Crossing the Simpson? New requirements from DEWNR

[Tombie]

This just in!!!!







IMPORTANT AND COMPULSORY NEWS FROM DEWNR



A discussion at the Annual Meeting between FWDSA and DEWNR was the requirement for mandatory Simpson Desert vehicle flags.


This will commence with the opening of the Simpson Desert on March 16 2014.
The Director of National Parks and Wildlife John Schutz has already given approval in principle and this is the information going into the new Desert Parks Pass.


It is an initial requirement, and we will monitor how this works and decide if we need to alter it at all.


SAFETY FLAG REQUIREMENT


All vehicles must be fitted with a Safety flag as detailed below when travelling in the Simpson Desert Conservation Park, or Simpson Desert Regional Reserve.


Flag:


Minimum 300mm wide by 290mm high.
Made of Fluorescent materials, Red-Orange or Lime-Yellow in colour.


Motorbikes:


Rear mounted flag pole, with top of the flag a minimum 3.5 metres from the ground.


All Other Vehicles:


With Front Bullbar - Flag pole attached to the bullbar, with top of the flag a minimum 3.5 metres from the ground.


Without Front Bullbar - Flag pole attached via bracket at the front of the vehicle, with top of the flag a minimum 3.5 metres from the ground;


Alternatively
Flag pole attached to the front of the roof rack, with top of the flag a minimum 2 metres from the roof of vehicle.


Regards,


Tony Magor
District Manager Outback
Natural Resources SA Arid Lands
Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources | South Australian Government

[tempestv8]

About time too! No different to sand dune driving, I suppose. Most of the dunes can be a bit "blind" near the peaks, and most drivers are still gunning it to get up in those sections.

Now this is a business opportunity to make quality sand dune flags. I am surprised stores don't sell sand dune flags - they sell just about every other piece of mainstream offroading gear.

[The Cone of Silence]

I'm crossing the Simpson in April and will need one of these.

Where does one purchase them from?

An AULRO branded dune flag would be splendid :)

[steveG]

I'm crossing the Simpson in April and will need one of these.

Where does one purchase them from?

An AULRO branded dune flag would be splendid :)

At the low cost end of the scale - a cheap 2-piece beach fishing rod from Kmart etc, with a piece of hi-vis vest the regulation size attached to the end.
Couple of cable ties to your bullbar and job done. Just don't drive under low hanging trees with it :wasntme:
Being 2 piece its reasonable to pack away.

If you want to throw more dollars at it (or your wife refuses to go in a vehicle with a fishing rod cable tied to the bull bar), then ARB have them and I'm sure the other major brands will also.

Steve

[weeds]

About time too! No different to sand dune driving, I suppose. Most of the dunes can be a bit "blind" near the peaks, and most drivers are still gunning it to get up in those sections.

Now this is a business opportunity to make quality sand dune flags. I am surprised stores don't sell sand dune flags - they sell just about every other piece of mainstream offroading gear.

They are an off the shelf item now......every mine vehicle needs one http://www.safetyaerials.com.au

I don't reckon a flag really helps.......they have just jumped onto the band wagon of safety. Although I didn't meet another vehicle at the top of a dune, however if I did and we had both had flags I doubt it would prevent every accident. The way I see it if you are both going up the dune therefore your flags are already leaning back for a start, depending on how fast you are going the flag pole will also bend backward therefore negating most of the benefit of having a flag.......than where is the driver looking while cresting a dune, could be talking to the passenger, looking out the door window, looking in the rear view mirrors, looking at he dash/GPS and the list goes on...........

Don't get me started on setting you UHF to CH 10

Btw I did have a flag on the end of my antenna when I crossed....not sure what height it would have been maybe 3m

Policing it is another issue......

[ramblingboy42]

jeez Tombie, I thought you going to tell me something more interesting than that.

I would love to be ranger there with powers.

I don't like the way things are going in the Simpson.

[Defender Mike]

Any mining supply outfit has them I have several laying about my garage. I prefer the ones with a red light above the flag just incase I'm traveling late or on nightshift. Most use an air line fitting on the pole with a solid mount on the bulbar that mimics an airline fitting, they snap on and off like your air tools. Good idea been around for a while but they do break and don't last forever.
Mike:)

[Slunnie]

They are an off the shelf item now......every mine vehicle needs one Safety Aerials Australia (SAA) - Vehicle Safety Flags - Safety Flags - Safety Whips - Flag Whips - Mining Vehicle Safety - Flag Poles - -Home- (http://www.safetyaerials.com.au)

These ones are not big enough. :(

[DiscoMick]

Remember seeing a stack of them in a store, I think Opposite Lock, last year. I bet Ironman will rush one out quick smart now.

[VladTepes]

Any truth to the rumour they have to be emblazoned with "Est 1788..." :lol2:

[AnD3rew]

Bought mine from these guys

http://www.minewhips.com.au

I bought a two piece 2.5m with snap on base. The base is attached to a spare aerial mount hole in my ARB bar and the flag and pole sit behind the rear seats in front of the cargo barrier.

[C00P]

35mm orange electrical conduit with a home-made fluoro flag at the top held to the bull bar by by a couple of decent sized hose clamps. Total cost about $20. Held up (with a bit of a bend) at speeds up to 80kph. (We tried it out on the way into Birdsville after we had crossed when it wouldn't have mattered if it broke- it didn't).:D We secured it to our awning with a couple ocky straps when we weren't using it.
The flag did once give us early warning approaching a crest that someone was coming the other way- about 3 seconds ahead of seeing the top of his roof rack. The fact that the flag waves backwards and forwards actually enhances it eye-catching effect. But I think judicious use of radio is a better idea. If you start hearing transmissions- especially in the space between the dunes- then someone is getting pretty close either coming up behind you (no problem) or approaching from the front. Being able to tell them where you are and hopefully have them tell you where they are will give you about 2-3 dunes' warning. Provided, of course, that they know where they are. "In the desert" (as one comic said in response to our request) isn't helpful... :censored:

Coop
71576

[weeds]

But I think judicious use of radio is a better idea. If you start hearing transmissions- especially in the space between the dunes- then someone is getting pretty close either coming up behind you (no problem) or approaching from the front. Being able to tell them where you are and hopefully have them tell you where they are will give you about 2-3 dunes' warning. Provided, of course, that they know where they are. "In the desert" (as one comic said in response to our request) isn't helpful... :censored:

Coop

Buggered if I could know how anybody could let an approaching vehicle know you which dune you are about to climb........they weren't Um reed last time I was out there

[steveG]

Buggered if I could know how anybody could let an approaching vehicle know you which dune you are about to climb........they weren't Um reed last time I was out there

Most people are running some sort of GPS mapping like OziExplorer nowdays, so the exchange of appropriate lat or long reading (ie just the longitude if you're heading east-west) over the radio gives you a pretty good idea of how close you are for 2 approaching vehicles on the same track.
I know there are values for the actual distance between co-ordinates, but not really that important to know them as with a couple of radio calls you can pretty soon work out how fast you are converging and when you're likely to meet up.

Steve

[THE BOOGER]

Any truth to the rumour they have to be emblazoned with "Est 1788..." :lol2:
Dbl post

[THE BOOGER]

Any truth to the rumour they have to be emblazoned with "Est 1788..." :lol2:

Only the ALDI ones

[weeds]

Most people are running some sort of GPS mapping like OziExplorer nowdays, so the exchange of appropriate lat or long reading (ie just the longitude if you're heading east-west) over the radio gives you a pretty good idea of how close you are for 2 approaching vehicles on the same track.
I know there are values for the actual distance between co-ordinates, but not really that important to know them as with a couple of radio calls you can pretty soon work out how fast you are converging and when you're likely to meet up.

Steve

Umm on the French line with cast a thousands...ok say approx 40 trucks within radio distance and if everybody was on ch 10 I doubt anybody would be giving out co-ord......I didn't hear anybody over the three days I was on he desert

What I notice was every group picked their own ch and chatted amounst themselves and can only recall the odd solo/maybe group try to call ahead on ch10., which generally fell on deaf ears or a joke about trying to work out which dune they are cresting.......I had my radio on scan....which upset one guy who have me a gob full though my window, that aside I couldn't work out where anybody was

Anyway that was my experience......I crossed the rig rd but went through peak hour in the QAA

[Bushy049]

Had to by one the other day to enter a mine site $112 from Covs 2.5m high with light on top, spring and snap on fitting between flag pole and spring I mounted it in the car park with an adjustable spanner.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using AULRO mobile app

[steveG]

Sounds like we were lucky and didn't get the same traffic as you did Weeds. Travelled east-west on the QAA and hardly met anyone else.

Steve

[weeds]

Sounds like we were lucky and didn't get the same traffic as you did Weeds. Travelled east-west on the QAA and hardly met anyone else.

Steve

Only came across one car on the rig....two dickheads on knolls

[C00P]

If heading E-W, (or vice-versa) longitude is the easiest way to give a position report.
If you are picking up the other folks on UHF only at the top of the dunes, then they probably are not too close (UHF is roughly line of sight). The lower down on the dunes that you can receive them, the closer they probably are. If you are getting them on the flat they are probably on the top of a dune within two or three dunes from you, so it's time to be alert.
That's how it worked for us, at any rate. We had a few folks give out good positions so we were ready for them. But others had no idea, and it was one of those where their flag was the first warning we had.
We also noted how far we were from the last check point (junction, lake or whatever). We kept a log of the mileage as we passed each point noted on our map. Might be overkill, but we never rely on just one form of navigation when out and about in remote areas. We never put our complete faith in electronics....
If you ever have to use your HF to call for help, and you've dropped, soaked, fused, or somehow buggered your GPS, then it's useful to be able to tell someone where you are by other means.
On the French Line and QAA line there was plenty of traffic. But down on the Rig Road we encountered one couple who said we were the first ones they'd seen for three days (and they were the only ones we saw that day). So it can get pretty quiet even in the holiday season.