September 2017

01 September 2017

After such a busy day yesterday we were in bed early and slept so very well, waking to a cool overcast day and the sound of rain on the roof. Breakfast and then checking the rig over yet again were the order of the day, double checking and airing up the tyres to proper highway pressures and then we were off, leaving the remaining three campers to their morning.

After yesterday's hot and humid 26 degrees this morning was cool, overcast and wet as we made our way along the highway, past the Mundrabilla Station itself and on towards Madura where we had hoped to have come back onto the highway, but in some ways we were glad to be back on the smooth easy driving, boring bitumen, well for a little bit anyway.

Climbing Madura Pass we were back up on the Hampton Tablelands again and passing through greener country than we had seen for a bit and of course the road kill that was everywhere, something we noticed almost immediately as we came off the dirt yesterday.

Before long we arrived at the Panakin Plain Gravel Pit, our intended destination for today and where we have camped a number of times before. Sitting just 5km's from Cocklebiddy it makes for a good quiet rest stop and if it rains, as it has now the gravel makes for a good firm base to be camped on. The added bonus being it has phone coverage.

View our track in Google Earth using this file. It will download to your computer and you can activate it in Google Earth (if you have it) by clicking on it. If you are viewing this on a tablet it should open a new window and you can load it from there.

02 September 2017

With the weather closing in with rain and high Westerly winds we decided to sit the day out in our protected spot. Talking to both Arubiddy and Rawlinna Stations about their weather and the track up to Rawlinna it seems a day off will do us and the track some good.

We spent the day relaxing, giving the outside of the rig a bit of a clean and to remove some of the scratches following our threading the needles the other day, and working on the computer.

03 September 2017

Leaving our camp this morning with beautiful blue skies we made our way to Cocklebiddy some 9 km's away where we topped up the fuel tank and filled a jerry can with insurance. Crossing the highway from the roadhouse we aired down and began our 150km trip through Arubiddy and Rawlinna Stations to the Trans Australia Railway at Rawlinna.

The track started off nice and wide though quite rough and full of limestone rocks of all sizes and that meant a slow pace and plenty of ducking and weaving, and it remained that way until we came to an intersection. The wide track heading off towards the Arubiddy Station buildings and the narrow two wheel tracked one heading off North, and that is the one we took.

Click here for a short video of the start

If it doesn't work in your browser try here at Youtube.

Crossing the Arubiddy airstrip and then through a gate we were making our way through open salt bush country, dodging the rocks, splashing through the puddles and mud, stopping at 16 gates to open, pass through and re-close them, including the dingo fence, and the routine went on and on for kilometres.

Rawlinna Dingo Fene

Arriving at the Dingo Fence and the Rawlinna Boundary.

Apart from the salt bush, and some wildlife in the form of kangaroos, emu and sheep the scenery was fairly mundane, but the track, rocks and mud kept our attention firmly on what we were doing. We spied an old car off to one side and took a side track over to it for a look and then continued on our way.

Click here for a short video of some of the trip.

If it doesn't work in your browser, try here at Youtube.

Rawlinna Wreck

It's been a while since this one ran.

Apart from the fact that we were on the main track we were following our Hema Navigator and later on it was backed up with signs to Rawlinna Siding. The track narrowed even further and we were going even slower (if that is possible) as we navigated our way as it twisted its way through the scrub until there on the horizon there was a mast and then large mounds of gravel came into view, followed by the buildings of Rawlinna Railway.

Pulling up to another large gate in the Dingo fence we slipped through and onto some beautiful gravel roads. A drive through town and a stop at the railway station, or what we through was it and we had arrived. The school which closed in 1996 was no longer there having been removed in 2016 as it was falling down and had been vandalised. Two of the original houses are still here, though no longer used, there is a station building, a post office/telstra repeater station and what looked to be the old stores shed and loading ramp. There are a number of other buildings on the other side of the rails as well as the railway maintenance compound.

Rawlinna

We made it to Rawlinna.

Rawlinna Station

the station and ramp ready for the next Indian Pacific to come through.

Rawlinna Post Ofice

The Rawlinna Post Office, Telstra Repeater Building and seating for the Indian Pacific passengers morning tea.

Rawlinna Goods Shed

Goods shed and ramp next to the railway.

Rawlinna Time Capsule

The Rawlinna Time capsule, sealed in 1995 on behalf of the children of Rawlinna.

So after our drive around town we found ourselves a spot near some trees and away from the infrastructure and settled in for the rest of the day after what was quite a taxing 6 hours and 150km's of driving.

Rawlinna Station SUnset

Of course the sunset was going to be a good one as well.

Rawlinna Railway Sunset

The sunset along the rails.

04 September 2017

Two trains through last throughout the night but they only interrupted sleep for a little bit. Waking early we could hear a train coming and surmised that it might be the Indian Pacific, and sure enough it was.

Indian Pacific

The view out of the bedroom window as the Indian Pacific came into town and stopped for breakfast just after 6am.

Joanne got up and went for a walk to talk to the staff who were setting up the breakfast at the station and before long stairs and ramps were being placed next to doors and the train spilled it's passengers who spread all over the place like ants on a biscuit. Photo's being taken of any and everything as they walked back down to the station for their breakfast.

Rawlinna Breakfast

Hot tea and coffee, juice and a man singing were the attraction for about an hour.

A film crew got off the train and were doing their thing and then came back near our camp, so a talk with them was necessary. They were from the USA and filming for a show called Escape Seekers. They certainly have had a good time, riding both the Ghan and the IP, visiting The Rock and various parts of Qld, the Great Barrier Reef and other selected frontiers in Australia.

Then the ants made their way back to the safety and warmth of the train and then "all aboard" called out signaled it was time to get going, the film crew filming the star of the show explaining, in three takes, how remote they were and the history of the train service. Firewood was loaded ready for afternoon tea at Cook, steps and stairs were pulled away and with a toot of the horn the engine, car carrier and 30 other carriages departed, and the film crew waved as they went.

Rawlinna went from a music filled, ant covered town back to almost a ghost town as the train disappeared out of sight and we settled in for a breakfast of our own, but not before an equine resident came for a visit.

Rawlinna Horse

Very friendly it wanted to come in the door, but obeyed a firm handed STOP!

Breakfast over we dropped some of the dried mud from underneath the wheel arches and departed town but not before a quick visit to the Nullarbor Muster site just the other side of town and the dirt runway.

Trans Rd

Leaving town the road was beautiful and smooth, but it didn't last.

Gone was the nice smooth, white gravel as the road turned to red dirt littered with limestone rocks and the odd dried mud spot as we drove parallel to the ever present railway line. Grassland gave way to low scrub and kangaroos that wanted to race us or try and jump through the fence, getting knocked down like they had just hit some invisible wall and wondering what the heck just happened, just so funny to watch. Some bounced along in front of us before taking refuge in the bush on the side of the road.

Water Hazard

It's a good road but nowhere to be when it rains.

We had also been seeing car wrecks along the way, some just sitting there, others up in trees or on one end leaning up against a tree and the further we went the more we saw. Mostly Fords, we had counted 21 wrecks by the time we stopped for the day.

Outback Parking

Stack em and rack em.

More rocky road and various water hazards along the way as we went meant we had to be careful, but in general we were sailing along happily at 60-70 km/h with no problems until that is, we stopped for a look at a car in a tree. Getting out of the car we could smell something that didn't smell right, sort of like the smell old train brakes used to be like so a check of the wheels was carried out. Seems the front drivers side wheel on the 5er was having a problem and we could barely touch the rim.

Jacking the 5er up on that side we removed the wheel after finding that we could hardly turn it by hand. Dropping the dust cap off and the bearing out allowed us to get the drum off and there was the problem. Seems the wire to the electronic activator had come away and that had caused one of the brake shoes to engage and part of it to break. So, loosening the adjuster right off and then reassembling it all seemed to do the trick, the wheel ran free but obviously didn't stop when the brakes were applied. A quick check that the other brakes still worked and off we went.

Brake Problem

Um, Kalgoorlie, we have a problem.

Stopping to check the wheel nuts after about 30km's showed the problem had somehow returned and the wheel was hot again. Well, Zanthus was not far away so we limped into there and found a camp spot for the night, and got on the phone to Kalgoorlie. So after talking to a mechanic in Kalgoorlie we will remove the brake shoes totally in that wheel in the morning and continue on. Once in town we will get the brake fixed and the others checked - simple (maybe).

Zanthus Railway Compound

The Zanthus Railway Compound as seen from the other side of the rails.

Having checked out the old train water tower behind the place, and the airstrip on the other side of the road we set up camp not far from this building.

05 September 2017

Being the only people at Zanthus meant there was no noise, though the lights on the building were on and the moon was very bright. Two vehicles came in early this morning but nobody was to be seen when we got up. Standing in the sun for breakfast was very nice and a good way to warm up on a cool morning.

Following breakfast the first job of the day was to fix that sticking brake, but having been hot when we arrived the wheel nuts were cold and had seized up by this morning. APplying heat through travel was the only way we were going to get them loose and we were thankful they had not broken any studs as they cooled and tightened.

10 km down the track we found a good gravel road leading into the bush and used Westward side of the Y to stop in and begin work. The travel had indeed taken the tightness out of the wheel nuts and we managed to get the nuts and wheel off. But we still had a problem in that the drum was refusing to let go. Getting underneath and using the ratchet brake adjuster we managed to get the drum off and to keep the wheel bearing out of the dirt.

Removing the tension spring and removing the adjuster meant that we didn't have to remove the brake shoes completely but still had plenty of free play between the shoes and the drum. We put humpty all back together again, packed and cleaned up and started off down the road, stopping in another 10km's to check the wheel temperature, which we found to be cold. Yes, our temporary fix was working, but for how long?

Passing along a sandy road through trees and shrubs we were making good speed and feeling pretty good about things. We passed the airstrip for the Coonana Aboriginal Community.

With things going well again we stopped to check the wheel and run the wheel brace over the wheel nuts just to check we then started to look for some more of the abandoned railway sidings or stations that are named along this part, but we only found two, Chifley and Curtin.

Taking small dirt roads in through the scrub we arrived at each place where there had once been something named after a prominent person, but are now nothing but a sign and destined to be forgotten except in name only.

Chifley

Chifley, named after Prime Minister Chifley is now nothing but a sign.

Curtin

Curtin, also named after a former Prime Minister of Australia, is also now just a name.

Curtin Road Scene

Coming out of the small track into Curtin we spied this scene so stopped to get a shot.

Leaving Curtin the countryside opened up some more as we passed the turn off to Carawana and Avoca Downs before some kilometres on crossing a haul road to the Majestic Mine and finding a spot to camp for the rest of the day.

Being about 50km's short of Kalgoorlie we will be able to get into town and to the brake fixer early and then, hopefully, get a few other jobs done before a planned overnight stop in the Kalgoorlie free camp. Having been in the bush for a bit as well as having limited water onboard thanks to a crack in our main water tank since the Gawler Ranges we have limited our water use, as such there is human and clothes washing to be done as well as about two hours in the car wash to clean the ute and the 5er, and it might also be a good time to go right over everything to check, fix or replace whatever we find is in need of care. Perhaps we need two or three days in Kalgoorlie.

06 September 2017

Despite the mine nearby operating throughout the clock we were not disturbed and neither of us remembered a train passing through, so all was good this morning when we awoke. Wanting to get into town early as hastened our preparations for travel and got on the road, easily covering the 51km's into Kalgoorlie and finding the brake repair man.

Pulling the old brakes totally out and re-packing the bearings, then after checking the other three wheels, brakes and bearings we left Danny to order new parts and made off with brakes on three wheels on the 5er to get on with some other jobs like the dump point, topping up with water, shopping and the like. Then it was time to make our way to the free camp opposite the Council Chambers.

Danny rang back and it seems it is easier and cheaper to get a complete brake assembly ($118) rather than individual parts, so that has been ordered and will be fitted when it arrives. In the meantime we are spending the night at the free camp, and if we have to stay after tomorrow we will move out to Lake Douglas just 10km out of town.

09 September 2017

It's been a few days since we last posted and lots has happened. We managed to get the broken brake on the 5er fixed, and in the process cleaned and repacked all of the other wheel bearings so that they are all just like new.

Then we took the fridge to the fridge doctor as it had decided to run continuously one day and then stop totally the next. Removing the fridge was an interesting exercise but we managed it okay. A closer inspection of the working bits showed that one of the copper pipes that runs to/from the compressor didn't like the roads we have been on recently and decided to split at its weakest point, releasing all of the gas. No problems, that will be done under warranty and so leaving the fridge behind we made our way out to Lake Douglas and set up camp in a spot we have enjoyed before.

Heading back into town the next day after light rain overnight, we took the rig for a bath at the only car wash we know that we can fit into. Stopping to unhook the 5er nearby and then take the ute in for a wash by itself we noticed that the rear tyre on the 5er was looking very soft, but that had to wait. So, taking the ute in and cleaning it to within an inch of it's life we managed to make it look like new before coming back out, hooking up, changing the now almost flat tyre and then taking the 5er into the wash bay. Still hooked up we were in the middle bay so anyone on either side could go either way to get out around us we began to clean the house.

With the rig looking a thousand percent better and weighing a lot lighter we reversed out into the traffic at the shopping centre with Joanne playing traffic cop. Stopping for some shopping before we made our way back out to Lake Douglas, but not before Gail from the fridge man had rung. Seems the electrical board and fan motor had decided to die as well, but parts will need to come from somewhere else in the world and should be here Wednesday! Oh well, it's a good job we don't have to be anywhere soon, have a nice free camp out of town and can drive the 10km back in to empty the toilet and to fill up with water again if we need to.

So after 6mm of rain overnight we woke to a clear sky. Our forced stop has allowed us to slow down a little and to get some tasks that we have been putting off for some time now completed. Some more tasks tomorrow including removing that nail from the tyre, plugging the hole and putting it back on the house again.

In the meantime some of the trees near us were begging to be shot, and so out came the camera.

Lake Douglas Trees Pink

These trees are right at our front door.
The bark looking like boots and the rest of the tree taking on the pinkish colour of the surrounding ground.

Lake Douglas Tree

And this one, whose trunk and discarded bark around it caught my eye.

16 September 2017

A quick update on what's happening. We are still here in Kalgoorlie and all bar one of the fridge parts are here and ready to be fitted. What has taken time has been the transport of the parts. Some came from Melbourne, some from Brisbane but all came by road! I mean, who sends parts for a fridge in a 5th wheeler to people without a fridge, by road? Well, Dometic do that's who. Now while we appreciate the fact that they are honouring the warranty, their transport arrangements leave a lot to be desired. The people repairing the fridge, C. H Jones Electrical here in Kal have been wonderful and have ben let down by the maker of the fridge.

In the time we have been camped here we have taken a coupe of trips back into town to empty the toilet at the dump point, to pick up with water (thank you Kalgoorlie, the RV friendly town) and to do some shopping. Thankfully, up until today, the weather has been cool and barely rising above 24 degrees, and in that temperature, and courtesy of skills we gained when cycling around Australia, we have managed to find a way to keep things such as fruit, cheese and even yogurt cool enough so that it hasn't caused us any health issues and have resorted to powdered milk when it is needed.

So with luck the last part needed will be here on Monday or Tuesday, and we can finally leave the area.

In the meantime we have caught up on a few things and even managed to put together some video of some recent off road tripping. Our youtube channel can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC35YB1ydzW6NZtHUcqzqNUw/videos

21 September 2017

Well it's been a few days since we last posted and a lot has happened in that time. The good news is that the fridge saga is over and on Monday this week we went into town and re-installed the fridge.

Great work and help from Gale and Chris at C. H Jones Electrical in Boulder meant that we now have a fridge that works again. Repairing the cracked pipe that let all of the refrigerant out, replacing the freezer door where the plastic around the hinge cracked, replacing the motor fan and some cracked shelves (and all under warranty) means we practically have a new fridge. In addition Chris wired in a relay so the fan we installed inside the unit will only operate when the compressor does rather than all of the time. He even added a couple of wires so we can install another fan in the top of the hot air chimney to aid the cooling of the compressor.

On the same day and not long after we had made camp at Lake Douglas again our good friends Robert and Julie Auzner dropped in to see us on their way across the Nullarbor. They stopped for two nights and that allowed us to celebrate a birthday and to play with some astrophotography.

The next day Robert and Julie continued on their way and we made our way towards Perth, stopping at Karalee Rock where we have camped before. The camping spot is an old railway water point where water collected off of the huge granite rock was, and still is, stored in a large dam for the now extinct steam trains. We arrived early and grabbed a spot we liked and by the time we awoke this morning there were 15 of us in there.

Leaving Karalee we made our way along the highway stopping only to pick up some fuel at Yellowdine ($1.229 a litre). Making our way towards Southern Cross we turned off the highway and started down the Emu Fence Road, named after the Emu exclusion fence that has been installed to stop the Emu getting into the wheatbelt.

Such a beautiful road, wide and smooth as a baby's bum despite being sand and gravel. A slight detour into Marvel Loch for a look at the mining activity and then we were on our way again.

More good dirt road and then two grader crews at work were the only things of note along this stretch until we turned off along the Caramphorne Road and headed towards Bruce Rock. Another detour to check out the small village of Muntagin and then we were back on the road again, arriving in Bruce Rock as the wind came up.

So after a quick check of our CGM (5.86 tonnes) and a look at the site where we expect to be working this years grain harvest again, we stopped in town to buy one of the best pies on earth and made our way to the free RV stop for the rest of the day, the wind blasting the place for quite some time, and then showers of rain falling to turn all of that dust on the rig into mud.

25 September 2017

So after a we and windy day we arrived at the small but pleasant caravan park in Pingelly. Settling in before the rain got too bad we spent the rest of the day and then a pleasant night warm and dry despite the weather outside.

The next morning we made our way to the coast, battling the long weekend and school holiday traffic. Arriving at our son's house we set up on his front lawn and began our visiting period with family and friends.

Catching up with people, maintaining a few things on the ute and 5er and getting ready for the upcoming grain harvest are the priorities at the moment so there will no doubt be little to post on here, but we will when things we think of interest come up.

Mark Twain once said "...years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do that by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - and so we will.