Desert to the Track 2013

[Ex Niss Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ex Niss]

Hi,

There is a $10 charge for the bore track you paid at the homestead
Mark

[MalcomM Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MalcomM]

I believe the going rate for a tray back recovery from Mt Dare or Birdsville is $10K.
Not entirely unreasonable when you see the monster truck that will pick you up plus add in several days pay to the operator and a few thousand litres of diesel but a bad shock if you are not prepared for the possibility.
If you are not cashed up enough to handle 'shit happens' then don't go. You simply can not rely on other cars to pull you through. They probably haven't the fuel to do it anyway and you just ruin their holiday.

Just got back from a few weeks doing the corner country in my 95. Came across one QLD guy in a Patrol who had a flat tyre and had been waiting for a passer by for quite some time before we stumbled across him and he was towing a large caravan and had the whole family onboard.
Every tyre was a road radial pumped up to the max. The car was a bog standard soccer mum special. He'd shredded one tyre and paid $350 for a replacement $100 radial at Innaminka.
Well before Birdsville he'd shredded another and also had a flat so was completely stranded. No UHF and no mobile coverage. No puncture kit or compressor either. The flat took 8 plugs to seal the hole, damn sharp rocks they use for making highways out there.
Poor bugger had absolutely no idea of what can and will go wrong. You'd think the first 1000K of sharp rocks on dirt roads would have given him a clue but no, he had no idea and what we told him while we sorted him out was a complete revelation to him. We caught up with him again in Birdsville sporting two new off road tyres. Guess he'll have a full set within the next 1000Km but still no radio. Expensive holiday.

You have to be self sufficient. Our trips failure list between 5 well prepared and serviced trucks driven by very experienced drivers included a couple of shredded Coopers, bolts fell out of a bash plate, lower front wishbone ball joint failure, turbo waste gate actuator disappearing, battery leads falling off, bolts disappearing from camper trailers, water pump switch in a camper vibrated itself to pieces, in dash DVD/GPS vibrating itself to pieces, fuses falling out, diff developing a leak - 200mL every 1000Km, rear bumper trying to part company from its truck, things just coming loose. You need to do a maintenance check every day or two and check the tightness of bolts etc.
If you need parts then unless you have them in your truck, you are pretty much screwed. There are very few places that support a garage let alone one with parts. You'll be stranded while they order in parts and that could take a few weeks to be delivered.
Make sure you have a full set of drive belts, hoses, hose clips, oils, rescue tape etc etc. Have several thousands of $$ in cash hidden somewhere for emergencies, not all places have eftpos and you must allow for 'shit happens'.
Highest fuel price I paid was $2.09 at Innaminka in April.
Longest run without a petrol station was about 875Km on a road train type main road.
Average diesel consumption towing a camper was about 17L/100Km, a 120 D4D with no tow did about 12L/100Km.

Sounds like 'doom and gloom' but its not, its damn good fun. You just have to be prepared for anything and that 'anything' adds a lot of extra weight.

As far as costs go, if you are looking at a trip like this and needing to count every penny then what are your plans if something goes wrong in the desert? Recoveries out there can be many thousands of dollars, something everyone needs to factor in before doing a trip like this, you can't just call roadside assist and get a tow to the nearest mechanic.

Whilst I am sure everyone would help as much as possible, towing a stranded Prado out with another Prado is a big ask, so getting the professionals would be on the cards.

Cheers Andrew

[MalcomM Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MalcomM]

Hi Anders

Can you take us off the list please (MalcolmM and family).
Can't manage the time off work at present.

Have a great trip

cheers
Malcom

[vk2ss55 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close vk2ss55]

Talkto tiny , g'day mate .
I went to Poeppels , Haddon and Cameron Cnr in a stock 120D4D with Grandcraps no prob's . To be honest I didn't like B'Ville during the races as the place is just overrun with people . I'd like to go back there when it's quiet , it would be totally different .
Cheers Ross

[blkd4d Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close blkd4d]

Talkto tiny , g'day mate .
I went to Poeppels , Haddon and Cameron Cnr in a stock 120D4D with Grandcraps no prob's . To be honest I didn't like B'Ville during the races as the place is just overrun with people . I'd like to go back there when it's quiet , it would be totally different .
Cheers Ross

If you don't like crowds while the races is on is not the time to go . I was a teenager when I went to the races first time ,my father I think this would be his fourth .

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I had wondered about joining in on this trip but we have decided to head to the Pilbara for 6 weeks instead, we should get home the week before you guys head off. So if the plan for the Melbournites is to come through the Riverland then I would be keen to catch up.

Cheers Andrew

[mackayvx Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close mackayvx]

Hey guys.
We will not be coming along, so apologies are in order.
As we are moving back to Adelaide at the end of the year we have decided to see Western QLD and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
My daughter really wants to see the Dinosaur stuff at Winton and I'm keen to see Lawn Hill...
We can do Birdsville from Adelaide another time...
Cheers. Have fun.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Hey guys.
We will not be coming along, so apologies are in order.
As we are moving back to Adelaide at the end of the year we have decided to see Western QLD and the Gulf of Carpentaria.
My daughter really wants to see the Dinosaur stuff at Winton and I'm keen to see Lawn Hill...
We can do Birdsville from Adelaide another time...
Cheers. Have fun.

Lawn hill is bloody brilliant, camping was a few $$ but gee it's a great spot, well worth the drive IMO. make sure you hire a canoe to go up the gorge

Cheers Andrew

[talk2tiny Moderated member Find all posts View Profile Close talk2tiny]

Talkto tiny , g'day mate .
I went to Poeppels , Haddon and Cameron Cnr in a stock 120D4D with Grandcraps no prob's . To be honest I didn't like B'Ville during the races as the place is just overrun with people . I'd like to go back there when it's quiet , it would be totally different .
Cheers Ross

Thanks Ross. Since I posted that though, I've gone a bit nuts kitting out the prado. Check out my build thread, I'm just about as prepared as I can be now.

And I don't mind the crowds but I suspect dad'll spend the day hiding in his tent.

[mackayvx Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close mackayvx]

Lawn hill is bloody brilliant, camping was a few $$ but gee it's a great spot, well worth the drive IMO. make sure you hire a canoe to go up the gorge

Cheers Andrew

A bit of canoodling doesnt sound too bad at all!

[blkd4d Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close blkd4d]

665 To Loxton that's from my Place but what do the Melbourne guys think of say 8am leave the twin Bp's Ballan. 27th aug
606 Loxton to Leigh creek.28th Aug
325 Leigh to William creek.29th Aug
486 William To Mt Dare.30th Aug
Mt Dare to Somewhere.31st Aug

Everyone coming from Somewhere other than Melbourne Choose where you will meet up.

[talk2tiny Moderated member Find all posts View Profile Close talk2tiny]

Sounds good to me. I'm coming from Brisbane but stopping at a few relo's on the way. I'll be leaving Sydney on the morning of the 26th and heading through bathurst (just because I've never been there before and want to have a look) and picking the group up in Loxton on the night of the 27th. We'll stop somewhere in the middle but not sure where yet. Happy to meet up with any non-victorians who are heading the same way on the way out of Sydney.

[blkd4d Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close blkd4d]

Sounds good to me. I'm coming from Brisbane but stopping at a few relo's on the way. I'll be leaving Sydney on the morning of the 26th and heading through bathurst (just because I've never been there before and want to have a look) and picking the group up in Loxton on the night of the 27th. We'll stop somewhere in the middle but not sure where yet. Happy to meet up with any non-victorians who are heading the same way on the way out of Sydney.

Sounds Good my father will be coming out of ACT I will find out what His Plan is .

[ursos Member Find all posts View Profile Close ursos]

I'm very sorry to say that Jo and I are not going to be able to make this trip now. Very disappointed but work has got in the way. We have an annual regional conference in September - originally planned for mid September but now earlier and as I am hosting it, can't really get out of it :-(

[fourbyphil Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close fourbyphil]

I need to do some plotting and figure out the best place to meet...... Good excuse to use recently acquired hema app for iPad

Cheers
Phil (and Jack)