Lake Eyre Expedition

In short Clemco the answer is yes just Google 4x4 hire but honestly you dont

need a 4x4, now days the roads can be rough but it is nothing like that

extreme cowboy driving the N Z's do on TV. Jees clem, 35 years ago i was

driving conventional tourist coaches up what tourism calls the track, 38'

Dennings with 671gm towing a camp kitchen, up to 40 people on board.

the holden or as i have a Kia **** heap is good enough for me. And thanks clem

for starting this post, i will ask Hills to move the unintellectual

Locky.......I hear you man, sick, sick, sick. you got that pee shooter

licensed, them bush boys in blue will send you up the creek if its not

That's a big NO, NO. out there. That's the reason no firearms , just not

needed. The Coloured people are under control , ya have to have a chip

to plug a roo, and dingo scalps arnt worth what they were.

But Otherwise i love ya planned trip TALLYHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

If you were actually considering crossing the lake . here are a few things to consider.
virtually all the edges will be soft and sticky . big fat smooth balloon tyres will pick up many times thier weight, tall skinny tyres will sink , but the taller the better. they should be very light.spoked wheels will pick up mud.
landyachts dont sail very well on soft mud, if you are lucky they will slide sideways.
I would be seriously thinking Kite buggy towing a trailer. maybe a trailer that converts to a landyacht on the offchance that you find some hard salt? the sail could be designed to double as a shelter.
it would be worth building the body to give some kind of floatable shape and capacity because if it rains on the lake the water blows up into small moving lakes, which although probably shallow, you and your gear will need to be able to get up off it to stay dry.
as some training sessions I could suggest that in NZ you go find a really smlly muddy tidal flat and drag you yacht and gear up and down every day for a week( camping each night).
In Aus , Im happy to drop you off at one end of Lake Lefroy, with a map, gps phone and gear, and pick you up at the other end each day for a week
please note lack of smileys in this post

keep in mind that all this gear and your food , water, extra water, shelter pare clothing........... needs to weigh nothing as you will frequently have to drag it across kilometers of mud. youll need extra waterfor cleaning youself each time you do that. lots of antibiotic creams and salves for the cracking flesh etc

Would Lake LeFroy be a better place to sail next Easter?

When is the best time of year at LeFroy for best surface? I dont need much wind to get me sailing.

Maybe we should invite them to our marithon and speed event Paul, as I guess that is when we have the most people at the lake

the problem each year is that the long eekend is at the end of the windy season, you really need to come here early to mid sept and finish by the long weekend.
some of the sandgropers have got in the habit of arriving a week early, getting great sailing , then packng up early on the organized event weekend.
but yes mid sept is perfect. mind you I cannot guarantee a perfect lake.
last 2 years have been 50%+ available salt, the 4 years before that were 100% available salt.
it really comes down to 1 good thunderstorm and 1 day of good wind in 1 direction to decide what you get . sadly the lake isnt as predictable as a tidal beach.
wind strength in early to mid sept tends to be mod to strong in the morning , goes stupid around 1200hrs then tapers off late in the day. By stupid I mean sand from the shore 500m away hitting you in the face,[}:)] the odd dead bush ripped from a dune and rolling across the lake and double 360 spins without choice (in minis)[}:)] I have 2-2.5m sails that come out at this time of year
this is when the speedsail gets put away

working on it but dont give up on Lake Eyre something like that would need people to go there and have a serious look at the possibilities before commiting.
you also need to consider if the type of craft you WANT to use is the right wind craft for the job.
you also need to consider if YOU are the person to do it or if you should be the support. basically it would be ability that does it , not personality.

strangely its quite possible the the eventual doer would be somebody who turned up unprepared , and the conditions were just right, and they took off , achieved the task , taking no consideration for the risks.
A good example would be when Vic and I sailed the length of Lefroy.
I had tried to do it many times, but was beaten by winds, water, other people breaking down............. After 27 years ,Vic and I rigged up one morning , headed off, with one 600ml water bottle and 2 meusli bars, left the other yachts after 10kms and just did it. thats 27 years on a lake that I know like the back of my hand , and I put it down to luck.

I'm in! Did the short course last year with Graeme J - campsite to east shoreline then northish up to the old clubhouse (well at least to the end of the causeway thats now in the vicinity) back west to the quartz patch then 'home'. Never forget the feeling of insignificance out in the middle surrounded by a white billiard table pretty much as far as you can see in every direction.

Reckon I would draw the line at Lake Eyre though, too many unknowns for me.

From what I've read, if I were ever to attempt Lake Eyre it would be in a parakart/kitebuggy first. Still interested in giving kiting a go, just have to keep donating to my secret savings stash.

One could crash their landyacht too, dehydrate, skin could peel off, etc . Would never try it unless I was more than comfortable and experienced at sailing/kiting, in my present state I wouldn't attempt it but maybe if I had more experience and improve substantially...

Seems Im learning something then; at first I would head downwind as reaching and then gybing at speed scared the ......... out of me as I wouldn't be loosing as much speed before the corner.

lake eyre is a really frustrating little carrot isnt it . You really need to go there and have a good look , despite all the info that is on the web. the best map of the bogs on lefroy is still the one I drew, and kept 15 years ago, asthe bogs dont really change in a big hurry.
yet to find any other reference to bog maps on salt lakes

would that be Roma Dulhunty, "The Spell of Lake Eyre" 1975,ISBN 0909706 44 1
the googling of Delhunty got me to the Victorian register of nurses for 1947.
I wil endeavour to procure the book through our library.
thanks for the offer joe, may have to come back to you

I believe the conditions are quite restrictive and it is somewhat expensive to get a permit (for motorsport at least)

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/pdfs/PARKS_PDFS_LAKE_GAIRDNER_MP.PDF

page 27 .... landyachts and 'other wind powered vehicles' occasionally use the lake. Other than kite buggies what could this mean?