Camps Australia Wide Version 11

 I was delighted to discover that one of my drone photos, showing our Bushtracker camping for the night, will be featured on the cover of the new edition of the Camps Australia Wide book.

It's also the header image on our Blog page and was taken last year during our trip to the Big Red Bash. The photo was captured at sunset on Edeowie Station with the Heysen Range in the background, which is next to the Flinders Ranges. 

A Very Very Short Breakaway

 Just one week before leaving, our 2015 VX 200 series Landcruiser decided it wouldn't cooperate. Firstly, the water pump was leaking, and more importantly, three warning lights appeared on the dash. The 4WD low light was flashing constantly, while the engine warning and slip indicator lights stayed illuminated. A call to Toyota, located just over 10 km away, suggested I could drive it there, but there's a risk the engine could enter limp mode. So, our roadside assistance through Ken Tame arranged for a flatbed truck.

 

To summarise, there's an issue with the EGR valves, and they require replacement. Parts alone cost over $ 2,000, with an additional $500 for labour. 
I couldn't believe our luck when Toyota said they would cover the parts. Our warranty had expired two and a half years ago, during which we'd travelled  87,600 kilometres. We collected the Landcruiser just a day before departure, and Toyota assured us the problem was now fixed.
 
With COVID-19 still causing problems across the country and many states imposing restrictions, our trip will be limited to New South Wales only. Our fully self-contained van relies solely on the amount of water we can carry, making this holiday similar to previous ones, with a stay of up to three nights in caravan parks. Hopefully, this also minimises the chance of coming into contact with anyone who may have the virus.
 
Our trip coincides with NSW school holidays, but by leaving the coast and heading into parts of Outback NSW, we hope the crowds will be fewer than if we stayed along the coastline. Regular readers of our blog know that on our first day's drive from home, we prefer a short journey just to get back into the rhythm. This holiday will be no different; our first night's stop will be at one of our favourite spots, just 152 km from home. Cangai is just over 60 km west of Grafton and east of the Gwydir Highway. The site is located in a valley beside the Mann River. The following photo was taken last year. 

Understandably, it's the beginning of the school holidays, but we couldn't believe how many groups of campers were already set up. Anyway, we were only there for the evening and planned to leave in the morning.

An early departure the following morning, just after 7:30 am, saw us heading further west before ascending the Gibraltar Range towards Glen Innes. We cruised up the range with our auto transmission temperature never exceeding seventy degrees, until just three-quarters of the way to the top, when the same three lights that were supposedly fixed by Coffs Toyota reappeared on the dash. To make matters worse, the engine went into limp mode.

The hazard lights came on as we inched forward at just a few kilometres an hour until we found a spot where only half the van remained over our lane, then I turned off the ignition. I cleared a P1251 and C1201 code using our Scangauge before restarting the engine. During this time, many caravans and cars overtook us, and although the warning lights stayed on, we were thankfully no longer in limp mode.

A decision was made to proceed to Inverell and visit the Toyota dealership on Monday morning. The engine entered limp mode two more times before reaching Inverell, but fortunately, both times we were on overtaking lanes. We checked into the Inverell Caravan Park, as it was the closest to the town centre.

Regrettably, my confidence was not boosted after speaking with the staff at the Toyota dealership, so I arranged for the cruiser to be dropped off at Grafton Toyota and the van to be towed home. Ros and I travelled home in the truck.

Of course, nothing is ever simple, and we had to remove the Hitch-Ezy from the van and replace it with a ball mount so the van could connect to the truck's tilt tray.

The Landcruiser remained at Grafton Toyota for two and a half days, but they couldn't identify any issues or codes, despite driving the vehicle multiple times and recording data each time. All their data shows that the car is functioning normally. The 97 km return trip was smooth, with the Landcruiser performing as it always has in the past.

New Drone Controller

I've finally taken the plunge and upgraded the standard controller that came with my DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone to DJI's Smart Controller, which was first released in 2019.

 

It's certainly a game-changer for me, allowing me to fly my drone without relying on my smartphone, as shown in the picture below.

The advantages absolutely outweigh the disadvantages of this new controller. 

The smart controller's ultra-bright 1080p screen is twice as bright as standard smartphones, and now there is no need for a hood to protect the screen from the sun's rays. 

Flying the drone with this new controller is much more pleasant due to its more ergonomic design compared to the original. I no longer need to fumble when removing the protective case from my iPhone before attaching it to the cable and control arms of the original controller. There was also the risk of dropping the phone while attaching it, which has happened more than once.

 

With just two buttons to press, you're ready to take off, making the process much quicker than with the original controller.

 

Another benefit is not needing to put your phone into aeroplane mode before flying. Receiving calls and messages during a flight can be distracting and potentially disastrous.

 

A further key feature is the 2.5 hours of battery life with this controller, allowing for four to five flights before needing a recharge. The short battery life of the original controller was a significant issue, as was the drain on the smartphone's battery.

 

Additionally, this controller can be used in temperatures ranging from -20 to +40 degrees Celsius, which is another advantage.

 

The MicroSD card slot on top of the controller allows you to expand its storage capacity, and I have inserted a 128 GB card to assist with backups and transferring videos and photos.

Two other notable features include Go Share, which allows you to easily share your photos and videos to your mobile device, and SkyTalk, which enables live streaming of your drone's camera view directly to Facebook and Instagram. However, at this stage, I am not sure I will ever use SkyTalk.
 
For me, the main disadvantage is the price. It costs $1,099, but in my case, it is money well spent.