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Thanks for the feedback. I use several nav systems. The HEMA Explorer (on an iPad) used to be my go-to, but they seriously dropped the ball on that one WRT updates and functionality. I have recently switched to Memory-Map for All, (another iPad app) with the HEMA 4WD map package and was trialing it on this trip. Having said all that, the navigator that you hear talking to me is my Garmin street navigator (an RV775 unit). With only one or two exceptions, I have yet to travel on an outback track that HASN'T been marked on it (and I've done a bucket-load of them, with some extremely remote and obscure). All the tracks that I wanted to travel in the VHC were on it, and I was therefore able to use it for turn-by-turn navigation.

Thanks mate, I was hoping it'd be useful for someone. I've watched many travel vids by others, and no one seems to want to show, or explain in depth exactly where they are, and where they're going TO. Hopefully, my maps nail it pretty well. Please feel free to comment on anything you'd like to see more/less of. (Sound is something that I know has to be improved, and I'm working on it 🤔😁)

@@jasonmark1665 thanks for watching mate. Cheers

Thanks mate. The maps are both HEMA ones. The first is their Simpson Desert 1:1,250,00 which zooms into their Australia 1:1,000,000. Both are dated 2009, so much newer ones are avalable.

That’s great Robert. Thanks for adding that. If you haven’t been there since then, hopefully the footage provided some memories 😊. If you’ve any anecdotes from your time there, I’d love it if you could relate them here. Cheers mate.

Thank you

I think you'll find that the Commodore cottage has already pretty much collapsed, with only the remnants of an end wall standing. As I remarked several times throughout the series, I believe it is the eroding mortar at the base that is the cause of their demise. Once the base can no longer support the weight above, that portion of the wall collapses. If it occurs near an adjoining wall, it will drag that down too, until there's nothing but rubble left. Remediation and strengthening of the bases are the only things that will prevent those few that are still standing from succumbing to the inevitable. Sadly, there is no one organisation that has the restoration of them in their sights (and if there is, I'm not aware of them). What work has been done, is the effort of individuals on a piece-meal basis. The manager at Anna Creek station for example, has intentions of continuing the stabilisation of at least one of the sidings on their property, but they are probably in the minority. That was one of my driving motivations - to document what was left ASAP, before they're ALL gone.

maybe a safety thing

That’s probably quite correct. Thinking back, the lines that I’ve found them on were all old, regional ones. WA also used them, and that’s where I first learned about them. I just assumed from that that it was a general rail ‘thing’ across Australia, to keep track of how long the sleepers had been down. Like the fettlers, they obviously became defunct when they switched to concrete supports. Thanks for your input.

I couldn’t agree more mate. My blood boils every time I see mindless drivel painted all over an obviously old and historic building/bridge/thing. And the cretins have to go to some amount of trouble just to get there, and have spray cans handy.

Sadly there is little but rubble remaining of the 3 sidings between Quorn and Hawker, so there's really nothing to restore. They'd have to be rebuilt, and I don't think that there's any interest (or money) to do that. Pity.

It does seem odd, and I have no real explanation as to why they took it so close to Lake Eyre. However up until 1949 it had never been known (by European settlers) to have filled. So perhaps they thought the route they took was far enough out of 'harm's way'? Since 1949 it has flooded several times in little more than fifty years, spectacularly in 1974. That was the year the Algebuckina bridge nearly went under

It should do, Brendan. The Farina Restoration Group is a fairly robust organisation with a lot of drive and enthusiasm. Though having said that, they DO rely heavily on volunteers and donations, so if yourself or anyone reading this has the ability to help, either physically or financially, I'd encourage them to visit farinarestoration.com/

Well, thank YOU Trevor. I had a lot of fun and more than a couple of adventures travelling the route over a few years, and it took me forever to create the videos. I don't know how regular RUclipsrs manage to churn them out week after week? ... But nevertheless, I DID enjoy doing it, and having validation like yours has really made it all worth while. As I have said to others, and in some of my spiel, I thought that a record such as this just HAS to be made, before they are all crumpled to rubble, and I'm really pleased that you got something out of it. If I was to live anywhere else in the world, Canada would certainly be in the top 3 places I'd want to do it, and so trust you have made a great life there. May you continue to do so. Cheers mate, and all the very best from back home in Oz.

G'day Richard. Thanks so much for your suggestion regarding "The Ghan is Going". What an absolutely fantastic record and some great footage of some of the places that are either gone, or in very bad repair, Just a pity that there wasn't more of it. I think I will probably add it to my public playlist of these videos. Thanks again.

And thank you for taking the time to watch them. My amateurish efforts fail in some areas, but I thought it important to record all these places for posterity. I don't think it's been done before (I could be wrong), and I'm only sorry that it wasn't done much earlier. Although I certainly never had the skills, equipment or technology to have achieved this 20-30 years ago, as I doubt few people would have. The Leyland Bros, perhaps? Good luck on your own journeys, and happy travels mate.

Thanks for that Bryan. Pronunciation, ey? It can be a nightmare, especially where local dialects get into the mix; and don't get me started on aboriginal placenames! With nothing else to go on, and not hearing anyone else speak of them, I was left with my own interpretations. As a kid, growing up in the bush without television, I only had comics to go on. For a large part of my childhood I thought Yosemite Sam was pronounced "Yose-mite", as it's spelled, not Yo-sem-ity as it's said, lol. There are many other examples and you'll all just have to forgive me and concentrate on the content, which is what it's really all about. I only hope that I got Algebuckina correct in Parts 7 & 8? Thanks for watching.

Yes, and they are crumbling at an accelerated rate, due to weathering at the base of the remaining walls. It won't be all that long until they are mostly all just rubble; which is why I so wanted to document them. It's something that I don't think has been done until now - at least I've not seen it.

It probably is, but that’s how I’VE pronounced it all my life, so what can I do?

I've gone through the footage that I've uploaded since your embarrassing enlightenment, and corrected by either deletion or voice-over where I can, but some of the to-camera stuff still has my bumbling mistake preserved for posterity. It's the best I can do, sorry.

Thanks again Sharon. Cheers!

Why, thank you Sharon 🙂

I’ve plotted where I reckon the rough location of where they broke down is, from the descriptions of the tragedy in the reports at the time. However, I would be very surprised if the car was still there, but I’ve also never gone looking for it. I might have a go at locating it on the next trip up the track. Are you able to give me some insight into why you think it’s still there?

@@78Bonne as I remember it was on the right hand side going south , up on top of a mound … As I remember, it was approximately 100 meters from the track… Could be seen from the track… This was a long while ago, so my memory is not that accurate It had been vandalised quite a bit… But was quite identifiable as a mainline ford ute from the fifty’s… Apparently the gearbox was damaged coming up the track and it was stuck in 2 nd gear … This caused it to use much more fuel than expected … The car simply ran out of fuel… Then the disaster happened… Could happen to any one in the outback … A very lonely place in mid summer and way back in 1963 …

I'm not sure it's the same car. The Pages were in a Ford Customline sedan and it was still under hire purchase, so the company sent someone to repossess it and drive it back. Apparently, they had to hotwire it because the keys had been in Ernie's pocket when they buried him.

@@libertyordeaf as I understand they were in a custom line ute… There used to be a custom line ute on a small mount back off the side of the road … This was back in the 90’s Things may have changed… The vehicle I had witnessed definitely was a ute … I have photos somewhere

@@batmanlives6456 There's a few sources on the web that say they were in a '57 Customline sedan towing a small trailer. Not sure how reliable they are but hard to imagine they'd be driving those distances in scorching weather in a ute with three kids, some of whom would have to be in the tray.

Yep! I KNOW I was born in the wrong era 🥴

G'day Danny, on this particular trip, we did this leg in one hit. We left Birdsville at 0930 and got to Poeppel Cnr at 1630, which meant it took us a smidge over 7 hours to cover the 166km, averaging 23kph.

That's very true John, it IS of huge historical importance, and sad to think that, once again, mining may take precedence over everything. I'd imagine that they would want to develop the airstrips to use themselves, as it would save a lot of work, as it's basically already there. I would hope that they would stay away from all the areas containing artifacts though. My big fear is that they would claim it, fence it off and stop the public accessing it completely - similar to what's happened to the other 'famous' WWII RAAF airfield at Truscott in the far north of WA.

Glad you enjoyed it Gary. It IS a fascinating place (if you like that sort of thing, haha)