Australia: The Long Way Downunda

[Scott Brady]

I will be spending most of the month of June in the beautiful country of Australia.

While some of the logistics are still in process, I thought it would be good to post my general schedule, should any AU ExPo members be in the area during my visit - it would be fun to meet up for a pint.

Brisbane: 8th-14th - Short Outback Trip. Visit HEMA, TJM and MaxTrax

Sydney: 15-17th

Melbourne: 18th-21st. Visit ARB and Kaymar

Outback Trip 22nd-30th

I will start posting more details soon as we will be adding a few more company visits as we make contact. Let me know if there is anything you need me to take a look at, ask questions of the manufactures, etc.

[whatcharterboat]

Hi Scott

Why don't you drop in and say gidday on your way to Fraser Island.....If I only had a couple of days in SE Queensland , Fraser would definitely be on the list.

Seriously, please drop in if you are going past.We are only an hour North of Brisbane and less than a minute off the highway.

Kind regards
John.

[cruiseroutfit]

...Why don't you drop in and say gidday on your way to Fraser Island.....If I only had a couple of days in SE Queensland , Fraser would definitely be on the list...

I'll second that recommendation, we really wished we had an extra day to spend exploring Fraser. If I did it over I would skip Cairns, don't get me wrong the GBR diving was spectacular) but I really wanted more time in the Red Center!

[Schattenjager]

Australia is a two lifetime kinda place. You won't be sorry no matter where you go.

[p1michaud]

Scott,
This is great news! I'll second a trip to Fraser. Out of curiosity, what part of the Outback will you be visiting, by definition it's a large place...

I'm very keen to catch up for a beer while you are in Queensland. :beer:

Cheers,
P

[Steve F]

I'd cut down on Brisbane and Melbourne a bit, no offense meant to the locals there but Melbourne is not a big city by a long way, a day will get you around the whole thing ;) and Brisbane is no bigger. Sydney (and I'll add its my home town so I might be biased) is a bit better in that at least it has the bridge climb and the opera house and that sort of stuff and is a bigger city than the other two. If you can get out of the citys then there's plenty to see, as others have said if you can get to Fraser Island you'll love it.

Anyway, be prepared for some temperature changes, middle of Winter and its cold in Melbourne, still nice up North though :)

Cheers
Steve

[Scott Brady]

Thanks for the feedback Steve. The cities are more of a reference to a region I will be in at that time. Nearly all of the time will be spent exploring outside of the cities.

I am looking forward to it.

[Christian P.]

If you are in Brisbane, I would make the push to Fraser island for sure - not to be missed. Go there before they block it...

http://i.pbase.com/o2/28/605528/1/51953233.FraserIsland2FraserIsland08.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/o2/28/605528/1/51953227.FraserIsland2FraserIsland03.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/o2/28/605528/1/51953239.FraserIsland2FraserIsland14.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/o2/28/605528/1/51953260.FraserIsland2FraserIsland32.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/o2/28/605528/1/51953252.FraserIsland2FraserIsland25.jpg

[BriansFJ]

I've been to Sydney several times courtesy of Uncle Sam... I recommend a "pub crawl" of the old pubs in the colonial Sydney area (I think it was called the Docks or Rocks or something similar). They are more than a hundred years old and you can almost feel the history in the charmingly dark and cramped quarters.:friday:

[targa88]

+ 4 on Fraser Island.
Don't know how far into the centre (Simmo) you want to venture....

Might want to look up Pierre Michaud he is in Biloela, Qld.

[grimbo]

No offense to Steve but Melbourne has plenty to offer for a few days. Museums, galleries, excellent pubs, restaurants etc. Winery region 40 minutes from town, surf coast 1 hour away. Lots of great local areas too. Let me know if I can help. Obviously the visit to ARB head office will be on your agenda, who are you meeting with, Matt
Frost? If going to Kaymar Brendan is a great bloke.

As to wheeling there are enough tracks within 1 hour to have a bit of fun.

Also you should go to an AFL match while in Melbourne, preferably at the G.

[p1michaud]

Might want to look up Pierre Michaud he is in Biloela, Qld.

I have not been on ExPo too much of late but did manage to catch this thread :sombrero:

Not sure what your agenda is but you may want to consider the following:

2011 Finke Desert Rac (www.finkedesertrace.com.au)e - June 10 - 13th

Simpson desert - Lake Eyre given all the water we've had so far this year.

There are a few 4WD competitions but they are a bit before or after you arrive in the Brisbane "area".

Cheers,
P

[p1michaud]

Scott,
Any updates on destinations in QLD?
Cheers,
P

[Scott Brady]

Getting excited about the trip. I have a full schedule now.

Here is my tentative schedule - would enjoy meeting up with any members along the way.

Brisbane: June 10th
Frasier Island: June 11th-13th
Brisbane: June 14th
Sydney: June 15-16th
Melbourne: June 18th-21st
Flinders Range: June 22nd-28th
Route back to Brisbane (undecided)
Leave for US on 30th, though I might push that back a few days.

See you all there!

[grimbo]

When you're in Melbourne let me know if you want to grab a drink etc

[whatcharterboat]

Scott, you realize the Brisbane Caravan and Camping Show is on in then. I reckon it's the biggest camping / camper trailer / motorhome show we have as there are plenty of Australian manufacturers based around South East Queensland and nearly everyone goes to that one even though Brisvegas is certainly alot less populated than Sydney or Melbourne. http://www.caravanqld.com.au/showsevents/caravan-camping--touring-holiday-show.aspx

You'd need the whole day to see it though. Friday is a good day to go as it's too packed on the weekend. It's at the Ekka virtually in the centre of town.

You're welcome to crash at my place for the night if need be. I live about 1.5 hrs North of Brisbane and the ferry to the North Shore is only 5 minutes drive in the morning. I'll check the tides for you but it's an awesome drive from here up the beach to Double Island Point and then on to Rainbow Beach and Iskip Point .......beautiful beach driving and some neat forest tracks through the Cooloola State Forest. You catch another ferry at Iskip across the channel to the bottom of Fraser and then later you can take a different ferry off the island when you are leaving over to Hervey Bay and then onto wherever. Check this out >> http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/52769-Show-me-your-country!/page2

You need to know the tides......let me get you a link to that so you can plan your trip. Some places are only passable at dead low tide and most is below half tide. The beach can change from week to week too. I can probably hook you up with the frequencies for the Fraser tour buses who might be around to offer advice on the day or suggest alternate routes, etc. I know most of the tour guys and believe me...... they have the tide times and routes on the island down to a fine art ....rainforest tracks and old logging roads at high tide and beach at low.

Let me know.

Edit: Here ya go. http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/oceanography/tides/tide_predications.cgi

Then enter the dates. Actually now that I've looked, it's almost perfect for you ....good timing. Looks like you would want to be on the first ferry across the Noosa River if you were heading that way. I think it's 6:00 start (I'll check) so that would get you up to Inskip along the beach by 8:00 or 8:30 on the 11th . Dead low will be around 10:00 so that gives you till around 2:00 comfortably on the beach. You'll have all day on 12th till around 3:00 and so on. Talk to the ranger when you get your beach permit. Do it all on line. Permit for the car to drive on the North Shore and for Fraser and a camping permit for you guys for the number of days unless you are staying in a cabin or resort (very loose description for most but that 's what they call them over there anyway). You'll also need cash for the ferries. The Noosa River ferry is only about $8 one way but the Inskip / Fraser Ferry is quite a bit more.

Heaps of info about all this online Scott. Google it/

Hey Scott......please, don't take any of this the wrong way. Not trying to be your travel planner......Fraser is our back yard......only offering suggestions.

BTW what car have you got for this trip?

[Scott Brady]

Many thanks for the details.

I will be attending the show in Friday, along with Rob from HEMA. I will then stay Friday night in Brisbane.

Saturday early, I am driving to Fraser Island, and will be spending the weekend exploring it with Rob. I will be back in Brisbane Monday evening.

My schedule is filling up quickly. I have a meeting scheduled with Pat Callinan early on the 15th and then into Sydney.

[Scott Brady]

When you're in Melbourne let me know if you want to grab a drink etc

I would enjoy that. Let me check the schedule once my departure gets closer and we will try to set something up!

[grimbo]

No dramas.

Good old Mr 4x4, Pat haven't spoken to him in awhile.

[RMP&O]

Agree on Fraser, good to see you are going there. It was one of my highlights in my 5 week Oz trip. I spent my 35th B-Day on Fraser drinking Guiness and sitting on the beach.

Also while in Sydney, I highly reccomend going to Royal National Park just outside the city. Amazing place!

I have a bunch of friends in Sydney, if you need somebody to grab a pint with in Sydney send me a pm for their details. My good buddy Steve drives Nissan Patrols, he has a 2010 as well as a bunch of classic. He is currently building a 72 Patrol for a SImpson Desert trek he is leading. Will be mostly old classic Patrols on that Simpson trip. Great pizza in Sydney and also great places to get b-fast. It is a nice city, one of my favorites.

Oh yeah....drink lot's of Toohoeys Old and Bundy Rum!! :)

[whatcharterboat]

Saturday early, I am driving to Fraser Island, and will be spending the weekend exploring it with Rob. I will be back in Brisbane Monday evening.


Hey Scott, ..the offer's there.

Your Saturday morning will either look like this
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/5793440768_89d582b72f_m.jpg

or this
http://www.noosaevergladesdiscovery.com.au/images/phocagallery/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_20.jpg

The beach is really good at the moment. All the beach approach to Fraser from my place up to Inskip is passable up to 3 or 3.5 hours either side of low tide....... Even the infamous rocks at Rainbow (that have claimed literally 100's of 4x4's) and the Rainbow side of the Liesha Track is all clear too. The Leisha Track is the pass you can just make out a few hundred metres behind Double Island Point in the pic above. When you get to Fraser, the whole beach will be fine for at least 4 hours or more either side of low. Tides should be getting up towards 2.o metres by Monday's afternoon high......... So not too bad but the general rule is don't get too brave and take risks on the incoming tide especially towards half tide.

Fraser is quicker for me to go up the beach rather than up the highway but if you are heading straight up from Brisbane without coming this way then go to Gympie (about 2 hrs North with a coffee stop) and take the Rainbow turn off (not quite an hour with a stop at the ranger station ) then another 10 minutes to Inskip Point.

I'll PM my phone number just in case. It'll be a long weekend when you are up there as Monday is a public holiday so there'll be a ton of other people around if you come unstuck. Might be a little traffic too but you'll be right if you leave early enough. You can go back a different way over to the mainland on a different ferry on your way home too if you like .

John.

[Matto]

...still nice up North though :)
That it is. A lovely 82 degrees F here today, and not a cloud in the sky. :D

Shame you're not coming up north, there's some beautiful countryside around here. The reef's already been mentioned, but the rainforest is also right on our doorstep. An hour and a half and you're over the Daintree and right into the midst of it, lizards and all.

John - have they bought in the access charges for Rainbow Beach yet?

Sounds like you've got a good itinerary Scott - you're certainly seeing a hell of a lot of the countryside in a short period of time! I wish you a great visit, I'm sure you'll have a blast. Say G'Day to Patski for me. Never met the man myself, but from all accounts he's a top bloke.

Give the Toohey's a miss (cheaper just to drink your old sump oil :Wow1:), but I'll definately second the Bundy rum. :)

If by chance you do end up in this end of the country, feel free to get in touch.

Thanks!
Matto :)

[whatcharterboat]

Matto,

Yes. You ahve to pay access now for the beach from Noosa up to Rainbow now. I think it's 15 bucks. Stinks.............. Nothing like cutting loose on the motorcross bikes when we were kids in the '70's........ I even saw a speed camera on the beach a while ago and definitely expect an RBT at somepoint over a long weekend. John.

[Scott Brady]

I am in AU and loving it so far. Wonderful people (as I expected) and Brisbane is a nice city. Lots of time at the caravan show yesterday.

Today, I head north to Fraser island - in this. . .
http://truckiesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/earth-cruiser-b.jpg

[Plan B]

Today, I head north to Fraser island - in this. . .

EarthCruiser? You lucky Bar.....d!! :D

I would be interested in your thoughts after riding in one as to how good offroad they are? Please feel free to express your thoughts! :)

[grimbo]

Half your luck. Have a great time, which shouldn't be hard on Fraser with that

[Scott Brady]

Landed on Fraser in the EarthCruiser. So far, it has managed the sand and mud just fine. The brand new 37" Hankooks didn't hurt.

So fun doing a beach landing with the ferry. In total, we drove 70k on the beach today.

[Scott Brady]

Fraser Island is a special place. It is impressive that such an adventure is available on an island of a developed country. In the US, the place would be overrun with people. Fortunately, Australia is the same land mass as the continental US, but with 7% of the people.

The 4wd tracks were not particularly difficult (although I expect they would be more so in dry conditions with soft sand), but they are beautiful. The perched lakes are some of the most clear and clean in the world.

And the EarthCruiser proved its worth too. This is a true RTW expedition camper, and impressively, can be purchased in the USA. It is rare for us to find RTW diesel platforms on our shores.

I am very thankful to Rick, and ExPo member and Australian who let me borrow his personal truck for the weekend - thank you.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/259895_10150336626003275_640113274_10044585_703240 2_n.jpg

[Scott Brady]

Tracker is fired up: SPOT (http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?&glId=03drd0GEWm7BxUfCkWhvrd2GeBbArBGvr)

[p1michaud]

Scott,
Glad you enjoyed Fraser Island, it's a beautiful spot. Not overly happy that my plans fell through... :(

I noticed a gap in your itinerary:
Flinders Range: June 22nd-28th
Route back to Brisbane (undecided)
Leave for US on 30th, though I might push that back a few days.

May I suggest you take a scenic flight over Lake Eyre? It's got plenty of water in it at the moment. Not very often in a lifetime that you would get to see the desert full of water...

Cheers,
P

[Scott Brady]

Beware the Drop Bear!
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/251220_10150340282173275_640113274_10079447_137121 9_n.jpg

[Scott Brady]

I have transitioned from the EarthCruiser to something equally different. A twin-turbo V8 diesel 200 Land Cruiser. I had it through a pretty technical trail today - all lockers kind of day. Perfect!

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/264614_10150340286638275_640113274_10079466_101979 7_n.jpg

[Bulldust]

LOL, yep you've got to watch out, those drop bears are dangerous creatures, you just never know when one will drop from a tree...

Just checked your SPOT page, good to see that you had a bit of a drive through the Newnes SF, looks like you checked out Blackfellows Hands Rock. There are a myriad of great tracks and sites in that area, I've been going there for years and still haven't come close to exploring them all!

I see you also passed through my home town of Bathurst this arvo, did you get a chance to do a lap of our race track?

Good to hear you're enjoying your stay down here, and getting out to see a bit of the country side. Where are you heading to, your SPOT shows you in Cowra at the moment.

[Scott Brady]

Yep, just went through Bathurst. Sorry I missed you.

The Blackfellows Hand Trail was super fun, and surprisingly technical (big ledges), especially with a truck with stock-size tires. I also took another route through the National Park which had some deep mud at the bottom of the canyons and a few steep climbs. Much to see!

The pagoda rock spires are beautiful. This area of AU is so much different than what I expected -very special.

[Bulldust]

No worries, I would have been getting my new tyres put on ready for my trip into the Simpson Desert, when you passed through town :)

Yes, the scenery in the Blue Mountains can be quite spectacular, especially where you were today, away from the more touristy places off the main highway. The sad thing is, even though it's all so close to Sydney, most Sydney-siders wouldn't have a clue any of it existed. If you keep heading west or south-west from Cowra tomorrow the land is only going to get flatter!

That 200 series looks awesome, wasn't aware that HEMA were running them, only ever seen their Patrols about (which also look awesome!).

Cheers,
Jeff

[Scott Brady]

So much for the Australian drought. . .
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262761_10150341176373275_640113274_10088061_592336 5_n.jpg

The 200 is a pig (i.e. a big, comfortable AWD country wagon), but more capable than expected. The motor is sweet. The ARB accessories and better tires saved the day.

[grimbo]

Yeah we've come out of the drought in a big way, especially the east coast.

Looks like you are having a great trip, especially the toys you are getting to use.

What's next on the agenda and what other toys have you got lined up?

[Scott Brady]

I am on the way to Melbourne and will be pulling together a couple more trucks for the Flinders Ranges, including Skytrek. A HiLux and an LR3. We have a few more team members coming in on Monday/Tuesday (Ben, Austin and Charlie).

After the flinders, we will head out to the Strzelecki desert, camerons corner, etc.

[grimbo]

Well if you are keen to grab a drink in Melbourne let me know

[Scott Brady]

We are all going to head out for a beer tomorrow night (Monday night)

I am staying at the Rydges Bell City Hotel north of the city. We are thinking of:

Stolberg
197 Plenty Road
Preston VIC 3072, Australia
(03) 9495 1444
stolberg.com.au‎

[grimbo]

Haven't been but it's convenient for you so sounds good. Let me now if you have time etc and we'll try and catch up, love to hear your stories

[Scott Brady]

Lets plan for seven.

I will be the big, ugly bald guy :ylsmoke:

[grimbo]

Which night?
I'll be the other big bald ugly guy

[Scott Brady]

Manana (i.e., Monday night) :costumed-smiley-007

[grimbo]

Great see you then

[oldosc]

Afternoon Gentlemen
Don't know if this camp fire lie is relavent, but at 74 I would like someone to note it.
Went to Auss as a 10 pound pom, did some things..finished up in Broken Hill with a willis Jeep, bought from a Maori, was fencing contracter at the time....was in the truck one night with a half coloured girl, Police with lamp poked nose in asked for her "rights"( abbos at the time had to have a paper to consume alcohol) I pointed out that she did'nt need one, he demmured, called me a pom..I wound up the window and drove off. after quarter mile I wound down the window and let his arm out...
Went back to my camp...about 3 in morning copple of traps turned up arrested me, took to station, explained that the trap in question was a proper a'***ole, and a South African, BUT he was still a Policeman, in liew of this they put socks over their boots before kicking two of my ribs in.
Next day they came to my little camp, with 5gal oil, a 10 gall petrol drum, and a bottle of Captain Kettle rum (120 proof) explained it would be a good move to move on a bit,like the Territory would be better for me.
I had an amazing 5 years in outback, and my degree in Chem Eng was not as good as my deg in No Worries
Oldosc

[Scott Brady]

Great story :smiley_drive:

Any pictures?

[Scott Brady]

Here are a few images from the Brisbane Caravan Show: Full Article (http://www.expeditionportal.com/vehicules/camper/72-cell-and-truck-camper/380-brisbane-caravan-show.html)

http://gallery.me.com/overlandjournal/100129/P1000098/web.jpg?ver=13084833720001

http://gallery.me.com/overlandjournal/100129/P1000134/web.jpg?ver=13084834600001

[grimbo]

Caught up with Scott and the guys on Monday for a couple of drinks and a meal . Had a great chat and they've got a good trip out to the Flinders Ranges over the next few days. Should be a blast and should be a bunch of great photo ops too.

[Equipt]

Hey Scott,

I am glad to hear you are having a good time over there. Quite jealous too. Say hey to the guys for me. I look forward to seeing more about your trip. Did you by chance see the Dolium Ltd. exhibit at the caravan show?

Cheers,

[p1michaud]

Did you by chance see the Dolium Ltd. exhibit at the caravan show?

Paul,
I could be wrong, but the Dolium Ltd. crew is mostly in Western Australia. On the eastern side, most of their gear is distributed via Opposite Lock. I've never seen them at the 4WD shows here.

Cheers,
P

[LaOutbackTrail]

Awesome Mr. Brady! Looks like you are having a great time!

Love the bloke's directions a page or so back.... "two hours on the other side of..." "then another ten minutes to...."
My kind of directions right there!

[Equipt]

Paul,
I could be wrong, but the Dolium Ltd. crew is mostly in Western Australia. On the eastern side, most of their gear is distributed via Opposite Lock. I've never seen them at the 4WD shows here.

Cheers,
P

Ah. That makes sense. Worth asking. Adrian at Dolium is a friend. Haven't seen him in a while.

Cheers,

[Scott Brady]

Just made it to Broken Hill after being in the Outback. Time for a shower and a nice dinner.

The Flinders were exceptional
64227

[dvnordy]

Glad to hear from you guys. I hope it was epic.

[p1michaud]

Just made it to Broken Hill after being in the Outback. Time for a shower and a nice dinner.

Any thoughts on future itinerary?
Cheers,
P

[grimbo]

Cmon we need a bit more than that. A few pics and a brief run down would be cool

[Scott Brady]

Internet is surprisingly difficult to come by in AU.

Image #1: Austin getting ready for the next shot.
Image #2: 2010 LR3 on SkyTrek. A super fun loop track in the Flinders.
Image #3: Taking the 200 out towards the dry salt lake bed.

More soon. On the home stretch to the Brisbane airport.

[mph]

What were your initial impressions of the 200? I am sure it had all the goodies on it too!

[Scott Brady]

What were your initial impressions of the 200? I am sure it had all the goodies on it too!

Initial impression: It is a nice, soft, comfortable 'car'

[whatcharterboat]

Hi Scott....
when do you fly out from Brisbane??? John.

[FlyNdrive]

Scott, I will be in Brissy on the 4th. We can always meet up with Brad.

Cheers,

-Ben

[flywgn]

...Love the bloke's directions a page or so back.... "two hours on the other side of..." "then another ten minutes to...."
My kind of directions right there!

Here! Here! We just had that experience crossing one of Nevada's Basin and Ranges.

Allen R

[grimbo]

Hope you had a great stay in Oz can't wait to see any pics and hear your stories about it. Always interesting hearing a traveler from O/S talk about your local stuff

[Scott Brady]

Just back in the US. Had a wonderful time. Australia is a very special place.

More thoughts and images soon.

[SLOwag]

Check out Arthur Upfield if you like murder mysteries from a simpler time. His protagonist is an Aboriginal police detective.

[Scott Brady]

Just as a funny note.

Australia is a really wonderful place and the people are probably the nicest and most relaxed of any country I have visited - but still, there are a few things that are creepy.

Here is my list of the most creepy things about Australia.

1. The Sport Ute (Austin and Charlie don't agree)
http://0.tqn.com/d/trucks/1/0/1/B/1/v6_ute.jpg

2. Vegimite Obsession
http://thespeedgamers-wiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/vegemite175.jpg/80176515/vegemite175.jpg

3. Australian Country Western Singers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_country_music)(where did that twang come from?)

I know, it is a stretch, but there are always things I find odd about the countries I visit. Given the above list, it shows how awesome Australia really is!

Oh, and what is with all the speed cameras :Wow1:

[scootr29]

A couple of videos of what I think about Australia....sounds like an awesome trip


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqWOlTqn6YU



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejorQVy3m8E

RIP


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQxcugbmg9M


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r85Yy20PWo4

And since I am in the trucking business...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I19a3GZYyH4&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NHcTM5IA4

[p1michaud]

Here is my list of the most creepy things about Australia.

2. Vegimite Obsession
http://thespeedgamers-wiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/vegemite175.jpg/80176515/vegemite175.jpg



Ah Scott,
You just need to visit for a bit longer to properly understand the Vegemite obsession. I did not fully comprehend until one severely hung over morning when I was craving something salty. Out came the vegimite on on a piece of toast followed by some fresh avocado and an egg with runny yolk... :chef: Now, I eat Vegemite every now and then but can't say it's an obsession yet.

[XXXpedition]

i would go back there in an instand :-)))
awesome people on an awesome continent...

[grimbo]

Don't knock vegemite, nothing better than a slice of freshly baked bread, some good old fashioned butter and a generous slathering of vegemite. Mmmmm matter as fact I've got one now

[whatcharterboat]

Ah Scott,
You just need to visit for a bit longer to properly understand the Vegemite obsession.

Hey Pierre,

Not all of us.............I'd rather lick tar off the road. Same taste.


Oh, and what is with all the speed cameras

Hi Scott,

Did you see any on the beach at Teewah ? They usually stick one up there on long weekends like the one you went up there on or at least a couple of constables with handheld speed guns. Often a RBT too......Random Breath Test.

Actually, just before you left, the beach at Inskip, next to where you caught the Fraser Island Ferry collapsed into the passage. You can almost see the ferries at the top of the pic. A big chunk just disappeared..............have never seen that before although I did see a bike rider go over the bars when he hit a fresh water spring on the beach when we were kids. The first time we ever drove up there as kids on a surfing trip, my mate's dad who was an old timer beach fisherman said never drive over shiny sand, and we thought "whatever" then when we got up there this bike traveling in front of us just drops and over the bars he went at 60 kph and face first into the beach. Have never seen that since either.

This pic taken on the 29th of June.

http://images.watoday.com.au/2011/06/28/2457376/Hole169-408x264.jpg

[Scott Brady]

Actually, just before you left, the beach at Inskip, next to where you caught the Fraser Island Ferry collapsed into the passage. You can almost see the ferries at the top of the pic. A big chunk just disappeared..............have never seen that before although I did see a bike rider go over the bars when he hit a fresh water spring on the beach when we were kids. The first time we ever drove up there as kids on a surfing trip, my mate's dad who was an old timer beach fisherman said never drive over shiny sand, and we thought "whatever" then when we got up there this bike traveling in front of us just drops and over the bars he went at 60 kph and face first into the beach. Have never seen that since either.

This pic taken on the 29th of June.

http://images.watoday.com.au/2011/06/28/2457376/Hole169-408x264.jpg

That is unbelievable. I can see how that would happen though. The amount of rain could saturate those fresh water outlets and off the go.

[flywgn]

A couple of videos of what I think about Australia....sounds like an awesome trip... .

Good choice of videos, especially the Truck Trains. Frequently here in the U.S. west we see triples, but SIX!!! Wowser!

Another favorite Aussie vid of mine is BUSH MECHANICS (http://www.bushmechanics.com/home.htm). :rally_guys:

Allen R

[whatcharterboat]

Another favorite Aussie vid of mine is BUSH MECHANICS.



X2. The Bush Mechanics series used to be on TV. My 2 all time favourites were when the fuel pump died so they filled the washer bottle with petrol and ran the windscreen washer hose straight into the carby bowl. As soon as the car would start to die, they would hit the washer button on the stalk for a couple of seconds........who thinks of that??

And probably when the battery went flat so they tipped the acid into a billycan and heated it up on the fire, poured it back in and fired up the engine...........who would be game enough to do that?

Every episode was full of gems like that. Highly , highly recommended.

[redthies]

I used to have a converted 1969 International Harvester bus that I used as a bunk house
at our white-water rafting camp. One day the fuel pump went out on the huge 6 cyl gas engine. I had the cowling off, and a friend holding a 2 liter (half gallon) Coke bottle with the nipple from a gear oil bottle on it, followed by some surgical tubing leading to the fuel line inlet on the carb. The bottom was cut off the bottle making it a funnel with 2 liter capacity. He would fill the Coke bottle from a 5 gallon jerry can and then hold the 2 liter up like an IV drip. We drove the thing way too many kilometers like that. Kind of scary, but it go the bus where it needed to go!:sombrero:

[grimbo]

So Scott did you get the feral platter at the Prairie Hotel?

[Scott Brady]

Absolutely! I really enjoyed Kangaroo- ordered it several times.

It is odd eating something so cute, but I got over it ;)

[grimbo]

What about the camel?

[uneekwahn]

I can't believe you didn't go to the Kimberley region in Western Australia!

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/52892-Various-trips-we-ve-done-to-the-Kimberley-region-of-Western-Australia

[Scott Brady]

I can't believe you didn't go to the Kimberley region in Western Australia!

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/52892-Various-trips-we-ve-done-to-the-Kimberley-region-of-Western-Australia

That is the next trip, with a GU Patrol. Probably next June or so.

[Scott Brady]

What about the camel?

I like camel, although the Moroccans prepare it better than the Aussies do. Tastes like horse.

[uneekwahn]

That is the next trip, with a GU Patrol. Probably next June or so.

Let me know when you're over this way as it would be great to meet you.

I'll also happily take some time off work to go up there with you (I'm in Perth, Western Australia's capital).

Cheers,

Jason.

[Scott Brady]

I cant wait to go back. Australia and Australians are top notch!