VEC RATeX 2013 - Dalhousie Springs or Bust, Outback SA

morts · Post by **morts** » Sat May 11, 2013 8:53 pm

The Volks Enthusiasts Club of SA is holding its 3rd RATeX event (the name is a play on the old REDeX relaibilty trials) and this year we will be covering around 3,000 kilometres over 9 days and 8 nights heading via Hawker, Maree and Oodnadatta to Dalhousie Springs. (approx 80 kms south of the NT border near the western edge of the Simpson Desert) The home trek is then via Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy, the Gawler Ranges, Mount Ive Sheep station and Clare.

There are 15 air cooled Volkswagens attempting this epic trip which kicks off early next Saturday morning. From memory there will be 8 bay window kombis, (3 x DC's!) 3 beetles, 2 Type 3's, 1 Country Buggy and I will be in my '67 split window kombi Cat in the Hat.

The guy who mapped out the route is 86 and will be driving his 1973 square

He is quite an amazing fella - during the war his unit was the first unit on the ground after THE bomb was dropped on Hiroshima,

so to be still cranking at 86 is a quite a feat!

Could be like Agatha Christie's 10 little niggers - will just have to wait and see how many finish under their own luft power...

bulliboy · Post by **bulliboy** » Sat May 11, 2013 9:00 pm

Wow what an excellent concept, sounds like lots of fun great route .
Hope you have a blast.
Mitchell

Dibsy · Post by **Dibsy** » Sat May 11, 2013 9:23 pm

Sounds like a great adventure, good luck to you all !

Cam Biscuit · Post by **Cam Biscuit** » Sun May 12, 2013 8:46 pm

Wow Morts epic trip mate I hope all goes well.

Its great country around you're travelling through I hope it stays dry!

68BUS · Post by **68BUS** » Mon May 13, 2013 6:42 am

Have fun.
Since reading about this in VWMA i have added this to my one day list. It looks like great fun.

tombi (aka type2tommy) · Mon May 13, 2013 8:52 pm

Fantastic Morts,

I think you know the deal here- Pic's,Pic's,Pic's and more Pic's please.

Safe travels to all

morts · Post by **morts** » Mon May 13, 2013 10:38 pm

Thanks fellas - should be a blast and I will get some pics happening...

Kombilover · Post by **Kombilover** » Sat May 18, 2013 9:29 pm

This sounds like a great idea - I remeber one of these events shown in VW Australia Magazine a while back - may have been a different VW club's event but similar programe.

When does this kick off?

Enjoy your trip and like everyone else I would love to see photos.

Cheers,

Scott

dmb · Post by **dmb** » Sat May 18, 2013 10:30 pm

What date will you be in Coober Pedy?

dmb · Post by **dmb** » Fri May 24, 2013 3:55 pm

Looked good on the road to Coober Pedy today. Kicking myself that I didn't turn around and chase you down for a meet and greet. Good to see you all out and about anyway.
Cheers Dave

morts · Post by **morts** » Sun May 26, 2013 9:31 pm

Thanks Dave - Just got home late this afternoon and saw you cruise by, the only kombi we saw in 3,000kms!!

Your bus sounded super sweet and was flying when you went past. It would have been great to have had a catch up - next time perhaps??

Kombilover · Post by **Kombilover** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 10:12 pm

What ever happended with this adventure?

Any pictures?

Vids?

Thanks,

Scott

morts · Post by **morts** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:17 pm

Been meaning to get some pics of this up so will roll 'em out over the next few days...

Day 1 - Adelaide to Hawker

Well, two of the starters didn't even make it to the starting grid at Cavan! A recently built bay window kombi spat out a spark plug while waiting for his travelling partner in the Adelaide Hiills. A heli coil later however and they made it to Hawker that night though...
The rest of us left all bright eyed and bushy tailed however just before we hit Burra we pulled over to check out a weird noise out and noticed the camper had developed an oil leak from the rear of the case. We decided to keep going and see if we could make it to our first night at Hawker and then make a decison whether to push on or limp home...

morts · Post by **morts** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:20 pm

A few more...

morts · Post by **morts** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:13 pm

Day 2 - Hawker to Maree via Wilpena Pound, Parachilna, Blinman, Leigh Creek, Lyndhurst & Farina.

After chatting with a few wiser heads about the oil leak and given we were in an air cooled vw convoy we decided to buy another 4 litres of oil and press on.

Just after Lyndhurst the bitumen ended and we hit our first serious dirt road and corrugations. It was here we discovered Cat in the Hat was really The Bus of a Thousand Rattles...

Farina was once a thriving Ghan railway town but has long since been abandoned, however the town is currently undergoing a slow and painstaking restoration by dedicated volunteers.

Comimg into Maree, another old Ghan railway town, we had one of the most amazing sunsets I have seen and yet it only lasted about 20 minutes.