Saturday 16th July, 2005
Sunrise is magnificent. It is the only way to describe it there. It’s just a shame that I slept in and had to look at the photos my wife showed me! And to top it off, when I got home I realised that we’d lost the photos – so we are going to have to head back again (damn).
We packed up and push started the truck, as the problem have decided to rear it’s ugly head again! Heading back down the road we where chatting to a couple of guys that where part of LCOOL. They had recently completed a Simpson crossing the old fashioned way, heading north of Peoppel corner and then across to Madigan’s 16th Camp and over to Mt Dare. It’s amazing who you meet out here!
Caught up with the guys about an hour later where we exchanged our goodbye’s, and we headed off towards Alice Springs. There are some really good photo opportunities along this road of the mountain ranges, and is well worth the stop! Arriving at Alice Springs heralded the end of the corregations, and the start of some problems with the Landy.
We decided to stop in and have a look at the Railway Musuem followed by the Road Transport Hall of Fame. Both where well worth the look, and gives a great insight into the history not only of trains and trucks, but also of the area surrounding you!
Here we also seen a yellow “Camel Landy†which was pretty spectacular and eye catching to say the least. Unfortunately we didn’t get to catch up with them, and after push starting our old girl again, wasn’t quite sure if I wanted too!
Forced to stop at the other side of town with some serious shaking in the truck, I decided to go to the car wash. $20, 2 rums and lots of mud later, and the truck nearly looked good. The mud have managed to get into everything, with the major concern being the brakes and the inside of the rims, which was causing the shaking before. We fuelled up at $1.29 per litre and hit the highway!
The run north was completed fairly uneventful until around Wycliffe Well.
We had made some good time running along at around 130km/h for most of the way! Fuel here was $1.52 per litre, and I knew I was back on the damn “tourist†highway again!
Just slightly north of Devils Marbles, the police where doing running road blocks. They would set-up, check people’s registration and licences, drive another 5 – 10km’s and do it again. Very effective and in the middle of bloody nowhere too!
Arriving at ThreeWays Roadhouse was a welcome relief at around 7pm that night. The swag had made way for a room and the shower was nearly as enjoyable as the rum and steak served earlier.
Sunday 17th July, 2005
Daybreak and we where back on the road again. Keeping up the 130km/h made for some good time, although I’m still dirty a bloody Toyota Hilux overtook me! Either way the look on the Commodore and Falcon drivers faces where priceless when overtaking them on an open speed limited highway!
Just after Daily Waters I thought World War 3 had broken out. We counted nearly 25 police vehicles on the run to Larrimah, along with aver 120 bikies! And would you believe that everyone of them bikies and police waved to us, whereas the caravaners and other tourists wouldn’t – you gotta wonder where the world is headed concerning friendliness now days!
Arriving at Larrimah I had to sadly reject the outstretched rum heading my way for the sake of being a good boy.
We did catch up though, letting them know about our travels and the good time we had had! Unfortunately during the same period they had lost on of their dogs hit by a vehicle on the highway!
Heading out of Larrimah I put the foot to the floor, as we where really looking forward to see out children again! 130km/h came and passed and a few areas there we hit 140+. I loved every minute of it too, let me tell you! Arrival at home was just before 1pm, which wasn’t a bad run for a 650km trip!
Summarisation
All up a very enjoyable and eye-opening trip, but some lessons learnt along the way! I hope that everyone enjoyed their individual trips, and sometimes things like the weather can be annoying. But the way it changes the desert and regions, it is one of the best things ever to see, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone that gets the opportunity!
Cheers
Chris
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Fuel usage for the trip.
Katherine to Renner Springs
506 km’s, 71 litres used, 14.03litres per 100km’s
125km’s per hour most of the distance on the speedo, minor headwind
Cost – $1.56 per litre; $110.76
Renner Springs to ThreeWays Roadhouse
137km’s, 21 litres, 15.33litres per 100km’s
130km/h most of the way on the speedo, minor headwind
Cost – $1.45 per litre; $30.45
ThreeWays Roadhouse to Mt Isa
636km’s, 81 litres, 12.74litres per 100km’s
Night time driving, few kangaroos nothing major. Speed around 110 – 115km/h
Cost – $1.11 per litre; $89.91
Mt Isa to Boulia
297km’s, 40 litres, 13.47litres per 100km’s.
Easy run, single bitumen road, hardly any delays, speed around 100 for most of the way, tad hilly in places.
Cost – $1.31 per litre; $52.40
Boulia to Innamincka via Birdsville
792km’s, 98 litres, 12.37litres per 100km’s.
Nice run to Cordillo Downs, low range from Cordillo Downs turn-off to Innamincka.
Cost – $1.46 per litre; $143.08
Innamincka to Birdsville
411km’s, 70litres, 17.03litres per 100km’s
Fairly easy dry corregated run. Amount of fuel usage put down to amount of running time in Innamincka during our stay, as per my trip report.
Cost – $1.30 per litre; $91.00
Birdsville to Mt Dare via French Line
588km’s, 93 litres, 15.82 litres per 100km’s.
Route was Birdsville-Big Red-Birdsville-French Line-Spring Delta Bypass-Mt Dare. Quite happy with fuel usage especially with very wet patches, water crossings, mud in places, and general stop starting with low range used a lot.
Cost – $1.65 per litre; $153.45
Mt Dare to Alice Springs
430km’s, 72 litres, 16.74litres per 100km’s
Tad high, but I did get bogged, fought through water crossings and mud, as well as the corregations on the damn Finke Track, minor low range use at Chambers Pillar.
Cost – $1.29 per litre; $92.88
Alice Springs to Wycliffe Well
400km’s, 59 litres, 14.75litres per 100km’s
Speed around 130km/h again.
Cost – $1.52 per litre; $89.68
Wycliffe Well to Katherine
764km’s, 120litres, 15.71litres per 100 km’s
Flat to the floor, 130 – 140 km/h.
Cost – $1.50 per litre; $180.00
Overall a tad higher fuel usage than I am used to with the Defender. After all it is a 4cylinder Turbo Diesel Intercooled, direct injection. But taking into account the low range work, the amount of water and mud laying around and I’m fairly Ok about it.
The highway runs I attribute to my heavy right foot. With these new Discovery gears, it has enabed another 30-40km/h extra over what I’m used too. Speeds indicated above used to be an excellent day for me, now they are the norm. But the downside is the extra fuel usage!
Total figures are as follows:
Total km’s – 4,961
Total litres used – 725
Fuel consumption – 14.61litres per 100km’s
Total cost of fuel – $1,033.66
Price per km – 20.8 cents or $20.84 per 100km’s.
Not that cheap out this way, I tell you!
Cheers
Chris