Maralinga and the Old Eyre Highway 2020

[Terry]

Ouch!!

I got a couple of replies from an email last week about permits that is starting to make the leg from Marlinga to Nullabor Roadhouse sound interesting, it is about 270kms.

First I got this....
"You may take that route without the additional permit. Allow about 30km/h average speed for that section as it has some rough patches."
 
...and then today from another person in the office.
"I would just like to add that the road from Watson is very rough, and isn’t maintained. We usually advise tourists against using this road due to the risk to vehicles, we have had tourists in the past have multiple flat tyres per vehicle. If you are still intending to use this road extreme caution is advised due to its un maintained condition"

Terry

[Peter_n_Margaret]

Travelling north from Nullarbor Roadhouse in 2006 in the OKA (not the route you have in mind). A 23 second clip.
https://youtu.be/7vK-7cMyKUw
We went via Knowles Cave to Cook and then north from there to Voakes Hill Corner.

The track from Watson south west to the Old Eyre Highway is not a lot different. Basically a 2 wheel track with the odd lump of limestone that you need to keep an eye out for.
This is a 20 second panorama from the roof of the OKA taken in 2018. There are a couple of views of the track.
https://youtu.be/cv7iE2ly9FY

Maybe you need a support vehicle?   
Cheers,
Peter

[Peter_n_Margaret]

ps.... not sure where your "270km" came from.
Maralinga to Watson is about 42km of bitumen.
Watson to the Old Eyre Highway is about 113km.
From there to Nullarbor Roadhouse on the Old Eyre Highway is about 14km.
That is 127km of "tracks".
Note though that the Old Eyre Highway might be as slow as the track south of Watson. It is pretty knarley in some of the spots I have seen further east.
Cheers,
Peter

[Terry]

PnM,

The 270 should have been 170, according to Google it is 177km from Maralinga to Nullabor Radhouse.

I had a look at your clips and the road pretty much looks the same as other stretches of the Nullabor we have done, like the two wheel track on the Connie Sue north of Rawlina, WA. So I can understand the expected travelling speed but nothing on the track to get too worried about.

I had a look at a couple of your other clips, The Abminga bought back some good memories as I really liked that drive up to Finke and the Googs track in a Moke is probably crossed off my bucket list now.

Terry

[Terry]

Maybe you need a support vehicle?   
Cheers,
Peter

You are welcome to come along .....  in your Moke

I don't have 'support vehicles' on my trips as part of the challenge of the adventure is about being self sufficient in our Mokes, planning and carry only what we can afford too and improvising when we need to.
 
The other part of the reason my trips are Mokes Only is the shared/common experience and sense of achievement you get from going these places in a Moke. A person jumping out of their air conditioned 4wd drive or ordinary vehicle at the end of the day has not had the same experience as those in a Moke that have been eating dust and bugs, had a hot wind in their face or rain water dripping on their feet and smelling every bit of roadkill for the last 8 hours.

Terry

[Bigmorgs]

Would be great to see your list of "Spares" you take on a trip like this Terry.

I dream about a long trip and often think what I would need to bring with me just in case.

[Terry]

Hi,

just received notification that all permits to the Aboriginal lands have been revoked for April, possibly longer, due to COVID-19 so I have let the folks know and we can come up with a plan B or C.

https://maralingatours.com.au/2020/03/covid19-and-how-it-relates-to-maralinga-tours/?mc_cid=cbb6439325&mc_eid=668faf0110

Terry

[Terry]

Hi,

Plan B is we are now doing an 'Unfinished Business' trip heading up to the Rock and Alice Springs and picking up various places and tracks along the way that we didn't get to in previous trips. So Cober Pedy, Finke, William Creek, Lamberts Centre are on the itinerary but it will be very flexible trying to fit what we can into the same two weeks.

Maralinga has been postponed until probably the same time next year as many of us are planning on going to Tamworth later this year.

Terry

[Peter_n_Margaret]

You are welcome to come along .....  in your Moke

Yes, I anticipated and support that Terry.
Unfortunately we, and our Moke, are not ready for a trip like this just yet.
Cheers,
Peter

[Terry]

PnM,

you have 13 months to get ready now.

Terry

[mokemark]

ifs its on hold for 13 months then im thinking i might actually make that one

[Terry]

ifs its on hold for 13 months then im thinking i might actually make that one

Plenty of time to get your Moke going then.

Terry

[Terry]

Hi,

Looks like Plan B has been shot down as well now.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-21/northern-territory-strict-new-covid-19-border-laws/12078048

Our trip is 'officially' over now.

Regards,
Terry

[Moke 71]

I think once this is all over there will be plenty of outback places looking for visitors so we should keep motivated in getting our mokes ready so we can help out those that need it.

Today Luke and I finished off fitting new trailing arm pins and new shocks. Am working towards the front end and fitted a new indicator stalk. What seemed like a simple job soon turned into removing the heater partly. Luke said I’ve got too much stuff fitted to Thomas like cb radio and other odds and ends.

New CVs, front shocks and ball joints to go

[Halfpint]

Keep at it Dave, and all of you Mokers that have plans to travel, we are all ready to go, or not far off.

There are a lot of trips being planned by us Mokers, as you know, and we shouldnt stop our planning. We may need to change our start dates, but we shouldnt stop our planning and preperations.

COVID is bad, but we need to be clean.... Seriously, for all our own good.
If it means we have to postpone, or cancel for this season, so be it.
All the places we want to visit will really appreciate us when this passes, and I truly hope it will, very soon.

HP