Yes Laurie, that's Ok for you young fellows who can still walk.
Tony
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of L&L Knight
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 10:59 AM
To:
Subject: Your birding vehicle
You only need high clearance for the last couple of km on the way into
Palm Valley, which is easily walked, and increases your opportunities
for seeing birds [like dusky grasswrens].
Regards, Laurie.
On Friday, February 24, 2006, at 09:38 AM, Terry and Lyn Gould wrote:
> Not donga, but in places like Palm Valley NT, where it is a track
> along the creek bed - sand and rocks and up and down the creek bank.
> Clearance and traction is mandatory.
>
> At 09:56 AM 24/02/2006, Tony Russell wrote:
>> Of course one doesn't actually use 4wd for most of the time but it's
>> those awkward remote places with poor roads where street cars cannot
>> go and where the birds you wish to see most often are. My bird list
>> would be way below 700 if not for having a 4x4 facility ( Nissan
>> Patrol, magic
>> machine)when needed. And it takes my off road caravan with it too.
>>
>> Incidentally, for those frowning on the term off road, it really
>> means rough road, not actually charging across the donga, birders
>> never do that. Tony
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:
>> On Behalf Of peter
>> crow
>> Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 9:38 AM
>> To: Graham Etherington
>> Cc:
>> Subject: Re: [BIRDING-AUS] Your birding vehicle
>>
>>
>> Hello Graham,
>>
>> Most places in Australia are accessible by 2WD. In saying this I
>> will probably be rubbished by many who know better. I have travelled
>> most of Australia including a few deserts where 4WD is necessary but
>> in most other places 2WD does.
>> I drive a Nissan Patrol (I can hear the laughs) but seldom use 4WD.
>> In
>> 150,000 km I have used 4WD for about 70km. (I did the Simpson Desert
>> in
>> another vehicle.)
>>
>> I own this large vehicle as I pull a caravan and only for that. If I
>> didn't have a caravan I would probably own a Subaru Forester.
>>
>> On an Atlassing expedition in 1999 we were accompanied by a Forrester
>> across much of western Queensland including about four hundred km
>> within the Simpson Desert and only lack of clearance on a few sandy
>> dunes gave it any problems. 99% of gravel, dirt or unmade roads do
>> not need 4WD.
>>
>> Visit Inskip Point and see the Holdens and other sedans driven on to
>> sand in the camping areas including some pulling trailers.
>>
>> The best vehicle I have used for desert and mud conditions was a Land
>> Rover.
>>
>> 4WD and low range is helpful in very steep situations ie climbing in
>> and out of some river crossings on Cape York but one can cover much
>> of the cape without encountering these places.
>>
>> In answer to your question the simple answer is 4WD in not necessary
>> most of the time (98%) but it is handy at times. If you intend to do
>> lots of desert work or climb steep hills 4WD is essential and a
>> larger one is better. There are so many small all wheel drives or
>> soft roaders availaivble at fairly reasonable prices that it is
>> probably sensible to
>> go for one of these rather than a low slung passenger vehicle.
>>
>> A thought is that a diesel vehicle will go further on a tank of fuel
>> than an equivalent petrol one. this is handy in remote areas as one
>> doesn't have to carry cans of fuel.
>>
>> Hope this is of a little help.
>>
>> Peter Crow
>> Brisbane.
>>
>>
>> On Thursday, February 23, 2006, at 08:35 PM, Graham Etherington
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Hi everyone,
>> > I'm expecting to move from the UK to Brisbane at the end of March
>> > or the beginning of April. I'm planning of spending a lot of time
>> > birding, probably going away for birding trips every other weekend,
>> by
>>
>> > car. My question is this - do you really need 4x4 to fully enjoy
>> > the best of QLD/NWS birding? I know I'll need something with plenty
>> > of space for camping gear and the like, but I'd be interested to
>> > see
>> how
>> > many Australian birders use 4WD vehicles (and where you use them).
>> > I've visited Queensland once before and thought that a good
>> > off-road vehicle would have been handy sometimes, especially at
>> > places such
>> as
>> > Noosa Plain and Lamington.
>> > Also, what about the various different types of 4x4. I know about
>> the
>> > usual Nissan Patrols and Toyota Landcruisers, but what about the
>> > 'station wagon' type 4x4. Anyone use one of them? So, what I'm
>> > really after is comments from birders about what they drive (4x4 or
>> > other), how they think their vehicle copes with
>> birding
>> > terrain, how necessary they consider a 4x4 to be, and where they
>> spend
>> > most of their time birding.
>> >
>> > Looking forward to joining you all in Oz and meeting up with some
>> > of the local birders in Queensland. Best wishes, Graham Etherington
>> > Norwich, UK
>> > --------------------------------------------
>> > Birding-Aus is on the Web at
>> > www.birding-aus.org
>> > birding-aus.blogspot.com
>> > --------------------------------------------
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>> > 'unsubscribe birding-aus' (no quotes, no Subject line)
>> > to
>> >
>> >
>>
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>
> --------------------------------------------
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>
Laurie & Leanne Knight
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