Date: August 6th 2010

Westprint Friday Five August 6, 2010  

Included this week:  

·         Nissan Wheels

·         Innamincka, Cooper Creek , Birdsville

·         Tanami Road

 

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Friday Five 06.08.2010

Stocktake always brings to light some treasures. Here are a few bargains.  

1. Australian Sticker Book Bundle. These are kid’s activity books. Titles are: Australian Animals in Danger, Australian Rainforest, and Australian Seashore. Normally $39.35 including post, two sets only $24.00 including post.

2. Kelly Deal. Two books: Kelly Country and Ned Kelly. A Short Life. Kelly Country is the story of the Kelly's and their history, through images of the places associated with the outbreak of bushranging. 168pp.  Ned Kelly - A Short Life. Ian Jones. The definitive biography of this iconic Australian. The result of a lifetime’s work by Jones, and effortlessly combines mastery of detail with colourful narrative. 486 pages. Normally $85.00 including post. One set only $70.00 including post. 

3. Outback. Gloriously illustrated coffee table cookbook. Not only a recipe book of 150 first-rate recipes, it is also a story of our nation's history, of both indigenous and western societies. The recipes not only work superbly well in Outback Australia but also can be transferred to the home kitchen with ease. The book also gives practical advice for outback travellers, including food & sundry items, what to pack, how to pack it, the best equipment, how to store and carry it. There are also excellent pullout boxes and stories amongst the recipes which give histories of certain areas in Australia including the Simpson Desert , Oodnadatta Track, Coober Pedy, Adelaide, Uluru, Port Augusta, Longreach QLD, Birdsville Track. Now out of print, we have one copy only, $60.00 including post. 

4. Romance of the Stockman This book celebrates the backcountry pioneers who defied a harsh land and cruel climate to lay the foundations of Australia 's primary industries. It is a chequered tale of triumphs and tribulations - of optimism and sheer pluck only too often pitted against unsympathetic administrators and the relentless forces of nature. Evocative illustrations and photographs bring to every page all the vigour and colour of outback life then and now. A thought-provoking chronicle of the nation's pioneers and a nostalgic tribute to our outback heritage. Now out of print we have one copy left. Hard cover book $40.00 including post.

5. Across the Cape and Kakadu and Beyond. Two Leyland videos. Across the Cape follows a meandering route from Cardwell to Karumba via lava tubes, caves, natural hot springs and Aboriginal art sites. Mike & Margie Leyland take us on a journey from Cardwell to Karumba, winding their way across the bottom of Cape York. Visit the lava tubes and limestone caves, go barramundi fishing in hidden gorges, and much more. Narrated in the familiar Leyland style, this adventure includes many camping and travel tips. Kakadu and Beyond. Kakadu NP through Arnhem Land to Coburg Peninsula. One set only $30.00 including post. 

Books are allocated on a first-come first serve basis. To reserve your copy of any of the following books please email info@westprint.com.au with the title you are interested in. All emails will be answered during the following week, either with details of how to pay, or a ‘sorry, the item has already sold’ email. Where possible, postage on multiple items will be recalculated to offer you the best price.  

Postage Rates. These items will usually not be found on our website. Orders will be supplied on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Westprint normal postage rates are now $8.50 for one book, $11.00 for two books, $13.00 for 3 or more books. Free post applies to orders of more than $150.00. Postage rates apply to Australia only. Airmail postage rates apply to overseas orders.

 

Friday Forum

Jo’s comments are in green.  

Disclaimer.

Please note that the opinions and articles included in the Friday Five are not necessarily those of the Westprint mob. Nor do we endorse any products (other than our own), or tours listed in contributed articles.  

Tanami Road 

·         We recently returned from a trip from Darwin to Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary. I thought you might be interested in the attached photos of the southern Tanami and Newhaven Roads. I should point out that before we travelled these roads we were advised that they weren't closed at that time and that we'd get through okay if we were careful. Our travels took us through Gregory National Park to Kalkarindji, and thence via Lajamanu to Rabbit Flat. At that point, acting on local advice, we retraced our tracks back to the bitumen. We did make contact with the guy in Alice (whose name I forget) who is responsible for declaring the Tanami open/closed/impassable, and he said that we'd probably get through okay but his advice was also to turn back. Over the next couple of rain-free days we took the bitumen south, and back up to Tilmouth. At that stage a few people were using the Tanami and the police we talked to expressed no concern about it. After talking with the manager at Newhaven we went out there a few days later than originally intended. Newhaven had had about 110mm of rain before our arrival, and another 50mm or so in our first three days there.The Newhaven road had more water on it when we came out after five days, but the Tanami had obviously dried a lot in that time.

Advice to anybody contemplating a visit to Newhaven: ring them first! All of their tracks were closed and would remain that way until they had dried out properly. They are maintained by the manager, who has a lot of other things to do as well! Mike. Darwin

 

 

Nissan Wheels

·         I had a similar Nissan "back wheel" incident driving back from Punsund Bay to Barmaga on our Cape York Trip in July 2008. We were driving back because my son was sick and we just pulling into the Barmaga Hospital when the back left hand wheel just fell off. I am so pleased it didn't depart at speed.

I went to the main motor mechanic place in Barmaga and said I had a problem with my Nissan GU Patrol, and before I could describe the problem he said " Don't tell me, your back wheel came off, you're the 5th this year".

Nissan repaired the alloy rim but I decided to replace both back rims with ROH steel rims as I heard the alloy rims wear over corrugations and the studs/nuts become loose. I loved my Nissan, but I now drive a Prado! John. Sandringham  

·         I am on my third Patrol, the current one has done 230000klms, never had any trouble with wheels falling off! Neil. Echuca.  

·         I have lost two, both rear left, one at 110 km/hr (2005 model) the other at 50 km/hr (2009 model) on a right hand bend. Both experiences I would not like to repeat.

I have changed many flat tyres (always the left hand rear) as a tour operator in The Flinders Ranges & Outback South Australia with three Nissan Patrols over ten years.

The problem is the seating of the alloy wheels on the centre spline. The wheel stud holes are too big, they allow the wheel to sit on the studs but not on the spline, when the nuts are tightened they tighten against the spline not on it. When the wheel starts to rotate on the road it centres on the spline and the nuts then become loose.

Nissan are aware of the problem and suggest tightening the nuts with a tension wrench. Not the typical equipment carried in the average tool box. The 2009 model Patrol has a tapered spline but this has not alleviated the problem. Experience has taught me to check the tightness of wheel nuts 5 kms after changing a wheel. Also leave the wheel hub caps at home if travelling on dirt roads as you cannot see at a glance if the nuts are not seated correctly. Graeme. Aussie Heritage Tours .  http://www.aussieheritagetours.com.au  

·         Last year I was camped at Kununurra and met two couples in new Hilux utes. They had come up through the centre, from memory the Gary Hwy. Both had lost rear wheels and their explanation was that if alloy rims (including wheel nuts) pass through a reasonably large body of water the alloy and steel cool and contract at different rates and warm and expand similarly. Consequently there is a period before both metals return to the ambient temperature that there is a nano-gap between wheel and nut sufficient to allow the wheel to work loose. My explanation for offside wheel coming adrift more frequently is that offside is more likely to be in water than the onside. Pure speculation however. Their solution was to check the wheel nuts a few kms after a water crossing. I have lost the rear offside wheel of a camper trailer some years back and I put that down to reliance on a rattle gun. I now check my wheel nuts using a torsion wrench. Once caught twice shy. Jim

PS Why it happens more often to Nissans suggests that either Nissan drivers are more adventurous; that is more likely go through water, or, God drives a Toyo.  

·         On the subject of Nissan Wheels I have spoken to Nissan and they state that, although it only appears to happen to the left rear, it is written in the owners books to re-torque your wheel nuts after driving a couple of hundred kilometres after replacing the wheel. This includes following having new tyres fitted at any tyre centre, very few have heard of the problem and following a service where the wheels were removed to check brakes etc, even if Nissan did the service. One other issue I have heard on the Patrol is catastrophic failure of the radiator as it abrades through after vibrating along dirt roads. Finally the tail lights securely fitted with two screws in the bumper will fall out and hang by the wires, if you are lucky, after travelling off road for a while. Check them regularly and carry spare screws. Steve  

·         In regard to Nissan GU's losing wheels I believe that the problem is limited only to the factory fitted mag wheels. The nuts need to be checked regularly as they vibrate loose. Ansis  

Simpson Desert  

·         Last year whilst crossing the Simpson I came across a group of 4WD's that had not followed the advisory sign at the Birdsville end & were using another channel. I advised them to change to the correct channel as a disaster was possible at any of the sand dune peaks for themselves or others due to lack of communication. Robert. Grafton  

Track Notes - Gary Junction Road  

·         We travelled through Haasts Bluff to Papunya, Sandy Blight Junction (and down to Tietkens Tree and Davenport Hills and back), Kintore, Kiwirrakurra, Gary Junction, (and down to Veevers Crater and back on the Gary Highway) Kunawarritji and then the Kidson/Wapet track to Eighty Mile Beach to get to the western side of the Kimberleys towing a camper trailer in late June 2010. Took 8 days including two days on side tracks.

Road conditions were as follows:-

The first 45kms after leaving Larapinta Drive towards Haasts Bluff where it follows Arumba Creek is a bit rough and a couple of gutters across the road but generally good going and great scenery.

Gary Junction Road was an absolute dirt highway to SBJ. The road to Tietkens Tree is a delightful slow and rough track and very scenic. The road further south is extremely corrugated to the Davenport Hills but gets better after that according to northbound travellers.

GJR through to Jupiter Well via Kiwirrakurra (diesel $2.80), as before, a fast dirt highway. About 30km west of JW road narrows a bit and less road base (some just graded desert) and a few long patches of pleasant corrugations until Well 33 on the CSR (very corrugated).

Gary Highway south extremely corrugated and patches of encroaching overgrowth but gets better. Diesel at Kunawarritji $3.20.

Kidson/Wapet Track is a nice two wheeled track for the first day or so but becomes very overgrown with hard stemmed mulga and scratches the crap out of the cars' paintwork. Done it once, no need to do it again. Took 2.5 days to do and didn't see a soul, nice camp at top windmill. Be very prepared as it's a very lonely and isolated track.Fuel gets alarmingly dearer the further west you go, top up at every opportunity. The first 3 fuel stops were all closed for stocktaking but were the cheapest. Cheers Frazer & Kel  

Innamincka, Cooper Creek, Birdsville  

·         Please check out this link as it gives you the correct information as to the SA tracks and the ferry rules and regulations. We have just been up the Birdsville track and crossed the ferry with another vehicle towing a Cub camper, length 7.6 metres and they were allowed across. John. http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/quicklinks/northern_roads/textonly.asp  

·         Have just returned from 8 days on the Cooper driving a boat for Rex Ellis. Travelled South and North of the Ferry. B***dy freezing but excellent trip. Until recently Peter the tour boat operator had been using a quad bike to tow trailers onto the ferry at a small charge. This practice has now been stopped by Transport SA. Peter now has a small truck on site and was planning to load trailers onto his truck via a ramp and transport them again for a small fee. Can’t beat out back ingenuity. Peter. Alltrac 4WD  

·         I have just returned from Innamincka. I arrived there on Wednesday 21st and departed Sat 24th July. The road from Cameron's Corner to Merty Merty had a little water on it but mostly could be detoured around. Even the section that looked quite boggy and couldn't be detoured was fine and in fact had caused no difficulty for a Toyota Camry we saw!

All of the Strzelecki Track is fine, but the road to Birdsville via Cordillo Downs was closed. You could get to Birdsville but it necessitated going via Haddons Corner and out to the Windorah road. Innamincka had had two and a half inches of rain on the previous Wednesday the 14th July and all roads to Burke & Wills sites were closed with the exception of the DIG tree. Camping on the town Common is okay. There is no water actually going over the causeway at Innamincka currently. The road to Noccundra is fine and much of it now sealed.

The bird life anywhere around the Cooper is fantastic and there is a reasonable showing of flowers, especially the Crotalaria Cunninghamii (Parrot Bush) on the sand dunes.

Everything is fabulously green after the flood. I haven't seen it looking like this since 1990.

Barry  

·         Just got back from the Strzelecki, Innamincka, Birdsville and Cooper Crossing. There are a lot of people travelling and as per usual there are some who spoil it for the remainder. It was disappointing to see how many were travelling on very wet roads and cutting them up when they were closed. I would suggest that the graders are unable to keep up. The worst I saw was Innamincka to the QLD border.

There were many cars totalled in mud from charging water holes. All they are doing is cutting them up until nobody can get through. Steady but sure is the best way to save these plus you won’t drive water into your vehicle which could prove very expensive later on. Wheel bearings could be the first to go. There was word around Marree that one visitor had totalled a new top of the range 4WD by taking on the Frome River at 100kph when the water was 100mtrs wide and half a metre deep.

A tip to those who want to see birds, it is much better upstream, such as Innamincka or Birdsville. Many of the nesting areas are away from Lake Eyre . One report is of 100000 stilts breeding for the fist time in 10 years. These birds would normally be on the Coorong, but we all know why they have given up trying to live there.

If you do have the chance, the desert in bloom is a once in a lifetime experience, and the water in Lake Eyre is only a minor part of what is happening. Steve. www.greatsafaris.com.au

 

Friday Funnies  

·         John was furious when his steak arrived too rare. "Waiter," he shouted, "Didn't you hear me say, 'well done'?"

"Oh, thank you, sir," replied the waiter. "I hardly ever get a compliment."  

·         A man is driving down a country road, when he spots a farmer standing in the middle of a huge field of grass. He pulls the car over to the side of the road and notices that the farmer is just standing there, doing nothing, looking at nothing.

The man gets out of the car, walks all the way out to the farmer and asks him, "Ah excuse me mister, but what are you doing? "The farmer replies, "I'm trying to win a Nobel Prize. "How?" asks the man, puzzled.

"Well, I heard they give the Nobel Prize to people who are out standing in their field."  

While working for an organization that delivers meals to elderly people, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs.

One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe thith!"

• "Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian." --Dennis Wholey

·         What's the difference a bad golfer and a bad skydiver? One goes "Thwack! ...Darn" while the other goes "Darn! ...Thwack."  

·         A chicken crossed the road and met James Bond, 'What's your name?' asked the chicken.

'Bond, James Bond. What's yours?'

'Ken, Chick Ken.'

To all of our Faithful Friday Five readers.

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Cheers for now,

Jo

 

 

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