We are on our way to the Kimberleys

OK here we are in Alice at the Top 4 at $41 per night Gulp! But it is a great place to clean up after the 700 or so dirt and bulldust Km from Boulia.

Camped last night at Jervois Station which is 460Km from Boulia. Very basic but had fireplaces so cooked some steaks on my 20 plus year old Car B Que. They had unleaded fuel at 189.9 but I was able to last to Alice with 2 jerries. Alice is 132.9 after 4 cents at Woolies.

The trip was uneventful. the Donahue and Plenty are like a curates egg, good in parts. The places where no clay cap has been put on ie red dirt were pretty chopped up in places and there were lots of corrugations in places.It rained a few weeks ago so less bulldust but more loose damp sand.
It was 100Km cruise in places and 70 Km dodgems in others.
Someone posted on Explore Oz That the Donahue was smooth all the way. Hmm, IMHO the last 50-100 Km was as bad as the Plenty.

I guess the only other comment is to bitch about the lack of manners of some drivers like the Challenger driver I pulled over for so he could overtake, and he passes at 100Km on my side of the road. Lucky no stones on the screen.

I am still trying to figure out how to stop the channel over the tailgate from filling with dust and dumping it all inside when I open it. I tried tape over the gap but it gets wiped off by the rubber when you open it.
You cannot get a brush into the space either. Maybe I should fill the channel with silastic. All ideas appreciated as 1000Km of dirt day after tomorrow on the Tanami.
So far no probs and I am very happy with my BFG Long Trail T/As. Thye have better directional stability than A/T KOs on the sand .
We have taken quite a few photos so far . the best is the old girl pulling the camper through a creek bed when we camped off road.( the RRC that is)
Regards Philip A

Phillip, obviously happy travels! When you get to Broome, and IF you have any dramas, pm me for a family contact with LR connections in Broome.

Cheers, safe trip.

Pete

Well , I bought some Craven door seal tape and put a seal between the top of the taigate and the door frame lip. If you have a RRC you will see what I mean. It is the lip in which the wiper pivot and washer nozzle are mounted and it makes an extra seal against the tailgate above the normal seal.

I also once again ran tape across the channel on the top of the tailgate, but made sure it did not touch the area that is wiped by what is laughably called "the seal". You cannot cut/alter the channel as the front side is what contacts the seal.

I added some seal tape to the top of the bottom tailgate just inside the normal seal and down the outsides of the upper tailgate.I also added some to the tailgate down the sides .

Oh and I also bought a battery vacuum cleaner! LOL

I travel as much as possible with the fan on and vent "up" and do not get a lot in while travelling, but it's bloody annoying to open the tailgate and have a shower of bulldust. Especially since you cannot take any avoiding action as you cannot see/get to the channel until it is open.

Had a bloke in town weld about 3-4 MM onto my old Campomatic Kitchen turn locks to ensure they stayed closed on the Tanami.Cost me a fortune.($10).

Regard sPhilip A

OK, here we are in Hall's Creek.

Did the Tanami in two days and stayed at Rabbit Flat Road House (580KM from Alice) last night bush camping. Very atmospheric place. The old german lady seemed nice and the local customers were well mannered.

The Tanami is good (100Kmh)until about 10Km out of Rabbit Flat where the road is chopped up by rain and tyre lines. After rabbit Flat it is good in some parts but gets progressively worse towards the WA border and pretty ****ty from there on. The WORST bit is only about 60 Km out of Halls Creek. The road goes through a range and is covered by big rocks and severe corrugations.60Kmh was too fast.

NO punctures . The only problems have been dust and old age related. the washing up bucket got a hole neatly through it from a high velocity rock, and the top tailgate locks have given up the ghost . AND WHAT A PAIN IN THE ARSE THAT IS. I have new ones on order with Gary from CLR for pick up in Kununarra. They popped open about every 10Km from the border and the car is a dust bowl. That dissuaded me from going to wolf Creek crater.

Passing Road Trains was easy as they responded to Channel 40 call up and stopped allowing a pass. Great guys.

Saw some wild camels on the road today, and of all things about 50Km out of Halls Creek there is a Jabiru wandering along the road. Must have lost his way from Kakadu, as it was bone dry where he was.

So next stop is 4 or 5 days in the Bungle Bungles so will be off the air until Kununurra.
Regards Philip A

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

Thanks all.
Well here we are in Boulia at the cravan park which is good. bush camped last night 1/2 way between Windorah and Bedourie by driving off road at Carbine creek. Only one truck went past all night at about 7.30PM.

The old blind bloke still owns the servo in Windorah and asks customers how much on the pump. He is a wizz with the credit card machine.
The road between Windorah and Bedourie is dirt most of the way but excellent.

Bedourie impressed us as a tidy little town though we were regaled about the stupidity of trying to break wild camels by a somewhat inebriated dusky gentleman. greta public toilets and bbq area, but the camp ground didn't look too crash hot.

The road from Bedourie to Boulia was not so good although the map suggested otherwise.

I have spoken top a couple of people who have done the Plenty in the last couple of days and they say the Donahue is good having just been graded , but the next 100K of the Plenty are bad, then OK.

One guy did the GRR last week and said it was really good and the graders still on it, and the Tanami is reported good.

Next report will be Alice.

All going well so far although I was stoopid and left the storage box on the camper open.Filled it with stones/dust and lost my sponge . The LH rear wheel of the camper had about 2inches of dust inside when I got to Bedourie, because the wind was in that direction.

I wonder who the stupid pom was that put the channel on top of the tailgate. Wonderful in England I suppose for channeling the water away , but neatly dumps a cup of dust inside every time the tailgate is opened.

Regards Philip A

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temporary fix fill it with clear mastic maybe ????

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

Passing Road Trains was easy as they responded to Channel 40 call up and stopped allowing a pass. Great guys.

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Wow - that is surprising!

OK, here I am sitting in a coffee shop in Kunanurra as we are camped at Ord dam Lake Argyll where there is no signal.

We spent 3 nights in the Bungle Bungles campping. It is a great place with really awe inspiring chasms. We took a helo ride yesterday and went through some of the gorges. It was a robinson R44 with no doors, so was very stimulating.

Horrific 50KM road in where many seem to be able to wipe out by going too fast . Last week a guy flipped his Ultimate in the one reasonable bulldust patch.

And the day before yesterday someone speared into a tree when he came round a corner too fast and locked up to avoid a bus who was stopped waiting for him, then abused the bus driver. The tractor tyre dragging guy ( wannabe grader) reckoned he had made the road too good.LOL.

The old RRC is still going strong, but having a few age related tantrums.
All tyres OK so far.

I am waiting on new upper tailgate catches. Gary from CLR organised Rovercraft to send them, and I opened the (too large) package to find 2 Disco2 rear air springs. Yikes!
So It looks like I am here another couple of days waiting for the correct parts. Poor Gary is "malcolm in the middle" and rovercraft also have a pd off customer in Victoria. However Simon from Rovercraft is working hard to fix it.(I hope)
So stocking up now for the GRR which is supposed to be OK.

Regards Philip A

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

I am waiting on new upper tailgate catches. .... organised Rovercraft to send them, and I opened the (too large) package to find 2 Disco2 rear air springs. Yikes!

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I can imagine the comments when the "other customer" opens up their "Tooo small package" and sees your catches .... :p :p :p ..... Hope their not stuck up / beyond "Cape York"

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

OK, here I am sitting in a coffee shop in Kunanurra as we are camped at Ord dam Lake Argyll where there is no signal.

We spent 3 nights in the Bungle Bungles campping. It is a great place with really awe inspiring chasms. We took a helo ride yesterday and went through some of the gorges. It was a robinson R44 with no doors, so was very stimulating.

Horrific 50KM road in where many seem to be able to wipe out by going too fast . Last week a guy flipped his Ultimate in the one reasonable bulldust patch.

And the day before yesterday someone speared into a tree when he came round a corner too fast and locked up to avoid a bus who was stopped waiting for him, then abused the bus driver. The tractor tyre dragging guy ( wannabe grader) reckoned he had made the road too good.LOL.

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If you have time in Kunnie go to one of the cavan parks there on the river and rent an outboard to go up to the dam. it's a loveley little trip.

I hate the road into the Bungles probably more than any other Ive been on. Ive been on worse quality roads (not many) but none with hilly blind corners that have so many tourist types who don't know what they're doing coming flying around. Having said that, I remember once after about an hour of it losing concentration and taking a couple of bends too fast myself and being grateful some other innocent wasn't coming the other way.

It's a shocker and it detracts from the whole Bungles experience which in my view is over-rated - sacreligious as it is to say so.

I've been into the Bungles twice, once in the Defender and once in the S1 Disco with Camper trailer and I can't understand what people find so horrific about the access road. Driven at a speed to suit the conditions we covered the 50 odd K's in about 2 to 2 1/2 hrs without a problem.

Part of the trouble though is that many people camp out near the Northern Hwy and 'Do' the Bungles as a day trip, which is not long enough to do the area justice. Hence, they drive too fast on the one and only access/egress road.

I just wish that there was another access from the eastern side (Duncan Rd) - I just don't like backtracking and think it would make it a far more interesting trip.