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mikehzz



Member Since: 04 Sep 2009
Location: Springwood
Posts: 749

Australia 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 SE Auto Lago Grey

Can you get away for 3-4 weeks? Very Happy It's such a long way, 2 big days drive to even get to Rockhampton and you are still 2 thousand kms short. Are you going to do the Old Telegraph track, drive the log bridges and risk the deep water crossings, or take the Development road? Watch out for crocs, stingers, stonefish, taipans and sea snakes. Everything wants to kill you up there. Rolling with laughter

Post #254230 21st Feb 2015 2:01 pm
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jaksbak@freel2



Member Since: 26 Dec 2010
Location: Fraser Coast
Posts: 225

Australia 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Stornoway Grey

C'Mon Mike, no need to scare the terrorists!
I would love to see Vesko's trip report and photos of the Cape York trip, but I would suggest it is done out of cyclone/flood season. In the past week we have experienced an earth quake, cyclone and then flood (the latter being significantly less harmful than was forecast - thank goodness. The risk gets worse further north.
Cyclones can still occur as late as May, though they are rare after late March. The cyclone itself may not trash the FL2, but it would probably prevent too much progress along the tracks - north or south.
Can't wait for the photos and the commentary though Vesko - it is your destiny!

Post #254921 26th Feb 2015 1:40 pm
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mikehzz



Member Since: 04 Sep 2009
Location: Springwood
Posts: 749

Australia 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 SE Auto Lago Grey

It would be good to see an FL 2 conquering Gunshot Creek or Nolan's Brook wouldn't it? The water is pretty deep on some of them so you would have to time your visit so that the creeks were as low as possible. August/September maybe? Vesko travels solo which adds to the difficulty. If anyone can do it in an FL 2 , Vesko can, and with pictures. Very Happy

PS He needs to concentrate and not get distracted by backpacker girls throwing themselves at him for a trip like that. Rolling with laughter

Post #254987 26th Feb 2015 9:23 pm
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Vesko



Member Since: 18 Jan 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 184

Australia 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Stornoway Grey

A true gentleman adventurer would never leave behind a backpacker girl in need. Wink

Seriously guys – you put too much fate in Vesko. Smile


Last edited by Vesko on 14th Mar 2015 10:20 am. Edited 1 time in total

Post #255134 28th Feb 2015 7:15 am
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Vesko



Member Since: 18 Jan 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 184

Australia 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Stornoway Grey

A few shots after crossing the Simpson Desert.

The horrid Sturt Stony Desert full of sharp, sharp unavoidable rocks:

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At Dalhousie Springs the light is magical. Here I meet a Disco dude, who complains that the sharp rocks of the Sturt Stony Desert wrecked one of his new off-road expensive ($450 each) tyres. I just shut up, because I don't want the devil to hear about my standard issue tyres - I still have a couple of hundreds km tomorrow to tackle the horrid Sturt Stony Desert again on my way to Mt Dare:

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After Mt Dare I meet a large lizard:

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Here I cross into the Northern Territory:

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Along the way:

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Here I'm happy to step on tarmac again. This road will take me to Uluru to pick up my girl from the airport:

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Strange forest:

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Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated Mr. Green

Last edited by Vesko on 14th Mar 2015 10:21 am. Edited 1 time in total

Post #256366 11th Mar 2015 8:58 am
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mikehzz



Member Since: 04 Sep 2009
Location: Springwood
Posts: 749

Australia 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 SE Auto Lago Grey

Mate, your pictures are too good and make the rocks look ok. That stony desert track is indeed horrible and eats tyres, I clearly remember wincing non stop the entire way. You did very well to get through on standard road tyres, 18's no less.

Post #256387 11th Mar 2015 11:52 am
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Vesko



Member Since: 18 Jan 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 184

Australia 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Stornoway Grey

Hey Mike, Sturt Stony Desert made me crawl 10 to 15 km/h. While I was crawling this slow some hoons with massive tyres overtook me driving more than 100 k/h. Seeing them running like that, I speeded up and the drive became more comfortable, but soon the fear of ripping a tyre prevailed and I slowed down again thinking "better later, than sorry". Smile

I cannot resist to add a few photos of our trip (after my blog story is finished):


This is Uluru. I've picked up my girl from the airport, we checked in a luxury accommodation and now we are driving towards Kata Tjuta. The day is nearly gone. We decide to leave Uluru for tomorrow.

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Along the way:

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Near Kata Tjuta:

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Nearer:

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My girl is admiring Kata Djuta:

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Post #256821 14th Mar 2015 9:52 am
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taztastic



Member Since: 03 Feb 2011
Location: North West
Posts: 8652

England 

Fantastic as always Vesko, simply stunning.

Post #256822 14th Mar 2015 10:01 am
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cqr



Member Since: 05 Mar 2013
Location: kent
Posts: 1308

England 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 XS Auto Stornoway Grey

Amazing photos

Post #256824 14th Mar 2015 10:12 am
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mikehzz



Member Since: 04 Sep 2009
Location: Springwood
Posts: 749

Australia 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 SE Auto Lago Grey

The same thing happened to me Vesko. I was crawling along because I was down to no spares left (damaged both my spares on previous tracks), and these guys came barreling past throwing rocks everywhere. They treat their cars like crap.
Great pictures mate, better than being there because there aren't any flies Smile I think Kata Tjuta is the pick but they are both awesome. I've been there 4 times and would go again tomorrow.

Post #257048 15th Mar 2015 10:42 pm
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Vesko



Member Since: 18 Jan 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 184

Australia 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Stornoway Grey

Thanks guys,

These are from the next day, dedicated to Uluru. First we did the 10 km walk around the rock. I found it amazing:

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10 Km walk

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10 Km walk

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My girl wants to climb

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10 Km walk

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A few backpacker girls cannot contain their jubilation when they see Vesko approaching:

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I just climb the big rock. In reality it is much steeper:

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You can see the Olgas in the distance:

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Mike is right - this place is special, I am also to ready to go there tomorrow if I could :-)

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Post #257074 16th Mar 2015 9:25 am
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mikehzz



Member Since: 04 Sep 2009
Location: Springwood
Posts: 749

Australia 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 SE Auto Lago Grey

I don't think anyone is actually prepared for how big that rock is. You think it's going to be a big rock, but you get there and it is a really f***ing big rock. Very Happy I was there in January one year and watching the sun go down on it. The time was near 9pm and the temperature was 47C. Another time I took my wife to see it and we did the walk around the base. Luckily we had the fly proof head wear (a mesh veil with elastic around the neck) because we couldn't breathe without swallowing flies. They were unbelievable, and you know they are bad when an Aussie says they are bad because we know flies. Smile

Post #257193 16th Mar 2015 10:04 pm
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Vesko



Member Since: 18 Jan 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 184

Australia 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 SE Auto Stornoway Grey

You mean like this one Wink

Click image to enlarge


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Post #257217 17th Mar 2015 7:12 am
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donksey



Member Since: 16 Nov 2014
Location: Surrey
Posts: 87

United Kingdom 

Absolutely stunning photo's!
It brings back memories of some of my road trips there, after coming from SE England where you are rarely further than two fields from a pub, the vastness of the place is awe inspiring!
I never did get used to it.

Have you tried hanging corks with string off the rim of the hat to keep the flys off.

Laughing

Post #257218 17th Mar 2015 7:53 am
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dorsetfreelander



Member Since: 20 Jul 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 4354

United Kingdom 2014 Freelander 2 SD4 XS Auto Loire Blue

Slightly off topic but I once had a Vauxhall Frontera I was on holiday in Andorra and took a wrong turning and ended up having to go for miles up a very steep mountain track parts with which felt like very slippery gravel on 45 degree slopes with just enough traction to keep going. Luckily the car had low range box. I couldn't turn around and was dreading having to come back down again. However when I got to the top I found myself in a car park with a BMW 5 series parked there and a main road so easy ride down again. That was enough for one day. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Post #257222 17th Mar 2015 8:40 am
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