New Year's Resolution

[Bozo]

Digger

The date for the Cessna VH FYZ "landing" was 28.1.1993

The ATSB classified the incident as a heavy landing as a result of pilot error with fuel switches.

Bozo

[Digger]

After leaving Coober Pedy, we slabbed it down the Stuart Highway and turned right toward Kingoonya, the last settlement on the Trans Cont Railway in SA. This is the last chance for fuel and refreshments. There is a friendly horse here...similar to Kookynie.



From Kingoonya, we continue along the TCRailway heading west to Tarcoola...they shut the power and water off to this place a few years ago. This was the old school house....



...and the local pool with school house in the background.

[Digger]

Continued heading west along TCRailway and you pick up Googs Track. Named after a station owner (named Denton, nicknamed Googs’, who was curious as to what was over ‘the next dune’. So, he and his son bulldozed a track through there for the next 3 years.



Googs Track is a great track...300 small(ish) sand dunes and very few areas of corrugations. So much better then the Anne Beadell Highway. A real pleasure. Would be great training ground for a 650-800cc bike in preparation for a Simpson crossing. Mt Finke is the only notable feature on the track.



Mt Finke in the distant background.

[Digger]

Mt Finke (named after a Rat) up close. Two peaks joined by a saddle...some chose to climb it; I didn’t.



That night we camped on the bank of Googs Lake, a dry salt lake further south.



The following day was spent making, mending and local exploring. The lake has some damp patches. I think the lake source was toward the Lake Gairdner end (Bozo, feel free to fill in the blanks).



An island on the lake...very similar to Lake Ballard but without the Statues. The camp ground is in the right top corner of photo.

[Digger]

Did I mention “mending”. A torn sidewall on a Prado. One strand was not enough...had to use a second. Was still holding up the following day after track and highway driving.



It’s been cold at night...need a big fire for cooking and warmth. No shortage of wood around these parts.



A memorial to both father and son (Denton’s) near the lake. Both were killed in seperate accidents. Elaborate memorials with some strange traditions. Coins have been hammered in a nearby tree. Must be something significant or peculiar to the family/area (Bozo, your time to chime in again).



Continuing heading south with the gentle roll of dunes to our front.

We are at Ceduna waiting to link up with the Troopy which was having the spring hanger repair done in Coober Pedy. Once we reconnect, we will head west toward Fowlers Bay and Old Eyre Highway.

SPOT Link is here;
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... UCtYLNPufa

[Bozo]

Digger
Whoa....lots of difficult questions.

Lake Gardiner has a massive catchment and Lake Goog is within it. It would seem that Lake Goog drains into Lake Harris which in turn drains into Lake Everard and then to Lake Gardiner.

Catchment of Lake Gardiner.



Ceduna played a big role in the family of Goog Denton

Stanley Gilbert John (Goog) Denton was born at Ceduna on November 29, 1938

Ceduna was the first big town that his wife Jenny saw when she came in from Nullarbor Station aged 12

Their son Martin (Dinger) Denton died in Ceduna aged 27

Goog's father Stanley Carlyle Martin Denton passed away in Ceduna in 1970

Cutting Googs Track started in 1973 using a Fordson 500 Tractor and a 4WD with a blade. The location of the memorials is meant to be near a stand of black oaks

The hammering of coins into trees is an old Welsh and Cumbrian tradition. The trees were known as wishing trees.



Bozo

[Bozo]

Digger

Fowler's Bay played a big role in the Denton Family. Goog's father farmed there in the 1940's, Goog's childhood years were spent there and Goog met his wife Jenny there.

Bozo

[Bozo]

Digger

You have made a big daddy of a mistake and will incur the wrath of historians.

Mount Finke was not named after a rat. It was named by John McDouall Stuart in 1860 after his colleague and sponsor William Finke.

Bozo

[Bozo]

Norseman claims to be one of the few towns in the world named after a horse.

Tarcoola is another being named after the winner of the 1893 Melbourne Cup. Tarcoola was a 7 year old bay horse who finished ahead of Carnage.

Tarcoola with his Melbourne Cup winning jockey Herbert Cripps



Bozo

[DR63]

Do we know if Paddy Cripps is a descendant of Herbert's

[Bozo]

Colin

Hard to pin down but unlikely as the Cripps family have been in Northampton for yonks. The jockey, Herbert Joseph Casbourn Cripps was born in Melbourne in 1877 to horse trainer Joseph Cripps and his wife Eliza Cripps nee Rumble. I can not find a link to the Northampton Cripps.

Leah Cripps who was Chris Mainwairing's mother is from the Northampton Cripps. Paddy Cripps' father Brad is a first cousin of Chris Mainwairing. Jamie Cripps is a third cousin

A whole lot of other footballers are connected to the Cripps family. The common ancestor seems to be Charles Thomas Cripps 1854 - 1923 who came to Northampton from England.



See https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/t ... -ya-128093

Bozo

[Digger]

Digger


Mount Finke was not named after a rat.
Bozo

Just seein’ who is on the ball...took you a little while.

[Digger]

After showering at Ceduna we left and headed westward for the coast. We camped at Scott’s Point near Fowlers Bay.



Followed the coastline and went passed Mexican Hat Bay before heading for Nundroo and the Old Eyre Highway.



Picked up the old road and stopped at Ivy Tanks, a travellers rest stop back in the day. Old car graveyard including another one that I didn’t know was here set back off the road.

Got to go...

[Cookie]

Great work Digger, i'm getting tired / worn out from just thinking about where you have been and what you get up to... envy is a wonderful thing. Stay safe and looking to catching up soon.

[Bozo]

Ivy Tanks in the 1960's 170 miles out of Ceduna





Bozo