Quote from: Fizzie on April 18, 2026, 08:28:51 AMWhat'd you do to deserve that!

Werk

Samoyed fur is teflon.

they can be totally feral caked in red mud.

but let it dry... and it either falls off naturally (often creating a pile of red dust on the tiled floors here) or it can be brushed out with a slicker brush. (sometimes you have to pick out grass seeds)

They are totally self cleaning...

The worst mud ever happened to them in Victoria... they were in a dog park that had a small creek down one side.

Naturally they both went down in the thick black mud for a look. When they came out, it was as though they were wearing Iggy Pop style tight black leather pants... (that required an actual wash and dry)

How do you cope with long haired dogs in the mud ? 

Quote from: Fizzie on Yesterday at 07:52:35 AMThanks, Wayne.

Leafz was asking just a few days ago if you'd posted any updates on conditions recently?

Makes our decision ( a bit) easier to live with!

one thing I will stress Fizzie:

FUEL IS AVAILABLE!!!

I've been seeing on many of the "big lap" style FB pages people panicking about not "wanting to get trapped" (somewhere remote) without fuel.

There is plenty of fuel. Yarralin OPEL tank ran out, (but we had a very healthy reserve of diesel) so no one was mowing their lawns... but that was because of the access road into community. Not fuel availability. Once the sun dried the mud out... a tanker came in. (on Easter Friday no less)

Fuel in Yarralin was $3.30L this time last year (2025), it was $2.80L two weeks ago and after the tanker came, Diesel was $2.90L... (though it *is* pretty Shitty at the main servo's in Katherine and at Timber Creek... $3.27 - $3.50) We use the truck depot as it's only $2.96L

But there is enough fuel for everyone. It's just ****ing panic buying muppets that cause (short term) shortages. (sound familiar?) This a toilet paper all over again.

The Repco and Mitre10 in Katherine are sold out of Jerry Cans... that should tell you enough.

Meanwhile... I arrived at home with no brakes at all in Troopy. (clutch/engine braking and handbrake) Rear left caliper is trashed, rotor is trashed. and no brakefluid in the sytem at all. A rock popped the hose half way from the hwy to Yarralin.

I've put a bolt into the line to seal it and removed the trashed caliper and pads.

Someone in community was in Darwin last night and flew in this morning so they grabbed me 2L of DOT3. I'll rebleed the  front brakes and the RH rear.

Then *another* drive to Katherine this Saturday to get both rear calipers & rotors replaced and home again...

because on the 30th of April (yeh... the following weekend) we're off to Darwin *with* the Kedron on the back (so brakes will be required), to pick up our new puppy, Princess Tilly, at midnight on the 1st of May when her flight lands... yes... another Samoyed.

ai tells me this is her with her soon to be two big brothers... (apparently Uluru is near to Yarralin)

Thanks, Wayne.

Leafz was asking just a few days ago if you'd posted any updates on conditions recently?

Makes our decision ( a bit) easier to live with!

It's so easy to do. Slow right down for any water , mud , holes, corrugations. Easy to sit here and pontificate , I know , but slowing down really helps , and you really don't lose much time for the caution. Good reminder for decent communications as well.
Cheers
Jim

Hooookay

Did the drive to Katherine on Friday. We've had a lot of "stuff" sent to our mechanic in Katherine that we needed to get back here before we do the drive to Darwin in two weeks to pick up Princess Tilly...

Drive in was fun. The Buchanan's mud has 90% dried up but the washaways remain.

The Victoria Hwy is a mess however. Plenty of flood damage and the road crews are doing their best but there is some section about 15klm east of the Buchanan junction that was *very* bad on the way out. Under water, but I saw someone in the distance drive it at walking pace so I slowed down. Front right dropped into a hole up to the axle. That would be lethal at speed (ominous foreshadowing right there)

Picked up our stuff at Badgers Mechanical Service and then a motel and watched a thrilling game between the Dolphins and the Panthers in Darwin.

Picked up groceries the next morning (including assorted cat supplies and litter as the school principal Zoe seems to have unknowingly adopted another cat)...

Diesel was $2.96L at the local fuel depot near the mechanics so I filled up all 270L.

There was a semi in front of me on the way out but as I was in no hurry I just sat in behind him on 97kph on cruise control.

Grabbed some dietary stuff at Vic River Roadhouse (chips n gravy) and then continued on my way... at around 1.30pm ish...

Remember that massive hole that was under water 15klm from the Buchanan turn off?

Cue ominous music.

I think we arrived about 3 mins after the event.

Bloke and his missus doing the big lap in a nice new Ranger (with a full sized... and I'm guessing full of stuff canopy) and towing an Altitude campers Hybrid...

Hit it at around 80kph. (he says... his wife said more like 100kph, but the simple fact that the entire rig wasn't on it's roof... means that he wasn't doing 130...)

Broke both chassis rails behind the dual cab of the Ranger, tore the LH trailing arm off the hybrid van and the same wheel on the van exploded into at least three pieces.

Honestly... knowing how bad that hole is/was... I'm just impressed that they didn't roll the entire rig...

I stopped to see if they were ok and if they needed anything, food water or communications as I have the Starlink Mini on the roof of the Troopy.

But they had everything including Starlink. Fella was in quite a bit of shock (and anger) at the time. His wife was talking to roadside assistance/insurance at the time... but based on what I saw... both will be written off. The Ranger was in a bad state...

I didn't take pics because that would have been tacky.

Someone from Yarralin drove out to Katherine at 9pm last night and he wasn't there then so they must have gotten a flat bed with a trailer out to him.

I feel for them. Generally people up here are half way through their "lap". Not a great way to end it.


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Quote from: Bird on April 17, 2026, 03:51:24 PMBrisbane

What'd you do to deserve that!

Fixed it for you Brisvegas.

Brisbane