the Kingsford Smith Mail Run ticks all these boxes, but let’s deep dive into its features to understand what works.

T

he main feature of this chair that makes it ideal for a trip away is its packability and ease of use. The chair packs flat to 1/16th of its unfolded size and ends up resembling the size of a small laptop, measuring 61 x 444.5 x 417mm. For me this was crucial. I have always had to pack my chairs in an external storage device which goes on the back of our camper trailer. Not anymore, the Expander Chair fits in small compartments freeing up a considerable space. They also fit nicely into the boot of my LandCruiser Prado, meaning they are much easier to transport for day trips and even use in everyday life, such as visiting

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parks in my neighbourhood when I don’t have the time to get out of Perth.

The comfort level of this chair is ‘fair’, it does not compete with larger lounges with padding and reclining options. You can comfortably use this chair for eating, relaxing and working with your laptop but it would not be my option for extended periods of reading.

The Expander Chair has an all-metal construction with black powder coating and 600D polyester material. The chair is easy to clean, dries quickly given it is devoid of any cushions and has a quality mesh backing for breathability. The weight of the chair is 4kg so it is heavier than some of the smaller, lighter weight alternatives.

Ultimately, the key strength of this chair is its size, portability and ease of use. For me this means I am prepared to take the chairs with me more often as they are more freely accessible at home for everyday use and fit comfortably in our car next to or in between other stored items.

If I have one gripe with the Expander Chair it is lack of pocket space. There are three pockets, all of which are undersized and the drinks pocket has a slight lean, which is not ideal for storing a freshly cracked frothy. This issue can be fixed by purchasing the add-on side table. This additional item comes highly recommended as it alleviates the key weakness of the chair, its lack of a quality drink holder and storage. Once attached, the side table does not need to be removed and remains part of your chair thereon. I personally found the side table useful for storing my laptop, book and drinks. It does come in a bit pricey at $38.00.

For transparency, we received a chair, storage bag and side table free of charge for this review but I liked the chair so much I have purchased the family a full set and even sold a further five to our friends who recently joined us for our trip along the Kingsford Smith Mail Run. For more information, check out frontrunneroutfitters.com

The Expander Chair does not come with a carrier bag included, instead these are sold separately as one or two-chair storage bags at $26 and $34 respectively.

At first I was a bit confused why someone would purchase these bags when the chairs pack neatly by themselves with an easy carry mechanism. I came to the conclusion at end of our holiday, the key benefit I believe is simply cleanliness, the ability to separate your dirty chairs from the rest of your luggage.

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Perth Caravan & Camping Show Everything you need to explore WA will be available at the Perth Caravan & Camping Show at Claremont Showground from Thursday 21 - Sunday 24 March 2024.

F

eaturing WA’s largest showcase of caravans, campers, trailers, equipment and accessories, it is the perfect opportunity to compare the newest and best products in the market, all in the one place.

Onsite experts will also make sure your gear is safe, functional and suitable for your needs. Whether you’re new to the outdoor adventure lifestyle or a seasoned road tripper, there is something for everyone at the Perth Caravan & Camping Show.

Here is a handy guide to check out what’s on offer at the Show.

WHAT TO SEE

educational seminars across each day of the show. Keep your eyes peeled on the show website to learn more!

WEEKEND ONLY INFORMATION Family Fun Zone The show isn’t just for the big kids! Across the weekend, kids can enjoy free activities in the Family Fun Zone with a bouncy castle, climbing wall, face painting and farm animals to keep every member of the family entertained.

PASSPORT TO FREEDOM COMPETITION The Passport to Freedom competition is on again this year with thousands of dollars’ worth of fantastic prizes up for grabs! Simply scan and enter at one (or all!) of the five entry points across the show.

Caravans, Camper Trailers and Motorhomes

EVENT DETAILS

The show features hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the best in caravans, camper trailers, motorhomes, tents, campers, camping equipment and accessories, with displays from leading manufacturers and dealers. Visitors can explore hundreds of deals and products in the one place and get expert advice before they buy.

Dates: Thurs 21 – Sun 24 March 2024 Opening Times: 9am to 5pm each day Venue: Claremont Showground Tickets available online only: caravanandcampingshow.com.au

The Piazza The Piazza is an exciting food and entertainment precinct which is a hive of activity, with live music, catering vendors, seminars, and plenty of shaded seating.

Demonstrations and seminars

$25.00 Adult $18.00 Concession Children under 16 FREE caravanandcampingshow.com.au

We’ve got live demonstrations and

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@PerthCaravanCampingShow

Ev er yt h i ng you n e ed t o e x pl or e WA

Thursday to Sunday 21-24 March 2024

Claremont Showground - 9am to 5pm WA’s largest caravan & camping showcase Plus! Seminars | Demonstrations | Entertainment

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Bendix’s Electric Park Brake is the safe and cost-effective solution.

BUSH MECHANICS with GEOFF LEWIS

WHERE'S THE BOLT? No matter how new or welltravelled your 4WD may be, you can never guarantee an issue-free trip, but with some know-how and resourcefulness, you can certainly mitigate some damage and turn a sticky situation around.

N

o matter how prepared we might be, no matter how well maintained your 4WD might be, something will always fail or work themselves loose at some stage along your travels.

Having completed my morning checks I walked over to my friend’s Land Rover Perentie. He was having trouble with his alternator vibrating violently.

On closer inspection it became clear that the bracket which holds the alternator to the engine was missing one bolt. Looking closer the missing bolt was there but the head of the bolt had sheared off and the bolt below had worked itself loose, leaving only one bolt holding the alternator onto the motor.

Corrugations and rough track conditions will make sure of this and having recently travelled along the Anne Bedell and Connie Sue Highways, many of our tracks in WA are more corrugated than ever before.

The effects of these recent trips became apparent on my latest adventure at the base of Streich Mound in the Great Victorian Desert.

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The bolt, which had worked loose, couldn’t be tightened — the thread had become damaged from being loose.

I look through my assortment of nuts and bolts I carry and naturally, they were all the wrong size. What to do?

It’s times like these where simple problem-solving skills come into play with a side of creativity.

We had two out of the three bolts, only one was performing the task of holding the bracket, we weren’t going to be able to get the sheared bolt out of the engine block, so we need to find a bolt to replace the bolt which had worked loose, but we didn’t have one?

Well, a solution can always be found. I looked over the engine in the Land Rover to try and find a bolt which was similar in size and wasn’t really of great importance to the function of the car — result.

I spotted the engine lifting mount on the side of the engine block (this is used to pull the motor out of the car, we weren’t going to be doing that anytime soon) and

they looked pretty close to the right size, the bolt heads were smaller, but on closer inspection, the thread of the bolts were the same diameter as the damaged bolt from the alternator bracket.

With this new bolt looking promising I then crudely checked the pitch of the thread of the bolt with the old bolt, by pressing the two threads of each bolt together to see if they would mesh, they did.

[The pitch of a thread is the shape, space and height between the ribs which spiral round the bolt. Threads are designed for different uses, environments and torque settings and this is one of the reasons why there are so many types. So, it always pays to check, because if you get it wrong you can ruin, strip and damage the thread, and then you’re in a world of hurt.]

Applying a bit of motor oil to the bolt I slowly and carefully tightened the bolt firmly. Time to test the repair.

With the motor brought into life, fan belt and alternator adjusted correctly, all three of us looked at the alternator closely. No wobbling or excessive vibration from the alternator, good to go — and it did.

That very Land Rover completed another 2,000 kilometres across the Nullarbor on back tracks and another 7,000 kilometres to get home to Perth, WA. So, don’t be scared to think outside the box and, remember, if it doesn’t feel right? Well, it usually isn’t. Always trust your gut feeling.

That way you can survive to tell the tale.

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WHAT'S IN A NAME? with PHIL BIANCHI

Why Care for Woodlines?

Phil Bianchi delves into the little-known but fascinating history of woodlines and what you can expect when you explore them. a woodline?" many people "What’s ask. Some think it is a rail line

made of wood and some others don’t have a clue. I am very passionate about the history of the woodlines of the WA Goldfields and because I discovered little was written about them, I did something about it, by researching and writing three books and numerous papers. Recently I was travelling in the Goldfields and was surprised to find that some locals still aren’t aware what the woodlines were. I was flabbergasted, as these people were seasoned WA 4W-drivers. Hence this article.

Let’s step back a little. Why my interest in the woodlines? My Italian-born father, Siro Bianchi, after the cessation of WWII hostilities found it impossible to find any work in Italy, so he, as did many others, migrated to Australia for better prospects.

He and his cousin Roberto Dell’Acqua came to Western Australia to work on the Lakewood Woodline on the Eastern Goldfields.

But their passage wasn’t straightforward. When the ship arrived off Fremantle in January 1951, it was visited by ASIO agents; both my father and his cousin were accused of being communists and were served with deportation

orders. Eventually ASIO found they weren’t communists but victims of false allegations; and were given fresh landing permits.

Siro and Roberto didn’t get to work on the woodline, they were sent instead to Merredin to cut firewood for the Merredin Pumping Station. They worked on a bush block on a farm south of Merredin; their contact with the outside world was minimal. They soon concluded they were sent to Merredin to keep them away from the woodline, so their story would not get around the other woodline cutters and ruin a migration racket that was in place.

This story always fascinated me, so I decided to investigate my father’s story further. I also wanted to find out what the Lakewood Woodline was about. I

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Stacked and ready for the loaders.

Photo: Ray Tovey

was surprised to find a vast industry; an industry that during its peak delivered over 600,000 tons of firewood annually to the goldmines and other industry, and 7,600 migrants, plus their families, got their start in having a new life in Australia.

I also discovered there had been numerous woodlines: • Lakeside Woodline, 1903 – 1923, at Kalgoorlie, • Kurramia Woodline, 1903 – 1918, at Kalgoorlie, • Kurrawang Woodline, 1899 – 1939, at Kalgoorlie, • Lakewood Woodline, 1937 – 1964 at Kalgoorlie, • Gwalia Woodline, 1903 – 1963, • Nallan Woodline, 1908 – 1918, at Cue, • Lancefield Woodline, 1907 – 1921, at Laverton, • Westonia Woodline, 1918 – 1921.

How and why did woodlines come about?

When surface gold ran out and only deep gold was available, mining companies needing a readily available and cheap source of energy chose firewood for their operations. Once firewood supplies close to mines had been exhausted and the carting distance by horse, camel or donkey teams became uneconomic, the use of trains, or trams as they were

officially called (only the Goverment could have trains), was recognised as the best solution to ensure a regular supply. Trams were already in use in the forests of south west WA for carting timber, some of the south west managers, such as William N. Hedges and John Coughlan, saw an economic opportunity in the Goldfields and began to establish similar tram lines there.

The scale of the woodline industry is staggering, with 21.6 million tons of firewood and timber cut and delivered between 1900 and 1964. The woodland area clearfelled by the woodline companies to supply firewood and timber to goldfields mines and businesses was 4.42 million hectares, an area equivalent to two thirds of Tasmania. The firewood companies obtained cutting area permits from the WA Forests Department and established operations in the bush at the colloquially known as the Main Camp, the centre of bush operations. Before a permit for a new cutting area was approved, companies with an existing permit were required to cut all trees in that permit area except for those less than three inches in diameter or really large old trees. In addition to firewood, large trees were cut for timber; these were used as sleepers, mining supports and firing sticks, some were also used in building construction.

Woodline operations were begun by WA Goldfields Firewood Supply (nicknamed

Main Camp, Kurrawang woodline.

Photo: Moderana family

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the Kurrawang Woodline) in 1899. By 1910 some 600,000 plus tons of firewood were delivered annually, Kurrawang delivered 50% and Lakeside and Kurramia 25% each, to Kalgoorlie mines and industry.

The life of woodline workers at the end of the line was bleak. Typically they lived in a tent or at best a hessian-walled shack that had a corrugated iron roof.

Most camps had dirt floors; they were primitive, unbearably hot in summer and freezing cold in winter. On the Lakewood Woodline the bush manager, schoolteacher and policeman had converted rail carriages as quarters. The migrant manual labour, bush staff and their families usually were set up with quarters further away from the Britishers (people of British ancestry) and often on the opposite side of the rail line. On the Lakewood Woodline, a store at the Main Camp was supplied with all manner of goods from the bulk store at the Lakewood townsite back in Kalgoorlie Boulder. Workers would place their orders for meat, salami, wine, olive oil and other goods such as clothes, axes and files, with the company storekeeper, who would phone orders through to the Lakewood main store. Meat would be cut by the butcher at Lakewood and bread would be supplied by the baker, also at Lakewood;

these would be loaded into an insulated rail van; for delivery to the Main Camp.

On the Gwalia Woodline, migrant bush workers were also able to buy many traditional foods including, pasta, olive oil, dried fish, wine, sardines, Romano cheese, salami and sausages. They could also order clothing, tools and the like.

The cost of all goods supplied via the store was deducted from an employee’s wages and he was paid the balance. This company store arrangement was the source of much argument and strikes in the early days of the woodlines, with overcharging and workers being left with little pay, being the main issues.

Living off the smell of an oily rag The Main Camp was where most bush workers lived. Cutters would cut wood; horse drivers would load drays and deliver the cut wood to the spur line. Loaders would load rail wagons with firewood ready for it to be taken to company headquarters for weighing. The drays used by horse drivers were specially designed and were short enough to allow them to be tipped backwards, eliminating hand unloading.

Shifting camp, Kurrawang Woodline, 1920s.

Photo: Ray Tovey

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At the weighbridge a representative of the workers and one from the company would be present to record the cutter, horse driver and loader names, as well as the wagon number and net tonnage of firewood.

A copy of the plod, as it was called, would go to the company payroll office for processing payment and another would go to the workers involved, so they could see what the tonnages

50 Italians were interned, having been classed as enemy aliens. The Lakewood Woodline company appealed to federal authorities for the men to be returned as prisoners of war, so that sufficient firewood to keep the Goldfields mines operating, could be delivered. The government refused and added that living conditions on the woodline probably wouldn’t have met the requirements of the Geneva Convention for prisoner welfare!

Loading a one-tonne dray.

Photo: H. Frank

were and calculate what payment they were due.

At Kalgoorlie, firewood was delivered from weighbridge operations by company rail to Kamballie where government locomotives would then deliver the rail trucks to the various mines and other clients, and later would return the empty trucks for collection by each company.

Almost all the wood cutters were European migrants. They worked hard because the harder they worked, the more they got paid. Most had come from war torn Europe and often they had been paid only board and lodging. In Australia, and although the work was hard, they were actually paid! Any pay, no matter how small, was spent wisely or saved, giving rise to the idiom ‘Living off the smell of an oily rag’.

The living conditions on the woodlines were poor and the difficulties suffered by some women and children were horrendous. To illustrate this, during WWII some

Woodliners made their own entertainment and carried out religious and ethnic traditions regardless of where they were. They observed Sundays and religious feast days, they brought spaghetti, wine and piano accordions to the bush and they worked harder and longer than Britishers or Australians of that generation. They wanted to make a go of it, earn money and establish themselves.

But life wasn’t easy; they had to fight hard for better pay and conditions. The

Woodliner Guiseppe Garbellini, c1935.

Photo: G Garbellini

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Bassanesse brothers loading firewood, 1964.

Photo: Rosie O'Donne

Kalgoorlie-based firewood companies were powerful and ruthless, showing no regard to the mining companies and mine workers or to the woodline workers. Woodline workers were forced to go on strike, often for lengthy periods seeking better pay and conditions. As a result, mines could run out of firewood and thousands of men put out of work.

During the 1908 strike, 1,000 firewood workers and between 4,000 and 5,000 miners were unemployed.

The Kurrawang Company in the early days found another way to profit from workers, charging up to 25% higher than Kalgoorlie prices for goods they sold to the workers.

To demonstrate the scale of firewood

operations in the Kalgoorlie region, firewood was cut in an area from Coolgardie to 35 miles north to Credo, 100 miles west to Darrine, 120 miles southwest to beyond Cave Hill, and from Kalgoorlie 120 miles southeast beyond the southern side of the Eyre Highway and 60 miles east as far as Karonie on the Trans Australia rail line, a vast area indeed. Fortunately, the woodland was able to rejuvenate and prevent a dust bowl occurring.

The woodline companies and woodline workers played a crucial role in the establishment of the Western Australian Goldfields, and Western Australia more broadly.

Imagine the stories this stove could tell.

Photo: Phil Bianchi

Burra Rock woodline dam.

Photo: Phil Bianchi

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INFORMATION BAY WHAT TO SEE There are numerous tracks in the Eastern Goldfields that allow you to experience the vastness of woodline enterprises.

There are woodline dams at Burra Rock, Wallaroo Rock and Cave Hill; these supplied water for steam engine use.

You can follow the rail formation from Burra Rock to Cave Hill; this follows the main tram line.

Some tracks can be tricky when wet.

Photo: Phil Bianchi

South of Boulder there are hundreds of kilometres of tracks that one can follow and see remnants of rail infrastructure, rotting drays, rail formations and camps with piles of rusting cans and broken bottles. In some places old wood stoves lay abandoned where they were last used.

PERMISSION AND ACCESS Permission to travel the Lakewood Woodline, south from Kalgoorlie is difficult to obtain, because pastoralists are tired of people disrupting their operations, stirring up stock etc. Do the right thing and visit the area from the Eyre Highway at the southern end.

The best tracks being at Buldania or the Heart Break Microwave Tower.

Lakewood woodline regrowth.

Photo: Phil Bianchi

PREFERRED VEHICLE I strongly encourage you only travel these areas in a 4WD as the woodlines cover a vast area and track conditions can vary significantly. Some spots are low lying and can create a bogging risk if there has been rain, others may have deep washouts.

FURTHER READING Early Woodlines of the Goldfields. The Untold Story of the Woodlines to World War II, by Phil Bianchi, published by Hesperian Press.

The Lakewood Woodline, 1937–1964. Its Origins, Operations and People, by Phil Bianchi, published by Hesperian Press.

Wallaroo Rock rail formation.

Woodlines of Western Australia. A Comprehensive History of the Goldfields Woodlines, by Phil Bianchi, published

by Hesperian Press.

Photo: Rod Diery

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THE THINGS YOU SEE! with (TRUTHFUL) PHIL BIANCHI

UNDER VEHICLE SPINIFEX FIRES A vehicle fire is enough to strike terror into any 4W-driver, with under-vehicle spinifex fires being potentially catastrophic.

I

f you’re quick enough to hit the fire with a fire extinguisher or a spray bottle filled with water, it often surprises you and bursts back into life within seconds.

The reason being is that spinifex has highly flammable resin and it’s difficult to totally extinguish. It’s best you keep extinguishing the fire and dig out any remaining spinifex with a hooked rod.

And wearing gloves while doing this will prevent burns.

I was involved with an under-vehicle fire on the Anne Beadell Highway way back in the mid-1990s. We were around the WA border section of the ABH when the occupants of a petrol Pajero, in our convoy, stopped for a morning tea break.

Soon smoke billowed from under the vehicle and then flames followed. We quickly extinguished the fire, and as described above, dug out the spinifex build-up above the exhaust pipe and muffler. The fire reignited itself a couple of times.

I will never forget. The driver was very lucky, with quick thinking he was able to save the vehicle and all of us in convoy were able to get back to civilisation without further incident. After that we were extra vigilant, regularly stopping and checking under our vehicles and removing any spinifex build-up.

So, what is the cause of fires and fire risk? Spinifex and other grasses build up around hot, catalytic converters, diesel particulate filters and exhaust pipes. Build-up also occurs around tail shafts, above fuel tanks, gear boxes and suspension components. While the latter may not catch fire directly, these buildups can make fires caused by the hot exhaust components much worse and probably unstoppable.

build-ups can make fires unstoppable Often smouldering spinifex doesn’t produce flames until you stop. While the vehicle is moving, the embedded spinifex acts like embers, the moment you stop they often fiercely burst into flames. It was a scary and sobering experience; one

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Spinifex build-up.

In the Western Deserts, 2022 and 2023 were particularly bad years for undervehicle spinifex fires. Travel was not permitted during COVID restrictions, and this coupled with massive summer rains coming down from the north created ideal conditions for trees, shrubs, and grasses such as spinifex, to grow profusely. With little or no vehicle traffic along tracks, herbage on either side and in the middle of a track wasn’t being trimmed back, creating a very high fire risk.

In days past diesels had less risk of undervehicle fires, because diesel engines and resulting exhaust gases burned cooler, with temperatures around 300⁰C to 450⁰C. Not anymore. Nowadays diesel particulate filters increase the exhaust temperatures to around 600⁰C. In some cases the temperature has doubled with diesels having petrol vehicle-like exhaust gas temperatures. Note these temperatures are generalisations and not specific to any vehicle, there are too many variables, including the use of regular or premium diesel, and different engine controls, and exhaust systems on differing brands. Suffice to say, however, that new era diesel engines are equally at risk as petrol engines, so don’t be complacent.

Many vehicles come with some form of bash plate. In my opinion there are bash plates and there are bash plates. Some, being made of plastic, are no more than a splashguard rather than providing real protection from rocks and such. Because one size doesn’t fit all, it’s difficult to make a blanket statement about what to do regarding bash plates. Therefore err

on the side of caution and remove bash plates if travelling in areas of high spinifex fire risk, so that it’s easier to get at any build up, especially if it’s smouldering or on fire. A bash plate may impede putting the fire out and could result in vehicle loss. Whatever you choose to do, be vigilant and keep checking underneath.

A recent spate of vehicle fires have been described in many places online and have been supported by photographs and videos. In some cases the fire quickly engulfed the vehicle, leaving the occupants little time to do anything about it; they escaped with just the clothes on their back.

Other factors to consider: • Travelling in a high clearance vehicle also reduces the risk of vehicle fires and should there be one, it’s easier to access the fire, and deal with it.

• Don’t travel on your own in high fire risk country, having support from fellow travellers to extinguish a fire and should you be unfortunate to lose your vehicle, they can provide comfort and help get you to safety.

• Have a grab bag that includes your satellite phone, EPIRB or other such device. You may not have sufficient time to search for these items should a fire occur, have them ready to go.

I’ve done lots of cross country 4W-driving over the years, I never take fire risk lightly, I regularly check under the vehicle.

Remember, it’s easier to reduce undervehicle fire risk by regular checks rather than be faced with putting out a fire.

Vehicle spinifex fire.

Photo: Ron Moon

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COUNTRY STARGAZING with Carol Redford and Donna Vanzetti Astrotourism WA and Star Tracks Astro Events

SUMMERTIME STARGAZING We have a bumper line-up of fabulous stargazing treats over summer, and travelling in country WA gives you an excellent opportunity to see something not normally visible under bright city lights.

S

tarting with a special display from the Geminids Meteor Shower, on a dark night, away from artificial light pollution, you might see up to 120 meteors (or “shooting stars”) an hour!

The Geminids Meteor Shower is generated from the debris left behind in our Solar System by asteroid 3200 Phaethon and is one of the most active and best meteor showers to see.

Phaethon is 5.1 kilometres across and is one of the largest near-Earth asteroids classified as “potentially hazardous”

by NASA. Astronomers have closely monitored this asteroid and there is no high threat level in the foreseeable future.

When to look: From midnight until early morning, 13th and 14th December. The Geminids peak on the 14th but try nights either side as well. The meteor shower is active for a couple of weeks.

Which direction to look: North-east and north about 45 degrees above the horizon For more stargazing, Orion the Hunter is a famous summer constellation and is up in the early evening to see now. First thing in the evening, look directly to the east. The

brightest star you’ll see is Sirius. Directly to the left of Sirius is what is often referred to as the “Saucepan”. The “Saucepan” is part of the Orion constellation. There are three bright stars in a fairly straight line that make up the base of the saucepan and a handle sticks out at the top right.

Orion has been known since ancient times. In Greek mythology, Orion is a hunter. The constellation and his image is upside down in the southern hemisphere!

The three bright stars of the base are Orion’s belt, and the handle is his sword.

On 14th January there will be a lovely close encounter between Saturn and the thin crescent Moon. This gorgeous cosmic duet occurs after sunset, looking towards the western sky. The Moon will be sitting just above Saturn, only a few degrees apart. Pop this one into your stellar diary!

Two more objects to look for in the summer sky are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (sometimes abbreviated to LMC and SMC). These are galaxies outside of our own Milky Way Galaxy. From Earth, they look like two faint clouds in the southern night sky, one larger than the other, and forming a splendid spectacle. We are super lucky here downunder as they are only seen from the Southern Hemisphere

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The best time to see the Magellanic Clouds is when there’s no moonlight.

They can be seen in the southern sky throughout summer and our best pick would be from 8pm, between 5th February and 10th February.

Find more stargazing tips and country events at: astrotourismwa.com.au

With lovely warm summer evenings, there’s nothing more relaxing than looking up at the sparkling stars overhead and enjoying nature’s astronomical wonders of the night sky.

If you’re a budding “astro-enthusiast”, check out Stargazers Club WA’s telescope classes and astronomy events for beginners at: stargazersclubwa.com.au

INFORMATION BAY

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THE PEOPLE WE MEET

by TORI WILSON

Sophie Xiang From complete wildflower and photography novice to a highly respected member of the Wildflower Society and smartphone photography pro, Sophie Xiang is a vibrant burst of energy and a testament to the power of pursuing your passion.

Sophie Xiang at Yeagarup Dunes with Pemberton Discovery Tours.

I

t was mid-October when I joined Pemberton Discovery Tours on their Beach and Forest Eco Adventure 4WD tour, venturing the majestic Yeagarup Dunes. The great expanse of landlocked dunes surrounded by towering karri forest was a surreal sight to reckon with, but what was equally surprising was the delicate, dainty blue wildflower flashing its face from within a cluster of shrubs atop the sand. This was the Blue Sun Orchid (Thelymitra canaliculate) and, according to Sophie Xiang, it was so rare, particularly for so early in the season (ahem… climate change), she barely believed it to be true — later cross-referencing it with one of her knowledgeable Wildflower Society friends, to be sure.

Photo: Pemberton Discovery Tours

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capabilities — consuming countless YouTube videos and articles online, honing her skills over time. Fast forward and, today, Sophie has blossomed into a smartphone photography pro and microinfluencer, with a following of over 10,000 across her Facebook and Instragram pages Sophie Xiang Wildflower Phone Photography. She’s often invited to host wildflower photography workshops by some of the state’s leading wildflower shows, including Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show and Outback Bloom in Mullewa.

Thelymitra canaliculate (Blue Sun Orchid) captured on a sunny day at Yeagarup Dunes.

Photo: Sophie Xiang

Having moved to Western Australia from Beijing 33 years ago, Sophie was a total novice when it came to wildflowers and photography, unfamiliar with what it meant for a flower to be native to the state. Developing a thirst for the outdoors, about five years ago she joined a local hiking group to get out to various parts of bushland and take in the sights of the unfamiliar flora. One day, says Sophie, while at Noble Falls in Gidgegannup midspring, a fellow hiker pointed out some petite orchids in bloom.

“I just knew, I’d never seen anything like that before. I was just hooked on that moment,” Sophie shared.

With a newfound zest for wildflowers, a natural inclination to capture their beauty followed, prompting Sophie to experiment fervently with her phone’s photography

“People often say you don’t find your passion sitting at home doing nothing.

You find your passion going out and trying things,” Sophie explained. “I never visualised myself being a photographer, let alone a wildflower photographer, but once you’re finding your passion, you’re also consumed learning. You keep doing things to fuel the passion.”

Upon joining the Wildflower Society of WA about four years ago, Sophie spent months improving her knowledge of wildflower names, visiting a different branch of the society each week to be mentored by some of the most knowledgeable people in the state until she could identify a vast collection of wildflowers — not just by the common names, but the scientific names, too.

Banksia captured at Kevin Collins’ Banksia Farm.

Photo: Sophie Xiang

“I was so crazy about the banksia, I even went to the banksia farms and stayed there for a few days. In Mount Barker, I stayed for four days on the Banksia Farm of Kevin Collins. He went all around Australia, collected all the seeds

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and now his is the only place with all the banksia varieties in one spot. He’s closed the tour side but they still have accommodation.”

Sophie is an avid explorer of Western Australia and says there aren’t many places you can point to on a map she hasn’t been, usually in search of wildflowers.

“Just last week, I spent nine hours driving to my friend’s farm,” Sophie tells me. “They have this rare sun orchid, the Ongerup Sun Orchid (Thelymitra sp.

‘Ongerup’), not far from Porongurup, Twin Creeks (Conservation) Reserve.”

petals as she captured it on just the right angle, made it evident this was her passion.

Less fortunately, the lighting wasn’t quite right, said Sophie. Ironically, the sun needed to coax open the orchid also meant our photos that day were a bit overexposed to be ideal.

“Too much exposure is never good,” Sophie advised when asking for advice on how to capture the best shot. “The colours of flowers are so delicate, so overexposure washes them out. Overcast days can be perfect; or work around the light, bring around some shade. If you’re in a studio you’d use something to diffuse a harsh light.

“I’m not a professional photographer, but I’ve figured out the golden hours. I just go out to the bushland for sunset and what I discover is magical. Lighting will really make you or break you.

“Also, the weather, if it’s too windy, don’t bother. Don’t fight nature, work with it.”

Thelymitra sp.'Ongerup' (Orange Sun Orchid) captured in Porongurup.

Photo: Sophie Xiang

Sophie explains the life of an orchid is fleeting, lasting just four weeks; and the sun orchid in full bloom is even more elusive — only open if the weather is just right, with the sun shining and the air warm.

“It was a sunny day, so I said ‘I’m coming!’

I do this every now and then. You just do it because you love it.”

We were incredibly fortunate to catch the blue sun orchid in bloom that day at Yeagarup Dunes and the fascination with which Sophie pored over its delicate

Another tip from Sophie — angles are your best friend. Sophie says shooting upward is a nice option when it means contrasting the colours of the flower against the beautiful blue, Australian sky.

Bird’s eye is a great way to capture the cylindrical symmetry of many Australian banksias, while a shot from the side is another favourite of hers.

“About a quarter turn is the best angle when taking photos of the face of people, think of a flower like a beautiful woman. You can also shoot up to make them appear tall and thin. Capture their gracefulness. Get close, get detail. The details tell the story.”

Also keep it simple, Sophie says.

Minimise background clutter to avoid overwhelming the viewer with information and let your subject, the flower, shine. Rather than trying to zoom, get close to capture the details, avoiding a loss of quality.

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A talented creative, Sophie also produces art prints out of her photography. Sophie exhibits at markets occasionally and her work is also available online at redbubble. com/people/SophieXiang/shop

A bird’s eye angle capturing the details and perfect symmetry of the Banksia coccinea.

Photo: Sophie Xiang

Sophie’s top tip? Research and experiment. Get to know your phone, or camera, features.

All in all, I learned a lot from meeting Sophie, but what stuck with me most was her infectious passion. She’s proof that at any moment in life you may stumble across something that captivates you far more than expected, and with the right attitude and a willingness to learn, it may just bloom into something exceptional.

Thysanotus multiflorus.

Photo: Sophie Xiang

Sophie’s first ever sold photo print, featuring Eucalyptus rhodantha.

Photo: Sophie Xiang

Eucalyptus macrocarpa in buds stages.

Photo: Sophie Xiang

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Sophie’s Top Phone Photography Tips 1. Get to know your phone features and settings. Decide what settings to make default — voice commands, grid lines, and video stabilisation are examples to consider.

7. Don't be afraid to explore different perspectives. Photos from different angles like worm’s eye view, bird’s eye view and side views can give greater detail.

2. Your camera’s 4:3 is the best option for a quality photo.

8. Composition is what will make you stand out from the crowd. Use grid lines to help you apply the rule of thirds to your image and aim for simplicity, balance and grace. The easiest way to know if you’ve achieved quality composition is to determine if you’d be happy to hang this picture on your wall before taking the shot!

3. Hold your camera with two hands when taking a photo, press the shutter button gently. Using voice command is ideal for sharp photos as it avoids time delay and allows you to maintain a firm grip with both hands.

4. Get close to your subject and don't overdo the zoom.

5. Tap the screen where you would like to focus on — in autofocus mode (AF).

6. Control exposure by tapping your phone then holding your finger on the screen and dragging the sunshine bar up and down to change autoexposure (AE).

9. Become a naturalist and observer.

Follow the life cycle of plants. Take photos of different stages of its life and showcase the character that grabs your attention. Invite in birds, insects, raindrops. They are part of nature and add so much to the story of your photos.

10. Enjoy your creative journey. Follow your own path. Enjoy your travels and meet other people along the way. Let your friendships blossom. If you find your passion you are very lucky. Keep learning; creating; challenging yourself to keep your passion going.

0

w i 2 Caladenia exilis (Moora Spider Orchid).

Hakea laurina.

Photo: Sophie Xiang

Photo: Sophie Xiang

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BEFORE YOU GO BUSH GO TO Over 30 Years Family Owned and Operated

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With over 40 years experience teaching Outback Survival, Bob Cooper has produced what he calls the ‘Trilogy for Survival’.

Along with enough water, Bob believes every time you go bush, no matter what form of transport, these three items should accompany you in case something doesn’t go to plan and you’re in an emergency situation – anywhere.

A quality Three stretch elastic bandages. Quality survival blanket. emergency/survival kit. Multiple uses and first aid.

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OUTBACK SURVIVAL with BOB COOPER

The Magnificent Nuytsia Floribunda

H

ello there, fellow explorers! Bob Cooper, your Outback Survival expert, is back with a captivating tale of an extraordinary tree. Let's delve into the enchanted world of the Nuytsia Floribunda, also known as the Western Australian Christmas Tree!

Now, why would a tree be associated with Christmas, you might ask? Well, that's because this remarkable tree blooms with vibrant orange flowers around the holiday season, filling the air with a sense of joy and wonder. In the native language, it is called “moojar” or “kaanya tree”, and for the Nogoga people, it holds deep spiritual significance, representing their sacred beliefs.

Here's a fun fact for you: the Nuytsia Floribunda is mainly pollinated by beetles.

These tiny insects work tirelessly among the blossoms, ensuring that the tree continues its cycle of life. It's a beautiful example of the delicate balance between nature's creatures and the plants that depend on them.

But that's not all that makes this tree special. Did you know that the root

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system of the Nuytsia Floribunda is actually edible? Yes, you heard that right! The outer layers of the root can be a nourishing source of sustenance in times of need. However, it's important to remember to always ask for permission before digging up roots, especially on private property.

If you ever find yourself in a survival situation where you need to rely on the root of a Nuytsia Floribunda for food, make sure that your effort in digging equals at least twice the yield. It's crucial to be mindful of the delicate balance of nature and only take what is necessary for your survival.

Now, let's talk about the distinctive nickname earned by this magnificent tree — The Christmas Tree. Its abundance of yellow and red flowers truly earns it this playful title. The Australian Christmas Tree stands tall and proud in Western Australia, adding a splash of colour to the sandy landscape.

hand at sifting through the soft sand or soil around its base. You might uncover the edible root, or simply practice your survival skills. Remember, exploration is about embracing the wonders of the wild and continuously learning from the natural world around us.

So, my adventurous friends, as we approach the holiday season or face any challenge that comes our way, let's draw inspiration from the Nuytsia Floribunda.

Just like this extraordinary tree blooms in the harshest of conditions, may we find resilience, strength, and the ability to adapt to whatever life throws our way.

Keep the spirit of exploration alive, stay curious, and never stop learning from the wonders of the wild!

If you ever come across a Nuytsia Floribunda in your explorations, try your

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FISHY BUSINESS with JOHN BORMOLINI

On the hunt for the humble and delicious squid More often than not, anglers become preoccupied with the more glamourous forms of fishing and chasing iconic, highly rated, species. Doing so can mean neglecting some of the simpler, humble angling pursuits that deserve a place in your fishing repertoire.

Squidding is a great example.

C

hasing these simple but delicious cephalopods is great fun and relatively straightforward technique-wise.

It won’t take long to get the hang of cleaning and preparing them once you’ve nabbed a few.

Squid are extremely fast growing and have a short life cycle. They’re constant hunters and ambush predators, targeting prawns and small fish within places of hiding. Amazingly fast over short distances, they can be surprisingly quick in both directions, not simply propelling backwards as many people think.

The best places to target (either from shore or from a boat) is where there is some form of cover or structure. Rocky areas with weed, sea grass meadows, reef — anywhere where a squid can camouflage and lie in wait. The most productive sessions however will always come from the advantage of being on a boat, covering large areas, on a steady drift over broken, weedy bottom.

The gear doesn’t need to be sophisticated. A small spinning reel matched to a light rod with a good quality swivel at the end to stop line twist

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before tying (or clipping) on a squid jig.

Squid jigs are purpose-built squid lures, designed largely to imitate a prawn and with a series of barbs or prongs on the back end to hook the squid’s tentacles.

They come in all manner of colours and perfected styles but typically all have a small lead “keel” to keep them swimming straight when retrieved and to allow them to sink down below the surface.

Most inshore squid are found anywhere from a metre to fifteen metres in depth so a heavier jig will work better in deeper water and the opposite if working areas from two to five metres deep.

The Japanese have perfected squid fishing over centuries and still produce the best quality jigs. Colour is often dictated by personal preference and the conditions on the day. Experimenting a little with different patterns often turns up a particular pattern or colour that seem to be the preference depending on whether it is overcast or bright and sunny.

I tend to like the yellows when it comes to colour although on certain days dark, almost black patterns can be irresistible.

There’s no great science to how to lure them. Casting out and slowly retrieving will often work. Some people flick the rod tip occasionally to imitate a prawn swimming but usually if there’s a squid around and hungry, they’ll come running.

They’ll show interest and spot a jig quickly because they have incredible eyesight.

It doesn’t always mean they’ll attack immediately. It's hard to know why but it is certainly more common when the water is crystal clear and the squid are wary. If an interested squid swims up but then backs away, always cast out back behind it and retrieve again. Many squid get caught on the second or third cast when they eventually decide to take it.

Sometimes even just allowing the jig to sink further is enough to do the trick The mornings before the sun gets too high or else late afternoon always produce better. In the north, time of day seems to matter far less and squid can appear at any time as you’re fishing for something else. For that reason, it always pays to have a squid rod armed and

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ready to reach for if one or two suddenly show up following your bait or lure to the surface.

Ningaloo Reef.

As opposed to the octopus, squid have two longer extending tentacles than the rest and these allow for greater reach when attacking its prey. This is often where they’re hooked and the best approach when the weight of a squid can be felt on the rod is to simply retrieve slowly with steady pressure because they may be only lightly attached to the jig. Lift them into the boat or onshore preferably into a bucket and DON’T point them at someone else (unless there’s a squid war happening between the crew). Squid shoot ink and considerable distances.

Once in your clothes it won’t come out so make sure its old shirts or fishing clothes.

Where to look Safely fishable areas with reef or rock are a good place to start when searching for squid.

Around the metro area of Western Australia, Cockburn Sound, off Woodman’s Point, is one of the mostly frequented spots to squid — out from the north mole and marina entrances.

In the north of the state, areas of Shark Bay, inside Ningaloo Reef, Bundegi Reef at Exmouth and around the edges and headlands of offshore islands are top spots to try. In these northern areas especially in winter, they’ll often be in groups, like a flotilla (that’s when the real fun starts).

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Cleaning squid is a bit tricky. An outside sink with plenty of running water helps to rub the outer skin off before removing the head and small internal organs.

Squid have a “feather” which is actually a translucent type of spine that has to be gripped tight and pulled out before the tube (body) can be turned inside out and washed thoroughly. Watch someone do it once and its easy from there. Essentially what should remain is the tube, the wings and the tentacles. I trim the sucker tips off but keep all three – they all taste great.

Freshly caught squid either deep fried or lightly dusted in a pan are one of life’s simple but delicious pleasures.

Accompanied by a crisp, cold glass of Semillon Blanc and the whole day rounds out perfectly.

130 | Western 4W Driver #128 | western4wdriver.com.au

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Dometic Cadac Safari Chef Outdoor BBQ

G

et ready for summer with this nifty all-in-one BBQ. Dare we call it a Weber slayer!? Why do we think that??

Well first, it comes with four different cooking configurations, plus the ability to add more on. Second, it weighs just 4.7kg and packs flat thanks to legs that fold up and under itself and in a package that is just 440mm in diameter and only 400mm high. Third, it uses low pressure gas, meaning it is miserly on the gas while giving great flame control. And last but not least, the price!! At time of publication just $289 at Go Camping & Overlanding in Balcatta.

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GEAR TO GO CAMPING

Universal Knife Guard by Nosh

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t might seem simple, but how often do you see a knife rattling around the drawer in the back of the van or camper? Well hopefully it's not yours, but it is common and not only is there a cutting risk, every time it rattles against another bit of metal your beautiful cutting tool is becoming more and more blunt — and as the saying goes, a blunt knife is a dangerous knife.

The universal knife guard is designed to prolong the life of blade edges, stop you from cutting yourself as you reach in to grab your favourite blade and it works with steel and ceramic knives of any width and up to 26cm long — knives not included.

Less than $10 from Go Camping & Overlanding, Erindale Road, Balcatta.

Barebones Edison Light Stick

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nother beautiful collectable camping piece from Barebones.

The Edison Light Stick might be inspired by vintage lighting, but at its heart it is high tech, with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and an adjustable output up to 145 lumens.

Different eye-catching modes sit amongst its brass, copper and leather components. Think a fine wine, single malt scotch, leather bound books and a chesterfield sofa ... they are all in good company with the Edison Light Stick.

A whisker under a $100, but stocks are limited.

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Living the dream!

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Puffy Pizza Bites

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s you are all probably aware by now, one of my common answers when curious folk ask me, “So just what can you cook in a camp oven?” will always be, “Whatever you can cook in your oven at home.’’

Whether it is a fruit cake, pasties or scones, a camp oven is just so much more than a big stew pot that occasionally gets used to cook a roast and have a go at a damper.

During my travels and stints of outback catering, usually cooking for up to 20 people out of a trailer on the side of an outback track somewhere, I have thankfully learnt a thing or two, and one of those things is that puff pastry cooks incredibly well in a camp oven, can be safely stored in a fridge, and does not have to be frozen, for about 10 days.

So, making things like sausage rolls for lunch at Carawine Gorge in the Pilbara and fresh quiche on the beach at Dirk Hartog Island is absolutely possible. The only thing I would recommend you invest in to do your baking is a barbecue temperature gauge, as temperature control and prediction is quite necessary to turn out a quality product.

CLEWED UP with JO CLEWS Puffy Pizza Bites

cheese and half a cup of chopped spinach or kale.

You will need: 2 sheets of puff pastry straight out of the fridge or freezer 3 tablespoons of tomato paste 1 teaspoon oregano

With a sharp knife or a pizza cutter cut the pastry parcel into 16 pieces, gently lift off the plastic and place on a tray that will easily fit inside your camp oven.

1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese ½ cup of chopped spinach or kale ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic As most recipes state you will firstly need to get your oven ready and that can be your caravan oven, home oven or camp oven. So, preheat your oven to at least 190 degrees Celsius.

Now the only way you will know how hot it is in your camp oven is to place charcoal, heat beads or fire coals underneath and on the lid and allow to heat up for at least 20 minutes. Place your temperature gauge inside for about five minutes before you are wanting to cook then check to see if you need to allow your oven to cool off slightly or it needs a bit more heat. Camp oven cooking is not an exact science but the gauge does make life a bit more predictable.

While your oven is heating get started with construction. Depending on the size of your camp oven you will most likely need to cook a few batches.

Place two sheets of pastry on a work surface with the plastic layer still underneath.

Mix together the tomato paste, garlic and oregano in a bowl then spread over the pastry sheet.

Evenly sprinkle on one cup of grated

Then take the second sheet of pastry and lay over the top, remove the plastic and press down the edges to flatten out a bit then sprinkle with the grated parmesan cheese.

Cook in a hot oven or camp oven of at least 190 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. These tasty morsels can be eaten hot or cold as they are or with a bit of extra tomato sauce. Enjoy.

It’s easier to work with very cold pastry so don’t let it warm up too much or it becomes difficult to handle.

Other savoury combinations are: Dijon mustard, shaved ham and mozzarella Tomato paste, ham, olives and grated cheese Basil pesto, spinach and mozzarella cheese.

A sweet version can be made with finely sliced apple and cinnamon sugar, or banana and Nutella.

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4WD CLUB FOCUS If you would like your club featured in our 4WD Club Focus, please email admin@western4wdriver.com.au

Southwest Coast Beach Run

BY DANIEL BEDO — SUBARU 4WD CLUB OF WA

Subaru 4WD Club of WA member Daniel Bedo shares a snippet of a day out with his Subaru on a coastal trip with the club.

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his was the largest club trip I have experienced – 24 cars! Such a number made convoy procedure important to follow to get everyone to the destination.

The convoy extended over two kilometres with radio reception poor at the end in places.

The drive through Mandurah inevitably split the convoy further at traffic lights so trip leader Adrian slowed down allowing others to catch up. Adrian made sure there was enough space for airing down by forming a double line of cars on arrival

at White Hills Road. There were many new members, so Adrian gave essential advice on driving technique over the radio often and as needed.

I was amused by the intricacies of turning off stability control in different models and reminders to repeat every time the car was started. It was not relevant to my car, the oldest in the group, which lacks this feature, but has low range.

We set off in beautiful sunny weather along what turned out to be a smooth well-packed beach making driving easy

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Air-down.

and enjoyable. Continuing to Preston Beach with increasing confidence, cars were wandering over all parts of the beach being careful to avoid several groups of people camped for fishing. I stopped to ask a fisherman if any luck; he had indeed caught a snapper that morning.

We raised curiosity with so many small vehicles passing the “heavies”. The conditions were easier than past runs I have been on, and the new members were cautioned about thinking they could now go anywhere.

Continuing on to Myalup, we parked up with tailgates facing the sea breeze at about 1.15pm for lunch. The breeze was stronger now but still pleasantly cooling.

I had my rod with me and tried casting a lure to tempt my luck but had no strikes.

This section was a little softer, needing more care and technique. However there didn't seem to be any problems and the earlier practice emboldened some drivers to increase speed and coverage of the beach to the extent that they challenged Ross's lead. Ross cut that off, but we barrelled on in ragged formation to Myalup to pump up tyres and depart for home.

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About Subaru 4WD Club of WA Club President David Peck

Subaru 4WD Club was founded in 1979 and stands as one of the oldest 4WD clubs in Western Australia. It distinguishes itself by exclusively featuring Subarus, with models such as Foresters, Outbacks, and XVs predominantly within its ranks.

The club objectives are to promote safe and responsible handling of Subaru 4WD and AWD vehicles. It provides its members and their families with a diverse array of social and recreational activities, while helping to safely obtain the most from their car. The club is also dedicated to introducing members to new locales, thereby fostering an appreciation for, and the conservation of, the natural environment.

As a family-friendly and inclusive entity, the Subaru 4WD Club maintains an active schedule, organising day excursions, weekend getaways, and extensive tours throughout the state and beyond. These outings are crafted with the intention of showcasing the region's scenic landscapes and wildlife, engaging in photography, exploring sites of historical or cultural significance, or simply enjoying a retreat among friends.

The club also participates in projects that yield positive environmental or cultural impacts, collaborating with agencies such as DBCA, Track Care WA, Citizen Science, and other organisations. Many of the club’s expeditions involve 4W driving to access more secluded areas, where

seasoned club members share their expertise in 4W driving and camping with newer members.

In celebration of its 40th anniversary in 2019, the club embarked on a remarkable journey. They were invited to the 4WD Association gathering in Karratha, and inspired by a member’s aspiration to traverse the Simpson Desert, they organised an ambitious trek. Recalling a previous Anne Beadell Highway and Simpson Desert crossing in 2009, they chose the Anne Beadell Highway as their return route from the Simpson Desert.

The celebratory voyage was named the '5 Deserts Trip', for it meandered through the Great Sandy Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Simpson Desert, Sturt Stony Desert, and the Great Victoria Desert. The expedition spanned approximately 9,000 kilometers, with around 6,000 of those on unpaved tracks, and featured five Foresters and one Outback crossing the Simpson Desert.

2023 Club Highlights Trip of the Year Quobba Astronomy Adventures Social Trip of the Year There be Giants There Future Plans for the Club Trip plans for 2024 include exploring National Parks east of Esperance, the Gibb River Road and Darwin, Queensland, Cape York returning via Central Queensland, Strzelecki Track and Eyre Peninsula.

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You’ve won a Red Roads Strike Hammer & Peg Set valued at $100, from

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W

ell, I’ll be darned. You don’t see many of those …

I mean I’ve seen dot paintings of the outback for years — and some of them are pretty fascinating art. But I’ve never seen one with a 4WD car and a camping trailer in the middle of it. I guess even artists have to move with the times, eh?

This beauty was made by John at Mackenzie Gorge on the Connie-Sue Highway.

Say what you will about drones in the modern world — as long as they are not buzzing you at the local park or dropping

munitions on your head, they can be a wonderful way of seeing the world anew, and showing it to the rest of the groundbound people.

They even surpass the aerial photos taken from a piloted plane — these rarely come down low enough to get the sort of art that the drones can make. Oh, there have been books printed of marvellous views of the coastlines and rivers … but the pilots

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are ordered by the law to fly above certain height — the drone photographers are ordered to stay below that.

The camper trailer’s unhitched, the tail

Look at the interesting dichotomy in the image — the small cream dots on the lower right and the big rough trees in the upper left - and that red rock edge separating them. It is really a threedimensional image and the ragged diagonal makes it.

Or peering desperately into a phone

I’m not good enough at aerial recon to identify the make of 4WD but I see the driver’s prepared for getting bogged — there’s an orange rescue ramp on top.

gate’s down, and that might be the drone pilot sitting on it having a cup of tea. or tablet trying to figure if it is a good time to press the shutter button. We can assure them that it is — this is one of the best straight down shots we’ve seen for a long time. It doesn’t need surf or crashing waves (and not likely to get them in that spot …) to enchant the eye.

Keen-eyed readers may wish to search the image until they spot the moose.

Send us a photo FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A PRIZE from Email photos to: submissions@western4wdriver.com.au

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SMART PHOTOGRAPHY with KARL FEHLAUER

Smartphone Accessories Recently I upgraded to a Samsung S23 Ultra Smartphone and one of the reasons for doing so was for its low light capabilities (see Edition 126). With Apple having released their new iPhone 15, boasting low light capabilities that equal the Samsung (so I hear), let’s discuss how to make the most of these low light capabilities with handy accessories on the market.

T

he first accessory that you should consider getting, especially if you want to use your camera in low light conditions, or for long exposures, is a decent tripod. The tripod doesn’t have to be anything super special or large as it only has to hold the weight of the smartphone as opposed to holding a Example tripod.

DSLR camera; however, the better the quality of the tripod the better it will do the job.

What I like about the tripod I use (the K&F Concept S210, retailing at about $129) is that it gives a firm base but is lightweight and folds down to a very small size. One piece of advice when buying a tripod, is to make sure that it has decent / firm legs that lock into position well and doesn’t shake in the wind, otherwise your images will be blurry and negates the reason why you bought it in the first place.

An option to the normal style of tripod is a ‘Gorilla’ Pod. These pods are made Gorilla Pod.

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with segmented legs and are generally smaller in size, usually less than 40cm in height and are very lightweight. What makes them interesting is that they can be used as a normal tripod but also the segmented legs can be wrapped around objects to give them better stability and increased height.

Once you have your tripod (or Gorilla Pod) the next accessory you will need is some sort of smartphone holder for your tripod.

This accessory holds your phone in place on the tripod. There are many different types of smartphone holders available and they range in price from cheap, basic plastic to expensive aluminium. Some of them use spring lock pressure to hold the smartphone in place, whereas others use a locking clamp solution, each has their pros and cons and basically it will come down to your preference and budget as to the one that you choose. I use the Neewer Smartphone Holder Vertical/Horizontal retailing at about $20 online.

A Samsung S21 phone holder.

Another accessory that you will find useful, especially if you shoot a lot of videos (or Hyperlapses) with your smartphone is a gimbal. Essentially, a gimbal is similar to a tripod; however, it uses electronic gyros to hold the smartphone level. There are lots of

Gimbal.

gimbals on the market and they range in price from less than a $100 for a secondhand model or exceed $400 for the top of the range examples.

A gimbal allows you to move around whilst at the same time keeping the camera level and removes the jittery up and down movement that you get when walking and filming at the same time.

One thing that you need to be aware of with gimbals is the number of accessories that you can add to the camera — such as a filter and microphone — as these will have an effect on the balance of the gimbal and increase the battery usage. Also, some gimbals don’t allow (or aren’t designed) to have an external microphone fitted and therefore you have to rely on the internal smartphone microphone with limited capabilities.

Another extremely important accessory that you need is some sort of filter/s in particular neutral density (ND) filters. The simplest way to explain what a ND filter does is to think of them as sunglasses for your camera lens. As discussed in previous articles, all smartphone lenses have fixed apertures and usually of F2.8 or wider and this means that they let in a lot of light. Therefore, you have to use extremely fast shutter speed in sunny conditions to get a balanced exposure.

By having a filter attached to the front of lens it reduces the amount of light hitting the sensor, thereby reducing the shutter speed — for video in particular this is extremely important.

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A filter is like sunglasses for your camera lense.

back on the screen and can interfere with the image on the screen.

To overcome this problem, there are some manufacturers (Momentum and Freewell for example) producing smartphone covers that utilise their filter systems, which makes fitting filters much easier.

For my Samsung S23, I have a Freewell case fitted. Their filters are magnetic, so they just clip on and off the smartphone making them easy to attach and remove.

Filters come in various styles, strengths, mounting options etc and could easily be a separate article just to discuss them; however, the most common mounting method is a clip style mount that clips to the camera and covers whichever lens you are using – see image above for the type that I use on my S21. This is a variable ND filter that clips on the front of the lens and by rotating it, I can increase or reduce the amount of filtration being applied to the image. The problem with this style is the back of the clip covers parts of the

There are many more accessories out there, but I think that the ones listed here will get you started, in particular with long exposure or low light images and will go a long way to helping you improve your images.

Anyway, that’s it for now and I hope that you have enjoyed this article and it has given you some ideas of the accessories that you may want to get.

Until the next issue, keep the shiny side up and if you can’t — get lots of photos.

With the right equipment, you too can take photos like this with your smartphone.

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If you own a 4Wdrive vehicle of any type, you’re welcome to join us. It’s where ‘experience and adventure meet’

www.tlccwa.org.au

NOW WE'RE TAWKING! Travelling Australia With Kids with MANDY FARABEGOLI

Turn your dream to travel Australia with Kids into a plan Transform your family's dream of exploring Australia into a reality.

Embrace the adventure of travelling with your children — it's entirely possible with determination and planning. Our two-year journey around Australia in a caravan, with three kids in tow, proved that long road trips can be incredibly rewarding and bring families closer.

T

o tackle the challenge of keeping kids engaged during lengthy drives, we mixed education with entertainment.

The car became a classroom for short bursts of learning — spelling, maths, and even language lessons — punctuated by family fun time with music, drawing, and unscheduled stops at parks and local sights. These experiences not only filled the hours but also enriched our children’s education and family bonds.

First though, in this issue, let’s look at one of the age-old complaints — the time in the car. Let’s face it, with Australia being sooooo huge, there is a lot of time spent in the car.

So, let’s unravel the secret to prevent kids from complaining about the long hours on the road — It’s pretty basic really … keep the journey interesting!

We used to break up the travelling hours into different segments. Some school time, some general family fun time, free time and food time! And somehow, it seemed to make the trip not only go smoothly but go quicker!

Let’s learn Obviously, being cooped up in a car for hours may seem like a challenge, but by turning it into a mobile classroom it can kill two birds with one stone. It takes up some time and gets some schoolwork out of the way at the same time.

In fact, you could also make it a learning opportunity. With so many different places and environments to explore in Australia, stopping at visitor centres along the route, and getting the older kids involved in what they might like to do at the next stop cannot only be beneficial reading-wise for them, but it gives them investment into their trip with them being part of the decisionmaking process. The route you travel

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the twists and turns of the road adding to their artistic licence! Another 30 minutes of time gone before they realise it.

Music was also a big part of our fun time, with each member of the family choosing a song for us all to endure …. I mean enjoy!

Haha, but it does expand everyone’s musical knowledge.

Take a break

can supplement your children's learning journey as they look through any brochures and work out together what there is to do at the next stop and what they might like to do also.

The joy of planning and anticipation doubles the trip. So, involve the kids in planning the journey. Let them pick and choose some destinations.

Of course, next up — a break is something that is not only good for the driver but also the kids. It’s generally recommended a break every two hours, so trying to time that with an unusual sight or a local play park is a great strategy.

Sometimes stopping at places that you had no intention of stopping at, can be a real surprise and whilst not on the ‘travel must-see list’ often there will be something to see or do. Remember, the journey itself is part of the adventure, not just the destination.

Sharing and remembering moments of the previous place you visit, will help store it in their long-term memories and will be the moments your kids will remember the most in the future.

We also used to do 10-minute spurts of spelling and mental maths and 15 minutes of learning a language online!

By breaking up the school time into smaller segments, it can really help.

They would all also repeat their ageappropriate timestables and by the end of our travels my six-year-old knew all of them because he’d listened to the older kids repeat theirs.

Get creative Then comes family fun time, where you can encourage their creative side during the long drives. Pack some drawing and colouring materials, a travel tray each and who knows, and you might end up with a series of beautiful landscape art based on their interpretations from the backseat,

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hiccups will later turn into family tales to laugh about round the campfire.

Snack time Food. The universal pacifier. Our three children had a lunch box each packed with some lunch and snacks. Pack more snacks than you think you need, with a mix of crunchy vegetables, carrot and celery sticks, fruit, nuts and chips. A nice mix and again and before you know it, another 30 minutes gone.

Laugh it off It’s also important to remain realistic.

Not every day will run as smoothly as you hope. Patience will be tested, tantrums will be thrown, try in the most part to think it all as part of the adventure. These

The bonding that occurs whilst you travel Australia with your kids is priceless. As I say, my three are young adults now and share such a strong bond that I put down to being on the road and living in such close quarters for two years. Every now and then they get out the diaries that they wrote and drew in (or attempted to as young kids) all those years ago and remember together their trip. I love that!

By embarking on such an adventure, you'd be setting an example for your kids.

You'd teach them to be brave, to step out of their comfort zones, to adapt to whatever you are presented with in the moment you are in, and you will come back home knowing that you explicitly chose to introduce your kids to travelling young, to the love of Australia. It really was the best decision we ever made.

I hope I have encouraged you to turn your dream into a plan and start that today.

It’s not luck, it’s a decision.

150 | Western 4W Driver #128 | western4wdriver.com.au

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THE TRUSTY TOOLBOX Have any burning questions about 4WDs or WA destinations causing you a headache or just tickling your curiosity?

Send them our way and one of our ‘brains trust’ experts will have it covered.

How much weight can I tow an electric brake system?

tall in my 4WD before I need to ins

Josh The national rule of thumb/law with towing and trailers/caravans and the like is that anything towed and weighing under 750kg doesn’t need trailer brakes, whereas anything heavier will.

because the payload that the vehicle can carry often ends up on a knife-edge when it comes to the GCM (Gross Combination Mass), leaving no redundancy up your sleeve.

Depending on what it is that you are towing and assuming it is over the 750kg marker, it’ll either come with a cableactivated override system, a hydraulic override system or an electric brake set-up. That will be the ultimate arbiter on whether or not you need to install an electric brake controller.

Redundancy is good, especially when towing something at around 2,500kg will be a much less butt-clenching experience, rewarding you with a vehicle that can accelerate and overtake, a vehicle that can stop in a reasonable distance, not have an overly saggy suspension and therefore steer more predictably and less likely to break things.

Weight is the enemy and I can tell you after years of travel, you don’t need everything and the kitchen sink!

The other thing worth mentioning is that the stated towing capacities listed by vehicle makers, are, in my opinion, wildly optimistic. Any of the typical dual-cab utes flagging a 3,500kg towing capacity are setting up a buyer with a potential fail,

David Wilson, Adventure 4WD

152 | Western 4W Driver #128 | western4wdriver.com.au

I’m going on a trip up north in

June. First time to the Kimberley. What do you reckon I might need in terms of vehicle modifications? What are som e common problems to keep in mind? Or tips?

Paul

As far as a few vehicle mods go, tyres would be at the top of our list. You can’t go wrong with a set of new (or nearly new) all terrain tyres to cover a range of road conditions that you’ll face in the Kimberley. Expect everything from bitumen, sharp rocks and gravel, to rutted out two-wheel tracks with a bit of mud thrown into the mix. Your normal highway tyres just won’t do the job. It would also be a good idea to carry an air compressor and tyre repair kit to adjust your pressures for road/track conditions. In the unlikely event you do cop a puncture, the plug kit and compressor will get you out of trouble and not leave you stranded. If you’re planning to travel the Gibb River Road, the corrugations can be a killer.

So having good suspension here is the key to smoothing out that ride as much as possible. You won’t want to blow a shocker or break a spring!

Common problems we consistently see include overweight 4x4s, vehicles running incorrect tyre pressures, and 4x4s simply travelling too fast for the conditions. All these have consequences, and it can be a very costly exercise if you need to be recovered and towed out.

For our top three tips for your first time to the Kimberley, start with some good maps. This could include good ol’ paper maps, a GPS, or a guidebook (or all three in our case). For communications, not all areas have mobile coverage so a sat phone will have you well covered.

And book ahead during peak season to avoid any disappointment. As big as the Kimberley is, it can get very busy! Enjoy the trip, and we may see you there.

Grant & Linda, My Aussie Travel Guide

Ask us a question about 4WDs or WA destinations!

Email submissions@western4wdriver.com.au

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 128 | 153 #

QUARTERLY CROSSWORD Read the mag cover to cover and you'll have no problems solving this puzzle.

ACROSS 5. WA ghost town 8. Irishman to spark Kalgoorlie goldrush 9. Distress signal 11. Coastal hamlet in WA’s South West 13. Karijini NP swimming hole 15. 58-metre giant karri 16. Road undulations 18. Nuytsia Floribunda 21. Aussie slang for irritating insect

DOWN 1. Coals 2. Mundatharrda 3. Incendiary, hazardous 4. Controls flow of fuel 6. The plain connecting WA with SA. 7. Australian wildflower 10. Treasure hunting 12. “Let’s Go Places” 14. Hunter in the sky 17. Portable home 19. Cephalopod 20. Easily stored

1

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3 4

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9

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11

12 13

14

15 16 17 18

19

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21

Answers will be published in the Autumn edition of Western 4W Driver

154 | Western 4W Driver #128 | western4wdriver.com.au

Crossword solution from Spring Edition #127 J B O F O G S H H B P E N S I A D F H N D E N I M W A L L Y D O W L I N G A V Y L F A X I N L E S T O C K L D N O X K D I E B A C K J A W I F E A R A T T R A C K C A R E W A C N A W E L L I N G T O N D A M G E I P S S L L E N N A R D T R A C K Y A O L R R O L P G N A M M A I J I M N Y D N U K S

western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 128 | 155 #

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Expiry

Your quick-find reference to products and services in Western 4W Driver ACCOMMODATION Karijini Eco Retreat................................................ 95 Mackeral Islands..................................................... 95 Onslow Beach Resort.......................................... 95 Queen of the Murchison..................................143 APPS Pilbara East................................................................. 89 BATTERIES/BATTERY SYSTEMS Goodchild Enterprises........................................ 96 Redarc.............................................................................33 BRAKES Bendix...........................................................................102 CAMPERS/CARAVANS & TRAILERS 4xploring Rentals................................................... 86 Camper Trailers WA............................................. 135 Off Road Equipment............................................141 CAMPING SUPPLIES Bob Cooper Outback Survival......................122 Go Camping and Overlanding.....................132 CLUBS Toyota LandCruiser Club of WA..................147 COMMUNICATION Icom...............................................................................125 DESTINATIONS Golden Quest Discovery Trail......................... 69 Outback Ranges to Reef Road Trip........... 95 Pilbara East................................................................. 89 Shire of Upper Gascoyne.................................. 85 4WD PARTS & ACCESSORIES Goldfields Offroad...................................................17 Make Tracks WA.................................................... IFC Maxtrax........................................................................IBC Medicar Automotive Solutions..................... 97 Off Road Equipment ..........................................141 Supafit Seat Covers...............................................151 Ultimate9....................................................................105

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western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver 128 | 159 #

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160 | Western 4W Driver #128 | western4wdriver.com.au

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