MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Rumpig on May 10, 2017, 07:14:54 PM
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For anyone wanting to watch an old school 4wd adventure video, this is well worth watching. https://www.4x4australia.com.au/explore/qld/1705/video-fj40-toyota-land-cruiser-in-cape-york-1975?fb_action_ids=2278814102342766&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B1127836897321491%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D (https://www.4x4australia.com.au/explore/qld/1705/video-fj40-toyota-land-cruiser-in-cape-york-1975?fb_action_ids=2278814102342766&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B1127836897321491%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D)
I happen to know Norm and his lovely wife Sandy who star in the video, and another mate Brett did the production of the show. Myself and a group of other guys were lucky enough to be staying at Norms property on the weekend they premiered this video in his shed, it was a great watch and finally it's now being hosted where other people can view it.
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I have a great watch too , Had it for years and it still tells the right time. Not sure about the date , me eyes ain't that good anymore . ;D ;D
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I have a great watch too , Had it for years and it still tells the right time. Not sure about the date , me eyes ain't that good anymore . ;D ;D
i asked the lesbians next door if I could have a watch, they misunderstood me though, bought me a Rolex ;D
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i asked the lesbians next door if I could have a watch, they misunderstood me though, bought me a Rolex ;D
Wow, fancy...
All the lesbians I know would be flat out buying you a Swatch, never mind a Rolex... ;D
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Awesome Movie.......
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Awesome Movie.......
certainly is hey, an adventure of a lifetime.
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It makes me want to buy a big old catamaran cut the ****er in half and bolt a 200 to the back of the prado and go north
;D :cheers:
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Rumpig, I too have meet Norm and he was one the first people to extract money out of my pocket when I got into 4wds in 1982, fitting accessaries and servicing. Norm was a bit of a pioneer in the early days of the 4wd industry. Opening Traction 4 in Artarmon Sydney, in an old super six asbestos shed assisted by his wife Sandy in the office and his work shop manager Richard Stephens an ex Toyota mechanic they fitted out my HiLux including fabricating bits that weren't commercially available, did all my servicing and also replacing a failed motor.
I did a trip to the Cape in 1987 and Norm was a source of info then.
After I moved out to the mountains i continue to drive back for servicing until he sold up and moved up the coast to I think the port Stephens area, and I found a new mechanic.
I know Norm could be found on the LCool site, not sure if he still there as I haven't visited that site for a while.
A gentleman of the industry.
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Mal, Thanks for sharing as that's an amazing Video. While I've never meet Norm face to face, I have interacted with him many times on another forum as he is the nicest and most helpful guy.
This does make the rest of us look soft and he is a true pioneer.
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Great stuff Rummy ..
Gee how irresponsible where they !! fancy taking a home built trailer made up of not much more than a few lengths of 2" box and an old set of car stub axles and leaf springs .." That piece of crap wouldnt last five minutes " off into wilds of virtualy untamed Cape York, with little kids no less .. ;D LOL.
What were they thinking, Every one knows that you cant do any tracks or touring with out aircon airlockers mega lift fancy bar work and an airbagged independent or coil sprung blinged out electric every thing ice cold and latte equipped mobile home away from home .. ;D ;D
Nothing but good O'l fashioned Nouse, Know how and Have a go attitude mixed with self reliance and belief in their abilities . O'l Skool Aussies at their best ..
Bloody well miss these sorts of blokes ..
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Rumpig, I too have meet Norm and he was one the first people to extract money out of my pocket when I got into 4wds in 1982, fitting accessaries and servicing. Norm was a bit of a pioneer in the early days of the 4wd industry. Opening Traction 4 in Artarmon Sydney, in an old super six asbestos shed assisted by his wife Sandy in the office and his work shop manager Richard Stephens an ex Toyota mechanic they fitted out my HiLux including fabricating bits that weren't commercially available, did all my servicing and also replacing a failed motor.
I did a trip to the Cape in 1987 and Norm was a source of info then.
After I moved out to the mountains i continue to drive back for servicing until he sold up and moved up the coast to I think the port Stephens area, and I found a new mechanic.
I know Norm could be found on the LCool site, not sure if he still there as I haven't visited that site for a while.
A gentleman of the industry.
As you say Rags, he is a true gentleman....don't think he really frequents any forums much at all these days though. Norm and Sandy used to live on a property in the general area you mention (I won't where exactly in a public forum), I believe they have recently sold that and moved to a smaller property recently though.
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That was brilliant, thanks for sharing mate.
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That was brilliant, thanks for sharing mate.
thought the same the first time I watched it also...I just watched it again right now myself actually...lol
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A few observations, Norm mentioned that they werent allowed to drive on the roads with the bobcat tyres so carried a second set of wheels n tyres,
they had to do winching no problems just break out the turfor,
and lack of crocs, similar to when we went in 1987 crocs weren't a problem then!
Also I like the shot of the home,it reminds me of our childhood home in the same area of Sydney, were my 87 year old mum resides and hasn't changed much since she moved there with my dad in 1951
Great video but reminds me of how our modern day material needs or greeds control our life,
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Thanks for sharing Mal, that was great. an adventure alright, clever rafts they made.
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I know Norm could be found on the LCool site,
Norm very rarely makes an appearance there, these days. You do see him pop up occasionally on the TLCC site
Lovely man and it is so good to see some of his amazing life story preserved
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Also I like the shot of the home,it reminds me of our childhood home in the same area of Sydney, were my 87 year old mum resides and hasn't changed much since she moved there with my dad in 1951
sad how most of those good old solid hardwood framed houses have been dozed to make way for sardine cans on 4ft blocks of land where you have common walls..
... 180-200 is the most common smaller block size in Melbourne"
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Thanks for posting. Great to watch, and he seems a very down to earth character.
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Hi Rumpig, Thanks for sharing great show I loved it, What a top Idea with the foam, My dad and I did the Cape in 1987 we saw heaps of big Crocs 3,5 to 5m around all them rivers like the Delhunty You just had to walk back up the river a couple ks and they were there, Craig
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Hi Rumpig, Thanks for sharing great show I loved it, What a top Idea with the foam, My dad and I did the Cape in 1987 we saw heaps of big Crocs 3,5 to 5m around all them rivers like the Delhunty You just had to walk back up the river a couple ks and they were there, Craig
we saw plenty in 2006 when we were last up there...saw a monster at Wajul Wajul Community as we drove along side the water there, and also saw another biggie at your favourite area when we camped at Pennefather River, saw a group of small freshies in the middle of nowhere as we drove up the Developmental Rd also...how times have changed hey. Glad you enjoyed watching if
Thanks for posting. Great to watch, and he seems a very down to earth character.
yep he's a top bloke old Norm is...glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for sharing Mal, that was great. an adventure alright, clever rafts they made.
Certainly a great adventure hey, can't imagine risking putting my own fourby on a raft like that today that's for sure...lol
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It would of been a great trip, But we forget in 1975 that would of been a brand new 4 speed with 2F motor, My brother had the same one new they were such a good 4wd, heaps of power but 12 mile to the gallon, Craig
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can't imagine risking putting my own fourby on a raft like that today that's for sure...lol
I'm thinking you'd be wanting a few more rafts.
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Great video.
I remember a guy coming into Harvey Norman in Cairns, where I was working, and asked if I could copy a video for him. He drove to the Cape in 1971 in a ht Holden with modified tyres and suspension. I watched some of the video and it was a real adventure. I should have done a copy for myself.
Mark
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My mates dad and Uncle the Page brothers from Pomona did the Cape in two williys jeeps in the 60s, Then there was going north on a northern safari, forget were they went great show, Craig
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Great video.
I remember a guy coming into Harvey Norman in Cairns, where I was working, and asked if I could copy a video for him. He drove to the Cape in 1971 in a ht Holden with modified tyres and suspension. I watched some of the video and it was a real adventure. I should have done a copy for myself.
Mark
i wish I had video of some trips I did many years ago, sadly I never took so much as a photograph on my early trips, let alone video footage :'(
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Brings back a lot of memories! during the days of the old commonwealth dept of works, worked at all the old repeater stations on the telegraph line when they were still in use, particularly Fairview near Laura, Moreton telegraph Station, Cowen and if I remember correctly Musgrave. First trip was in the mid sixties, we used to do all the building works and repairs for PMG and also the airports for DCA at Cooktown, Cowen and Iron range
Virtually no photos, apart from an extended trip to Iron Range airport in 1968 to relocate a wartime building from the far side of the airstrip to near the terminal and renovate it for the itinerant workers to stay at when doing runway repairs or relieving the permanent groundsman at the strip. We made a frame to sit under the building and used two parallel sets of portable train tracks for cane trains in the paddocks to pull it with the truck to the other side of the strip, have a photo of the building in the middle of the runway.
Used to drive to Portland Roads every 2nd sunday, about 3 hours one way on the track in those days, for the Maluka (a coastal trader) to dock at the jetty with our food and other gear for the job, have to see if I can scan some photos and try and post them.
Remember crossing the Wenlock in late October one year, with an early wet season starting, had the doors open on the 4WD international truck (C1600 model I think) and about 300mm of water running through the cab, the climb out on the southern side was all slippery clay with a vertical shelf on the bank just above the water line. There was a 4WD club from South Australia camped on the southern side as the water was too deep for the landrovers, they were all taking photos but no one offered to send me one, would have loved to have seen what it looked like, but made it out without having to drag out the cable on the PTO winch.
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Thanks for posting up the link, wondering if the old FJ of mine could make the trip. I am sure it could, its just me driving all that way that's the problem ;D
GG
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Great Stuff bKim would of been a great spot back then no crocs to worry about, going barra fishing on your days off, Did you meet a bloke by the name of owwy onerry he had the lease on Pascoe river station, Craig
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My mates dad and Uncle the Page brothers from Pomona did the Cape in two williys jeeps in the 60s, Then there was going north on a northern safari, forget were they went great show, Craig
I remember seeing the movie Northern Safari as a kid. It may even have been at the pictures, or drive-in. Keith Adams, driving his old Buick around the outback back in 1955.
http://northernsafari.com/about/ (http://northernsafari.com/about/)
http://www.dirtroaddiaries.com.au/keith-adams (http://www.dirtroaddiaries.com.au/keith-adams)
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Hi Troopy, Thats the one, I saw it around the same time, 64 model I am, Craig
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Great Stuff bKim would of been a great spot back then no crocs to worry about, going barra fishing on your days off, Did you meet a bloke by the name of owwy onerry he had the lease on Pascoe river station, Craig
I new a fellow by that name Craig, he lived near Yarraden Station chasing a bit of gold. He also had a house later on down here as well., and if I remember he had a daughter in Weipa. I think he passed on some years ago, though I can not be sure.
I think he went back up to his daughter once he sold the house down here.
Owwy come and asked me one day to run him down to Cairns to buy a new vehicle to go back up to Yarraden. The trouble is we had to go an sell enough gold in one go to buy it, so of to Cairns we go with a couple of sunshine milk tins of gold.
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Great Stuff bKim would of been a great spot back then no crocs to worry about, going barra fishing on your days off, Did you meet a bloke by the name of owwy onerry he had the lease on Pascoe river station, Craig
Never had the free time to meet too many people Craig, did know Bert Harris the publican at Coen, who was duffing cattle and had a falling out with his partner in crime with a shootout in the street at Coen (just like the wild west), also Toot's Holzhiemer, a local legend! (google her) who with her husband ran trucks freighting gear up on the cape. When we were at Iron Range or Moreton Telegraph Station, she would deliver material for us and off load at Coen airport and we would drive down and collect it in the 4WD trucks. Tootsie was killed in an accident and there is / was a memorial to her at the Archer River roadhouse, there were a few others but I think most of them would have passed on by now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9-xdtSJHfM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9-xdtSJHfM)
The crocs were there! possibly just not as many and they were much more cautious then, they seemed to know (just like crows) if you had a rifle with you, had a single shot .310 with a sliding breech, didn't carry much distance but a hell of a wallop at close range! had a close encounter with one (early 70's) in the long grass on the banks of the Wenlock just downstream of the telegraph station one afternoon while fishing for barra
Last time I was on the cape for a holiday trip, I drove from Chilli Beach to the Hahn River roadhouse easily in a day with stops along the way, the trip in 68 as the first vehicle in after the wet took 4 days and 3 nights from Coen to Iron Range! coming down from Moreton to Coen involved hand shovelling a ton or so of sand onto the truck to try and make the drive slightly smoother and depart Moreton at daybreak for a hopeful arrival at Coen airport by dark.
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Hi Jclures, Sounds like him, Dad and I camped near him and his brother in 1987 at Port Stewart or silver pains, for a couple weeks his brother had a cattle propity at charters Towers, Lovely old buggers, And I always wondered what he got up to and were he was every time I went back up the Cape, Were's Yarraden station, Craig
Hi Bkim, Great memories for you, I ve heard of Toots must of been a tough lady, 310 I have one of them 1901 cadet rifle CMf SA mine is, Wild old tracks them days for shore, they were rough enough for me in the 1982 when I first had a go at coming up, got to Laura and turned around as it was late February and an old fellow at Cooktown said do not go up there mate the Crocs are nesting the wet about to start, lucky we headed for home got back Yungurra and it started pooring rain so headed for home it flooded behind us all the way back here, Craig
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Wow, fancy...
All the lesbians I know would be flat out buying you a Swatch, never mind a Rolex... ;D
You wouldnt want to watch any of the ones i know.....
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Craig, Owwy used to go to Port Stewart quite a bit, his gold lease was just west of Yarraden station. Yarraden station is North of Musgrave, you pass through Yarraden station to go to the southern side of Aurukun on the Archer River.
I first met Owwy in 1986, or 87 up at Yarraden.
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Thank you for that JC, He was a lovely old fellow with some great stories of huge barra he had caught when he first moved to the Pascoe river, I am glad he seen his days out doing what he loved because it would of been a tough life on the Pascoe. Craig