Two sailors (let's call them "rustic") and their wives set off in June for an adventure, nay an expedition! Two Landcruiser 79 Series with 200 litres of fuel, 140 litres of water and enough food for a month. Packed on board were the essential kit of retrieval gear including electronic hand winches, max tracks, tow and snatch straps, two spare wheels and tyre repair kit plus a satellite phone - essential when you are expecting news of the birth of your latest grandson.
First stop outback along the Flinders ranges was bush camping near Hawker SA, followed by more bush camping at Grindells Hut and a pit stop at the pink roadhouse at Oodnadatta. On to the Simpson but first a much needed refuel at Mount Dare, paying $2.70 per litre for diesel (yep ouch!). A dip in the stunning hot springs at Dalhousie Springs where little fish eat your crusty skin. Next day saw a short stop at the old Andato homestead and then the start of the Madigan Line on the northern Simpson Desert, that was first explored in 1939 by Professor Madigan of SA University.
Along the Madigan Line we traveled for five days before seeing or passing another vehicle and even more eerie there were no signs of humans out there at all...nothing. It took nine days to complete the Madigan Line - that's nine days without phone contact, a shower, no food or fuel stops and no Facebook. The campsites along the way were good and the fires were excellent especially as the temperature dropped to bloody cold each night. We had very little trouble on the journey, apart from two tyre punctures that we repaired, getting bogged in sand & winching out and getting bogged on four sand dunes. Crossing hundreds of sand dunes at an average speed of 15km an hour was rough going. Muddy and flooded roads greeted us as we arrived at Birdsville and a much needed shower and phone contact. With the Madigan Line done and dusted, it was time to head to Melbourne, via South Australia, to see our latest grandson (2 weeks old).
And now we are glad to be back at the Marine Outlet headquarters...and our very lively Kelpie Rosie.
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Terms & Conditions:
Transocean has been engineered from Henri Lloyd’s latest waterproof, windproof and highly breathable TP3 Japanese coated fabric technology for offshore sailing. The Transocean range launched this month in Australia and is already ahead of the game as it utilises the most innovative design and newest technology around offshore sailing. This combination has led to a tough yet easy to wear offshore kit that best of all is incredibly affordable. The type of kit you want to keep on wearing whatever the conditions and not strip off at the first opportunity.
Its lightness and flexibility belies the true durability and waterproofness of this multi-dimensional product. Firstly the face fabric is created from a tough yet light nylon yarn, that is densely woven into a smooth tight face fabric to deliver a flexible but durable outer. Secondly a state of the art bi-component hydrophilic and micro-porous coating is applied that allows perspiration in the form of vapour and condensation to be transported to the outside and evaporate. Then a final layer of anti-abrasion 3d microbeads are added to protect the coating and create a dry touch lining for comfort. In addition a saltwater abrasion resistant DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish helps shed water maintaining performance and comfort for the wearer.
The Transocean range looks super sleek on and performs above and beyond the price – value for money is high in this new range by international offshore sailing experts Henri Lloyd.
Transocean Jacket (RRP$749) and matching Hi-Fit Trousers (RRP$539) feature:
