Answers Joe Cali
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 15:32:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Gill <eclipsechaser@yahoo.com>
Subject: December 4th 2002
To: Joseph Cali <joe.cali@anu.edu.au>
Cc: Glenn Schneider <gschneider@mac.com>,
"Joel M. Moskowitz" <moskowi@attglobal.net>,
Joseph Cali <joe_cali@hotmail.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
>Hi Joe (cc: Glenn and Joel)
>
>Glenn Schneider and I have decided to observe the
>December 4th total solar eclipse in Australia this
>year.
>
>Our nominal plan would be to go close to the sunset
>portion of the track, but retain a mobile capability
>in case of inclement weather.
>
>We are thinking along the lines of 4WD campervan
>(similar to the one I was using for the 1999 annular)
>with possible access to a light aircraft in case of
>weather contingencies.
>
>So, since you have travelled widely in the Outback, I
>was wondering if I could pick your brain about road
>conditions out there. Maps that Glenn and myself have
>used show that a lot of the roads inland (Strzelecki
>Track, Sturt National Park) seem to be unsealed. Can
>you confirm?
Yes, there are lots of unsealed roads out there. The land area of Australia is 85% of the USA. The total population is 19 million. 18 million people live on the eastern and southern seaboard. That only leaves 1 million populating the centre and north. Most inland roads except major highways are unsealed. The roads around Sturt NP are 4wd roads. A 4wd may not be necessary but high ground clearance is often essential. The roads might only get graded once every 6 months or once per year. If there hasn't been much rain since the last grader pass, the roads might be in good condition. Or they might be attrocious. Having said that, the roads from Tiboburra north to Sturt were in excellent condition 15 months ago and travel was very easy (Oct 2000). The road to Innaminca was in acceptable condition. The Strzlecki track is passable but slow depending on the road conditions. I have no recent report. All these roads have significant corrugations and wheel ruts that limit safe driving speeds. Road conditions change with time. After rains and traffic they degrade badly, after the grader passes by they improve again.
Getting to any part of the eclipse track is not especially difficult. The outback roads if driven with respect are easily travelled in a 4wd or even a 2wd with sufficient ground clearance. The problem arises travelling between different parts of the track.
I would not recommend cross country (off track) 4wding. Small sticks can easily puncture tyres especially in the summer heat which softens the tyre rubber. On atrip into the Gibson desert in 1993 our two vehicles suffered 14 broken tyres. That is where the tyre rubber softened by the heat is deformed enough while running over a sharp stone or obstacle to break the steel belts on the 10 ply tyres. The vehicles you rent will only have one spare tyre. Vehicles fitted for off road travel usually carry multiple spare tyres and tubes and repair kits.
Travelling on "small dry lakes" is definitely not recommended. Most salt lake surfaces in Australia are fed by ground water. They have soft salt crust over wet mud or soft clay and the vehicle will sink in and become trapped.
I have written a some basic 4wd'ing tips
>
>I know from your e-mail and web page that you plan to
>be in Port Augusta the night before totality. This
>strategy seems sound to me and we may do that
>ourselves.
Possibly. Pt Augusta seems to be the place to be on eclipse eve that gives greatest mobility to widely varying locations. Recently, I've been thinking more laterally about strategies and observing plans. I think that broken hill might be a better base on 2nd December. On the 3rd December, make a decision whether to head north or to Port August
I am listing a driving time range for each leg. The longer time is very conservative and based on slow very safe driving speeds with plenty of rest breaks and photo stops & looking around. The shorter time is the absolute minimum you might want to allow without resorting to reckless driving.. Times are based on averaging 100km/hr on sealed roads and 75 km per hour on unsealed roads.
>So, what are the travel times like from Port Augusta
>to, say, Old Tickalara?
Probably too long to travel on eclipse day. I'd allow 14 hours to be safe, 11 hours at a minimum then you have to reach the centre line about one more hour???. At a guess, I'd say much too long to do on eclipse day.
>Pt Augusta- Peterborough
120km About 1.5 .- 2 hrs
>What about the Barrier Highway
>from Peterborough to Broken Hill?
Good condition, sealed & fast 270 km 3 - 5 hrs
Or, the Silver City
>Highway from Broken Hill to Tibooberra?
It's Tibooburra. Distance 340km. Time 4- 6 hrs. Condition - pretty
good and sealed part of the way. Conditions get a little worse the further
north you go. In a top heavy camper 4wd you probably shouldn't travel over
60-70km per hour once you hit the unsealed roads.
>Any weather
>related or time-of-year related phenomenon that you
>know of that might be relevant?
dangerously hot weather,
bull dust as mentioned below.
Rain is very unlikely at that time but formations of cloud are likely
ahead of fronts as I've described on the web page. If it did happen to
rain, the roads out there will be very difficult to negotiate if not closed
and you would be stranded. I believe Pt Augusta is the best bet for finding
clear skies. I have a perfect weather record to defend J
>
>If we plan to be up at the sunset portion of the
>track, should we base ourselves at Broken Hill rather
>then Port Augusta?
An alternative strategy worth considering.. As I mentioned above I've
been thinking along the lines of being in Broken hill at T-2days. Check
the weather map and decide whether to stay put or move to Pt Augusta or
move north on the 3rd December.
>
>Also, do you know about the state of any airfields in
>the eclipse track?
No but many grazing properties have their own airstrip and plane. Some of the grazing properties in that part of the world are bigger than England :-) All the airstrips will be dirt ie dry weather strips. You might need to coordinate with the property owner/manager so that they herd the cattle or sheep off the airstrip before you try to land.J
Sorry to bombard you with so many questions, but I
look forward to your reply.
Best wishes,
Michael
BTW, all these places marked on the map are private farm homesteads not towns. The airstrip is private and you would need to get permission to use it or for that matter to camp on their property. Finding phone numbers for these places might be a bit difficult. I think that air traffic control for all outback airstrips & airspace in that region is controlled by the air traffic controller at the small airport at Leigh Ck.
Possible Address for Tickalara
If you want to try writing to Tickalara, try the following address.
I made up the address but the letter will probably find its way to the
homestead this way.
The manager
Tickalara Homestead
via Tibooburra NSW 2880
AUSTRALIA
FLYING INTO SYDNEY
If you are planning to go to the end of the track, Sydney, Melbourne
or Adelaide are all approximately equidistant from Camerons Corner give
or take two hours driving. Most international flights arrive in Sydney.
The east coast is cooler place at that time of year. Adelaide can be almost
as hot as the centre. You can hang out for a day or two see the sights
& recover from jet lag prepare vehicles. From Sydney, you can pass
through Parkes Radio Telescope, Siding Spring Observatory and even the
Australia telescope before heading west if you want some astro-tourism
stops. Siding Spring is located in a beautiful National Park Called the
Warrumbungles and there are campsites available in the park. You can come
via Canberra and use it as a base. If you are buying supplies and hardware
for vehicles, Canberra is very easy to move around and parking is really
easy.
From Sydney/Canberra region to Tibooburra takes one long day or two easy days drive (approx 14-16 hours). If you arrive early and want to do some astro-photography I can put you onto some good spots to go in NSW.
Night driving
Avoid the Nygan-Bourke part of the Mitchell HWY after dark. It can
be very dangerous because after dark as you will see many many thousands
of kangaroos on the road and hit a few of them. That goes for driving at
dusk night and dawn all through the centre, Bourke Nygan is particularly
bad. In our workplace we use to call the Bourke/Nygan stretch "Kangaroo
Straights." years ago when we were trasvelling regularly through the area
to a field site near Birdsville..
Local weather problems formed by the Flinders Ranges
The Flinders ranges are only about 1000 metres high at their highest
point which is south of the path (St Mary's peak). To the best of my knowledge
they don't create their own weather. They were considered for the site
for the 150" telescope in the 1970's. It was a better site for an observatory.
Siding Spring was chosen for logistical/ cost saving reasons even though
it was a considerably worse site in terms of clear skies.
Arkaroola Resort
There is a private resort called Arkaroola at the north end of the
Flinders ranges. Nearby Mt Hopeless homestead 139 45'E 29 36'S alt 50m
has an airstrip, The "Mountain" Mt Hopeless is a whole 126 m high and lies
in the path of totality. Don't laugh. This country is 4 Billion years old.
Everything is worn down even the mountains.
Temperatures
Water should be carried to allow for 8litres (2 gallons) per person
per day. If it is hot enough, it is very difficult to drink that quantity
of water yet that is what you need to force through yourself if temps rise
above the mid 40's(120F). That said, temps around 38-42C(105F) are most
likely.
A 4wd can give you tremendous freedom in the outback. Many people have the wrong impressions of 4wd's because of movie stunts. Driven carefully an all terrain 4wd is capable of much more than most drivers would be willing to attempt. Driven carelesslya 4wd can leave you stranded in remote areas with little hope of being found in a reasonable time. Here are a few hints for safer off road travel.
Picking up the vehicle
When you rent the 4wd make sure the attendant gives you a demonstration
of how to engage 4wd. Ask for a photocopy of the service manual that includes
information of engaging 4wd and location of the jacking points. make sure
the jack is appropriate for the vehicle Check that 4wd will actually engage
before accepting the vehicle.Check that your rental contract allows off
road driving and the insurance covers off road use in the rental contract.
Engaging 4wd
After becomming bogged, it is sometimes very difficult to get the transfer
lever to engage 4wd or disengage it after you are out of trouble. This
is called tailstock wind up. The drive shaft of the vehicle is twisted
and the transfer gear won't engage. Put the vehicle into revers, slowly
lift the clutch until the 4wd.engages or disengages.
Most rental 4wd's have petrol engines so fuel vapourisation may become an issue if it's really hot. That's a phenomena where the fuel evaporates before getting into the combustion chamber of the engine. Fuel use becomes inefficient and you end up with really bad fuel economy. Your fuel tank range is reduced substantially and you might need to carry extra fuel supplies. I worked in the Gibson desert once in those temperatures in 1993. The fuel consumption increased substantially. The 4litre engines(carburettor) normally used 17-20 litres per 100km. This increased to around 35 litres per 100km in the heat. The modern Landcruisers are fuel injected. I don't know have any data on how this problem affects fuel injected vehicles. It is not a problem with diesel.
You may run into bulldust. It's a fine dust with the consistency of talc colour of red sand that blows around and fills up deep wheel ruts dug in by 4wd's during wet weather. As you are driving along on what looks like flat road when suddenly on one side or or both sides of the vehicle wheels drops into a rut and grabs and the car flips. If you don't believe me I can put you in touch with a friend who is paralysed from the neck down as a result of that very phenomena. His Landcruiser was travelling at 60km / hr at the time not far from Camerons corner. The roof of a 4wd isn't very strong for the weight of the vehicle and they tend to cave in during a roll-over. Since the accident I referred to above, all our work 4wd's have been fitted with roll cages as standard. The 4wd camper vans are very top heavy & unstable. Please drive with extreme caution.
The most important thing to carry is water. It is the difference between life and death in the summer heat. You will need to have around 5-8 litres per person per day in excess of what you expect to use just in case you break down and the temperature soars. 55 C (130F) is not unheard of in central Australia. Extreme temps are more common in late summer not December. Have at least a weeks supply in case of breakdown.
Recovery & safety gear
4wd manuals will list hundreds of items that you should bring into
the desert. For Eclipse travellers, it isn't practical to purchase all
the recommended recovery & safety equipment.
Most 4wd's have hydraulic jacks. On soft ground these may not be able
to be inserted to the jacking point as the 4wd wheels might be buried in
the sand. When inserted the jack may sink in to the soft sand and not jack
the vehicle.
A few inexpensive items I would recommend you purchase would be
Shovel for digging the jacking point or bogged tyres clear(US$10)
Flat piece of wood board 1" thick 500mm long by 250mm wide to support
the jack on soft sand.(US$10)
Small air compressor for raising and lowering tyre pressure ( soft
sand driving)(US$10)
Tyre gauge US$3-5 from repco or bring one with you from home
Toilet brush US$2 for removing grass seed from hot radiators
Sand Driving
When driving on hot soft sand, the vehicle may become bogged or lose
traction. If this happens take your foot off the accelerator immediately
you feel the loss of traction. Do not "floor it" as this with result in
a vehicle bogged to it's axels. You will then have to dig 11 inches of
sand from the entire underside of the vehicle and an escape ramp before
trying anything else.
If you follow my advice, There will be an inch or two of sand dammed in front of the tyres. Dig the sand from around the tyres. The normal tyre pressure is 35-45psi( 250kPA) depending on the vehicle. Lower the tyre pressure to 22 psi(160 kPA). Make sure the vehicle is in low range 4wd and that the 4wd is engaged properly. Engage 3rd gear on a big engines 4wd 2nd gear on a small engined 4wd. Do not engage 1st. 1st has too much torque and you will only dig in. Slowly release the clutch. Do not drop the clutch. You can lay some dead wood in front of the tyre but this should not be necessary with a 4wd
Don't drive at high speed with deflated tyres. They can over heat or roll off the rims while the vehicle is cornering. When you are out of the soft sand, use the compressor to reinflate to normal pressure.
Sand Dunes
If you lose traction driving up a sand dune, take your foot off the accelaerator immediately. Once traction is lost, you cannot regain it. Get out, clear sand from behind the vehicle lower tyre pressure as per above. REVERSE down the dune to flat ground. Reverse back a long way along the flat to get a run up and get up some speed to get you over the dune. If yuou fail again, repeat the process back up further and hit the dune with more speed until you get over. Ask the passengers to alight and walk up the dune to remove weight from the vehicle.
Water crossings
Never drive into water unless you know how deep it is. There is only
one way to find out. Walk through it first. Once your vehicle is submerged
below the air intake in a remote area, you may be delayed for up to a week.
Spending a few minutes walking the water course is time well spent. Check
the ford for deep holes. If the water is muddy, walk across along one tyre
line and back along the other then keep the tyre in those lines to have
walked.
Driving striaght into deep water with hot 4wd transaxels is not recommended. The breather tubes can back-suck water into the differentials. Let the axels cool before crossing.
Exhaust manifold
The exhaust manifold is hot enough to start a fire if you park in long
dry grass. The heads of the grass touch the manifold and your vehicle is
right on top of a grass fire before you know it. If you have to park on
top of grass, use a shoel to clear the grass from the manifold.
Radiator care
When crossing deep water, disconnect the fan belt. The radiator fan
blades can deflect forward when submerged and chop a hole in the radiator
If you are driving along twin tracks with tall grass growing between, check your radiator frequently. The seeds can block air flow to the radiator which can cause overheating. A household toilet brush costing a dollar or two is very useful for removing seeds.
Salt lakes
The surface of most salt lakes in Australia cannot be driven on. The
surface consists of a thick soft water saturated salt crust covering a
soft mud or clay pans below. A 4wd will quickly breakthrough the salt crust
and sink to its axels where it will stay until winched out by another vehicle.
Off track (cross country driving)
Small sticks can easily puncture tyres especially in the summer heat
which softens the tyre rubber. On atrip into the Gibson desert in 1993
our two vehicles suffered 14 broken tyres. That is where the tyre rubber
softened by the heat is deformed enough while running over a sharp stone
or obstacle to break the steel belts on the 10 ply tyres. The vehicles
you rent will only have one spare tyre. Vehicles fitted for off road travel
usually carry multiple spare tyres and tubes and repair kits.
If you are forced to drive cross country slow speed is the key. At 5km/hr
you are far less likely to spike a tyre than at 40km/hr.
Roll over
A roll over does not signal the end of the world if you know what to
do.
First check if your passengers are injured. Release the engine hood and get out of the vehicle. Find the tool kit. Go to the battery and remove it before all the battery acid spills out. Without a battery, you aren't going anywhere.Next Check that fuel tank isn't leaking from the vehicle. Unpack the vehicle of all contents and palce them well away from the vehicle. Find some shade or else make some from tarpaulins, sheets whatever. If your vehclie has a winch you might be able to right the vehicle yourself. Run the winch cable from the front of the car around a tree ( Bury the spare tyre if there is no tree) and back to the uppermost rear wheel if the vehicle is on its side, either wheel if it is on the hood. You will need to reconnect the battery to do this. Wind in the winch and if you are lucky, the car will end up back on it's chassis. If not rest, keep hydrated and wait for a passing car to assist you.
In the event of any type of break down or accident, always stay with your vehicle. Never walk off! It is much easier for a search plane to spot your car than you as a small dot in the landscape. IF you have no fuel to light a signal fire, remove the spare tyre, get it away from the vehicle pour petrol on it and set it alight. the thick black smoke is very visible.
Good luck and safe driving!
Alternative locations. Assuming the atmospheric phenomena are more
or less the same anywhere inland here are a few suggestions for desert
eclipse landscapes and a few non-recommendations. These descriptions begin
at Ceduna and move inland.
Ceduna - a rather ugly little town. In my days racing sailing boats, Ceduna was a mecca that hosted many national championships famous for the fact that you could rely on gale force winds daily during summer. Not conducive to stable telescope set ups.
10-20km inland from Ceduna Desert with small salt lakes in 8 metre red sand dune fields. Some granite outcrops. See my website for more info.
Difficult 4wd tracks across vast dune fields inland from there. It's easier & quicker to travel the 1000km around the hwy to Woomera than to try to cross the 300km 4wd desert track.
Around Lake Gairdner, you can probably get some decent elevation over the lake surface( 10-30 metres). The lake scenery is pretty nice. The centre line comes in directly across the lake and leave the lake at its north end.
Woomera the town (I haven't been there) Restricted access along the path from the highway between Wirramina and lake Torrens Uranium mines and 1950's atmospheric A-bomb test site. There is a picnic site at lake Hart right on the southern limit and you can stop along the highway. You can travel up the Woomera / Roxby Downs road on sealed surfaces but you can't leave the road without a permit from the military. Not worth the trouble IMHO.
Lake Torrens is a large flat saturated salt crust lake ( ie you
can't drive on the surface) There is road access from the east side near
Lyndhurst
The west side borders the restricted zone.
Leigh Ck - Lyndhurst etc not especially attractive towns.
Nth Flinders ranges. Red rock formations. The part of the mountains in the eclipse path are not very tall 150metres max
Strzlecki track from Lyndhurst winds in and out of the eclipse path almost to Lake Callabona. I haven't travelled this track but it will be Gibber desert (small red iron stone pavement or red sand)
Sturt NP Red sand country & small salt lakes
Camping is not a problem in most of those places providing you have
water, stove, TP and a shovel:-)
Joe Cali
15-January-2002