Go Camping Fishing & 4WD Adventures Issue 106

Summer 2016/17 Issue 106

Aus $6.95 NZ $8.95

SPECIAL FEA TURE

THE OUTBAC K WINTO N QLD

EXPLORING the Hamilton Access Track,

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CONTENTS

40

6

From the Editor

8

News, Views & Events

14

Chasing Waterfalls

18

Black Rocks Campground

22

Outback Way

28

Narawntapu National Park

32

A Home Among the Gum Trees

36

Tully River with ET

40

The Panorama of Mount Moffatt

44

The Great Western Woodlands

48

Exploring the Hamilton Access Track in SA

52

Going Bush on a Budget

56

World Heritage-Listed Purnululu

62

Great Product Reviews

64

Going Gaga for this Fair Lady

70

Ready to go Wild!

74

Happy Healthy Hassle Free Holiday Recipes

76

Latest & Greatest

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Editor

FROM THE

Christmas holidays are the bes t time to pack up the car for a Summer adv ent ure ! Image: Angus Jon es

Bring it on!

Here we are again.

The end of a busy and exciting year for Go Camping Fishing & 4WD Adventures magazine! Another 6 editions launched full of adventures, including guest writer Andrew Ettingshausen’s fishing journeys, with many tips and tricks to help you hook your ultimate catch!

On behalf of the team, I would like to thank you for your support throughout 2016, and hope you have a great Christmas and New Year with family and friends. It’s the perfect time to wind down, take a break and start to plan 2017’s trips! Go Camping magazine will be coming back better than ever in the new year, with our issue’s being released quarterly, and still being in the form of print and online.

Here are just a few snippets of what we have in store for this edition:

Exploring the Hamilton Access Track, South Australia Heading north, the constant rattle of the 4WD from deep corrugations is occasionally replaced by the equally ferocious shaking from the large gibbers that cover the track. If this were not enough to keep us alert, the rusted metal rail spikes partly hidden in the sand, waiting like a sand viper to jump out and attack an unsuspecting tyre, would. These metal relics littered along the track are part of the reason we have decided to explore the Hamilton Access Track in the centre of South Australia. – James Carey The Great Western Woodlands, Western Australia These woodlands are the largest remaining area of Mediterranean climate woodland left on Earth, and take in the Northern and Eastern

Wheatbelt, the Goldfields and Southern Ocean Regions of Western Australia. – Karl Fehlauer Chasing Waterfalls, Queensland Approximately two hours north of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland offers some relatively easy off road experiences as well as plenty of wild swimming at local water holes.

We travelled through the Conondale and Blackall Ranges over the course of a long weekend to chase waterfalls and get our tyres dirty. Adding to the panoramic views, there are plenty of small, country towns scattered throughout the area with delicious cafes and quirky shops. – Christina Cannes Have a wonderful Christmas break, and bring on 2017!

Enjoy the issue!

Tiarne Ettingshausen

Find us on Facebook Now you don’t have to wait weeks for the next edition of Go Camping, Fishing & 4WD Adventures to get the latest camping news, stories and offers from around Australia.

Head to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ GoCampingAustralia and join the camping community.

Publisher Michael Vink

Editor Tiarne Ettingshausen E: gocampingmagazine@outlook.com

Advertising Manager Angie Leben T: (07) 3334 8002 E: angie@vinkpub.com

Subscriptions Donna Hansard T: (07) 3334 8000 E: donna@vinkpub.com

Production Team Wei Deng, Richard Locke and Karen Belik-Kirkman FRONT COVER: Old Hyden-Norseman Rd, Great Western Woodlands, WA. Image: Karl Fehlauer www.westralianimages.com

CONTRIBUTORS Julie Bishop & Regina Jones

Jill Harrison

Christina Cannes

Angus Jones

James Carey

Richard Kemp

Andrew Ettingshausen

Glenn Marshall

Tiarne Ettingshausen

Peta Murray

Karl Fehlauer

Craig Sheather

Cliff Guy

Shelley Thomas

Published by ABN 3107 478 5676 | Quarterly Head Office: 38–40 Fisher St, East Brisbane Q 4169 Postal: PO Box 8369, Woolloongabba Q 4102 T: (07) 3334 8000 F: (07) 3391 5118

Go Camping, Fishing & 4WD Adventures is distributed through newsagents and camping stores across Australia. Recommended retail price A$6.95. Annual subscription A$33 includes postage within Australia and GST. Distribution by Gordon and Gotch. Editorial and photographic contributions welcomed. Disks, transparencies and self-addressed stamped envelopes are required. The publisher takes no responsibility for the views expressed in articles or advertisements herein. The publisher could not possibly ensure that each advertisement published in the magazine complies with the Trade Practices Act. While every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Print Post approval No. 100000936.

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News, Views & Events Go Camping, Fishing & 4WD Adventures Summer: Dec 2016 – Feb 2017

Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales has welcomed its very first Asian Elephant calf, after 10 years since the herd’s arrival from Thailand.

It’s the fourth calf born in the breeding program, but the first for Dubbo Zoo.

NEWS Eco-friendly safari tents for Lamington National Park New environmentally sustainable safari tents in the World Heritagelisted Lamington National Park will be constructed from mid 2017 to complement existing and new tent and RV sites.

The plan, funded by the Queensland Government, for 15 safari tents, will include a double bed and bunks and use eco-smart materials to help cope with the humidity and rainfall, along with 20 powered camp sites helping revitalise Green Mountains campground at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat.

There will be an improved undercover common area, equipped with a kitchen, share tables and communal fire pit. New bathrooms complete with flushing toilets that will use recycled water will be installed, along with energy efficient and storm water drainage systems, adding to the park’s sustainability initiatives.

An existing shower block will be turned into a community hall ideal for schools, community groups and rangers to use for research and education.

O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat is one of Queensland’s most established and iconic ecotourism destinations surrounded by Lamington National Park and the new accommodation reflects a contemporary approach to camping.

First Asian elephant calf arrives at Dubbo Zoo

A new Cretaceous dinosaur from Queensland The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum in Winton recently announced the naming of Savannasauruselliottorum, a new species of dinosaur from western Queensland, Australia. The bones, of the new dinosaur nicknamed Wade, come from the Winton Formation, a geological deposit approximately 95 million years old and were discovered by David Elliott while mustering sheep in early 2005.

Dr Stephen Poropat, Research Associate at the AAOD Museum and lead author of the study said the name honours the area in which the bones were found.

‘The name references the savannah country of western Queensland in which it was found, and honours the Elliott family for their ongoing commitment to Australian palaeontology,’ Dr Poropat said.

‘Savannasaurus was a mediumsized titanosaur, approximately half the length of a basketball court, with a long neck and a relatively short tail.

‘With hips at least one metre wide and a huge barrel-like ribcage, Savannasaurus is the most rotund sauropod we have found. It lived alongside at least two other types of sauropod (Diamantinasaurus and Wintonotitan both found in the local area), as well as other dinosaurs including ornithopods, armoured ankylosaurs, and the carnivorous theropod Australovenator,’ he said.

Keepers and vets were on hand throughout the labour and birth of the calf and report mother, Thong Dee and the calf are in good health and spending time together in the elephant barn.

The zoo will soon be Photo: Rick Ste announcing a vens competition to help choose a name for the calf.

New open range zoo for Western Australia A conservation and recreation reserve on the Avon River near Lower Chittering north east of Perth, has been chosen by the Western Australian Government as the site for a new open range zoo to host African savannah animals and support Perth Zoo’s international wildlife conservation breeding programs.

It is hoped the open range zoo, which will be about an hour’s drive north of Perth, will be attractive to interstate and international visitors and become a world-class attraction, with the nearby Swan and Avon valleys offering other recreational opportunities such as nature-based tourism, camping and bush walking.

A site investigation will now take place to consider infrastructure requirements such as road access, water and power needs before an initial concept plan is developed.

The Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of bones from Australia’s biggest dinosaurs.

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GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

Zoo Photo: Dubbo

POWERSMART SERIES

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PORTABILITY OPTIONS 2-person-carry handle and a telescoping style handle

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LCD STATSTATIONTM Displays total power used, total unit hours, and maintenance reminders

VIEWS It’s the time of year where tourism operators around the country start to find themselves a recipient of prestigious tourism awards – here are a few highlights.

Albany gets top gong The National Anzac Centre in Albany, Western Australia has been named Australia’s number one museum by TripAdvisor users, with more than 800 positive reviews on the popular travel website. The centre offers visitors a moving depiction of World War I through the voices of Anzac soldiers, and since opening almost two years ago, has attracted more than 136,000 visitors.

It’s not the first award for the museum either – in 2015 it was named as best new tourism business at the Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards and is currently ranked 21st in Lonely Planet’s top new travel experiences.

Queensland top caravan parks named As part of the Queensland Tourism Awards, three of Queensland’s top tourist parks were named. Judged by a panel of industry experts who volunteer their time to assess written submissions and travel throughout Queensland to experience the amenities and services of nominated businesses, the top three parks in Queensland are all worthy award recipients.

Taking out gold was the BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort in Airlie Beach. Silver spot was awarded to the Gold Coast’s NRMA Treasure Island Holiday Park, and bronze went to Killarney View Cabins and Caravan Park near Warwick. All three caravan parks will now go up against other state and territory winners to vie for a win at the QANTAS Australian Tourism Awards being held in February next year.

Photo: National Anzac Centre

There were many award categories, and the following attractions, events and visitor information centres might be of interest for campers, fishers and 4WDing enthusiasts.

Recognising WA’s best caravan parks Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards recently crowned Denmark Ocean Beach Holiday Park (pictured below) as Western Australia’s best caravan and holiday park. The Gold Medal recipient is situated just eight kilometres from the township of Denmark in bush land just off Ocean Beach and just over 400 kilometres south of Perth. Coming in Silver position was Kimberleyland Holiday Park in Kununurra in the state’s north-east, and in Bronze was the RAC Busselton Holiday Park, 220 kilometres south of Perth. Other relevant winners and medal recipients of the tourism awards include: Major Tourist Attractions Gold: Whiteman Park Silver: Rottnest Island Bronze: Perth Zoo

Ecotourism Gold: Sail Ningaloo Silver: Three Islands Whale Shark Dive Bronze: Ningaloo Discovery

Tourist Attractions Gold: Willie Creek Pearls Silver: Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures Bronze: Busselton Jetty

Cultural Tourism Gold: Fremantle Prison Silver: The Bell Tower, Home of the Swan Bells, Perth Bronze: National Anzac Centre

Major Festivals and Events Gold: Mandurah Crab Fest Silver: 2016 Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Bronze: City of Perth Australia Day Skyworks 2016

Visitor Information Services Gold: Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association Silver: Exmouth Visitor Centre Bronze: Kalgoorlie Boulder Pure Gold Visitor Centre

Festivals and Events Gold: Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster Silver: Rottnest Island New Year’s Eve Fireworks

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GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

Tour and Transport Operators Gold: Top Drop Tours Silver: Kimberley Air Tours Bronze: Adventure Wild Kimberley Tours Adventure Tourism Gold: Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures Silver: Ningaloo Discovery Bronze: Three Islands Whale Shark Dive

Major Tourist Attractions Gold: Australian Age of Dinosaurs Silver: Australia Zoo Bronze: Mossman Gorge Centre Tourist Attractions Gold: Cobbold Gorge Tours Silver: Capricorn Caves Bronze: Sarina Sugar Shed Major Festivals and Events Gold: Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers Silver: Blues on Broadbeach Music Festival Bronze: World Science Festival Brisbane 2016 Festivals and Events Gold: Mount Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo Silver: Broadbeach Country Music Festival Bronze: Noosa Food & Wine Festival Visitor Information and Services Gold: Hervey Bay Visitor Information Centre Silver: Wirrarri Visitors Centre, Birdsville Bronze: Kuranda Visitor Information Centre

Top offerings in the Top End The Brolga Northern Territory Tourism Awards (Brolga Awards) recognise the best travel products and services in the Northern Territory. The 2016 award recipients are varied – but here are the best outdoor attractions and accommodation.

Caravan and Holiday Parks BIG4 MacDonnell Range Holiday Park – located in Alice Springs, this family run business pride themselves on customer service, outback hospitality and wellmaintained facilities.

Major Tourist Attraction Kakadu National Park – covering nearly 20,000 square kilometres of exceptional natural beauty and unique biodiversity, Kakadu is one of Australia’s iconic World Heritage attractions.

Festivals and Events Uluru Camel Cup – two days of outback fun including the Camel Calcutta and Uluru Camel Cup, helicopter flights, Thorny Devils Kids Club, Fashions on the Field and the Frock up and Rock up Ball.

Ecotourism World Expeditions – trekking the Larapinta Trail with semi-permanent, ecofriendly campsites, with sustainable features to preserve the environment.

Cultural Tourism Venture North – offers guided cultural and nature based tours to Cobourg Coast Camp – an eco-tourism and fishing camp on the Cobourg Peninsula in northern Arnhem Land.

Adventure Tourism Uluru Camel Tours – be inspired by the stunning surrounds of Uluru and Kata Tjuta as you gently coast along the sand dunes some ten feet off the ground, letting go of your fears, with not a care in the world.

BOOKS Wild Beauty: A photographic field guide to Australia’s biggest, oldest and rarest natural treasures

by Graham Lloyd and Vanessa Hunter Over the course of four years, journalist Graham Lloyd and photographer Vanessa Hunter sought out Australia’s wildest, most significant and least known natural phenomena. Wild Beauty is an intimate showcase of 26 of these places, which represent the country’s oldest, tallest, longest and more special natural treasures. It offers a glimpse into Australia’s rare – and rarely seen – wildernesses, many of which are considered the most spectacular of their kind on earth.

Wild Beauty is a visual journey, brought to life with incredible stories about the people who fight, preserve and protect these special places.

Available at Dymocks.

RRP $49.99.

Explore Australia 35th edition

By Explore Australia (Ed.)

South Australia’s best caravan and holiday parks

Explore Australia (35th edition) has had a thorough revamp, giving it a personality overhaul – to make it more engaging and inviting, to appeal to both a younger and more diverse group of travellers, along with the already converted. The book draws on the nostalgic appeal of the road trip and harks back to the very best in the earlier editions, both in design and content.

South Australia’s top caravan and holiday parks have been named with the BIG4 Adelaide Shores taking out the Caravan and Holiday Park category.

It was closely followed by Hahndorf Resort Tourist Park in the gold medal position.

Silver medals were also awarded to Ceduna Shelly Beach Caravan Park, Port Vincent Foreshore Caravan Park and Wallaroo North Beach Tourist Park.

This latest edition taps into travel being an adventure – its aim being to inspire travellers to hit the road to see all that is awe-inspiring, fun, exhilarating, even quirky, about travelling in Australia. The new design of the internal pages is fresh and inviting, with a focus on ease of use – information is provided in a friendly and engaging way that is clear and accessible.

Get out and discover the real Australia with Explore Australia.

Available from all good bookstores. RRP $59.99.

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EVENTS CRUSH FESTIVAL Adelaide Hills, South Australia 27 – 29 January 2017 The 2017 CRUSH Festival is a wine and food lover’s ultimate summer party with more than 30 wineries offering a host of special experiences to leave patrons ‘head over Hills’ for the wine region.

This year’s theme for the festival is ‘Play it Cool’ to reflect the refreshing nature of the region’s famous white wines, which are perfect for summer picnics on sprawling lawns and elegant degustation dinners – all on offer during the festival. Visitors can experience both ticketed and free events including ‘Dinner with a View’, Thai street food from Artwine, ‘Picnic in the Sun’, ‘Epicurean Picnin’, live music, lawn games, picnics and tastings at various wineries, market stalls, gourmet food, and giant chess and family activities.

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.crushfestival.com.au.

GRAPES AND GALLOPS Mount Barker, South Australia 22 January 2017 This year’s Grapes and Gallops event at Mount Barker, which includes one of the Great Southern’s richest races, the $100,000 Mungrup Stud Sprint over 1300 metres, is expected to attract more than 2,000 people who will revel in all that epitomises country racing – fashions, racing and wine.

Under the big tent, racegoers will be able to watch the nine-race program while sipping on wines from nine of Mount Barker’s finest producers including Arcadia, Galafrey, Gilberts, West Cape Howe, Plantagenet Wines, and Hawkers Ridge. All are a perfect accompaniment to a gala threecourse luncheon, if you so choose.

Fashions on the field will be a highlight with prizes awarded to the best dressed filly and colt, and families will also be catered for with entertainment provided for children. A range of regional produce will be available including fresh cherries and strawberries, French pastries, local cheeses, stuffed spuds, gourmet pizzas and freshly shucked Albany oysters.

The action starts at noon until 8pm and entry is $20 for adults, $10 concession and children under 18 are free.

For more information, visit www.grapesandgallops.com.

USAAF TOP SECRET WWII TOUR Charleville, Queensland – Ongoing from December 2016 During World War II there were several US military bases throughout Australia, but the top-secret US Army Air Force base at Charleville was a terminal for the Pacific Ferry Route and housed some Top Secret equipment that was guarded around-the-clock. The base saw planes coming and going, refuelling, servicing and fitting out some of the bombers. It housed 3,500 personnel and a number of the buildings remain today. On the USAAF WWII Top Secret tour you will visit where they lived, slept, worked and bathed and learn about what the sites have been used for after they packed up their kit bags and returned to America in 1946.

Find out why the base was Top Secret on a daily tour. Departing from the Visitor Information Centre each morning at a cost of $15 per person. For more information or to book, call (07) 4654 7771.

Photo : Rob

FESTIVALE – Launceston, Tasmania – 10 – 12 February 2017 Festivale is a three-day celebration designed to showcase the very best of Tasmanian food, wine, beer, arts and entertainment. Staged in Launceston’s historic and picturesque City Park the ambiance of the outdoor event is unique. The annual event, attracting around 3,500 visitors, was originally established in 1988 as a multi-cultural street party and has transformed into an iconic Tasmanian event. Celebrate Tasmania’s world-class produce, cool climate wines, ciders, beers and local entertainers all while relaxing under historic elm trees with family and friends.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.festivale.com.au.

Burne tt

Article & Images by Christina Cannes

Booloumba Creek Nestled among the subtropical rainforest of the Conondale Ranges is Booloumba Creek, an idyllic camping spot situated along the banks of a clear, rock-lined stream perfect for swimming. The camping areas at Booloumba Creek are limited to owners of 4WDs (or high clearance vehicles) as there are several creek crossings along the main road. Camping areas one and three are situated along the creek and for tent camping only. Area four is a large, open field and suitable for caravans, camper trailers and in our case, roof top tents.

There is an amenities block with flush toilets and fire rings at each camping 14 |

area. Sites must be booked in advance through Queensland Parks.

The camping area is great for families as there is swimming in the creek nearby offering plenty of entertainment in itself.

Each bend of the creek provides a new experience, from rope swings, to small rocks for jumping, even a tiny waterfall.

For the adventurous, there is a steep 4WD track up Booloumba Creek Road to Booloumba Falls. The track is graded, but precipitous and can be deeply rutted after significant rainfall. It was slow going up this track due to ruts and the winding nature of the track with its very steep drop offs on one side. About halfway up,

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

there is a lookout over the ranges which is worth a stop. To access the parking area for Booloumba Falls, it’s further down the track and a quick right turn. It’s about a 2km hike from the parking area to the falls, but well worth the exertion.

Booloumba Falls The waterfall is not only gorgeous, but has a very wide, deep swimming area full of clear water. The boys loved jumping from rocks on the steep side into the icy pool and swimming across to the shallow rocky side. From there, they could clamour over the falls, back to the rocky jump off point all over again.

There is also ‘the breadknife’, a rock

Clockwise from left: Booloumba Creek Crossing | Booloumba Campsite | Booloumba Creek Waterfall Jumping | Booloumba Creek Waterfall

Approximately two hours north of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland offers some relatively easy off road experiences as well as plenty of wild swimming at local water holes. We travelled through the Conondale and Blackall Ranges over the course of a long weekend to chase waterfalls and get our tyres dirty. Adding to the panoramic views, there are plenty of small, country towns scattered throughout the area with delicious cafes and quirky shops. formation where Booloumba and Peters Creek meet which is further down from the falls.

We spent three days, two nights camped at Booloumba Creek, swimming, bush walking and enjoying the fire at night.

There were also heaps of other families camped around us which made for a nice, calm, playful environment.

Point Glorious Through The Blackall Ranges For the final leg of our journey, we ventured a bit further south to the country towns of Yandina, Mapleton, Montville and Maleny. There are respective waterfalls in each town,

Mapleton being the only one with no swimming option. Point Glorious is accessed via Yandina and offers stunning views of the Sunshine Coast all the way to Noosa Heads.

From Yandina This leg kicked off from the small, countr y tow n of Yandina (from Booloumba Creek it’s about an hour’s drive, Kenilworth to Eumundi) into the Blackall Ranges. Before we left, we stopped by Wappa Falls for a quick swim and some old fashioned rock jumping.

From Yandina, we tracked west towards Cooloolabin and the Mapleton National Park. Here the bitumen falls away to

BOOLOUMBA CREEK CAMPING AREA, CONONDALE RANGES ■ Three main camping areas, area four is the only camping area for 4WDs and camper trailers or caravans ■ Toilets, water (no drinking), fire rings and creek access ■ For two adults, two children, two nights with a 4WD + tent, total cost $47.60 Book sites in advance through Queensland Parks www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks

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BUNDJALUNG NATIONAL PARK Article by Richard Kemp Images by Carol Kemp & Joanna Kemp

Black Rocks Campground, 20 kilometres by mostly gravel road from the Pacific Highway just south of Woodburn in Northern NSW, offers natural bush camping sites amid tuckeroo and banksias right against the impressive dunes of Ten Mile Beach.

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he camp location allows easy beach access over the dunes for surfing and fishing; swimming and canoeing in the fresh waters of nearby tea-tree lined Jerusalem Creek and bush walking along its banks to the impressive coastal black rocks of Ten Mile Beach.

Black Rocks Campground lies in the middle of Bundjalung country, which extends roughly from the Queensland border to Coffs Harbour. The surrounding coastline was used as a winter camping ground for the Bundjalung People, easy to understand given the mildness of the 18 |

winter climate and the ready availability of bush tucker, wildlife and sea foods.

The grant of native title rights recognises the People’s connection to Country.

We had visited the campground a few years previously and wanted to introduce extended family and friends to what we decided was a real bush camping experience. The gravel winding approach to the park is slow, with a few single lane bridges through eucalypt forests changing to coastal vegetation near the campground. The 49 campsites lie along a couple of loop roads, nicely

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

separated by tuckeroo and banksia borders.

Our style of camping is to have one of several sites as the congregating camp where we communally cooked over a campfire for up to 14 campers. Sharing the cooking among families tends to produce excellent meals for example a beef, pork and vegetable ragout, seafood paella, roasted venison back-strap and a chilli con carne, all with fresh salads and desserts including chocolate cashew brownies with a kahlua sauce, a rich fruit cake and an apricot camp oven

Clockwise from far left: Sculptured rock formation, Ten Mile Beach | Jerusalem Creek track reaches the ocean beach | Canoe action, Jerusalem Creek | Camping without frills and in a natural bush setting

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

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Multicoloured creek bed at mouth of Jerusalem Creek

expanse of sandy beach to the Pacific Ocean.

Our days started with early surfs on Ten Mile Beach for the rabid surfers and later family beach swims including the younger children. We needed to take care on the open beach since surf conditions varied with the wind direction from calm and safe with clean lines to choppy with a northerly sweep, which could result in swimmers unwittingly ending 100 metres up the beach.

A camp highlight is the Jerusalem Creek walk, a venture for all ages, from the quite small to the more mature. The four kilometre sandy track follows the quiet waters of the creek and before the point where the creek reaches the ocean, offers lookout views of the extent of the beach and the expanse of the ocean. The trickle of the creek over the sand at the mouth produces a variety of multi-coloured sands.

Later, we explored the tea-tree lined Jerusalem Creek, beginning with a cleansing swim in cool September waters and then embarking on canoeing and kayak expeditions. Upstream, after a kilometre or more, the banks of the creek close in and progress is difficult in the increasingly thick reed beds. Downstream, a paddle of a few winding kilometres leads to Ten Mile Beach where the waters of the creek Toompine ultimately struggle Wytoandratrickle over the

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Narrabri NANDEWAR Centre on 13000 Parks Glenreagh Guyra Tilpa Barraba RA Gwabegar Mt Booroondarra Woolgoo A rm lga idale Round Mtn Dorrigo Quam isvaleper oi R Park438entry fees apply –Inn$8 vehicle pass. bone Coonper COFFS H amble day or buy an Boggannual am 1586 abri N Co ola Elu ba ra h Mine Tilt agoonah Baradine Sawtell ARBOUR Manilla Uralla Bellingen Urunga Gunnedah Attunga Bendemee Nambuc c r Mt Exmouth Kootingal Cobar Hermida le M acksville a Heads Poopelloe Lake M Walcha Gulargambon Whale Curlewis All year but spring and winter preferred. sightings RA 1206 Coonabarab in spring. ac e ran South W Nyngan Mt Nurri le est Rock ay TAM Moira Plains s Wettest summer 420 January to March. Average Bi Cr months Kempsey nnaway R A N temperatures Werris Cree WORT H ee R GE k dy Pr W em arr k er en Cr n escent H Gilgandra 20°C and 26°C and winter 12°C Nevertire andR 21°C. T Sa ea Quirindi L IV d A iv Paddington ER er Nyma gee GRE PO Coolah OL R Wauchop Murrurund Tra ngie PORT MA Dunedoo AN G E e i Tottenham C QUARIE ar r Bonny Hill brag Bobadah Rive Narromine Tal Ma nn Wingham Camden s Merriwa Scone R in er Contact Monday to Friday on (02) 6627 0200 H a n t Gloucest g R Goulburn v e n u er Taree DUBBO H Aberdeen Ivanhoe Old Bar Email: northernrivers.region@environment.nsw.gov.au Tullamore Gulgong Muswellb Mount Hope Wellington ro o Peak Hill k F orster-Tun Dungog Mudgee Denman Trida Yeoval curry Bula hdelah Hu Singleton Willandra nte Lake Condobolin Trundle Sugarlo CreRoto r Burrandong ek af Point M ya G, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES ll 20 | G O C A M P I NLak Ka La ndos ke ND MAITLAPo Hill End Parkes Molong e Cargelligo CessnockR rt St Ra Kurri Kurri NelsonepBhens r Forbes y La c e m O R a La v A y ke N on d T Hillston hla BallyroganBurcher GE Ri Toronto n e rra Nar R

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We walked along the beach about another four kilometres back to camp before an afternoon swim and surf.

The striking variety of colours and weird shapes of the black sandstone For those who like camping without rocks bordering the beach explain the frills and in a natural bush setting, Black obvious name of the area. They provide Rocks has everything; bush campsites; a sculptured kaleidoscopic backdrop to a magnificent coastal beach with its the beach and surf. The sea was calm unique black sandstone dunes; ocean and a swim with nice small waves to swimming and surfing; freshwater catch was too enticing to ignore. Then, swimming in a natural setting and a on cue, a whale started spectacularly creek to explore by canoe or kayak; breaching offshore, two thirds of its body beach and freshwater bass fishing. Our Kingaroy Chinchilla Cooroy OOour Ja ndowaerecent visible through an eruption of spray.

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ometimes travelling is about taking the roads less travelled. And for people wanting to make the trek east and west across our land, most head south across the Nullarbor, some take the northern west-coast route through the Kimberleys and across the Top End, while a few, let’s call them ‘adventurers’, take the Outback Way – straight through the middle.

It’s often referred to as Australia’s longest shortcut, but this quintessential national adventure is the artery connecting the Reef, the Rock, and the west of our great land. Officially the Outback Way runs between Laverton in Western Australia’s south-west and Winton in far western Queensland. The route, covering 2,800 kilometres, 1,600 of which are on unsealed tracks, passes through the towns of Warburton, Warakurna, Alice Springs, and Boulia. But the route’s most iconic site is undoubtedly Uluru.

The ancient landscapes captivate even the most accomplished traveller, and along the way you’ll learn about the courageous explorers and early pioneers, be enchanted by the spirit and cultural heritage of Uluru, stop and dig for dinosaur fossils, fossick for your own gems, smell the wildflowers, picnic on the banks of billabongs, photograph wildlife and even discover your very own treasures as part of the world’s longest geocache trail – there are 35 caches to be found!

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There are so many ways to enjoy the unique landscapes, culture and heritage along the Outback Way. You can even download the Outback Way App for Apple and Android to help you follow the route and learn about all the places to visit along the way. But here is one possible itinerary for you to enjoy. It is between five and seven hours’ driving each day and can be done in as little as five days, but to really get the most out of this trip, plan to stay at least a couple of nights in each stop so you can immerse yourself in Australia’s real outback.

Laverton to Warburton, WA Distance: 548 kilometres Named in 1900 after the keen prospector Dr Charles Laver, Laverton is the most westerly town on the Outback Way. After its early beginnings, Laverton soon became a booming gold mining town with a reputation of being the wildest town in the west. It developed as the centre for commercial (both mining and pastoral) and social activity until the late 1950s when its last major gold mine closed. The town still boasts a long established pastoral industry and is home to Australia’s largest nickel mine at Murrin Murrin, the second largest gold producing mine at Sunrise Dam and Western Australia’s only Rare Earths mine at Mt Weld.

Laverton’s riches don’t end there.

Possibly its best asset is the welcoming

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

Clockwise from left: Uluru at sunset | An example of one of the 35 caches to be found on the Outback Way’s geocache trail – the world’s longest | Wildflowers of the Outback Way

nature and strong community spirit. The tight-knit townsfolk are proud of the town’s heritage and fully embrace the local Aboriginal culture. Why not show up to one of the community events or strike up a conversation at the local pub or café – you never know what gems you will uncover.

While you are in town, take the time to visit Laverton’s biggest tourist attraction, the Great Beyond Explorers Hall of Fame. Cutting edge technology brings the characters and stories of the region’s past to life. Step back in time and discover the bravery and hardships of central Australia’s notable explorers.

Learn what it was like in the early days for women and pioneers of the Goldfields, and how these invaluable industries sustain Australia’s inland.

Don’t miss the Original Laverton Police Station and Gaol in the historic precinct of town. The complex houses a number of buildings including the gaol, police station and former sergeant’s quarters. Learn about early 20th century law, policing and living, and see what the conditions were like at the time. Entry is by gold coin donation.

Forget the usual touring routes around Australia’s vast interior – take the longest shortcut on the Outback Way and you will discover the middle of somewhere special.

Other places of interest not to be missed include the Laverton Outback Gallery, where visitors can view or purchase authentic Aboriginal Art from the Laverton and Western Desert areas; Burtville Arch to see the historic remains of a once prominent hotel and GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

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Clockwise from above: Laverton’s namesake – Dr Laver | The view from Anzac Hill over Alice Springs and out to the MacDonnell Ranges | Watch the Min Min Encounter at the Boulia Visitor Information Centre

community; Billy Goat Hill Lookout to enjoy the panoramic views over the town and beyond; Windara Heritage Trail, the site of a once-famous nickel mine; Mt Morgans, for views across the landscape and relics of mining days; or take a self-guided drive along the Golden Quest Discovery Trail to learn about the gold-prospecting days of the region.

There are a few camping options both in Laverton, and nearby at Deeba Rockhole, Giles Breakaway and The Pines all offer a unique and picturesque bush camping experience. Before leaving Laverton on your Outback Way journey, be sure to take advantage of the last dump point in the Western Australian section of the route.

As with most of the Outback Way, the Great Central Road into Warburton, which is named after the ranges of the same name to the north of the community, is unsealed, except for some bitumen either side of some of the townships. You will travel through the Ngaanyatjarra Lands of the Central Desert people, and to do so you require a permit. These should be sought prior to arriving in Laverton as they take seven to 10 days to process. You will 24 |

also need to dispose of any alcohol as the Ngaanyatjarra Lands are dry and penalties apply for possession and consumption. It is also advised to keep your fuel secure too. While here show your respect for the local people by always asking to take photographs of anything – landscapes or people. If you are a professional photographer you also require a legal agreement with the local council, the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku.

While in Warburton visit the Tjulyuru Cultural Centre to view Tjulyuru Regional Arts Gallery. Exhibitions here draw from contemporary art practice in the region and the Warburton Art Collection is believed to be the world’s largest collection of community-controlled Aboriginal art. Local arts, crafts and publications are for sale at the Warta Shop.

You can stay overnight at the roadhouse, or if you prefer to bush camp, please ensure you do not do so more than 30 metres off the road as a sign of respect to the local Central Desert people.

Consider travelling carbon neutral in Western Australia by signing up for the Carbon Offset Program – see the Outback Way website for more details.

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

Warburton to Yulara, NT Distance: 550 kilometres Back on the road again as you head to the Northern Territory border. Along the way consider a stop in the community of Warakurna, specifically at the Yarla Kutjarra rest stop. You can also visit the Giles Weather Station.

Yulara is the gateway to Australia’s beating heart – Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. You will definitely want to spend some time exploring Uluru and the MacDonnell Ranges, which is probably more efficiently achieved by staying in Alice Springs or camp in the MacDonnell Ranges. Don’t miss watching the sun dance on Uluru at both sunrise and sunset, ride a camel, and enjoy the Indigenous Cultural Centre.

Yulara to Gemtree, NT Distance: 578 kilometres The next leg of your journey will be in relative comfort with sealed roads into Alice Springs and through to Gemtree. Or you could head along the Red Centre Way from here to explore the MacDonnell ranges on your way to Alice Springs. In and around Alice

Springs enjoy Indigenous cultural tours and food, explore the natural rock and water formations, and get up close and personal to furry and scaly animals at the Alice Springs Desert Park and at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, including a new fossil cave display.

There’s the Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame celebrating the role of women in Australia’s development, transportation enthusiasts will love the National Road Transport Hall of Fame, or call into the Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre and Café. Head to Anzac Hill for a spectacular view of Alice Springs and the MacDonnell Ranges, wander Todd Mall, browse the Indigenous artwork, and stroll along the Charles or Todd rivers (both are unlikely to have water!).

With so much to do and see in Alice Springs you might consider staying a few days before continuing on the Outback Way. Do plan to stay a night at Gemtree, north east of Alice Springs and the last township before hitting the dirt on the

Plenty Highway as you journey east.

Here you will find the Alcoota Dig Site, where you can unearth ancient bones of Australia’s prehistoric creatures – both dinosaur and megafauna fossils have been found here. You need to purchase tickets at Gemtree and camping is available at the dig site.

Gemtree to Boulia, QLD Distance: 686 kilometres The Plenty Highway has long been considered an unrelenting route.

Corrugations and fine red bull-dust make up this section of road and can take a toll on your 4WD. So make sure it’s in tiptop shape, know how to carry out basic repairs and carry a couple of spare tyres.

Along the journey eastwards spy access roads for pastoral stations, see Harts Range come out of nowhere, enjoy the various roadside stops, interpretive panels and finding more ‘treasure’ or caches if you are doing the geocaching hunt, pop in for a chat at Jervois Station,

and sit back and enjoy the landscape and isolation along the way.

As you cross the border you will start to travel through channel country and onto the remote western Queensland town of Boulia. Look out for the waddi trees (Acacia peuce). They are only found in three Australian locations, one being Boulia. The waddi tree is a very rare wood and is known for its extreme hardness and density making it very difficult to burn.

Boulia is also home to one of Australia’s best-preserved skeletons of a Plesiosaur, an ocean dweller from the Cretaceous period. You will find plenty of other fossils from 100 million years ago to when the area was part of the inland Eromanga Sea at the Marine Reptile Fossil Display. Prehistoric monsters of the deep roamed at will like Ichthyosaurs and Plesiosaurs, several of which have been excavated from the Boulia region and reconstructed on site.

RE N U T N E V O D YOUROAUGH LAVE!RT THR RTS HE RE STA Visit The Great Beyond Explorers Hall of Fame; home to the local Visitor Centre, Horizons Café, and a distinctive souvenir and gift shop. Learn about the town's rich history and culture through interactive displays that are sure to surprise!

Explore Laverton's attractions including seasonal wildflowers, old mining works, the Outback Gallery, and original Police Station and eerie Gaol, or hit the road on a 4WD adventure with access to the Outback Way.

WANT TO DO THE DRIVE OF YOUR LIFE ?

The Outback Way – Australia’s Longest Shortcut Winton QLD to Laverton WA, 2800km (1700km dirt) Reconnect - with your Family, Nature and our Great Land…

Take Time - explore Ancient Landscapes, Fossils and the World’s Longest Geocache Trail Immerse yourself - in Unique Events, Awesome Festivals and Famous 4WD Tracks Food, Fuel and Camp Stops within 260km apart

P: 08 9031 1361 / E: greatbeyond@laverton.wa.gov.au OPEN: Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm; Sat-Sun & Public Holidays 9am-1pm FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LAVERTON AND ITS UNIQUE ATTRACTIONS,VISIT laverton.wa.gov.au

BUY the HEMA Guide Book & Atlas, Download the APP and set off on your own adventure!

www.outbackway.org.au GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

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Next, head to the Min Min Encounter at the Visitor Information Centre and soak up the 45 -minute show about the eerie lights that follow unaware travellers and stockmen in this area. The show is set in different tableaus with lifelike animatronics telling the stories and interesting special effects.

Also in town is the Stonehouse Museum where you can visit the Heritage listed stonehouse made of stone and rubble filled walls. The stonehouse is situated in green, shaded grounds with other buildings and museum memorabilia featuring Indigenous and early pioneering artifacts.

Fancy a spot of fishing? Well, head to the Police Barracks waterhole complete with yellowbelly fish and red claw, an Australian freshwater crayfish, and try your luck.

Boulia to Winton, QLD Distance: 358 kilometres Your Outback Way adventure is almost over with one more relatively short and sealed road to travel into Winton. It’s famed as being the place where Banjo Patterson penned the iconic Waltzing Matilda – you can even visit Combo Waterhole, which is believed to be part of the inspiration for the famous song.

Music buffs will relish the opportunity to create their own sounds at the Musical Fence. Visit Arno’s Wall to see an eclectic mix of old and odd things cemented to a wall. While away an evening under the stars while watching the stars on the big screen at the Royal Open Air Theatre. Here you will also find a picture show museum and the world’s largest deckchair.

Just outside of town you will find the award winning Age of Dinosaurs located at the top of a jump-up, or plateau.

DISCOVERBOULIA Land of the Min Min Light and 100 Million Year Old Marine Reptile Fossils

For more information visit the Min Min Encounter Tourism and Information Centre

tourism@boulia.qld.gov.au

26 |

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

Australian dinosaurs, Matilda, Banjo Elliot and Wade are all located here.

Book a ticket for a guided tour of the fossil preparation laboratory and the temperature controlled fossil room. Still up for more dinosaur hunting – head 100 kilometres south of Winton to witness the original and world’s only dinosaur stampede tracks at Lark Quarry.

Also out this way is the town of Opalton, which is one of Queensland’s largest opal fields and historic opal mining centres. You can even fossick for your very own opal, but if the gem eludes you, head back into Winton and check out one of the few opal shops instead.

Also in town is National Trust-listed historic general store and museum – the Corfield & Fitzmaurice. When the day’s done and you’ve washed off the dusty red dirt from around these parts, head to the historic North Gregory Hotel for a cold one and a top counter meal.

The Outback Way really deserves more than just a drive through – stay and linger longer. Explore the very centre of our great outback landscape and you will quickly discover you are experiencing the middle of somewhere extraordinary.

FACT FILE GETTING THERE You can travel the Outback Way in either direction. Winton is around 600 kilometres west from Townsville along the Landsborough and Flinders highways. Laverton is a little more than 350 kilometres north from Kalgoorlie along the Goldfields Highway.

WHEN TO GO It’s best to avoid Australia’s vast interior between December and February, as the scorching summer heat will see you hibernate inside your air-conditioned car rather than exploring the wonderful treasures of the Outback Way. If you are travelling during the winter months, be prepared for low temperatures overnight.

WHERE TO CAMP There are many options for camping along the route. Choose from bush camping or camping in the holiday and caravan parks or roadhouses at the townships. See the Outback Way website for more detailed information on where to camp.

SAFETY FIRST Clockwise from above: Inside the Old Police Station at Laverton | Open Air Picture Theatre in Winton always draws a crowd | Dusty roads of the Outback Way

Before setting off on the adventure of a lifetime, please make sure you’re prepared for all manner of emergencies.

Before you leave: Get your 4WD and camper trailer/caravan, if you’re going to be towing one, checked and serviced just prior to leaving Book a health check with both the doctor and dentist Learn how to carry out basic mechanical repairs on the road Apply for all necessary permits Do a basic first aid course Download the Outback Way App available on Apple and Android devices.

On the road: Carry extra fuel, spare tyres, some basic mechanical equipment and supplies, extra food and water, a good quality and well-stocked first-aid kit, an epirb or a Satellite phone, a UHF radio If it’s flooded – forget it; trying to cross a flooded creek or river just isn’t worth the risk Check road conditions and weather daily and before setting off Remember to always take regular breaks. Even though there are some pretty long stretches of road with nothing much to see or do, take advantage of a longer rest stop at the various townships. Or why not have a quick rest stop on the side of the road and revel in the sounds of nature. It is almost eerie to hear nothing but the odd bird or insect.

FURTHER INFORMATION For more information about the Outback Way route, visit www.outbackway.org.au.

OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES ARE: www.boulia.qld.gov.au www.laverton.wa.gov.au www.goldfieldstourism.com.au www.australiasgoldenoutback.com www.ngaanyatjarraku.wa.gov.au www.experiencewinton.com.au www.discovercentralaustralia.com www.parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/parks GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

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N O R TH E R N

EXP OSU R E

Article & Images by Peta Murray

W

illiam S hakesp e are once famously wrote “what’s in a name?” Well it seems there’s plenty if you’re Narawntapu National Park.

While Narawntapu (pronounced narRUN-ta-pu) might be a mouthful, it’s far more palatable than the park’s original moniker, the none -too - glamorous Asbestos Range.

Set sixty kilometres north-west of Launceston on Tasmania’s Bass Strait Coast, Narawntapu National Park began its days as a convict settlement. Centred on the property of Springlawn, the land was devoted to cattle and potato farming for 140 years before being declared Asbestos Range National Park in 1976, a reference to the minerals once mined in this region.

When this less-than-salubrious title proved a deterrent to would-be visitors, the park became the first in Tasmania to revert to its Aboriginal name, Narawntapu, a nod to the reserve’s two coastal promontories, christened Badger Head and West Head by European settlers.

With the convicts, cattle and noxious name long gone, this national park bounded by coastal ranges and sea has morphed into a mecca for native wildlife.

A stroll through the straw-coloured grasses around the park’s shimmering lagoon in the late afternoon reveals Forester kangaroos, Tasmania’s only kangaroo species, long-lashed Bennetts wallabies and thick-set Tasmanian pademelons roaming the grounds in incredible abundance, this high density of animal life prompting Narawntapu to be dubbed the “Serengeti of Tasmania”.

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Freshly-dug burrows and tell-tale square scat are evidence that wombats too inhabit the vast plains of Narawntapu.

But, while wombat numbers were as high as 250 in 2010, a virulent mange has decimated the local population in recent years wiping out more than half the park’s wombats and sadly making the sighting of these squat hairy marsupials a much rarer event.

Looping back through coastal forest sound-tracked by the roar of the unseen ocean and lurking pademelons crashing off into the scrub, the trail passes a bird hide. Set at the end of a raised timber boardwalk which leap-frogs a melaleuca swamp, the hide is the perfect place to surreptitiously watch the diverse range of water birds on the lagoon including black swans, white-faced herons, eagles and cormorants as well as the occasional platypus or golden-bellied native water rat.

Dusk sparks a more determined wombat search but our efforts go unrewarded until we finally spot a furry rump retreating from our headlights as we navigate the gravel road back to our campsite. While many of the mangeaffected wombats are emaciated and missing fur, this animal looks healthy and is hopefully a sign that the monitoring and treatment of Narawntapu’s wombats is getting results.

While the wombats may be proving elusive, the same cannot be said for the park’s possums. One especially well-fed brush-tail calculatedly times his arrival at our campsite for mealtime and lays siege to the picnic table with militarystyle intent.

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Clockwise from top left: Bakers Point campground offers 36 sites near Springlawn Beach | Delicate cone shells litter Bakers Beach at low tide | The grassy plains of Narawntapu National Park meet Tasmania’s Bass Strait Coast | Late afternoon on the plains of Narawntapu with Mt Roland as the backdrop

With a name that’s hard to remember and a beauty impossible to forget, this national park tucked away on Tasmania’s northern coast combines sandy ocean beaches with grassy plains, rugged ranges, freshwater wetlands and some of the best wildlife viewing in the state…

Our best defence is to call it a night and zip ourselves into our tent where we fall asleep to the sound of pademelons thumping around outside the thin canvas walls.

Next morning we set out on the coastal track to Badger Head, a full day walk taking in the beaches, coves and headlands fringing the northern edge of the national park.

Passing through stands of angular tea trees and silver banksias, we emerge from the coastal scrub onto the rippled sands of Bakers Beach, framed by the distinctive silhouettes of Mt Roland and Black Bluff to the west and the distant snow-capped peaks of the Dial Range.

The walking track winds up and over Little Badger Head before dropping down to Copper Cove, named for the early nineteenth century copper mines

that operated in this area. A freshwater stream trickles onto the pebbly beach which is flanked by rugged rock platforms and littered with abalone shells, cuttlefish and colourful sea sponges.

The track narrows across Badger Head, a promontory said to be named after Charlotte Badger, a convict who escaped from a ship anchored off this coast in 1806 and sought refuge with local Aboriginal tribes.

Spearing into the sea with ocean on three sides, the headland’s windswept shrubs and grasses recoil from the cliff’s edge while gnarled banksias demonstrate the full force of the elements, branches twisted into strange poses by the “roaring forties”, the powerful gales that lash this Bass Strait Coast.

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We retrace our steps as the sun moves west. Back at Bakers Beach the tide has retreated almost 80 metres from the dunes, revealing periwinkles, delicate cone shells, the criss-cross patterns of bird and animal prints and a mosaic of tiny sand balls, the intricate work of hermit crabs.

and the narrow belt of coastal heathland separating lagoon and sea.

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos careen through the scrub in the still afternoon while, from a nearby gum tree, a kookaburra starts up a raucous cackle which echoes across the sun-drenched plain below.

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Edd ystone Beauty Point Scottsdale P De rb y Be ac onsfield Waratah WHEN TO GO Railton L at r Savage River Gowrie St Helens St He Legana While Narawntapu’s temperate Po Park De LAUNCESTlens lor ain O e N coastal climate means camping is Perth Tullah St Marys Longford G k So Rosebery TRI EAT WEST possible all year round, nightsZecan Es ehan u th ER S Fingal ER Mt Ossa N be chilly in the winter months.

With Arthurs Quee 1617 Great Lake nstown Cam Bicheno Lake higher average temperaturesStand rahan pb Ross ell Town Macquarie Harbo ur longer days, October to April is the Swansea Ri Tarraleah ve best time to visit.

Cape Fore Oatla nds r Bothw stier ell Lake Point Hibbs Sch ou ten Triabunna Gordon Is land Ba gd ad HANDY HINT st e Maydena r Ba R Bridgewater y If you intend to spend some time Strathgordon Maria Island New Norfolk Sore ll w Rooption cky Point in the Apple Isle, your Lo best Lake Pedder H O B A Huon is to purchase a Tasmanian Parks Kingston R T Geev ville Mt Picton eston pass. The $60 fee includes entry Cygnet Nubeena 1327 Dove r Port Arthur into all national parks in the state Southport B ay Cape Pill ar and is valid for two months.South West Cape Bruny Isla Maatsuyker G Tasman Hea nd roup d MORE INFORMATION a C Contact Parks and Wildlife Service t as Narawntapu on (03) 6428 6277 or hE S ou t obe

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There are four campgrounds in the national park; Springlawn camping area is situated closest to the visitor centre and offers powered sites, drinking water, toilets, showers and electric barbecues; Bakers Point lies four kilometres west of the visitor centre with 36 sites close to Springlawn Beach. Facilities include toilets, picnic tables and a boatlaunching area. Fires are permitted unless restrictions are in place; Koybaa camping area at nearby Griffiths Point is suitable for tent-based camping with 12 sites, toilets and barbecues just a short stroll from Bakers Beach; Horse Yards campground is located just inside the park entrance and marks the start of a 26 kilometre horse-riding trail. Forty-eight hours’ notice must be given before bringing horses into the national park.

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Pa Fees for all Grassy Cape Fran kl lana and Flinders Is campgrounds are Stokes Point la $13 for two people Three Hum m W hi te mark FURNEA ock I nter on an unpowered Hu site orIsl$16 andfor a ins I GRO UP b C ap W e y b oo a B lnorth arren Island powered site. Families (two o ins B Poinadults, t k r C ape Bar Stanley three children) pay $16 for an BAN Marrawah d Clarke Isla Po K r rt La C tta S ap a est with unpowered site or W $22 power. e nd Point Portland ST e t ny nie n RAI Bl f Hill Point A n NP i ston porNARAWNTAPU w T r rth u it h o Bookings are notuftaken and park u T l r t on Cape Natu Bu g lver von Soreel orge rali entry fees apply.

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Narawntapu National Park is located between Port Sorell and the Tamar River, 60 kilometres north-west of Launceston via the West Tamar Highway or half an hour’s drive east from the Devonport ferry terminal.

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For an aerial perspective, it’s worth the hard slog up to nearby Archers Surveying this astonishing landscape, my Knob which lords it 114 metres over mind harks back to the name game. I’m the surrounding countryside. The steep no bard but surely Shakespeare himself winding track rewards at the summit would agree that Narawntapu National Lakes Entra Cranb Clockwise from above: y r i ouby other name S(yes, Colac L a spectacular 360-degree panorama Park rneany ke Wela ale Laeven lin gton M O t Fa Owith On the trail of Narawntapu’s elusive oe n i Fo Traralgon would still rre st an Cowes much-maligned mineral Po the beaches and off-shorevislands, y wombats | The wide golden sands of t Campbel MB Poracross Y orwell fibre) e et l Leonga thM A Lorne a WA a in T O N y Bakers Beach, Narawntapu National ParkR the sprawling grass plains of Springlawn be every bit as sweet.

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Article & Images by Craig Sheather

T

he mighty Murray River needs no introduction. It’s our longest and most famous river, a state border, lifeblood to millions and a great camping destination. Majestic river red gums line the Murray River for most of its length and these iconic trees can reach 45 metres in height and live for more than 500 years.

The Barmah National Park (VIC) and adjoining Murray Valley National Park (NSW) form part of the largest periodically flooded, red-gum forest in the world. The complex ecology of the forest and wetlands is closely linked to the Murray River and its flooding regime, creating a diverse natural habitat for a variety of plants and animals. There’s also plenty of 4WD tracks to explore, so we thought we would head out and have a look around.

After stocking up with supplies at Deniliquin we head south and enter the Murray Valley National Park 32 |

near Mathoura. Soon after, we make a quick stop at the Reed Beds Bird Hide – a heaven for birdwatchers! A boardwalk leads to the hide which offers spectacular views across the Gulpa Creek Reed Beds teeming with all kinds of birds.

Continuing on, deeper into the forest we discover a number of significant Aboriginal cultural sites along the way.

The Yorta Yorta people have a strong connection with the forest and oven mounds, stone artefacts, middens and burial sites can be observed. Scarred trees, where bark has been removed from the tree to make canoes can also be found.

By mid afternoon we decide to set up camp at Swifts Creek Campground which is situated at the most narrow part of the Murray (the Narrows).

This is one of the better facilitated campsites in the area and is a good base to explore the surrounding

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

forest and waterways. It has a boat ramp, fishing platform, toilets and sheltered BBQs. It’s not long before the tinny hits the water and we are wetting a line. The Murray and its tributaries in this area produce Murray cod, golden perch (yellowbelly) and redfin (not to be returned to the river). Common natural baits include yabbies, bardi grubs, freshwater shrimps and scrub worms.

Popular lures for cod are spinner baits, deep divers, plastics and surface lures.

In one session we land a few nice yellowbellys and a protected trout-cod which is quickly released. Unfortunately, the Murray cod aren’t biting.

The following day we decide to check out the neighbouring Barmah National Park. The Barmah – Millewa forest is an internationally recognised wetland under the Ramsar convention and represents all four freshwater wetland types in Victoria.

Clockwise from left: Misty sunrise by the Murray | A network of tracks wind through the River Red Gum forests | Setting up camp | A nice yellowbelly caught on freshwater shrimp | Boating and fishing are popular on the Murray | A boat or camper trailer can be easily towed around the forest tracks | The Reed Beds Bird Hide boardwalk is lined with informative panels

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Above: Kayaking is popular on the Murray Below: This protected trout cod was quickly released

FACT FILE The Murray River is the third longest navigable river in the world, after the Amazon and Nile.

GETTING THERE

Barmah National Park lies along the Murray River between Barmah and Strathmerton, about 225km north of Melbourne. Major entry points are from Moira Lakes Road, Barmah-Picola Road and the Murray Valley Highway.

On the NSW side, the Murray Valley National Park is accessed via Gulpa Creek Road or Picnic Point Road near Mathoura. These parks are prone to flooding and seasonal road closures occur in wet periods.

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Alawoona mora R RUM BIDG EE Hattah Point Ardle than Young At the Centre,Peeb ainga number of BridgDharnya ewater Leeton MALLEE R I Boorowa Co V Kulwin Manangat ot am Co E interesting walks Karo give an insight into lea undra mbally R ang onda Ouyen Moulamein Crook Narrandera RIVERINA HardenPinnarooUnderbool Tailem LamerooFollowing local Indigenous culture.

Co Murrumburra olamon Bend Nyah West h Junee Murrayville Lake Tyrrell Lake Wa nganella o Ck the settlement ofrinaEuropeans, the area Swan Hill nc GAYass Alexand Patchewollock Ya WFoAGGA WGuAG M Jerilderie Lockhart ndagai U re st Hill Sea became anMeni important fishing and logging Lake Coonalpyn BARMAH NATIONAL PARK Wa kool R Hop etou n R ngie The Rock Deniliquin Oaklands Urana CA e Albacutya Barha m AY Woomelang Tintinara landLak precinct, with surrounding cleared Tumut Adelong Kerang He nty Finley Rainbow Berrigan Batlow A C T Cu lca irn Ma Q Birchip tho for agriculture and grazing. The heritage ura Tocumw Cohuna Talbing Lake al Keith Hindmarsh Bimberi Peako Holbrook Cobram nga owa ng Jeparit o Tin listed cattle yards and Cattlemen’s de w rry Pea r o 1913 rra Mu Bordertown Co Howl Nhill Tu Ya Echuca Numurkah 1619 rra mbarumba Wa rracknabea l Charlton memorial can also be foundKaninear the A LB Ky ab n U y ram R e l Y R g u r t h e va Donald Dimboola Roc hester Corryong Adaminaby La ke W WIMMERA We dde rburn Dharnya Centre.Padthaway Hu OD me ON GA St Arnaud O Lacepede Bay Murtoa Goroke Horsham Khancoban Lake Eucum Inglewood SHEPPART ON ngaratta vens BeechworthTallangatta Kingston SE Rushworth Coom M t Kosciuszko We continue alongNara Sand Myrtle ford a coorte Ridge Track Berridale W BENDIGO Dunolly 2228 Be Mount Beauty Jin na da lla by ne Eu through the forest and then link up

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Lake Dartm Thredbo Village Nimm Mt Bogong outh Bright Hotham Heigh 1986 E ts B R Mansfie Ararat M a ry bo r r NG Kyneton Omeo Lake Mldt Bu A R lle R r Ale Kil xan mo dra re Beaufort Bomba Eildon Coleraine Willaura Daylesford Millicent Casterton Delegate G R E A T 1805 D I V I D I NSwG BALLARAT SUNB Mountup Gam That night Lake I bait abier line and Ham sit ilton on Dunkeld ifts Creek e dg i URY Bonney r b t Hurs Heales Dargo Capenear Ban ks the campfire. I’m Lake Bolac Bacchus Marsh Buchan the river bank ville Wa rburton Penshurst M Derrinallum EL TO N Bruthe n Portthe Macdonn ell when just about to hit sack I get a GEE LONG Heywood Mortlake Bairnsdale Orbost Cann Rive r M Pakenham OVERY PORT good strike and hook aDISC healthy 75cm KoroitTerang Camperdown Maffra Paynesville a n i u BAY o r PHI LLIP ch D Bea Wi nch l y els gu a ea rr a Wa tland that Cranb Murray cod. It just goes toPor show ile Lakes Entran dB y Cob den r n M i o ce Co u L a lac rne Moe tla Sa Lake Wellington Por nt F Forrest Traralgon le OO good things come to those who …bait! a Poi ve n Cowes ty M MB Port Campbell Y 200 or w el l Le A A on ga tha ne Lorne ay OT W N Ni R Fo P ste R r Yarram Apollo Bay A N Cape Otway W E R il l ST 34 | G O C A M P I N G , F I S H I N G & 4 W D A D V E N T U R E S 20 t Ph WE Corner Inlet o n Inv W WILSO NS PR h OMONTORY ta ra

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Tully R iver Article & Images

by Andrew Ettingshausen

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Chasing jungle perch and sooty grunter on the Tully

The Tully River is perfect for canoe fishing and it’s a great adventure for anglers of every age.

Andrew Ettingshausen

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Clockwise from above: Jungle perch live on a diet of grasshoppers, crickets and worms and can grow well over 2 kilo | Smiles all round | We started by casting small shallow running minnows and soft plastics towards the shaded banks | A few junglies fell to tiny poppers, which always adds to the spectacle | Both boys caught plenty and were more than happy to get a happy snap and release the fish to ensure the species survive | It was a day with lots of laughs and big smiles as two new boys had been hooked fishing the Tully | We cast our lures repeatedly towards snags and around boulders

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GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

H

eading down the Tully River on a fishing escape is a great way to spend a day. It’s the perfect spot to take a couple of young blokes canoe fishing to chase jungle perch and sooty grunter.

The crystal clear Tully River in Far North Queensland is a freshwater system second to none. Local boys Liam and Dylan joined me for a whitewater ride with local fishing legend and Tully Tackle Shop owner Roley Newton. Roley has been fishing the Tully for years and regularly catches barra and jacks along with these other two great freshwater species.

There is something special about gliding down through the rapids in a canoe.

It’s not only great fun, but you see and hear so many sounds that you would normally miss. The Tully has a lot of natural rainforest along its shoreline and the birdlife mixed in with the gentle rushing of water over the rapids creates a perfect atmosphere.

We start by casting small shallow running minnows and soft plastics towards the shaded banks. Sooties, barra, mangrove jacks and jungle perch are all ambush predators, so casting to structure works a treat. They are often in such numbers on the Tully that you can watch them race after your lure through the clear water. This visual fishing makes it even more fun.

The huge smile on the boys’ faces as the first sooty grunter is brought to the side of the canoe lifts everyone’s spirit. They are tough little fighters and you really know it when you hit a fish above half a kilo in weight. Light gear is best with 4lb braid and 4 to 6lb mono the perfect

line and a light spin rod and small reel just right for casting out of the canoe.

We cast our lures repeatedly towards snags and around boulders with the boys doing a terrific job. We caught a dozen nice sooty grunter and some lovely jungle perch. A few junglies fell to tiny poppers, which always adds to the spectacle.

Jungle perch live on a diet of grasshoppers, crickets and worms and can grow well over 2 kilo. They love the boulder lined stretches of freshwater streams and are found from Cape York down the Queensland coast to Hervey Bay. Both boys caught plenty and were more than happy to get a happy snap and release the fish to ensure the species survive.

With sooties and jungle perch ticked off the fish list we hit a section of river where a small bay presented itself.

As the current raced downstream a back eddy had formed pushing water in circular whirlpools. Roley mentioned that he often catches nice barramundi along the weed beds and grassy bank overhangs in areas such as these. We cast some larger hardbodies along the shore as close as we could to the grassy bank and suddenly Roley latched on to a nice barra nudging 70cm. What a ripper of a fish. It danced across the foam trying to throw the lure and nearly jumped clean into the canoe. Barramundi are always a terrific catch especially out of a canoe in shallow water. We admired the fish as it slid back in and kicked away.

It was a day with lots of laughs and big smiles as two new boys had been hooked fishing the Tully.

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MOUNT MOFFATT Article & Images by Glenn Marshall

Here’s a tip! Forget Carnarvon Gorge and enjoy the more tranquil and equally spectacular Mount Moffatt.

Clockwise from bottom left: The nights can be chilly and a fire is perfect to keep warm | The Marlong Arch is a narrow bridge of rock that is slowly being eroded away | Access to Top Moffatt campground is 4WD only due to the One Mile Creek crossing | The Top Shelter offers these views while enjoying lunch | Dargonelly Rock Hole | The track into West Branch campground is sandy and tight in places and not recommended for low slung vehicles or RVs

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MUST DO CHECKLIST Enjoying the breathtaking views while eating lunch at Top Shelter Shed The isolation, solitude and peacefulness of the park Sharing a campfire with fellow travellers The 4WD track up to Rotary Shelter Shed Walking the circuit track to the Looking Glass, the Chimneys and the Tombs

M

ention Carnarvon to anyone and their first thoughts are the gorge, the sparkling gem of the national park.

The reason is that few people realise that the park offers more than just a few highlights along Carnarvon Creek.

The Mount Moffatt section is itself a sparkling gem, cut from the same stone but different in many ways as if cut by a different jeweller.

Whether accessing Mount Moffatt from Mitchell in the south or Injune in the east, you will enter the park via the same gate. Once across the cattle grid, you will reach a Visitor Orientation Site within 2kms. Directly opposite a sandstone bluff rises from the sandy soil. Mottled like lizard skin, the Cathedral Rock is a short 380m return walk and the first site that most visitors stop to see.

A 5.8km circuit walk begins at the Orientation Site and takes in three exceptional highlights. The first is the Chimneys, three columns of basalt rock that have worn away from the sandstone bluff to show off colours of orange, yellow and grey.

The second is the Tombs rock art site.

Once a burial site for the Bidjara people, there are over 400 stencilled motifs

along the sandstone wall. Carbon dating has shown the Bidjara have occupied this region for around 19,500 years.

The third highlight is the Looking Glass, a weather eroded section of sandstone pillar that has a couple of holes worn away. Allow three hours to complete the circuit walk, and a cooler morning is the best time.

There are four camping spots to choose from (Top Moffatt, Dargonelly Rock Hole, Rotary Shelter Shed and West Branch) and if you haven’t booked online you can still self-register at the Ranger Station. West Branch is the largest and most central site and where I set myself for a few days to explore Mount Moffatt.

The drive up onto the tableland is challenging with a couple of steep climbs keeping you alert; it is sign posted ‘4WD Access Only’. First point of interest is Kenniff Lookout. Patrick and James Kenniff were known cattle duffers who had their lease revoked in 1902 and in the Easter of the same year were involved in a police chase and subsequent death of a Constable and the station owner.

The peak of Mount Rugged was used by the Kenniffs as a lookout and there is a memorial at the site.

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44 |

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

T

he Great Western Woodlands are the largest remaining area of Mediterranean climate woodland left on Earth, and take in the Northern and Eastern Wheatbelt, the Goldfields and Southern Ocean Regions of Western Australia.

Clockwise from top left: Diversion on the Old Hyden-Norseman Road | Mundale Dome and Lake Willey | One that didn’t make it | Peak Charles | Rock formations at the Breakaways | The northern end of the Mundale 4WD Track | Lunch stop on Higginsville Road

In October 2016 I invited some members of my 4WD Club to come along and help me explore the area and gather ideas for future trips. So on a rainy Saturday we met up to travel to our campsite for the night which was to be ‘The Breakaways’ on the Hyden-Norseman Road. There were four vehicles, with three of us towing campertrailers and one towing an off road caravan.

We made our way to Corrigin for morning tea, and then onto Hyden where we stopped to refuel and have lunch.

Leaving Hyden we took the HydenNorseman Road which after about 30km turns from bitumen into a well maintained gravel road. We stayed on this road until we came to the Breakaways campsite, with its spectacular rock formations and rain soaked colours.

Our first stop next morning was to be McDermid Rock where there is a small but neat campground located at the base

of the rock. We climbed the rock for some stunning views and after a quick cuppa we were soon on our way again, travelling in a northerly direction until we came across the Old Hyden-Norseman Road. As we entered this road (aka track) a large sign warned that it was a 4WD only route and that it was remote and to be prepared.

We travelled along this road for 34km until we came across the Mundale 4WD Track, which seemed to be a relatively good track, so we headed off. However, we had only gone about 100m when we had to stop to clear the overhead tree branches that were caught up on the roof of the off road caravan, something that happened many times along this track. It was slow going and we decided to find a clearing and set up camp for the night, where we enjoyed staring into the fire, aka the bush TV, and enjoyed each other’s company.

By 8am everyone was packed up and ready to go, but we only got 50m until I was out and clearing the track again for the off road caravan. We stopped a few times for some great photo opportunities especially across the salt lakes and in particular Lake Willey with the Mundale Dome on its southern shoreline.

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Instead of turning left towards Cave Hill, I decided to go right towards Sunday Soak in search of the Soak and two old pioneer graves that were marked on my map. After everyone had a good look around, we returned to our vehicles and headed off towards Cave Hill.

The main campsite at Cave Hill was spacious and we were able to fit everyone in comfortably. There were a couple of tables and fire pits as well as a drop toilet about 20m away. As night fell, the fire was lit, dinner cooked and another night was spent around a roaring campfire.

Clockwise from above: Peak Charles | Old grave | Skull at Sunday Soak | Dam at McDermid Rock | Bush camp

We then took the Widgemooltha Track to the Cave Hill Road, a part of the old sandalwood cutters railway line. It was in reasonably good shape; however, there were some big washouts – including one that made Gunshot on the Old Tele Track look small – that required us to divert around and slowed us down.

Soon we reached the Cave Hill Road which was nice and wide and recently graded so we made good time getting to Widgemooltha. From here we took the bitumen to Norseman where we refuelled and had some lunch, before heading to Peak Charles which is the tallest hill in all the woodlands. Turning off the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway onto the Lake King-Norseman Road, the dirt road was reasonably smooth for about a kilometre when it suddenly deteriorated with bad corrugations and stony sections, but more dangerous were the wash-aways.

The Peak rises like a tall, majestic pyramid from the plains surrounding it, and the closer you got to it the better it was. The campsite at the base has approximately eight cleared spots surrounded by bollards. A couple of the sites were very tight and only suitable for tents but we managed to squeeze ourselves in and set up for the night.

Next day, we headed for home via the Frank Hahn National Park, which was alive with a painted carpet of beautiful wildflowers. We stopped for a cuppa, said our goodbyes and headed for home.

What a great trip and one that I will be repeating again in the not so distant future.

For further info, check out the relevant Shire’s websites or with the DPAW website – www.dpaw.wa.gov.au.

46 |

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

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Exploring the

HAMILTON ACCESS TRACK Article & Images by James Carey

in South Australia

Despite the bone shattering corrugations, James Carey’s trip into Witjira National Park following the Old Ghan Line makes this isolated journey worthwhile.

Pedirka ruins

48 |

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

H

eading north, the constant rattle of the 4WD from deep corrugations is occasionally replaced by the equally ferocious shaking from the large gibbers that cover the track. If this were not enough to keep us alert, the rusted metal rail spikes partly hidden in the sand, waiting like a sand viper to jump out and attack an unsuspecting tyre, would.

These metal relics littered along the track are part of the reason we have decided

A view from the hill

to explore the Hamilton Access Track in the centre of South Australia.

Arriving at the famous Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta, we restock on fuel and other essential supplies. What started as a flamingo pink 1969 Dodge Phoenix to attract the travellers, has now expanded with iridescent pink enveloping the entire building creating an unmistakable, if not quirky sight in the middle of the outback.

M any who make the journey to Oodnadatta do so to experience the ruins of the Old Ghan railway. Originally

known as the Great Northern Express, it travelled from Port Augusta to Alice Springs (then known as Stuart) shadowing the path of the traditional Aboriginal trade routes. Commencing construction in 1879 and finally being completed in 1929, the permanent

supply of water from the springs that supported the traditional inhabitants, also supplied the essential water for the steam trains.

While part of the Old Ghan railway line follows the Oodnadatta Track from Maree, it is at Oodnadatta where the old line departs and heads due north.

Likewise we leave the Oodnadatta following what some call the Hamilton

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

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Access Track, to experience a part of the Old Ghan that few get to visit. From here the sight of other 4WDs are few and far between and the use of graders even less so.

The first 90 kilometres is in reasonable condition as we travel through an ochre red flat landscape, hues of red interspersed with sparsely covered pale blue-green tussock grass and mulga.

The rhythmic pattern is only broken when we reach Fogarty’s Claypan.

Named after Tom and Jess Fogarty who managed the Oodnadatta store from 1894 to 1902, this flat dust bowl leaves a fine white dusting to the already red talc powder coating the 4WD. Luckily for us there has not been rain as the claypan can quickly transform into an 50 |

inescapable muddy vortex trapping any unsuspecting traveller.

While many consider the outback a monotonous landscape, the reality is an environment of subtle variations.

Leaving the claypan it is not long before we enter another landscape, this time a series of low rolling red sand dunes. Known as Pedirka Desert, it is recognised as Australia’s smallest desert occupying only 1,250 square kilometres. The track crest each dune then descends into a flat plain of Saltbush and Emu Bush until we reach Hamilton Station.

Once the start of the great Sidney Kidman cattle empire, the station is one of several large cattle properties

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

that manage to make use of this arid land. Here the track divides, north to Eringa ruins and waterhole, or our path east to Pedirka ruins. Slowly the track deteriorates with a mix of washouts, corrugations and bulldust holes interspersed with more undulating sand dunes. The further we progress the worse the track becomes as the wheels descend into bottomless pits testing the best suspension.

Eventually the land transforms again, this time into a flat featureless gibber country. These hardened silica rocks, some weathered smooth like ball bearings, others angular and cranky sitting upright perfectly to stub any unsuspecting toe. The name ‘gibber’ comes from an Aboriginal word for

Clockwise from far top left: Dalhousie ruins | Cattle grids and corrugations | The rare desert bloom | A window into the outback | Campfire under the stars | Remains of Ned Bagot’s life | A welcome beer at Mount Dare Hotel

stone, which is not surprising when this is all you see for miles around.

As the sun is slowly consumed by the horizon we arrive at Pedirka ruins. The ruins consist of a long white cement walled fettler cottage, its roof, windows and doors long removed leaving the carcass to bake in the summer sun.

The cottage was home to workers who would return from long days carrying out repairs and removing sand drifts covering the rail track. Likewise we make camp following a long day’s drive on our own dirt track.

The next morning we break camp and head for Witjira National Park. Not far inside the park Dalhousie ruins appears on the horizon, an apparent

oasis with palms rising out of the flat plains. Dalhousie was a pastoral lease in the 1800s where sheep, goats, camels and cattle eked out a living on the sparse vegetation kept alive by the nearby spring. Like the old Ghan that existed only due to the supply of water, Dalhousie clung to the edge of existence thanks to the natural spring, but eventually it was abandoned in 1929. The sandstone skeleton of the homestead stands as a reminder of the station owner Ned Bagot’s life in this unforgiving landscape.

Leaving the ruins we return to the familiar jolting and throbbing of the gibbers. With dust entering every pore of the body this is the last place you would expect to find a 40 degree bath

to take a wash. Luckily the national park is famous for its 120 mound springs with Dalhousie Springs the most popular.

While a popular campsite, the idea of washing a beer down at the Mount Dare Hotel was more appealing.

Mount Dare is the refuelling spot for those wishing to tackle the Simpson Desert crossing to Birdsville. For us however there are 10,4 5 6 more corrugations to go as we make our last dash to Finke in search of more relics of the old Ghan. While the track throws up challenges for both driver and vehicle, and prevents many from attempting such a journey, it is the reason why you must experience this remote corner of South Australia.

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

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GOING BUSH ON

A

B U D G E T

Article & Images by Angus Jones

Clockwise from top left: Sundowners and a BBQ with friends on Cable Beach, WA | Exploring and camping on stunning isolated beaches on the Dampier Peninsula, WA | Time for me to relax! An awning is a great low cost addition to any 4WD to protect both you and your vehicle from the harsh Australian elements | Plenty of clever storage options make this trailer very versatile | Built extra heavy duty and reliable, the new running gear on the trailer freshly painted and protected by a full length rubber flap | Tim, adding mesh to the hinged sides, adding both protection and security

52 |

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

O

ver my 15 years as a tour guide traversing this wonderful country, I have seen some amazing, and very expensive, rigs with all the bells and whistles. However, for many like myself, it’s financially unrealistic to have the latest 4WD and off-road trailer with all the mod cons.

I’d had little experience in building a trailer before undertaking this project, however I learned the necessary skills as the project progressed. If you apply yourself and persist, you can do it too!

Here’s how I managed to go bush on a budget: I started by purchasing a ‘95 model Nissan Patrol GQ (Y60) with the famously reliable TD42 engine recently. It was a nice clean example that had been looked after. It had already been fitted with an ARB Deluxe bull bar up front including air compressor, a custom rear bar and rear

air bags had also been fitted for heavy loads. Other extras included long range tanks, dual batteries, snorkel, Old Man Emu lifted suspension, a custom rear drawer system, as well as extractors and a Lukey exhaust system. A thorough vehicle service was completed and some spares purchased for the tool kit.

I also managed to find a full length roof rack on Gumtree that had rear LED lights, an ARB touring awning and shovel and jack mount.

Another win was picking up a small second hand water tank for free from the local caravan repair shop. It fitted snugly at the rear of the roof rack and with $30 worth of plumbing, I had a great functional water storage unit.

Communication is very important whilst Outback touring so a UHF was installed as well as an upgraded stereo and speakers for those long trips. A light

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Clockwise from top left: Nothing beats an Outback adventure | Magical skies in the Outback whilst travelling with a small group of tourists on the Oodnadatta track, SA

bar was added to the front and I then purchased and strengthened a tow hitch for it. I then made some custom rear seat covers out of two wool bales and some wool bale clips, which took me about half an hour and cost about $5!

They look great and are tough as nails.

I lashed out on a new 40L Engel fridge, an essential and well-proven accessory in my opinion.

A few years back, I had picked up an accident damaged ex-tour trailer. The top section had been crushed but the rest just needed some TLC. My good mate Tim offered to give me a hand to repair it, as he had built and modified his own off road trailers and had a well equipped workshop.

It was decided that a removable canopy would be ideal for this trailer as it would make it very versatile. It was to be lockable, simple, functional, tough and reliable. Work continued and designs evolved as hurdles presented themselves. After several late nights 54 |

in the workshop, plus a couple of extra runs to the steel suppliers, the work was complete.

Next was the sandblasting and painting and after a recommendation from a friend, I booked in the trailer and chose a 2-pac R53 colour. Whilst Steve from Adelaide Fast Blast was on the job, I ordered a 100Ah battery that would power the 800w inverter in the trailer.

My mate Finn then helped me install all the electrics and new weather seals for the tool boxes.

Gawler Canvas did a fantastic job creating the sides that covered the mesh doors of the trailer and gave additional protection and breathability. I couldn’t have been happier. They also made a custom stone guard that would protect the front of the trailer from rocks and stop any broken rear windows!

New steel Sunraysias were fitted with a larger offset to give more chassis clearance so that wider tyres could be fitted. Wheel bearings were re-greased

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

and a spare set was purchased. New suspension components were sourced through Adelaide Industrial Springs and a new brake master cylinder was fitted.

After all this hard work, I couldn’t wait to take it for a test run!

It was time to hit the road. I was heading from Adelaide to Broome for the guiding season so I filled the car up with travellers and off we went on an Outback adventure. We travelled through the Flinders Ranges, up the Oodnadatta track and then up the Tanami Road to Halls Creek and then onto Broome. It was a great test run and I was very happy with the setup.

The whole project ended up costing under $15k and that is including a Campmor dome tent (vir tually indestructible), some new recovery gear, plus two full tanks of fuel! Now I have a custom made, reliable setup that is great to drive, tough and gets lots of comments whilst I’m out bush. I hope I see you out there….

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Article & Images by Jill Harrison

H

igh on my wish list when we returned to the Kimberley in July 2016 was Purnululu or more precisely Cathedral Gorge in Purnululu. It is hard to describe the impressions you feel entering Cathedral Gorge’s immense towering cavern for the first time.

Red and orange sandstone walls soar around you. White sand crunches softly underfoot. Tiny tracks from night time animals cross the sand to the central pool which lies still and undisturbed. Bird calls echo. It is a place for hushed voices. To sit quietly with your own thoughts. The spiritual atmosphere of a sacred place, a sanctuary, wraps around you.

Cathedral Gorge is just one of the magnificent gorges within the 240,000 hectare Purnululu National Park (also known as the Bungle Bungles) in Western Australia’s far north Kimberley region. Given World Heritage listing in 2003, Purnululu is one of Western Australia’s newest and most spectacular national parks.

Three hundred and fifty million years old, valued by its Aboriginal custodians for 40,000 years, but known only to a few Europeans before 1983, Purnululu was given national park status in 1987 and is now visited by 44,000 people annually.

In the Kija Aboriginal language purnululu means “sandstone”. There are several 56 |

explanations about how it received the name Bungle Bungles, including the corruption of the Aboriginal name Purnululu, or derived from the name of a common Kimberley grass, bundle bundle grass, or its proximity to the old Bungle Bungle cattle station.

Whatever the name’s origins, photos cannot truly capture the grandeur or the experience of walking amongst Purnululu’s distinctive 200-300 metre high beehive-like domes.

Visitors enter Purnululu from the Great Northern Highway, 250 kilometres south of Kununurra then via a 53 kilometre 4WD only track through Mabel Downs Station to the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DEPAW) Visitor Centre. All roads within the park are unsealed so allow approximately 2-3 hours for the drive in. There are several creek crossings and caravans are not recommended but single-axle off-road camper trailers are okay.

The park is usually only open to visitors from April to November, as during the summer “wet” season the road into the park can become unpassable. Travellers must be entirely self-sufficient with fuel, water, food and mechanical spares. On arrival please register and pay your park and camping fees at the Visitor Centre.

Here you can also gather information,

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350 million years old and one of Western Australia’s newest and most spectacular parks. The spiritual atmosphere wraps around you in the immense soaring cavern of Cathedral Gorge.

Clockwise from far left: The Livistona victoriae fan palms contrast against the orange rock faces of Echidna Chasm.

These palms are commonly seen throughout Purnululu, the east Kimberley and sandstone areas near Victoria River in the Northern Territory | Watching the moon rise at sunset at Kungkalanayi Lookout | Kurrajong campsite is suitable for all types of off-road camping | Mulla Mulla – Ptilotus exaltatus | Views over the spinifex, late afternoon at Kungkalanayi Lookout | Flights over Purnululu highlight the remoteness and inaccessibility of Western Australia’s north west

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Clockwise from bottom left: Dwarfed by the towering cavern of Cathedral Gorge | Trees and palms growing within Echidna Chasm | At the end of the day visitors gather at Kungkalanayi Lookout to enjoy the sunset and the 360 degree panoramic views | Driving into Purnululu is via a 4WD only track | Close up of a dome rock face created by 20 million years of weathering and several interacting phenomena. The crust helps stabilise and protect the fragile sandstone towers | Silverleaf Grevillea – Grevillea refracta

as well as purchasing souvenirs and cold drinks.

At Purnululu you can enjoy a wilderness experience, bush camping, walking, photography and nature observation and I recommend at least a three or four day visit. There are two camping grounds, Kurrajong in the north and Walardi in the south. Both offer shady non-powered campsites, basic bush toilets, untreated water, and a separate generator use camp. Campsites cannot be reserved and we found arriving mid morning allowed us to find a shady campsite at Kurrajong. A commercial safari style tented camp is located at Bellburn, not far from the airstrip. Alternatively you can stay at the Bungle Bungle Caravan Park located just off the highway, where they offer safari tents, powered and non-powered caravan and tent sites, as well as helicopter flights and tours into Purnululu.

Twenty million years of weathering have produced Purnululu’s banded beehive sandstone structures which are claimed to be the world’s most outstanding example of cone karst formation in sandstone. They owe 58 |

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their existence to several interacting geological, biological, erosive and climatic phenomena. Dark bands only a few millimetres thick, formed by cyanobacteria, wrap horizontally around the domes, contrasting with the lighter orange sandstone. The crust helps stabilise and protect the ancient and fragile sandstone towers.

There are many walk trails within Purnululu, ranging from the easy 700 metre Domes loop trail to a 30 kilometre overnight hike through Piccaninny Gorge. Each walk has its own particular characteristics but are generally exposed and along uneven rock surfaces and creek beds, and very high temperatures can be experienced, so sturdy footwear, sunscreen, hat and carrying water is recommended as well as preferably walking in the early mornings. Shaded picnic tables are located at the start of the walks. Please take note of the times and distances on the information boards and your own abilities.

The Piccaninny Gorge carpark, located 27 kilometres south of the Visitor Centre, gives you access to five trails: the Domes walk, Cathedral Gorge,

Piccaninny Creek, Whip Snake Gorge, and Piccaninny Gorge.

The Cathedral Gorge walk is a moderate two kilometre return walk which includes some short steep slopes, narrow ledges and ladders (allow one to two hours).

The walk terminates within an almost 360 degrees towering amphitheatre.

I recommend coming here early in the morning to fully experience the atmosphere of the gorge before the crowds arrive.

From Cathedral Gorge you can continue along the exposed rock y bed of Piccaninny Creek to a lookout with views over the plains. Allow one to two hours for the three kilometre return walk.

There is also the ten kilometre Whip Snake Gorge walk (allow four hours) and for the more adventurous and well equipped walkers, the overnight 30 kilometre Piccaninny Gorge trek. The Gorge, which has no marked track and no defined end point, takes you along Piccaninny Creek for seven kilometres (allow a full day return for this section) before entering the gorge. From here walkers can explore a complex series

of side gullies and gorges. If you intend camping overnight please register at the Visitor Centre before setting out, and again on your return, carry all supplies including fuel stove, warm clothing, and 5-8 litres of water per person per day.

On the northern side of the park, 20 kilometres from the Visitor Centre, are three walks which can easily be explored in a day: Echidna Chasm, Mini Palms Gorge and the 500 metre Osmond Lookout walk.

The most popular is the Echidna Chasm walk (two kilometre return – allow 1-2 hours). The walk takes you initially along a dry creek bed, then through a tall narrow chasm which spectacularly changes colour with the angle of the sun and is at its best in the middle of the day. Along the way you will see tall Livistona victoriae fan palms as well as plants clinging to rock crevices or trailing their exposed roots amongst the conglomerate rocks that form the range in this part of the park. If you are observant you may see a bower bird bower by the edge of the track.

A short drive away is the 4.2 kilometre return Mini Palms walk (allow 2 hours)

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Escape

TO THE MID NORTH

COAST Colonial H O L I DAY PA R K & Leisure Village

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Located in the seaside town of Harrington on the Mid North Coast, Colonial Holiday park is a great spot to set up and explore the region. Fishing, surfing, golf, bush walking, pristine beaches and whale watching are just some of the local attractions that make this area a must for the whole family. Colonial offers pet friendly family and studio cabins as well as large powered, ensuite and unpowered sites. Individual ensuite amenities, pool, wifi, camp kitchen and BBQ area for all to enjoy.

Phone 02 6556 3312 • enquiries@colonialhp.com.au 716 Harrington Rd, Harrington, Mid North Coast, NSW BO O K ONLI NE : W W W.COLONIALH P.COM.AU

POREPUNKAH BRIDGE CARAVAN PARK

Situated on the banks of the beautiful Ovens River with accommodation ranging from river frontage powered/unpowered camping sites to modern Executive Cottages. With 600m of river frontage, solar heated swimming pool, and the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail passing our door, there’s always plenty to do for the whole family – no matter what time of year! Conveniently located – just a short drive to wineries, restaurants, ski slopes – 3 minute drive to the mini metropolis of Bright with its delightful gift shops, unique wine bars with alfresco dining, and many restaurants. info@porepunkahbridge.com.au www.porepunkahbridge.com.au 36 Mt Buffalo Road, Porepunkah VIC 3740 Freecall: 1800 552 380 | P: (03) 5756 2380

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Clockwise from top left: Observant walkers may see a bower bird’s bower along the walk into Echidna Chasm | Walking into Cathedral Gorge in the early morning

which takes you along an exposed rocky creek bed, before becoming more challenging with steep slopes and large fallen boulders to negotiate. It terminates at a viewing platform overlooking palms and trees growing within the narrow gorge.

Other walks on this side of the park include the 7.2 kilometre Escarpment Trail, the 4.4 kilometre Homestead Valley Trail, and the 300 metre Bloodwood Lookout trail. The 520 metre Stonehenge trail is a relatively easy walk where you can learn about traditional Aboriginal uses of shrubs, trees and grasses from the information boards.

At the end of the day visitors congregate at the Kungkalanayi Lookout, three kilometres from the Visitor Centre, to enjoy the sunset and the 360 degree panoramic views. We were fortunate to see the moon rise just as the sunset lit up the western face of the ranges to brilliant orange and reds. There are also other parking bays along the roads through Purnululu where you can enjoy the sunsets. It is a lovely way to end the day.

Sunrise in Purnululu is always signalled by the dawn chorus. More than 130 bird species inhabit the park, including rainbow bee-eaters, honeyeaters, bower

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birds, budgerigars and white-quilled rock pigeons. And yes bower birds do pinch teaspoons and other shiny objects for their bowers! You may also see the nailtail wallaby, euros, and the short-eared rock-wallaby.

Purnululu has great significance spiritually and culturally to the Jaru and Gidja Aboriginal traditional custodians who make a valuable contribution through their joint management of the Park with DEPAW. Visitors are reminded to never remove anything from Aboriginal historical sites, stay on the marked trails and respect places not open to tourists.

Another way to experience Purnululu is from the air. Helicopter flights can be taken from the Bellburn Airstrip within the park, or from the Bungle Bungle Caravan Park, Warmun Roadhouse or Halls Creek. Fixed wing plane flights can be taken from Kununurra which include flying over Lake Argyle, the Argyle Diamond Mine, the Ord River plains and the surrounding station country.

Combination air and ground tours and overnight camping can be arranged.

The flights highlight the remoteness and inaccessibility of northern Western Australia, but however you choose to visit Purnululu, it will be an unforgettable experience.

FACT FILE GETTING THERE Turnoff to the park is 250km south of Kununurra on the Great Northern Highway or 109km north of Halls Creek. Plus 53km 4WD only track into the park (allow about 2-3 hours). Single-axle off-road trailers only.

WHERE TO CAMP

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WHEN TO GO

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Register at the Visitor Centre on arrival. Camping fees per night: $12 per adult, concession $8.80, 6-15yrs child $2.20, plus day pass entry fee or Parks Pass. Prices Mt Farquharson 444 subject to change.

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FURTHER INFORMATION WA Department of Parks and Wildlife: www.parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/purnululu Purnululu Visitor Centre – April to December.

Ph (08) 9168 7300

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Bungle Bungle Caravan Park www.bunglebunglecaravanpark.com.au

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TO KNOW

Visitors must be fully self sufficient with water, fuel, food and mechanical supplies. The nearest supplies are at Warmun or Halls Creek on the Great Northern RIVERHighway, over 3 hours’ drive. The nearest mechanical Timber Creekassistance is Kununurra.

Please take away all rubbish with you.

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There are two DEPAW camping grounds, Kurrajong in the north and Walardi in the south. Reservations are required for the ton Bellburn commercial safari style tented camp. You Palmers Howard Springs can also stay at the Bungle Bungle Caravan Park just off Doo the Humpty highway.

Mt Bundey

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Product Reviews REDARC launches new, improved DC to DC battery charger Described as the ‘auxiliary battery charging specialist’, REDARC Electronics has released the next generation of its award winning Smart Start BCDC In-vehicle battery charger. Designed, built and tested in Australia, you can be guaranteed it will work in our unique conditions.

The new BCDC continues to re-set the industry standard for DC to DC battery chargers. The upgraded, next generation 25amp model now includes features to make it the most advanced product on the market.

The new 25 amp BCDC now has separate vehicle DC and solar inputs, simplifying installation.

The unit will charge from both solar and the alternator simultaneously and with inbuilt ‘Green Power Priority,’ the BCDC will select solar charging first, taking the load off the vehicle’s alternator.

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The unit can be used for 12 or 24 volt vehicle systems with either standard or variable voltage/smart alternators.

The new BCDC In-vehicle battery charger will charge AGM, GEL, standard lead acid and calcium batteries as well as incorporating a charging profile for Lithium (LiFePO4) batteries, which ensures the charger can be used now and well into the future.

recognition that includes protection against voltage spikes, overheating and reverse polarity.

Compact in size and fully sealed – water, dust and vibration are no match for the Invehicle battery chargers. They can handle the roughest tracks in outback Australia and even deep water crossings at Cape York.

The REDARC range of BCDC In-vehicle battery chargers ensure optimum performance of electrical equipment such as fridges, lights, or cameras when powered from a dual battery set up by providing a unique multi-stage charging algorithm.

Designed, built and tested in Australia for our unique conditions, they work in the extreme heat of the Simpson Desert, operating up to 80°C. A higher operating temperature allows for flexible installation options, from the engine bay to inside a van or camper trailer.

The award winning technology in the BCDC has been independently verified and tested to ensure battery life is maximised, charging the battery to 100%.

REDARC products come with a two-year warranty; on top of that there is nationwide back up with after-sales service to answer any questions that may arise.

REDARC In-vehicle battery chargers are well protected, incorporating dual battery isolation functionality as well as fault

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To find out more information about the next generation REDARC BCDC In-vehicle charger, visit

www.redarc.com.au/BCDC

email power@redarc.com.au or call our friendly sales support team on 08 8322 4848.

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Stay connected no matter where in Australia you are Want to get away, but need to keep in touch? Don’t be caught out in the middle of nowhere with no way of calling someone if you run into problems like a broken down car or medical incident.

The SatSleeve+ from Optus Satellite is the easy way to transform your compatible smartphone into a satellite phone. So if you’re out and about travelling to areas where you’ve got no 3G/4G mobile coverage, the SatSleeve can keep you connected. You can access voice, SMS and data with 100% coverage right across Australia, as long as you have line of sight to the satellite and an active satellite plan. So whether you want to check in with your family every day, or want a safety plan in case of an emergency, the SatSleeve can keep you in touch via satellite.

The SatSleeve+ is easy to use – simply download the SatSleeve App whilst you’re in a mobile coverage area, pop your smartphone into the SatSleeve, and connect them together using the SatSleeve’s WiFi. You can then use your phone with the SatSleeve, which works with any mobile provider.

With Optus’ casual $15 monthly plan plus usage charges, and no minimum contract term, the SatSleeve+ is the perfect communication solution for when you’re on-the-go.

For more information, please contact the Optus Satellite team at OptusSatelliteSales@optus.com.au or 1800 500 269

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The Wedge Fire Pit & Camp Cooker This compact, versatile and truly “FLAT PACK” fire pit has a host of uses. As its name suggests it just wedges or slots together in a matter of seconds.

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No tools, nuts, bolts, screws etc. are required. Developed and manufactured by us right here in Australia using Australian BlueScope XLERPLATE® steel.

It’s tough, it’s rugged and it can handle the harsh Australian environment. I bet Ned Kelly wished he had this steel as his armour. A must for all campers, 4x4 enthusiasts, caravan & RV owners or just in the backyard at home.

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Safe to use on lawns, decks, patios and in caravan parks* and national parks* using our innovative water fill-able under tray, provided the tray is kept full of water and the fire is not left unattended. *(where fires are permitted). No more ugly black scars on the ground at camp. ONLY FOR OUTDOOR USE.

Removable spit rotisserie support brackets with POZILIFT™. Removable cookware support bars (6) with POZILOCK™ and POZILIFT™.

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Fuel efficient design for maximum heat output with our innovative drafting ventilation on both angled long sides and also on the short ends.

This allows the fire to “breathe” providing oxygen flow to the fuel whilst maintaining a good body of hot coals in the base for heating, especially when cooking.

From $245 – For more information visit: www.slotmein.com.au

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G O I N G

GAGA

FO R

TH I S

FAIR LADY Article by Shelley Thomas

ands on buzzers. Family Feud-style.

It’s a question that doubles as the top conversation starter at end-of-year office parties; in supermarket checkout lanes; at the hairdressers mid-coif or even on a dash to Bunnings for the summer season gas cylinder swap.

Pretty much anywhere festooned with tinsel, flashing lights and strains of Bublé crooning carols.

“Where are you going for the Christmas holidays?”

For Jim Buck and family, the answer is simple. “That’s easy,” he says without a second thought.

Over the past 30 years, without fail, the public servant and one-time road designer, who is a Technical Services M anag er in Bund ab erg for the

A reef 150 times the size of the island, at 2930ha, famous for the Great Barrier Reef’s only navigable, protected lagoon akin to the world’s largest swimming pool. Ideal for snorkelling with Nemo and friends or taking the first step in learning to scuba dive.

From the air, Lady Musgrave Island looks like a kidney-shaped dot in the largest coral reef system on the planet. The Great Barrier Reef; almost too big to fathom. Bigger than 70 million football fields!

Thanks to the tireless work of billions of tiny organisms known as coral polyps, the Great Barrier Reef is the only living structure visible from outer space.

Stretching 2,300km along Queensland’s coast, it’s not one continuous barrier, but

‘Summertime is always the best of what might be’ – Charles Bowden Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads, has set up camp on Lady Musgrave Island. A destination that’s as blissfully “back to nature” as you can get (save being shipwrecked).

For Jim, it’s Paradise. Capital P. The best address on earth, where “simple luxuries” extend to composting toilets.

That said, not even a Lotto win would halt his annual pilgrimage to this coral cay in the southern end of Queensland’s World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef.

Postcard perfect in every way, the 19.47ha island, easily circumnavigated by foot in around 30 minutes (if you’re blinkered, that is, or immune to endless wildlife encounters, from marine turtles to spotted rays), levitates in its own wrap-around reef. Lady Musgrave Reef.

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a vast mosaic of 3,000 coral reefs, 600 continental islands, 300 coral cays and about 150 inshore mangrove islands.

And while it’s nigh impossible to pick a favourite in a Wonderland described by Sir David Attenborough as “the most magical place on earth”, Lady Musgrave Island – as those already charmed by this grand old dame can readily attest – arguably stakes its claim as the No. 1 camping spot.

Forming a part of the Capricornia Cays National Park and accessible by charter boat (see Fact File), the coral cay lies 96km north-east of Bundaberg or 59km east of the Town of 1770 (where Captain Cook came ashore). Not so much, “as the crow flies”, but a myriad of seabirds.

Indeed, more than 50 varieties visit Lady Musgrave Island, including sooty

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PHOTO: Tourism and Events Queensland

H

Clockwise from above: Into the swing of island life | Take a dip in the world’s biggest swimming pool aka the Great Barrier Reef’s only navigable lagoon | Pitch perfect; Lady Musgrave style

PHOTO: Collette Bagnato © Qld Govt

PHOTO: Tourism and Events Queensland

Searching for an ‘out of this world’ summer holiday adventure?

If you’re lucky enough to bag a spot camping on the Great Barrier Reef’s Lady Musgrave Island, the experience might just change your life, as Shelley Thomas discovers.

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Clockwise from left: Welcome to Paradise. Capital P. An island idyll easily circumnavigated by foot | Snorkelling buddies… Nemo and a juvenile Crush in the making | In focus: Jim Buck | Blink and you’ll miss them: capturing the trickiest of subjects… squid Photos courtesy of Jim Buck & Penny Smith (www.Banksiamoon.com)

and pied oyster catchers, frigate birds, wandering tattlers, brown boobies and thousands of roosting black and whitecapped noddy terns… to name just a few.

Jim Buck, however, is more interested in another group of visitors he revels in sharing the island with year after year. Despite witnessing their arrival countless thousand times, his heart still skips a beat as the ocean’s grandest of old dames – green and loggerhead turtles – haul their way onto the beach for nesting/hatchling season (November to March).

“For me, it’s like coming home,” says Jim, 63, who, with wife, Annie, has spent every Christmas on the island since 1987, starting when their two daughters, Penny and Cathy, were just nine and seven. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

And therein lies the unique beauty of camping on Lady Musgrave Island.

Aside from leading a group of volunteers who monitor and collect data on nesting populations of marine turtles as part of the Queensland Turtle 66 |

Conservation (QTC) project operated by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP), Jim also steps up as National Parks’ Campground Host for holidaymakers on Lady Musgrave Island over the Christmas/New Year period.

Here, anyone lucky enough to bag a camping permit over the holidays (up to 40 people can camp on the island for a maximum of 21 nights at any one time) is in for one hell of a life-changing experience.

Put simply, Jim’s knowledge and passion for turtles and conservation almost outshines the surrounding Coral Sea’s hypnotic kaleidoscope of colours, ranging from opal-tinged turquoise, to glimpses of emerald green and the full range of Pantone blues.

Nothing, however, comes close to sitting near his beloved turtles – true dinosaurs of the sea – lit by the stars as they carefully lay each precious clutch of eggs. A miracle in itself that any one of them made it this far. Especially considering a green turtle’s adolescence spans some 35 years, with perhaps

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one in 1,000 hatchlings reaching sexual maturity.

“One of the best parts for me is watching people’s faces the first time they see a turtle nesting,” says Jim, who offers an insightful and intriguing (#moneycan’tbuy) interpretive service to campers, invited to observe nesting turtles while his volunteer group go quietly about their work each night, even on New Year’s Eve. “It’s a special moment when people see a turtle actually digging an egg chamber, using her hind flippers. If I can get folk in to watch that process, they are absolutely amazed.

“Most visitors are prepared to stay out with us for two or three hours of a night.”

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As Jim explains, that’s roughly the time it takes a green turtle to nest “if all goes well” and she isn’t hindered by a piece of coral, tree root or some other immoveable object, causing her to stop, shift and start over. While the Great Barrier Reef is home to six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles, Lady Musgrave Island is a significant nesting ground for greens and a smaller group of loggerheads.

Repos Turtle Centre on a family holiday to Bundaberg. Instantly smitten, he returned as a volunteer on the turtle conservation project headed by Dr Col Limpus, Chief Scientist with EHP’s Threatened Species Unit. The rest is history.

One that Jim, himself, first experienced as a tourist back in 1984, when he joined a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service ranger-guided turtle encounter at Mon

“That’s a feature of a program like this,” says Col who started the project in 1968.

“Not everyone gets caught up in it, but there’s a lot who do. We see visitors

PHOTO: Tourism and Events Queensland

The experience of watching a turtle nest is humbling and empowering at the same time. A moment when time truly stops in one of the greatest cycles of life.

Nothing short of a legend in the turtle world, Col knows all too well the life-changing impact turtles have on visitors, inspiring many to become citizen scientists, as mirrored in an estimated 10,000 who have undergone training as volunteers (around 200 each year for close to 50 years).

Clockwise from above: Modern-day miracle: 1 in 1,000 green turtles survive to sexual maturity | Bag your spot among just 40 campers | Day’s end before nesting turtles arrive

who come back year after year explicitly, in the extreme, to see particular turtles at Mon Repos.

“And we get children who visit, grow up and join us as volunteers, with a number going into careers in conservation.”

On Lady Musgrave Island, Jim Buck looks forward to greeting each new clutch of wide-eyed campers (from all corners of the globe), making lifelong friends in the process.

“We always spend as much time as we can with campers and visitors, educating and inspiring older and younger generations alike… at some stage I’ll be too old to keep doing this and we need people to carry on the work.”

It’s precisely why summertime, for Jim, is always the best of what might be…

FACT FILE CAMPING 101 ON LADY MUSGRAVE ISLAND

Located on the western side of the island, the campsite is sheltered by pisonia trees with views to the reef (and mere steps from tent to idyllic snorkelling, without stinger suits). Here, Jim Buck may share with you another of his favourite activities, on the reef crest in front of the campsite: photographing the trickiest of subjects… squid. Campers must be self-sufficient and carry in all food and drinking water. For full details and to book a site (costing just $5.75 per person per night): www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/capricornia-cays/camping First-timer’s tip: Avoid pitching your tent directly under the pisonia trees where terns roost and poop (pack a tarp!); pack sturdy garbage bags as you must take all rubbish with you when you leave; and if you want to fish, be sure to check zoning restrictions. Read up on responsible practices on visiting the Great Barrier Reef’s islands and cays: www.gbrmpa.gov.au/visit-the-reef/responsible-reef-practices

GETTING THERE

PHOTO: Jim Buck & Penny Smith (www.Banksiamoon.com)

Via private boat or camping transfers with tour operators out of Bundaberg or the Town of 1770 and Agnes Water.

To plan your perfect escape, visit: www.queensland.com Missed out on securing a camping spot this Christmas? No fear! While the campsite on Lady Musgrave Island is capped at 40 people – and closed from Australia Day weekend through to Easter to protect turtle hatchlings, nesting seabirds and island vegetation – the island is open all year to day-trippers.

What’s more, Bundaberg’s Lady Musgrave Experience has launched a “Sleep on The Reef” expedition involving two luxury catamarans, the Main Event (for the journey) and Big Cat Reality (a custom-built floating hotel). Once the sun goes down, guests are invited to experience the magnificent natural phenomenon of turtles nesting and hatching on Lady Musgrave Island guided by marine biologists and island rangers.

MORE INFORMATION

Lady Musgrave Experience (tours and camping transfers): www.ladymusgraveexperience.com.au 1770reef, Great Barrier Reef Eco Tours (currently tours only): www.1770reef.com.au

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Article & Images by Cliff Guy Wild Guy Productions

Exploring the New South Wales Mid North Coast...

O

n the New South Wales Mid North Coast we are blessed with an absolute abundance of beautiful, wild places to camp, go four wheel driving and explore. From densely forested mountain ranges and rich sub-tropical rainforests, to picture-perfect coastal environments, most of which are never crowded and are alive with a plethora of plants and animals. As you may have noticed from many of my previous stories, my family and I not only love camping and 4WDing in this part of Australia, but for all the same reasons, we have chosen to live here; on a magical 115 acre property called Wild Guy Station. There are literally so many unique and amazing wilderness areas to immerse into on the New South Wales Mid North Coast region, to maximise on your holiday here, it pays to be well informed and well prepared so you are truly ready to go wild!

Wild Guy Station in itself is a wildlife and botanical paradise; nestled in stunning Eucalypt country 20 minutes north west of Coffs Harbour. This incredible parcel of Aussie bush provides us with a secluded paradise to live in and is an amazing sanctuary for a myriad of native species.

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We are so captivated with this region’s abundance, variety and exceptional climate, that we are in the process of establishing Wild Guy Station’s camping grounds and more, so others may enjoy as we do, staying with us in the heart of this captivating landscape.

The natural wonders of this region remain relatively unspoilt with large tracts of hinterland and coastal wilderness still intact. Many of these areas are accessible and well set up to cater for the requirements of campers whilst sensitive to the need for preserving native habitats and ecologies. Because of this, and the moderate population and industry, tourists, campers and adventurers from all walks of life can come here for a truly wonderful nature experience. Although no region is fully void of some peril by way of deforestation, invasive feral species and roads, wildlife generally in this part of New South Wales is still able to flourish in many areas and visitors can expect to see a good variety of marine and terrestrial species, if exploring in the right places. There are well over a dozen national parks and reserves in

GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

the immediate Coffs Coast area and many more in the greater radius that takes in this incredible part of our planet.

4WD touring, bushwalking and camping here offers a vast network of varied and amazing terrains, with bushland trails, spectacular waterfalls, idyllic picnic areas and crystal clear swimming holes throughout the landscape.

Something else I have mentioned previously in my stories, which I feel is relevant for many camping enthusiasts to consider, is varying the approach and gear used for each adventure, especially when exploring a favourable climate area like this region. My family and I enjoy a variety of camping styles; utilising lots of different types of equipment depending on the type of area we are exploring, the expected conditions, time of year and the like. This approach really does deliver some unique experiences and the enjoyment of choosing is in itself a lot of fun, especially for our 7-yearold junior Wild Guy, Samuel. I’d have to declare that whilst Samuel loves all manner of camping and adventuring no matter what the style or where we go, he has developed a particular love for dome

Clockwise from top left: Stunning coastlines of the Mid North Coast | Expansive wilderness areas | Enjoying a natural swimming pool | Wildlife is plentiful in the region | Sandi and Samuel (and Rex) at camp

tents. There is clearly something very special about snuggling into cosy rounded igloo type tents, sheltered from, yet close to nature’s elements, that really tickles his fancy. Dome tents are quite a marvellous invention really when you think about how light, versatile and weather-proof they are; even their size can be very substantial and the humble dome not only provides a secure place to sleep, but a great place to read or rest during the heat of the day. In Samuel’s case, our magnificent Howling Moon family dome quite often becomes so much more than our camping headquarters.

This tough and virtually unbreakable dome tent is sometimes also turned into a plastic dinosaur battleground, strewn with raptors and rexes of every imaginable shape and size; and when they clash, it can sometimes get wild to say the least!

Howling Moon have been making tents for over 40 years for the most demanding conditions. Trialled and tested in Africa and Australia they have gained a reputation as the choice of the most serious Aussie adventurer. Though not as compact as some other domes, Howling Moon more than makes up for this with absolute durability and robust construction, providing a dry, hassle free and secure home away from home in the wilds over and over again. Whilst the New South Wales Mid North Coast does get some unfavourable weather conditions, generally this region is ideal for tenting, with loads of campsites, comfortable temperatures and climatic conditions year round, so perhaps give the ‘dome adventure’ some thought for your next expedition, if you haven’t already.

We also like to utilise different cookware and food storage on our adventures, usually depending on the length of our intended stay and the types of meals we plan to enjoy. No matter what the trip, the trusty Engel fridge-freezer is almost always on board for perishables, and most often now we use our Cadac Safari Chef range which is very versatile and all components fit with one another both in use and when packed up. With our love of travelling light, this unit’s robust aluminium design and structure is great and well worth a look for your family camping. It’s really nice to extend the kitchen when we can, so we can have simultaneous preparation and cooking, sometimes for more people than just ourselves. We are very fortunate in this day and age to have so many wonderful camping and 4WD accessories to choose from, and like many

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Clockwise from left: Howling Moon family dome tent | Sandi cooks a lovely feed for us

of the incredible products available in the marketplace, our Cadac cookware, super tough Howling Moon dome tent and reliable Engel fridge, are great examples of just how ingenious manufacturers have become and how fantastic our camping experiences are as a result.

We have also kept our primary camping and touring vehicle as lightweight as possible for absolute efficiency on local or long expeditions, without losing the essential elements that make a good 4WD a great one. Our customised Spartan Canopy is currently being made at the time of writing this story, and our functional range of KT Cables’ vehicle electronics and other safety essentials are also still to come, but our new, powerful, fuel-efficient Wild Guy Isuzu D-Max does have some excellent accessories already to make it a near perfect camping vehicle. I know how important it is to read about the gear others choose as it is always a big help in making decisions to set up your

own camping adventure vehicle and equipment, so I have taken the time to list our well-researched choices for your knowledge and consideration. Wild Guy D-Max 1 has a custom crafted SPEC aluminium drawer system, an ultrastrong lightweight ECB bullbar, 129 litre Long Ranger fuel tank, superior quality Ultimate Suspension kit, Mean Mother winch, Versus wheels and AT3 Cooper all-terrain tyres. We anticipate completing this vehicle’s full transformation by December 2016, and it will be a most incredible asset for Wild Guy Station, filming and leisure-camping. Whilst very capable, Wild Guy Productions is never about extreme off-roading with our vehicles, rather, we believe in executing all 4WD and camping adventures with absolute respect for the natural environment, wildlife and other campers.

This ensures that the many wonderful wild places like those throughout this magnificent region, remain open, pristine and accessible for all of us to enjoy.

The New South Wales Mid North Coast is a wonderful part of Australia and is so enticing with its vast camping and nature-based attractions and favourable all-year-round climate. It really is a perfect holiday destination choice for travellers of all kinds, especially given the central proximity to the major centres of Sydney and Brisbane. We love welcoming good people to our home territory and in 2017, we are even considering opening Wild Guy Station to the public, which will provide an absolutely awesome and totally private nature-haven and camping area for like-minded folk to set up base.

It’s almost the end of 2016 as I pen this story, so may I take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful and safe summer of fun-filled family adventures and happiness. Remember, getting ready to go wild is half the fun, so have an awesome time setting up your vehicle and gear and I look forward to seeing you on the track somewhere!

FOR MORE ON WILD GUY STATION AND WHAT WE DO, AND A LOOK AT THE MANY OPTIONS FOR CAMPING THROUGHOUT THE NEW SOUTH WALES MID NORTH COAST REGION, PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING LINKS:

www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/regions/north-coast/Map www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/regions/north-coast/what-to-do www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/regions/north-coast www.npansw.org.au/index.php/our-branches/coffs-harbour www.visitnsw.com/things-to-do/caravan-and-camping/where-to-go/north-coast ….and www.ecomedia.com.au/wild-guy-station www.ecomedia.com.au/photojournalism-and-photography www.cliffguy.com.au www.wildguy.com.au Disclaimer: All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of information provided in this article, however this information is offered to the reader as the author’s opinion, interpretation and entertainment only. No responsibility is taken for misinterpretation or misuse of this information or published content.

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GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

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GO CAMPING, FISHING & 4W D ADV ENTURES

HAPPY HASSLE FREE CAMPING & COOKING – JULIE & REGINA

A Woman’s Look at Camping Cook Book with Simple Recipes that are a creative new taste twist for camping, featuring spectacular landscape photography. $29.95 inc p&h or two copies for $50 Inc p&h in Australia. Free gift wrapping! www.wlacamping.info E-mail: AWomansLook@bigpond.com for bank deposit details

Hydro Float Fishing’s 3-in-1

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Perfect coffee table books

Come on a journey through the vast contrasts of Australia’s tropics, and her mysterious deserts. Sparkling reefs and tropical beaches to misty waterfalls and outback rivers in flood are exquisitely captured by photographer Nick Rains in Tropical Australia. While in Desert Australia he has masterfully photographed interesting wildlife, the ever-changing conditions and unexpected surprises found in deserts across Australia.

Lens by lens, click by click, the photographs in Tropical Australia and Desert Australia encourage us to get out and explore the vast and beautiful scenery from the glistening coastlines and forests to our dry and arid deserts awash with colourful wildflowers and agile wildlife.

Available at all good bookstores. RRP: $39.99 ea

Smooth, supple and sensitive — Shimano’s new Kairiki SX8 braid For a well-behaved on the reel spool, with even lay and less propensity to throw off annoying wind knots, you can’t go past Shimano’s new Kairiki SX8 braid. Made from an eight carrier Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) PE braid, its smooth finish means it creates less friction over rod guides when cast, and it slips through the water with reduced resistance and thrumming on the retrieve or when trolled.

Every fisher needs the HYDROX3 – an innovative 3-in-1 fishing float from Hydro Float Fishing, which can be used as a float, popper or teaser depending on the type of fish you’re trying to snag. The patent-pending 3-in-1 design allows you to easily adjust the HYDROX3 so you can target your approach to land based fishing or offshore fishing, the species you’re hunting or the time of day you’re wetting a line. These interchangeable features and the impact resistant polycarbonate body creates the ultimate fishing float, popper and teaser for every angler.

As a fishing float, removable end caps add diversity to your fishing experience by allowing internal access to the float. Simply add rattle balls to increase attraction, glow sticks for extra luminosity or weights to increase casting distance. As a popper, the tough polycarbonate body can be rigged with heavy mono or wire.

Simply attach hooks and weight to achieve the ideal cast and popping action. There are a few options for rigging a teaser including chain-rig multiple teasers to enhance effect or simply add buoyancy.

For more information visit www.hydrofloatfishing.com.au Hydro Float Fishing HYDROX3 RRP: $17.99

An exclusive process that the raw material undergoes before braiding enhances abrasion resistance. The line is then braided with less friction, retaining the integrity of the material for fewer imperfections. This makes it a tough line for use in difficult terrain.

Available in 11 breaking strains from 6 to 80lb on 150m spools at the lighter end and 300m from 20lb up.

For more information visit www.shimanofish.com.au Shimano Kairiki SX8 Braid Line RRP: Starting from $40

Repel mozzies easily this summer Thermacell offers a patented set-andforget solution for those who are serious about not being bugged by pesky mosquitoes while enjoying the outdoors.

The Thermacell Repeller unit uses a butane cartridge to heat a repellent mat that releases the allethrin repellent, a chrysanthemum extract generally harmless to humans and pets, into the air and form a protection zone of 21m2. The Repeller unit has been designed to ensure a controlled burn of butane and a steady release of repellent.

Extensive lab and in-field testing has found Thermacell to be up to 98% effective, and unlike oils or lotions, there’s no mess and no need for constant re-application.

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Its portable design makes it perfect for backyard entertaining, picnics, caravan and camping, and you can leave the batteries at home as it comes with an in-built piezo lighter that lasts indefinitely.

The Repeller unit comes supplied with a butane cartridge and three Repeller mats offering 12 hours of protection. Replacement cartridge and mat packs are available in either 12hour or 48-hour packs. With no smoke and almost no scent, it is a great mosquito repellent for those with sensitive skin, allergies, or asthma.

For more information visit www.thermacellrepellents.com.au The Thermacell Repeller with 12-hour cartridge and mats has a RRP of $44.95 and the 12-hour Refills have a RRP of $12.95.

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A day pack that’s got it all

Looking for a versatile, robust, and lightweight backpack, then the new Daylite Backpack from Osprey won’t let you down. The 13L backpack is big enough for the necessities, yet far superior in its construction featuring 210D Nylon Double Diamond Ripstop. There is a large zippered panel offering convenient access to the main compartment, while dual side mesh pockets easily fit a water bottle. There’s also a mesh organiser and a key clip to keep your smaller items safe.

A combination of Osprey’s ventilated die-cut foam back panel, a lightweight suspensions harness, and an adjustable sternum strap makes the Daylite an exceptionally comfortable pack. But perhaps the most genius fact is it’s compatible with a vast array of Osprey packs which means the Daylite can go with you on any adventure, great or small.

For more information visit www.ospreypacks.com Osprey Daylite (13L) RRP: $69.95 Osprey Daylite Plus (20L) RRP: $79.95

A sleeping pad that’s not sleeping bad Klymit has carved out a name for themselves in the outdoor industry as a brand that knows how to travel. Klymit products are designed by adventurers, for adventurers and the Static V Sleeping Pad is the perfect example of that.

The Static V is a highly compact, ultra-lightweight sleeping pad, purpose built for a traveller who places a premium on space. Constructed from rugged 75D Polyester, the Static V is as tough as nails, and as comfy as clouds.

Klymit’s infamous V-Chamber design limits air flow and heat loss. Innovative side rails will keep you on the pad all night long, while an ergonomic body map makes for a snug sleeping environment. The Static V inflates in 10-15 big breaths, which means you’ll be the first with their feet up around the campfire each night.

The Static V rolls up tight to the size of a water bottle, so there’s no adventure too big or too small. Klymit Sleeping Pads are as comfortable as they are stylish, and will be the envy of your fellow adventurers.

For more information visit www.klymit.com.au Klymit Static V Sleeping Pad RRP: $99

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Fishing for a great catch Shimano’s durable and award winning Stradic CI4+ series of spin reels have been given a total re-vamp for the upcoming season. Packed with the sort of features discerning light line anglers get excited about, the 2500CI4+ FB model won Best New Reel Category at the Australian Fishing Trade Show on the Gold Coast.

This reel series is all about a lighter feel in the hand. Made from Shimano’s exclusive CI4+ material, an interfusion of carbon and polyamide, and has the oscillating system and worm drive moved closer to the rod for a lower centre of gravity to give a lighter feel.

Coreprotect water repellent coating in the roller clutch and line roller will keep the saltwater gremlins at bay and the new Magnumlite Rotor design is substantially lighter providing better balance.

For more information visit www.shimano.com.au RRP: Between $320 – $350.

Stay charged outdoors Technology is now a big part of our outdoor experiences.

Wearable devices, smartphones and action cameras are extremely helpful in helping us navigate, capture and experience the great outdoors. However they all rely on battery life and not many devices tend to last more than a couple of days. Goal Zero, experts in all things portable re-charging and solar, has just released its Solar ReadyTM Flip 30 – the most power-packed unit within the Flip series.

The powerful Flip 30 has a charge capacity of 7800mAh providing 300% backup power, which means you can charge your smartphone three times to a full charge.

Charged by the sun’s rays or simply flip up the USB charging tip and plug the unit into your laptop for a short five hours and you are good to go.

For more information visit www.goalzero.com.au Goal Zero Flip 30 RRP: $99.00 Goal Zero Flip 20 RRP: $79.00 Goal Zero Flip 10 RRP: $49.00

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Leatherman to the rescue When faced with an alarming or emergency situation, one has to think quickly. So it is paramount that you have the right tools on hand to ensure an appropriate and timely reaction. The Leatherman Raptor Shears and Skeletool RX Rescue Model are specialised, personal emergency response tools, designed to aid you in any emergency situation in the great outdoors.

The Leatherman Raptor shears were developed with expert input from special operations medics, EMTs and fire professionals, to ensure maximum efficacy when used in the field. Crafted from hardy materials such as carbide and 420HC stainless steel – this bit of kit is built tough for optimal usage and durability.

The Skeletool RX is a diverse multi-purpose unit, designed for emergency response in a wide range of situations and is packed with specialised features such as a 154cm deeply serrated blade for more cutting surface on clothing or fibrous materials. The blade itself is made from high carbon, high alloy, and corrosion resistant stainless steel that maintains its edge three times longer than regular 420 stainless steel. Alongside this is a myriad of tools including hard-wire cutters, large bit driver, needle-nose and regular pliers, and bottle opener. It even comes with a 25-year warranty and features bright orange handles to help locate them quickly.

The swag reinvented Just in time for Christmas, BlackWolf has launched its Ryebuck Lite, which is the ultimate camping swag.

Weighing in well under five kilos with added tent poles to elevate the roof of the swag, the new Ryebuck Lite is the perfect culmination of innovation and meeting the camper’s needs.

The compact and lightweight design has been achieved by removing the normal foam mattress included with traditional swags, which allows you to select the best self-inflating mattress for your needs, thereby reducing the overall pack size by almost 70 percent.

The two poles and swag itself roll into a packed size of 60cm by 20cm by 20cm, small enough to easily fit in your hiking pack or on the back of a motorcycle.

When pitched the swag is the same size and height as its canvas brother, but made from a strong polyester blend it eliminates size and weight.

For more information visit www.blackwolf.com.au Ryebuck Lite RRP: $329.99

For more information visit www.leatherman.com.au Leatherman Raptor Multi-Tool RRP: $195 Leatherman Skeletool RX – RRP: $233

Rhino-Rack’s got you covered this summer You can never have too much shelter from Mother Nature’s wrath when you’re camping or exploring parts of the country less travelled. Rhino-Rack’s genius Foxwing Awning is the quickest way to gain additional 270 degrees of refuge, whatever the weather!

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The Foxwing Awning from Rhino-Rack has been developed with optimal efficiency and ease-of-use in mind. The awning can be set up and packed down by one person in a matter of minutes, so you can spend more time enjoying your time outdoors. The Foxwing Awning is perfectly suited for most vehicles including 4WDs, utes and small to medium sized SUVs that have existing Rhino roof racks fitted, as well as some additional roof rack brands (with fitting kits sold separately).

Constructed from a high quality rip-stop polycotton canvas, this material is not only UV resistant for all day sun protection, but it also has 2000mm waterproof rating and mould resistant shield to keep you dry in a downpour. The beams and awning case have been created using a rust proof, anodised aluminium ensuring your kit is in top shape for every adventure.

For more information visit www.rhinorack.com.au Rhino-Rack Foxwing Awning RRP: $849.00 **Roof Racks not included** Rhino-Rack Foxwing Tapered Zip Extension RRP: $209.00 *optional accessory* Rhino-Rack Sunseeker 2.5m Awning Extension RRP: $180.00 *optional accessory*

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The ultimate bike for your next outdoor expedition

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Enjoy strapping the pushies to the back of the car and setting off on an adventure? Well, ride for longer and explore further with some electronic assistance. The Lapierre Overvolt e-bike with a Bosch Performance Line CX system looks and rides just like a regular mountain bike, but with some electronic assistance you can easily and comfortably climb assents and descents are handled with control. It’s a bike that’s capable of getting you around a wide range of terrain, and inspiring confidence in its rider.

For more information visit www.bosch-ebike.com/au-en Lapierre Overvolt XC 500 RRP: $4,999

Smoking Christmas gift Create your very own smoked culinary delights in a Bradley Smoker. Low and slow barbecues are increasing in popularity and are a great addition both at home or away in the great outdoors. You can serve cold smoked fish and cheese or hot smoked ribs and brisket – the choice is yours.

The new Bradleys are fitted with a sleek, high-end stainless steel interior and new rack supports to keep the racks level and steady when removing trays. On top of this, these cookers feature extra large front feet for unparalleled stability from the ground up!

With an extra large cooking capacity, the Bradley BXLT comes with six removable racks that can be monitored with a simple-to-use temperature control for ease of use. If you’re looking for something smaller and more portable, the more compact Bradley BS611 is lighter and stocked with four removable racks.

For more information, or to find a local stockist visit www.bradley-smoker.com.au The smoker range starts from $799 (RRP)

Time for a safer and cleaner boat engine This Christmas ask for an eco-friendly outboard that won’t disturb the serenity, require petrol and is easier to carry than a standard outboard motor. The Torqeedo range of Germanengineered electric marine motors includes models suitable to power any vessel, from a small kayak through to dinghies and tenders, and right up to motorboats and sailboats.

Torqeedo motors come with an on-board computer as standard, and with the optional associated phone app, that means you won’t get stranded as you always know how much further you can go with the current battery life at a given speed. But possibly the best feature is the quiet sound of the motor means you are bound to haul in a big catch! Plus not having to cart petrol as part of your kit reduces fire risks, saves room, and it’s a much more pleasant smell.

For more information visit www.powerequipment.com.au Prices start from $2,500

Avoid the Grinch with this top kids gift Deck the halls with boughs of holly, it’s that time of year again and the real Christmas miracle will be not stealing your presents from your kids – especially if they are lucky enough to score a motorcycle from the Yamaha Fun Bike Range. There’s the nostalgic PeeWee50 (PW50) through to mid-sized playbikes that rapidly grows confidence and enjoyment in any rider.

With PW50’s rider friendly design, it’s easy to see why this 50cc 2-stroke is a firm favourite with kids. Weighing in at a low 39kg, this lightweight and compact mini-bike is the ideal way for your child to have hours of fun.

Or there is the family favourite TT-R50E. Its electric start and useable 4-stroke engine is what takes this bike to the next level and inspires confidence. Or the brand new YFZ50 is the epitome of safe, adrenaline filled fun that includes integrated parental controls.

For more information visit www.yamaha-motor.com.au PW50 ............... RRP $1,899 TT-R50E ........... RRP $2,099 TT-R110E ......... RRP $3,299 TT-R125E ......... RRP $4,199 TT-R125LWE.... RRP $4,599 YFZ50............... RRP $2,899 YFM90R ........... RRP $3,399

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MISsY LeE HiGGINS KERnAGHan EXCLUSIVELY AT THE BIG RED BASH

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AND LEGENDS OF COUNTRY

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oasting a record-breaking 7000 visitors in 2016, journeying to be a part of this festival is an experience unlike any other on the planet.

The journey to the Bash culminates at Nappanerica sand dune, better known as Big Red, 35km from Birdsville, Queensland. The beloved outback attraction stands at a mighty 40 metres high, offering unparalleled scenery and spectacular desert views.

There couldn’t be a better or more unique backdrop to enjoy some of the country’s best loved musicians under the starry desert skies.

The 2017 Bash boasts an impressive line-up of Australian musical talent, headlined by country music icon Lee Kernaghan. 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of his

ground-breaking debut album The Outback Club, which he will commemorate with an all day, one-of-a-kind celebration, having assembled some of his closest friends and collaborators as the Legends of Country.

“Celebrating my 25th anniversary at the Big Red Bash, an iconic outback music festival, with a bunch of my mates from throughout my career, is going to be an event to remember,” said Lee. The Legends of Country consists of some of the biggest names in Australian country music, including The McClymonts, Troy Cassar-Daley, James Blundell, Tania Kernaghan, The Wolfe Brothers and Christie Lamb. Each artist will perform throughout the day, culminating in a performance with the man himself beneath the stunning, star-speckled desert night sky.

The first night of the festival will be headlined by nine-time ARIA Award winner, Missy Higgins, who will bring her stunning songwriting talents and emotive melodies to the Bash.

The revered singer, songwriter and author released a new single and toured an orchestral concert series across the country in 2016.

Fans can look forward to hearing new music as well as many of her best-known singles atop Big Red on Tuesday, July 4.

July 5 will be a rock ‘n roll celebration, with a joint headline set from two of Australia’s greats, James Reyne (Australian Crawl) and Mark Seymour (Hunters & Collectors). The day will also

Missy Higgins will open the festival.

see performances from artists including Ian Moss, best known as Cold Chisel’s lead guitarist, and fellow ARIA Hall of Fame inductee, Russell Morris, returning to the desert after a standout performance in 2016.

The diverse and celebrated Kate Ceberano will also grace the stage, along with celebrated singer-songwriter and Sting, John Farnham and Chris Isaak collaborator, Ray Ryder.

The Big Red Bash was voted Australia’s Favourite Event at the Australian Event Awards in September 2016, and it continues to grow in popularity each year.

Tickets are on sale now and are selling fast; avoid disappointment by purchasing tickets early!

Tickets and more information can be found at the official Birdsville Big Red Bash website: www.bigredbash.com.au