Just returned from the NT Outback

[MW.TD5 Defender]

Good Morning Everybody.
We have just returned from a 4 week 8600km trip from Melb. to Alice. including The East and West Mac Ranges Kings Canyon, Boggy Hole, Palm Valley, Ayers Rock & The Olgas. Then back down the Old Ghan to Chambers Pillar to Finke, Mt Dare, Dalhousie. Painted Desert, Oodnadatta Track, William Creek Pub ( Great Place), Marree, Farina ruins, Port Augusta, Broken Hill and Home. and heaps in between.

We were towing an O'Briens off road trailer ( Not Camper ) with 4 dogs in the Defender. No real problems to speak of.

Passenger mirror fell off on the corrogations from Chamber's Pillar to Finke. This section of the Ghan has some of the worst corrogations I have ever travelled on. The bolts for the mirror undid and the mirror spun around a smacked the door putting a small ding in the door (S**T happens). But as all Defender drivers know you can't get in to tighten the bolts again.
Driving lights rattled loose, GPS dashmount broke off. Rear passenger door handle bolt rattled out, rear door lock jammed. Adjusted one of the rear wheel bearings as it got a bit hot.

There is some fabulous places and great people in the outback. The weather was great but very cold at night.

I recommend this trip to everybody.

Cheers
Mal.

[hiline]

sounds great mate :thumbsup:

no where's the bloody pics :D;)

defender went ok then .............

[spudboy]

Good trip.

How'd you get on with 4 dogs? Aren't there a lot of places you can't go to because of the dogs?

[MW.TD5 Defender]

The photos are in the lap top at home ( I'm at Work )
We put the dogs in a kennel at Alice Springs for 10 days to do all the east, west etc places.
We talked to the ranger at Chambers Pillar as all the info we got from their website said dogs on leads. When we got there a sign said no Dogs.
He basically said that, Their management won't make a decision on conservation parks, so he wasn't too worried. It was cold and they where asleep in the car.
We had Chambers pillar to ourselves that night ( a Saturday ). The rangers do talks on Fridays & Saturdays telling you about the areas, flora, forna etc.

[MW.TD5 Defender]

I will write it up and add pics over the next couple of days.
Will have to learn how to reduce the size of the photo files.

Mal

[Defender=1st]

Sounds like you had a great trip.
looking forward to seeing pics
Regards Adrian

[JamesH]

Hi Mal

Sounds like you did a proper job on the area.

We are heading out there next week (from Perth). What is the Oodnadatta track conditions like? I think we are going to go home along the old Ghan a bit. We are heading to Tarcoola via Coober Pedy. Not sure if that involves Chambers Pillar and Finke.

cheers

James

[feral]

Good Morning Everybody.
We have just returned from a 4 week 8600km trip from Melb. to Alice. including The East and West Mac Ranges Kings Canyon, Boggy Hole, Palm Valley, Ayers Rock & The Olgas. Then back down the Old Ghan to Chambers Pillar to Finke, Mt Dare, Dalhousie. Painted Desert, Oodnadatta Track, William Creek Pub ( Great Place), Marree, Farina ruins, Port Augusta, Broken Hill and Home. and heaps in between.

Cheers
Mal.


Hey...that's my September trip. I thought I was the pioneer... :wasntme:

Seriously, it sounds like you had a great trip. If you were running Oziexplorer it would be good to include all relevant information gathered so we can compare notes along with the pics and trip report.

So now you have some work to do :whistling:

Well done Mal.

[MW.TD5 Defender]

I was running Magellan Discover australia maps. I'm not sure if they are compatible.

As far as the track goes. The Oodnadatta track is great. Very little corrogations to speak of. Its more like a dirt Highway.

The worst section of "The old Ghan " road is from near Maryvale Homestead ( Alice end ) to Finke. The Finke Desert race was only the week before we travelled.It shook the living poo out of us. The train line is seriously corrogated and the service road that runs next to it looks more like a motocross track. The section of track is approx 120k's long

Fuel ( Diesel) at Mt Dare was $1.79/litre. Oodnadatta ( Store not Pink roadhouse ) $1.64, William Creek $1.69 Marree $1.42

Hope this info helps

Mal

[JamesH]

Thanks for the info, Mal.

Looking forward to your pics.

J