Jalopy Derby | Other

Jalopy Derby

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Other
• Brand
• Cars

25.01.2022 DAY FIVE Cunnamulla to Windorah The longest day of all at 531km . . . but don’t stress too much because the following day is the shortest day of the entire derby. No messing around, we’re straight onto the dirt again as soon as we leave Cunnamulla, with a (hopefully) shallow crossing across the Paroo River as we track up to Quilpie in a plume of bull dust.... Once we reach Quilpie we hit a 246km stretch of bitumen all the way to Windorah. Now that doesn’t sound too exciting, but it’s a road with a difference (and it’s the only road or track to Windorah which makes our route selection quite easy for once!). OK, so what’s the big deal about this road? Well for one it’s only one car width wide for most of the way, with quite a few blind crests thrown in for good measure. Which means you could be having a close encounter with an oncoming road train at a combined speed of almost 200km/h. So stay sharp, be alert and use your co-driver to scan the horizon for oncoming traffic. If you do encounter a rig coming the other way our advice is to move as far left as possible or even pull over while they pass to avoid any small rocks flying your way and cracking your windscreen. Car vs road train . . . there’s only ever going to be one winner, as the picture of the warning sign implies! It’s also not just a road. It’s also a runway, with proper runway markings and numbers to boot. For use by the Flying Doctor Service perhaps? Either way, try to resist the temptation to do a Jeremy Clarkson on the 'track'. Just outside of Windorah you will spot the Windorah Solar Farm. Let’s be honest, you'd have to be Stevie Wonder to miss it, with an array of solar dishes it looks like something out of a James Bond movie. Built by Ergon Energy in 2008, the plant uses five concentrated solar dishes which contain 112 square mirrors each measuring 1.1m across. The five solar reflectors sit atop 13m masts and can rotate 360.The array produces about 180 kilowatts of electricity for up to 10 months of the year. The total cost of the project was A$4.5 million with $1 million being provided by the federal government, and is estimated to save up to 100,000 litres of diesel fuel per year. And finally we arrive in Windorah, population 100. Located in the heart of the Channel Country, Windorah boasts the beauty and majesty of Coopers Creek and the intrigue and colour of the red sandhill country which surround the town. In the heart of cattle country, the Cooper’s Creek is the only place where two rivers, the Thomson & Barcoo, join to form a creek. A haven for bird watching, fishing, water sports and just relaxing. We'll be staying in the local show ground, with Marilyn from the Western Star Hotel looking after the catering. Pop in for a beer with the locals if you have time, it's always a lively place in the evening and many a global crisis has been resolved over a few beers. Windorah . . . as our drone footage shows, it really is in the middle of nowhere!

22.01.2022 This could be you! Join us in May 2020 for the inaugural Rural Aid Jalopy Derby, raising funds for fire, drought and flood affected farming communities. It’s as easy as sticking a couple of swags in the back of your car! For more details, and to register, go to www.jalopyderby.com.au. #fire #rfs #drought #australianfarmers #farmersacrossborders #ruralaid #buyabale #supportaussiefarmers #droughtsnfloodingrains #ausfarmersconnect #rotary #australiandrought #makingadifference #exploringaustralia #womeninagriculture

22.01.2022 Over the next few days we'll be posting full details of the May 2020 itinerary. We still have spots available so sign up at www.jalopyderby.com.au if you like what you read, it's as simple as sticking a couple of swags in the back of your car and coming with us on a fantastic adventure! DAY ONE Sydney to Coolah We take an incredibly scenic drive over the Blue Mountains and through the magnificent town of Mudgee, well known for its collection of colonial buildings and a magn...ificent sandstone church. You’ll have plenty of time to stop in Mudgee and take a look around, or pop in to a few of the many wineries in the area and pick up a few bottles of wine for the evenings ahead. It’s a good opportunity to inject some cash directly into the local community! We will aim to arrive into Coolah at around 4pm, and we’ll overnight at the Showgrounds just out of town. The facilities have recently been upgraded using a $1m grant awarded to the town by the NSW government, as part of a compensation package when another proposed mining operation was cancelled, along with the potential for numerous job opportunities. Coolah was historically a lumber town, however in the late 70’s the mill shut down along with the loss of many jobs. Coolah was also the location for the 2017 bushfires that ravages many areas around the town. Local farmers and people from the community will join us for a BBQ and a yarn around a roaring fire and we can speak with people who documented the fires of 2017. And don’t forget to get a good night’s sleep. At 8am the following morning we’re straight onto the gravel roads as we head up to our next overnight stop of Brewarrina!

21.01.2022 DAY TWO Coolah to Brewarrina Lightning Ridge was originally planned as our overnight stop for day two, however nearby Brewarrina is another winner of Rural Aid’s ’10 Towns’ initiative and it seemed like another opportunity too good to miss, so we swapped things around again. This is probably the longest day of the derby, both in terms of distance and time . . . 446km and 9 hours in total, but what a day it is. Whereas the first day was an all bitumen affair, today is almost...Continue reading

21.01.2022 Chuck a couple of swags in the back of your car and join us for the adventure of a lifetime. Raise funds for fire, drought and flood stricken communities, lend a helping hand with our Farm Rescue day and meet amazing people along the way! Sign up at www.jalopyderby.com.au. #fire #rfs #drought #australianfarmers #farmersacrossborders #ruralaid #buyabale #supportaussiefarmers #droughtsnfloodingrains #ausfarmersconnect #rotary #australiandrought #makingadifference #exploringaustralia #womeninagriculture #aussiefarmers #outbackaustralia @ladiesfromthelandaus

20.01.2022 DAYS THREE & FOUR Brewarrina to Cunnamulla A reasonably short distance today, only 336km, but perhaps it could turn out to be the most challenging day of all, depending on conditions. The tracks in this area tend to be a little sandy, and so maintaining momentum is the key to success. Confidence is the name of the game . . . back off and you might be reaching for the shovel and a set of recovery tracks to jam underneath your tyres!... We’ll pass from NSW into Outback Queensland during a short stretch of bitumen that links our two dirt tracks together. Don’t forget to put your clocks back by an hour as we do a little time travel, just be careful not to cross the border at 88mph otherwise you could find yourself back in 1955. The township of Cunnamulla was created by Cobb & Co. on the third of September 1879, when the first coach drove through from Bourke. Today it is the only surviving south-west town along the original route. This says a lot about the people of Cunnamulla. Tough, resilient, creative.down to earth folk who love their country. While wool growing and beef production are still the main industries, the new kids on the block are irrigated table grape farming, organic wheat and organic lamb production. The mighty Warrego River is on the edge of town. Kayaking, fishing, swimming . . . it’s the perfect place for a bush picnic. Cunnamulla has some of the best natural sand hills in Australia. Just seeing them is an eye-catching feast. Picture vibrant red sand hills contrasting brilliant blue skies. It’s photo heaven! Better still, climb to the top of the sand-hill, sit on your board and feel the rush as you carve up the sand on the way down. We’ll be staying two nights in Cunnamulla as this is the location of our Farm Rescue day. The guys at Rural Aid are currently organising the entire day to maximise your time in town, more details on that in a separate post. After a hard day on the farm you have the opportunity to pop in to Eulo, just outside Cunnamulla, which is the site of the Artesian Mud Baths, and might be the most relaxing experience of your trip. And if you’re wanting to spot a kangaroo on your outback trip, Cunnamulla is the place to be. With approximately 950 roos per person in Cunnamulla, this town takes home the title of ‘Outback Queensland’s largest roo population’. Just be wary while driving around as these mates often hop, skip and jump near the roads.

18.01.2022 The route is out! There's been a few route tweaks, and over the next few days we'll post detailed information on each day's travel plans and overnight locations. #fire #rfs #drought #australianfarmers #farmersacrossborders #ruralaid #buyabale #supportaussiefarmers #droughtsnfloodingrains #ausfarmersconnect #rotary #australiandrought #makingadifference #exploringaustralia #womeninagriculture #bearrentals

13.01.2022 We are back on for 2021. Chuck a couple of swags in the back of your car and join us for the adventure of a lifetime. Raise funds for fire, drought and flood stricken communities and meet amazing people along the way! Sign up at https://jalopyderby.com.au/... #fire #rfs #drought #australianfarmers #farmersacrossborders #ruralaid #buyabale #supportaussiefarmers #droughtsnfloodingrains #ausfarmersconnect #rotary #australiandrought #makingadifference #exploringaustralia #womeninagriculture #aussiefarmers #outbackaustralia @ladiesfromthelandaus

13.01.2022 DAY EIGHT Emerald to Yeppoon You thought you’d seen the last of the dirt . . . well not quite. As soon as we leave Lake Maraboon we have a two hour stint on the gravel, our last for the derby, before heading towards Yeppoon on the bitumen and the likelihood of much busier roads. We end the week at the NRMA’s Capricorn Yeppoon Holiday Park, a cracker of a park with fantastic facilities that will help to wash away a week’s worth of dust. They also have a variety of cabins on ...site, so if you’ve had enough of camping then by all means call ahead and secure some creature comforts if you need to! The derby wraps up that evening with celebratory BBQ. Give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back. Almost 3,000km travelled, an amazing amount of money raised for a great cause, many new friends made and memories to last a lifetime. We made it!

04.01.2022 DAY SEVEN Longreach to Emerald Pretty much a straight run from Longreach to Emerald today as the derby moves into its final stage towards the east coast. Very little dust today, but we pass through plenty of amazing outback locations and we have a fantastic ending to the day planned. Ilfracombe We’re barely out of Longreach and we encounter the Great Machinery Mile at Ilfracombe, it hosts a range of equipment from standing engines to earthmoving machinery. A wonderful dis...Continue reading

02.01.2022 DAY SIX Windorah to Longreach Today is probably the shortest day on the derby in terms of distance, but our route is a snaking one, dusty and constantly changing direction as we link tracks together in order to make our way up to Longreach, passing through two mega cattle stations, one the size of Singapore and the other roughly the size of Vanuatu. Longreach is the largest town in Queensland’s Central West and is steeped in history, so an early afternoon arrival is the aim... so that you have time to take in some of the town’s attractions. One such place is the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre, a spectacular tribute to the people of outback Australia. It tells the story of the rural areas from the arrival of the Aborigines more than 40,000 years ago, settled by the British, exploration, the establishment of grazing, agriculture, mining, forestry and other industries in country Australia. It follows the story through to the present day where technologies of many kinds are playing the role in farming, business and communications. Of course a visit to Longreach isn’t complete without a visit to the Qantas Founders Museum, dedicated to telling the history of Qantas from its early days in outback Queensland in the 1920s to the present day. Unfortunately, there are currently no aircraft tours and wing walks of the Boeing 747 aircraft operating due to an ambitious $14.3 million project that is currently underway to erect an 8,000m2 roof over the aircraft area and create a unique night experience using a sound and light show projected on the fuselage of the iconic Boeing 747 and Boeing 707. The roof is due for completion on 9th May 2020, just two days after we visit the area, for the ‘Red Tail Road to 100’ event that reunites former Qantas staff for the airline’s 100th year. However . . . here’s some potentially very exciting news. In our discussions with staff at the museum we have managed to persuade them to open the new area up for the Rural Aid Jalopy Derby two days before the official launch. It’s a big ‘if’ (we all know that building projects rarely run on time), but if they do manage to meet their milestones we will have an evening of beers, bubbly and a BBQ under the new roof housing the aircraft, and we’ll be the first group to tour the aircraft with an ex qantas pilot. We should have confirmation from the museum in the next two weeks so keep your fingers crossed!