Gorgeous Gorges...

Yesterday, we chatted with a couple from Brisbane who were camped near us in a TVan! They had been travelling for 3 years full time - 18 months in a tent and the last 18 months in their TVan. They ditched the tent when all of the zips broke and were quite sick and tired of everything flapping ... not to mention keeping the weather and the insects out. The locations that they visited were extensive and at times very remote. They [referred to travel by themselves. They had been zigzagging their way across Australia dodging weather patterns.

Today, the weather is fabulous, 20 degrees, almost still. Magic.  But the fly nets are still a mandatory fashion item!

This morning we drove to the edge of Edeowie Station for about 4km then started our mountain goat walk up Edeowie Gorge scrambling down dry creek beds and massive boulders while looking for little white markers that some nice person had put in the trees to show the way into the Gorge. The Gorge is part of the National Park that is entered from the east side of the Flinders Ranges. We scrambled for a bit over 7km round trip. The Gorges throughout the Flinders are quite spectacular ... but would be even moreso with some water flowing through them. Unfortunately, in most cases when there is water in them, roads are closed usually related to flooding.

Back to camp for a little maintenance – our locks are full of red dirt and can’t be locked – but everything else is also covered in red dirt!

Today, marks 9 days since we have filled up our water tanks and food (in Renmark).  We have plenty of food left but need to restock to last until we get to Esperance .  We have used about 75% of our water (we carry 178 lts). 

We have 2 days ahead in Quorn then to Port Augusta where the car is due for a service – they offer an optional car wash which we have booked – after Port Augusta we meander down the Eyre Peninsula to Coffin Bay National Park (Yangie Campground).  On the way we have no accommodation bookings so will free camp for about 3 nights along the Eyre Peninsula somewhere.

When we leave here tomorrow we will be back on the bitumen pretty much all the way to Esperence in WA (about 2500kms) apart from a few side detours on the Nullabour.  That means back to highway tyre pressures.  On unsealed roads I usually run 30psi in the front of the Prado; 32 psi in the rear and 30psi in the TVan.  Highway pressures are usually 38psi in the front; 40psi in the rear and 38psi in the TVan.  The airbags (in the rear) in the Prado I have found that 26psi when towing is about the “sweet spot” and 10psi when not.  When we get to Steep Point/Dirk Hartog Island we will be running somewhere around 18psi (maximum) on all wheels but this could easily be lower depending on the road/sand conditions.  Lower tyre pressures give a longer footprint; allows the tyre to flex more; makes it a more comfortable ride for both the passengers and the contents and helps protect the tyre (up to a point). But can lead to heat build up; poorer steering stability and cornering (and an increased in rolling resistance using more fuel).  We have a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System on all tyres (including the TVan) that constantly monitors pressures and temperatures.