Attendees: Daryl, Karen, Sam, Peter, Ann, Jeanne and Geoff.
We all met on Pt Wakefield Road and went via Quorn, Leigh Creek to Lyndhurst & stayed the night. The hotel owner reported Innamincka to Birdsville closed due to 80mm rain so we changed our route and continued to Marree. On the way the bolt holding the front pan hard rod to the cruiser fell out. We wired the bolt in until we got a nut at Birdsville. (see photo) 15mm only made for Toyota and one in a tray of spares at Birdsville. We experienced plenty of water and mud resulting in me getting bogged twice in one day. (see photo)
Daryl and I conquered Big Red but had to traverse mud to get to it, Peter kept his vehicle clean. We continued on the Simpson to Poepels Corner then south to the Lone Gum (the toy koala was missing from the tree). When we got to the Rig Road the top of the first dozen sand dunes were covered with loose sand due to the recent high winds, making the normal track unpassable. Ann traversed each sand dune and marked the best route across with our passengers which made it easy and only resulted in Peter getting hung up and snatched off.The western side was sharp drop offs. We soon came across a few dingoes and the usual camel that wouldn’t get off the track. Daryl had the top of a rear shocker pull through the chassis mount, so he came up with a thicker washer and I cut up some spare heater hose for buffers which did the job temporarily to be repaired in Adelaide.
Soon after gasket material and oil started to fall from my front diff (the one that had been replaced after my accident). The oil was dropping out every six seconds, although I could tighten the nuts a half turn it didn’t stop the leak, so I disconnected the front hubs and drove in two wheel drive. We continued on the Rig Road which was a good track with the weather kind to us during the day and plenty of firewood to keep us warm at night.Things were going fine then I got my first puncture for 15 years. Oh, well, good thing we carry two spares. Then Daryl couldn’t open his back door and had to open it from inside, then his fridge connection failed. We stopped for lunch at Purnie Bore then on to Dalhousie Hot Springs for a few days relaxation and hot dips (not eating, swimming).
Peter and Ann left us at Dalhousie Springs to continue their holiday, their Nissan Patrol was perfectly clean and hardly a drop of mud on it.
A couple of days later Daryl, Karen, Sam, Jeanne and I headed down to Oodnadatta, then on to Coober Pedy, camping just before, then going out to the Breakaways. On the way we met a 1926 Essex vintage car travelling from Victoria to Darwin. We left Coober Pedy and camped just after Glendambo. (see photos)Sunday 29th June we headed off for the last stretch and a truck flicked up a stone and broke my front window.
Irrespective of our few problems, it was a good trip, with good weather, and nothing stopping us. It was going to be 21 days but due to repairs required, we reduced it to 14 days.
Geoff
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