West to Birdsville
Sunday, 12 July 2020 10:11 pm
We are about to undertake some very remote testing and a holiday in our new 4x4 Global Xplorer .
Where we are going I do not believe it has been ever driven, nor walked or trod by white man.
Its very remote, and thus we have a back up team of 3 other vehicles, both for the support and they are also great mates who also enjoy adventure.
Our first group photograph as we are about to head out...
Yesterday we drove from Brisbane to Mt Tully, just south of Stanthorpe to meet up with our final team members - Rick & Julie
Our group of adventurers is now complete:
From left to right
Rick & Julie Brake in a Fuso FG84 EC No4, that I sold them way back in 2010 when I owned EC.
John and Elizabeth in a Fuso FG84 EC No3 - that's mine - This couple has travelled extensively with us, overlanding through Asia, Russia, Mongolia and the Americas.
Self- Kym & Lyn Bolton in the FGB71 Global Xplorer production No15
Bill Lyne in a Ford Ranger, Bill has also travelled with us across Russia to Europe, Asia and the USA.
It's a very reliable and knowledgable team, something one needs for such a trip we have planned.
Following smaller roads as we track the NSW/Qld border as close as we can, with COVID-19 we see the roads that head south into NSW are all barricaded
First camp night is at the Nindigully.
Its a free campground around the old pub, the oldest licensed pub in Queensland
Just has to be something to experience.
Here you can have the biggest hamburger in the WORLD !
The Road Train Burger…..A full 5.5Kg of beaf, with all the trimmings, it feed all seven of us !
This is NOT trick photography, it’s THAT BIG !
Monday 13th July 2020
The painted Silos at Thallon
Beautiful, also checked out the local school that also has painted wall murals.
Just outside Mungindi is the One Ton Post.
It's the corner post for the start of the straight line west from this point that marks the Qld/NSW border. Placed here by the surveyor Cameron.
The other end of the western line is Cameron's Corner.
Hebel Pub.
With local QLD/NSW border roads closed both from COVID-19 and recent rain we asked the Police at the border post the best direction to our evenings camp.
They suggested we have a drink at the pub and ask the publican.
With that ‘police order’ we just had to oblige.
Camp in the Culgoa Flood Plain National Park
Camp 3: Culgoa Flood Plain National Park.
Cost: $7/person
Altitude: 175 metre
Today: 368 Kms.
Tuesday 14th July 2020
We are following station tracks and lesser roads, many are closed with COVID-19 at the border and many because of the rain.
More than often we have to back track.
Lunch stop was at the western end of the Culgoa National Park
Camp 4: End of todays drivable road - tomorrow we backtrack.
Yes we could winch, but that would stuff the road, so here we camp.
A roaring fire and a stiff Rum !
Life is good….
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 141 metre
Today: 315 Kms.
Total: 2059 Kms
Wednesday 15th July 2020
That closed road meant a 300km detour via Cullamulla.
Then on to the Currawinya National Park just some 30kms from where we were last night.
Camp 5: Ourimpewree Waterhole
Cost: $7/person
Altitude: 102 metre
Today: 371 Kms.
Total: 2376 Kms
Thursday 16th July 2020
The Currawinya National Parkwas once a thriving sheep station.
It was during the “Golden Fleece” years of the 1860’s that the property Currawinya Station was established.
For many years they ran up to 45,000 sheep and in some years they sheared some 54,000 sheep in this wool shed.
Tough men at the time would sheer up to 200 sheep in a day.
The station closed in 1950 and now the wool shed, living quarters, and old machinery are in the tall grasses.
Hungerford is all but a Pub and a couple of houses on the NSW border.
With more closed roads we track north to Thargomindah, only to find the Bulloo Downs road is also closed.
Here we also learn that all the border gates into South Australia are locked. The police may give us the access code for the locks, but they are closed on a Tuesday and Thursday so here we wait until tomorrow.
Camp 6: Parloo River outside Thargomindah
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 128 metre
Today: 197 Kms.
Total: 2573 Kms
Friday 17th July 2020
With a visit to the Thargomindah police this morning we were advised the the gates were opened yesterday afternoon. But just in case he gave us the South Australian gate code.
The obligatory stop at the Noccundra Pub for a drink.
Our drive is through the Moomba Gas and Oil field, and on reaching the Sth Australian gate on the Moomba Road we find it is was still locked !
So fortunate that we did have the gate code to allow our selves in.
Now it’s the Strezeleki Desert around us.
Camp 7: Strezeleki Desert Camp
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 74 metre
Today: 397 Kms.
Total: 2971 Kms
Saturday/Sunday 18/19th July 2020
Yesterday was a drive we always wanted to do - Walkers Crossing.
Its a ‘track' from Innamincka west across the Cooper Creek and meets up with the Birdsville track.
After the rain we were pleased it was open, but what a disappointment.
It’s hardly a track, mostly graded roads and some even a gravel highway for the gas field trucks. Here we were expecting to at least use 4x4…not needed.
It was a nice drive between the dunes and then the open gibber plains.
The actual Walkers Crossing is now a steel bridge !
With that drive so quick, we averaged 50KPH with ease and over on the Birdsville Track 80-90 was easily maintained.
Birdsville was made easily for our camp for the night.
Sunday was a fixit day.
With all the mud in, on and under the vehicles there developed some issues.
One of the FG84’s had a bad squeak that proved to be mud in the brake shoes.
The other FG84 had a engine warning light that came on. Reading the fault code from my iODB2 reader we ‘think’ it is a fuel issue. So it was a change of the primary and backup fuel filters. One was excessively dirty the secondary one was OK. This proved to be the issue.
As for the new FGB71- Global Xplorer - one morning we had no drive after leaving the vehicle in low 4x4 overnight.
That previous evening we has traversed some serious mud holes and as it was just on dusk the vehicle was left in low 4x4.
With some investigation we have 2 scenarios why this happened:
-
•The vehicle lost vacuum overnight allowing the shifter to go into the neutral position
-
•Or mud had blocked the vacuum exhaust
Unlike the previous Canters with cable selectors, the FGB71 uses a number of vacuum tubes and 2 leavers to select 4x4 from 4x2 and low 4x4 from high 4x4.
There is an interlock between the two selector shafts that will restrict you from selecting LOW unless you are in 4WD.
This is where the leaver was that morning.
Should this occur again you can from under the vehicle push one of the leavers into position that will allow drive. Once this happens the other selectors will work.
I have been told do NOT hit the leavers into position as they are cast and may possible break !
NEW RULE: At the end of the day leave the vehicle in 4x2 ONLY !
Camp 8&9: Birdsville Caravan Park
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 37 metre
Today: 393 Kms.
Total: 3362 Kms
Tomorrow we head west from Birdsville then north into the Simpson