Western 4W Driver #134 Winter 2025

134th EDITION Winter 2025

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WESTERN 4W DRIVER 134th EDITION Winter 2025

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CONTENTS ADVENTURES

Edition 134 | Winter 2025

Following Leichhardt

Ron and Viv Moon journey across Queensland and the Northern Territory

following the route of Ludwig Leichhardt's 1844 expedition .................................................................................................................................. 6

Wolfe Creek Crater

Colin Kerr heads north to this memorable meteorite crater ............................................................................................................................. 24

Sensational Shelter Bay

Matt Payne takes us to one of his favourite 4WD camping spots .................................................................................................................. 30

Pilbara Backroads

Jane Pelusey reveals that the true magic of the Pilbara often lies beyond the main roads .................................................... 38

Taking the Plunge into Unseen Karijini

Chad van Heemst adventures into the restricted areas of Karijini National Park ............................................................................ 50

Left of Centre

Grant and Linda Hanan take us through the red centre on the Great Central Road ................................................................... 66

24

6 38

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94

66

FEATURES Toyota Tundra Lands Down Under

Ultimate Ute Access

Matt Payne puts the vehicle through its paces ........ 16

Product Review ....................................................................................... 90

Uncovering the Lost History of Australia's Largest Ghost Town

Prue Kerr looks at these bright-eyed and

Hello Possums!

Kanowna, in the WA goldfields is a

must-visit location ............................................................................... 55

The Story of Fred Merton & Mertondale

bushy-tailed creatures ................................................................... 94

Sky & Sea

Photo Essay by Rob Gaff ................................................................ 98

Making the Switch

The life and legend of one of WA's more

colourful characters ......................................................................... 58

Beach Detecting Made Easy!

Product Review .................................................................................. 108

Portable Powerhouse

Product Review .................................................................................. 114

Discover the best metal detecting technology to unearth lost coins, jewellery, and relics along our

iconic beaches and beyond ......................................................... 76

Better Access & Carrying Maxtrax Product Review .................................................................................. 118

Boom Time

Experience Broome's natural bounty with Kimberley Cultural Adventures ................................................ 84

REGULARS The Front Matter ................................................................... 4

Capture the Moment ............................................ 142

The Things You See! ................................................ 122

Smart Photography ................................................ 144

Bush Mechanics .............................................................. 124

Now We're TAWKing! ............................................ 148

Country Stargazing .................................................. 126

Goings On ................................................................................... 152

Outback Survival .......................................................... 129

Crossword Puzzle ......................................................... 154

Fishy Business .................................................................... 132

Subscriptions ....................................................................... 158

Gear to Go Camping ............................................... 136

Directory ....................................................................................... 159

Clewed Up .................................................................................. 140

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 134: Editor Brayden Edwards Graphic Design Karen Morton Content Brayden Edwards Michael Collins Advertising Brayden Edwards brayden@western4wdriver.com.au Matt Clarke matt@western4wdriver.com.au Natalie Du Preez natalie@vanguardpublishing.com.au Administration Steve Larcombe Sally van Heemst Printing Vanguard Print

Cover image: Crossing the Mitchell River near present day Highbury Station

by Ron & Viv Moon

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.

A

h, winter in the west! The nights are crisp, and the billy’s on the boil—the Jetboil, that is! And there’s no better time to settle in around a crackling fire with a hearty yarn or two. Whether you’re parked up beneath the ghost gums or planning your next getaway from the comfort of home, Edition 134 has you covered from track to tale.

This season’s issue is chock-full of stories that’ll have you dreaming, laughing, reminiscing—and maybe even diverting your next trip. We’ve gone far and wide, from the deep gulf country to the craggy cliffs of Steep Point, with a few stops in some unexpected places along the way.

We kick off with a true outback odyssey in Following Leichhardt, as Ron and Viv Moon retrace one of Australia’s most ambitious expeditions. It’s a dusty, determined journey that blends history, hardship, and hauntingly beautiful landscapes. Their tribute to a lost explorer is nothing short of epic.

Matt Payne takes the wheel (and occasionally the shovel) in his review of the powerhouse Toyota Tundra, navigating highways, soft sand, and the occasional ego bruise at Lancelin Dunes. If you’ve ever wondered whether size matters when it comes to off-road muscle, Matt has a few thoughts to share, most of them entertaining. Also check out his Offroad Animal Ute Tray Slide!!

Matt also finds an amazing sunset and the perfect camping experience at Shelter Bay, the jewel just south-east of Steep Point. His awesome article will have you booking your site faster than you can say “offshore breeze and pink snapper.” Think calm waters, campfire mackerel, and unforgettable sunsets—pure WA magic.

Colin Kerr goes cosmic in Wolfe Creek Crater, trading horror film flashbacks for geological awe. Forget Mick Taylor and his spine-chilling chuckle—this is the real

Edition 134 Winter 2025

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THE FRONT MATTER with Michael (Spike) Collins

Wolfe Creek, and Colin’s take will have you more fascinated than fearful. With ancient impact scars, dreamtime legends, and crater walks that won’t end in a thriller plot twist, it’s a place that’s more otherworldly than ominous (though maybe keep the car keys close, just in case…).

Also discovering a new side to the Pilbara is Chad van Heemst, who explores the oftenunseen wonders of Karijini National Park on Spacechameleon Adventure tours. With natural waterslides, steep gorges, and a few leaps of faith, this is not one for the faint-hearted!

For those who like their travels a little more whimsical, Left of Centre by Linda and Grant Hanan is just the ticket. Full of quirk, heart, and dusted with dry humour, this tale proves that getting off the beaten track is sometimes the best way to find something unforgettable. Discover the diversity that makes this route so, so special, and get on the Great Central Road soon before it's completely sealed. Grant also installs a new ‘AUXBEAM’ panel into his vehicle!

Settle in for a golden yarn in The Story of Fred Merton and Mertondale, where Luke Clatworthy uncovers the life and legend of one of WA’s more colourful characters. It’s a compelling blend of history and intrigue that proves the outback isn’t short on mystery.

Luke also does a little beach detecting!

And if you fancy a touch of magic, Prue Kerr delivers just that in Hello Possums, a sweet and thoughtful reflection that will make you smile, ponder, and perhaps spot your next furry campsite visitor a little differently.

On the heritage trail, Scott Wilson takes us back in time to Kanowna, Australia’s largest ghost town. With storytelling as rich as the gold once mined there, his feature reveals the passion and people behind the Eastern Goldfields Historical Society’s efforts to preserve a forgotten era.

Then it’s off to the outback in Pilbara Backroads with Jane Pelusey, who reminds us that sometimes the best parts of a trip are the bits between the highlights. From the warm hospitality at Bullara to the remote serenity of Cheela Plains and the towering red ridges of Tom Price, this is a love letter to the joy of the road less travelled.

And last but not least, our resident camp oven cook, the incomparable Jo Clews, clocks up 25 years of writing articles for Western 4W Driver Magazine with an old favourite, the humble sausage roll. Jo, thank you for the amazing contribution you have made to this wonderful publication. Here’s to the next 25 years!

Tara Henry from Travelling Australia With Kids’ provides us with 15 hilariously helpful tips for a life on the road with kids, and it's not 'Instagram Perfect.' Find all that and a whole lot more in this edition of Western 4W Driver.

So, wherever you are this winter—out bush, by the coast, or simply planning your next great escape—let this edition be your inspiration, your companion, and your reason to throw another log on the fire!

See you out there!

Spike

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FOLLOWING LEICHHARDT

By Ron & Viv Moon

Ludwig Leichhardt’s third expedition in 1848 vanished without a trace, probably amongst the dunes of the Great Sandy Desert in northern WA. While his second expedition was a bit of a flop, his first was an unmitigated success.

Journeying across the far reaches of Queensland and the Northern Territory, the route of his 1844 expedition is an interesting and challenging trip, even today, as Ron and Viv Moon discovered.

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 Crossing the Mitchell River near present day Highbury Station.

 The starting point Jimbour Station.

T

he station track was thick with bulldust, churned up by the bullcatching buggies and their support trucks. We were on a vast Gulf station property that was in the midst of its dry season cattle muster, but after many emails and phone calls, we had received permission to camp and look for a lonely grave marker that was a salient point of Leichhardt’s 1844 expedition.

Turning off the track, we thumped our way across a pothole-strewn plain, the

grass thick and tall and hiding all sorts of obstacles as we ploughed our way through it. Quite suddenly the thick mantle of sun-bleached grass gave way to shorter, drier pasture, cut by numerous clefts left over by the floods that had

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only recently seen these vast, flat Gulf Plains covered in over a metre of water.

Now, the country was drying out, and an expansive sea of withered grass, sprinkled with spindly trees and shrubs, cut here and there by still running streams, was interspersed with pools and lagoons dotting the surrounding area.

Our searches over the last few days, by vehicle and on foot, had been in vain. Our hunt wasn’t helped by the fact that any locations for the gravesite we had found in our research were either based on a rough sketch of a creek location or were old and tied to a forgotten datum in grid reference format, while others, seemingly more recent with the locations in latitude and longitude, varied amongst them by up to 10km!

 The author at Dogwood Creek which Leichhardt had followed early on in his expedition.

Finally, using Starlink, we spoke to the manager of the station, and his words were like a salve to our wounded and frustrated pride. “Yeah, I’ve seen that gravesite when I flew over it mustering,” he said, continuing, “Never been to it, but I should be able to find it on the ground— I’ll see you on Sunday.”

True to his word, the manager was now in front of us, leading us through the maze of broken ground and confused waterways on his Honda bike, zigzagging his way to our hard-to-find goal. While he had never been to our objective by vehicle, his knowledge and memory of the country were near photographic, and his insight was bringing our four-day search to a fitting climax.

We were mere metres away from the small monument before we saw it, the four star-pickets weathered by nearly 40 years of tropical storms and dry seasons, nearly invisible amongst the grass and scrawny scrub. It gives added testimony, if we hadn’t already realised, to how difficult it is to find an isolated marker in this seemingly immeasurable

 Author (left) and station manager, Carl, at the marked site of Gilbert's grave.

A recent flood had covered the letterbox where the visitor's book was in poor condition.

and unchanging landscape, even when you have been given some old map grid references and GPS points to lead you.

Our journey, closely following the 1844-45 Leichhardt expedition’s route, had started a few weeks earlier north of Dalby in south-east Queensland.

Leichhardt and his small party of five white men, including John Gilbert, who was 2IC to Leichhardt and the only one

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of the party with any experience in the bush, along with an African American and two Aboriginals. With a few bullocks and 17 horses, the party left the recently established Jimbour homestead, then the outer limits of European settlement in southern Queensland, in October 1844.

It was a grand plan, done on the cheap with little government help or money, to march overland to the far distant outpost—the only one on the north coast of Australia at that time—at Port Essington and the small isolated settlement of Victoria. The original sixmonth travel time kind of blew out a little, to 15 months, and it was a bedraggled group that staggered into Victoria on the 17th of December, 1845. It says much of Leichhardt’s leadership that only one man died during that time and none of his party suffered from scurvy, the scourge of early explorers and sailors.

We had it a lot easier on our expedition that followed in Leichhardt’s wake. For our small group of adventurers, the weeks that followed after we had left the stately homestead of Jimbour and the rich farming land of the Darling Downs in and

around the grand station took us through some varied and spectacular country that included sweeping plains dotted with solitary mountain peaks rearing up from the flatness to rugged gorges in the Expedition Ranges.

Elsewhere we crossed rivers and streams, such as the mighty Burdekin River below the great dam that has tamed its annual wet season torrent—but only just a little!

After investigating the verdant tropical range country in and around Leichhardt’s Valley of Lagoons, we followed the Lynd River to where it joined the large, wide, and mighty Mitchell River that cuts across the base of Cape York Peninsula.

South of that often violent and powerful river, we had finally found the marker we had so wanted to find. The rough monument marks (or is close, at least) the final resting place of John Gilbert, the great naturalist and collector of Australian fauna and flora, who lost his life here in June 1845 when Leichhardt’s party and their camp were attacked by a group of Aboriginals.

The grave, as we indicated earlier, may not be where the little monument can be

 One of our party crosses below the great cement wall of the Burdekin dam.

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 Travellers enjoy the water at Leichhardt Falls, the falls taking its name from the river named by a later expedition.

found. In fact, it could be anywhere in the surrounding area, but it is probably the best we modern explorers can expect.

Back in 1985, an Army adventure training group helped Professor B. Dalton from James Cook University, an expert on Leichhardt, locate the possible gravesite, their investigations strengthened by the use of a caesium magnetometer that helped pinpoint the dug-up and disturbed earth, even if it had been dug up 130 years previously!

Then, in the early 1990s, Glen McLaren, who subsequently gained a PhD for his work, retraced Leichhardt’s track, much of it on horseback or on a motorbike, and recorded many of the campsites of the Leichhardt party, including the camp where Gilbert was killed. There is some discrepancy between McLaren’s and Dalton’s position for the site—but as a monument erected by the Army exists, it has become the de facto position, whether correct or not. Adding influence is the slab of white marble (most obvious

from the air) and plaque added to the base of the Army’s monument by the Eacham Historical Society in 1999. By the worn and tattered visitors book, though, only a handful of people have been to this lonely spot in the last 40 years; we were bloody pleased to have made it!

The next day, with our success behind us, we headed south to Normanton and then west around the Gulf of Carpentaria, stopping for a night at the spectacular Leichhardt Falls. This is pretty much on the Gulf tourist circuit these days, and we shared the area surrounding the falls and the gorge downstream with a mix of swags, camper trailers, and off-road vans; Leichhardt’s party had crossed downstream of the falls.

The main route across the Gulf today parallels Leichhardt’s track, which is generally a little closer to the coast, and in an effort to experience the country he traversed, we headed into Seven Emu Station. This vast property, owned

by Frank Shadforth and his family, who

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of the property to his son Clarry, who, with his sons, run the property.

 Frank Shadforth, owner and TO of Seven Emu station shares a joke with the author.

are Garawa Aboriginal people from the Gulf Country, have opened part of the property up to adventurous travellers.

Seven Emu is on traditional Aboriginal lands, but Willie Shadforth, a cattle drover and horse trader, worked hard, saved hard, got lucky, and bought the station outright—for cash!—in 1953. He was one of the first known Aboriginal people to buy a pastoral lease, and he later passed the property onto his son, and in turn Frank has now handed the management

We camped here for a few days not far from where the Leichhardt party had crossed the major stream of the Robinson River, and it was while yarning to Frank that I found out about the naming of Seven Emu station, thinking initially that it had something to do with an Aboriginal dreamtime story. Frank set me straight.

"Nah, it was that bloke Leichhardt," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. "I was speaking with him back awhile, and he named the river just down the hill from here, Seven Emu, after his men had killed seven emus and they’d had a big feed." I believed most of Frank’s story!

A few days later we were saying goodbye to the flatness of the Gulf country and crossing the mighty Roper River at Roper Bar, the rocky crossing that Leichhardt had used to get his party across this major stream and into the labyrinth of rock and escarpments that we know as Arnhem Land and Kakadu.

Just up the bank from the crossing in the overgrown yards of the old police post is a monument to Leichhardt and his men.

This one was a bit of a surprise find for us, but it was just one of a number we had stumbled across on our travels in the footsteps of this famed explorer.

 Leichhardt crossed the Roper River here at Roper Bar the river named after a member of Leichhardt's party. western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver #134 |

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 Rocky country like this was a huge obstacle for Leichhardt and his men as he entered what we know as Arnhem land. Viv admires the view.

 Di Henderson amongst the spires of the Lost City in Limmen Bight NP. Leichhardt may have enjoyed the view but not the challenge ahead.

 The main road thru' the Garig Gunak Bartu NP is generally in good condition.

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Our last leg of our adventure began as we drove across the infamous Cahill Crossing, which separates Kakadu NP from Arnhem Land. Our timing for the tide was perfect, and we hardly got our wheels wet as we forded this major stream, once again close to Leichhardt’s track. Today’s route to Garig Gunak Barlu NP follows pretty closely to the explorer’s footprints, especially where the neck of land narrows before coming onto the Cobourg Peninsula itself. We followed the road to Black Point and its camping area and nearby ranger base, where we set up our little camp for a few days.

quarters being the most prominent and often photographed of all the buildings that once stood here. Leichhardt would have walked along this line of buildings during his month-long stay at Victoria,

After a day of taking it easy, we took a boat for a fast trip across Port Essington to the ruins of Victoria, the only way modern travellers are allowed to access this historic site. Surprisingly, there are more ruins to see than you’d first imagine, with the old officer’s married  Bulldust in the Gulf country can be thick.

 The author inspects the ruins of the hospital at Victoria - Leichhardt and his men would have visited this building, we're sure. western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver #134 |

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and I couldn’t help, while walking past these still standing ruins, wonder at his achievements, the rich country he had opened up for pioneer settlers to follow, while the one place that marked civilisation in his days is now slipping quietly back to nature.

INFORMATION BAY For a detailed map of Leichhardt’s 1844 route and more, visit: adb.anu.edu.au/entity/8843

Leichhardt returned to Sydney, and a couple of years later set out on his second and then third expeditions. He and his party vanished, though, on his third trip into the interior; maybe somebody, someday, will discover where that party met its end!

For more information Jimbour Station jimbour.com Seven Emu Station sevenemustation.com.au Garig Gunak Barlu NP nt.gov.au/parks/find-a-park/gariggunak-barlu-national-park

 The coastline of Cobourg Peninsula would have been a welcome sight for Leichhardt's party.

Boat trip to Victoria (Port Essington) venturenorth.com.au Want to know more?

Leichhardt’s book on the expedition is often reprinted but is available free at: gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00030.html Into the Unknown, by John Bailey, is a good read of Leichhardt’s life and first expedition.

Glen McLaren also wrote a book on his findings in relation to Leichhardt: Beyond Leichhardt: Bushcraft and the Exploration of Australia.

The definitive book on the disappearance of Leichhardt was written by Darrell Lewis: Where is Dr. Leichhardt? The greatest mystery in Australian history.

 Exploring the remote Cobourg Peninsula in Garig Gunak Bartu NP.

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TOYOTA TUNDRA

LANDS DOWN UNDER

By Matt Payne

The Tundra is an impressive-looking vehicle featuring a prominent front-end grille.

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Australia's appetite for large utes welcomes a new contender: the Toyota Tundra.

Matt Payne puts the hybridpowered behemoth through its paces, from highway cruising to a surprising encounter with the Western Australian dunes, to see if it can carve a niche in our competitive dual-cab market.

A

ustralians certainly have a love affair with dual-cab utes, and in recent years most would certainly have noticed an increased presence of the larger, full-size American variants on our roads. Ford F-Trucks have been on sale in Australia since back in the 90s, but over the past decade or so new players have entered the Australian market, with RAM bringing in its first vehicle in 2013 and later Chevrolet entering with the Silverado.

Toyota, however, have resisted the urge to stake a place in the Australian market with their large ute offering, the Tundra, which has been on sale in the US since 1999—that is, until now. Enter the 2025 Toyota Tundra, a new release for the Australian market, imported by Toyota Australia and, similar to RAM and Chevrolet, converted from left-hand drive to right-hand drive by the experts at Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Victoria.

The Tundra is powered by a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 petrol engine but also features the Toyota i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain sandwiched between this and the 10-speed automatic transmission, which is a magnet synchronous motor powered by a 288V nickel-metal hydride battery. Combined, the powertrain outputs 326 kW and a mammoth 790 Nm of torque, class-leading torque figures, but its power is not as impressive as the comparably priced RAM LTD Hurricane High Output, which comes in at a whopping 403 kW. The hybrid design is purported to improve fuel economy, helping to get the vehicle moving from a standstill and then driving the vehicle completely when coasting down hills and on flat sections of road. As soon as additional torque is required, the petrol engine is designed to instantly pick up the slack. This engine variant has already found popularity

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amongst the US customer base since being introduced, with the i-FORCE MAX powertrain variant reportedly accounting for a significant portion of sales in 2024, with over 37,000 units sold—a 22.1% increase from the previous year.

I have to admit, as a 4WD enthusiast, the large Americanstyle utes have never appealed to me purely due to their sheer size not working well with Australian tracks and the longer wheelbase not being wellsuited to off-road conditions.

This said, when Toyota WA suggested that I take the new Tundra for a couple of weeks to put it through its paces, my interest was certainly piqued, especially knowing that the 3.5L twin-turbo engine under the bonnet is related to the one found in the Lexus GX 550 and Lexus LX 600 (not the MAX version, though).

The Tundra is powered by a 3.5L V6 twin-turbo petrol engine with electric motor assist provided via a magnet synchronous motor coupled to a 288V nickel-metal hydride battery.

Arriving at Toyota HQ in Kewdale, as expected, the increased size of the vehicle compared to, say, a HiLux was immediately evident. Coming in at just under 6m long and ~2m wide, the ute is roughly 600mm longer and 200mm wider than a typical dual-cab ute. Ground clearance, however, instantly caught my eye as low, coming The dash is a clean, modern design with a centred 14-inch screen. in at 216mm, and considering the longer wheelbase (3.7m), I was additional raised i-FORCE MAX emblems worried about this for off-road use (more on either side. on this later). Visually, the Tundra is an In Australia, the Tundra comes in a impressive ute. It sits on large 20-inch single trim spec—Limited. It’s certainly alloys, has a big front-end grille, and not light on interior features, though. features a bonnet that steps up from the main body with Opening the driver’s door, your eyes are

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immediately drawn to the massive 14inch screen perched in the centre of the dash. This comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay/wired Android Auto, and connecting my phone was a simple affair.

One word to describe the cabin of the Tundra is spacious. The amount of room in the cabin is amazing; three adults could easily sit comfortably in the back seat with legroom similar to what would normally be found in a standard dualcab ute in the front. Storage is plentiful with a huge centre console featuring large cup holders and additional storage in the door trims. Front seats are firm yet comfortable; however, they are not as plush as those in the new J250 Prado Altitude that I reviewed last issue—I found they did lack some side (upper The interior of the Tundra is incredibly spacious.

back) bolstering. Both front seats feature heating and ventilation and have 8-way power adjustment included. The back seats are also quite comfortable, but the backrest is still fairly upright, something common to many dual-cab utes, and could have perhaps had some contouring worked in, similar to that found on the Ineos Grenadier.

The dash is a clean, modern design that fortunately still includes buttons for frequently used features such as climate control, meaning that you don’t need to go searching through screen menus all the time. The instrument cluster is a 12.3inch digital display that is easy to read, providing all the usual metrics you would expect, as well as boost pressure (iFORCE) and battery charge/current load (MAX).

Safety-wise, you get the usual modern inclusions like blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and an amazingly clear 360-degree camera; the blind-spot assist, however, is visual only. It would have been great to also get an audible alert, as in a vehicle this size, the blind spots are larger, and without the audible assist, it requires you to pay more attention to the small symbol integrated into the mirrors when changing lanes.

So let’s get to the good part—the engine!

Pushing the start button, you could be forgiven for thinking the Tundra has a V8 under the bonnet. The engine has a distinct V8 grumble as it roars to life, and you have three drive modes at your command to extract different throttle response and transmission shifting patterns from it (Sport, Normal and Eco). Even in Eco mode, the amount of power available is incredible, and a small amount of accelerator input results in punchy acceleration coupled with a beautiful, throaty engine note. With more accelerator input, the twin turbo intake noise can be heard as well.

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The amazing thing here, though, is that road noise is kept to an absolute minimum inside the cabin, so you really only hear the engine doing its thing as you bring the car up to speed, and by the time you hit the speed limit, it feels like the car is going slow—if I owned one of these, I would need to keep my eye on the speedometer a lot! The 10-speed automatic transmission works beautifully with the engine, never searching for gears and shifting smoothly in-between until at cruising speed.

The real icing on the cake for me, though, was the hybrid electric motor that is sandwiched in between the transmission and the petrol engine. The way this works is amazing, especially in a car of this size (2.8T). You can feel the electric motor get the Tundra moving upon initial acceleration before the petrol engine takes over, a transition that is absolutely seamless. Then, when coasting down a decline, the petrol engine shuts off (again,

no noise at all), and the battery starts to charge through regenerative braking.

You then reach the base of the decline, and if the road is flat, the Tundra then cruises along solely on the electric motor alone; it really is a surreal feeling driving such a large vehicle with effectively zero noise at all. Then, as soon as additional load is felt/power is required, the twinturbo is back on as if it had just nodded off for a momentary nap. I REALLY hope Toyota put this drivetrain into a 300 series; it is by far the best setup I have driven to date.

The ride quality is fantastic, with the double wishbone front coilovers and fourlink solid axle rear (both with stabiliser bars), coupled with the long wheelbase, effortlessly absorbing road surface imperfections. There is a little bit of body roll when throwing the car harder into turns, but nothing like, say, a twin solid axle 4WD.

The tray on the Tundra has a huge amount of usable space and comes standard with a tri-fold tonneau cover and tailgate assist.

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The Tundra is an absolute towing weapon and made light work of a 2T boat.

The full-size American utes are heavily marketed towards those who tow, so I was keen to see how the Tundra handled my 2T boat. The Tundra is rated to tow 4.5T, and as you may expect, it didn’t even break a sweat moving roughly half of this, so much so that I would genuinely say that unless I looked in the side mirrors, I wouldn’t have known there was a boat on the back. Speaking of which, the side mirrors are more than sufficient for towing, giving great vision of the boat/ trailer, and the offset view (driver’s side close, passenger side distance) integrated into them is fantastic.

Reversing my boat towards the water at the boat ramp, I was prompted to disengage rear cross traffic alert as soon as reverse was engaged, which was great and a feature the new Prado could really use. Similar to the 79 series and Prado, there are tow-specific modes integrated into the Tundra, with a Tow Haul button on the dash that is recommended for towing loads under 2,268kg and a Tow + Drive mode that is designed for heavier trailers above this weight up to the 4.5T limit. Both of these modes alter throttle response and transmission shifting

patterns, with the former designed to give more instant acceleration, while the latter is intended to hold gears longer, which enables better control during both uphill and downhill hauling with heavy loads.

I didn’t feel the need to engage either of these modes during my tow test, though—a testament to the sheer power on offer from the Tundra’s engine.

Speaking of a 4.5T limit, as the Tundra weighs just under 2.8T, its payload is only 758kg, so assuming a towball down weight of ~350kg, that only leaves you 408kg, not including passengers/gear/ accessories—just something to consider if looking at purchasing.

The Tundra really is designed for long-distance highway driving, so to put it through its paces in its home environment, I gave it an ~350km run on Indian Ocean Drive to Lancelin, back down to Safety Bay via the freeway, and then back home to the northern suburbs.

This is where the Tundra really shone. The marriage of a quiet cabin, comfortable suspension, and the hybrid powertrain just provided an amazing driving experience. When I get the chance to tow a large boat/caravan around Australia,

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the size of the Tundra, coupled with relatively low ground clearance (216mm), I opted for the safer (well, I thought it would be) option of the Lancelin sand dunes, where I could avoid pin striping.

A relatively mild section of dune had the Tundra bellied out.

The section of track that caught the Tundra out.

this is the sort of vehicle I would want for the job. I could easily see 10-12 hr days behind the wheel being something you could manage without substantial fatigue on the body.

So, are there any real negatives to this vehicle? Enter my off-road evaluation.

Normally, I would test off-road capability on typical WA sand tracks or out at Julimar for some rocky/rutted hill climbing. Given

Engaging 4H, I opted to air down to 20 psi, as any further than this looked like the rim might bottom out during sidewall flex; 20-inch rims really are not designed for any serious off-road work. Entering the off-road area at the base of the dunes, vibration from the chopped-up section of tracks was very noticeable in the cabin, almost certainly due to the wheel size; however, once on untracked sand, the Tundra punched along without a drama; it scaled dunes with ease—at first.

However, the long wheelbase coupled with low ground clearance quickly caught me off guard. Even despite walking the approach to a mild dune descent and figuring it would be fine to drive, the relatively minor undulations in the dune had the Tundra bellied out just as I came onto the downward face. Despite using four MaxTrax and digging out a mammoth amount of sand, I wasn’t able to get the vehicle out under its own steam in 4L. At this point I also realised just how wide the car was, as even using my legs at full extension to remove sand from the undercarriage, I still could not get all the way under the vehicle. The Tundra only comes with a limited slip differential in the rear, and this certainly didn’t help my recovery effort—a rear diff lock may have made a difference in the initial stages. In the end I was lucky Robert from Lancelin

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4WD Sand Dunes Adventure Tours was nearby, and for a very reasonable fee his 4WD bus had the Tundra out in a very controlled manner in the space of five minutes.

Everything that makes the Tundra an incredible vehicle on-road seemingly works against it off-road—20-inch tyres, low ground clearance, and a long wheelbase. But the reality is, if you are buying the vehicle for serious off-road work, then you are buying the wrong car. The Tundra will eat up normal beach driving with stupendous amounts of power on tap to power through soft sand. However, you just need to be very wary of its limitations when traversing uneven ground. Airing back up after all of this, I should note that the Tundra’s cranking battery is located under the rear passenger seat, and the access plate requires a pry tool to open. I had nothing on me, so I managed to use the rear seat belt buckle, but this may be something Toyota could look at remedying in the future—either that or a positive and negative post placed under the bonnet to tap into this power source.

So, after the above adventure, how much fuel did the Tundra use? This is where I was pleasantly surprised! After nearly 350km of driving, including the sand dune test, some city stop/start driving, and probably ~300km of highway cruising at 100 km/h, the Tundra used an amazing 10.06 L per 100km at the pump. This was in Eco mode (which, as I mentioned before, still gives you power on tap), and by this time I had really learned how to finesse the car throttle-wise to get the most out of the electric motor. Around town in day-to-day stop/start driving, the computer was suggesting ~13-14 L/100 km, which all-in-all is also pretty good.

Overall, I was incredibly impressed with the Tundra, and to be honest, I didn’t

know what to expect prior to the test drive. The vehicle is too big and low for any serious off-road work and is definitely priced at the upper end of the full-size ute segment ($169,579 inc. on-roads) for what is included (I was really surprised you don’t even get a rear diff lock), but if you are looking for the ultimate towing/ touring vehicle to cover big distances on sealed and unsealed roads in absolute comfort with amazing fuel economy and the ability to power through typical relatively level beach 4W driving, then this could well be the vehicle of your dreams.

s t c a f fast Engine/transmission – 3.5 L twin turbo V6 petrol/MAX magnet synchronous motor powered by a 288V nickel-metal hydride battery/10speed automatic with manual mode Power/torque – Engine alone: 290kW@5200 RPM/649nm@24003600 RPM; MAX electric motor: 36kW/250nm; Combined system: 326kw/790nm.

Suspension – Front: Double wishbone with coil spring and stabiliser bar; Rear: Multi-link solid axle with coil springs.

Wheels/tyres – 20-inch alloy / 265 60 R20 (32.5 inches) Towing capacity – 4,500 kg braked, 750 kg unbraked GVM – 3,536 kg Payload – 758 kg

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WOLFE CREEK CRATER FORGET THE MOVIE, THIS ONE HAS A LONG-LASTING IMPACT!

By Colin Kerr

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Mention ‘Wolfe Creek’ to people these days, and most will immediately turn their minds back to that spooky, quite gruesome Aussie movie screened a number of years ago, which left vivid impressions on those who watched it.

A

lthough there is still an ongoing reminder of the film in the area with the presence of the eerie, neglected ruins of an old station building nearby (where, we believe, a segment of the movie was filmed), the much more memorable Wolfe Creek meteorite crater has a long-lasting impact and appeal to all those who visit this lonely outback site.

Located approximately 153 km south of Halls Creek on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert in the WA Kimberley, the huge hole in the ground out here, full of fascination and mystique, really has to be seen to be believed.

It was once the scene of a cataclysmic collision when, travelling at 15 km per second and weighing more than a

Early estimates of the age of this huge crater put the impact date at around 300,000 years ago. However, only a couple of years ago, using new dating technology, a new report confirmed a much younger age of 120,000 years.

50,000-tonne battleship, a meteorite slammed into the earth’s surface around 120,000 years ago. Punching a huge hole in the ground in an explosion that would have been felt across the country, if not around the world, the area here would have been a place of total devastation!

As it blasted out the crater with an energy force many hundreds of times greater than a large atomic bomb, rocks as deep as 200 metres below the earth’s surface were totally pulverised, and all forms of life for many kilometres around would have been totally destroyed.

This massive explosion vaporised the bulk of the meteorite, evidenced by the finding in recent years of only a few small fragments up to 4 km away.

Still today, however, some rusty balls of rock, known as shale balls, lie scattered on the slopes of the crater or fused into the ridge’s laterite capping. These strange rocks contain iron-nickel and iron-phosphite and are the deeply rusted remains of the iron meteorite.

 Wolfe Creek meteorite crater

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Over the years the almost circular shape of Wolfe Creek Crater has changed quite dramatically from what it looked like immediately after the collision all those years ago.

With the effect of erosion from wind and rain in this semi-arid region, it is believed that the crater rim, now standing around 50 metres above the surrounding plain (and measuring around 880 metres in diameter), was once significantly higher than what we see today. Within the crater walls, the hole originally blasted out to an estimated depth of 120 metres has now been largely filled with dust, sand, and plant debris and is now only around 20 metres deeper than the surrounding plain.

Yes, despite the lingering memories of ‘that movie’ and the huge crash here years ago, Wolfe Creek Crater, known to be the second largest meteorite crater in the world, is these days a much more serene and pleasant place to visit than it once used to be.

and controlled by WA’s Department of Environment and Conservation.

Accessible by a gravel road from Halls Creek in the dry season from May to October (4WD recommended but not essential) or towards the top end of the Tanami Road from Alice Springs, a visit here for us recently was quite a fascinating, even eerie, experience.

As the shadows of the rim progressively work their way across the 750-metre crater floor in the late afternoon, the whole scene seems to take on a dark, empty feeling.

At night the crater, with its broad, deep hole in the middle, is like looking into a giant black pit. Its mood changes once more at first light in the morning, and once the sun reaches the crater floor, there is almost immediately an impression that life is springing back into this lonely outback formation.

Only recognised by a geologist (conducting an aerial survey of the area) as a meteorite site as recently as 1947, the area here is now contained within Wolfe Creek National Park and managed

An information signboard located at the start of the short 200-metre (five-minute) climb track from the car park to the top of the crater rim gives dramatic details of the extraterrestrial visitor that once made such an impact here. It all only adds to the intrigue of the place.

 Prue on the walking track to the rim of the crater.

 A section of the camping area.

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Outside the crater, the surrounding countryside is flat, open plains covered in spinifex, mulla mulla plants, and a few small scattered trees. Inside it is quite a different scene—on the crater floor, particularly towards its centre, there is quite a heavy growth of acacias (wattles) and paperbarks thriving on the rainwater and sediments collected by the crater walls. As there are none of these trees to be found in the drier environment immediately outside the crater, it seems that the seeds that resulted in the growth of these plants must have been carried quite some distance by birds and dispersed in their droppings within the crater. Birdlife recorded within the crater includes rainbow bee-eaters, finches, and Major Mitchell cockatoos.

Once they have climbed up to the crater rim lookout, visitors can, if they wish, undertake a full 3 km rim loop walk (undulating and rocky), which is quite popular with many visitors who find their way to this lonely place. While there is a walking track leading down the inside of the rim, climbing down into the crater is not permitted as the steep terrain and loose rocks make it dangerous.

On the day we called in to have a look at this quite unusual natural phenomenon on the landscape, my wife (Prue) and I had the experience, for at least part of the time, of having the whole crater to ourselves. As we stood overlooking the crater, with the signboard information of its creation fresh in our minds, a somewhat uneasy sensation came over us as we tried to imagine the horrific event that caused this place to exist. We certainly wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere nearby when that happened!

From the information signboard, we had also learned of the Jaru and Walmajarri Aboriginal people’s dreamtime legend relating to this area, which tells of two rainbow serpents whose sinuous path across the desert formed the nearby Sturt (Jurabalarn) and Wolfe (Ngurriny) Creeks. The crater is called Gandimalal, the place where one snake emerged from

Wolfe Creek meteorite crater was named after a Halls Creek prospector/ storekeeper, Robert Tennant Stow Wolfe, who discovered and named nearby Wolfe Creek back in 1889.

 The rim of the crater. western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver #134 |

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the ground. There is also the story that the crater was formed by the evening star spectacularly falling to the ground way back in the earth’s creation time.

Now we all know the saying that ‘lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice,’ and logic would also tell us that there would be even less chance of another meteorite (or wayward star) impacting out here on the day we were there or that we would witness another giant snake’s ugly head emerging out of this great big hole in the ground ... but was that just a small sigh of relief that could be detected as we climbed down from the crater rim to once again join the world outside?

Still trying in our own way to fully take in the history-making event that created this eerie place, we slowly drove away to the nearby campground, once again leaving Wolfe Creek Crater to its quiet and lonely solitude.

INFORMATION BAY Location Wolfe Creek Crater access—turn off the Great Northern Highway 18 km west of Halls Creek onto the Tanami Road—a gravel road. Travel south 112 km along the Tanami Road to the signposted Wolfe Creek Crater turnoff to the east.

The crater and campsite are 23 km along this access road with three gates to be opened and closed along the way.

Access roads to the crater are generally okay for off-road caravans, camper trailers, and high-clearance campervans.

Allow two and a half hours each way from Halls Creek.

Terrain Gravel road—check condition before travelling at Halls Creek Visitor Centre.

Where to stay Wolfe Creek Crater itself is a day visit site, but the nearby campsite, just a couple of hundred metres away, has toilets but no other facilities. No permits or fees apply. Take all rubbish away with you. No pets or firearms are allowed.

Supplies This area is isolated, with the nearest fuel, services, and supplies at Halls Creek, approximately 153 km away. Always carry plenty of drinking water and supplies.

For more information Halls Creek Visitor Centre Phone (08) 9168 6262 Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions, Kununurra Phone (08) 9168 4200 dbca.wa.gov.au

An excerpt from Hema's WA State Map

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LET NATURE DO THE TALKING

Find the Bungles, Wolfe Creek and other treasures to visit at australiasnorthwest.com

SENSATIONAL

SHELTER BAY

By Matt Payne

 An amazing Shelter Bay sunset captured from the eastern end of the bay.

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Without a doubt, one of my favourite 4WD and camping locations in Western Australia is the Steep Point peninsula. It’s become a near-annual pilgrimage for me since first venturing there in 2012 and one that I’ve continued to do since starting a family in 2016.

L

ong touted as a hardcore landbased fishing location, Steep Point certainly does offer incredible fishing opportunities, with appropriately set-up anglers regularly landing big Spanish mackerel from the rock platform and captures of sailfish also being reported each year.

However, what many don’t realise is that just a few kilometres to the east of Steep Point is the real gem of this area, Shelter Bay. Here, unlike the rough, rocky campsites of the point, beach camping is available right next to the water, offering a much more family-friendly option to enjoy this amazing part of WA. The best time of the year to head up here is without a doubt the WA winter months, when the temperatures are cooler, and the prevailing southerly wind pattern tends to die down (this also results in less  Shelter Bay offers beachfront camping from most sites.

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 The road into Shelter Bay can be heavily corrugated.

hardcore land-based game fishermen on the point itself, as they rely on these winds to send baits out into South Passage using helium-filled balloons).

I’ve visited in June, July, August, and September; however, June-August would be my picks, as the one time I headed up in September, the southerlies were so strong that I needed to secure the gazebo to my boat trailer!

the final chance to grab fuel and any other supplies you’ve forgotten before heading west on Shark Bay Road towards Denham. It’s about 50km from here until you turn onto Useless Loop Road and begin your push towards Steep Point.

Road conditions on Useless Loop Road vary year-round. It’s 150km from the start to Steep Point, with the final 50km being a sand 4WD track.

Despite all the 4WD, camping, and fishing opportunities the area has to offer, for many, the real reason for not wanting to journey out to the Steep Point peninsula is the road in. Useless Loop Road has a fierce reputation for big, bone-jarring corrugations, and it’s one that is certainly appropriate depending on when it was last graded. That said, with appropriate tyre pressures and driving to the conditions, the journey is easily managed by a standard 4WD equipped with low range. However, aftermarket suspension will go a long way to improving comfort and allowing safer travel at higher speeds, but it’s by no means an essential requirement.

DoT’s suggestion is to allow three hours for the trip, which is pretty accurate most years; however, if you are towing a small boat, like many do, it can be painfully slow if the corrugations are bad, as even with appropriate tyre pressures, the only speed you can really manage without destroying your trailer is ~20km/h. I remember one year heading home where it took me close to six hours to travel the 150km back to Shark Bay Road.

The journey to Shelter Bay begins at the Overlander Roadhouse—this is

The most important part of making your run into Steep Point comfortable is tyre pressure. I generally air down as soon as Useless Loop Road turns from bitumen to gravel (about 20km in). For me, 30 psi is a good starting point, as I’m usually carrying a lot of gear. I’ll then drop these to about 18 psi once the big corrugations

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 About to begin the 50km sand track into Shelter Bay.

start and, depending on sand conditions, may go as low as 15 psi once the sand track begins. A minimum of 20 psi is what DBCA recommends on their sign. If you are towing a boat or camper trailer, I would also highly recommend a pair of oversized stone-deflecting mudflaps, such as ‘Rock Tamers.’ Useless Loop Road has some very large, sharp, loose rocks on the surface, and one year, towing my boat in, I ended up with smashed trailer running lights and a blown light fuse as a result.

After running a set of Rock Tamers, this hasn’t happened since.

depending on the size of the holes, but most of the time it’s easily driven. The key is to try and get up with only as much momentum as is required—if you get stuck, it’s usually easy to reverse back down and have another crack with a bit more speed. You just want to avoid planting your foot and bouncing your vehicle up, as that approach will likely result in breakage.

The last 50km into Steep Point is all a single-lane sand track, typical of your standard WA coastal access tracks.

The only real challenge is the initial dune, which is affectionately known as ‘Heartbreak Hill,’ appropriately so, as if you are unable to get up and over this, your trip has essentially ended before it has begun! Heartbreak Hill is generally wombat-holed all the way to the top, and if it’s soft, it can be a challenge, especially with a boat in tow.

It’s also worthwhile putting a call out over the UHF on channel 40 prior to ascending to make sure there are no other vehicles coming out at the same time—the general rule of thumb at Steep Point is that vehicles leave in the morning (usually by 10am) and vehicles heading in come in after lunch (try and avoid coming in late in the afternoon though, as you’ll have the setting sun directly in your eyes most of the way in); this way it limits the chances of vehicles meeting each other head-on. If you are unfortunate enough to end up in this scenario, though, always give way to a towing vehicle, as it’s much harder for them to manoeuvre.

For IFS 4WDs (especially those that are not lifted) that don’t have the flex of solid axle vehicles, line choice can be important

Without a doubt, the highlight of a run into Shelter Bay for me is in the last 10-20km of track. It’s hard to beat that

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feeling when you finally catch a glimpse of South Passage and Dirk Hartog Island; it makes all the corrugations you’ve just experienced become a distant memory as you see what awaits you for the next week or so.

Steep Point and Shelter Bay are managed

by DBCA, with a ranger based out on the peninsula year-round. Campsites must be booked online prior, and camp fees are incredibly reasonable at $15 per adult per night (it used to be $7.50 a night when I first started going here back in 2012, though); however, you need to be completely self-sufficient as there is no water or fuel available, and the nearest access to these is ~180km back at the Overlander.

The camping setup at Shelter Bay really is amazing. There are 16 medium-large campsites, with nearly all having direct access to the water. Most sites also

offer a decent amount of privacy from neighbouring sites; however, large groups are also accommodated at sites such as Easter and Wellard, where the sites are closer together. Even when the entire bay is booked out, it doesn’t feel crowded. Long drop toilets are provided, with one toilet usually servicing two campsites, and as far as long drops go, these are among the best I’ve used.

A bonus for families is that there is no beach driving permitted in the bay, so the beach is one big playground for kids, and with the prevailing winds generally blowing from the south ¾ of the year, the offshore conditions create calm water conditions right out the front of the campsite. Shelter Bay sunsets are also a must-see—the view from here as the sun disappears behind the Steep Point peninsula and radiates an array of red and orange colours over the horizon

 A trio of Shelter Bay mackerel after a trolling session.

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 A nice pink snapper.

really needs to be experienced to do it justice.

Activity-wise, obviously, fishing is a highlight. From the sections of shore with a reef nearby, you can catch golden trevally, whilst if you towed a small boat in or have a kayak, the waters of the bay are absolutely teeming with marine life, with common catches being school/spotted/ shark mackerel, as well as rankin cod and pink snapper. I fished from a kayak here for the first four years and caught some amazing fish not far from the campsites!

If the conditions allow, venturing out through South Passage in a boat will get you into waters where big Spanish mackerel can be found, in addition to a variety of tasty demersal species—just beware of the taxman!

Snorkelling and spearfishing is another awesome way to spend your stay at Shelter Bay—I once speared a 5-10kg

 A yellowtail kingfish speared in 3m of water out the front of the campsite.

yellowtail kingfish here in 3m of water right off my campsite! The reef out the front of the Kels 2 campsite is a great place for kids to see the marine life on offer, as it’s close to shore, out of the main current line, generally has very clear water, and the broken coral reef is teeming with life. For more experienced snorkellers/divers, there is a great section of reef around 50m off the Blackies East campsite; however, this needs to be dived on the turn of the tide—I have also had sharks come in for a look out here, so something else to keep in mind.

Getting back in your 4WD, a visit to Shelter Bay wouldn’t be complete without heading out to Steep Point for a pic at the western most point of mainland Australia—just be prepared to hold onto your hat if the southerlies are up! From here, you can continue to follow the rough limestone track all the way along the coastal headlands as it winds its way

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down to the Thunder Bay blowholes and then cuts back inland to link up with the main access track. A right turn here will send you back out towards Useless Loop Road, but this time, if you continue past the turnoff, you can check out False Entrance and Crayfish Bay, both worthy of a visit—note the sand conditions at False Entrance can be very soft; 15 psi would be a good starting point.

So I hope this has given you some inspiration to get out to Shelter Bay

and experience the amazing place that it is. In all of my years venturing out here, I can safely say that it’s a familyfriendly location that allows you to immerse yourself in nature. The marine experiences on offer right on your doorstep, minus the crowds, are unlike most other places in WA, and with a bit of prior planning, the journey out here is one that is within reach of most 4W drivers so long as you are equipped with a sense of adventure.

An excerpt from Hema's WA State Map

 Steep Point.

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Spend Time Off Grid

Admire nature’s artwork

disCover new Colours

mackerelislands.com.au

karijiniecoretreat.com.au

onslowbeachresort.com.au

Stay and Play in North Western Australia’s Best Destinations It’s time to explore three of WA’s most unique properties on the Warlu Way, a road trip tracing the Dreamtime sea serpent’s path.

PILBARA

BACKROADS While Karijini National Park remains an undeniable draw, Jane Pelusey reveals that the true magic of the Pilbara often lies beyond the main roads. Join her as she uncovers hidden gems, unique stays, and captivating experiences found on the scenic detours through this ruggedly beautiful region.

By Jane Pelusey

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 Closing the gate on Bullara Station.

W

e all know the expression, "Life isn’t about the destination, but the journey," but when travelling the often-long distances in WA, we sometimes get fixated on our destination and forget everything else we can experience on the way.

In the Pilbara, Karijini National Park is a worthy destination, and for some time now it has been one of our favourite places in Western Australia. It's a stunning region that includes WA’s second-largest national park, with ancient gorges, slot canyons, waterfalls, creeks, and of course its pindan-red soil.

The National Park has recently undergone some upgrades to make it even more appealing for travellers. This includes the sealing of 41km of key roads, including Banjima Drive North and the access roads to Weano, Knox, and Joffre Gorges, enhancing access to popular attractions like Dales Gorge and the Karijini Eco

 Aerial of the aqua waters of Exmouth Gulf.

Retreat. This is sure to make it even more popular still, especially when winter casts its shadow over Perth and the South West, where many of us live.

There are several ways to get there, and we often come up the Great Northern Highway inland and then go back via the coast. But this time we were in Exmouth and heading north. We wanted to get our Karijini fix but didn’t want to retrace our steps. Exmouth to Karijini is 671 km, but luckily, we had the time to break up the journey—so we thought, why not find out what other surprises can be found in this very special region?

Exmouth to Bullara Station

(91km)

Leaving Exmouth, we turned right at Burkett Road heading for Bullara Station, which has been on our bucket list for a while. Just 91km from Exmouth and 71km from Coral Bay, this is a popular spot for people travelling to Ningaloo, and although the station is not far from the ocean, it’s more red dirt outback than coastal. Owned by the Shallcross family

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 Cooking the burgers over the campfire on Friday Burger Night.

since the 1950s, Bullara is a working cattle station that has diversified into tourism.

Diversify they have, with a large, powered camping area, restaurant, cabin accommodation, walk trails and a 4WD track. The big team that keeps the station's tourist section flowing are easily spotted in their blue Bullara shirts, and come in a mix of grey nomads and backpackers that bring an energetic and fun vibe.

The campground and restaurant are busy in the winter months and each night has a different set menu, with produce mostly locally sourced. The fruit and vegetables are from Borich and Sons in Carnarvon, the seafood—including goldband snapper, jobfish, and king prawns—is from the local fishing industry, and the beef is straight off the station. Friday night is Burger Night and a real highlight of the week. In peak tourism season, up to 400 people tuck into Bullara beef burgers while enjoying live music.

In the morning, we joined fellow campers in the old shearing shed for some homemade scones with jam and cream.

Then, in the cooler afternoon, we headed out onto the Bullara walk trails. Cattle around here seemed chilled as they watched us follow well-marked trails, and we especially liked hiking up an

 Morning scones and coffee at Bullara.

impressive series of dunes that become fiery red near sunset. Along with the setting sun, there were pretty good views over the homestead here.

Bullara 4WD Side Trip The Bullara Homestead and tourism infrastructure are on the right as you enter Burkett Road from the MinilyaExmouth Road (heading east). The 4WD track is on the other side of Burkett Road and winds its way out to Exmouth Gulf.

The camp kitchen has a register where drivers leave their name, vehicle rego and expected time of return. That way station staff knows who is out exploring and, more importantly, have returned safely. When we got to the gulf, there was a croc warning sign. Sightings of ‘salties’ are getting more common in Exmouth Gulf, even at the Exmouth Marina, Navy Pier and Town Beach. While Ningaloo Reef, on the western side of North West Cape is mainly coral, the coast on Bullara Station is mostly tidal mangroves and mud flats, which support an enormous range of marine life. The track is not too challenging, but high-clearance 4WD vehicles are certainly the way to go.

If driving on the station, it is important to leave gates as you find them. A bit of station etiquette goes a long way!

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Bullara Station to Cheela Plains (368km) Back on the road, we headed north on North West Highway. We popped into Nanutarra Roadhouse before turning right onto Nanutarra Munjina Road. It’s a good idea to refuel at the roadhouse before venturing further. If you do the Cheela 4WD tracks you might find yourself short and the next stop is either Paraburdoo or Tom Price. In our case, we had driven past the Cheela Plains Station turnoff many times, but this time we pulled in for a few nights' stay.

Cheela Plains Station is a much smaller enterprise compared to Bullara. But what it lacks in size, Cheela certainly makes up for with things to do. Driving in, we went over a hill to see a manicured grassy area encircled by caravans before setting up camp at Red Plains Campground (there is also cabin accommodation if you feel like air-conditioned comfort for  The green grass caravan area at Cheela Plains.

the night). That evening, we climbed the not-too-steep hill for a fine view of the surrounding breakaway landscape and campground. The sunset from here is breathtaking.

Owned by the Pensini family since 2001, Cheela is a family owned and managed cattle station which aims to be industry leaders in sustainable and renewable pastoral practices. It features a café that is open 7am–2pm every day in season, while the restaurant is open for two-course meals from Thursday to Tuesday.

Cheela Plains 4WD Side Trip Following a map supplied by the office, we began what turned out to be a great 4WD experience. To access the Beasley River Gorge, the gate key ($20) and brochures are available from the office.

After 3km, we unlocked the station gate, closed it again, and headed up the gravel road. Some of the interesting geological formations are conveniently signposted.

The first stop is at a rock arch or natural bridge, a short walk from our parked car.

 Woongarra Pool. western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver #134 |

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 The Arch.

The striking colours of the arch are made of banded iron formation, or BIF. The next highlight is The Wall, 2km down a track on the right. It’s a 300m walk over creek rocks to get to the wall—a spectacular, towering gorge made of alternating bands of light and dark rock.

The Banded Iron-Formation was created 2,440 million years ago and is the main rock formation in the Hamersley Ranges.

There was a pool of water at the base of the rock face with a waterfall that only flows when it rains.

At the end of Gorge Road, we turned right onto the Time Trail. This is where the track becomes 4WD at Woongarra Pool. It’s soft going in some places, requiring lower tyre pressures. This place is so impressive we added it to our ‘must come back and camp here list.’ The gorge forms perfect reflections in a pool overlooked by some lovely campsites. Geologically speaking, sections of the gorge consist of vertical stripes, or strata, that are evidence of the Great Oxidation Event. Some 2.4 billion years ago, types of bacteria started introducing oxygen into the Earth’s atmosphere. Fascinating stuff.

 The Wall.

The road then winds through spectacular spinifex-covered hills and a flat-topped mesa. The side roads go to Nummuna Pool and Piamantha Soak, which would be fantastic for bird watching.

Following our brochure map, we retraced our steps and found another way to the main road past some historic cattle yards and windmills.

Cheela Plains Station is open from 1st April to 12th October. Be aware that there is no fuel available there, and you must be self-sufficient when it comes to camping in Beasley River Gorge.

Cheela Plains to Tom Price

(113km)

The drive to Tom Price goes through typically spectacular Pilbara landscape.

The spinifex-covered ranges with randomly placed ghost gums beautifully contrast against the red rock breakaways, all under a perfect blue sky. It’s a steadily

We then followed the Beasley River to Mussel Pool, a beautiful waterhole lined with paperbark trees, another great spot for camping. We parked and walked to Perentie Falls, just upstream, featuring rock faces, pools and a now-dry waterfall.

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 Driving the Cheela 4WD track.

 Driving up Mt Nameless.

rising climb as we headed towards the iron ore town of Tom Price. At 747 metres above sea level, Tom Price is the highest town in WA. The Pilbara also boasts most of the highest mountains in WA, such as Mount Meharry at 1,249 metres and Mount Bruce at 1,234 metres.

Jarndunmunha Mt Nameless 4WD Side Trip Jarndunmunha in the local Indigenous language means ‘place of rock wallaby.’

The mountain itself looms large behind the Tom Price Tourist Park. At the top it’s 1,128 metres above sea level. There are two ways of getting to the top: the 4km return hiking trail or the second-highest 4WD track in Western Australia. The 4WD starts 10km out of town. Past the caravan park, we crossed the railway line and took the first left. In low gear, we crawled up the rocky 6.7km to the top. The view of the Pilbara landscape from the summit is spectacular. It includes a view of the Rio Tinto iron ore mine and train lines.

 View from the top of Mt Nameless.  Karijini roads and Mt Bruce.

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 Knox Gorge, Karijini National Park.

Tom Price to Karijini National Park (90km) Tom Price is the gateway town to Karijini National Park and its majestic gorges.

You can easily spend a couple of weeks exploring and camping here. We tend to stay a few days at Dales Gorge, doing the Dales Gorge walks and swimming holes.

Then we drive to Karijini Eco Retreat as a base camp to explore the Weano, Hancock, Knox, and Joffre Gorge systems.

It used to be a bone-jarring drive to Weano Gorge and Banjima Drive North, but since they sealed it, the journey is far quicker. We usually drive out to Hamersley Gorge early in the morning because it does get busy.

Tom Price to Millstream via Rio Tinto Railway Access Road (183km) An alternative route back to the coast is along the Rio Tinto Railway Access Road.

 Rio Tinto Rail Access Road signage.

The dirt road runs alongside the railway built for the iron ore trains going between Tom Price and the port of Dampier. These access roads follow the largest private rail network in the world, utilised by the longest trains in the world. Part of the adventure is driving alongside one of these trains or waiting at a crossing as they go on seemingly forever.

To use the road, drivers need to get a permit. We got our free permit online and watched an induction video. The Tom

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 Millstream Homestead.

 Waterlilies in the Millstream pools.

Price Visitors Centre also issues permits where you can watch the video. The permit lasts for 30 days.

As it is a private road and maintained by Rio Tinto, they can close it at any time for any reason.

Millstream Chichester National Park As we headed closer to the coast, we detoured into Millstream Chichester

National Park, a favourite of ours. The drive through the Chichester Ranges mesa landscape is an absolute classic.

Along the way we stopped at Millstream, an old station homestead built on springfed pools from the Fortescue River.

Paperbark trees and lush vegetation surround deep, crystal-clear pools where waterlilies float and fish thrive. Nearby, there are commanding views over Deep Reach, where white cockatoos fly in to roost near sunset.

GENUINE OUTBACK HOSPITALITY YOU DESERVE IT

Plan a stay at the grand old Queen of the Murchison Guest House and soak in the history of Cue. Admire the preserved buildings, fossick for gold, photograph amazing sunsets.

Owner Joyce Penny has created a fresh and homely environment for travellers and workers.

Address: 53 Austin St, Cue 6640 | T: (08) 9963 1625

E: info@queenofthemurchison.com.au | W: www.queenofthemurchison.com.au

GUEST HOUSE

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 Deep Reach Pool.

Millstream to Karratha (101km)

The final 100km is along the Manuwarra Red Dog Hwy into Karratha. One final national park worth visiting is Murujuga, situated on Burrup Peninsula, about 5km from Dampier. The park features the largest collection of rock art in the world, making the site so important it's being nominated for World Heritage listing.

The Murujuga Rock Art & Cultural Experience tour is an hour and a half tour that explores these petroglyphs and ancient rock art, taking place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Red Dog as a symbol of mateship, loyalty and respect. In the years since, not only has the ‘Red Dog’ become the subject of a book and a movie, it has become synonymous with the Pilbara and is a reminder of the many unique stories, people and places that make the region so unforgettable—especially when you take the scenic route.

Finally, just for a bit of fun, we checked out the Red Dog statue in Dampier.

Commemorating the famous kelpie/cattle dog cross, the statue was erected in 1979 to honour

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 Murujuga Petraglyphs.

Western Australia’s

Reef to

Onslow — Gateway to Mackerel & Montebello Islands

In the mighty Shire of Ashburton, you are truly navigating through a world of natural and ancient wonder that stretches across the expanse of the beating heart of the Pilbara. From the pristine Mackerel and Montebello Islands set amongst sparkling blue waters and clear skies, along roads that weave through the ancient ranges set amongst the red dirt, taking you to the serene waterfalls and billabongs of Karijini.

Experience Western Australia’s ultimate Reef to Range adventure.

Ultimate Road Trip

Range

Tom Price — Gateway to Karijini Country

For more information: Tom Price Visitor Centre P: (08) 9188 5488 E: info@visitashburton.au W: visitashburton.au

TAKING THE PLUNGE INTO UNSEEN

KARIJINI

By Chad van Heemst

While Karijini's raw beauty draws thrill-seekers, navigating its challenging terrain can come with risks. Chad van Heemst discovers a safer, yet even more adventurous, way to experience the park's restricted Class 6 areas, unlocking ancient geological secrets and unparalleled vistas, far from the crowds.

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 Anton Wilk

W

through time. Originally e all know exploring our vast, untamed named Hamersley National outback comes with Park, it sits within our an element of risk, but few famous iron ore-producing places in WA bring this Hamersley Range—one of into focus quite like Karijini the oldest mountain ranges National Park. Unlike other on earth, dating back 2.5 popular attractions, which billion years—and is part of can be hampered by hefty the Pilbara Craton, which insurance premiums and dates back 3.4 billion years. user-pay public access, it Considered a place of deep remains today a world-class connection and significance destination enticing anyone for Indigenous people, the Spacechameleon tour guide Sven. and everyone to enjoy national park was renamed adventurous hikes through Karijini in 1991 to reflect the risky terrain at very little cost. local Banyjima language and means 'hilly place.'

On my previous visit I was stunned to watch people, legs and arms spread apart, touching opposing walls as they traversed the Spiderwalk in Hancock Gorge following what for many was a full day of hiking the gorges. For mine, I loved every minute, but in the fullness of time, when my adrenaline had subsided, I did question the risk-reward of letting young kids loose into an unsupervised gorge with steep rock faces and chilled water bodies, where temperatures plunge to zero regularly overnight and our SES can take up to 10 hours to access. Surely there is another way?

These ‘hills’ are made up of red-coloured banded iron formations (BIFs) that supply almost 900 million tonnes of iron ore exports every year, formed from fine sediments within the earth’s core and pushed up via volcanic eruptions to settle on the then ocean floor. This happened during the Great Oxidation Event of Earth, a moment in time when the earth started photosynthesizing, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere that in turn reacted with dissolved iron to create rust, or iron oxides, which formed in thick layers on the ocean floor.

Introducing Sven Borg and his tour business, Spacechameleon. Sven has been guiding groups through Karijini NP for over ten years, and his tour offers you a “safe” way to explore the Karijini NP gorges, away from the rest of the public, in the Class 6 restricted area. It also allows you to explore more gorges, with guided interpretation, in less time with less effort, bypassing the need to climb up and down individual trails all day, instead swapping this for a little more adventure. More of this to come later.

Further disruption to the earth's surface via tectonic plate movement caused these layers to rise beyond the ocean surface, and over time water eroded crack points, causing rivers and finally gorges. These red oxidised rock formations we see today display millions of years of compressed earth and evidence the beginnings of life, where the atmospheric change of introducing oxygen breathed life into organisms and oxidised its surroundings.

Like the tip of an iceberg, these rock formations continue below the surface, waiting for an opportunity to display themselves once further erosion occurs.

Stepping into the gorges at Karijini National Park is like stepping into a portal

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 Karijini Gorges from the air.  Tristan McKenzie

I always assumed the gorges at Karijini were cracks formed within the mountain ranges, but aerial photography such as the one above shows the gorges are just that, deep cracks within the earth's surface that reveal an ancient history.

There were even more surprises in store when I joined Sven on his Spacechameleon Red Gorge tour in April this year, on the weekend shouldering the Karijini Experience event. The fullday tour follows a circle route, starting at Knox Gorge public car park and ending just 750m away towards Joffre Gorge. The tour group meets at 9am and descends via the public Class 5 Knox Gorge trail that is approximately 1km long. The path is littered with loose scree rocks and requires some patience.

Once you reach the bottom of the gorge, each member of the tour group is invited to enter the pool feet first, wading and swimming through the initial sections before making our way downstream

 Knox Gorge.

through large blocks of rock and vertical edges that define trail walking in Karijini NP. The end of the Class 5 public access is defined by a stop sign and chain denying the public further access, and with good reason; beyond this section, there is no return!

The Class 6 entry point is a skinny walled section that invites you to climb down beneath a large rock only to arrive at your

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 The point of no return.

 Red Gorge.

first challenge for the day, a 4m natural water slide that launches you down 4m into a plunge pool—a good fresh start to the day! Looking back, you understand the dangers of ignoring the earlier signs: no ladders, no ledges, just a worn-away wall remains your backdrop, return all but impossible.

If you’re feeling a little jittery at this point, well, it’s time to soak up the adrenaline as your newly acquainted tour guide requests you lend him your trust once again (albeit at this point you are out of alternative options) as you are asked to lean horizontally back off a ledge as he ropes you down to yet another plunge pool. And just like that, you're done, down to the lower level of the gorge, and ready to test out your rubber tubes.

The drop in temperature at this point is discernible, with the heat of the day left up on the ground level while the bottom of the gorge delivers a very comfortable temperate climate for the April-May time of year. By July, however, it gets quite cool, and wetsuits are required.

It’s not just the temperature that strikes a new chord; the flora and fauna at the bottom of the gorge change dramatically.

Gone are the ever-present snappy gums and spinifex built to survive the semi-arid desert, replaced by a much more varied assortment of plants that have access to a permanent water source and protection from fire, including lush riparian vegetation and Mulga Woodlands.

It is here that a unique environment remains, relatively untouched until recent years, when a well-documented drop in the water table has started to compromise the existing balance of nature. According to the DBCA, there are a recorded 86 species of reptiles, 19 birds of prey, and 133 species of birds recorded within Karijini NP, many of which find solace at the lower range. The ravages of the heavy rains are also ever present, with carcasses of large trees present and strewn across the floor level, while the ingenuity of life is present as plants attempt to build from all sorts of strange walled crevices.

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INFORMATION BAY Accommodation Accommodation around Karijini NP is varied, from bookable camping at Dales Gorge to the ever-popular Karijini Eco Retreat. The Summerstar Caravan Park in Tom Price (less than an hour's drive) is well regarded and offers a variety of accommodation types along with a pool.

Free camping If you're on a tighter budget, pop into the Tom Price Visitor Centre; the friendly team can also offer some free camping spots near Mount Bruce and within a short drive of Hamersley Gorge.

For more information Spacechameleon tours offer SingleDay Adventures as well as 5-Day and 7-Day Adventures featuring activities like canyoning, photography, abseiling and more. For more info head to spacechameleonadventureco.com or call 0423 182 663

From this point on, our tour follows a very relaxed pace as we walk and then float on our rubber tubes through the water bodies, motored by hand thanks to some cleverly designed webbed gloves.

It’s this slower pace, with time aplenty, that is one of the great gifts of this tour.

As we ambled on a leisurely walk and drifted through the gorges, soaking up the incredible views of the giant vertical red cliff walls that climb as high as 100m, we took time to investigate the creatures on the floor level, like the beautifully intricate orb spider web displays, and listened to our guides' informative stories of the ancient formation and history of the gorges and park in general. Our tour took us through Red Gorge, Wittenoom Gorge, and Hancock Gorge (The Chute and Centre of the Earth) before heading

For current visitor information for Karijini National Park, visit exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/ park/karijini-national-park

towards Joffre Gorge and heading up a steep incline back to the carpark.

Sven's local knowledge spanned everything from geology to wildlife to footwear. His advice? Don’t take hiking shoes; they are hard-soled and slippery.

Instead, bring your runners, or better yet, the humble flat-soled Dunlop Volleys. Like a well-deflated tyre, these shoes offer greater surface area retention and grip on the rock faces. Having now experienced a unique and less-travelled side of Karijini, I was sure to keep that in mind for my next visit!

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 Tristan McKenzie

UNCOVERING THE LOST HISTORY OF

AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST GHOST TOWN

By Scott Wilson, Eastern Goldfields Historical Society “Australia's Largest Ghost Town…”

It's a title that evokes a curiosity, a short statement of four words that immediately piques the interest of the reader: “Where is that? What happened to it? How can you even have a ‘large’ ghost town…!?”

T

he vision of a dusty street with tumbleweeds and an old, decrepit building or two comes to mind, forever imprinted on our minds by the old American Wild West movies. And Kanowna… a ghost town of the Wild West Australian goldfields, doesn't disappoint.

With its fascinating history from its establishment with the discovery of the first gold in 1893 to the departure of the last resident in the 1950s, Kanowna epitomises the boom-to-bust community that tried its best to survive. But, in the end, it couldn’t compete with its gold-rich neighbour only 20 km away, KalgoorlieBoulder.

In order to tell the story of this town that once boasted 12,000 inhabitants or so, the Eastern Goldfields Historical Society (EGHS) have created the Kanowna Heritage Trail, a short self-drive and walk trail around the townsite with informative signage and detailed panels to take the visitor on a journey of discovery that both brings the once booming gold town

back to life and also explains its gradual demise. Kanowna, a once proud town that was vying for the title of the premier town of the Goldfields, has all but disappeared back into the red dust of the outback.

Our 90-page glossy colour trail guidebook is a great companion, providing stories, tales, and insight into some of the many characters, happenings, and events that made Kanowna such a colourful town.

The book has 60 trail sites listed with detailed maps and historic photographs that provide a sense of place within a forgotten time—giving you a glimpse of what the town was like in its heyday. A town that was once a vibrant and thriving community that was recorded at the time as being “… a human hive! a throbbing aggregation of men whose very blood is pulsating with the gold fever!”

The origins of the trail began in 1956 when the EGHS commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of the formation of the Kanowna Municipality in 1896 by holding a large function, placing signage, and unveiling a plaque at the site of the old post office.

Later in 1993, to commemorate Kanowna’s centenary, The Heritage Council of Western Australia and Delta Gold NL engaged Mrs. Kris Laurie to help conserve Kanowna’s history by

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James Balzano, the mirror image of KHT logo.

establishing a Heritage Trail. At the same time, she established the popular Balzano Wheelbarrow Race to help promote the trail and to recognise James Balzano, the famous prospector and longtime resident of Kanowna who pushed his homemade barrow containing all of his worldly belongings from gold rush to gold rush through WA. However, time and the harsh environment saw the wooden signage of the trail disappear, and the EGHS, recognising the unique position and importance of Kanowna to the community and for heritage tourism purposes, saw the need to create a better interpretation of the town by improving and expanding on the trail.

A grant from Lotterywest, followed by further funds from the GoldfieldsEsperance Development Commission (WA State Government), gave the Society the means to bring the Kanowna Heritage Trail to fruition. Supported by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, along with many local businesses and the wonderful help from workers from the Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison (under the Section 95 program that engages ‘prisoners

in meaningful projects that enhance community life and maintain community assets and services’), we were able to rejuvenate and expand the trail. It’s amazing that it was the Society itself (with minimal outsourcing) that committed to many hundreds of hours of work, writing, research, surveying, and organising that oversaw the creation of our trail!

During our work with the project, we have found so much material to work with that we have many more stories to tell and photos to show. We have created a dedicated website for Kanowna (kanownaheritagetrail.au), and we will continue to add information and expand the story of Kanowna… ‘Australia’s Largest Ghost Town!’

We have adopted the image of James Balzano as the trail’s mascot, and a three-metre-high metal cutout silhouette of him pushing his barrow unmistakably marks the turnoff into the trail. The trail is only 20 kilometres NE of Kalgoorlie via a bitumen road, making it an easy ‘must do’ site to see. While you’re here, drop in to see us at the Society to discover more of our region’s fascinating history!

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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

THE STORY OF

FRED MERTON & MERTONDALE

By Luke Clatworthy

 Merton's Reward — the owner and his gold.

Source: Twentieth Century Impressions of WA, PWH Thiel and Co, Perth, 1901. Courtesy Battye Library.

Throughout the illustrious history of the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, stories abound of the numerous gold-mining towns and camps that mushroomed throughout the region from 1888 to 1910. Equally fascinating are the profiles of some of the prospectors, famous and otherwise, who either found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow or those who travelled from gold rush to gold rush, never striking it rich but eking out a living finding enough of the yellow stuff to survive and keep their way of life intact.

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O

n occasions, the prospector who first found payable gold at a particular location became more famous than the town that sprang to life resulting from their discovery. Of course, there are instances where the town born from the discovery of gold became better known than the gold-seeker who first struck gold.

Our Goldfields history is so colourful, and it is such a pity that most people today do not know much about the importance of the early gold rushes and the impact they had, especially here in Western Australia, bringing people, skills and wealth. Where once Goldfields’ history was taught in our schools, today it is largely ignored, much to the detriment of our younger generations.

Of all the profiles of our early prospectors, it can be argued that one of the more interesting and varied is that of Fred Merton, discoverer of gold at Merton’s Find, later known as Mertondale, situated approximately 35 kilometres north-east of Leonora (Latitude 28° 40' S, Longitude 121° 32' E). His story is one of intrigue, mystique, and contradiction; a man of numerous talents, revered and respected by some and by others, he was a hard, shrewd businessman who was shrouded in mystery and controversy.

The town that bore his name after such a promising start barely lasted ten years before declining and finally becoming one of countless similar Goldfields settlements whose glory days shone brightly but were quickly extinguished when the payable gold petered out. The story of Fred Merton and the mine and town that bore his name is worthy of a more detailed overview.

Fred Merton was born in 1868 at Beechworth in Victoria, the second eldest son of Thomas Merton and Mary Ann Merton (nee Cutts). Some of his siblings—Thomas, Frank, Herbert, and

Lawrence—would also play an active part in the Eastern Goldfields. Undertaking his schooling in Victoria as well as his first tentative employment, Merton also displayed natural talent with firearms and demonstrated his prowess with both pistol and rifle.

He arrived from Beechworth to the Eastern Goldfields in the early 1890s and began to prospect for gold. He had some initial success with a series of smaller gold shows situated in the vicinity of Broad Arrow, north of Kalgoorlie. Fred Merton next turned his attention further north; in conjunction with a prospector named William Gallagher, he began to look for the precious metal in the Mount Malcolm area east of Leonora.

Again, Merton successfully found and mined a series of smaller gold mines with Gallagher, including the Dearah, East Lynne, and the Australian Peer, in 1898 and early 1899. The latter gold show was apparently rich enough to see Merton use at one stage as a paperweight a 30-centimetre-square slab of stone that was studded with coarse gold. However, the gold production began to decline, and eager to discover his next potential show, Merton began to undertake some prospecting trips without his partner Gallagher.

According to Gallagher, the two men had a gentleman’s agreement that they would equally share any future gold discovery.

On 4 March 1899, during one of his sole expeditions north-east of Leonora trying to track a lost horse (with some sources stating that he was riding a bicycle), Merton followed its tracks along an old dry blowers’ route. Unexpectedly, he came across an extensive iron-stained quartz outcrop on the side of a hill.

Initially he did not expect the outcrop to contain gold; however, closer inspection revealed that every piece of stone broken from the outcrop showed visible gold.

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Merton later stated that there was no specimen stone, but he observed that gold was finely and evenly peppered throughout the rock. Taking some samples, Merton returned to his camp at the Australian Peer and dollied the rock. The results indicated very rich gold.

Returning to the outcrop the next day, he followed the line of reef, and wherever he stopped and napped the stone, it was rich with fine gold. Merton quickly pegged the line of reef and again returned to the Australian Peer where he allegedly announced that he wanted to purchase some extra supplies at Malcolm and wished to set out as soon as possible.

On 6 March 1899, he rode straight to Malcolm, where he applied for a reward claim. The town of Malcolm (Latitude 28° 56’ 10” S, Longitude 121° 30’ 49” E) was located 20 kilometres east of Leonora and was gazetted on 10 September 1897. It was, for a time, the major administration centre for the area and, when the railway line from Menzies was extended, the temporary rail terminus.

It was also for a time the base for the Warden of the Mount Margaret Goldfield.

Merton’s application was granted, and this consisted initially of six acres. He also applied for two further leases totalling 24 acres that were also approved. Having secured the visible line of reef, Merton returned to his camp at the Australian Peer gold mine to pack and begin the next phase of working his new gold show.

His partner Gallagher was now aware of what Merton had been up to for the previous few days. Gallagher again stipulated that he and Merton continued to have a gentlemen’s agreement that any gold they found was to be shared equally, including the ownership of any gold mine discovered. Merton openly

stated that no such agreement existed.

One source from someone at the time who knew both men stated that Merton did indeed offer a half share to Gallagher.

Allegedly Gallagher did not believe Merton had found a rich reef and knocked back his offer of a half-share. Merton, apparently irritated at Gallagher’s knockback, left and started to develop his mining property.

Later realising that Merton had indeed found a very rich deposit, Gallagher went to the new mine but was told he was too late and that he had no claim to the mine. Other men also claimed that the gentlemen’s agreement did exist, so a stalemate existed. Angry, William Gallagher lodged a case at the Supreme Court, with the judge ruling in favour of Gallagher. Fred Merton immediately appealed this verdict and in December 1899 won the appeal. The fabulous Merton’s Reward Gold Mine was his! The final Supreme Court ruling did not dispel the doubt shown by some who felt that Gallagher had been wronged. Now that the way was clear, Merton immediately continued to develop the mine at a frenetic pace.

After being granted his reward claim and the additional two leases, Merton immediately hired two men to begin mining the stone from his mine. Merton was determined to keep control of the mine for as long as possible. On the 10th of March, 1899, he arranged for twenty tons of stone to be transported to and crushed at the Waitekari battery, situated 20 kilometres away. There was minimal delay as he had initial difficulty finding sufficient camels to transport the stone that required crushing. Allegedly Merton slept for nine days at the battery to ensure that no one stole any of the ore or the gold treated from the ore mined.

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On 26 March, Merton received 140 ounces of smelted gold—averaging seven ounces per ton that was then worth £3 15s per ounce. On 28 March 1899, he had another 79 tons crushed at the same battery, and on 2 April received a return of 494 ounces of smelted gold, this time yielding over 6 ounces per ton. During this initial period, Merton also received two tons of concentrates that carried 150 ounces of gold. This made the yield to that date 784 ounces of gold retrieved from 99 tons of stone, an average of nearly eight ounces per ton.

Fred Merton banked 634 ounces at Malcolm on 6 April 1899, providing sufficient funds to further expand and develop his mine. He also applied for a further six acres, taking the total area of his Merton’s Reward Gold Mine to 36 acres. He then had a further smaller crushing of eight tons that was this time treated at the Leonora public battery that yielded a total of 71 ounces, or approximately eight ounces to the ton, that brought the total yield to that stage of 855 ounces from 107 tons, an average grade of about eight ounces.

 Merton's Reward Gold Mine.

This brought Merton £3,206 5s. Things were definitely looking up for Fred Merton! This money allowed him to purchase his own crushing plant and have it installed. This started as a 10-head that was quickly expanded to a 20-head, and at its peak, the mine had a 30-head battery crushing the ore mined. By the end of the first 12 months, the mine had produced 5,000 tonnes of ore for 12,000 ounces of gold. The initial grades mined could not be maintained, but over two ounces per ton was still a very rich return and boded well for the future of the property, or so it was thought. Merton next built a large house at the apex of the hill with the battery situated on the side of the hill opposite to the workings.

Word quickly spread throughout the north-eastern goldfields and beyond of this amazing new find. Hopeful prospectors flocked to the area seeking their fortune, with numerous claims being pegged surrounding Fred Merton’s property. Approximately 30 additional leases were pegged with the Merton’s Reward Number 1 South, Flying Pig, Merton’s Reward Number 2 South, Mertondale and White’s. The Merton’s Reward Number 1 North was floated into a company in London, and for a time, the King Oscar Lease showed some promise. However, these were shortlived, and the Merton Reward alone was the catalyst for a townsite to be developed.

After initially resisting

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the calls for a townsite to be declared and developed due to the expense for the government already outlaid in establishing a score of other towns across the north-eastern goldfields, Warden Burt finally sought to have a suitable townsite surveyed. Mr. Evelyn Manning forwarded his plan of the proposed townsite to the Surveyor General. The town, situated approximately half a mile north-west of Merton’s Reward Gold Mine, was surveyed and comprised 64 lots.

The name of the new town was to be Mertondale. The town would comprise six streets with the suggested names being Burt Street (named after Warden Burt), Gerard Street (initially named York Street), Lefroy Street (initially called Carbide Street), Manning Street (named after the town surveyor), Robinson Street, and Merton Street (what else!).

The names of the streets were officially enacted on 25 July 1899, and Mertondale was declared under the Land Act on 28

July 1899. Immediately the blocks were thrown open for purchase with prices ranging from twenty pounds to two hundred and ten pounds for a block purchased by Merton himself. At first a coach service running three times per week between the town and Leonora was established. This was quickly superseded by a daily service run by Cobb and Co. From here the town began to take shape.

Building commenced, and within two years of its commencement, Mertondale had three hotels (Moynahan’s Hotel Mertondale, L.J. Harris’ Commercial Hotel, and R. Allen’s Oriental Hotel that was later leased by L.J. Harris), four stores, a newsagent, a bank, a post and telegraph office, and the Temperance Dining Rooms providing meals throughout the day.

Due to its relative isolation, theft was a common occurrence, and the town lobbied for a police presence initially to no avail, with police stationed at Malcolm making patrols to Mertondale to

 Mr. A. Moynahan's Mertondale Hotel

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attempt to keep law and order. In 1903, a policeman was stationed at the town housed in temporary quarters, but this only lasted for a few months before the officer was withdrawn back to Malcolm.

The Oriental Hotel was one of the last remaining businesses left in the town as it declined, and it suspiciously caught fire and burned to the ground.

At first, Fred Merton was happy to be the sole owner of the mine. It is reported that he was mine manager, assayer, gold escort, engineer and accountant.

This was for a period of three years. He only employed workers to actually mine the ore. The Merton Reward Gold Mine was comprised of three open-cut mining operations. These open cuts were also referred to as quarries. The top quarry had a shaft to 180 feet depth on a reef that was six feet thick. The main quarry had an incline shaft. The ore mined from this was the richest. The third quarry had the deepest shaft that ran to a depth of 300 feet.

At its height, the mine had a 30-head mill installed, but only 15 head were used due to a lack of water. The three opencut mining operations allowed easier access to the rich ore, thus reducing overall cost. Although a man of drive and obvious mining knowledge and talents, the future owners and operators of the Merton Reward were shocked to witness in the three open cuts established large unsupported caverns underground and a rather haphazard mining method, making working inside his mining operations extremely hazardous. Approximately 30 men were employed at the mine.

Amazingly, the three original quarries are still visible today even after more modern, later open-cut mining operations

took place at the site. Fred Merton also employed his brother Frank at the mine at one stage.

Much was expected from the Merton’s Reward. Its initial richness had some experts predicting that it would rival some of the largest gold mines on the Golden Mile in Kalgoorlie-Boulder and successful properties such as the famous Sons of Gwalia located in nearby Leonora. Large companies were interested in purchasing the mine, but Merton declined all offers for the first few years.

This brought a range of visitors to the town, including the renowned author May Vivienne, who wrote of her visit in her book, Travels in Western Australia (Hesperian Press), a fascinating snapshot of her extensive tour of the Goldfields and the south-west made solo, a remarkable achievement at the time. She was suitably impressed with the potential of the area and, as such, pegged an 18-acre lease herself. It is not known if the lease was ever mined or later sold. In her book, Ms. Vivienne states, “Merton would want a higher price cash down for his holding than has ever been paid for any mining property in Western Australia.”

Other sources have Merton stipulating a purchase price of half a million pounds for the mine, meaning that he, at this stage, had no intention of selling.

Charles Kaufman, mining entrepreneur and the General Manager of the Lake View Consols and the Ivanhoe Goldmines in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, was also a frequent visitor to the Merton’s Reward. Merton was overheard telling Kaufman on one of his visits, “Keep coming, Kaufman, and I’ll sell her to you.” Finally, in January 1902, he did sell the mine to Kaufman for 100,000 pounds and one-third share

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 Present day Mertondale.

of the company formed to operate and further develop the property. It has been alleged that Merton had second thoughts about the deal and tried to back out, but Kaufman refused. Kaufman then sailed to London to raise 300,000 pounds of capital to develop the mine. The Rothschild family obtained 40,000 pounds of shares but then received an independent report about the mine that was highly critical of its potential and longevity and subsequently withdrew their support, never to be involved in Western Australian gold mines again.

By 1907, the company had abandoned mining at the site. It is estimated that it had only recovered barely a quarter of the purchase price from the gold mined.

Merton’s Reward was then let to tributers for a couple of years before they too were forced to abandon it. As a result, the town of Mertondale quickly declined as miners left the district for greener pastures.

By the mid-1910s, it was completely deserted. None of the other 30 leases taken up developed as hoped. It would appear Fred Merton had mined most of the gold to be found prior to selling.

He also sold 60,000 of his shares in the company formed, making an estimated 85,000 pounds profit. This left him an extremely wealthy man.

As stated previously, Fred Merton was a skilled shooter; he particularly liked sport shooting. He was so skilled that he entered a range of famous shooting tournaments in Europe and did extremely well, especially in Monte Carlo, where he shared first and second prizes at the pigeon-shooting contest. In 1906, he won the King’s Stakes in Monte Carlo, defeating all comers. Narrowly and was runner-up in the Grand Prix du Casino shooting competition.

He also had a keen eye regarding

horseflesh, and after the sale of his mining property, Merton entered the horse racing industry with some success, most notably winning the Caulfield Cup in 1910 with Flavinius and again in 1913 with Aurifier. His horses also won the Moonee Valley Cup and V.R.C. Oaks in 1909. It was reported at the time that every Sunday morning in the city he was in, he would travel slowly around the streets in a car, throwing handfuls of coins to the children in the vicinity. Once it was told that up to 300 children were seen following his vehicle as it made its way slowly around the neighbourhood.

Although a very successful horse owner, Merton left horse racing as an owner after his jockey, W.H. Smith, died in an accident at the track. He still regularly attended the Melbourne Cup, and in 1949, at 82 years of age, it was reported that he would again be travelling from Sydney to attend his 46th cup race. In his retirement, Merton was known to provide and paint doll faces for the local children's hospital. Fred Merton also maintained some interest in local mining in Western Australia with his brothers and returned to the West on occasions, even returning to the Mertondale area in 1930. On his visits back in Western Australia in the 1920s, he was seen at the Mount Lawley Rifle Club in Perth, where his brother was a member.

There was some mining on a small scale at Merton's Reward in later years

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between 1911 and 1915 and again during the Second World War from 1941 to 1942.

Norma King, another well-known Western Australian author, was at Mertondale in 1935 as a young child when her father treated the sands left behind by living in the abandoned townsite. 1948 saw another miner return to again treat the sands that remained. Overall, the Merton’s Reward Mine has produced a total of 88,991 tonnes of ore for 60,524 ounces of gold.

The Mertondale area later attracted metal detectorists looking for nuggets.

In late 2017, gold nuggets weighing up to 21 ounces were found in the Mertondale area. They were found at relatively shallow depths. Currently parts of the area are under mining lease.

After the abandonment of the town, a large pastoral station was formed and worked for several decades for cattle.

The station now forms part of the land surrounding the Department of Defence Jindalee Operational Radar Network, the surveillance system for Australia’s north.

It is still possible to visit the site where Mertondale once stood. Although an area that has in recent times yielded some quality-sized gold nuggets for metal detectorists, it would also be an interesting spot to search for coins and relics. To learn more about Mertondale and the north-eastern goldfields of Western Australia, its more famous mines, and its towns, I recommend you read the brilliant reproduction of the 1901 book, The North Coolgardie Herald Special Mining Number, published by Hesperian Press, and West Australian Gold Towns and Settlements Volumes 1 and 2, by I. Murray, P. Bianchi, M. Bloomfield, and C. Bridge, again available through Hesperian Press.

These are essential reading if visiting and detecting in the Western Australian Goldfields.

Within relatively close proximity of Leonora, there are other long-forgotten and abandoned mining settlements, including Malcolm, Pig Well, Eulaminna, Gwalia, Diorite King, Doyles Well, Kathleen, Lawlers, Mount Morgans, Hawks Nest, Bummers Creek, Murrin Murrin, Sir Samuel, Tampa, Vivian, and Yundamindera, to name just a few that would make a fascinating four-wheel drive trip following in the footsteps of the intrepid early prospectors and settlers with the added bonus of providing some interesting locations to spend some time metal detecting.

BUILT FOR THIS NORWELD.COM.AU

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LEFT OF

CENTRE THROUGH THE RED CENTRE ON THE GREAT CENTRAL ROAD

 Beautiful country looking up the Sandy Blight Junction Road.

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The Great Central Road links the country’s stunning red centre with the mineral-rich goldfields across the border in WA. Grant & Linda take another trip along the GCR and always find it far more than a simple thoroughfare through the outback.

By Grant & Linda Hanan

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inter is the perfect time for outback travel in all parts of the country, and a run along the Great Central Road never disappoints. Stretching more than 1,120 kilometres between Laverton in the west to Yulara over the NT border, this route is often overlooked as a simple thoroughfare from east to west (and vice versa). But from our numerous visits, we can assure you there’s much to love about the GCR when you take things slower.

ROAD INFO In the early days of the road, around the 1930s, the GCR was an old bush track between Laverton and Warburton. The Warburton mission had then only just been established, and supplies for the mission came up from Laverton in the south. When looking at some of those early maps, the track loosely followed Aboriginal rockholes that had been recorded by early explorers, surveyors and prospectors, while looking for potential stock routes, minerals, and the like.

By the time Len Beadell was surveying an area east of the Gunbarrel Highway during the 1950s, the GCR was a graded dirt road and no longer a rough bush track. Len went ahead and built the next section of the GCR between Warburton and Giles and then further east towards his Sandy Blight Junction Road. The GCR continued to be extended over time, so it’s unlikely it was ever something planned from the get-go to be the lengthy road it is today.

For those that find themselves travelling the GCR, it’s the diversity that makes this route special. With the natural beauty of icons like Uluru and Kata Tjuta, plus the stunning Petermann, Rawlinson and Warburton Ranges, these alone make the trip worthwhile. But when you add in the beauty and colours of the Great western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver #134 |

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 Super smooth road after recent grading.

Victoria Desert, which has its own special attractions, then you’re in for a real treat.

You’ll also find a few communities dotted along the GCR that have these special outback wonders on their doorstep. While they’re generally closed communities, most have roadhouses and campgrounds for those passing by.

Like most things, the GCR continues to evolve. Although the road is located in a remote area where daily traffic can be minimal, the road conditions continue to improve, being a mix of dirt and bitumen. In reality, the GCR is the shortest route between Perth and Alice Springs, but it’s also a section of the larger Outback Way. This particular route consists of a whopping 2,700 kilometres between Laverton and Winton in outback

Queensland, making it a real shortcut from one side of the country to the other.

The idea is to have the entire Outback Way sealed within the next 10 years, with more than 50% already completed. Once that happens, it will make things more accessible for all, so naturally the traffic will increase. So if travelling the GCR is on your radar, you might want to think about driving it sooner rather than later.

ATTRACTIONS With the GCR spanning more than 1,000 clicks, you’d be hoping there’d be plenty to see. And that’s certainly the case if you’re prepared to stop. For us southerners travelling the GCR from east to west, we spent a couple of days around Uluru before heading off east. The bitumen lasted more than 50 kilometres before finally reaching the dirt.

Although, as mentioned above, it’s just a matter of time before you find a sealed road along the entire route.

Nearly 100 kilometres down the road, we came across some old camel yards before continuing further to Lasseter's Cave. You’ve probably heard a story or two about the myth of Harold Lasseter’s gold reef over the years, and it’s an  The old camel yards.

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interesting story to say the least—though the number of expeditions that have gone out searching for his so-called reef over the years has been nothing short of extraordinary. Suffice to say, the searches haven’t turned up anything concrete, and the legendary gold reef remains just that.

original grader located close by in a cage along with relics from the Blue Streak rocket. This rocket was launched in early June 1964 from Woomera, more than 1,000 kilometres away as the crow flies, and remarkably found sixteen years later 50 kilometres to the south-east of Giles.

Crossing the WA/NT border can almost be a non-event, but you will need to turn your clocks back when heading west. Along the GCR, there are a few Len Beadell markers in between the border and Warakurna, which we’ve always found make a good place to take a break.

Len began surveying the area as early as the late 1940s, and the views around the GCR section to the east of Warakurna are one of the road's highlights.

Other points of interest along the GCR include numerous rockholes, which would once have been key watering points for the Indigenous, early explorers, surveyors and prospectors. They’re still watering points of sorts today, but more so for birds, camels, and other wildlife. Some of these rockholes are located very close to the GCR and shown on present-day maps.

Besides explorers like Forrest, Hann, Giles, and others, traversing the area surrounding the GCR by Warburton during the 1800s/1900s was a popular thing. Surveyors Paine and Barclay also spent time in the region while surveying sections along the south of the GCR in 1931. A few of their cairns and posts are still standing that can be found south of the Heather Highway turnoff by Pikul and Winduldarra Rockholes.  It’s good to see a record of Ernest Giles’ visit.

 One of Len Beadell’s markers along the GCR.

Speaking of Warakurna, the Giles Meteorological Station is located alongside the community, where you can watch the daily weather balloon launch or simply wander through the museum.

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Another good spot for a break is Giles Breakaway, located towards the Laverton end of the GCR. While many think the breakaway was named after explorer Ernest Giles, it was Frank Hann who named it after his travelling companion, Syd Giles, in 1906. Although Ernest Giles did happen to name a few things along the GCR during his 1873 expedition.

A couple of these include Schwerin Mural Crescent and the Pass Of The Abencerrages. Yep, they’re unusual names and located in the spectacular Rawlinson Range to the north-east of Warakurna.

outcrop to the north-east of Warburton.

After locating this outcrop while searching for water, he came across the rockholes and found the water “all brine and bitter.”

While Giles didn’t leave any mark at the rockholes as a record of his visit, we found surveyors Talbot & Clarke had left an inscription at the site from their visit in 1916.

FLORA & FAUNA

Besides these two, he did give a far simpler name to a couple of rockholes he referred to as “the Cups” in a granite

Having travelled the GCR numerous times over the years, we’ve found no two trips ever the same. There’ll be some years where we see lots of wildlife around the place, and other times they’re few and far between. The rainfall, or lack thereof, would certainly influence much of that,

 Ernest Giles called these rockholes Bitter Cups” in 1873.

 Our Sturt Desert Pea camp.

 The view at Giles Breakaway.

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so we take each trip on its own merit.

With last year’s trip being a ripper for rain through some of the area, it was a treat to see numerous flocks of vibrant budgies along the way. In other areas where less rain had fallen, we found the birds hung around closer to rockholes where water was still available. And being a desert region, you may also spot the odd camel here and there too. Though we didn’t come across any large mobs, unlike what we saw in other areas of the desert.

If vibrant wildflowers are more to your liking, then the GCR can have these in spades. After a bit of rain, we’ve seen the desert brought to life with blooms of many colours and the fragrance of flowers en masse typifying something  A colourful entrance to a campsite.

you’d experience in a botanic garden.

Between the pockets of Sturt’s Desert Peas and Everlastings we saw during our recent trip, the colourful displays were a delight for all the senses.

CAMPING There’s lots of choice when you’re travelling the GCR, so let’s start with the payable stuff. If you’re wanting to see Uluru and Kata Tjuta, then Yulara’s campground is the place to have as your base. The campground is pretty big and regularly gets busy, so it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. You may even want to book ahead if you’d like to reserve a spot to avoid missing out. Along the GCR itself, there are campgrounds at Warakurna, Warburton, Tjukayirla and Laverton.

Facilities vary between these places, but showers/toilets, power, water, and a camp kitchen are generally the minimum.

We personally can’t go past the bush camping, as it’s plentiful all along the GCR. Although that’s on the WA side only, as there are plenty of signs on the NT

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 The camel yards come with a pretty good view.

 Topping up the water bowl for the local wildlife.  There’s a few of Len Beadell’s artworks in the Giles Museum.

 Ready to set up camp.

side suggesting otherwise. There’s also a few sites on the WA side that are well known as camping spots, but we haven’t experienced them all. The quirky-named Camp Paradise is located in between Warburton and Tjukayirla Roadhouse, which fundamentally is an old Mains Road camp from years ago. It’s away from the road, and there are plenty of places to pull up for the night. Then there’s the Pines Campsite (although they’re not pines but casuarinas) and Giles Breakaway—both are located closer to Laverton.

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THE LAST WORD As far as destinations go, the diversity of the GCR is second to none. It’s a feast for the senses and offers many opportunities to experience the best of the Aussie bush.

But if you want that dirt road outback experience, don’t put travelling the GCR off for much longer. Once the entire route has been sealed, it’s all over, red rover, and there’s no turning back.

INFORMATION BAY Location The Great Central Road runs between Laverton (WA) and Yulara (NT) and is a little over 1,120 kilometres in length.

Difficulty Easy—It may be one of the more remote roads in the outback, but generally it’s in good condition.

You may experience the odd pothole or a few corrugations here and there, but nothing too serious.

There’s an increasing amount of roadworks being undertaken along the GCR that will eventually see the whole road having bitumen. Get in quick if you’re looking for a dirt experience.

Fuel & Supplies Fuel and supplies are available at several places along the GCR, and the distances between each are as follows: Laverton to Tjukayirla Roadhouse (300 km) Tjukayirla Roadhouse to Warburton (250 km) Warburton to Warakurna (220 km) Warakurna to Docker River (Kaltukatjara) (107km) Docker River to Yulara (230 km) It’s advisable to call ahead to the roadhouses for current opening days and times, as they vary.

Permits Two permits are required, as the Great Central Road straddles two states. Apply online for the WA section at the Department of Planning, Lands & Heritage (wa.gov.au), and the NT permit via the Central Land Council website (clc.org.au).

When to Travel Outback roads can easily be affected by weather conditions, which also includes the Great Central Road.

Sections of the road can be closed after rain events, so check for updates at the websites listed below. The best time to travel is during cooler months when days are mild and you’ll welcome a campfire for warmth at night.

Shire of Laverton - laverton.wa.gov.au Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku - ngaanyatjarraku.wa.gov.au NT Government – roadreport.nt.gov.au

 A vibrant way to end the day.

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BEACH DETECTING

Made easy!

By Luke Clatworthy

Western Australia's captivating coastline, steeped in maritime history and a playground for modern adventurers, holds untold treasures beneath its sands and waves.

Discover the best metal detecting technology to unearth lost coins, jewellery, and relics along our iconic beaches and beyond.

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estern Australia has a proud and fascinating maritime history. Many stretches of our coastline were the scene of early European exploration as well as part of the major trade route to the Dutch East Indies. As such, numerous famous and infamous shipwrecks involving Dutch, English, and French sailing ships have been documented since the 1600s, with the addition of American whalers operating along our mid-western and southern coastlines around the mid-1800s. Further exploration of our coastline by the English in the 1800s, particularly along the Pilbara and Kimberley coasts, further adds to the rich history and intrigue of our great state.

The late nineteenth century and the early to mid-twentieth century saw regular shipping of produce and passengers by steamship, especially from Geraldton northwards. Thrown into the mix was the potential threat of Japanese invasion during the early years of World War 2, with highly secret coast watching and surveillance carried out from small observation posts dotted up and down our shores that further adds to the mystique.

Including islands lying just off our coast, Western Australia boasts the largest portion of coastline of the entire Australian continent, with a total estimated length of 20,788 kilometres.

Today most Western Australians have a strong affinity with our coastal waters, with the almost unlimited choice of countless, pristine beaches visited by holidaymakers and tourists annually to participate in camping, 4W driving, fishing, swimming, skin and scuba diving, and boating.

Our beaches are a place of relaxation, good times with family and friends, happy memories, and the enjoyment of many other water-based recreational pursuits.

Some of our coastline is still virtually unexplored due to its relative isolation and lack of vehicular roads. Indeed, a large proportion of our favourite holiday and camping destinations are situated along our coast.

As such, our beaches also see the highest volume of usage from locals and tourists alike. Where there are crowds, so will be the loss of coins, jewellery, and other metallic items and relics of value such as watches and mobile phones. Who knows what could be hiding in shallow water or just under the sand waiting to be discovered?

An ideal addition for your next four-wheel drive coastal holiday or adventure is a quality Very Low Frequency (VLF) coin and treasure detector. A further consideration, especially for those of us who love to swim, snorkel, and dive, is a purpose-built underwater detector. Some are relatively inexpensive and extremely easy to master and use.

Some of you would have watched videos on YouTube showing metal detectorists making some wonderful finds at the beach. Finding the right location, these people find, almost on a daily basis it seems, a range of gold and silver jewellery that has been lost by people enjoying the sun, sand, and surf. Mostly these finds are not detected lying on the surface; a vast majority of the most valuable finds are discovered in the wet sand along the water’s edge, in the drier, softer sand back from the shore where people sit and relax, or in the saltwater itself just out from the shoreline.

Because the beach sand is constantly shifting and turning over, experienced beach detectorists quickly discover that the denser and generally more valuable items like coins and gold and silver jewellery lost at our beaches quickly sink when dropped and end up deeper in the

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sand. As a rule of thumb, heavier items lost will most likely end up down near the rocks or the compacted clay beneath the sandy surface of the beach.

In many instances up and down our coast, we find that the bottom of the beach gets closer as you move towards the water. This equates to the heavier items lost staying in the same location and often remaining undisturbed for years.

This is why detectorists will sometimes find, in the right conditions, much older pre-decimal coins and relics. Sounds intriguing? Let us investigate in a little more detail.

What are the best metal detectors I should look for if I want to find coins and jewellery at the beach?

To achieve the greatest levels of success when searching for coins, jewellery, and other valuable forms of metallic relics, your final choice of metal detector is vital.

Depending on exactly where at the beach you will be focusing your detecting, there are two types of metal detectors you can use. Each have unique characteristics and capabilities when operating in and around salt water. The two choices you have are as follows:

Category 1: Simultaneous Multi-Frequency (SFM) Waterproof Metal Detectors: Without a doubt, you need the highest quality Simultaneous Multi-Frequency (SFM) detector that will give you the greatest depth possible when operating in a variety of beach conditions, including in salt water, can be semi- or fully submerged, and provide the most effective discrimination from ferrous junk such as pieces of iron, aluminium foil, and the extremely pesky bottle tops, tent pegs, hair clips, and aluminium pull rings.

This will allow you to confidently search the beaches you are visiting. Of all areas around Western Australia for detecting coins, jewellery, and relics, beaches are the most difficult due to their overly wet sand and salty conductive water, and our highly mineralised Goldfields are the most difficult to detect using SFM metal detectors. Detectors of a lesser quality will struggle in salt water or wet, salty sand, giving false signals and making detecting a nightmare.

However, purchasing the best quality machine that has the best build quality and the highest waterproof rating

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possible and learning to properly use its settings, coupled with the use of waterproof headphones (if using in deeper water or fully submerged in shallower depths for short periods of time), will greatly help you with your overall success when detecting at the beach. Another advantage of a topquality SFM metal detector is that it is also equally at home searching for coins, jewellery, and relics in most urban and rural areas, both on land and in fresh water, making it an extremely all-round effective choice.

My choices for the best Simultaneous Multi-Frequency (SFM) detectors for beach detecting near and in the water are as follows: Nokta Legend: The Nokta Legend is the top-of-the-range, all-purpose metal detector from Nokta Detection Technologies. Its major features are as follows: • It is a simultaneous, multi-frequency metal detector (SMF) with two multi and five single operating frequencies ranging from 4 to 40 kHz. • Comes with four search modes; its modes are Park, Field, Beach, and Goldfields.

• It has advanced discrimination settings allowing it to operate efficiently in trashy areas and has excellent stability when searching beaches for coins, jewellery, and other relics.

• Fully submersible in both fresh and salt water to a depth of five metres and is fully protected from dust and water ingress. It can also 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.

• Comes with a built-in clock and timetracking capabilities and comes

standard with comfortable, lightweight Bluetooth aptX™ Low Latency Headphones. Fully waterproof and submersible headphones, if searching for targets underwater, are also available for this unit.

• It can be programmed to vibrate upon detection of a target. This is ideal for hearing-impaired users as well as for detection underwater.

• Has recovery speed setting and four custom user profiles • Has advanced discrimination settings allowing you to successfully identify and block out specific metallic junk items.

• Comes with 60 Accurate Target IDs and harmonic tones with adjustable frequencies allow you to identify targets easily.

• It is lightweight, weighing 1.4 kilograms.

• It has a backlit LCD screen and a very handy LED flashlight built in. Just perfect when you are searching in overcast conditions underwater.

• Can 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 before needing to be recharged.

In summary, this is an outstanding detector that is fast gaining recognition here in Australia. It is extremely well-built, easy to master, and can take our harsh local conditions. Best of all, it is half the price of its major competitor, the Minelab Manticore. Currently the Legend ProPack, including a wide range of excellent accessories, is selling for $1,360.

If this is a little too expensive, Nokta also manufactures the excellent Score range of SFM metal detectors. There are three models to choose from (Nokta Score, Double Score and Triple Score), ranging in

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price from $705 for the Score to $936 for the Triple Score Pro-Pack, offering some of the same fantastic accessories as the Legend Pro-Pack. The Triple Score has many of the Nokta Legend’s features and is an extremely popular choice of coin, relic, and beach detectorists in Europe and the Americas.

Minelab Manticore: The Minelab Manticore is the best-selling SFM metal detector here in Australia and across the world. It is an outstanding metal detector with a wide range of top-quality features to make metal detecting more successful.

Some of these features are: • Unique Simultaneous Multi-Frequency (MULTI-IQ+) engine, which generates a stated 50% power increase over Minelab’s other top-quality coin and relic detector, the Equinox.

• It delivers 10 customisable Search Modes including All-Terrain optimised for inland detecting; Beach optimised for sand, surf, and seawater zones; and Goldfield optimised for detecting gold nuggets.

• Comes with Control Pod Flashlight, Display Backlight with Auto Adjust, and Backlit Keypad, plus Handgrip Vibration allowing you to detect for longer when darkness sets in.

• Is submersible up to five metres for underwater exploration.

• Weighs only 1.3 kg with an extended length of 144cm and a collapsible length of 63cm • Features an advanced 2D Target Identification (ID) technology that delivers improved Target ID stability and a powerful 2D ID Map, allowing the operator to identify their targets with greater visual and audible target insights. and close target separation.

• Customisable Ferrous Limits providing excellent levels of control to accept

ferrous coins, reject complex ferrous targets, or dial in maximum target unmasking in iron.

In summary, an extremely popular metal detector that already has a formidable reputation and that works with precision in Australian conditions with excellent target depth and quality discrimination features both on land and in water.

To many, this is the benchmark of all Simultaneous Multi-Frequency (SMF) metal detectors. Thus, it is also the most expensive choice, retailing at the time of writing at $2,779.00 for the Manticore Upgrade Package, a current reduction of $698.00 on the recommended retail price.

If this is too expensive for your detecting budget, Minelab also offers the Equinox 700, 800, and/or 900 series of detectors, which are Minelab’s best-selling coin and relic detectors of all time. These too are a quality detector with many high-grade features. Prices start with the Equinox 600 ($1,099), $1,399 for the Equinox 700, $1,539.00 for the Equinox 800, and finally, the Equinox 900 with a free starter pack currently retailing for $1,799.00.

Category 2: Underwater Metal Detectors: For a totally submersible metal detector that can be used at greater water depths specifically by skin and scuba divers, a smaller hand-held Pulse Induction (PI) using similar technology to the best gold-seeking metal detectors or a larger and heavier Multi Frequency (such as the Minelab-developed Broad Band Spectrum (BBS) is a brilliant choice.

If you want to find underwater treasure, you will need a dedicated underwater metal detector with a deep waterproof rating. The best underwater metal detectors have waterproof ratings of at least 60m depth (or 200ft for us older metal detecting enthusiasts). Historically,

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underwater metal detectors have been responsible for some of the biggest and most famous treasures ever found around the globe since their inception.

I realise unless someone is an experienced scuba diver, a 60-metreplus rating will not be required, as most detector operators when searching at the beach will not detect in water any deeper than three metres. However, if your focus will be purely on underwater metal detecting, then the higher the depth rating, the higher level of reliability you’ll enjoy if detecting under the waves over a long period of time.

The best underwater metal detectors are capable of impressive detection depth on coins, rings, cameras, and watches and provide sensitivity for smaller potential targets such as earrings and gold chains/ bracelets. Besides detecting underwater at the beach, these units can be used to seek treasure troves in our inland rivers, creeks, and swimming holes.

For those seeking a dedicated underwater metal detector, there are not many options from which to choose. Presently in Australia, you have two choices. These choices are very different in how they function and use technology to operate, their overall size and weight, how

deep they will function effectively, and price. Both units are extremely capable underwater metal detectors, with one the preferred option for extreme deepwater searching. An interesting point is that in many ways both metal detectors can complement each other. Let us look in more depth at these two underwater detector options: Nokta PulseDive 2-in-1: The Nokta PulseDive 2-in-1 scuba detector set is a small, compact, lightweight, and simpleto-use detector utilising Pulse Induction (PI) technology that has the added bonus of transforming between a waterproof pin-pointer and a mini handheld waterproof metal detector. It is a fantastic option for 4W drive enthusiasts due to its compact size and its capabilities to operate effectively in any body of water, both in the ocean and in freshwater. Its main features are: • Has a waterproof rating to 60 metres • Offers five levels of sensitivity • Is a 2-in-1 PinPointer & Scuba Detector • Simple three-button operation • Has a low-power-usage LED flashlight • Comes with a standard 5.5” search coil (an 8” coil is also an option)

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• Frequency-shift option to help operation near other detectors or sources of interference • Comes with a dive mode for deep diving, which locks the operating buttons and stops the immense pressure of the water from changing the preferred settings • Provides the operator with the choices of Audio, Vibration, and Flashing LED Alerts to indicate a target when they are fully submerged • Has a built-in Wireless Module (for use with the Nokta wireless headphones) • USB Rechargeable (two-hour charging time) In summary, the Nokta PulseDive 2-in-1 is a very high-quality, low-priced underwater detector that is very easy to master, extremely lightweight, well designed and constructed, and comes with a two-year warranty. It is the only underwater metal detector on the market that can be used both as an underwater pin-pointer and as a dedicated scuba detector setup.

It is also a fun option for older children to detect in shallower water. Fully submerged in saltwater, the PulseDive will find, for example, a 10c coin up to 10cm deep and a 20c coin up to 14cm when the operator is running the maximum sensitivity setting. Best of all is its purchase price, currently retailing for only $355.

Minelab Excalibur II: This underwater detector is unique as it can be used both fully submerged and on land. It operates using BBS (Broad Band Spectrum) technology developed by Minelab that allows it to simultaneously transmit, receive, and analyse a broad band of multiple frequencies. This technology gives the Minelab Excalibur II substantial detection depth, high sensitivity, and

very accurate discrimination capabilities for a wide range of target types. It is the detector of choice for scuba divers who wish to search for coins, jewellery, and relics at far greater ocean depths but still at home in shallow water. This unit’s main features are: • Excellent Coin, Relic, Jewellery, Beach & Dive fully submergible detector that is waterproof to 60 metres (200ft) • Comes with multiple frequencies between 1.5 and 25.5 kHz • 10" round Double-D hardwired coil.

• Audio Output - Headphones (hardwired). Headphones are supplied with each unit and are the outstanding Koss 8-ohm headphones • Comes with two Detect Modes Discriminate or All-Metal (pinpoint mode) • Variable Discrimination capability utilised by adjustable turn control and All Metal (Pinpoint) • Automatic ground rejection (Ground Balance capability) • Battery powered utilising a NiMH battery pack of 13 V 1000 mAh, good for 14–19 hours of operation. Supplied with mains charger with an alkaline battery as an optional accessory • Weight with the 8" Coil fitted is 2.1 kilograms or 2.3 kilograms with the 10” coil and NiMH battery fitted • 1 Year Control Box and Coil Factory Warranty In summary, this is a very impressive detector. An excellent choice if you are a dedicated scuba diver who wishes to add detecting for coins, jewellery, and historical artefacts to your diving repertoire. It is designed with worldleading underwater detecting technology, is lightweight to handle for its overall size and features, and is also more than

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capable of being used on land, especially at the beach. It offers fantastic depth on targets underwater. The Minelab Excalibur thus is more expensive than the Nokta PulseDive 2-in-1 underwater detector currently selling for $2,100 with a free gift pack. As stated earlier, more underwater metal detectorists are choosing to purchase both detectors, allowing them to cover all water-based detecting situations and conditions.

In Conclusion: I hope that this properly explains the difference between waterproof and underwater metal detectors and their operational features.

For those 4W driving enthusiasts who enjoy metal detecting, the selection of a quality Simultaneous Multi-Frequency (SFM) metal detector will allow them to look for coins, jewellery, and other metallic artefacts and relics, whether on land or in the water. These then become a true take-anywhere detector, perfect for use on your next 4W driving or camping adventure.

If you are a dedicated skin diver or scuba diver, selecting a purpose-built underwater detector will make far more sense. I must admit, however, that as an experienced metal detector operator who already uses quality Simultaneous Multi-Frequency Metal Detectors as reviewed above, the thought of adding an underwater metal detector such as the Nokta PulseDive 2-in-1 is very appealing due to its compact size and very competitive price.

Remember, if you're in the market for a metal detector that can be used on land and in water, do your research and choose the best option and brand that meet your specific needs. Later, I will look at some of the must-have beach detecting accessories that will make your next search easier and more effective.

Hopefully, I will see you in our great outdoors metal detecting.

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BOOM TIME As monsoonal downpours and electrifying storms give way to the cloudless blue skies and low humidity of iralboo (the cold time) in Rubibi (Broome), visitors are discovering what local Aboriginal people have known all along – this is the best time to experience Broome’s natural bounty.

“T

his really is my favourite time of year,” says Robbie Dann, Nyul Nyul man and owner of Kimberley Cultural Adventures and bushfood social enterprise Bindam Mie. “I used to love camping when it wasn’t so hot during the day and the nights weren’t so humid either. For us, this is the cold period, and we enjoy ourselves with all the food that would come into abundance on our land, and in our mangroves and rivers.

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In fact, at this time of year, you’ll find Robbie, a consummate storyteller, self-taught didgeridoo player and entrepreneur out on Country, looking for the versatile fruit of one of the Kimberley’s most iconic botanicals – the larrkardiy (boab) tree.

“When we were just kids, and we didn’t have much food to eat, we would run around all day long, looking for boab trees. We would just take a big stick and hit a tree until the nuts would fall from the tree to the ground, and that would be our treat for the day.”

Nowadays, he wild harvests the fruit from trees around Rubibi and Derby and then

takes it back to his commercial kitchen to be processed three ways; the seeds are sent away to have their oil extracted to make boab oil, a nourishing balm for dehydrated skin or hair; then the pulp is fermented to make tea or flavour beer; and finally a boab powder is produced that concentrates all the fruit’s flavour and nutrients in a convenient form.

This powder harnesses all the potential of this amazing Indigenous superfood, and Robbie is constantly experimenting and tinkering with ways in which to incorporate its unique flavour and medicinal benefits into the kitchens of home chefs and restaurants.

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Harvesting boabs.

“At this time of year, we harvest up to 150 kilos of boab fruit a day,” Robbie says.

“In the past, we just ate the fruit straight from the tree – now, thanks to many years of research, and trial and error, I have developed a new range of traditionally inspired bush tucker products including boab iced tea, ginger beer, and even muesli and muesli bars.

“The biggest achievement for me has been seeing how proud our Elders are of seeing our traditional bush knowledge being transformed into something positive – an industry that can support our young people in the community with decent pay and meaningful employment.

Afterall, I was no different to these kids when I was younger.”

Boab tree The distinctive shape of the larrkardiy (boab) tree is iconic to the Kimberley region, and Aboriginal people, including Robbie, have a spiritual connection to it. For Robbie, the connection is also personal because his mother – a survivor from the Stolen Generation – was born under the shade of a larrkardiy tree.

Harvesting boabs.

During iralboo, the boab nut, actually a fruit which is encased in a nut-like shell, is ripe for picking. Robbie and many other locals wait patiently until the boab has dried naturally on the tree, meaning it can be easily harvested by twisting the stem with a forked stick until it falls into eager hands. At this time of year, the texture of the boab pulp is like “a flaky Violet Crumble”, and the flavour – a tangy, sherbet lemon – is most intense.

Traditionally, the boab fruit would have been eaten straight off the tree for a burst of citrusy flavour, and a potent dose of Vitamin C 20 times more powerful than a contemporary supermarket orange. In keeping with traditional values, Robbie and his team always harvest sustainably, leaving plenty for local families who still rely on the boab fruit growing on thousands of wild trees.

Boab fruit are also highly sought-after in the community as miniature canvases for indigenous artists who like to carve decorative patterns and designs on the shells. If you shake one of these artworks, you can still hear the seed pod knocking around inside.

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Seablite A particular variety of seablite, which Robbie likes to call “salty raspberries”, are another seasonal treat to be enjoyed during iralboo. The vibrant ruby-hued berries are found in marshy areas near the ocean. The cold, dry months are the best time to find them because the treeless marshes are just too hot to navigate during the summer months.

The fruit looks like a small raspberry but tastes salty instead of sweet because it has absorbed the salt present in the marshes. These berries were an important way of replenishing lost salts in the body, explains Robbie, and would have been incredibly beneficial to Aboriginal people when they were in need of immediate hydration.

Harvesting melaleuca.

Paperbark tree/ melaleuca tree Another tree that comes into its own during iralboo is the paperbark or melaleuca tree – or what Robbie calls “WA’s own version of lemon myrtle”. Like the larrkardiy, the paperbark tree has provided shelter, food and medicine to Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years. In the past, the distinctively soft bark of these trees was used to create portable canvases for traditional artwork or to make coolamons for carrying water and other necessities. But it’s the leaves, imbued with tea tree oil, that Robbie is most interested in harvesting now. They have a subtle lemony flavour that can be used to infuse teas. “The leaves of this tree are very fragrant” Robbie explains.

“In the olden days, whenever we caught goanna, we would stuff their insides with leaves from this tree, so that the flavour would infuse into the meat, and then we cooked it in a ground oven. I am following the same bush knowledge, but using it to create something new.”

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Mangrove whelk.

Bombshells (mangrove whelks) Mud crab cooked on coals.

Mud crab It’s no secret to seafood-lovers and outdoor enthusiasts that mud crabs are in season during the months of June, July and August. However, Aboriginal people can pinpoint the exact moment when they are at peak condition: “the westerly wind turns to south-easterly and then we know the mud crab and salmon are ready” explains Robbie. “Aboriginal people only hunt when foods are in season because that is the most beneficial for sustainability of the species and also for us humans as well because that’s when we get the best feed in terms of fats and nutrients.” In contrast to Western cooking methods, in which the crab is broken up into manageable portions for eating, Aboriginal people traditionally cook their crabs whole over the coals, meaning that not one ounce of the nutrients and fats from the insides are lost. No other flavouring is necessary, assures Robbie, because all the tasty, good stuff has been locked in.

These peculiar ice-cream-cone-shaped sea snails, found in marshy areas close to the ocean, are excellent bush tucker any time of year but Robbie insists there’s something special about gathering them at iralboo, when families take advantage of the cooler whether to camp out on Country. As their ancestors would have done for thousands of generations before them, both young and old gather together on the tidal flats to pluck the hapless whelks, usually found clinging to the the underwater roots of the mangrove trees, and bring them back to camp where they are cooked directly on the coals and enjoyed around the warmth of a burning fire underneath clear, star-lit skies.

Salmon are also high on everyone’s wish list at this time year, in the past, Aboriginal people would have caught them with the aid of cleverly designed fish traps.

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GLOSSARY Iralboo: (the cold time) characterised by (relatively) colder days and nights Rubibi: Broome Larrkardiy: (boab) tree

PRODUCT REVIEW

by Matt Payne

ULTIMATE UTE ACCESS OFFROAD ANIMAL UTE TRAY SLIDE

Accessing gear at the back of a ute tub in a typical dual cab styleside setup can be a pain in the backside, especially once you add protection from the elements into the equation in the form of a canopy or roller shutter.

The solution? Make the tray slide out to you!

U

te slides are by no means a new concept, with multiple options currently on the market, however, the vast majority are limited in how far they can actually extend out of the tub—and this is the most important feature in terms of giving you access to your gear.

The tray slide features a 95% extension and is rated to do this while carrying 170kg.

Around 70% extension is the typical figure seen across most brands, which isn’t bad, but it still means ~1/3rd of the slide remains in the tub at full extension.

Enter Australian 4x4 accessories brand Offroad Animal, whose range of ute slides features a huge 95% extension at full opening while maintaining a load rating of 170kg at the same time. These specs alone were enough for me to pull the trigger on one of their slides as part of my current MV Triton build.

Shipped with Team Global Express, the slide arrived in around a week, which, considering the time of year I ordered it (December), was unbelievable! Similar to the Predator bullbar I reviewed last issue, all components were well packaged from the factory, limiting the chances of damage in transit.

Comprehensive fitting instructions were available on the Offroad Animal website, and these made assembly relatively easy, at least for the initial steps. I did find the instructions began to lack some clarity towards the final stages of the assembly process (well, compared to

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edges of the base plate to stop this flexing when the tray was extended.

The entire slide is well-built, featuring both aluminium and steel components, and this certainly is reflected in its weight—Offroad Animal claim 36kg for the medium version I purchased, but I must admit it does feel heavier than this when you lift it. The larger slides they sell for the Ford Ranger are closer to 50kg.

The slide top features a flat surface with channels for The slide features channels for tie-down point mounting on each tie-downs on both edges and side, as well as T-bolt channels in the middle, front and back. additional t-slot channels in the middle, front and back, meaning that the Predator bull bar), but between two you have plenty of options available for people the slide was assembled in around securing gear to the slide depending on 3-4 hours. your setup. A number of tie-downs and Mounting the tray into the back of the eye bolts are included as part of the kit.

Triton took around two hours and was You also have three height options for fiddly at times due to the lack of access the slide based on your particular vehicle underneath the tub. After removing the to ensure adequate tailgate clearance, a tub liner (the slide will not fit in between great feature that allows you to run the the wheel arches with it installed), the slide was put in place and extended, and the mounting holes on the tray base were marked up while one person kept the slide steady. Then it was a case of drilling out the tub (making sure you have adequate clearance underneath), touching up the holes with clear paint for rustproofing, and utilising a combination of bolts and rivnuts to mount the unit. Offroad Animal suggest utilising at least six bolts for mounting, but I noticed it was especially important to utilise the mounting holes on the outer

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slide as low-profile as possible to maintain usable space in the tub.

I really like the one-handed opening feature integrated into the design, which adds to the functionality of the unit, alongside the slide runners, which lock at full extension, perfect for cases where you aren’t parked on level ground. However, I did have some issues getting the slide to lock at full extension on the driver’s side initially, as the bar extrusion attached to the centre handle (which is designed to activate both of the slide locking tabs simultaneously) naturally wanted to sit higher on that side, maintaining slight contact with the locking lever and preventing it from disengaging.

After attempting the fixes for this that Offroad Animal suggest in the

instructions (lowering the handle/ extrusion assembly), I was able to get the slide to lock at full extension, but then it wouldn’t unlock from a fully closed position using the handle. It may be that I need to play around with the height of the handle/extrusion a fraction more to find the sweet spot; regardless, though, I was still easily able to unlock the slide using both hands to disengage the locking tabs and then use the handle assembly to close it up one-handed.

Overall, I’m really impressed with the Offroad Animal tray slide. Like the Predator bar, it’s an extremely well-built product from an Australian company that has transformed the functionality of my styleside tub in the Triton.

The tray mounted perfectly in between the wheel arches of the Triton.

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HELLO POSSUMS!

BRIGHT-EYED AND BUSHY-TAILED!

By Prue Kerr In the dead of night, scratching, scampering, pitter-patter noises break the silence … the sounds seem to be coming from somewhere in the ceiling! … Yes, there’s something in the roof … It’s probably those damn possums again …

D

oes this all sound familiar? It is a scenario that has been played out in homes around Australia for as long as anyone can remember. As suburbia and the bush have, over the years, come closer together, it may seem to some of us trying to get a good night’s sleep that the little critters have intentionally set out to invade us.

The truth, however, is that the possums don’t really come into our homes because they like our company—it’s more about the tasty, easy-to-obtain food supply they can find in and about our homes, and in the ceilings they are simply looking

for a quiet, dark, safe place to rest and sleep, away from any disturbance or predators … they are just doing what comes naturally to them! In the wild, possums rest in dark tree hollows high above the ground, away from and out of sight of predators.

To try to restore our nighttime tranquilly and get rid of the irritating ‘ceiling noises,’ we then go about blocking up the gaps around the eaves and sealing any holes in the roof to try to keep them out and hope that they will find their way next door, or anywhere, as long as it’s not in ‘our ceiling.’

Despite all this activity, possums in suburbia, while often heard, are seldom seen, and that irritating nighttime noise experience is as close as many of us get to a real encounter with these cute (if not cuddly) little critters.

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To see them in the bush, however, is a much more enjoyable experience, and if you are lucky enough to get a closeup view of them foraging, eating, and playing … it is an experience you will long remember. There are quite a number of different native possums around the country, but the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecular) is one of the best known of our Australian marsupials.

Back in the depression years, these cute little critters were extensively hunted for their fur, which was used in a variety of garments, accessories, and rugs, both here and overseas. Today, however, they are fully protected, and while still heard in the occasional suburban ceiling, they are found in native forests right through the country.

those noises in the ceiling flooding back.

But isn’t it great to be out in the bush anyway!

If you scramble out of your sleeping bag, grab a torch, and quietly shine it around your campsite, it is very likely you will catch sight of these hyperactive little fellows—mostly silver-grey in colour (sometimes quite dark brown) and about the size of a domestic cat. After a very short while, they will often simply ignore your torch light and keep scurrying around. Never shine your torch directly into their eyes, as it can temporarily blind them.

As many campers know, one of the experiences that leads them back to the bush again and again is the feeling of getting close to nature. With possums (as mentioned above), one of the things that brings them into suburbia, the taste of human food, is also the very reason that we are able to quite readily encounter them in the wild.

The sound of these cute little nocturnal critters scurrying around outside our tents, rummaging through the box of supplies we left outside, or scavenging a few tasty pieces that fell off our camping table at dinner time will all bring memories of

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Whilst it may be tempting for campers to feed them, this action, it is felt, is not in their long-term interests.

Changes in their behavioural patterns could gradually

take place with them moving from leaf gatherers to human food scavengers. In the wild this could well leave them open and more susceptible to predation, abuse, and injury, as well as making them more prone to disease. Be warned also that they have very sharp claws and teeth, which can inflict quite deep scratches and puncture marks if you venture too close!

To communicate with each other, brushtail possums emit deep, throaty coughs and loud, ear-piercing hisses, which, in the still of night, can be heard a couple of hundred metres away.

Their noisy nighttime behaviour also includes some quite aggressive fighting as they compete for food. They get even more agitated during the mating season, with rival males causing large commotions, chasing each other across the ground and through the treetops trying to assert supremacy.

A female possum will usually start breeding at 12 to 18 months old. A single offspring at birth then crawls into its mum’s pouch, where it will feed from its mother’s teats for around four or five months. It can then often be seen clinging to its mother’s back for another couple of months before being fully weaned and beginning life on its own, where, all going well, the youngster will survive to around 10 to 12 years.

The normal diet for these beaut little critters includes a wide variety of bush foods, including flowers, berries, leaves, ferns, and thistles, as well as insects and even birds’ eggs.

Yes, cute but not cuddly. Observe and enjoy them, and let them get on with their natural lives in the bush!

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SKY

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& SEA

“I really enjoy any kind of adventure, whether it's 4W driving, fishing, surfing, diving, or just exploring,” says South West-based photographer Rob Gaff. “My adventures aren’t quite as extreme as they used to be in my younger years, but I still love to get amongst anything that I find interesting or exciting to me.”

PHOTO ESSAY Images by Rob Gaff

R

ob’s approach is driven by instinct and adventure. “I love to tackle photography in places and conditions that not everyone else is willing to go,” he says. “If something catches my eye, or if I have an idea. I will fixate on trying to capture an image like it until I get a result that I’m happy with.”

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The ocean holds a particular fascination for Rob, inspiring his wave and seascape photography. His lens has focused on the underwater world during his freediving adventures, allowing him to explore and document marine life.

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That same desire to explore and photograph places often untouched also sees Rob venture on solo 4WD and off-road expeditions in his trusty Amarok ute. Drawn to the wonders of nightscape photography and the spectacle of the Aurora Australis, he often travels deep into the bush to witness and photograph these elusive events.

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Self-sufficiency is paramount on these trips, relying on his experience and a wellprepared vehicle to navigate challenging terrains and conditions. “I have plenty of recovery gear and have had to use my winch to recover myself more often than I’d like,” he says. “But it gives me the confidence to explore unknown locations on my own.”

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While he primarily uses Canon cameras (R5 & 5Dii) and Aquatech water housings, his post-processing relies on Lightroom and Photoshop, where he blends images and adds his unique finishing touches, resulting in a diverse style that mirrors the variety of his subjects.

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This creative drive is matched by Rob’s physical tenacity, evident in a recent shoot during a cyclone swell from Tropical Cyclone Sean earlier this year. “There were beautiful head-high waves in crystalclear waters running down the beach for an entire day,” he said. “I took thousands of photos that day and only left the water when both my legs completely cramped up. I got lit up by a set wave, and I couldn’t physically take any more photos!”

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

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PRODUCT REVIEW

by Grant & Linda Hanan

MAKING THE SWITCH AUXBEAM SWITCH PANEL

While I’m not a qualified auto electrician, it’s fair to say I’ve installed plenty of 12V accessories in 4WDs over the past decade or so. Although in those days it was using gear like 12V relays, toggle switches, fused circuits, crimping, soldered terminals and heat shrink protection. That all took plenty of time and used lots of rated wire running back and forth throughout the vehicle. Thankfully things are different these days, and there’s now a range of companies that offer switch control panels to make the job much simpler.

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fter picking ourselves up a new touring fourby, it was time we added a few accessories here and there before hitting the tracks. Typically, we’re talking some driving lights, camp lighting, a fridge, and an on-board air compressor, plus a few charging sockets for phones and other electronic equipment. For this build, we chose to be able to turn them on and off using a switch panel from Auxbeam as a DIY project. From the research we’d undertaken, we learned the Auxbeam switch panel makes the wiring of accessories a hell of a lot easier than the traditional relay/toggle switch method I’d been used to.

ABOUT THE AUXBEAM PANEL While there are various Auxbeam models to choose from, we went with the multifunctional 8-gang switch panel.

It has a maximum current of 60 amps and allows 8 separate circuits to be switched on/off. This can all be done through its solid-state relay control panel that comes with a fuse block.

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The full kit.

It’s an all-in-one package that uses an electronically controlled switching panel that has Bluetooth functionality and can be connected to a smartphone using the app.

The kit had everything we needed and included mounting brackets, a terminated power harness, a solid-state terminal block, breaker switch, the 8-gang switch panel, plus a label sheet for the switches.

It also comes with an installation manual and everything needed to connect it all up to a phone.

Wiring the unit up in our vehicle’s false floor.

A final test before installation in the 4WD.

The design principle is to install the control box with its brackets in and around the engine bay. The circuit breaker is then mounted nearby in close proximity. From here, it’s just a matter of connecting the supplied power harness to the battery, circuit breaker and the control box.

hardware (all supplied). Once the panel has been mounted, simply feed the control harness from the switch panel through your vehicle and into the engine bay, where the other end is connected to the control box. There’s an additional harness that goes from the control box, which needs to connect to a positive feed somewhere within the vehicle.

The preferred connection is through accessories or the ignition.

The next job is to find a suitable location for the control switch inside the vehicle using some mounting brackets and

You’re now ready to connect the accessories wiring to the control box.

Here you’ve got the choice of eight

HOW IT WORKS

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Now to put things back together.

Job completed.

terminal circuits to choose from on the control panel. There are four on either side, with five amps being the lowest and 30 amps being the highest. Connect both the positive and negative accessory wiring to the screw terminals within the control box. Time to test it and check that you’ve wired it all up correctly. If you get that tick of approval, it’s just the simple task of using the label sheet provided to attach the appropriate labels to the correct switches. The last thing is to download the app to your phone and follow the instructions. You can now control accessories remotely using your phone through Bluetooth connectivity.

vehicle’s engine bay close to the starter battery, we fitted it elsewhere in our new build. We’d made a false floor behind our vehicle’s passenger seat to utilise some space and had allowed room to install the control box there. Our plan was to use our house lithium battery to control the accessories, and this meant a lot of the hardware and wiring could be done outside the vehicle.

We mounted the switch panel using the supplied brackets into our floor console and in easy reach for either the driver or passenger to access and view. The panel is also backlit, and it’s obvious if the switch is on or off. We find that’s a great feature. The next step was to connect the supplied control loom from the switch

HOW TO INSTALL IT We found the process to be straightforward and relatively easy. The step-by-step guide takes you through each step using very clear photo illustrations. Starting with the control box, it has an IP65 waterproof rating. While the kit is designed to be mounted in the

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We’ve used six out of the eight switches for the initial job.

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panel to the control box. We ran this wire under the carpet, so it was tucked out of the way. All our accessory wiring was then connected to a circuit where we used six of the eight circuits. We don’t need the two spares just now, so essentially we’ll keep those up our sleeve for future add-ons. After downloading and testing the app, we can see how using the phone outside the vehicle will be a great feature when we get around to adding some external camp lighting.

WHAT WE THINK The installation method certainly simplified the accessory wiring and switching process. It’s also a much quicker process and uses a lot less wire compared to days of old. If a circuit now blows a fuse for whatever reason, an LED in the control box illuminates, letting you know which fuse has failed. Love that!

Being solid-state wiring as well, there aren’t any separate relays to wire up either. There’s also no need to solder or use terminal crimps. I can say with a little bit of wiring knowledge and the supplied instructions, it was a real DIY project.

The solid-state control panel.

The unit also comes with a two-year guarantee from the time of purchase.

It’s early days, and we’re yet to fully test it on bush tracks and expose it to the harsh Aussie environment. There is one thing to consider, and that relates to the solid-state relays. Unlike the traditional switching-type relay, there’s no easy way to replace just one in the Auxbeam unit should it fail. However, there are no moving parts to fail, being a solid-state unit. We guess time will tell as to how well it stands up, but for now we’re quite impressed as to the overall quality, fit, finish, and ease of installation, along with the functionality of the unit. It’s a winner in our eyes.

All that’s left to do is for us to get out on the tracks with our accessories and control panel and get amongst it. With what we know today, I don’t think this will be the only Auxbeam control panel I install, and now I’m looking to add it to other vehicles.

For more models, pricing and availability, visit auxbeam.com

Comprehensive manual with QR codes included.

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Arm yourself against fatigue.

Regularly get 7.5 hours sleep a night.

On long drives take a break every two hours and swap drivers if you can.

Make every journey safe

PRODUCT REVIEW

by Matt Payne

PORTABLE POWERHOUSE

KICKASS 150AH LITHIUM BATTERY BOX POWER STATION A reliable and well-integrated 12V system is without a doubt the heart of any good camping and 4WD touring setup. Nowadays, in the age of lithium batteries, what you can achieve in this space is really only limited by your wallet and imagination. n my last 4WD, I invested a lot of time and money in getting my 12V system to a level that I was happy with—this saw me progress from deep-cycle flooded cell batteries in the engine bay to the same style battery in the cabin to, finally, a 100Ah lithium slimline setup that tucked away neatly in the rear of the wagon.

I

securing it all neatly into place with clips and zip ties as appropriate. The lithium system worked beautifully, but when it came time to sell the vehicle, I quickly realised that all the work I had invested in this effectively added $0 to the resale value, and the time and effort to remove it all was simply not worth it.

Regardless of the setup, all involved running metre upon metre of wiring, appropriately fusing everything, and

So, when embarking on my latest 4WD build, a new MV Triton GSR, I decided to take a different approach, opting for a

Unlike other battery box systems on the market, the base of the KickAss unit actually is the battery.

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simpler, modular 12V system that can be installed and removed with minimal fuss.

This left me with two real options: either a lithium power station or a lithium battery box—I opted for the latter.

Battery boxes have been around for some time now, but they have typically been limited in size to 100-120Ah. In a nutshell, you purchase the box, choose a battery to suit, drop it in, connect the terminals, and away you go. KickAss have now taken this concept to the next level with their recently released 150Ah lithium battery box, which really is a cross between a typical battery box setup and a power station.

At 150Ah, it has the largest capacity of any battery box setup available, yet it achieves this in practically the same footprint as a typical 100-120Ah box setup. This is thanks to the integrated design of the product; the bottom of the box actually is the battery, and the lid component containing all of the functionality is then connected to the battery terminals and secured to the base.

When the battery portion reaches the end of its cycle capacity, you can then just purchase the battery half of the box, as opposed to having to buy an entirely new setup (however, featuring A-grade prismatic cells, KickAss claim a cycle life of >3,000 cycles at a 0.5C discharge/charge rate, so I wouldn’t expect to even look at replacing the battery for a decade if maintained properly; it also comes with a five-year warranty). Weight-wise, the unit comes in at an impressive 21.45kg, so for those users who want to lift it in and out of the 4WD in between trips, this is certainly doable.

The lid of the unit is where all of the functionality lies, with two 10A cigarette socket inputs, a pair of PD 45W USB-C inputs, a pair of quick-charge USB-A inputs (5V/3.1A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A), six 50A

The unit comes with a variety of cigarette plug and USB inputs, as well as six standard Anderson inputs (50A max combined) and a 175A high-discharge Anderson input — perfect for running high-wattage inverters.

Anderson plug inputs (50A combined max current—auto-reset circuit breaker), a high-current alternator input, and a 50A unregulated solar input. A 40A DC-DC charger sits on top of the lid, providing capacity to charge the unit from near 0% to 100% in ~4 hours and meaning that even without huge solar setups, you are unlikely to run into charge issues while touring.

The unit also features a 175A highdischarge inverter input, and KickAss sell a pre-wired plug-and-play cable to suit this—although I will note that the supplied M10 terminal lugs are surprisingly not compatible with KickAss’ own 2,000W inverter (and I would suspect their others as well), which utilises M12 bolts for terminal attachment.

I was able to get around this using a step drill attachment to widen the terminal

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lug eyes to 12mm, but this is something that KickAss may want to consider fixing for future iterations. Utilising this input, the battery can provide a massive 150A continuous discharge, meaning that you can easily run a coffee pod machine; I found that my Lavazza unit drew up to 113A during the initial preheating step when run through the 2,000W KickAss inverter.

The unit also comes with an integrated LCD smart display that records current voltage, current discharge, battery temperature, time to empty, and % capacity remaining, making power management effortless out on the tracks.

Similar information is also available incabin on your iPhone or Android phone while on the move via the integrated Bluetooth app.

As with any lithium battery setup, a quality battery management system is paramount to safe function, and KickAss’ unit comes with 11 builtin safety features, including pack under/over voltage protection, cell under/over voltage protection, BMS temperature protection, charge under/ over temperature protection, discharge

under/over temperature protection, pulse discharge protection, and short circuit protection. I inadvertently tested out the short circuit protection while installing my inverter when an unshielded positive terminal lug momentarily contacted the negative, and it worked perfectly.

KickAss also sell complete installation kits, including plug-and-play heavy-duty wiring kits to run from your cranking battery to the alternator Anderson input and a mounting plate with a tie-down kit to secure the battery box firmly to the vehicle—both of these came as part of the full ‘essential’ kit that I purchased and made installation in the Triton much easier.

Time will tell how the battery box performs on extended trips where I am demanding the most from it, but so far I am incredibly impressed with the functionality of the unit, and, learning from previous lessons, the modularity of the setup means that when it comes time to upgrade to a new vehicle, I can simply unplug and remove my 12V system with relatively minimal fuss to transfer it across to the latest build.

The smart LCD display keeps track of power usage.

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

08 9335 4803

www.fremantlefuel.com.au info@fremantlefuel.com.au 27 Strang Court, Beaconsfield WA

• Vehicle Servicing • Diesel Fuel Injection • Diagnostics, Repairs & Overhauls • Performance Upgrades • Turbo Charger Sales and Servicing • 4WD Dyno

PRODUCT REVIEW

by Ron & Viv Moon

BETTER ACCESS & CARRYING MAXTRAX MISSION 4X4 Improving access to the back of a Troopy and carry a set of MaxTrax recovery boards are made easy with this gear from WA based, Mission 4x4.

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’m not going overboard with my build on my Troopy but one of the first things I opted for was to improve access to the rear of the vehicle while not having to open the swing-away tyre carriers that kinda impede access to the rear door.

Then there was the question of how and where I should carry my Maxtrax.

After some research on what was available, I opted for a pair of gullwing windows and a Maxtrax table from Mission 4x4 – mission4x4.com.au

The company has a good range of accessories for 76 and 78 Series Cruisers and I was impressed by the looks and quality of the gear, which was reinforced even more once I had the window replacements and the table in my hot little hands.

The gullwing windows are made from 3mm aluminium and designed for a DIY installation. There are three heavy duty hinges to provide maximum strength and durability while lockable compression locks ensure security while gas struts

Gullwings give easy access to the back of the Troopy.

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The rubber foam seal means the window is mounted completely in the window frame of the vehicle body without any holes being drilled, preventing water leakage and corrosion.

Once the old window has been lifted this far it can be removed easily from the outside.

assist in opening and closing. A distinctive quarter panel on the outside with cut outs gives the gullwings a unique look and can be used for mounting some light gear or accessories that is immediately handy, although you’d have to address the security issue if wanting to leave them hanging on the outside all the time.

A clamp system with a rubber foam seal means the window is mounted completely in the window frame of the vehicle body, without any holes being drilled; this completely prevents water leakage and corrosion.

The biggest issue with the fitting of these new windows is removing the old ones, which can be tenacious as the OE sealant used, hangs on for dear life. Once the old windows have been removed it’s a matter of cleaning of the old sealant glue completely off the frame. Then the new gullwing windows are fitted in place and clamped to the body work of the vehicle.

A video on the Mission 4x4 website gives you easy-to-follow instructions on how to do all that.

You’ll find it a lot easier if there are two of you to fit and tighten the bolts that hold the window in place. In our case it was about a four hour job to fit the gullwings

Fitting the new windows is easy.

and since fitting them 12 months ago, I have had absolutely no issues with them either in use or in leaking dust or water.

Priced at around $1,100 each these gullwings aren’t cheap but they are well worth the outlay, improving access to the rear of the Troopy, no matter how you have set your vehicle up.

The Maxtrax Table which is designed to carry four Maxtrax boards and folds down to make a very useable table may be a little dearer than some other options, but I’m a firm believer in everything having two uses and this holder come table fits the bill perfectly.

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The fitted Maxtrax table.

This table is one of the handiest things we have fitted to the Troopy and we use it for quick lunch stops or for when we are in camp as a handy table for a multitude of uses. It has worked perfectly for the last 12 months and over 40,000km of outback travel. Priced at $1,095 it’s a great addition to the Troopy and I couldn’t see ourselves without one.

The table in the lowered position.

Fitting the table means you need a bit of faith in your measuring – I’d strongly suggest measuring twice before you put a drill anywhere near the body of the vehicle. Once again there’s a handy informative video on the website that covers the installation.

You really should check the range of accessories from Mission 4x4 out and I’m sure you’ll be as impressed with the designs and quality of the gear as I was.

And once in use, you’ll wonder how you did without them!

Marking and measuring. Twice!

As per the instruction, after drilling, I used some rivets to position the table but instead of using the supplied stainless steel rivets I opted to use some stainless nuts and bolts. It’s a little bit fiddlier and demands two people — one on the inside, the other on the outside — but I feel it’s a better and stronger fit.

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THE THINGS YOU SEE! with (Truthful) Phil Bianchi

THE LOWDOWN ON LITHIUM BATTERIES Considering a lithium upgrade for your 4WD? Phil shares his positive long-term experience with an RV Lithium Systems 100Ah portable power box, emphasising its fast charging, significant weight saving, and the crucial lesson of prioritising quality over price for reliable off-grid adventures in WA.

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ack in 2018, I purchased a 100 amp-hour (Ah) lithium battery from RV Lithium Systems (WA). I opted for a tidy ‘all-inone box solution’ so as not to have a spider web of spaghetti-like wiring, brackets, and components mounted all around the battery. All components are encased in a tidy 10 mm high-density polyethylene black box, so it's completely portable.

Its main features included.

• 100 Ah lithium (LiFePO4) battery with cell balancing and protection.

• REDARC 1240d BCDC 40 amp dual input battery charger with MPPT solar input and a • Victron BMV 712 Smart meter with Bluetooth connectivity, which displays the battery’s voltage, amps in and out, amp hours consumed, time until flat, the percentage state of charge, and a low battery voltage alarm.

My lithium battery, which is in addition to two wet cells under the bonnet, is securely fitted inside my LandCruiser behind the driver. The hard, solid case is computer tower-like and can readily be moved from vehicle to vehicle.

• On the outlet side, the unit has two merit plugs, one cigarette lighter plug, two USB outlets, and two 50 amp Anderson plug outlets.

• On the inlet side, there is a 50 amp

Anderson plug and a 50 amp solar Anderson plug.

• Overall, my battery weighs 20kg. Whereas a 100 Ah AGM would weigh around 35kg when all components, controllers, and cabling are added. Nowadays, RV Lithium 100 Ah batteries are even smaller and lighter due to improved technology and component miniaturisation.

My lithium battery’s main use, when camping, is to run my National Luna fridge 24/7 and my CPAP machine overnight.

The battery has never let me down, except one time when it was my fault it went into battery protection mode. That issue was quickly resolved. My power use overnight is around 25-40 amps, depending on the weather. In colder conditions, the fridge uses less power.

My RV Lithium System battery is seven years old this year and still going strong. The positives of an RV lithium system are: • Long life of the battery.

• The recharge rate is around four times faster than regular batteries. It's not unusual for my battery to fully charge in less than 90 minutes.

• Off-road performance is brilliant; it has proven itself on numerous desert trips.

This includes travelling the Canning Stock Route a couple of times, with each of these trips being up to five weeks in duration.

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or early trip termination and financial loss.

• Potential lack of portability due to external components.

• The battery is unable to deliver the claimed outputs.

I recently took my battery back to RV Lithium Systems for a service. Yes, my lithium battery can be serviced. No faults were found, and while they had it apart, they installed a connector that allows for direct charging from a Victron 5 amp blue smart charger. A brilliant improvement.

• It has superb reliability because of its high-quality electronic components.

• There’s significant weight reduction over a wet cell.

• Increased output capacity over a wet cell.

• Portability.

• In the lithium battery world, I think it's high quality and great value for money.

• Nowadays, a new RV Lithium Systems battery weighs 15 kg and is 315mm long x 155mm wide x 275mm high. It's smaller and 5 kg lighter than my battery.

I’m often asked about 4WD and camping items and batteries, ‘What should I buy?’ I respond with ‘Buy cheap, buy twice.’ I then explain, ‘Don’t sacrifice quality for the price; it’s often a mistake.’

For me, the risks associated with a ‘cheapie’ lithium system include: • Potential battery failure. This can be disastrous at any time, even worse when you’re on an extended trip.

• Loss of $1000s in vehicle and food preparation for a trip.

Also, while I was there, I talked about my frustration with my two solar blankets (I have solid-frame panels as well).

The blankets were not delivering the stated charge. I was told that the brands I had were at the bottom end of the market in quality, and if I was serious about solar blankets, I should replace them with higher-quality ones, which I did.

While my lithium system appears to be expensive, and the upfront cost may give coronaries to some, I considered factors such as needing power for refrigeration and my CPAP machine, the reduced weight, fast recharge rate, and longevity of the battery.

Despite the initial high buy-in cost, it has proven to be excellent value for money and has repaid itself in dollar terms and especially in peace of mind.

Want to know more?

Go to rvlithiumsystems.com.au/portablelithium-power, and you’ll find everything you need, or contact Paul on 0414 433 899. He builds his own batteries right here in Perth.

He’s a 12-volt expert and a great bloke.

They make lithium batteries in all sizes and shapes, even to fit behind the seat of a 70 Series LandCruiser.

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BUSH MECHANICS with Geoff Lewis

KEEP IT CLEAN – THE POWER OF SOAP FOR YOUR 4X4 I’ve mentioned in this column before the need to be open to information and methods that might seem out of the ordinary.

Today's subject, on how a bar of soap can fix a four-wheel drive, very much feeds into this outlook of storing such left-of-field methods for a just-in-case scenario.

S

tuck in camp, I had noticed that some fluid had started spraying up on the back passenger-side wheel, and when I looked further forward up along the undercarriage, I found the source: the fuel tank had developed a leak along one of the

soldered joints of the fuel tank, where a small crack had appeared.

I watched the rate at which the drips of fuel were coming out of the broken seam, and there seemed to be one a minute, nothing to worry about at the moment, and it could be fixed the next morning, so I decided to turn in for the night.

The next morning, I looked through what kit and potions I could use to fix the crack in the tank. As always, the one thing you need you don’t have, so I pulled my head out of my box of tricks and went over to my bag and pulled my toiletry bag out.

Success! To my excitement, I pulled out a bar of soap, just what I needed. Walking over to the Land Rover, I knelt down by the

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leaking tank and took out my knife and started filing some flakes of soap off the bar of soap.

Once I had half a handful, I then poured a small amount of water into the centre of the soap flakes and then slowly kneaded it while adding sand into the mixture to help it bind together until it formed a paste.

Positioning myself back under the Land Rover, I applied the paste to the cracked seam of the tank, applied a bit more water, and rubbed the soap paste in until it had a somewhat smooth finish.

An hour later, after having breakfast and packing up camp, I inspected it again, and the soap paste had set rock hard and showed no signs of leaking fuel.

So, how does this method work? Well, we

need to look at the bathroom at home. For those reading this who have cleaned their fair share of showers and baths in their time, you will know that the soap slowly builds up and sets on the surface of the bath or shower base. It can be difficult to remove and will set as hard as a bar of soap.

Well, with this trick with fixing the leak of the fuel tank, it's no different, and because there is a thick enough application of the soap/ sand paste, the soap won’t dissolve from the fuel.

However, with any method, there are limits, as I found out later when large rains came and formed large bodies of water on the track, and after a day of driving through this deep water, the soap had been washed away and needed to be reapplied, but either way, it got me back home so I could do a more permanent repair.

So the bar of soap can perform a few more tricks other than keeping your personal hygiene up to scratch, so throw a bar of soap into your bag for that next big adventure.

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

WINTER STARGAZING! While out on your 4W driving adventures, remember to not only enjoy the daytime landscapes but the evening nightscapes too, as the next few months are full of cosmic treats!

A CHANCE TO SEE NEPTUNE In the early morning hours, it’s a great time to see if you can find Neptune with a telescope by using the Moon and Saturn as your guide. Neptune is below and slightly to the left of Saturn, which can be seen below the Moon. Neptune only looks like a small blue dot in medium to larger telescopes, so it’s nothing to get excited about. It is, after all, approximately 4.5 billion km away!

However, why not take the opportunity to tick another planet off your bucket list?

When and where to look From 2am, 19th June. Look to the east.

the stars. The Emu is best seen throughout winter and is spectacular, spreading right across the evening sky.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the world’s first astronomers, studying the night sky and navigating using the stars.

Tens of thousands of years of culture and heritage are reflected in their star stories.

For the Noongar people of the south-west of WA, the emu is known as weitj. The weitj in the sky is male, and you can see him guarding the eggs. During Makuru (the coldest and wettest time of the year, which falls across June and July), the dark, clear nights provide an ideal backdrop for finding the weitj.

When the Milky Way arches high across the night sky, look for the Southern Cross constellation (Crux) above the southern horizon. Two bright stars directly above due south are “the Pointers” (Alpha and Beta Centauri) to the Southern Cross.

On the left-hand side of the Southern Cross, look for a dark oval shape called the

EMU IN THE SKY One of the most incredible objects to see in the night sky is the Aboriginal constellation of the ‘Emu In The Sky.’ It lies within the band of the Milky Way, and its shape is outlined by dark areas of the night sky, not

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Coalsack Nebula. This dark nebula is visible to the naked eye as a dark patch obscuring part of the Milky Way. The Coalsack Nebula forms the head of the emu, with the beak pointing downward. The emu’s long neck stretches left through the middle of ‘the pointers.’ The body and legs of the emu stretch halfway across the horizon towards the east.

When and where to look The Southern delta-Aquarids meteor shower peaks on 31st July, with best viewing around 2:00am AWST. Meteors will radiate from high in the north-eastern sky.

When and where to look Well after sunset on moonless nights, around 8.30pm from June to September.

Look south-east to south-west.

A treat for stargazers when the Moon makes a close approach to the gas giant Saturn on 12th August. Saturn rises at 8.52pm, followed closely by the Moon at 8.59pm.

The night sky played an important part in Aboriginal life and worked hand in hand with their seasonal way of life. Their knowledge of the stars represents a yearly calendar depicting special times of the year. The night sky also played a significant part in their culture and dreamtime stories, as it formed a starry storyboard for their heritage.

When and where to look After the sun sets, look for the Moon rising above the eastern horizon just before 9pm. Saturn is above and to the right and looks like a bright yellowish star.

SOUTHERN DELTA-AQUARIDS METEOR SHOWER

On the morning of August 13th, early risers can witness a close approach, known as a conjunction, between Jupiter and Venus in the pre-dawn sky. Venus, the brightest planet visible from Earth, will be paired with the almost equally brilliant Jupiter, offering a stunning view for all stargazers as this cosmic duo try and outshine each other!

A meteor shower is a celestial spectacle where large numbers of meteors, or “shooting stars,” streak across the night sky. These dazzling events occur when Earth passes through the trail of debris left by a comet or other object that has come into our solar system. Visible to the naked eye, meteor showers offer a mesmerising display of bright streaks, adding a touch of cosmic wonder to the night.

The Southern delta-Aquarids Meteor Shower extends from 12th July to 28th August, with the peak expected on 31st July. It may produce up to 25 meteors per hour, and with the moon in its first quarter, the skies are almost at their darkest, so it's a great opportunity to enjoy the spectacle.

EVENING STARGAZING DELIGHT

JUPITER & VENUS CONJUNCTION

When and where to look The pair will be visible low on the eastern horizon in the dawn sky on 13th August.

They both rise at 4:48am, and the best time to view them will be at about 5am, until they are lost to dawn light around 6:30am.

Something Interesting: Jupiter is easily the largest planet in the solar system—the king of the planets is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined, and even Jupiter’s great red spot is bigger than Earth.

For more information on these stargazing forecasts, visit astrotourismwa.com.au For stargazing events to attend, visit startracksastroevents.com.au To find a dark sky location, visit one of WA’s Astrotourism Towns astrotourismwa.com.au western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver #134 |

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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.

This one spells HELP.

$89.95

$29.95

$19.99

Check out these items and more at

www.bobcoopersurvival.com Also available

Playing cards with a survival hint on each card.

$10.00

Bob’s best selling book

$24.95

OUTBACK SURVIVAL with Bob Cooper

WINTER WARNING Today more than ever, people are heading bush in search of off-road adventures or more remote, tranquil places. This surge is partly in response to the numerous reality television survival programs.

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ost people holiday in the warmer seasons or travel to the north of Australia to avoid the cold, but the attraction of winter adventures should not be overlooked. One common mistake people make when travelling/hiking in colder weather is not drinking enough water. You can get dehydrated even standing in the rain! Always remember sipping water is not enough. Your body needs at least a full cup of water just to keep the vital organs functioning.

To have a true adventure, there must be some element of risk. When things go wrong, these risks can be minor to an experienced person but a major disaster for someone else with a lack of survival knowledge or a carefree attitude or worse— both.

Over the years I have been fortunate to have survived being in potentially fatal situations during real land, sea and air mishaps. On all occasions there was an element of survival skills employed that helped dampen my fear intensity down to a controllable level, enabling the rationale in my brain a chance to manage the situation mentally and physically as best as possible.

Many people choose to stay clear of venturing into the wilderness because they

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do not know how to cope with a potential crisis in their journey.

These emotional and often irrational fears cloud people’s engagement with our outback—and even in bushlands of suburbia. The fear of snakes, spiders, being lost, being alone, and even death are all acquired. Knowledge is the key to dispelling fear and replacing that emotion with respect.

Some survival wisdom: • Luck is when good planning meets an opportunity.

• The only thing certain is that nothing is certain.

As a society, we need to recapture the survival skills and empathy with nature that our ancestors instinctively knew. True appreciation and understanding of our natural environment may be the only factor that saves it and, on occasions, us.

If you are not in control of the situation in the wilderness, then who is? Mother Nature will take control, and she is not cruel to an individual; she is just unforgiving.

If you decide you’d rather stay indoors this winter, then it is the perfect time to plan and prepare for your next trip. Perhaps you could complete an online survival course, outback survival training, or snake handling and first-aid courses.

• Survival skills can prevent a mishap from turning into a tragedy.

• Sipping water does not prevent dehydration.

• Always carry a survival kit, a rescue blanket, three bandages, and water = survival.

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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

FISHY BUSINESS with John Bormolini

HOOKED ON THE PILBARA Across many coastal areas of Western Australia, we’re spoiled by fantastic fishing opportunities, and the northern Pilbara region is no exception. The Karratha area and surroundings are the perfect example, and some would argue that the region has the best allround fishing in the state.

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fter spending nearly a decade living there and experiencing the amazing array of choices from the shore, from the creeks and offshore, it was easy to see why. It's an amazing location to base yourself with a four-wheel drive, a boat and a camper trailer.

This central Pilbara region, like much of the northern coast between Onslow and Port Hedland, has some distinct features. It’s

not an area dominated by long stretches of white, sandy, surf beaches and dunes but rather a broken coastline of mangrovelined bays and rocky headlands with the occasional patches of coarse sand. The water in close is often stirred by large spring tides and only clears on the smaller neap tides. Offshore there are plenty of attractive islands to explore, surrounded by great bottom fishing and deeper blue water sportfishing opportunities beyond the drop-offs.

With the four-wheel drive and enough time set aside, there’s plenty to explore from shore. Careful research around the best spots that are accessible (especially from experienced, longer-term locals) and consideration for the state of the tides and the time of year will provide a variety of choices.

Fishing on the Burrup Peninsula.

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Locations around the Burrup Peninsula, Dampier itself, Forty Mile Beach, Cleaverville, and Point Samson are all good starting points to consider. Again, the importance of the right local advice makes a big difference.

For those who enjoy casting lures and stalking fish from shore, the inshore shallower water around the rocky headlands along this coastline can be superb fun.

They are often the focal point for baitfish to congregate or for tidal currents to sweep past, creating a perfect spot for fish to lie in ambush. It might seem as though high tide is the best time to fish these spots, but don't be fooled, because it’s usually the opposite!

The headlands and rocky bridges aside, don’t ignore the large flat expanses of the tidal flats. They may appear to fishless deserts when all the water has gone, but with the incoming tide, lots of different species such as threadfin salmon, queenfish, and small school mackerel become active feeders. Along the coarse, sandy beaches and bays, the more likely targets will be yellowfin whiting, dart, long tom, yellowfin bream, and foraging blue bone (tuskfish), but either way, there’s plenty to try for.

The island fringes (if you can reach them) and rocky shallows are the realm of luremunching giant trevally. These powerful fish can be prolific and, in certain spots, home to bigger, bruising adults that can be almost impossible to stop. Battles with the bigger ten-kilo-plus fish can be a real tough task from shore, and if there are any about, the best option is twitching a surface popper.

Make sure, however, that the treble hooks and rings are up to the task.

Big golden trevally like to hang under weed and in the current around the islands, but also at times in shallower water, especially smaller juvenile fish. There are certainly plenty of trevally throughout the Pilbara coastline, with gold spot, brassy, bludger, and big eye trevally all part of the mix.

Dispersed at regular intervals throughout this coastline is the network of creeks and

rivers draining through the ever-present mangroves. A dinghy becomes fairly indispensable in these areas, but it is worth the effort because the rewards can be great.

This far north, the chance to tangle with a barramundi in the creeks is a real possibility in the warmer months. Although not prolific, the tidal water of Karratha’s creeks turns up barra pretty consistently around the start of summer with the warming water temperature. Big female fish are often caught at the start of every summer season.

Keen creek anglers also target the tenacious mangrove jack and giant threadfin salmon as they hunt bait on the rock bars or near the river mouths. Both pose a great challenge with lures or bait but need effective tackle and the right technique to achieve the best success.

The best part is that both the jacks and salmon are great eating. If there’s a chance to add to the menu by nabbing a mud crab or two in a drop net, the day out in the creek is doubly worthwhile. Chilli mud crab has

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to be the perfect entrée for a feed of fresh salmon, jack, or even barra. The Nickol River, Airport Creek, Fields Creek, and Cleaverville Creek are worth considering.

Large parts of the Pilbara coast are stunning, but equally, many spots are difficult to access easily. To get to some of the best spots requires serious off-road capability or long distances by boat. Being self-sufficient and well-equipped is a must if you plan to tackle some of the more remote locations.

And then there’s no more testing an off-

road environment than the rock-strewn trails and treacherous tidal mudflats that are part and parcel of this part of the world.

Careful research with good Hema maps or Google Earth imagery and precise directions and details from those who have visited and fished the tougher spots before is almost essential for first-time visitors to the region.

Investing some time by exploring the easier sites first is a good idea, and there’s still plenty to take in and enjoy as you do.

The author with a juvenile giant trevally.

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GEAR TO GO CAMPING All featured products available from Go Camping & Overlanding 9/58 Erindale Road, Balcatta. Visit campingoverlanding.com.au

RED ROADS ULTIMATE PORTABLE COOKING BUNDLE: TRIPOD + RISER + GRILL + CANVAS BAG The coming together of some amazing products into one bundle for Western 4W Driver readers.

Red Roads is a WA-owned and operated brand, sold almost exclusively at Go Camping & Overlanding in Balcatta with a mix of products made both locally and internationally.

Supporting locals feels even more important than ever with the start of 2025, so what better way than to take your camp cooking to the absolute max? The Riser, as a starting point, is a fire pit that is not only amazingly portable, it also uses firewood sensibly and makes disposing of the "debris a breeze" (say that a dozen times!!).

Coupled with the Tripod and Grill, you now have a versatile cooking bundle where temperature can be regulated.

The whole kit is stainless steel, which offers a good balance of weight and durability around the open fire. And store the whole kit in a canvas bag (note, a "proper" canvas bag), and you have the ultimate in portable campfire chef adventures.

As a Western 4W Driver reader, if you purchase one of these before 30th July, not only will you pay just $299 instead of the $520 normal price, but you will also receive a bonus pack of the uber-cool overland patches (a collectable in the modern day) if you buy in store and mention "WESTERN 4W DRIVER."

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ROOF SPACE ROOF TENTS Combining the quick setup of a hard-shell tent with the spacious sleeping area of a soft-shell tent, the Roof Space range of Roof Top Tents are designed for adventurers seeking comfort and convenience under the stars at a sensible weight for space.

In a nutshell (or might we say, hardshell), the Roof Space tents offer ease of use and durability of a hard-shell tent combined with the small mounting footprint and spaciousness of a softshell tent.

Roof Space Tents are designed in Germany and built to the highest standards of quality with some very clever features that are quality checked, including features such as fully moulded alu composite casings and things brands normally wouldn't think of, like nut and bolt indicators to show any movement after a day of corrugated road driving! How about twostage dust seals (just like on your car) for keeping the red dirt out of outback driving! These design details are again displayed by the fact that components of the tent are replaceable, providing a longevity not seen on other tents.

Setup is quick (around 60 seconds with a bit of practice), and most importantly for us overpacking 4W drivers, a weight of just 66kg, which is amazing for such a spacious twoperson tent.

When open, the tent is 250cm in length, 150cm in width, and up to 130cm in height. Closed, it is just 156cm in length, 135cm in width, and 24cm in height.

Other features you would expect from such a well-designed product include an AntiCondensation Mat, Spring Steel Rods to allow for vent covers, a High-Density Foam Mattress and a Telescopic Ladder.

It's on display at Go Camping & Overlanding and, until the end of the financial year, is $5,495, including freight surcharges to WA (normally an additional $300).

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GEAR TO GO CAMPING

JETBOIL STOVES 2025 Unless you have been hiding away from new technology for the last 20 years, you would probably have come across a Jetboil stove in your travels, or you might be one of the millions of people worldwide who already own one!!

For those who might not be aware, a Jetboil is a brand, not a type of gas-powered stove. Often copied by cheap imports, Jetboil still holds the mantle for cooking with lightweight portable gas systems, especially in amazingly speedy timeframes.

In 2025 they have reworked their already brilliant design, especially the bread and butter of their offerings, the FLASH. The hallmark of this style is quick boil—simple as that. Think of it like a fast-boil kettle, except super portable. A 100gm gas canister, the canister support, the stove mechanism, and even an aftermarket pan support all conveniently stack and store away inside a one-litre cooking vessel. Note, you can use three sizes of gas canisters: 100gm, 230gm and 460gm (the latter offering the best value per gram of gas). Once deployed, the boil time of two cups of water on average is less than two minutes—the insulating cozy has a colour-changing "thermochromatic" heat indicator that signals when contents are hot. From the 100gm canister, you could expect up to around 20 boils, but this is weather dependent, as the colder the conditions, the longer the time it takes to reach boiling.

The new 2025 Flash has upgrades including a one-step ignition system (just like your home stove), a new coloured grip zone for easy handling, and a new range of colours. All this in around a 400gm package (excluding fuel).

Go Camping & Overlanding in Balcatta is an official launch partner for the new Jetboil, and until the end of July, we will throw in a free canister of 100gm gas for Western 4W Driver readers who mention this offer.

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Of all the things I teach people how to cook in the camp oven, the humble sausage roll would have to be my favourite. Once the skill is learned and my students find out just how easy they are to make, there is no holding them back, and with the array of different flavoured sausages available today, one is only limited by one’s own imagination.

Simply Sausage Rolls

Imagine the delighted surprise your hungry humans will have when you serve up a plate of hot, crispy chicken, cheese and bacon, spinach and cheese, pork and apple, or even some Aussie kangaroo sausage rolls from your camp oven, home or van oven.

I will give you the easy-peasy version first, then the more complicated one next.

VERSION ONE You will need:

s it turns out, I have been writing for this amazing magazine for 25 years now, and for most of those years, I have been contributing a recipe that is either cooked in the camp oven, over a fire, or even in your caravan or home oven.

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12 sausages, your choice of flavour.

Where possible, I try to come up with something new and/or a variation on a much-loved favourite that fills the bellies of hungry humans while out camping or around a campfire somewhere, sometime. From backyard to beach to bush, I hope the recipes I have provided over the years have given you delicious sustenance and have become family favourites that are repeated on high rotation.

This recipe will make 12 large sausage rolls or 24 party-size.

Because of the longevity of my association with Western 4W Driver, it may be entirely possible that the odd repeat on a recipe may occur; usually it will be a new and improved variation on the original, so at the risk of having already submitted a sausage roll recipe, I apologise in advance and hope you like the latest iteration.

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3 sheets of just-thawed puff pastry A baking paper-lined tray that will fit in your camp oven, home or van oven.

Method: Once the puff pastry has just thawed, cut it into two even strips.

Place two sausages with their skins removed end to end on the bottom edge of each strip of pastry so you will use four sausages per sheet.

They may need to be squished up a bit to fit, so just concertina the snags together to make them a bit fatter.

Roll the pastry over the sausages

CLEWED UP with JO CLEWS

until the sausage is completely encased and the edge of the pastry is underneath.

Cut in half or quarters depending on if they are for a meal or just a snack to feed a few.

Place on the tray and cook in your oven at 180 degrees for about 25-35 minutes.

VERSION TWO I feel it is a leftover reaction to having to hide vegetables in every meal I made for the kids that I can’t seem to make sausage rolls without adding a few extra things, so usually I just buy plain sausage meat and add a few seasonings of my own.

Method: Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix together (hands I have found the most effective for this).

Then allow to stand for half an hour before portioning the mixture into six even amounts and forming it into a sausage that will fit along the length of the pastry.

Follow the process to make option one and cook in exactly the same way as well.

Hopefully one of these options becomes your family’s favourite. Enjoy!

You will need: 1 kg of plain sausage meat 1 cup of quick or rolled oats 1 large carrot, grated 1 onion, finely chopped 1 teaspoon of garlic powder A generous grinding of black pepper. ½ cup of water.

All different flavoured sausages can be used for the basic sausage roll.

If using plain sausage meat, the addition of things like sun-dried tomato flakes, garlic powder, cheese, bacon, and spinach can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Cheese kransky sausages make an awesome alternative.

Puff pastry can be stored just refrigerated for about 10 days, so it doesn't need to be frozen all the time.

Poppy, sesame, or nigella seeds are a tasty addition to the outside of the pastry.

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CAPTURE THE MOMENT with UNCLE DICK STEIN

Well done Michelle!

You’ve won a Vehicle Survival First Aid Kit valued at $130, from

FOUR LIGHTS SHOW FORESIGHT

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his great picture by Michelle Parton has four winning points:

a. It is well composed.

b. It is well-lit. c. It is colourful. d. It shows great good sense on Michelle’s part.

Let me explain. The composition leads your eye in through the campsite by drawing you forward through four pools of light; the boot lid light on her 4WD, the fire in the tin basin, the boot light on the second 4WD, and the moon.

These lights are all different colour temperatures so they all have different colours. They have different intensities, too, which the long exposure has captured without washing out.

The colours are mostly warm, with the exception of the moon.* They are comforting, and that’s what you need at the end of a 4WD day.

And the good sense? Well I see: a. Both vehicles parked on flat, safe ground.

No overhanging widow-maker branches. b. Ditto the camp bed, set up off the ground and already made up, ready for later.

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c. A pot cooking on a fire that is set up away from flammable scrub. d. Food and dishes ready on the portable table. e. A shovel handy for emergencies. f. A fully packed 4WD with things stored properly. g. Firewood to hand. h. A mate in another vehicle equally sensible.

Support on a bush trip is vital. i. Camped before dark and before fatigue starts to induce mistakes.

I think Michelle went out to have a good time, had that good time, and came back safely. Very wise—that’s…

Foresight! * NASA tried to adjust the colour of the moon in the 1960s but the knob broke off.

Follow us on Facebook and watch for our request for entries for your chance to win! facebook.com/western4wdriver

Holiday in in WA WA Holiday Holiday in WA

Holiday in WA

When you holiday in WA, book with Quality Tourism Accredited Businesses and

you’ll get abook quality assured you go.

When you holiday in WA, with Qualityoperator Tourism wherever Accredited Businesses and you’ll get a quality assured operator wherever you go.

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Holiday in WA

When you holiday in WA, book with Quality Tourism Accredited Businesses and reliability and great customer service. you’ll get a quality assured operator wherever you go.

From hotels and guided tours to shops and services, you can expect quality, When you holiday in WA, book with Quality Tourism Accredited Businesses and and great customer service.

From hotels andreliability guided tours to shops and services, youyou can you’ll get a quality assured operator wherever go.expect quality, reliability and great customer service.

From hotels and guided tours to shops and services, you can expect quality, reliability and great customer service.

To book your holiday with Quality Tourism Accredited Businesses, visit To book your holiday with Quality Tourism Accredited Businesses, visit www.holidayinwa.com.au www.holidayinwa.com.au

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SMART PHOTOGRAPHY with Karl Fehlauer

VIDEOGRAPHY WITH A SMALL SENSOR – INTRODUCTION AND ACCESSORIES I am sitting here writing this article after just having returned from a four-week trip to NSW, ACT, Vic and SA. During this trip my wife and I did the ‘Painted Silos’ tour of Vic and SA, and I can highly recommend it if you are after something different to do.

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y main aim for the trip was to photograph the painted silos, and every time we arrived at a new location, my wife would get her phone out and video the scene and tell a little story and then post it on Facebook. This got me thinking about how powerful our phones are and how much we rely on them and social media to keep our friends and family informed on what’s happening in our lives.

Audio When creating video either for YouTube or just to share on Facebook, the most important thing to consider is your audio quality, as poor audio is one of the main reasons people will stop viewing your recording. You can have bad video quality, but if the audio is bad, then it is a real mood killer, as there is nothing worse than trying to listen to someone speaking when there is major interference from the wind.

Our phones can record very good audio in perfect conditions, but the minute you have wind, it will destroy the quality of the audio recording and become a major put-off for your viewers. I know, as I will always exit out of a video if the audio is poor.

Our phones make it so easy to record video.

You simply open your camera app, select video, press record, and away you go. In most cases you will get a very decent video, and most of the time that quality is all you need for Facebook or Instagram, but you can get better quality video without too much effort.

Some smartphones have a built-in wind filter, but even they are not good enough when the wind is too strong. The single best way to improve your audio is to use an external microphone, and the good thing is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a decent-quality external microphone set-up for your smartphone.

Also, these days a lot more content creators are using their phones to record their YouTube videos, and some of the video content is fantastic, whereas some leaves a lot to be desired, and in this article and a couple of the future articles, I will discuss ways of improving your video-creating skills so that you are getting the best content available from your smartphones.

These days, you can get a great USB-C microphone transmitter/receiver that plugs into your USB-C port on your phone, and the quality out of them is fantastic.

The ones I use are ‘Boya 2.4G Wireless Lavalier Clip-on Noise Reduction Microphone,’ which you can get on eBay for between $70 (single microphone) and $100 (double microphone)—see Figure 1. The

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Figure 1

receiver simply fits into the USB-C port, and you can clip the transmitter onto your shirt collar (or anywhere if you want), and they do a great job of picking up your voice while at the same time removing distracting wind and other noise.

If you do a search on eBay for ‘wireless lavalier microphones,’ you will find that there are other styles available, from brandname ones to non-brand-name ones (that are cheaper). With the cheaper ones, you get what you pay for (and yes, I have tried them). For me, I have two sets of the Boya ones, and I like them.

Regardless of brand, this one simple addition will make a world of improvement to your video; just make sure that whichever one you buy comes with a wind cover (also known as a ‘Dead Cat’), as this is what helps filter the wind noise. The wind cover is the foam or ‘furry’ thing that covers the microphone.

Gimbals The market is full of gimbals for all types of cameras, and for smartphones, they range in price from around $100 right up to $400, and again, you get what you pay for.

What is a gimbal, and why do you need one?

Simply put, a gimbal is designed to keep your smartphone steady and the horizon straight while you are filming. Now you may say that your smartphone has built-in image stabilisation and that it is great, and yes, it is, but it isn’t perfect, and that’s where a gimbal comes into play.

A gimbal works on a three-axis system to remove movement and keep your smartphone straight. This means that you can walk with one, move it up and down, etc., and have very little movement in your video image.

I watch a lot of videos on YouTube, and one thing that really annoys me (apart from bad audio) is not having a straight horizon.

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Figure 2

Crooked horizons are caused by not holding the smartphone level, usually because the person is just holding onto the smartphone with their hands, and even the slightest bend in your hand will cause the horizon to slant, and it is very distracting.

Figure 3

Some gimbals will only hold a small payload—basically a smartphone without the case—and while these are good, I would prefer to keep my case on and also to be able to fit filters and even a light, so I have the Hohem iSteady M6, as it has a payload of about 400g, so I can keep my phone case on, fit filters, and, if necessary, a light as well— see Figure 2.

These gimbals are not as large or bulky as the ones for cameras are, but they still do take up some room; however, they are very easy to operate once you have balanced them, and the iSteady M6 has about eight hours of charge, so enough for a lot of filming, and I use a Samsung S22 Ultra with it.

If you can afford one, I would highly recommend getting a gimbal.

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Cages

Filters

If you can’t afford a gimbal, then another option is a smartphone cage—see Figure 3 for my setup. A cage is basically a metal or plastic ‘cage’ that fits around your smartphone to offer it some protection, and it also allows you to add lots of other devices, such as lenses, lights, handles, hard drives, power banks, etc.—the options are endless.

The last thing that I would like to quickly talk about is filters. Now I have written a lot about filters in my previous articles in regard to photography and how important they are for getting the correct exposure, and it is exactly the same with videography. In a future article I will write about ‘Frame Rates,’ and to get correct exposure for the Frame Rates that you are shooting at, you need to have good-quality filters, in particular Neutral Density (ND) filters.

One benefit of having a cage for your smartphone is that when holding it, you get a much better and sturdier grip and are therefore able to hold onto your smartphone a lot steadier than holding it without one, plus you can fit all sorts of accessories (and who doesn’t like fitting accessories?).

Smartphone cases come in either plastic or aluminium, with plastic ones ranging in price from about $20 to $50 and the aluminium ones ranging in price from about $45. Which one is best depends on your budget and requirements.

With my cage, I have a set of handles—with one being a Bluetooth remote—two Ulanzi lights, a Boya wireless microphone, a power bank, and a mini tripod, and this setup cost me less than $150. I also have an Acra Swiss plate fitted to it, which holds the mini tripod, but I can also use it to attach it to a larger tripod if needed.

This setup works well with my old Samsung S21.

For my Samsung S22 Ultra setup, I use Freewell Filters, which are magnetic stick-on filters, and therefore I use their case (which is why I like the iSteady M6 Gimbal). Simply, these filters clip on and off and are held in place with magnets, which makes them very easy to use and quick to change.

For my Samsung S21 and the Cage, I couldn’t find any suitable filter holder that I liked, so I 3D printed my own case (from a 3D file) and designed my own lens holder and 3D printed it. This allows me to attach 55mm round filters to the front of the camera so I can use a combination of filters such as a Circular Polariser (CPL) and ND filters, and it works really well.

Well, that’s about it for this article, and I could write forever on this subject, but I only have a limited space, and I don’t want to confuse you more.

In my future articles I will discuss Frame Rates and exposure settings required to get good quality video, so until then, keep the shiny side up, and if not, make sure that you capture it on video.

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NOW WE'RE TAWKING! Travelling Australia With Kids with Tara Henry

15 HILARIOUSLY HELPFUL TIPS FOR LIFE ON THE ROAD (BECAUSE TRAVELLING ISN'T ALWAYS INSTAGRAM-PERFECT)

Ah, life on the road. The open highway, the endless horizon, the wind in your hair... and the empty water tank, melted chocolate stash, and GPS that insists you're driving through a lake.

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hether you're travelling full-time, a weekend warrior, or living the nomadic dream in a caravan or campervan, one thing's for sure: road life is equal parts magical and messy. To help you navigate the highs, lows, and utterly bizarre moments of travel, here are 15 funny, practical, and slightly absurd tips for making the most of your journey.

Your Legs with Olive Oil,  Shave Because Why Not? Let's kick off with a true tale of travel resourcefulness. Imagine this: you're offgrid, basking in the glory of nature, when you realise your legs are giving serious yeti vibes. No shaving cream? No problem. Grab that bottle of olive oil from your caravan kitchen and treat yourself to the world's most slippery spa day. Not only will you have smooth legs, but you won't have to use any of your precious tank water!

 Treat Fuel Like It's Liquid Gold

There's nothing like the feeling of freedom— until your fuel gauge hits empty and the nearest servo is 200km away. Always, and we mean always, fill up when you're passing through a town. Even if you think you have plenty. Even if you're "just heading up the road." That road may turn into an unsealed detour through the back of beyond, and running out of fuel is the fastest way to become a feature on Outback Rescue.

Trust a Camp Toilet  Never (or Caravan Park Dunny Block) Without a Torch

There's nothing quite like the midnight dash to the loo to remind you you're alive—and possibly being watched by a possum with judgemental eyes. Whether you're roughing it in the bush or doing laps around the caravan park toilet block, never go without a torch or headlamp. That shortcut you found earlier? It's now a labyrinth of garden hoses, tree roots, and mysterious squelchy things.

Bonus level: try it in your PJs with one shoe on. It's like Survivor: Bathroom Edition.

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 Pre-Sort Your Snacks Like a Pro

You know what brings harmony to a longhaul drive? Snacks. You know what brings chaos? A child screaming because their favourite chip flavour has disappeared into the black hole under the passenger seat.

Label your snack containers. Give everyone their own stash. And for the love of sanity, keep the chocolate in a cool spot unless you enjoy licking it out of wrappers.

maker will make you feel human again.

Whether it's a French press, AeroPress, or full-blown barista machine (we see you, glampers), prioritise the brew. Your travel buddies will thank you.

 The Washing Line Wiggle Dance

Drying clothes in a caravan park or out in the bush is part choreography, part meteorology. Learn to dance around your temporary laundry setup with grace—and always peg everything. One gust of wind and you're chasing your undies across a dusty paddock in front of a crowd. Not your finest moment. a Secret Emergency  Have Chocolate Stash

the Art of the  Master Five-Minute Setup Every seasoned traveller knows the true competition at a campground is how fast you can set up. Pop-up tents? Instant shade awnings? Folding chairs that don't require a master's degree to operate? Get those down to a science. Bonus points if you can do it with a drink in one hand and without yelling at your partner.

This is not a want. It is a need. Store it somewhere no one else knows—inside a cereal box, under the spare tyre, or in your hiking boot. One day, you'll face a travel meltdown: the campsite is full, the mozzies are biting, and the toddler is feral. That's when you break into the stash. Chocolate saves relationships. Science probably proves this. Also a bottle of wine for the mums.

 Invest in a Decent Coffee Setup

Mornings on the road can be peaceful ... or a total disaster, depending on whether you've had caffeine. A reliable, compact coffee western4wdriver.com.au | Western 4W Driver #134 |

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the Wild Hair and  Embrace Questionable Outfits

a "Grab-and-Go" Box  Keep by the Door

Caravan mirrors are liars. Between the heat, wind, salt water, and hats, you're not here to win beauty pageants. Embrace the caravan chic look: dusty thongs, board shorts, mismatched socks, and a bun that could house a family of birds. This is fashion freedom. Bonus: no one judges you when everyone else looks like a laundry explosion as well.

Fill it with all your daily essentials— sunscreen, hats, bug spray, sunglasses, fly nets, and maybe a bit of dignity. Having it ready by the caravan door saves time when you're racing out for a sunset walk or trying to catch the local bakery before it sells out of pies.

the "Just Pulled Over"  Master Pee Technique

Camping is awesome—marshmallows, adventures, and muddy knees! But sometimes you just want to snuggle up and watch your favourite shows. Before you zoom off to a no-internet zone, download your cartoons and games! Because if you don't, the Boredom Monster might appear.

It loves to pop out when you can't finish your movie, your game won't load, or you're stuck watching ants instead of superheroes.

Save yourself—download before you go!

Sometimes, nature calls and there's no rest stop in sight. Get comfortable with creative positioning and keeping a lookout.

Have a roll of toilet paper, a plastic bag, and hand sanitizer always at the ready.

And remember: always check for ants first.

Always.

Your Fun or Face the  Download Camping "Boredom Monster!"

 Practice the Caravan Shower Squat

Water is life, and caravan tanks are tiny.

Mastering the three-minute shower is an art form. Better yet, develop the Caravan Shower Squat—a move that saves water, strengthens your legs, and ensures you rinse efficiently.

Who needs a gym membership?

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a "What's That Smell?"  Keep Checklist

Final Thoughts: Expect the Unexpected

It happens. Something starts to reek. Is it the greywater tank? Forgotten cheese under the seat? Someone's shoes? Create a checklist and investigate calmly. Accusations help no one. And remember: open all the windows before you go detective mode.

You'll thank yourself later. a Memory Jar or  Create Travel Journal Yes, the Instagram photos are lovely, but the best stories are the ones you don't post—like that time a kookaburra stole your bacon or when your awning blew away midstorm and you chased it in your jocks. Keep a physical journal or jar where you write a quick note each day. The laughs you'll have reading them back one day? Priceless.

Life on the road isn't perfect—and that's exactly why it's so unforgettable. You'll hit potholes, burn toast, forget essentials, and have moments where you seriously question your sanity. But you'll also laugh until you cry, discover secret swimming holes, meet amazing people, and find joy in the beautifully chaotic rhythm of travel.

So go ahead—shave your legs with olive oil, hoard emergency snacks, and wear socks with thongs if you must. The road is your playground. Embrace the mess, the adventure, and the endless memories waiting around every bend.

Happy travels and smooth legs to you, brave adventurer!

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GOINGS ON

Ningaloo Sky Festival lights up Exmouth with stellar debut The inaugural Ningaloo Sky Festival is set to light up Exmouth from Friday, June 27, to Sunday, June 29, with a celebration of all the wonders of the Ningaloo region.

The new event, organised by The Shire of Exmouth and held biennially, will give festival-goers the chance to experience the culture, cuisine, and celestial wonders of the Ningaloo Coast.

The festival’s program includes an Opening Night Gala, a drone show, food stalls, degustation dinners, astronomy talks and more.

West Australian hospitality team Fervor will bring their acclaimed ‘roving dining experience’ to Cape Range National Park for the event, where guests can enjoy a multicourse menu of native ingredients by chef Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov, live music, and Indigenous storytelling under the stars.

ARIA Award-winning Fremantle trio Eskimo Joe are set to be another highlight of the weekend when they headline a free community concert on the Saturday night.

Gascoyne Food Festival brings fresh tastes to 2025 The Gascoyne Food Festival will serve up a month-long celebration of the region’s food culture from Saturday, July 26, to Sunday, August 31.

With special events lined up for Carnarvon, Exmouth, Upper Gascoyne, Shark Bay, and Dirk Hartog Island, attendees will be able to explore the diverse offerings from local farmers and producers against the unique backdrop of Gascoyne landscapes.

The festival is set to feature a diverse lineup of events, having expanded from seven events last year to 16 events in 2025.

One of the festival’s flagship events, the Carnarvon Long Table Lunch, is set to take attendees on a culinary journey led by renowned chef Ben Ing. Other highlights include an Outback Station Tour & Tea at Carey Downs Station, Quartet & Canapés in the Kennedy Ranges, Shark Bay Beats & Eats by the Bay, and Australia’s Last Sunset on Dirk Hartog Island.

“This festival is a celebration of our unique region,” said Shire President Matt Nikkula.

“We invite everyone to join us for a weekend of wonder under the Ningaloo Sky,”

“This event showcases the incredible talents of our local chefs, growers, and producers, boosting tourism and uniting the community in celebration,” said Gascoyne Development Commission CEO Tim Bray. “The Gascoyne Food Festival is now Australia’s largest regional gastronomic food experience.”

The Ningaloo Sky Festival runs from Friday, June 27, to Sunday, June 29, 2025, in Exmouth. For more information, go to ningaloosky.com.au

The Gascoyne Food Festival hits the Gascoyne region from Saturday, July 26, to Sunday, August 31, 2025. For more info and tickets, visit gascoynefoodfestival.com.au

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Perth Caravan & Camping Show draws a crowd to Claremont Showgrounds More than 30,000 West Aussies flocked to Claremont Showgrounds for the 52nd Perth Caravan & Camping Show, showcasing the state’s biggest range of caravans, campers, trailers and accessories.

The Western 4W Driver team was on-site in the Tourism Pavillion, meeting our readers and sharing stories about our travels across the state. We were also thrilled to give away some awesome daily prizes thanks to our prize sponsors Maxtrax, Go Camping & Overlanding, MSA 4×4 Accessories, and Queen of the Murchison, along with free Western 4W Driver stubby holders for all our readers!

It was also great to rub shoulders with some other great organisations in the Tourism Pavillion, including all five of WA’s regional tourism bodies, along with representatives from outback destinations, tour providers and more.

Outside the pavillion, there were exciting new products and ideas on display, especially in the tech space, where solar and lithium battery solutions continued to trend, driven by a growing interest in offgrid travel.

As it prepares to celebrate 53 years in 2025, the show is now gearing up for its southern counterpart, the Busselton Caravan & Camping Show, which rolls into the South West town from Saturday, September 20, to Sunday, September 21.

For more info about the upcoming Busselton Caravan & Camping Show, visit caravanwa.com.au

40 Series LandCruisers to shine at showcase weekender The Toyota Land Cruiser Club of WA is gearing up to host a memorable weekend that pays tribute to one of the most iconic 4WD vehicles ever built—the legendary 40 Series Land Cruiser.

The 40’s Classic Weekend will unfold at Old Coast Road Brewery, at Myalup, on Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12, and attract enthusiasts, restorers, adventurers, and nostalgia lovers from all over WA. Whether you’re driving an immaculate FJ40, a battle-worn BJ42, or a rugged HJ47 ute, this is a weekend to swap stories, share builds, and connect over a shared passion.

Trip leaders Stuart ‘Gus’ and Ralph ‘Big Red’—both longtime 40 Series owners and club stalwarts—will host the event.

The brewery grounds will offer overnight camping, making it easy for visitors to stay close to the action, enjoy local brews, and soak up the 4WD camaraderie.

Attendees can look forward to a Show & Shine Display—showcasing 40 Series vehicles in every condition—from perfectly restored classics to well-used outback rigs; Technical Talks & Vehicle Walkarounds— as long-time owners and restoration experts share insights on modifications, maintenance, and parts sourcing; and Local Food and Brews from Old Coast Road Brewery.

Toyota LandCruiser Club of WA’s 40’s Classic Weekend takes place at Old Coast Road Brewery on Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12, 2025. For more information, head to tlccwa.org.au

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Burger Night at Bullara

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