YARRALIN NT LIFE - (was - time to hit the road... pack up your swag lets go)

[Bird]

No thanks! 

thats a normal day for most.... 200klm is a day trip

[wakychapmans]

yeh I think common sense will prevail and she'll be flown to Darwin...

she is... "one" of these...

[Fizzie]

How'd you go with your re-sup run, Wayne?

Looks like you're going to cop it again!  

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-20/katherine-major-flood-warning-cyclone-narelle/106479164

[wakychapmans]

How'd you go with your re-sup run, Wayne?

Looks like you're going to cop it again!  

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-20/katherine-major-flood-warning-cyclone-narelle/106479164

The run out was fun. I trully mean that. Had a blast. (the last time i did that road the mud was the same but we had the new 3T van on the back... so... more focus... less "fun")

Coles (as is normal for them) in Kununurra, couldn't supply over half our order. Thankfully i found the IGA in town and hit that hard...

With a 40L drawer fridge in the fit out in the back (set to -18), plus a 73L dual zone fridge/freezer (also set as a freezer), plus a 60L (borrowed) Engel in the back seat running a fridge only, plus a new TV from Betta, (our bedroom TV had died after only 16 years) plus a seriously large amount of dry food, plus a massive chemist run...

I was well stocked for the return trip. (I had casks of water, plus slabs of soft drink in the footwell behind me, plus in the passengers side footwell, and loaves of bread on the passengers seat too.

This time however... the top half of the Buchanan hwy had been dumped on. So it was a slip n slide. Many times I was sidesways (one way... then the other)

The lower sections wearn't as bad as I've seen them in the past... but they were an interesting drive.

But the 16klm section from the gate to community? oh that a whole new level of "fun"...

The All4Adventure team got nothing on that. Water in multiple places across the track half way up the doors. And mud... so much mud...

Left Kununurra at 10:30am WA time (so 12pm NT) and made it home at 6:45pm... (normally a 4.5h drive)

Hit the car with the Karcher and cleaned enough mud off to access the back and unload/offload the fridges.

The track is officially closed now.

As for the current Cyclone, Narrelle went north of us. (Jasper Gorge blocks us a fair bit), Looks like Katherine got off light this time. (compared to last time)

We still have to make the drive to Darwin on the 1st of May to pick up our next family member. Tilly the Samoyed, who is flying in from Wilton in NSW at midnight that evening.

If the road dries out a bit by then, we'll take the Kedron with us... Otherwise, we'll take the Troopy only and motel it.

[wakychapmans]

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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JimS]

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

[Fizzie]

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!

[wakychapmans]

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!

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)

[xcvator]

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

[wakychapmans]

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)

[wakychapmans]

the big day is almost here...

heading off to Katherine tomorrow arvo with the Kedron in tow.

Monty is staying here with our neighbour. Tucker was meant to stay her as well, but...

Tucker is unwell... (very lethargic and his eye may be playing up again) so he's coming with us to see the vet.

Schedule is:
Thursday lunch (ish) get outa' Yarralin.
Thursday 6pm, arrive in Katherine at Badgers workshop (where we'll plug in and camp overnight) - he has to check a couple of things on the Troopy and the DO35 hitch on the van is playing up... (not locking/unlocking without copious amounts of WD40 and brute force)

Friday - head to Darwin. We have a van park site booked for simplicity.
Friday arvo... watch Kyria RANSACK Bunnings and Spotlight in a way that would put the Vikings to shame...
Friday evening around midnight... pick up Princess Tilly from the airport.
Saturday morning around 6am (with very little sleep), head back to Katherine to see our vet. Originally planned as a meet up for Tilly, now a check over for Tucker as well.
Saturday arvo... relax in Katherine van park and spend an evening with some friends that are in town. Discover how sharp Tilly's puppy teeth actually are!
Sunday morning *early*... drive back to Yarralin.
Sunday arvo... Monty meets Tilly.

pandemonium ensures...

Pic is of Ms Tilly during training at Anaky Samoyeds/Kylies K9 Country Retreat.

[wakychapmans]

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!

FURTHER TO THIS...

The PetrolSpy app, shows fuel in Yarralin at $3.90L... I promise it's only $2.90L (diesel)

But Diesel in Katherine at the Caltex fuel depot near our mechanic is $2.52L...

We'll see what Darwin is like when we get there. With 270L on board... we can easily do Katherine to Darwin and back no probs'. (actually we can quite easily do Yarralin to Darwin and back) But It will be interesting to check out the Darwin fuel rates...

[Bird]

the big day is almost here...

heading off to Katherine tomorrow arvo with the Kedron in tow.

Monty is staying here with our neighbour. Tucker was meant to stay her as well, but...

Tucker is unwell... (very lethargic and his eye may be playing up again) so he's coming with us to see the vet.

Schedule is:
Thursday lunch (ish) get outa' Yarralin.
Thursday 6pm, arrive in Katherine at Badgers workshop (where we'll plug in and camp overnight) - he has to check a couple of things on the Troopy and the DO35 hitch on the van is playing up... (not locking/unlocking without copious amounts of WD40 and brute force)

Friday - head to Darwin. We have a van park site booked for simplicity.
Friday arvo... watch Kyria RANSACK Bunnings and Spotlight in a way that would put the Vikings to shame...
Friday evening around midnight... pick up Princess Tilly from the airport.
Saturday morning around 6am (with very little sleep), head back to Katherine to see our vet. Originally planned as a meet up for Tilly, now a check over for Tucker as well.
Saturday arvo... relax in Katherine van park and spend an evening with some friends that are in town. Discover how sharp Tilly's puppy teeth actually are!
Sunday morning *early*... drive back to Yarralin.
Sunday arvo... Monty meets Tilly.

pandemonium ensures...

Pic is of Ms Tilly during training at Anaky Samoyeds/Kylies K9 Country Retreat.

Sounds like you wont have much rest!

[wakychapmans]

Sounds like you wont have much rest!

well... Monday is a public holiday up here (May Day)

but seeing as how it's *not* in NSW... I'll have to work.