PE Isobel Caulfield and PP Laury Gordyn presented an very informative summary of their experiences on the Canning Stock Route. Isobel used a very professional PowerPoint presentation to convey the essence of the trip.
The Canning Stock Route is a track that runs from Wiluna in the mid-west region to Halls Creek in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. With a total distance of around 1,850 km it is the longest historic stock route in the world. There is a string of 51 wells along the route that were used to water stock.
To get to the starting point at Wiluna, they had to travel 3,500 km from Melbourne, making the overall journey to Halls Creek 5,350 km - a massive undertaking. However, they set off with anticipation taking their trusty Ford Ranger (Caulfields) and Toyota Sahara (Gordyns), both of which were customised with sleeping quarters and a kitchen in the back box.
Some interesting facts on the two vehicles were provided, as follows:
| Toyota Sahara | Ford Ranger |
| 230 litre of fuel capacity | 145 litre fuel capacity |
| 100 litres of fuel carried on the roof | 60 litres of fuel carried on the roof |
| Averaged 20 litres of fuel/100 km | Averaged 17 litres of fuel/100 km |
| Carried 130 litres of water | Carried 70 litres of water |
Despite the fuel the vehicles carried, at one point both had to be topped up at $3.21 per litre, thus making a sale for the outback Bowser of $600 in one hit.
A feature of the trip was that 'sand flags' had to be displayed on both vehicles to warn oncoming vehicles of their position in the high dunes, or high spinifex.
Many interesting people were met during the trip, as people traveling North to South stopped to compare notes in the middle of nowhere. This included people who knew someone in Berwick, or who were actually from this locality.
No major problems were encountered on the long journey, although the Ford Ranger did get bogged once and had to be pulled out by the Sahara. On another occasion, the Sahara had to be towed up a dune by the Ford Ranger, thus providing reciprocated appreciation.
By the end of the journey the vehicles and their passengers were badly in need of a good wash to get rid of the red dust that clung everywhere.
The journey was thoroughly enjoyed by both families and the level of camaraderie that it produced was exceptional.
In conclusion, Laury thanked Isobel for putting together such a professional presentation.
