Thread: Off to Perth

Originally Posted by Ken

Where you towing a trailer and a Green D2 passed you and waved on Thomas Rd ?

Nope! Couldn't have been me - no trailer.

John

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

Bugger JD
When I left work Fri arvo I saw the County at the motel,you must have spotted BlackBetty parked over the road,our Shire carpark is almost opposite the motel.
Sat morn I was out the back of the house.I heard the rattling diesel sound coming up the road,saying to myself that HAS to be a Landy 3.9 isuzu.
You were just heading up the road when I checked!!!!
Great to see you had a good trip.
Andrew

Yes, from memory I did see it - but somehow did not connect it with you, although obviously I should have.

John

Originally Posted by Numpty's Missus

couldnt resist huh NM,,,





glad to see you made it back OK John

Originally Posted by Numpty's Missus

Knocker uppers are a thing of the past John Come to think of it "getting knocked up" is probably a thing of the past too except it still happens they just probably call it something different

In my GM-H days for a while I worked alongside a Pom whose father had been the "knocker-oop" for a cotton mill in Burnley near Manchester. The concept was hard to accept for an Australian who had spent most of his life in towns and cities where people lived so far apart that such a task would not be feasible.

Hi John
Very easily conected to me,the numberplate LANDYANDY.
Sorry we didnt connect,so near yet sofar!!!
Andrew

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

Hi John
Very easily conected to me,the numberplate LANDYANDY.
Sorry we didnt connect,so near yet sofar!!!
Andrew

Sorry too - I did not see the number plate, only saw it briefly, long enough to recognise as a Defender - and was driving and could not take my attention off the road.

John

A bit more detail on the trip (fairly long!)

I left home on 13/11, and headed west from Dubbo (I had to buy a few things). The first problem showed up when I stopped for a cuppa and leg stretch about 30km W of Wilcannia. Walked round checking for hot tyres or bearings - and I could hear this hissing. Tracked down to the LH rear tyre. Changed the wheel, couldn't see any problems.

Stayed the night at a friend's place in Broken Hill. Next morning found a place in South BH that dropped everything, fitted new tube (it was a lifted patch on the tube, tube tore when he tried to pull it off) - twenty minutes and $20 including the tube! Refuelled and on my way.

Had lunch in Peterborough, interesting town, wish I had more time there. Arrived in Wilmington early afternoon, and stayed with Wayne (thanks).

Left next morning, refuelled at Port Augusta, then Ceduna, and stopped for the night at Nullarbor Roadhouse. Left early and drove to Border village, where alarmed by the much higher fuel price, I topped up at $1.79. You can imagine my disgust at finding the price was under $1.50 just over the border in WA and at Eucla. Arrived at Norseman about dinner time and stopped for the night.

Next day refuelled and drove to Esperance and on to Ravensthorpe and Hyden where I visited Wave rock, but was not inspired by a $4.50 parking charge or the number of flies. Made it to Williams that night, and the next morning refuelled before going on to Bunbury and Busselton. On the Sunday drove to Fremantle and on to Perth.

The conference finished on Thursday night, and meantime I was joined by my brother who flew in from Houston to drive back with me. We left first thing Friday, refuelling at Witchcliffe, and driving via Busselton to Cape Leeuwin, before stopping for the night at Pemberton. Lunch at Albany and stayed the night at Esperance, where we refuelled.

Driving north to Norseman, we stopped to help a Corolla with a flat tyre - and no jack handle or wheelbrace, about 20km north of Salmon Gums. South of Norseman we turned off at the sign to Dundas Rocks and followed the "heritage trail" into Norseman. Recommended! In Norseman we refuelled and had lunch, before heading East. Stopped briefly at Frazer Range and at Balladonia Roadhouse and again at Old Balladonia Telgraph Station, before camping for the night at one of the stops on the ninety mile straight.

Very windy, very poor ground for tent pegs, not a very comfortable night. Next morning left early after a disturbed night and refuelled at Mundrabilla, stopping briefly at Eucla, the border, several lookouts over the ocean and Nullabor, before stopping for the night at Ceduna.

From here, after refuelling, we followed the coast to Port Lincoln and on to Port Augusta for the night. Blew a rear tyre south of Whyalla, and had to replace it in Port Augusta.

From Port Augusta, after refuelling and getting a new tyre, drove to Wilmington and then south, stopping at Stone Hut, where my wife's father was born just over a century ago, and found the school (now a house) where his father taught. Drove on to Nurioopta and then to Swan Reach and Renmark for the night. Next morning refuelled and drove to Morkalla in the very NW corner of Vic, where my brother worked forty years ago. On to Merringur, where I strongly recommend the historical village, and then to Red Cliffs, Mildura, Balranald and Hay, where we stopped the night.

My mother taught in Hay in the thirties, and we looked at the high school and various other landmarks, including the place she lived in. Next morning we proceeded along the Sturt Hwy. At Narrandera the highway was closed due to a truck accident, and we detoured via Coolamon, which was also almost closed due to flash flooding. Arrived at my son's place in Yass on the Friday afternoon, eight days from Perth. Next day, having picked up my dog, drove home.

Total of 1085litres of fuel to cover 9678km, or 11.2l/100km. This consumption varied remarkably little, despite varying conditions, from 10.0 to about 11.4. Speed was mostly maintained at around 110km/h, although the best economy was on legs where we kept to 100kph.

Oil consumption (mostly leaked) was less than a litre, and the only problems were a cracked windscreen and two flat tyres.

Pictures to follow when I resize them.

John

WOW John,, sounds like one of those Great Ozzie Road Trips,, cant wait for the pics