New Year's Resolution

[Digger]

Hi Folks,
Come and join ol’ mate as he cycle tours the 900 km off road Mason Trail stretching from Blinman in the Flinders Ranges to Adelaide, the Capital City of South Australia. This trip has it all…suspense, drama, heartache, misery and most of all; a sense of achievement.

In this vid, ol’ mate inches closer and closer to the finish line but every day there seems to be a curve ball outta left field. He is now ahead of schedule and just as well because he continues to confront challenges as the Mawson Trail snakes it way southward. By days end, it looks like ol’ mate might end up sleeping rough with nowhere to go.

Grab ya gear; Lets go!

[Digger]

Hi Folks,

Come and join ol’ mate as he cycle tours the 900 km off road Mawson Trail stretching from Blinman in the Flinders Ranges to Adelaide, the Capital City of South Australia. This trip has it all…suspense, drama, heartache, misery and most of all; a sense of achievement.

In this vid, ol’ mate is forced to continue his journey due to having nowhere to sleep. He tops up the battery and then starts making his way down the steep descent toward sea level and into the outskirts of Adelaide. With no Motels in sight he has no option but to continue into the city in the hope he can find a room to rest his weary bones. He made it! Now, time to get some rest. Job done!

Grab ya gear; Lets go!

See you on the other side.

[Bozo]

Digger

Appreciate all the time and work you put in to keeping us entertained. Some very subtle dry humour such as the "last recumbent standing". I am sure someone is inventing digger proof locks for external power points as this email is written. I walked through a patch of three corner jack near Wilpena in my riding gear and they just covered all the velcro on my boots and riding gear. They were turning up as sharp fragments for days after I thought I had picked the last of the burrs. The broken points are very hard to find in woolen socks until you put your boots on.

Bozo

[Digger]

Hello Slackers,

I am leading about a dozen cars from the Wanneroo Wanderers 4 Wheel Drive Club on a run to the Flinders Ranges. We depart from Brookton on Saturday 8 June at around 10.00am. We expect to be away for about 4 weeks and am planning on taking back roads and tracks where we can. You can follow our progress in real time by clicking on the Link.

https://share.garmin.com/YZW3R

I would suggest reducing the date range to 7 days.

See you on the other side!

[Digger]

Flinders Ranges - Update end of day 14.
We have arrived safely at Arkaroola in the Flinders Ranges after negotiating Telegraph Tracks, Old Abandoned Highways, Googs Track, parts of the Oodnadatta Track and finally many, many kilometres of unsealed roads. We have experienced rain, cold, dust, mud, stuck vehicles requiring winching and heavy vehicles all with little or no incidents.

We stay in the Flinders for a total of 5 nights before heading West for home.

See you on the other side!

See captions below.




11 vehicles rally at Brookton ready for departure. 2 vehicles are towing trailers. Not sure if that’s a good idea.




The Telegraph track from Norseman to Balladonia was heavy going in muddy conditions from recent rains.




ReOrg - Telegraph Track




Obligatory photo at start of 90 Mile Straight. A lot of these Punters have not done this section before.




The Campfire. The social hub of any camping holiday.




The view from my office window. Old Telegraph Track from Cocklebiddy to Madura.




Abrakurrie Cave on Old Coach Road between Mundrabilla and Eucla.




The abandoned Eucla Telegraph Station slowly being consumed by drifting sand.




The Bunda Cliffs at the Great Australian Bight. Stunning.



The Koonalda Cave. This was the water source for the now abandoned Koonalda Homestead on the Old Eyre Highway.




Kingoonya at the northern end of Googs Track in SA. The Wild, Wild West!



Woomera. Lots of pointy sharp things that go ‘Bang’!



Andamooka. A small Opal mining community east of Roxby Downs.




Plane Henge on the Oodnadatta Track. It’s actually an outdoor Art Centre. Very creative???




Underground Bakery in the abandoned town of Farina south of Marree.



Morning tea at Stillers Lookout in the Flinders Ranges.

[Digger]

Flinders Ranges - Update end of day 25 - Journey complete.

After leaving Arkaroola our journey thru the Flinders continued onward to Wilpena Pound where we spent a couple of nights before finally inching our way westwards toward home.

The journey home was impacted by some rain, bitter cold but thankfully no mechanical or tyre issues. Quite remarkable considering the pounding that the vehicles took.

Rain hampered our return journey once we re entered WA to the point where we had to make changes to the proposed itinerary to prevent getting stranded and becoming a headline. Some chose to leave the group and slab it home while the remainder modified the itinerary on the fly and took in the Eyre Bird Observatory and some other tracks in the area.

Now all that leaves is the cleanup!

See captions below.


The group…
Dinner at Arkaroola to celebrate Victory.



While transiting from Arkaroola to Wilpena Pound we did the Bunyeroo Tourist Loop and stopped at Razorback Lookout.



The Old Wilpena Pound Homestead.


Some of the Old Homestead out buildings.


Part of the Kanyaka Homestead ruins. Kanyaka was a substantial sheep station and community hub back in the day.


Touring the decommissioned HMAS Whyalla in the Whyalla Maritime Museum. The Whyalla was a mine sweeper and the first ship built at the shipyard in Whyalla for service during WWII.



Taking a look at beach sculptures as part of a Tourist Loop near Elliston on the Eyre Peninsular



The ‘Haystacks’ on the Eyre Peninsular.



Wigunda Cave south of the Eyre Highway when crossing the Nullarbor.



The Old Telegraph Station now used as the Eyre Bird Observatory and accommodates tourists. This proved to be an interesting place to visit.



A self guided tour near the Old Telegraph Station. This included visiting the original telegraph station which was in use for 20 years from 1877 to 1897.

See you n the other side.

[Digger]

Hello Slackers,
Join this intrepid group as they participate in one of the most iconic tours within the Flinders Ranges in rugged Outback South Australia. The Ridgetop Tour is an unforgettable experience, showcasing timeless terrain and natural beauty of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.
Grab ya gear; Lets go!

[Digger]

Join this intrepid bunch from the Wanneroo Wanderers 4WD Club as they tackle the infamous Echo Creek Backtrack. A must-do for all 4WD enthusiasts, with sections of the track classified as Extreme 4WD, this self guided 4WD Circuit is just one of many throughout Arkaroola and the Flinders Ranges in Outback South Australia.
Grab ya gear; Lets go!

[Digger]

Work has commenced on the Yalbunullup mountain bike trails and new facilities in the northern part of Yellagonga Regional Park.

Located off Lakeside Drive on the north-western side of Lake Joondalup, the new, seven-kilometre-long trail network has been designed to provide accessible, family-friendly mountain biking opportunities that complement the surrounding bushland setting.

The trail corridors have been carefully designed to minimise impacts on natural and cultural values and to ensure long-term sustainability.

The name Yalbunullup was chosen in consultation with Traditional Owners and reflects the traditional Noongar name for the site.

Other improvements to the area will include a new 100-bay carpark, new toilets, large shade pavilion, yarning circle, and interpretive signage highlighting the area's history and natural attractions.

This work is expected to be completed in September 2024.

[Cookie]

Looks great and will be an asset when completed, colour of landscape will change quickly in coming weeks.