Purposeful Meandering Around Remote WA - Week 7

Saturday in the Simpson desert and we were reminded how cold this place can be, a cold wind howled between the dunes and with no protection from the vegetation we felt rather cold and exposed. This was day 4 of our crossing and the plan was to be in Birdsville tonight. The QAA line has marked call points starting at No:23 and descending to No:1 which are designed to radio ahead for oncoming traffic and/or to identify your location if you breakdown. With our struggling in 4WD we wondered whether we needed to use one of these as a reference point. As the day progressed the numbers came down, we progressively made it over each dune. At No:3 we had a significant creek crossing to negotiate and with recent rains it was flowing well. Garth made it across and setup as our recovery, but thankfully we made it across the water unaided but needed help up the muddy slope on the exit. Pushing on we finally reached Call point No:1 and what lay ahead was “Big Red”. This ominous 30m high sand dune has multiple tracks up it depending on your skill or vehicle capability. Given the minimal drive from the front hub we took the easiest line and were very grateful to reach the top on our first go. For the next hour we laughed and commiserated with others as they tried their best on the tougher lines, some broke parts others eventually taking an easier line. Big Red marks the end of the Simpson Desert and the last 40km into Birdsville was a pleasure to drive. We quickly setup camp in the van park and basked in our first shower in days. Our evening was spent at the famous Birdsville hotel enjoying a meal and drink.

We’d decided to have a lay-day on Sunday, which was a welcome change. A relaxing start ensued, with a cooked breakfast and no real plans for our day in Birdsville. We caught up on some washing and a few chores around the car. The most exciting thing we did was the 30min walk around the 3 streets in town and refuelling the car. Being Sunday all shops in town shut by midday, so that leaves the pub and the artesian bore for attractions. Around 3pm the rush of new travellers arrive in town and the peace was broken. Our relaxing day was much needed and great for recharging our bodies.

Monday dawned with us rolling by 8:00am. We drove the short distance to the Birdsville Bakery where we met up with Garth and Tom, we all feasted on the local delicacies for breakfast. Once on the road our plan was to travel the Birdsville track but recent rains had closed it for the past week, thankfully we were lucky the track had opened to limited vehicle access. We made our way out of town and soon realised why the track had been closed, water covered the track and surrounding areas in multiple spots. At times we’d be travelling the track at 80km/hr and all of a sudden we’d be in water up to the sills of the car. We quickly learned that best option was straight through the water, going around the outside in the soft mud was dangerous but we had a lot of fun learning the hard way. By lunch time we’d made it to Mungarianne Hotel, this was to be our intended overnight campsite but after some discussion we decided to keep going. Despite the publican telling us the road was better the further we went south, we were still faced with multiple spots where water covered the entire track. By mid-afternoon we arrived in Maree which meant we’d ticked another box of Australian tracks. Continuing south our goal for the night was the historic township of Farina. We stopped along the way to collect some firewood and just before dusk we arrived at Farina, which appeared to be a popular choice as the place packed with travellers. We struggled to find a spot but once we did, we settled in for a night around the fire with a few beverages and a warming port. With our plans for the remainder of our trip taking us in different directions this was our final night as a 2-car convoy.

Tuesday started like any other day, except Farina in winter is a very cold place. Our extremities froze, the dew covered everything and we all struggled to get going. Garth said his goodbyes early as him and Tom had a lot of ground to cover today. We took our time, doing a bit of sightseeing and stopping at the seasonal bakery in Farina for some outback baked bread. Heading southward we quickly drove into rain scrawls and howling winds with the car temp struggled to reach double digits the entire day. We had a few stops as we drove south, at Hawker we inspected the working seismograph located in the petrol station, while in Peterborough we were gripped by steam train fever. Late in the day we found ourselves in Clare, we’d had enough driving for the day so we lashed out and found a cabin for the night as the predicted subzero temps didn’t lend itself to sleeping in a swag. Ahh! the warmth of a heater and comfort of being indoors for the night.

Wednesday started slowly, the comfort of being indoors had us struggling for motivation but eventually we were packed up and on the road again. The cold weather conditions hadn’t eased and for much of the morning we were happy to drive, staying warm while in the car. We’d made our way back towards Renmark where we planned to visit another state corner. MacCabes Corner is another surveyors mismatch. I’m sure the intent was for all 3 borders (NSW/SA/VIC) to align but once again that’s not the case. Around lunchtime we arrived at the nearest parking point to the corner, we then set off on a 2hr return walk to reach our final corner location for this trip. Situated on the banks of the Murray River this tranquil spot is very different to the others we’d visited, but the magnitude of reaching our final corner in Australia was lost because the post was neglected. Once back in Renmark we spent a few dollars attempting to clean the car, the mud had got that thick on the car we were getting dirty simply getting in and out of the car….. it was a sad moment as we washed away some great memories. By nightfall we were setup in a motel ready to watch the deciding “state of origin” game. All new south welshman know how that ended and I’m sure half the motel heard us cheering a great win.

Thursday started with the morning tv shows advising of severe weather coming across the SA state in the coming 24-36hrs, while this didn’t deter us from our plans we were conscious of the pending weather. We spent much of our day driving through various towns in the Murray and Mallee regions of the state. Travelling through the Murray region we watched countless pickers in hundreds of orchards picking oranges and mandarins. A similar scenario was playing out throughout the day with the countless vineyards we drove past. We passed some very popular brand name wineries that we’ve enjoyed. By days end we’d managed to stay one step ahead of the weather but chose a comfortable option for our night in Naracoorte.

Friday sees week 7 coming to an end, we woke to rain and that was the tempo for the day. We headed out to the Naracoorte Caves hoping for something a little more than a guided tour through a cave, but we quickly reminded ourselves how spoilt we are having various roping cave systems so close to home. After a short look around we left disappointed but not surprised. With rain continuing to fall and temps in the low single digits we soon found ourselves in Victoria. The weather wasn’t any better, there was even a severe weather warning for areas near where we were driving. Around lunchtime we stumbled across the site of a story for the ages. In 1864, 3 kids went missing for 9 days. OMG! they were eventually found alive 100km from their home. We both struggled to grasp the magnitude of such an event in todays society….. Moving on we passed through the rural towns of Edenhope, Horsham and Dimboola before deciding the small town of St Arnaud was enough for today. The rain hadn’t let up and the temps remained in the single digits. It was a no-brainer that we opted for the comfort and warmth of something more than the swag for tonight.

7 weeks into our trip and the end is near.

Purposeful Meandering Around remote WA - Week 1

And just like that, we’re off on our latest adventure. Something that feels like it’s been in the making for years (maybe it had) has finally come to fruition. We originally started planning this road trip pre COVID, it ground to a halt as lockdown cancelled all travel, it was even put on hold while we went on an overseas holiday. Yep, this trip has been in the making for a long time.

As our departure date drew near, we almost had to cancel before we started. The unpredictability of the weather saw WA experience unprecedented rain in March, much of which still lies in patches effecting our route to this day. It felt like there was a different hurdle every week, some bigger than others.

Setting off at 4am an err of caution hung over our route from the outset. The weather had thrown us another curve ball, the Simpson Desert and surrounding areas had 25mm of rain fall overnight, turning dirt roads into mud skid pans which in turn, isolates communities and forces councils to close roads in and out of the desert region. Not to be deterred, our 4 vehicles combined for a mid-highway teleconference where plan B was hashed out….. Never let the weather spoil a good adventure and as night fell on day 1, we found ourselves resting up in Mildura.

Another chilly pre-dawn start had us watching the sun rise as we trekked across the Mildura plains. The early morning highlighted the amazing rustic colours of the grape vines as we travelled through the Riverland region of SA, by mid morning we found ourselves in the quaint little town of Morgan, a historic town on the banks of the Murray River and a perfect spot for breakfast. Pushing further west we were amazed by how many wind turbines we seen, they stretched for miles in either direction. We stopped in the small rural town of Jamestown and were surprised to learn it was the birthplace of R.M Williams. With a few planned geocaching stops it was mid afternoon before we reached Port Augusta. From here it truly feels like you’re entering outback Australia, whether you’re heading west or north there’s not much beyond this point. We turned north towards our nights destination of Woomera. Alas our progress was quickly halted by Sunday roadworks which stretched for more than 10km and slowed our progress dramatically. Needless to say the last few kilometres were done as the sun faded below the horizon. We setup camp in Woomera never felt so good.

Monday morning we rendezvoused with our first convoy car in the Woomera village, we shared our stories of our journey thus far whilst looking around military weapons on display. We were soon pushing north to Roxby Downs, a town solely built to support the Olympic Dam mine operations. It was like an oasis in the desert, not for its appearance, but had everything for every occasion. This was the end of the bitumen for us and we deflated our tyres for corrugations that lie ahead. Continuing further north the arid remoteness was quickly at the forefront, the dirt road was in pretty good condition and by midday we’d made it to the Oodnadatta track. It wasn’t long before we arrived at the Lake Eyre lookout, unfortunately the cold wind and overcast skies made this less appealing than the last time we were here. Continuing further west, we stopped at Coward Springs where we were pleasantly surprised to meet the remaining 2 vehicles of our convoy. Once again we shared our adventures thus far, while some of us had a swim in the natural thermal pool. Next stop was William Creek and we were surprised to see Pat Callinin’s 4x4 crew in this remote town filming an episode. Pressing on it was another couple of hours of rough trails before we arrived in Coober Pedy. We immediately checked in to Riba’s Underground Caravan Park for a couple of nights. While most of the team took the underground option, we braved the overnight rain scrawls and camped above ground.

Tuesday dawned under cloudy ‘n’ windy skies, the overnight rain didn’t have much of an impact on us but we found out later the roads we’d travelled yesterday were near impassable today. We opted for a rest day having already travelled 2200km in only a few days. By mid morning we headed into town where we posed for a group photo at the “blower truck” before doing our own thing around town. Given the size of Cobber Pedy much the day was spent bumping into one another at a tourist attraction, the supermarket or the petrol station. Returning to the caravan park late in the day we all agreed the underground lifestyle of fossicking for opal wasn’t for us. With another big day ahead of us on Wednesday we spent the remainder of the afternoon prepping vehicles and enjoying an extended happy hour.

Wednesday dawned with temps in the single digits and the clouds hung low and rain showers loomed. We had a big day ahead of us with 8+hrs of driving to negotiate. By 8am we were on the road, but for the first couple of hours we drove through rain and fog as we pushed north, We stopped at a few roadhouses which dot the Stuart Hwy. For much of the way we played leap frog with a convoy of Army trucks that were heading in the same direction. Just before lunch we stopped for the obligatory SA/NT border crossing pics. By lunchtime the skies had cleared, the sun was shining but not offering a lot of warmth. It allowed us the benefit of an outdoor lunch at another roadhouse. The driving was endless and monotonous, at Eldurrah we turned west and onto the home straight, but the finish line was still another 260km away. Eventually as the 8hr mark elapsed we pulled into Yulara. We quickly setup camp before heading to the sunset viewing area at Uluru. Under patchy skies the Rock didn’t disappoint us as the sun brought out the beautiful colours for all to see. No sooner was that complete and we headed back to the Yulara watering hole to prepare for State of Origin……. Alas that’s enough about the footy, we all know how that ended and so did our night.

Thursday - this is where our holiday really started, everything we’d done in the past 5 days lead to this point. We woke to the threat of rain, we even had a few spots of rain which had us bouncing out of bed only for the rain to clear and the sun to appear. We spent the morning being tourists around Uluṟu and doing some last minute chores. At midday we rendezvoused at Kata Jutjuta for a quick bite to eat before heading west. For the first 50km of the Great Central Rd we were blessed to be driving on the bitumen and making good time, we were soon airing down our tyres and the adventure was getting real. The outback offered up an array of wildlife that had us constantly watching for traffic hazards, whether it was feral cats, wild horses, cows and the odd camel we were amused by what was on the road. We had a quick stop at the community of Docker River before stopping at the NT/WA border for the obligatory photos and border shenaigans. Pushing further west we eventually made our way in the community of Warrakurna where we setup camp for the night out the back of the roadhouse. After dinner we enjoyed our first outback campfire under the millions of stars.

Friday dawned as our coldest morning of the trip, the thermometer said 3.2deg and coupled with a heavy dew it wasn’t a whole lot of fun. We quickly packed up and headed to the nearby BOM weather out-station where we watched the staff release their daily weather balloon into the atmosphere. Surprisingly it reaches heights of 30km and can drift for over 200km before exploding back to earth as consumable junk. By mid morning we were heading further west where we made it to the local community of Warburton, this is approximately halfway along the western section of the Outback Way and it’s a popular spot to refuel, which they conveniently charge for @ $3:60/ltr for diesel. As they say, “they have it, you need it, so you’ll pay whatever price”. Continuing just out of town we left the main dirt road to join the “Gunbarrel Hwy”. Despite its name it’s actually a narrow, corrugated overgrown 4WD track that throws up countless challenges. For the remainder of the day we averaged 30km/hr over some rough and rugged terrain. The car got some new pin-striping courtesy of the vegetation and on a couple of occasions we had to stop for running repairs. With the sun setting before 5pm we opted to stop early where we hoped to dry out swags from the mornings dew. As night fell, families enjoyed their respective dinners before we all adjourned to the campfire for our first round of port.

Our Saturday morning started really early, a local bird chirped like a persistent alarm with each family blaming the other for not getting up to stop the persistent noise, coupled with a body clock telling us it was a lot later, there was no way we’d be staying in bed much past 6:30am. With week 1 almost complete we’d driven over 3600km and were on the other side of the continent, thank goodness the weeks ahead would start to slow down. Packing up we’d set off by 8:00. The rugged terrain was unrelenting with our speed varying between 10 and 60km/hr it was hard to stay focused. The mornings highlight being a memorial to Len Beadell, the founder of so many outback tracks in the region that nowadays are used by likeminded travellers wishing to explore remote locations. By lunchtime we’d only managed to travel 85km and it looked like we’d be spending another night in the middle of nowhere. Recent rains ensured parts of the track were slippery, muddy and a lot of fun. At some point just after lunch the track literally flicked a switch or we went into a different council zone but we were able to increase our speeds up to highway speeds and for the remainder of the afternoon we made great time. We occasionally had to slow for water crossings or the dumb camel that run down the track blocking our progress for almost 2km’s before eventually heading into the bush. Around 3:30pm we arrived at the remote cattle station of Carnegie Station where we setup camp. With daylight fading we had to do some minor running repairs on the Colorado after a suspension part rattled loose.

1 week down and 7 to go. The hard yards getting to the other side of the country have been achieved, now it’s time to enjoy arid remote locations of WA.

45 Years Service

The SES has been very kind to Leonie and I. Not only did we meet and marry through our involvement with SES, we've had some amazing adventures, met some great people who've turned into lifelong friends and now we've collectively accumulated 45 years National Service between to the 2 of us.

I started my SES career back 1993 in the Blue Mountains before moving to the Illawarra in 1996, while Leonie started her SES career in 1995 at the Wollongong City Unit. We've both shared in the high's and lows of being part of an Emergency Service, whether it be helping a resident who's lost their roof due to severe windstorm or flooding has caused a family to be displaced from their home, its all part of giving back to the community and pride of knowing that I did my bit to help someone who at the time was worse off than me.

In early August we were both recognised at SES awards function for our years of service, with Leonie receiving her 20 years Long Service award while I received my 25 years National clasp. After so many years we still love it and hope to be supporting the community for many years to come. Maybe one day our kids might follow in our footsteps.

Sense of Satisfaction

I remember the phone rang just after getting home from work. It was the Police requesting the SES remote search capability for 2 missing bushwalkers west of Nowra. After a quick chat with the wife confirming the calendar was clear, I was grabbing my gear and out the door. A few of us met at headquarters where extra specialist gear was pack before heading southwards. 2 hours after receiving the call we were in Nowra Police station getting a brief on what little information was available about the missing bushwalkers.

As darkness fell we headed to a place called Quiera Clearing in the Morton N.P, it was from this point that we started our search of Ettrema Gorge. I’d never heard of this gorge and in the dead of night I had no idea of what lie ahead. It was after 10pm before teams headed off into the bush, however I chose to stay at our staging area and act as “SES search Commander” since I was the senior person on site. Little did I know that I’d end up coordinating the search teams for the next 48 hours through some horrendous weather conditions.

Wednesday night quickly become Thursday morning and I found myself sleeping on the front seat of the car. Rain had fallen overnight with fog and cloud making visibility of less than 100m. Our search response was growing quickly, portable comms was trucked in and search teams came and went as their availability dictated. The inclement weather showed no signs of improving, if anything it got worse as squally thunderstorms moved across us. I felt for the teams who were out walking in it, my makeshift command post quickly became the front seat of the car due the deteriorating weather. I certainly wasn’t prepared for the role of coordinator, I had no paperwork or documentation to support the role, but I did the best I could.

The media had got wind of the incident and were now circling for a story. By late afternoon on day-2 a glimmer of hope emerged as the missing bushwalkers contacted Police via the emergency app. Our search teams rallied to a possible location while a helicopter out of Nowra was tasked to the search area. Search teams finally made visual contact with the walkers but just as the rescue plan was implemented the weather closed in putting pay to any helicopter retrieval. The walkers would have to spend another night in the wilderness, but at least they were located and in good spirits.

Friday dawned in high spirits, our missing walkers had been found. Sadly, a quick helo extraction was once again ruled out due to the weather, however our enthusiastic search teams were soon heading into the wilderness to assist the walkers. A long day ensued as the vegetation made walking extremely tough, but by mid-afternoon, some 48 hours after our activation the 2 missing bushwalkers were back at the command post. After a quick check over by the paramedics the walkers were reunited with their families. Commanding multiple search teams from multiple organisations over multiple days had been extremely mentally demanding but the success of finding our 2 missing walkers, safe and well proved far more rewarding and satisfying……… I guess that’s why we do it!

Remote Search Capability

The Illawarra Remote Area Search program has been progressing well, we’ve had a few activations and training days since its inception and vibe has been positive. It was my turn to run a training weekend and I chose the Budawangs (west of Ulladulla) in the Morton NP as a perfect spot to test our skills. Just quietly I wanted to also combine my other love of geocaching with a hike in the area.

On Friday 27^th July, a few members of the group met at Wog Wog campground in anticipation of the 2-day hike the following day. As we arrived onsite we were greeted by a campfire which had us in a false sense of warmth considering how cool the surrounding temps were plummeting. After a bit of banter around the fire and our tents setup we turned in for the night.

Saturday dawned under clear skies but with a real chill in the air, we all commented on the coldness of the previous night and this was confirmed by a thermometer which read -4deg at 7am. After the remainder of our group arrived, we set-off on our hike at 9am. The crispness of the morning soon gave way to a mild day with temps in the mid-teens. The early parts of the walk were a little bland and sceneless as we made our way out onto the plateau. By late morning we’d gotten our first glimpses of the vast and spectacular Budawangs with prominent features like Pigeon House Mt and Mt Cole standing out amongst others. By 1pm we were enjoying lunch on top of Corang Peak but a strong wind had picked up making the exposed peak a little less appealing but still worthy of some great photos. Pressing on we soon found ourselves at Corang Arch while for me was geocaching goal, a recently placed cache making the hike a little more pleasant. We spent some time here exploring the surrounding caves and Conglomerate rock formations.

By mid-afternoon we’d reached our overnight destination of a well-formed camp cave. Dropping our packs after a day’s hiking felt like heaven, we each picked a suitable spot to roll out our bivvy bags before heading off in search of firewood and a nearby lookout. Traversing the track for a few more km’s we reached the stunning Yungra lookout just as the sun was setting on the expansive valley below us…. The view making the day’s hike so rewarding.

Back at our camp cave we settled in for the night as we each enjoyed a hearty meal and the warmth of good campfire. The day’s exercise had clearly taken its toll on us because by 7.30pm we’d retired to the comfort of our sleeping bags and well-earned sleep.

Sunday dawned with the winds stronger than yesterday, thankfully our camp cave had kept us well protected but soon enough we were all packed up and heading into the teeth of a chilly wind. After retracing a short section of yesterday’s walk, we were soon pushing through virgin territory as we continued our Corang Loop hike. One our team had picked up a knee strain which slowed our progress but with gritted teeth he pushed on through some noticeable pain. Traversing the various spurs and ridges we soon found ourselves walking along the banks of the Corang River. The picturesque waterway providing a perfect backdrop to stop and re-fill our water bottles while one of the many cascades gave us another opportunity to find another cache. By late morning we’d moved away from the river, making the slow uphill walk back the cars through the heavily wooded forest.

Nearly 28 hours to the hour after starting our hike we’d made it back to the warmth and comfort of our cars. We’d successfully completed the 30km Corang Loop hike and thoroughly road-tested our capability and equipment.

20 Years of Navshield

When I first joined the SES I recall some guys asking me to compete in a 2 day rogaining event specifically for Emergency Services, at the time I didn’t take up their offer but loved hearing of the their adventure the following week.

A year later and at a different SES Unit I once again had an opportunity to participate in what’s called Navshield and this time I jumped at the chance. The year was 1996 and I recall went to the Blue Mountains, to area called the Blue Labyrinth where over 2 days we hiked to various checkpoints in the bush (mostly off-track) in attempt to gain the highest points score. By the end of the weekend I was sore and scratched but I was hooked.

Now it’s 2016 and I’ve just competed in my 20th Navshield event. It’s something I’m very proud to achieve and something that I look forward to each year. I’ve only missed one year since I started and I think that was due to the birth of our son.

Those 20 appearances have been filled with so many highs and a few lows as I reflect. Considering we would average 25-30km walking in a 1-day event or 40-50km in a 2-day event I’ve covered a lot of bushland and seen some amazing country. On 5 consecutive occasions we won the SES category, I’ve placed 5th outright in the leading class of the 2-day event, I’ve placed 3rd outright in the leading class of the 1-day event and then in my 20th year when some would say “I should be slowing down” we won the class 2 category. Couple those achievements with the countless team members I have hopefully shared my skills and knowledge upon.

Each year the stories of past events are told over and over again to unsuspecting newbies, like the time we walked in the snow or walked in the torrential rain for 8 hrs straight or stealthily hid in the bushes to avoid other teams or did the event without sleeping or camped under the tension power lines only to joke in the morning that glowed from the radiation given off by the lines and so the tales get bigger and bigger, but one thing is for certain – I’ve loved my 20 years of participation at Navshield.

Weekend Caving trip

With our family divided over weekend activities I took the opportunity to organise a social caving trip to Bungonia National Park for SES members and their families. As participants swelled to 20+ some of us made an early start to the weekend by heading out Friday night to setup camp and get a head-start on the others. It didn’t take long to soak up the atmosphere of bush camping with all the worries of city life behind us.

Saturday dawned early for many of us, either due to the nagging birds and first rays of light or for the others who had to leave home early simply so they could be ready for our first cave.  After an exhaustive gear check and obligatory photo we headed off to tackle B4-5 cave. This wasn’t our first choice of cave but due to a bat increase in Grill cave the authorities had closed the cave to the public.

With such a large group, which contained 6 children and a varying range of skill we were always going to take a long time in the cave. Each child had to be belayed over the difficult sections while adults sometimes struggled to fit through various holes and squeezes. However after 4 long hours we finally popped out at the other end safe and well. A number of us commenting on how physically demanding but satisfying it was to lead such a large group through what is a sometimes challenging cave.

Our weary bones set the tempo for the remainder of the day. We hung by the campsite predominantly building various activities to entertain the kids. At one point we had a flying fox, a slack-line anchored off, Frisbee games and a football being kicked around so needless to say as dinner approached there were plenty of tired people around, but what is turning into to be a bit of a tradition we all migrated to the cam kitchen for a night of laughter, card games and the odd tall story.

Sunday started a little slow after what turned out to be a pretty big night, too much alcohol was consumed and a lack of enthusiasm took its toll but by mid-morning we off to do some more activities. Some of us took the little kids abseiling while the more experienced cavers went exploring new depths. I think the abseilers proved that not all the fun has to be below ground with many of the kids showing no fear as they abseiled off a 30m pitch. By mid-afternoon many of us were making plans to head for home after another successful weekend at Bungonia Caves.

Murrumbidgee Floods

It goes without saying that the summer of 2011-12 has been one of the wettest on record. So when the figure of 75% of NSW is affected by floods it comes as no surprise. The latest area to be inundated was the Murrumbidgee region, the Burrinjuck dam was overflowing and as a result the downstream communities of Gundagai, Wagga and Griffith were affected.

As part of the SES management of floods I was deployed to Wagga on Tuesday 6th March. The town had already been cut in two by the rising Murrumbidgee River and the CBD was now being ordered to evacuate. Every business and residence in the exclusion zone were sandbagged in anticipation. As night fell on the 6th everyone watched and waited for the river to peak at its predicted 10.7m. This predicted height would be enough to top the levee bank and in flood the CBD, but as the night unfolded and with a bit of luck the river didn’t reach its expected levels. The maximum height of 10.56m was recorded and many thousands of locals breathed a sigh of relief.

Arriving back at the Wagga SES after a good night’s sleep I was quickly deployed to Griffith where flooding had occurred for the first time in 100 years. Like Wagga, many Griffith residents had been forced from their homes taking very few possessions. I was tasked to the local Unit as the new Incident Controller with a briefing of “make it happen”. The local guys were burnt out, tired, over worked and swamped by the sheer volume of work that needed to be undertaken.

We quickly set about tasking fresh teams and standing down the guys that had been going all week. It didn’t take long for the size of this incident to become apparent. As soon as one chapter closed another quickly opened and quite often a new never-seen challenge would present itself.

Over the next couple of days I struggled with the concept that Griffith was flooding when there are no rivers in town and the sun was blaring. Irrigation canals and run-off from recent heavy rains seemed to be the cause. Canals would randomly burst their banks resulting in us continually chasing our tails. There were no gauge heights, nor predicted peaks to measure this phenomenon by, we literally flew by the seat of pants and occasionally we made mistakes.

Our focus was on the outlying communities of Yenda, Bilbur, Beelbangra and Yoogali. These towns had been under an evacuation order for a few days and the residents were keen to get back into their homes. However with the threat of flooding still possible this was a delicate situation as some residents had left pets behind while others couldn’t get to work as their business was part of the evac order. On the 9th March there was great relief for both SES volunteers and residents as much of the area was given the “All clear” to return to their homes. For me, this decision was like a weight lifted off my shoulders, the phones rang less, the public turning up at our HQ was reduced and there was a sense of accomplishment across the members.

Our euphoria was short lived, the next day had a different challenge. Waters travelling downstream were impacting on another area of Griffith and it was decided to evacuate another resident in an attempt to divert water flows through his property. Once again the members sprang into action and we assisted to evacuate this particular land owner. A selfless act of courage by this resident that I’m sure won’t go unnoticed.

Just as our day started to slow down a call was received for a possible breech in a levee bank, we tasked a team to do recce. It was soon after this that I received a frightening call saying “the guys had been washed off the road, and needed help”. My floodrescue training proved vital and within minutes we had despatched teams and Westpac Lifesaver III to the scene. It’s at this point that minutes seem to take hours, but we soon had notification that all 4 members had been winched to safety. A positive resulted but a mark on the “Service” and my time as I.C.

As my deployment came to end there was still so much to be done. Additional teams were arriving all the time, the replacement I.C arrived just in time and as I departed the Griffith HQ I was comfortable with the job my team and I had accomplished.

Thanks to my fellow OOA team for a job well done.

Commissioner's Citation

Back in mid-December I was completely surprised to receive a letter from the SES stating that I had been awarded a Commissioner’s Citation for my many years of contribution to the Wollongong Navrescue event.

Navrescue is a bush navigation event where teams navigate through bushland to various checkpoints in an attempt to gather as many points as possible in a 6 hour period. The event has run for approx.’ 20 years and has allowed many members of the SES to hone their navigational skills while others have used the event to gain competency in the mapping skill.

On the 30th January at an awards ceremony held at the Wollongong headquarters I was one of five members who received the citation for our outstanding contribution. The award was presented by Commissioner Murray Kear, in front of family and friends. Also on the night many members received various long service awards ranging from 5 to 20 years.

Well done to all.

QFRS Swiftwater Course

Swiftwater Course QFRS – Tully

You can imagine my surprise and delight when I got a phone call offering me a place on the Queensland Fire and Rescue Swiftwater course. The smile grew even bigger when I heard it was at Tully (near Cairns) and I’d have to be up there for a week. Shannon Crofton and I were to evaluate the QFRS Swiftwater course from a participant’s perspective.

Arriving in Cairns on the 12th Nov we met with 2 guys from Melbourne Fire and our guide Don, before heading south to Mission Beach resort, which would be our accommodation for the week. As expected, FNQLD was tropically hot and humid and we were quickly in the pool once at the resort.

Day 1 and the 4 of us had a theory session to ensure our knowledge and skills were up to speed. This proved very enlightening as the QFRS certainly do a few things different to us. By the end of the day the remaining 12 Queensland participants had arrived.

The following morning saw us on the bus and heading to the Tully River by 7am. Plenty of jokes flowed about the potential crocodiles that reside in the river, we were assured that croc’s do actually live in the river which had us all a little concerned. Nevertheless we were soon at checkpoint 9 of the river and preparing for our first lesson.

The Tully River looked very impressive, yet daunting at the same time. For me, it was the first time I’d swum in a natural environment and the risk of danger seemed so much more real than swimming at Penrith Whitewater. The day unfolded with the usual defensive and offensive swimming and catching some of the smallest eddies. By the end of the day everyone was well and truly bushed and the talk on the bus returning to our resort reflected that.

Day 2 and 3 saw more of the same hard work plus the introduction of ropework and IWP’s. Once again the strain on my body was extremely taxing. On more than one occasion I had to dig deep on a swim leg, just to catch the desired eddy. Some of the roping techniques learned over the week will be invaluable in the improvement of Swiftwater rescue in our area. Likewise the use IWP’s (inflatable boats) will be more widely used after the week on the Tully. It was one of these IWP training sessions that I’ll remember for a long time to come. 7 of us experienced what it was like to be swept over a low head dam and fortunately we all popped out the other side relatively unscathed.

As day 4 started I was feeling less than healthy, I had arms of lead and my confidence was shot and with still 2 days ahead of me I knew that I couldn’t keep this pace and at this point I chose to refrain from further assessment. Its something I regret now as the hardest part of the course was behind us but at the time my fitness level was letting me down.

Throughout day 4 we did various small assessment drills, both on land and in the water. Late in the afternoon we did a few scenarios on the river which tested our teamwork, one of these included a night scenario where an unknown number of casualties had been lost on the river. This was a great awareness session to what a rescuer could be faced with when undertaking a rescue on the water at night.

Our final day of the course was mostly spent using the IWP in various tethered systems as well as an introduction to the float ladder. With the course completed we headed back at the resort where we could finally relax with a well-deserved debrief and a good socialising session by the pool.

After 5 days on the Tully River I was absolutely spent, the QFRS Swiftwater course had been very demanding on my body but it was thoroughly rewarding. I had learned an array of new skills, refreshed current skills and knowledge and came home with a renewed interest in flood rescue.

Thanks to the instructors and my fellow participants for a great time on the Tully.

15 Years of Navshield

Who would have imagined that I’d accumulate 15 years of participation in Australia’s leading navigational event for Emergency Services, but that’s what I did on the 2nd July 2011 at Mt Werong. My first event was way back in 1996 at the Blue Labyrinth (Blue Mts) and since then I have competed at events at Dunns Swamp, Patoney’s Crown, Nerriga and Euroka just to name a few.

Over those 15 years of participation I have been to some truly amazing locations, I’ve witnessed some breathtaking and harsh vistas, I’ve been a part of some really great team efforts over the years and on one occasion I had to withdraw due to ongoing SES operations.

Some highlights over the years include our 5 consecutive wins in the SES 2-day category, our 7th outright placing in the 2-day event and the 3rd outright placing in the 1-day event. Along the way though there have also been some equally impressive lowlights which shouldn’t go unmentioned. These include, finishing late, being geographically lost for short periods of the night, some massive blisters and scratches on my body and on one occasion I suffered badly from body fatigue.
Over the years, my fitness has been relatively good and I’ve been able to keep pace with some of the best. However as age catches up with us so does the ability to stay competitive and of recent years I have been resigned to competing at a more social level where I have hopefully educated others on some of the more finer points of map and compass navigation.

Every year throws up new and exciting challenges and it’s these unknown hurdles which keep drawing me back. Whether it’s the weather (rain, ice cold temperatures or even snow) or the vegetation (thick spikey heath, scratchy lantana or fallen eucalypt forests) or finally the terrain (swollen creeks, climbing steep knolls or strolling through open paddocks) Navshield is a unique event.

I look forward to continuing this annual pilgrimage to Navshield.

Pride of the Illawarra - Volunteer winner

The inaugural Pride of the Illawarra Emergency Services awards were held on the 7th May 2011 at City Beach, Wollongong.

The event was organised by the Rotary Clubs of the Illawarra and was about acknowledging and celebrating the achievements of local Emergency Services personnel. Seven NSW emergency services (Police, Fire, Ambulance, SES, RFS, VRA and Marine Rescue) all participated in the event with nominations being called from each service. The SES (State Emergency Service) put four nominees forward for the awards.

The four nominees, their partners, friends and Service dignitaries were among the 300 people that attended the awards dinner. It was easy to see that all nominees shared a common interest and a love for those field and to be selected as a finalist in this company of people was a great honour.

As the night unfolded each finalist was presented to the audience with a short bio of their achievements being read out. Each finalist (12 in total) was presented with a certificate of achievement at this time.

After a lavish 3-course dinner, the major part of the awards night got underway with each Emergency Service being awarded their “Pride of the Illawarra” service winner. For the SES that accolade was given to me. To hear my name read out as the SES winner was one of shock, amazement and ecstatic joy. I received a nice plaque and gift voucher for winning the SES category.

There were still 2 awards remaining, the overall winner (paid) and the overall winner (volunteer). I remember sitting in my seat thinking very nervously that I had a 1 in 4 chance of winning this… Holy shit, within minutes my greatest achievement had become reality. My name had been read out again, this time as the overall winner (volunteer) for the inaugural “Pride of the Illawarra”. The shock, emotion and euphoria were far greater this time as our table erupted into applause and cheers. On stage I was presented with a larger, more impressive plaque, another gift voucher and far great recognition. This time I was asked to say a few words, which I must say I stumbled and stuttered my way through due to the emotion I was feeling.

The rest of the night seemed to float on by with me having a grin from ear to ear. Countless people came up to congratulate me on my achievement while I was never far from someone snapping a photo of me.

Since the awards night I have ridden the rollercoaster of joy that comes with such recognition. I am truly honoured to receive such an award. Volunteer of the Year has a nice ring to it.

I have to thank my wife and family, my peers for nominating me and to the Rotary Clubs of the Illawarra for having such a vision.

Swiftwater Rescue Multi Agency Training Day

On the 9th March 2011 Twenty-one (21) Illawarra Emergency Service members participated in a Multi Agency Swiftwater Rescue training day. The activity was the first of its kind held at the Penrith Whitewater facility.

Members from attended the day;
· Police Rescue Squad - Illawarra
· NSW Ambulance Service – Illawarra
· State Emergency Service – Wollongong
· State Emergency Service – Kiama
· State Emergency Service – ISC Region

With not every agency having ‘Level 3 technicians’ the day proved very successful in sharing various rescue techniques, skills and knowledge that may be used in future operations together.

Some of the skills and techniques undertaken on the day were;
· Defensive and Offensive swimming
· Rescue rope work
· Live bait rescues
· Tensioned diagonal rescues
· Shallow water crossings
· Foot entrapment

The day concluded with all members participating in a free swim around the whitewater course. Feedback from all participants was very positive and rewarding. All Services voiced their approval and interest in future activities.

Cyclone Yasi

On the 3rd Feb 2011 Cyclone Yasi impacted on FNQLD. This category 5 cyclone packed winds of up to 290km/hr. It crossed the coast at Mission Beach before moving inland. Some of the more effected areas included Tully and Cardwell where communities had houses destroyed, essential services cut and many crops were destroyed.

On the 4th Feb a taskforce of 100 NSW SES members flew out to assist the residents of FNQLD. Arriving in Cairns the first thing that hit me was the humidity. I’m one of those people who love the heat but the humidity was a real surprise. Our first night was in the Lakes Resort at Cairns. In between briefings and relaxing in the pool I managed to duck out and grab a local cache.

Bright an early the next morning we were on a bus heading to Tully and Cardwell. As we headed south the magnitude of the cyclone became evident. Banana crops were destroyed, massive advertising signs beside the highway were blown over like match sticks, houses and sheds randomly destroyed. Once in Tully the full extent was witnessed, massive trees were uprooted, nearly every house suffered some form of damage. Cane trains were piled up like mangled pieces of metal while power lines littered the roads. Yet amongst all of the carnage the locals and the Army went about cleaning up.

Further down the coast and we made our way into Cardwell. Most of the time this sleepy hollow is a picture postcard with the Pacific Ocean on one side of the road, with parks and a few shops dotting the highway. Many in our taskforce could draw on previous experience to explain the beauty that once was this place. Now it was a town near completely destroyed. A 3m storm surge and 200km/hr winds had reeked havoc here. The highway was blocked by a metre of sand on it. Houses and business’s had roofs lifted off and water inundation. Many homes were only shells with nothing left inside. Power lines, bus shelters, trees and furniture littered every road. But already there were signs of repair. Large power poles, transformers and heavy earth moving equipment were arriving in town.


The local RSL would be our base for the next few days and we quickly established a command post. What remained of the first day was spent doing recon, before any work could start a picture of the damage had to ascertained. I was fortunate enough to elevated to strike team leader of sector south. It was here that my sector would witness destruction on a mass scale. Sector South was the home of Hinchinbrook Mariner and the multi-million dollar homes.

With rain still falling we made our way into the field and were faced with scenes previously unseen before. Some residents had already started the massive clean up while other homes looked deserted. As we made our way around the streets words can’t describe some of the scenes. Multi million dollar mansions had been totally trashed, mud littered the floors of every house, cyclone roofs were holed like pin cushions, fenced and palm trees were flattened, which in itself was dangerous cause that meant the local crocodiles could roam freely.


It wasn’t long before we set eyes on the mariner and it was here that the full extent of damage was seen. The cyclone and storm surge had totally destroyed the mariner. Hundreds of boats were either on the bottom of the harbour, on top of other boats or washed up into residents’ yards. This was a scene unfathomable and unbelievable. The cost of peoples loss in this area was beyond comprehension. After the initial shock we continued about our business and by days end we had recon’d the whole area.


Our day’s adventure wasn’t over yet as our accommodation details had been revised and we now had to drive back to Innisfail. It was here that we finally got a bed for the night, in the local showground, specifically the horse pavilion. It certainly wasn’t the 5 star resort of the previous night but it was fitting to the situation we’d witnessed today.

The following day and subsequent 2 days were pretty much 3 days of standard storm damage callouts. The only difference being that every house in our southern sector was of the massive scale and we had very limited tools to undertake any repairs. My 7-team strike force shared 2 chainsaws, 2 ladders and 3 RSK’s amongst them, we didn’t have a hammer, nails or tilers batten. But we made the best of what we had and every resident was appreciative of the job we did. While the work wasn’t hard, it was hard working in the unfamiliar humidity.


As we navigated our way around the wealthy streets of Hinchinbrook Estate it was easy to see “what money can buy”. Some of the houses we visited were 3-storey, multiple bathroom and bedrooms, full size billiard tables, swimming pools and indoor spas were a common feature, then there was the water craft that adorned every house. This place was right out of the “lifestyles of the rich and famous” and here we were helping fix their houses.

In the following days, heavy machinery started arriving at the mariner and the arduous task of recovering the damaged boats begun. Many of the boats were loaded onto semi trailers and carted around to the nearby dry-dock while various vessels did their bit to drag other boats back into the water. It’s a sight I wont forget for a long time to come.


Away from the mariner 2 of my strike teams worked their way through an acreage style estate where there had been mass tree job style damage. This was another unique experience as every tree had been stripped bare by the cyclonic winds. Trees that appeared to have survived a bushfire were in actual fact sticks left standing, leaves stripped by the cyclone.

By the end of our 5th day, many of our taskforce were looking forward to heading home. The heat had taken its toll on a few members and after driving back to Cairns, we were treated to a final night at the Lakes Resort.


Our adventure had one final twist to it. As we departed for Cairns airport we were informed that the wealthy mining magnate “Clive Palmer” had offered to fly us all back to Sydney on his personal jet as a sign of gratitude for the fantastic job we’d done in supporting the victims of Cyclone Yasi. What a great gesture it was and a very memorable flight.

To conclude I’d like to thank the guys of my strike force team who my job so much easier. You guys are the real heroes.