Dundee Road a Shocker

[Dundee Hombre]

The work has again started on the Dundee Road however the unsealed section has been taking it's toll on trailers and wheel bearings of late. This week we have had 100mls of rain locally and the road is getting boggy; not to mention the kms of corrigated road from the hard right bend into Dundee.

[rossco]

We went out early Sunday morning and must have just missed the rain. The road was wet wet wet. So was the carpark at Dundee. At least the sea was nice and calm. It took a fair bit of elbow grease to clean the car and boat tonight. The big rain slowed the barra unfortunately but there were a few about.

[max]

Oh God that means Donna from Dundee will be penning letters to the editor again

[AM]

I went as far as Dundee Downs Thursday towed an 8m down there to fish Bass for the day, the new roadwork section they were back onto was quite good. The boat was left down there for my return on Friday night to fish off the Perons Saterday. I actually dont think I could have got it home anyway, as the detours that the contractor cut during Thursday were an abject disgrace, they were just left like a plowed paddock without any gravel sheath at all, conventional traffic on Thursday evening could only have been be marginal at best the vehicle accompaning me had difficulties. Things were slightly improved by Friday but a few years ago they would have been heavily penalised for not gravel sheathing that detour before allowing traffic.

The rain to top it off is unseasonal and not their fault but its effect on the remaining section from the store to Dundee Beach was a huge wet boggy mess. That those corrogations can be so wet and muddy and still stand up always defies my belief, but they do. I think maybe it mustnt have been quite that bad though, as most boats and trailers just didnt even modify their speed at all and just flew by me like we on the black stuff. I just cant be that brutal on my gear, but to each his own.

It was explained to me once that at higher speeds the 3 tonne car and 2.5tonne boat just go from crest to crest on the corros and dont bump down into the dips so the ride is much better ( I assume this would start to be possible at say 550 - 700 knots). At the end of the day the road is bad but hey the fishing is good so who cares. That might be why the fishing is still good.

[Matt Flynn]

It was explained to me once that at higher speeds the 3 tonne car and 2.5tonne boat just go from crest to crest on the corros and dont bump down into the dips so the ride is much better ( I assume this would start to be possible at say 550 - 700 knots).

My wife and I sat by the side of a badly corrugated Cape York road and watched cars pass by.

One high-lift Hilux went past very fast and those wheels and differentials looked like meth-crazed jumping jelly beans.

The slower cars had a more relaxed thing happening.

It's incredible how hard suspension works on a bad road. A study would be interesting into corrugation driving speeds and its effect on the drive train/suspension.

[max]

Had the same experience on the Cape york Rd Matt & witnessed the going fast over corrugations is best theory : the result is only if youve got a big bank balance

[bandit]

myth busters did a thing on dirt roads a few years back. they made a section of road out of angle iron and measured the shock from how much water spilt out of wine glasses at different speeds. i cant recall the outcome tho ..

[Matt Flynn]

and measured the shock from how much water spilt out of wine glasses at different speeds.

Sounds like a job for FFF

[AM]

This weather looks like it just might hold for Saterday and my crew remain keen for another crack at some reef fish. Is there any good news on the last section of dirt into Dundee. Any grader sightings at all.

[COOPS]

was there last thursday and it was in pretty ordinary condition

[Dundee Hombre]

road is still the same. I don't think the NT Dept of Works and Jurks send the graders in to often nowdays, considering the other construction work that is happening the money tim might be a bit short.
The next major work needs to be on the Dundee ramp.

[Dundee Hombre]

Well I can again report that the road is getting rougher day after day. The promissed Grader prommised not to show up and the last section for unsealed road will break both your car and trailer.

Anyway the wind has been blowing 20knts again and will until Tuesday.

[Out Blue]

I've had a weekender out there for a while and have seen the road conditions vary over the last 1o years but the biggest disappointment i've seen was last year when they started to grade and hopefully seal the section around Rocky creek.

What a disaster, the road base was laid and they weren't far of sealing however the brains that be decided to start this project at the start of the wet....we had a fair bit of early rain and the road was destroyed. Just a complete waste of money, apparently being run by southeners.

But, no one to blame except for all the Clare Martin voters, money redirected from the Dundee Road to the water front project and then Aspen pulling out of the resort development....Ohh just gotta love the GEC!

Anyway, I sat next to Clare Martin on a flight from Brisbane and hit her up about the Dundee Rd and Waterfront convention and she was mighty uncomfortable about it all LMAO.

Anyway, it's a great part of the NT, great fishing and believe it or not, their is a ramp under that sand....albeit not a real good 1, but better then what Jethro thinks

[Dundee Hombre]

Well if the tide is high the ramp is excellent any way work has started again on the next bit of the road just past the Shop, plenty of rocks and dirt and guess what rain and the approaching wet season. Another greta decision to start major work again and the detour road will get very soft and wet as well. At least it isn't a major creek crossing this time and speaking of the Annie River, see on the new bitumen, northern section on the western approach, the water will cause a major washout, great design by the southerners...

[Matt Flynn]

thanks for the reports Hombre