ATV Travel to Wirrda Wells
This trip on the ATV (four wheel motorbike) took place on Andamooka station in the north of South Australia.
It’s sheep and cattle grazing country where homesteads are typically 50km to 100km apart.
Some of the country is sand with sand ridges up to nine metres high while other parts are very rocky. Water is scarse and much of the natural surface water is salty.
Leaving the car and trailer at Andamooka station, the track headed west to Wirrda Wells where the Wirrda Hut is.
The track covers sandy flats, sand dunes, rocky ground and clay pans, some of which would hold water after heavy rain.
The second sand ridge proved too much for the ATV with such a load in the trailer. Nearly got over but bogged down within fifteen metres of the summit.
Taking the trailer off, the ATV came out OK, so with the trailer turned around and hooked back up, hard ground at the foot of the sand ridge was reached.
Next, sit quietly and think.
- Let the tyres down
- Redistribute the load on the trailer to put the weight on the drawbar and so, on the drive wheels
- Pick up some ballast for the back of the ATV
- Hit the sand ridge at top speed
So by this method the sand ridges were overcome and Wirrda hut reached in plenty of time for setting up camp, photographing at sunset and cooking a good feed.
