OLD EYRE HWY 2015 BAK

Рет қаралды 36,335

Жыл бұрын

We had been filming along the Trans Australian Railway line, and having been forced to make a dash to Ceduna to replace a couple of destroyed shock absorbers on Brett's Cruiser, we decided to attempt to travel The Old Eyre Hwy from the Nullarbor end to the Yalata end. Understandably Brett was a little gunshy with the limestone sections of the road and it's seeming intent to destroy the rest of his suspension. It didn't help that before the trip, he had lost an argument with a lawn edger, and had part of his hand in a splint. Despite these challenges, we attacked, and despite the enormous number of dead motor vehicles along it's length, we feel that we won ... we beat the track ... we achieved our task and succeeded in completing The Old Eyre Highway. In truth, it was fun.

Пікірлер: 43

@BruceBarber-tf8oe Жыл бұрын

Drove this Highway in December 1966 in a VW 1500S moving to a job in Perth. Stayed the night at Ivy Shed Tanks. Dust all over the bed. Started to rain heavily at 4am. Decided to leave as the road turned to mud instantly - went sideways for a long time! Accelerator pedal on the floor after hitting concealed pothole before this. Able to reconnect the rod joining the twin carburettors. Later did two return trips in a 1972 Valiant Wagon only a week old - stones hitting the underneath all the way. Took off the wheel covers to save damage. Great memories!

@brettkibblewhite6466 Жыл бұрын

Good stuff Bruce, it's great to hear stories such as yours. As you can tell from the film, you'd never know now the place has such history. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

@petercarroll5874 11 ай бұрын

Did the same trip in '68. Punctured the fuel tank on the valiant hitting a rock heading towards Eucla. Made it in with a 4-gallon drum of fuel tied to the bonnet and a piece of plastic tube feeding the carby. The mechanic at Eucla did a wonderful job repairing the tank overnight. Just like you Bruce, it rained that night and the road to Madura was one long skating rink. Had to get pulled out of the mud on the side of the road, only once.

@hcrun 11 ай бұрын

G'day Bruce....here's another Bruce, who did the trip in 1975 in a brand-new Honda Civic....it wasn't new after we arrived at Eucla, because we'd crossed over 200 miles of muddy bulldust after heavy rain had flooded parts of the Nullabor. In fact, part of the railway line from Kalgoorlie had been washed away. On the way over we pulled into Nullabor Homestead for petrol - exactly $1.00 per gallon and the most expensive of the trip. On the way out back to the highway I stopped the car, opened the door, and leaned out. My (new) wife said "What's wrong?", to which I replied "I'm just picking up a souvenir stone from the Nullabor" and without looking, grabbed a small rock and dropped it into the door pocket. Three weeks later, after arriving back home (Sydney) and having unpacked the car and cleaning it, I came across the stone, had a look at it and couldn't believe that of the billions of pebbles at Nullabor Homestead, by chance I'd grabbed one with a fossil of a perfectly formed sea-shell in it. We still have it. Fabulous trip....a real adventure back then. We'll always remember it.

@dynoshane2651 11 ай бұрын

I love our country, going on drives like this with no one around.. peaceful 😊

@brettkibblewhite6466 11 ай бұрын

It certainly is peaceful out there! Thanks for watching Shane.

@Nicontrast 11 ай бұрын

Magnificent - I loved this. Rode the Eyre Highway and Nullabour just recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the old roads, and this is definately on my to-do list. Thanks for sharing it! 😁👍

@brettkibblewhite6466 11 ай бұрын

Thanks Dude, I really appreciate that. 🙏

@theread59 11 ай бұрын

Did this trip in '72 with mum and dad and my sister in the HG Kingswood. The old man wasn't overly enthused by the road and as it was December going over and January coming back to Sydney, needless to say it was hot. My only recollection was eating some dodgy Chinese in Kalgoorlie and throwing up and crapping by the side of the road. Fun Times!!

@brettkibblewhite6466 11 ай бұрын

Haha yes fun times! Doing it at that time of year.. you were braver than me!

@juliewhitton7267 11 ай бұрын

I remember doing that road in 1963, 1969 and 1973 just before the the new road opened

@jasethesmiff5683 11 ай бұрын

My dad took me to sydney when i was 6 months old in '74. Was in the back of an old ht i think. Dad reckons the corrugations kept me asleep 5 days!

@brianwadley4633 11 ай бұрын

We travelled the EYRE Highway from Victoria to perth in 1975 and back towing a camper with an EH Holden with 3 Kids. there was 200 miles of dirt road then

@billjackson4703 4 ай бұрын

In the winter of 1973, dad and i drove from Perth to Melbourne in dads EJ Holden wagon. i was 13 at the time, and we found the highway so bad in places that dad sometimes dove on the side track the road graders were using. Dads work colleages had forewarned him not to stop for the local natives selling their "wares". I have also driven solo across this route in 1981 and "84.[the last trip with my dog]

@MrAshfrench Жыл бұрын

1972 when l was 11 travelled with my family from Melbourne to Perth in a Rambler CLASSIC station wagon towing a trailer, we stopped at Ivy Tanks for lunch & fuel, was stinking hot and have a great photo of Mum getting lunch organised standing under the shade of an umbrella mounted at the side of the trailer parked to the side of the track leading up to the Roadhouse. The dirt HWY consisted of two parts, lower & higher, lower was two lanes (one for going east and the other west, on either side there was another single lane higher up (approximately 1/2 mtr higher) Dad and every other driver just drove where they thought there were less corrugations, it was pretty brutal on the car’s suspension. The Water Tanks were where you got your drinking water from if it had rained, I’ve also got a photo of us filling up the Polystyrene Foam Plastic Container that everybody had along with the Hessian Water Bag strapped to the front bull bar.

@brettkibblewhite6466 11 ай бұрын

Great stuff Ash, people were a whole lot tougher back then eh.

@Colinemes 11 ай бұрын

Drover both ways on that road in 1962 in the summer. Hot windy and fires everywhere.

@nigelmorgan3449 Жыл бұрын

This is the way my grandparents drove round Australia in there VW Beetle in the 1960s toed a little trailer and camped out

@rosskennedy 10 ай бұрын

Spent 3 years on nullabour building new highway from yalata to wa border, had camp at 14 miles weat of nullabour homestead, at time Murray Thomas was owner of nullabour road house not like is now.1976/79 worked for Mcmahon construction, was very good company.

@stevel1451 11 ай бұрын

I ran trucks across there from late 60s started with a D series Ford then quickly progressed to Mack’s. Still run Mack’s non computer models though.

@johnstaring3210 11 ай бұрын

Refuelled there early in December 1970, fuel pumped into one of those glass topped manual bowsers out of 44 Gallon drums. Hoping to travel that stretch again on a motorcycle soon.

@martycar2395 Жыл бұрын

We crossed in December 1970 I was 9 years old in our 64 XM Falcon wagon I remember stopping at Ivy Tanks we had breakfast and left . My dad realised he hadn’t payed for the meal 100 mile later Oops. Reaching the border and traveling on tarmac was so good.

@brettkibblewhite6466 Жыл бұрын

Great story Marty, thanks for sharing and for watching the video.

@emilybyl3709 11 ай бұрын

I heard they closed Ivy tanks down because people weren’t paying for their meals…😅

@stevel1451 11 ай бұрын

Ivy tanks closed down when the traffic stopped due to the new road opening. The guy who ran Ivy tanks was a squatter, don’t know what happened to him

@ThunnusAlbacares 11 ай бұрын

Ohh there are some memories. Did the drive in summer to Perth from Melbourne, never been in a hotter more desolate place, took 3 days to get from Ceduna to the Nullabor road house, with the paint blistering of the bonnet of the old holden. I'd like to say it was fun days back then , but it wasn't

@brettkibblewhite6466 11 ай бұрын

Yes we all have a tendency to look back with Rose coloured glasses, but yeah it would have tough back then. Thanks for watching!

@stephenwalsh1332triumph 11 ай бұрын

Truckies hated the corragated road big time 😵 But they were good old days 😁

@gaskan666 11 ай бұрын

I really liked this and dont know why??

@mladend8643 Жыл бұрын

Good morning Brett wery good traweling.

@brettkibblewhite6466 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Mladen.

@eddiepaul7107 11 ай бұрын

I drove this road 4 times in the 70s towed a 27ft caravan the last 2 time

@brettkibblewhite6466 11 ай бұрын

A 27 foot van! Holy Moly, that would have been interesting Eddie!

@eddiepaul7107 11 ай бұрын

@brettkibblewhite6466 it was very interesting and fun but scary we didn't no what was ahead

@bradostle584 11 ай бұрын

i remember in 69 my parents and i drove around australia,at ivy tanks we booked a room and when went into the room my parents were so insulted by it they got our money back and we slept in the car down the road

@anthonyburke5656 11 ай бұрын

I travelled the road in the late 60s and into the early 70s, I made 9 crossings without a single problem. On one trip I noticed a nail in one tyre and changed it before it went flat. Boring as hell. The trick was to find the best speed to travel, so you went from the tops of the corrugations without going into the trough of a corrugations. I remember one trip I averaged 100 miles an hour over 12 hours. At some points I was doing 120 mph, sometimes faster. I’ve never found tyres as good as the ones I used then. B. F. Goodrich, they were bought out by Goodyear and the quality plummeted. People don’t believe me when I tell of being attacked by aboriginals camped on the side of the road throwing rocks and spears, I started carrying a rifle but never had to use it though.

@brettkibblewhite6466 11 ай бұрын

Oh I believe you re the locals attacking you. And the quality of the tyres too!

@ianmillard7563 9 ай бұрын

I definately believe you re being attacked by the local aboriginals camped on the side of the road. Travelled across on this road in July 1969 and spent 5 days in Ivy Tanks removing an engine from a Morris 1100 and catching a coach into Perth. Travelled over it again in September 1970 with my new bride. A more uneventful trip than my first time.