Road Trafffic ... Station Style ! !

In the last 4 months we have driven 12 000 kms in our own ute and a few more thousand in the company ute while driving the boys back and forth to school events and ourselves to a few personal ones. In that time we have passed and overtaken quite a few oversize trucks and road trains, that is vehicles up to 2 decks high and 3 trailers long, some of which can be up to 50 metres long. 

While taking the boys to mini school in Longreach a few weeks ago we were slowed down behind a convoy of 5 oversize trucks and their 3 escort vehicles on a development road that was barely single lane wide with some very narrow bridges. At one point one of the trucks directly behind us had difficulty with a bridge and had to reverse, re-align himself and scrape his way across the top of the safety rails on the bridge. It took us an hour to be directed safely around each vehicle at individual moments in time, slowing down our journey. The drivers were very professional and wonderful to speak with and listen to on the UHF.  At times we could hear their frustration with impatient oncoming vehicles even though we could hear them explaining that there was 5 oversize trucks, 3 support vehicles and a 'conventional vehicle somewhere in the mix,' namely us ! 

It is best for travellers to remember that all road trains and trucks have right of way on single lane development roads in outback regions.

A truck approaching us from behind, we decide to let him overtake us as we are on the unfamiliar River Road heading north off the station to Eromanga.

 

Passing two triple double deckers loaded with cattle.

The station is a very busy place as it harbours two industries, cattle production and mining !

So as well as the normal cattle trucks we have road graders which belong to both the station ,the mines and the local council. Each are charged with managing their own roads on the station.

                                       

New gas pipelines that stretch for miles being laid on the Bellare Gas Centre side of the property.

                                     

Another Road Train passing us on the station's River Road heading north to Eromanga as we return from a few days away at Longreach School of Distance Education.

I know our grandson's would love to be here to see all these wonderful oversize trucks in action ! 😀

By Lynne