Author Archives: John

Back to civilization Perth, 10605 km  144 hrs driving, average fuel consumption 10.3 litre per 100km sharing the towing with Rohan.

Went to the Perth Mint today and spent Julia’s first couple of donations already and then we proceeded to the BELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL (16 Ls for the 16 bells) tower at Swan Bells, for the midday ringing of a quarter peal, well that could have brought the tower down as the vibration of the bells was unbelievable and it went on for 45 minutes.  Then onto Kings Park, which of course was first used by the early DUTCH explorers, but the rain soon washed that away and we headed back to camp.

Bell Tower

The bells ringing

6th floor out on the observation deck

Level ground

After 3422Km, 45Hrs driving at 74Km p hr average speed the fuel consumption is rapidly improving to 12.4L per 100Km. This of course might have something to do with the white Falcon not being chased by a white Swan. It is now the Generals turn to be chased by the white Swan and it wil be interesting to see its fuel consumption go up.

The Commodore's turn for towing duties

HA ha the mistake was only one zero.

Total driving time to The Rock was 34.5 hrs at an average speed 78km per hour and the fuel consumption is now down to 13.4L per 100Km. If it keeps on going down at this steady rate we will be using no fuel by the time we get home.

Day 6, so far we have covered 2130 km taking just under 28 hrs actual driving time.

Average speed 79km per hour, 13.6litre per 100km.

Able to relax now after driving those “hills” into the city of churches. I do have a cure for those hills but it would take someone like Jeff Kennet to do the job. Just bulldoze the hills over the city burying a few crows but improving the road from Melbourne to the centre greatly. It was one experience I could have done without but thought me how to use the gearbox manually.

Spend an interesting day on the road yesterday with the “mail man” Coober Pedy to Oodnadatta to William Creek to Coober Pedy 600km of which 200km were on the Oodnadatta track. Anna Creek station [ world largest ] 28000 square km in size, the size of Belgium. Sign on entering the station said watch out for aircraft, they have their own runway that you drive past. The station is run by 10 people, looking after about 18500 head of cattle one head per one and a half square kilometre. Not a bad little farm.

Our transport for the mail run along the Oodnadatta Track (only worth about a quarter of a million brand new!!!)

We're heading for William Creek - 200km along the Oodnadatta Track

Along the Oodnadatta Track - miles and miles of open land
(actually all of the land you can see in this image is part of Anna Creek Station)

Anna Creek Station - nothing grandiose about this homestead, despite being the largest cattle station in the world

675 km today 14 litres per 100km towing van. Average speed was 78km per hour perhaps. (Long live the poor OIL companies)