7th June
Following the success of our 'Escape to the Cape' trip last year, the team will set off again in the direction of Birdsville on the 2nd July. We hope to go via Camerons Corner, Big Red and lake Eyre as well as a few other places on the way. Due to current track conditions we don't know if we will make everywhere now the Birdsville track is closed. We only have 10 days to cover the distance and we have testing to do on the way.
We will be trialling a new independent A frame with new bushes, a new coupling, air and coil independent suspensions with a selection of shock absorbers. We will take our own test trailer and will be borrowing from Grant at Complete Campsite an Exodus LRV camper which has just got back from the Cape with Roothy and 4WD action, hope he's left it in one piece. Thanks Grant - promise we'll take good care of it.
We hope to fit Motec race-car measuring equipment to the trailers so we can assess the ride characteristics of the different set-ups for fine tuning. As well as this we have purchased a new GoPro camera for HD suspension video so we can see what is happening and a new HD camera for the movie.
Our new slogan is 'Setting the Standard' and we intend to use the information gained to keep improving our products and Engineer the best Couplings and Suspensions available
We have been preparing and modifying a standard Diesel Land Cruiser 100 series over the last few weeks which we bought for the job. The second tow vehicle will be the Prado which we took to the Cape last year.
In addition we are trying a Spot tracker which if we can work out how to use it I can post the link so people can see where we are.
If anybody sees us please flag us down we will have 'Breakout to Birdsville' caps and stubby coolers to give away.
18th June
Just under 2 weeks until we leave. We have just received the camper from Exodus hot from the Brisbane show. Monday will see the suspension come off and a trial suspension go on.
The VC trailer is undergoing major surgery with the addition of a ladder rack on the top, jerry can holders, high draw bar weights a special aluminuium hinge mount and bush arrangement and the bracketry for the Motec equipment.
The 100 series has had a new heavy duty Exedy clutch and a new exhaust system and Dyno tune from AMMS which has increased the power by a massive 15%, will this be enough to conquer Big Red?
1st July
Less than 24 hours before we leave, trailers are being weighed and there is only the final packing to do. Motec equipment is working together with the connection to the PC in the car.
Winch for the LandCruiser arrived last thing yesterday and has been fitted this morning.
A last check of the roads shows that most now are back open apart from the Coopers Creek crossing on the Birdsville track and the Cordillo and Bulloo Downs tracks. This time tomorrow we should be in Cunnamulla.
2nd July
After an early start we drove the 800kms from Brisbane to Cunnamulla. This is all bitumen but allowed us to check that the monitoring equipment was all working. We had readouts in real time on display in the car of what was taking place under the trailer.
Most of the way the rain came down making us wander what the tracks were going to be like. Will we even be able to get to Birdsville? At Cunnamulla we stayed the night at the caravan park with Chris spending a cold night in the Exodus whilst the rest of the team spent a much warmer night in a cabin to avoid having to put rain soaked tents away the following morning.
3rd July
That morning the weather improved and we set off for Thargomindah and onto Noccundra where we stopped for fuel and were given a message for the Landlord at the Camerons corner. All that can be remembered is that the second word was 'off'.
After Noccundra we got on the dirt turning right at 'Naryilco' to head for the Corner Store. As we arrived a helicopter is taking off in the dust - a great photo opportunity.
Camping at the Corner Store requires a $5 contribution to the RFDS, only problem is it had to be pinned to the ceiling of the pub without using a stick or feet leaving the floor. The message was passed on (and received in good spirits) a few beers were had and we looked forward to what the rest of the trip would have in store.
The monitoring equipment was working well and has given us our first data of the effect of dirt roads on the suspension.
4th July
After a quick look at the Corner Marker and a step into each state we headed off down the track nicknamed the 'Roller Coaster'. Stopping quickly at the Yellow Bus we carried on turning left at the new track which cut the corner to join the Strzelecki one of the most famous Australian tracks.
The Strzelecki had been recently graded after flooding and so provided a good high speed run with small corrugations, more information for the measurement system.
After a quick stop at Montecollina Bore we carried on to Lyndhurst where we stopped the night in the campground adjacent to the pub.
5th July
Today we were going to go to Marree and up the Oodnadatta Track to Curdimurka to see water in Lake Eyre South, however we had been told that the water had not reached this part yet. So we headed out to Marree for breakfast and decide what to do there.
At Marree boats from the Lake Eyre Yacht Club were gathering for a regatta outside the LEYC clubhouse. The link to the suspension travel transducer had broken so we took some time to replace it with a spare. We had a look at the maps and decided to take the access track to 'Muloorina' which should get us to the bottom of Lake Eyre North.
This went well until we got to the campsite at Muloorina and were faced with a sign saying 'No Caravans or Campers past this point'. The track here had some heavy sand corrugations so we performed some measurements and suspension filming before heading back to Marree and onto Leigh Creek to fill up and get some more provisions.
We ended up heading into the Flinders ranges to stay the night at Iga Warta.
6th July
Leaving Iga Warta we headed back towards Leigh Creek and turned right towards 'Yankaninna' and up into the Flinders. The track heads high into the range before entering the Vulkathuna Gammon Ranges National Park where the going gets tight and slow. At times the trailers were at some interesting angles as we crossed uneven creek beds. The Park track comes out at Arkaroola Village where we stopped for lunch.
The stony road from Arkaroola took our first tyre casualty which later turned out to have wrecked the alloy wheel. There is a lot to be said for using steelies on these trips.
Once back on the plain we headed for North Mulga and back onto the Strzelecki heading north to stay the night at the Montecollina Bore.
At the bore we removed a broken pressure sensor elbow and fitted new airbags which had different characteristics to see if we could determine a difference in performance from the measuring equipment.
7th July
Morning at Montecollina was spectacular as the steam rose from the hot bore with the sunrise in the distance. As usual there was not much time so we had to head off with the aim of getting to Innamincka and possibly more bush camping that night.
We decided to turn off the New Strzelecki to Merti Merti and try the Old Strzelecki track into Innamincka. We started making our way up the old track to find that it was completely flooded, however we found small side track leading through the trees and we decided to follow this.
The side track followed the Old Strzelecki Track sometimes through the fields and sometimes along the side, often at precarious angles. Occasionally the tracks crossed with some interesting entry and exit angles.
Here we saw the impact of the recent floods and can only imagine what this must have been like at its peak.
Eventually we made our way out and along the heavily corrugated road into Innamincka where we stopped for a fill up and a hot shower. It was along this road we recorded our highest shock absorber temperatures.
We were told that the Cordillo Downs road was still closed but we could go via Arrabury/Planet Downs to the Birdsville Development Road to Betoota. People were waiting here for the road to open into Birdsville which had been closed again due to recent rain.
We filled up and carried on North. Luckily the Nappa Merrie bridge had just been reopened which would allow us to visit the Burke and Wills Dig Tree.
When we come out of the Dig Tree site we took a wrong turning and it took us about 30kms out of our way. This used up some of our vital fuel supply.
As night fell we find a great spot at the side of the road to make camp. This was bush camping at its best but it would have been nice if it was a bit warmer.
8th July
As we headed north the road started to get a bit muddy. At the development road we turned left for Betoota and the mud increased. There was a 4wd coming the other way, so we stopped them to ask about road conditions and they told us that the road out of Birdsville was still closed.
We had to make a decision. We had a limit of some 60kms before we were committed to carrying on to Birdsville otherwise we would not have had enough fuel to get back to Windorah.
We decided to turn around and head for Windorah where hopefully we could get our tyre repaired. As we drove on the conditions got worse and worse. At parts the road was a mud bath and the trailers became increasingly difficult to handle as the vehicles were pulled from side to side by the water and mud. Vear slightly from the centre of the track and the soft mud would just bog you down. A lot of times the electric brake override needed to be operated to bring the trailers straight, something you cannot do with override brakes.
After what seemed a lifetime Andrew came over the UHF 'Thank God, Bitumen' he shouts, I never thought I would ever hear him say that!
Two very muddy cars and trailers entered Windora. We filled up at the servo where we met Merv. At first you don't realise he is blind, he is an amazing man.
We set off in search of the truck wash and stopped by the Solar Power Generating Station. An impressive collection of large mirrored dishes providing power for the area.
The truck wash allowed us to hose at least some of the mud off before heading for the campground in the middle of town. As we turned round outside Mervs place a familliar noise comes from the rear of the Prado we had staked another tyre at the truckwash.
As we were outside the servo we took the tyre off and Merv gave us a hand to fix it, he would also be able to sell us a replacement for the tyre blown outside Arkaroola. The road to Birdsville was still closed but the council hope to open it the next day, we would decide what to do in the morning.
9th July
We woke up the sky is dark but the road was open. The forecast was for rain. There was a lot of traffic stuck in Birdsville over the last few days having driven across the Simpson Desert that would be coming our way. This would undoubtedly dig the road up further which may cause it to be closed again.
We decide to split up. The Exodus had to leave for Gosford before the following Friday morning and it would take at least two days to drive back and we had to change the suspension back to original and give it a good clean. We could not afford for it to be stuck in Birdsville if the road closed.
We got the new tyre fitted as it was the VC trailer which had the common spares with the Prado and Andrew and Deon would be taking it to Birdsville. We put all the recovery gear in the VC trailer together with all the food, the Spot Tracker and wished them well as we reluctantly turned for home.
That day they pushed on arriving at Birdsville and headed out to Little Red and Big Red where they had the pleasure of meeting and chatting to 4wd legend Pat Callinan.
Meanwhile Pete and Chris drove on to Charleville.
10th July
Pete and Chris decided to track back to Brisbane whilst Andrew and Deon had an early start in order to avoid any possibility of road closures and headed back along the Birdsville Development Road. It had pretty much dried out and they made it Charleville by nightfall. After such a long day they treated themselves to a motel room and Chinese takeaway.
11th July
Following in the tracks of Pete and Chris the day before Andrew and Deon made it back to Brisbane with the knowledge that despite the odds members of the team had indeed made the 'Breakout to Birdsville'.
