ABS trip to KATOOMBA
Aug 2nd - 23rd Aug 2008
see www.alchester.com.au/absoutback.htm for outback communication link details and how we use collaborative 3G to stay in touch when on the road
we'd like to mention a couple of important supporters of this journey, and the great company of fellow travellers:
Rod and Sue Holloway from Townsville,
travelling with Betty and Gary Pope.

Query us on mailto:gaz@alchester.com.au

Anyway:......  Where's The Basin?
Alchester Village Meat Supply - Stan, Carolyn, Tim Coates  and the team for their Award Winning meats- 'the best' in Victoria!  Check the awards. (on page 2)
Andrew Gallop and his team - Hardings Caravan Services for servicing/support of caravan and towing equipment. (Hardings Newsletter)
Digitech Corporation - Michael Pope for technical assistance with the original  ABSoutback(1)  mobile intenet communications setup/support. Digitech Services

TekSupport Pty Ltd - Unix firewall, VPN server and internet technical support specialists.  refer to  Rob, Maureen and the team for ADSL/Internet/Security related technologies. (Suppliers to Alchester)
Panther/Soterion - George Linardos for technical advice on low wattage portable lighting. check the Fire Fly torches!

Pirahna - for unfailing advice on matters of UPS and pure sign Power Inverter equipment for automotive use. Contact them for 4WD accessories
Hillview Motors & Tyres
- Ian Hendrick for all mechanical, tyres & personal service.
Cnr Mountain Hwy & Forest Rd, The Basin  Ph: 9762 7017
Summary of trip.
Sorento 2007  2.5 auto  5sp 4 cyl Diesel 4WD; 1300kg Gazal Poptop Van

See a complete list of FUEL PRICES and PERFORMANCE RESULTS here)


**This website is best viewed with Mozilla Firefox web browser.......
                                      
Distance and time:
5055   kms
in 23  days.
Fuel used
595 litres of diesel
fuel prices:
from  $1.63.9 to $1.86.9 (Diesel)
Worst seen:  $2.05 at Hill End.
$ 1.86.9   at Junee and Coonabarabran
Best prices:  $1.69.7 at McGraph's Hill at Windsor NSW.
NOTE: Questionable performance degradation running on 2% bio-diesel mixtures.
Performance was only fair, because:
* did a lot of stop/start photography whilst motor running
* return trip was done at 110km/h with a caravan (wind drag inefficient over 90km/h)

* some towing was into the histroic areas like Hill End, where we actually towed the van up through 4WD tracks like Mervyn's Lookout!
* Sightseeing involved a lot of 1st gear dribbling along
* Blue Mountains area involved a lot of 2nd/3rd gear decent engine breaking
* but we did manage to tow the van around Mt Panorama track in 8mins 19secs!


Av 11.79 lt/100kms  (60% towing)
best (50% towing flat at under 100km/h):   10.5lt/100 on cruise
Worst: (towing at 110km/h) 12.95.lt/100
(towing into 4WD areas 14.15 lt/100)

This compares to the best we've ever achieved, the weekend after the trip as it turns out:
on Cruise control along the Hamilton Highwy (1/9/08:   773kms on 69L.)   being    8.9L/100kms
COMMUNICATIONS

Tested: , Optus GSM, Telstra GSM, Telstra 3G, Telstra NEXT-G
CONCLUSION:   Next-G in rural areas around Mudgee/Bathurst area, still not as good as CDMA coverage used to be.

Worst loss: Optus GSM Best connection
NextG (except missing between vital rural locations, noted)
 

Most significant COMMUNICATIONS observation:  

Examples of lost communications:   
Southern Tablelands:Olympic Highway, Henry Lawson Highway,
Kangaroo Valley area: Mossman to Nowra.
Trip Highlights

 

Most memorable events:
Snow in the Lithgow shopping centre;  Dubbo Zoo housing wild rabbits; Rainbows over the heads at Sydney; Visiting Australia's oldest church in Ebenezer; Confirming locating the two oldest standing pubs in mainland Australia, in the Rocks, and at Windsor for www.gdayPubs.com.au; Hiking to Spirey Lookout to see the Bread Knife in the Warrumbungles, after inpecting the Anglo-Australian Telescope; attending AgQuip in Gunnedah;

Trip hazard Issues experienced:
 
Snow and black ice around Oberon, Lithgow and Hartley; stones in wheel brakes coming off the Olympic Hwy into Hume Freeway bi-pass out of Albury; Gettubg the caravan up the 4WD track to Mervyn's lookout at Hill End.
2008 THE TRIP BEGINS...... 

Time to pull out of beauuuutiful downtown The Basin, and head on up through Yea to the outskirts of Benalla to reach the Hume Highway, for a quick sprint over the NSW 

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2nd Aug
(Sat)
Melbourne to Holbrook. 2008_08_02_day1B.jpg (52305 bytes) 2008_08_02_day1C.jpg (39691 bytes)
3rd Aug
(Sun)
Holbrook to Kangaroo Valley
(Fitzroy Falls, Kangaroo Valley)
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4th Aug
(Mon)
Kangaroo Valley to Shell Harbour
(Kiama, Bulli Pass)
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5th Aug
(Tue)
Shell Harbour to Sans Souci
(Grand Pacific Drive, Cliffton/Coalcliff)
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6th Aug
(Wed)
Manly, Sydney, The Rocks, The Heads 2008_08_06_day5A.jpg (49463 bytes)

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7th Aug
(Thu)
Sans Souci to Pitt Town Bottoms
(Windsor, Richmond historical area)
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8th Aug
(Fri)
Wiseman's Ferry, St Albans, Windsor 2008_08_08_day7A.jpg (63344 bytes)

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9th Aug
(Sat)
Pitt Town Bottoms to Little Hartley
(back way via Mt Wilson area)
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10th Aug
(Sun)
Lithgow and Mount Victoria 2008_08_10_day9A.jpg (57698 bytes)

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11th Aug
(Mon)
Katoomba, Leura, Medlow Bath 2008_08_11_day10A.jpg (50635 bytes)

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12th Aug
(Tue)
Tarana, Oberon, Jenolan Caves 2008_08_12_day11A.jpg (52011 bytes)

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13th Aug
(Wed)
Lithgow ZigZag Railway, then to Leura and Mt Victoria. 2008_08_13_day12A.jpg (50801 bytes)

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14th Aug
(Thur)
Windsor area, Annagrove (Deisel chip) 2008_08_14_day13A.jpg (72978 bytes) 2008_08_14_day13B.jpg (49288 bytes)

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15th Aug
(Fri)
Little Hartley to Mudgee
(Bathurst, Sofala)
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16th Aug
(Sat)
Mudgee Brewery, and local wineries 2008_08_16_day15A.jpg (47182 bytes)

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17th Aug
(Sun)
Mudgee to Gulgong
backtrack to Hill End and Hargraves (hilly areas, towing the van along 4wd tracks)
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18th Aug
(Mon)
Gulgong to Coonabarabran
(via Dunedoo)
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19th Aug
(Tue)
Sliding Spring Observatory, Warrumbungles 2008_08_19_day18A.jpg (58052 bytes)

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20th Aug
(Wed)
AgQuip agricultural show at Gunedah 2008_08_20_day19A.jpg (63112 bytes)

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21st Aug
(Thu)
Coonabarabran to Dubbo
(Dubbo Zoo.)
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22nd Aug
(Fri)
Dubbo to Forbes
(Wellington, Stuart Town, Molong, Parkes)
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23rd Aug
(Sat)
Forbes to The Basin
(Grenfell, Young, Wombat, Cootamundra,  Wallendbeen, Junee, Wallacetown, The Rock,  Henty,  Albury, KalKallo)
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24th Aug
(Sun)
cleanup day! 2008_08_24_day23A.jpg (56056 bytes) 2008_08_24_day23B.jpg (47540 bytes) 2008_08_24_day23C.jpg (69017 bytes)
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email: tech@alchester.com.au

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