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COT survey – July 2015

Our third survey trip for the 2016 Classic Outback Trial was in July 2015. Here’s some pictures from that trip…

Carmel made us welcome at Gem Tree… The Gem room is very impressive.
Hard at work on The Garden
The view of the East MacDonnells from Lasseters.
Spectacular Rainbow Valley…
Amazing views as we return to Alice Springs
The Rodinga siding…
Farm transport… There’s also Cessna in the shed.
This is how they muster…
A spring in our path…
Chris and Debra at the Central Australian Rally Sport Club.
At Stuarts Well…
At Bushy Park, north of Alice Springs
Club night at the CARS club…
Bill at Deep Well Station.
Phil with Ben and Nicole at Undoolya.
Yep, we’ve been made very welcome…
A beautiful gorge…
Club night at the CARS club…
Undoolya Station…
Justin at Maryvale.
“I can see for miles and miles and miles…”
The might be some spares out there…
We start and finish each day under the portico at the Convention Centre – except for the start of day 1.
Roads get sandy as we head south and get nearer the Simpson Desert.
Stuarts Well specials…
Andy and Phil at The Garden – and yes, Phil’s map has been pixellated to protect the innocent.
Phil with Sam at Bushy Park
This local watched carefully as we opened a gate…
The old Owen Springs homestead
Spectacular country on The Garden
mmm… this doesn’t work from this side.
Gem Tree will be a service break.
There’s a postcard on every stage…
Shut the gate!
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COT Survey – May 2015

Some pics from our event survey trip in May 2015.

Great roads, great landscapes…
A bit more undulating and heading towards gold country.
How did they get them up there?
Near Old Ambalindum Station, NE of Alice Springs
Ever changing landscapes. And no, not Nevada, SE of Alice
Great service and lunch facilities at the Off Road Club.
South of Alice, getting close to the Simpson Desert.
At Old Ambalindum Station, making plans for the COT. LtoR: Emily and daughter, Darren. Phil and Chantal. Old Ambalindum homestead in the background.
Route planning at Hamilton Downs LtoR Alister, Mary, Phil and Tony
Harts Range in the distance
Great roads… this one just south of Alice Springs.
On Undoolya Station, E of Alice Springs
Amazing views…
A great stage track past the yards…
Our hosts at the Central Australian Rally Sport Club – Chris (L) and Phil – President and Vice-President.
Georgina Range, east of Alice Springs.
A bit sandy here, heading into a wide river crossing.
The original Old Ambalindum homestead.
Heading into Mordred Pound. Wont be a COT stage, but we enjoyed exploring it.
Imagine this full of floodwater!
Phil with Ken – the President of the Off Road Club.
Amazing landscapes… part of the MacDonnell Ranges
The Central Australian Rally Sport Club in Alice Springs.
Mordred Pound
An abandoned movie set appears out of nowhere…
Richie at the Grape Farm helped us with a flat.
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June survey trip

In June, Philip and Steve did the last survey before the course check. They had a 10 day trip to tie down stages and arrangements for the 2014 event.  Here are some pics from their trip.

The prologue – a 12 k forest stage near Parkes.
Another beautiful evening on the track – end of Morning Side, just before Ivanhoe.
Bill, station owner of Broadmeadows with Julie, and Philip.
They were yarding goats when we were at Broadmeadows station.
The 2014 Classic Outback Trial presentation dinner will be at the Renmark Club.
Broadmeadows, an amazing new stage for COT 2014
Lex is our host on Pine Avenue on day 2.
A new stage for COT2014 – Viewmont.
This is the start of the last stage of day 4, Farmcote – a challenging 60K stage. This pic explains why the old hotel on the stage is made of stone… the country really changes dramatically between Ivanhoe and Broken Hill.
The wheat was sewn 4 weeks ago… will make the tracks much better defined by COT time.
Biiiig day checking over day 2 of the Classic Outback Trial… it was a beautiful sunset out there.
Fencing wire can be a problem… you really do need to stay on the road!
We’ve found two good short stages between the Broken Hill speedway and Silverton.
We spent lots of the day dodging road hazards…
Trish and Phil (not the one on the picture) are our hosts on El Dorado and Limby
Finish of the 2014 Classic Outback Trial will be at the Angove Family Winemakers Cellar door.
Day 5 will be short, ending at the Silverton Hotel.
Getting advice from the locals on Wonganong.
Leonie and Loraine with Philip at Angove Family Winemakers, sorting arrangements for the end of the 2014 COT.
Bob and Derryn are our hosts on Viewmont.
The 2014 Classic Outback Trial presentation dinner will be at the Renmark Club.
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COT 2014 March survey – pics from days 1 and 2

Parkes Nissan, venue for scrutiny on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.
The Parkes Services Club, the venue for the briefing and our welcome function on Saturday evening.
Heugh, our host at Overland and Emu Chase, with Philip. That’s one of Heugh’s smaller tractors.
We always stop at Utes in the Paddock at Ootha – there is always something to see. This is a service location on the 2014 COT.
Main street of Parkes – this is our start location on Sunday 31 August.
Linda, our hostess at the Comfort Inn Bushman’s, Rally HQ in Parkes.
Saw this number plate on one of the Mercedes at the Bushman’s. We explained the significance of numbers 001, 002 and 003 to Keith.
About 100 Mercedes owners stopped in Parkes on their way to the Gold Coast for a National event. The car park at the Bushman’s was full of Benzes – and one dirty Nissan Patrol that attracted lots of attention.
The spillway below Lake Endeavour near Parkes – some powerful water has been down here. We found this while checking our prologue locations.
The Nissan Fleet survey Patrol at the Henry Parkes Centre – home of Parkes Tourism.
Elvis directing the way to the prologue near Parkes. Thank you very much…
There are some great farm gate letter boxes our here…

See the report on days 1 & 2 here.