We are on our way to the Kimberleys

Well we are STILL at Lake Argyll.

It is now one week since I ordered 2 lousy tailgate catches and they still have not arrived. Today is one of the most frustrating days I have experienced as we went to Kununurra to pick up the parts at 2PM.

We did the few sights and went to the Coles supermarket to do a final stock up. Coles had installed a new system yesterday and it did not work.

Anyway, 2pm arrives and no parts. So I ring Rovercraft and Toll had a problem. Hang around in 33.5 in the shade for 3/4 hour waiting for call back.

So went back to Lake Argyll and called Rovercraft from Phone box. Still no word from Toll. Simon was to call back to the caravan park when something known. No call.

I had noticed that my aircon, though cold had not been cycling as usual.
NO condensor fans.

So did a troubleshoot , relays, fuses etc only to find that BOTH FANS HAVE DIED!!!! I do not believe it! tried to hot wire and dead as doornail.

To top it off then had a shower and there was a blackout in the middle as all the vans with aircon overloaded the circuit.

All in all a day to forget.

So what should I do? Get new aftermarket fans , buy a drill and fit em, IF they are available in K.? Or just continue on without fans and only using aircon over 60Kmh? All entries considered.
One day I MAY get to the GRR,
Regards Philip A

Get em fixed in Kununurra, you don't want to start your Gibb trip with a sub-par cooling system. It's easy to be tempted to use the air-con when sub 60 K's and its hot and sticky. There aren't a lot of opportunities to safely travel at this speed between El Questro and when you hit the bitumen near Winjana Gorge. Try a local auto elec., might be something simple, crook bushes say.

Sunset at Ivanho Crossing is a good gig if your'e running out of things to do. Bottle of wine, cheese and biccies...........................aah what are the poor people doing ? (sitting in Kununurra waiting for spare parts). Very relaxing and great photo opp.

Did the Gibb this time last year from West to East and loved it. Don't lose heart with the glitches, it'll all come together in the end. Liked it so much am going back in August going East to West same as you, but will cut down past Winjana and Tunnel Creek and back to Old Halls Creek. Miss Broome this way which with Kalumburu have to have the worst run camping ground/caravan parks in the country. Nice venues but managed poorly.

Deano

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Originally Posted by Xtreme

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..

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I took my old 1975 Kingswood Ute in there.

Well i see we have a debate about the road to the Bungle Bungles. I have to say that everyone I have met here has nominated it as the worst road in the Kimberley.
Still in Kununurra. The latches arrived this morning and I fitted them in 1/2 hour or so.

Go to the GRR tomorrow and everyone reckons it is like a highway at the moment , so I hope so.
Went to Wyndham yesterday. What a hole but has some interesting history.
Climbed the 5 Rivers lookout in 35C and no overheating.

I will leave the leccy fans until I get home as the local shop only sells 12inch Davies Craigs and the mountings are about 150MM spacing while my bars are 100MM, so a lot of stuffing about.

Old bloke here asked for my help yesterday as his alternator belt in a new model 04 Prado 3.0 L diesel was slipping. I said that it would have multi ribbed belt and had to go to the dealer. BUT I had a look and lo and behold V belts with a simple screw and jam adjuster. Ya gotta love Toyota for their conservative design. Lots of room for a second battery too. AND no bloody fans on the aircon with an enormous condenser cooled only by the viscous.
Ok Onward to El Questro with a rear hatch that stays shut, I hope.
Regards Philip A

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

Well i see we have a debate about the road to the Bungle Bungles. I have to say that everyone I have met here has nominated it as the worst road in the Kimberley.

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Had the same comments more than 10 years ago - I don't think the locals realise that you need to drive a bit slower on the Bungles Rd than on the black ribbon.

I'll be interested to hear what you think of it Philip.

I have been there and done that, and used the term horrific, which someone disagreed with. It was not locals complaing but tourists in well set up 4WDs. The point being that at prsent it is a stinker and worse than the GRR . of course it could change overnight with some tractor tyres dragged over it.LOL.

The road is very corrugated with large widely spaced and deep corrugations typically from tour buses right through Mabel Downs. I had tyres down to 24PSI front and 35 back and it was not possible in most places to exceed 40-50Kmh without setting up the dreaded resonance.

Then the corrugations diminish closer to the park to be replaced by numerous blind corners, several shallow but cut up river crossings and steep hills.

Once in the park the roads are fine as a worker drags 3 tractor tyres behind a tractor every couple of days.

I have no real problem with it but I must say it is the worst road I have encountered recently except for the William Creek to Halligans Bay road at Lake Eyre.

*bump*

anyone heard from Phillip??

No, but if he's still in the Kimberley's in September we'll see him. We are on our way there but taking the scenic route.

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Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

anyone heard from Phillip??

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

Still in Kununurra. The latches arrived this morning and I fitted them in 1/2 hour or so.


Ok Onward to El Questro with a rear hatch that stays shut, I hope.
Regards Philip A

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He might be driving South, at furious pace, determined to stick a product up where the sun don't shine

:p
:p

Once PhilipA leaves Kununurra and heads off down the GRR he won't be in mobile (internet) range until he gets to Derby. Not too many internet cafe's along the way.

Deano