VEC RATeX 2021 - The We Will Rock You Tour...

[MID WEST DUBBER]

Love the updates Morts, pictures are priceless

[morts]

Love the updates Morts, pictures are priceless

Cheers Rusty

[morts]

And I'm so clever I managed to double post Day 6 twice. If anyone can let me know how to delete the double up I will.

Day 7 – Yulara

Many of our group had left for the Olgas at 4.30am to watch the sunrise over Uluru. There are two major walking trails at the Olgas. One is the canyon walk which featured a flowing spring halfway up to the viewing platform at the top. The other was a much longer walk where wild budgerigars were found in great numbers in their natural habitat.
We Returned to camp at 1.00pm where we refuelled. There was a rumour that the standard unleaded fuel was contaminated (we have had that experience before on a prior RATeX at Mount Ive) so we had to get the key to unlock the padlock on the 98 octane pump.
That night was our ‘All the President’s Men Pasta Night’ where you had to wear a loud and colourful shirt and pay $10 per car entry with the proceeds going to our charity, Shake It Up. There was enough pasta left over from the 5kg that was cooked to feed us all twice over! We danced the night away and played a card game called 'Shithead’ with two packs of cards with the kids. It was a great fun night..!

[morts]

Day 8 – Yulara to Kulgera

It was a beautiful, sunny 24 degree day when we all met out front of the Ayres Rock Campground at 8.45am for a 9.00am departure. As we reflected on our Uluru and Kata Tjuta experiences over the past few days Snoop Dog was getting a push start. There was some banter as to why this occurred - it seems ‘someone’ had left the fridge running overnight and the battery had run flat!
There was excessive traffic heading away from The Rock – it was like peak hour! We travelled along steadily stopping at Curtin Springs for morning tea at around 10.00am. On the road again and further into our journey we pulled into the Mount Connor lookout. The distance around the base of Mount Connor is three times bigger than Uluru and the mountain stands 344 metres above the surrounding plains, which is only 4 metres shorter than Uluru. We climbed a red sand dune to discover a lovely view of a large dry lake on the other side. There was plenty of detective work on the dune to figure out what wildlife had left patterns of tracks in the sand. A few dead items were collected to add to the front of Willshemakeit and Kellan found ‘Dave’ the melon who joined us briefly on our travels.

We had lunch, refuelled and re-stocked our liquor supply at Erldunda. It was then a short 75 kilometre journey to Kulgera and we arrived around 2.30pm. After setting up for the night we had plenty of time to relax. At the Shazal and Willshemakeit camp a sudden gust of wind picked up and flicked Andy’s awning up and over the top of his kombi causing some damage to the frame. It appears this was the only casualty for Day 8.
We then had a meal at the Kulgera Pub which is the first and last pub in the Northern territory and the most central pub in Australia. The Mulga Bar is decorated with hundreds of signed bras, bank notes, business cards, stubbie holders, hats and flags mostly hanging from the ceiling. It was a very busy Saturday night at the outback pub and the food and service were great.

[morts]

Day 9 – Kulgera to Dalhousie Springs

There were really only two days I was worried about when planning this trip – the 500 kilometre day from Marla to Yulara simply because of the distance we had to travel and today. Today was more about the terrain we had to cover rather than the distance and with the recent floods closing some roads it was just a matter of how treacherous and time consuming the remaining roads would be.

We had been to Dalhousie Springs before in the RATeX of 2013 and on that occasion only seven cars from our starting convoy made it due to prior breakdowns, forecast rains and breakdowns en-route. Even then we only just made it into Dalhousie before nightfall - to a rousing reception from the campers there who had heard over the radio that a bunch of old volksies were heading their way.

Now at the best of times Willshemakeit more resembled Little Miss Sunshine as each time the kombi would pull up people just kept piling out of it. Anyway, the convoy was in tears of laughter due to the running commentary coming from this car heading towards Mount Dare. Louis had a blood nose, Harry was emitting something from his body following a dubious menu selection the night before and that was causing Lyly’s eyes to nearly pop from the pressure – or was there a corpse in there? Ah, the joys of a family road trip..

We had a pretty good run from Kulgera to Mount Dare, the only problem being that Wunona’s carbies were playing up making driving at a constant speed quite difficult. As we pulled into Mount Dare the only other car there was a modern 4WD being driven by a young German couple who had just crossed The Simpson Desert. We were the first air cooled VW that arrived and the girl from the 4WD doubled over in laughter and was in stiches that a car of this vintage had just rolled into this desolate outpost. I immediately briefed her that we were the first of quite a few finely engineered older cars, designed in her homeland, and they were both astonished as the various makes and models of our motley crew continued to roll in.

After Lunch and refuelling we were feeling pretty good about ourselves. The tracks so far had been variable – in certain areas you could do 80kph and other sections we were limited to approximately 30kph, however we had all made it to the final launching pad for Dalhousie Springs which is located about 80kms south of the NT border.

Not that far out of Mount Dare we came across a stranded 4WD that was parked up with three blown tyres. I think he was quite peeved to see our old jiggers sail past without any issues!! He had braced himself to stay put for the night with a plan to get to Mount Dare the following day if the cavalry didn’t arrive.

The last 70 kilometres from Mt Dare took us three hours to complete mainly due to washed out tracks and a couple of pit stops to keep Wunona chugging along before a late afternoon/early evening carby overhaul.
We rolled into Dalhousie Springs tired, dusty but elated we had made it with very few complications. Priorities were setting up camp, getting a drink and getting into our bathers to bask in that 38 degree spring. This spring is fed from The Great Artesian Basin and it is the heat from the Earth’s core which keeps this water at this constant temperature all year round. There are three fish species, six water snail species and they believe several small crustaceans, a frog species and a yabby species that live nowhere else on Earth other than at Dalhousie Springs - it is probably a very good thing this spring is in such a remote location!

Needless to say we all slept well that night under a spectacular, starry outback sky.

[morts]

Day 10 - Dalhousie Springs to Oodnadatta

It is 6.30am and we waken to the buzz of mosquitos. We trudge out of our vans, swags and tents and mosey on down the winding track, down to the renowned Dalhousie Springs! What a delightful experience - one we will remember for a lifetime! The 38-degree water, the serenity, the peace, happiness, shrieks of laughter, the steam rising off the water and the tranquillity as the sun rises! Swallows swoop down on us for their first drink of the morning.

Then…. the adventures begin. The comforting hum of Volkswagens starting on their next adventure. 9.00am departure and no whistles needed on this beautiful morning! Andy has problems with his UHF radio - will he be left in silence? Only 3 kilometres out and a few cars stop to drop off their rubbish. What an opportunity - plumes of dust are emitted as some cars enjoy doing burn outs in the bull dust!

Then, shortly afterwards, Victor gets a flat tyre! Unbelievably, the first for this RATeX and some random tyre guy (Andy!) helps out! He seems to know what he is doing and the convoy continues…. An hour and a half later we are still on the Dalhousie Track, an incredibly rough and slow-going experience…. Snoop Dog becomes bogged in a dry, sandy creek bed! Luckily Tow-Jo was there to save the day! Willshemakeit also suffers the same fate...

Whilst pulling cars out of the creek bed, the Park Ranger arrives to check our passes to confirm we are legal. He also informs us he is the owner of a fully imported 1974 Westfalia kombi which he is looking to sell! We mention that we are hoping to take the short cut to the Oodnadatta Track, and he heads off to check the route for us because this track is still officially listed as closed from the recent flooding. As we travel on further, the ranger radios to inform us that he is now bogged up to his axles in a creek crossing and requires our help to pull him out - so much for that short cut! Tow-Jo and Rod Bolt to the rescue and upon arrival they find the Ranger in his underwear in the middle of the creek!

Upon reaching the Oodnadatta Track we stop for lunch on the side of the road as we wait for Snoop Dog with its injured paw. (damaged tie rod end.)

The President…. ‘Reggie’ runs out of fuel…. 30 kilometres from Oodnadatta… the only opportunity for Willshemakeit to pass him! We eventually arrive safely at the Pink Roadhouse. Snoop Dog rolls in with a destroyed muffler, which must be removed - Snoop Dog had lost its tail..!

Dinner at the famous Pink Roadhouse, hamburgers, curries, and steaks are the go and after dinner drinks are had in the Boehm’s cabin - byo $40 six packs, what a bargain...!

We prepare for a peaceful night’s sleep after a day of treacherous travel only to be awoken at 3.00am by howling winds. Willshemakeit requires an urgent canopy dismantle before it takes off into space and in the morning Lucky Phil was found meandering around the camp looking for his air cleaners which had blown away in the wind! A successful recovery Lucky Phil!

All in all, a perfect day!

[morts]

Day 11 - Oodnadatta to Coward Springs

As we wake up the irony doesn’t escape me that we are experiencing a light sprinkle of rain in the place that wears the badge of ‘Australia’s driest town’ with pride. The first point of order after breakfast and packing is to park up for a photo shoot out front of the iconic Oodnadatta Pink Roadhouse before heading up the road for a brief look at the local museum dedicated to the early history of this area.
Our next stop is at the Algebuckina Railway Bridge which was opened in 1892 as an integral part of The Old Ghan railway line. This gave us the opportunity for a close up walk around this amazing structure from a bygone era and it served as a period backdrop for our, comparatively, more modern beasts of burden. The flowing Neales River below also added to the contrast of this landscape.

We are soon on the road again heading to William Creek for lunch and to refuel. The airstrip at this remote outpost is immediately behind the pub and upon arriving into town the first thing we saw at the opposite end of the end of the township was a light aircraft taxiing ACROSS The Oodnadatta Track….interesting!
One thing that had been evident throughout our journey was there were a lot of establishments experiencing a shortage of staff with ‘staff wanted’ notices adorning plenty of shopfront windows. Talking to one general hand at The William Creek Hotel he told me over the last few days he had been serving behind the bar, head chef and chief tyre changer and when he recently went to Coober Pedy he was offered three jobs in one afternoon!

During our lunch break we arrange for Niambri (David Seaton who will be joining us at Woomera) to bring a replacement tie rod end for Snoop Dog, whose front paw has been feeling poorly and his limp is now worsening…

A big hat tip to my wife, Cate, as well - due to my corked thigh and continually being on the go it never got a chance to heal so she ended up doing about 70% of the driving!!

After lunch it was onwards for a brief stop at an abandoned homestead, where some travellers were squatting, and then to our resting place for the evening - the oasis of Coward Springs. This campground has just been taken over by new owners and they had set aside a dedicated area for us to camp in and roped it off with a welcome sign – nice! With camp set up and our evening meal polished off we were all soon sitting around a roaring fire at Camp Boehm and many stories were re-counted late into the night…

[morts]

Day 12 - Coward Springs to Woomera

Everyone gets ready for another day on the road, recognising that the red dirt part of our adventure is nearing its end. We head off towards a few mound springs dotted on the desert landscape with names such as Blanche Cup and The Bubbler. The water in these springs is crystal clear and surrounded by thriving native grasses and low shrubs and yet rather than being a desert landscape it is more like a lunar landscape. I was just waiting for Rover to appear from behind the nearest mesa, or maybe even R2D2 and C-3PO to wander over and give us an interactive talk on these amazing natural features out in the middle of this desolate countryside…

Lake Eyre South was our next destination and the old low, railway line fencing gave the younger brigade an opportunity to hone their high wire skills and/or skateboarding skills. Looking over this salt lake into the horizon made you realise what a vast land we live in. The Lake Eyre Basin is one of the world’s largest internally draining systems, amazingly covering 22% of the Australian continent and, at 15 metres below sea level, is Australia’s lowest point.

Roxby Downs was our lunch and refuel stop and it was here that, thankfully, Wunona discovered there was only one bolt holding its steering box together!! Rectification works were soon carried out and we were on the road again heading towards our final destination for today – Woomera.
Woomera is an Aboriginal word for a hooked stick which helps a spear to travel at greater force and speed than compared to throwing it and Woomera Village was set up in 1946 in conjunction with the British to establish a long range weapons testing facility. Since 1957 only Cape Canaveral in Florida has seen more rocket launches!

We split ourselves across The Eldo Hotel and Woomera Travellers Village and Caravan Park and ate at The Eldo Hotel which was full of patrons and the food was fabulous.

We had managed to luck being in Woomera on the night of a total lunar eclipse, (blood moon) and Woomera happens to have an observatory, (The Woomera Baker Observatory) and Club member Perry Toynton happened to know someone who volunteered at the observatory, so we got to spend a few hours looking through a telescope at this lunar phenomenon that only occurs every 2.5 years and thankfully the early cloud cover dissipated. You could say the planets all lined up for us….

[spl65t]

Excellent write up Morts and pics too. Living most of our dreams
Can’t wait to do something like that
Cheers Linz

[morts]

Excellent write up Morts and pics too. Living most of our dreams
Can’t wait to do something like that
Cheers Linz

Yep, they're certainly epic trips.

[morts]

Day 13 – Woomera to Laura

We woke up to a cool crisp morning in the Woomera Caravan Park, and with the sun rising the day began to warm quite quickly. Craig fitted Snoop Dog with a much needed new tie rod end to ensure a safe trip home.

We left camp at 9.00am and visited the Woomera Heritage Centre which houses great displays from the rocket era, covering the period from the 1947 Blue Streak to the joint Japanese launches of 2005. The rockets and planes of the era certainly made the cars of the same era look quite basic. There was an interesting exhibit of artefacts from the late bushman Len Beadell, the famous Gun Barrel Highway, Maralinga and Woomera surveyor.
The convoy then lined up for our last photo shoot in the main street in front of the Canberra Bomber, Meteor Jet and various rockets that are proudly on display, and then it was onto Pimba to refuel. A rock from an oncoming semi-trailer gave Victor its second windscreen chip.

Back on the road again having to give the trucks and caravans plenty of room between us so they could overtake. Lucky Phil was feeling rather ill from a strong fuel smell that had developed in his Kombi. Assistance was given and we all re-grouped at the Ranges View rest area.

We lunched at Port Augusta, in the BP carpark and this was the only time on the whole trip when Kellan was scolded for skateboarding – and over the PA at that!

We then drove down the Sturt Highway, before trekking up the beautiful Horrocks Pass. Even Willshemakeit had a good run up the long and windy climb to Wilmington. We had a cruisy run into Melrose with a short stop at the skate park for Kellan, while the rest of the group enjoyed afternoon tea and a bit of pre-auction Melrose shopping.
Then onwards through the roadworks to Laura for our last overnight stop. We stayed at the recently re-developed North Laura Hotel and their new luxury rooms would have impressed if they were in the Adelaide CBD – a huge contrast to Woomera the night before! After long showers we re-grouped at the hotel function room for the final dinner and auction night.
This was our final night where we conducted our usual entertaining auction. And what a fantastic effort it was to raise $2,109 on the fall of auctioneer Michael Morton’s hammer. (Despite numerous offers for the hammer, he refused to part with it!!)
Donations in the form of cash and wine were received from the Hotel and their patrons and were much appreciated along with the RATeX crew’s generous auction items.

[morts]

Day 14 – Laura to Home

It was hard to believe but RATeX 2021 had now all but finished apart from the final leg home.
Most convoyed home directly from Laura in their family groups however after drinking in the front bar last night after the auction we were given a good tip for a great breakfast and coffee – Julia’s Kitchen @ The Old Bakery, Wirrabara. Although this meant back tracking a few kilometres Cat in the Hat, Snoop Dog, Rod Bolt and Lucky Phil took the plunge and were rewarded with a great feed. A quick stop at the Wirrabara silo art and then we were all homeward bound too.
After logging 4,040 kilometres on this epic trip, I secretly believe all of the cars knew that Guy Sierp wasn’t with us and they all agreed to play together nicely because, thankfully, we had a relatively trouble free run, especially given the distance and terrain we covered.

Well done to everyone involved...

[D-Train]

What an epic journey!!

[Beatts]

Fantastic Morts what a huge effort, you’ll all be looking for a well deserved rest. I was knackered after doing that trip in a modern 4x4.

Thanks again for sharing.

[Shaven]

Amazing tour. Fantastic pics... thank you for sharing with us.