A Trip to the Red Centre.

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AussieRod
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A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

The Handbrake and I are currently away on a drive trip to Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayer's Rock) in the Northern Territory. The route goes via Adelaide in South Aus, Port Augusta, Coober Pedy (the famous opal mining town) and on to Alice Springs. I am towing a 20ft Jayco Starcraft Outback behind the Triton. Its all-up weight is 2450 kg, well with-in the Triton's (supposed) towing capacity of 3000 kg with a max 300 kg ball weight. The jayco is 185 on the ball. Of course, it wouldn't do without pics:
Ready to head off:
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Extra spare tyre for the Triton, toolbox (bolted on) and 5 jerry cans for the longer legs in the outback. Towing the van limits me to 350 km per tank, so I need at LEAST 600 km EXTRA:
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First stop: Sealake. Toilet break and needed to empty one of the cans into the tank, as it leaked, all over the tray and the front of the van:
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Spotted an old Lee Grant tank in Murray Ville, alongside a Churchill chassis:
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Churchill chassis:
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Another Lee Grant and Churchill chassis over yonder:
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:43 am
Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

Salt lake heading toward Port Augusta:
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Old Railway Station (now a local museum) and other old 1800's buildings in Port Pirie:
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Old port locomotive, built in Scotland:
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:43 am
Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

Stops on the way to Coober Pedy:
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Colourful water tank at a roadside rest stop area:
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Camped up at Coober Pedy:
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:43 am
Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

The "Beetle" in town:
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Wall art:
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Various buildings in town, many burrowed into the hills to originally find opals, then to provide acommdation away from the summer heat:
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Looking up the shafts drilled to excavate for opals, now a church:
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:43 am
Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

Inside the church:
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The shafts are in the roof in the centre rear of the room.

Looking over the back of the town:
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Dug-out home:
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Another, complete with abandoned Land Rover (wanted to take this home!):
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:43 am
Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

Local underground museum, excavated right in the middle of town in the main street:
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Another dug-out:
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On top of and from the museum roof(?):
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Bucket winch (minus drive motor):
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:43 am
Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

Various art made from dis-used and worn-out equipment, plus some weird imagination:
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Air powered tunnelling machine, still in use in many of the mines here:
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Air powered bucket loader:
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Backyard built diesel powered air compressor:
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Air powered mine loader:
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:43 am
Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

Tailings processor built on an old bus:
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This underground dwelling was excavated BY HAND with pick and wheelbarrow by 3 WOMEN, back in 1961:
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They even dug in a Granny Flat (to double their water ration from 1 44 gal drum a week to 2):
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They at least had the good sense to put in a good wine cellar:
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AussieRod
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Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

And, once they found opals, even a bloody SWIMMING POOL!
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Topside at a working mine, checking out the extraction equipment (most of which has died or dis-used and left where it died):
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Vacuum extractor, powered by a locally made GM V8 engine:
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
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Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

A fur rug, coloured by using various furs from different animals sewn together:
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Out at the "Dog proof" fence, 15 km from town on the Oodnadatta road. A poison warning notice:
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The road crossing grid:
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I think a smart dog would have no difficulty here:
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Obligitory picture here. Note the T shirt? (My LAST NEW GFB T shirt, worn just for this occasion):
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AussieRod
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

Serbian Othodox Church, dug into a hillside, VERY professionally done, I might add:
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Entry:
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Hand-carved statue relief (not easy to see because of bloody flash):
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Main hall. 5 horizontal shafts were bored, then all excavated by one of those little tunnelling machines I snapped earlier:
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
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Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

I shit you not, you have to see this church to understand the precision they cut this place out with. It is MAGNIFICENT!
Priest's antechamber:
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Plaque outside:
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Tour bus had this nice bumper on the back. I needed a picture for future inspiration:
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On the road, heading for NT and Alice Springs. Man, is it boring out here:
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Relay stations, powered by solar:
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AussieRod
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Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

A welcome sight, 394 km later:
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Welcome to the Northern Territory. Cut the picture a bit to get rid of the tourists:
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The border:
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Left foot in NT, right foot in SA:
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Back on the road, I was amazed at how the scenery changed just by crossing an imaginary line:
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AussieRod
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Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

It was much greener, with many red rocky outcrops and kopjes dotting the landscape. I couldn't get too many pics while driving, it's too bloody dangerous on such narrow 1 lane highways:
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AussieRod
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Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

Back in 1994, there was a Cannonball run here in the NT, as there was no speed limit back then in the NT. A Japanese driver and his nav were approaching a check point, and he braked suddenly rounding a curve and skidded out of control, wiping out the check point manned by 2 officials. All were killed in the accident. The Ferrari piloted by the Japanese dentist was estimated to be travelling at more than 100 mph when he hit the checkpoint. This is the memorial to them, on the spot where they all died:
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We are currently camped at a park in Alice Springs. I'll add more pictures as I take them, it's getting late and I have to shower and hit the hay, it been a long day.
Cheers from Alice Springs, Northern Territory.
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ChaseTruck754
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by ChaseTruck754 »

Interesting spots for sure! Thanks for sharing.
Owner of only dead and forgotten projects
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AussieRod
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Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

ChaseTruck754 wrote:Interesting spots for sure! Thanks for sharing.
No problem, Steve. I've got lots more pictures, but tried to post up some of the better ones. On the return trip, I'll add a few more for each destination and distances involved as well.
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SteveG
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by SteveG »

Very cool! Looks like an interesting trip.
Sho nuff,
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zachwabbit
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Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by zachwabbit »

So much cool stuff! Maybe one day I'll make a trip out there to explore some, but I'll likely just come back with lots of RHD truck and JDM parts lol
Potato.
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AussieRod
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 1:43 am
Bronco Info: 81 Bronco XLT, 250 alloy head crossflow 6, NP435/NP208, 4:10 gears, 31-10.5R15 M/Ts.
Location: Downunder

Re: A Trip to the Red Centre.

Post by AussieRod »

I'm going to update once I get home tomorrow night. I have about 800 photos to sort through.
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