Every Time You See A Road Train, There's One Less Kangaroo

[maxingout]

When I was driving around Australia in my Defender 130, I saw a lot of kangaroos wiped out by road trains.

My son and I wrote a song, "Every Time You See A Road Train, There's One Less Kangaroo.

Have a listen: http://www.maxingout.com/RoadTrainExplanationMP3.mp3

My son is a musician, and he recorded the song using a little recorder on our sailboat. The song captures the spirit of our outback adventure.

 

[Rallyroo]

Oh no! One less roo!

The song has a nice melody to it.

I have yet to see a road train in real life. I have seen them on the Discovery Channel though. Crazy stuff driving that many trailers on a road.

 

[maxingout]

The first road train we met in Oz threw up stones and put a couple of cracks in our windscreen. By the time we completed our trip, it was definitely time for a new windscreen.

 

[alan]

don't worry we have plenty of kangaroo's.

 

[Cruisn]

Where abouts are you in Oz? I always pull over and stop about 5-10m off the side of the road when a road train passes if room permits, most of this was on narrow 1 lane dirt roads on the way to birdsville. no cracks for me.

 

[maxingout]

Where abouts are you in Oz? I always pull over and stop about 5-10m off the side of the road when a road train passes if room permits, most of this was on narrow 1 lane dirt roads on the way to birdsville. no cracks for me.

Although I am in Arizona, my heart is in Queensland. I have my Defender 130 in storage in Kawana Waters about fifteen minutes south of Mooloolaba.

We sailed twice to Australia arriving in Scarborough north of Brisbane the first time, and Bundaberg the second time. When I arrived in Oz, I went searching for a Defender for some Ozzie exploration. It took a couple of months to find one, but eventually we discovered a Defender 130 in Caloundra.

We made some sand ladders, installed Black Widow drawers, mounted a Howling Moon roof top tent, got a bunch of jerry cans, two spare tires, and put on new Michelin XZL tires. Then we took off for a 10,000 km Ozzie adventure.

Right now the Defender 130 is parked in covered storage awaiting the next trip.

I am in Phoenix earning my Freedom Chips. After living outside the USA for 28 years, I am chafing at city life stateside. If I wasn't a flying doctor with the Indian Health Service, I would need a couple of barrels of antidepressants to survive. Flying to work to the Indian Reservations is the best adventure I can muster at the present time.

My wife and I are both ready to take the Defender 130 out of storage and to run the entire perimeter of Australia plus a trip down the Canning Stock Route and the Simpson desert for good measure.

 

[Cruisn]

Although I am in Arizona, my heart is in Queensland. I have my Defender 130 in storage in Kawana Waters about fifteen minutes south of Mooloolaba.


We sailed twice to Australia arriving in Scarborough north of Brisbane the first time, and Bundaberg the second time. When I arrived in Oz, I went searching for a Defender for some Ozzie exploration. It took a couple of months to find one, but eventually we discovered a Defender 130 in Caloundra.

We made some sand ladders, installed Black Widow drawers, mounted a Howling Moon roof top tent, got a bunch of jerry cans, two spare tires, and put on new Michelin XZL tires. Then we took off for a 10,000 km Ozzie adventure.

Right now the Defender 130 is parked in covered storage awaiting the next trip.

I am in Phoenix earning my Freedom Chips. After living outside the USA for 28 years, I am chafing at city life stateside. If I wasn't a flying doctor with the Indian Health Service, I would need a couple of barrels of antidepressants to survive. Flying to work to the Indian Reservations is the best adventure I can muster at the present time.

My wife and I are both ready to take the Defender 130 out of storage and to run the entire perimeter of Australia plus a trip down the Canning Stock Route and the Simpson desert for good measure.

Nice rig, I am currently building my pajero up for touring, we crossed australia once alreay. but we have the canning stock route on tap for end of may next year, and if all goes right with this engine swap I am trying to hit the anne beadell highway for early september.

I love the defender, there a nice machine, when I got to perth I was looking for a few, but funds would not allow it. and its not like I dont like my mitsu, she goes where I point her. LOL

 

[maxingout]

Nice rig, I am currently building my pajero up for touring, we crossed australia once alreay. but we have the canning stock route on tap for end of may next year, and if all goes right with this engine swap I am trying to hit the anne beadell highway for early september.

I love the defender, there a nice machine, when I got to perth I was looking for a few, but funds would not allow it. and its not like I dont like my mitsu, she goes where I point her. LOL

When I lived in Arabia I knew a German expatriate who took a Pajero to the middle of the Empty Quarter to visit the Wabar meteor crater BY HIMSELF. He had virtually no backup with another vehicle. He made the trip ok. I admired his courage, but I doubted his judgement going that far in deep desert without any other vehicles along for the trip. I know of a Defender driver who died on a solo trip in deep desert. I was told that he probably had a heart attack.

I love reading LYBIAN SANDS by Bagnold and hearing about what he accomplished in Model T vehicles in the Libyan desert nearly a hundred years ago.

A sensible driver can go amazing places in nearly any vehicle. The vehicle determines how much gear and how many people you can carry. A solo operator without passengers can have great adventures in nearly any vehicle if he drives it in a reasonable manner. Some trucks can take more abuse than others and are more forgiving of mistakes without creating a demolition derby. If Bagnold could conquer the Libyan sands in a Model T, our modern vehicles should be able to take us to the ends of the earth.

 

[Cruisn]

excellent words, The pajero is great since it is jsut me and my girl, I am in the process of removing the middle seats for a water tank and false floor. keep the weight low and such, you can go far when you dont need all the seats.

I seen in your other thread about sand ladders, what size material did you use? I am a welder by trade so I think I may whip a set up, but i overkill build things, 3mm thick material? 40x40 angle?

 

[maxingout]

excellent words, The pajero is great since it is jsut me and my girl, I am in the process of removing the middle seats for a water tank and false floor. keep the weight low and such, you can go far when you dont need all the seats.

I seen in your other thread about sand ladders, what size material did you use? I am a welder by trade so I think I may whip a set up, but i overkill build things, 3mm thick material? 40x40 angle?

I don't have the sand ladders with me to measure them. Bigger is not better because they will kick up and hit the under side of the truck if they are too long. Bigger means heavier weight which is less desirable. Shorter ones work fine and get the job done, and are less likely to bend. Steel angle iron is very strong so the metal does not have to be that thick. I would experiment to see what works best on your truck. Your vehicle is not that heavy, and I think lighter ones would work for you.