Olsen's Tours and Training Blog

We have been running Toyo tyres since 1982, and have been using the Toyo OPAT LT tyres on our 4wd’s for many years. This year we had an offer from Pirelli to run their Scorpions but negotiations failed there. I wanted to stick with the Toyos but negotiations were not fruitful with Toyo either. I am going to give the Mickey Thompson ATZ’s a run this year. The new ATZ has large lugs and ample void space bordering on a mud tyre in appearance.

The cabin heater in the GU died some time ago, releasing hot water into the cabin. The aircon relies on this to balance hot and cold air, otherwise the air is too cold. Additionally the vent direction adjustment was damaged and needed repair. So the complete dash had to be removed. While doing this I thought it would be the ideal time to clean up the cabin, remove the carpet to clean it and put some more new soundproofing under the carpet.

I also purchased a new in dash DVD/Nav so wished to install that and tidy up some of the wiring done previously.

As one who works tirelessly on tours to inform people of the values of aboriginal cultural sites, I was disappointed to have access to the Calvert Ranges denied this year. This is the email I received.

Kurukanti (the Calvert Ranges) is an area of great cultural significance to the Martu people.

In the last decade, there has been a rapidly escalating level of tourism into the Calvert Ranges. From probably no visitors in the mid-1990’s, and from a handful of people only a few years ago, by 2009 over 400 vehicles and 1000 people were visiting the Ranges in a year.

The great majority of these people visited in a three month period, from June to August.

Due to a lack of resources, there has been no capacity to manage this concentrated tourist load. The majority of tourists have respected the requests of the traditional owners by seeking permits to enter the Ranges and by limiting the impact of their visits. However, the scale of the unmanaged tourist load has now led to a range of issues in the Calvert Ranges and surrounding area that will quite quickly cause permanent deterioration if tourism continues in its current form.

The impact of the substantially increased visitor numbers has included:

Accidental and at times deliberate damage by visitors to cultural sites;
fire in the gorges around the Calvert Ranges, causing damage to cultural sites;
removal of artifacts, including grindstones, from campsites around the Ranges;
chainsawing of trees around campsites;
removal of barriers limiting access to special sites;
publication of restricted images from the rock art in magazines, on DVDs and on the internet;
proliferation of tracks to and from the Calvert Ranges;
an increasing number of cleared campsites close to the Ranges;
an increasing load of rubbish, faeces and toilet paper around campsites close to the Ranges.
The Calvert Ranges fall within the Martu native title determination area. Land within that area is held on trust for Martu people by the Western Desert Lands Aboriginal Corporation (Jamukurnu, Yapalikunu), also known as WDLAC.

Due to the need to protect the cultural and environmental values of this important area, WDLAC has decided that no permits will be issued to visit the Calvert Ranges and surrounding areas until further notice.

This decision is intended to allow appropriate management plans and resources to be put in place, to ensure that sites in and around the Calvert Ranges can be properly protected, whilst allowing travelers to experience the sites in a culturally appropriate manner. It is intended that tour operators involved in providing tours along the Canning Stock Route will be consulted as part of this process.

Over the past two years, the Martu have worked in conjunction with a large research team to document the values of this area, and to assess the impact of the high visitor load. That research team has included representatives from the Australian National University, the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Heritage Water and the Arts, the WA Department of Indigenous Affairs, the WA Department of Environment and Conservation and Central Desert Native Title Services. This research team supports the action WDLAC has taken to protect this area.

WDLAC, on behalf of the Martu people, ask that travelers along the Canning Stock Route and other 4WD travelers respect their wishes, and help in the effort to protect this special area. They ask that travelers show their support by not visiting the Calvert Ranges until further notice, and by not using tracks to the Calvert Ranges area.

If travelers should pass through and not see the Calvert track closed off on the side of the Canning Stock Route, it is because signs and barriers are being organised, and not because the road is open. We request travelers to respect Martu wishes and remain on the Canning Stock Route track.

Your assistance will help management practices to be put into place, so that this important part of Australia’s cultural heritage can be protected.

King springs and Koni shocks

Two years ago we cracked the spring caps off the chassis on the Canning Stock Route. We had the chassis repaired and modified, but I noticed the other day that the one spring cap had a crack in it on top. The crack was not in a critical spot, but nonetheless it needed repair. The new Obieco box had to be removed so the work could be done, so I took the opportunity to do some other work including upgrading the suspension.

I have long gone with ARB springs and Koni shocks, and still recommend it for most 4WD applications, but the weight I carry and the extent of corrugations I travel over means I was looking for something a little more substantial. The guys at Kings Spring on the Gold Coast were most helpful when I visited them. I walked away with a massive set of rear springs made from 24mm, yes 24mm steel! These springs are huge and are made for extreme weights. King Springs will not allow them to be fitted to a Patrol unless the Patrol has chassis strengthening.

While the box is off the back a bit of work needs to be done

– adjust fitment of exhaust

-repair fuel tanks

– repair some wiring to trailer plug

– fit new springs to front

Note strengthening of spring caps

Obieco box removed

Our 2011 Tour calendar is now up. What’s New for 2011?-
-Caravanning with Confidence Safari Western QLD. campers and vans. Accompanied by a Tow-Ed Instructor, tour western QLD.
– In Search of Leichardt. A tour following traces of Leichardts last journey.
– Simpson Desert East to West. As well as our normal west to east crossing. In 2011 we are doing the west to east crossing.
– Our 14 Day Cape York Tour returns in Sept.

David

We don’t have too far to go before we head off for the season. This year we are doing things a bit differently, starting with the Cape York trip. We did this to avoid the Cape during school holidays at least for one year.

We have plenty to do before we leave, and we still have a few places spare on the tour, so I am busily trying to fill those places as well.

This weekend I have 2 days of flying at the North Queensland Soaring Centre (where I am Chief Flying Instructor), then I have quite a bit of mechanical work to do next week

– remove tray/box
– repair fuel tanks
– repair crack in spring cap
– fit new Kings Extreme Load Heavy Duty springs
– fit new Koni shocks
– fit new belts, hoses and water pump
– fit new in dash navigator
– fit new body mounts
– fit new under carpet noise reduction
-make and fit overhead console

I intend to blog the lot, so stay tuned

We moved here from BlogNow.com.au because we were dissatisfied with them. Now we have a lot of updating to do.

Stay tuned or in the meantime take a look at what we do at http://www.djolsen.com

24/1/2007 – Uluru Tour
Tour operators are encouraged to utilise the local tour operations, so we took a tour of Uluru conducted by the locals. I am not going to comment too much on the tour in this public forum except to say the narrative was a load of bollocks and though it appealed to two young females from Minnesotta, I don’t think too many others were impressed.

Still Uluru and the sites we visited are well worth seeing, and this is the redeeming fact. If you haven’t seen Uluru and Kata Tjuta, get out there soon before it is completely ruined. Oh for a return to the dirt roads and campsites of the late 60s and 70s.

See us at http://www.djolsen.com
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