The Oaks (NSW) - Serpentine (WA)

[skippydiesel]

Question for those who have done the trans Australia flight;

 

If traveling from west to east.   Kalgoorlie Bolder - Forest, is there any other alternative than to head back down to the coast to continue east?

 

Just remember I only have a safe duration of about 6 hrs & still air range 780Nm 😈

[onetrack]

Skippy, there are numerous airstrips between Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Forrest, but they are all unsealed, useability is subject to weather, and some are station airstrips where you would be best advised to call ahead to obtain landing approval, and advice on local conditions. Maintenance levels are a mixed bag on these locations.

 

Karonie airstrip (adjacent to Karonie siding), possibly poorly maintained - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ct8ZwAzV6jrYd3oZ8

 

Kitchener airstrip - single runway at Kitchener siding (Zanthus), adjacent to Trans-line - https://maps.app.goo.gl/2SXWq8i2PR6tkEth9

 

Kanandah Station airstrip (N of the Trans-line, NW of Rawlinna), two runways, little information available, appears to be poorly maintained - https://maps.app.goo.gl/B71tb1Z6VXGzvRa88

 

Rawlinna Station airstrip, single runway (private airstrip, landing approval required) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/1ABtJGXN26ZmHCnY7

 

Rawlinna Station Homestead airstrip (two runways, private airstrip, close to main Rawlinna airstrip, landing approval required) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/46npWcCqKnarwVmM8

 

Haig airstrip, single runway, adjacent to Haig siding. Little information available, possibly poorly maintained - https://maps.app.goo.gl/RmezBcZjEKdMAjzE8

 

Distances:

Kalgoorlie-Boulder to Karonie - 50NM.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder to Kitchener - 140NM.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder to Rawlinna - 200NM.

Rawlinna to Forrest - 144NM.

 

All distances approximate numbers.

 

Edited September 8 by onetrack

[skippydiesel]

Hi Onetrack,

 

I am aware of ll the little ALA's along the railway line - what I am after is a potential refueling stop, due East of Forest.

 

As far as I am aware there is ;

• Jacinth Ambrosia Mine - doesn't look promising for fuel or anything much else
• Tarcoola - looks big enough to have 95-98 RON but cant find any info.
• Woomera -  Likly too far, as are those below
• Kingoonya - has fuel but insufficient detail
• Glendambo - Has 98 RON. Is 9Nm north of field

😈

[BurnieM]

Anybody have a fuel pricing app for SA and WA like Fuelcheck NSW ?

 

[skippydiesel]

1 hour ago, BurnieM said:

Anybody have a fuel pricing app for SA and WA like Fuelcheck NSW ?

 

I just put fuel SA in my search engine and three fuel availabity/price checks come up;

 

https://fuelradar.com.au/map/location/au/sa/5000/adelaide

https://www.raa.com.au/motor/safety-and-advice/fuel

https://petrolspy.com.au/

 

😈

[KRviator]

4 hours ago, BurnieM said:

Anybody have a fuel pricing app for SA and WA like Fuelcheck NSW ?

 

FuelWatch for WA... About the only time WA has beat the eastern states at anything - online display of servo prices has been a thing for yonks over there.

[BurnieM]

1 hour ago, KRviator said:

FuelWatch for WA... About the only time WA has beat the eastern states at anything - online display of servo prices has been a thing for yonks over there.

Yep, thats not bad but it only gives the vendor declared prices at 6am today and 6am tomorrow.

 

NSW Fuelcheck app (government owned) gives realtime pricing updates and I have seen updates appear less that a minute after the price changes. Then again NSW servos can change their pricing at the drop of a hat. Looks like WA has regs saying only daily changes.

 

Edited September 8 by BurnieM

[onetrack]

W.A. fuel retailers have to send through their next-day prices to Fuelwatch by 2:00PM each day, and the prices they quote, are set from 6:00AM the next morning, for a full 24 hrs from there on.

 

However, remote regions are excluded from the Fuelwatch requirements, there are Fuelwatch "boundaries" - towns, cities and Shires, and anything outside those boundaries is not required to comply with Fuelwatch legislation.

 

https://www.fuelwatch.wa.gov.au/about/boundary

 

Skippy, your fuel supply places along the Trans-line route are going to be in serious short supply, I think you've nailed the potential sources. That's why long-range fuel tanks are all the go for the 4WD Outback exploration type of people. The main highways are the only reliable source, and there's only one main East-West highway, the Eyre Hwy.

 

Even the Aboriginal settlements and remote Outback roadhouses can only supply Opal fuel, and often only in limited quantities. You may have to organise a fuel dump via someone helpful - but even then, if there are Aboriginals in the region, 95-98 RON must be kept under lock and key. The Indigenes will steal all the regular petrol they can access.

 

Edited September 8 by onetrack

[Moneybox]

Skippy, I thought it would be best to follow the main highway where I think you'd find airstrips at the various fuel stops along the way.

[onetrack]

Skippy, the Jacinth-Ambrosia Mine is a fully operational mineral sands mine, they retail nothing at that mine, and you likely wouldn't even get past the main gate, without having to undergo a minesite induction course.

 

Re Tarcoola - The 4WD road trip below, has photos of Tarcoola. It is a ghost town! Full of abandoned buildings and businesses, and no-one lives there any more.

 

https://4x4earth.com/forum/index.php?threads/tarcoola.27733/

 

Glendambo is a settlement of about 30 people, and it contains a large roadhouse/truckstop selling all fuel types. There is a small airstrip about 1km SE of the Roadhouse.

 

Kingoonya has a functioning Hotel with limited accommodation, and a Caravan Park that supplies fuel on a 24hrs basis, with a card-operated pump. The bowser dispenses only ULP 91 and diesel.

 

https://kingoonyahotel.com.au/about/

 

https://directory.fullrangecamping.com.au/item/kingoonya-caravan-park-cp/

 

Kingoonya CP fuel bowser -

 

[skippydiesel]

10 hours ago, Moneybox said:

Skippy, I thought it would be best to follow the main highway where I think you'd find airstrips at the various fuel stops along the way.

I am planning two routes;

 

Coastal WA, SA, southerly NSW (via highway)

Inland WA, SA, northerly  NSW (via Forest)

 

😈

[skippydiesel]

On 13/08/2025 at 7:34 PM, chrsq said:

I have a strip on my farm, 10 mile to the NW of Katanning WA (OZMCA on Ozrunways). 

 

If needed, i can offer ULP95 and a vehicle to drive to Katanning for accommodation. My neighbor has a bed and breakfast which can be booked if available.

 

Happy to help with anything else you may need on your journey.

 

BTW, I did the Nullabor a couple of years ago with Will Owen when i purchase my Sportstar, he is currently in the UK.

 

Anyone able to contact CHRSQ to let him know I  have been trying to reach him through "Messages"?

 

😈

[Farmpilot]

I'll let Chris know,  he's a neighbour. 

[skippydiesel]

7 hours ago, Farmpilot said:

I'll let Chris know,  he's a neighbour. 

Thanks FP 

😈

[Moneybox]

Out of the dozens of airstrips, why did you pick Serpentine?

[facthunter]

That's a Curly one. Nev

[skippydiesel]

1 hour ago, Moneybox said:

Out of the dozens of airstrips, why did you pick Serpentine?

Seemed to be the closest GA airstrip to Perth. The intention is to "bludge" of a relo for a few days- my sister lives in Perth. Hoping for a family welcome, transport/ bed/food/good company.

 

Happy to entertain reasoned alternative's eg closer/cheaper/ more hospitable/ free hanger space/ etc.

 

Have checked out Cue - possible visit on way out/back depending on weather

 

😈

Edited September 13 by skippydiesel

[Moneybox]

1 hour ago, skippydiesel said:

Seemed to be the closest GA airstrip to Perth. The intention is to "bludge" of a relo for a few days- my sister lives in Perth. Hoping for a family welcome, transport/ bed/food/good company.

 

Happy to entertain reasoned alternative's eg closer/cheaper/ more hospitable/ free hanger space/ etc.

 

Have checked out Cue - possible visit on way out/back depending on weather

 

😈

 

Serpentine has a great group of helpful people. They are oldies building or tampering with their planes housed in 100 hangers however the club own the strip and it's like a secret society. I visited once by prior arrangement to get access through the gate. I walked from hanger to hanger chatting to helpful old guys and all was good until I attempted to get involved.

 

I liked the look of a plane that was for sale along with the hanger that faced right onto the main airstrip but I never got the chance. I had to be a member of the club to buy a hanger and I could only become an associate member for the first year before being considered for full membership and to get that far I had to have a couple of sponsors but at that time I didn't know anybody to give me a reference.

 

I left and never returned.

 

Northam is a different story. I've not met anybody from the club, they meet Sundays, but the airstrip is owned by the shire so is open to anybody unless you have a weight shift or similar aircraft. The workshop there, Northam Air Services is run by Roger Watson, a very helpful approachable guy. There's only Avgas available from the bowser but it's a very short trip into town. Northam has a population of about 12,000 and all services. It's an hours drive from Perth, not too much different in time to reach Perth but country roads vs city traffic.

[onetrack]

There's also the Greenfields airstrip at Muchea, on the North side of Perth city. It's essentially the same distance as Serpentine from the Perth CBD.

The Greenfields airstrip has superb access with two of W.A.'s finest highways leading to it, and from it (Brand Hwy and Tonkin Hwy) - but it is restricted mid-week by the RAAF Pearce restricted airspace zone, R155.  The RAAF use that area for military aircraft training, including low-level flights.

 

The airstrip is operated by the Greenfields Recreational Flyers Club, and they don't charge any landing fees. However, they only operate on weekends and public holidays.

 

https://www.grfc.asn.au/

 

[onetrack]

My apologies, I have made an error, the Greenfields Flyers correct name is the Greenside Recreational Flyers Club.

[Moneybox]

3 hours ago, onetrack said:

My apologies, I have made an error, the Greenfields Flyers correct name is the Greenside Recreational Flyers Club.

They can only fly on weekends so you'd need a plan-B.

[coljones]

On 08/09/2025 at 10:47 AM, onetrack said:

Skippy, there are numerous airstrips between Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Forrest, but they are all unsealed, useability is subject to weather, and some are station airstrips where you would be best advised to call ahead to obtain landing approval, and advice on local conditions. Maintenance levels are a mixed bag on these locations.

 

Karonie airstrip (adjacent to Karonie siding), possibly poorly maintained - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ct8ZwAzV6jrYd3oZ8

 

Kitchener airstrip - single runway at Kitchener siding (Zanthus), adjacent to Trans-line - https://maps.app.goo.gl/2SXWq8i2PR6tkEth9

 

Kanandah Station airstrip (N of the Trans-line, NW of Rawlinna), two runways, little information available, appears to be poorly maintained - https://maps.app.goo.gl/B71tb1Z6VXGzvRa88

 

Rawlinna Station airstrip, single runway (private airstrip, landing approval required) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/1ABtJGXN26ZmHCnY7

 

Rawlinna Station Homestead airstrip (two runways, private airstrip, close to main Rawlinna airstrip, landing approval required) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/46npWcCqKnarwVmM8

 

Haig airstrip, single runway, adjacent to Haig siding. Little information available, possibly poorly maintained - https://maps.app.goo.gl/RmezBcZjEKdMAjzE8

 

Distances:

Kalgoorlie-Boulder to Karonie - 50NM.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder to Kitchener - 140NM.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder to Rawlinna - 200NM.

Rawlinna to Forrest - 144NM.

 

All distances approximate numbers.

 

Or you can dogleg Kalgoolie - Caiguna (244NM) Caiguna - Forrest (160 NM) ULP95 and 98 and Avgas at Caiguna.

Edited September 16 by coljones
ULP 95 98

[RFguy]

These fuel bowsers in the middle of nowhere....

 

What fuel testing kits can be purchased ? (and of course I dont mean testing for water )

In Asia I saw a Robinson helicopter pilot testing AVGAS with a combo of half a dozen different test strips.....

 

[onetrack]

What kind of petrol contamination in remote areas would you be concerned about, RFguy? Water and dirt from the tanks are generally stopped by the filters in the bowser pumps. However, the bowser filters can still pump emulsified water, so it's a good idea to avoid filling from servo tanks, where you see the refuelling tanker refilling them, and stirring up sediment and water.

 

Incidentally, it's well known that all tanks retain some water and sediment in the bottom - as a result the pump spears are always a defined distance from the tank bottom (150mm), and the bowser pumps can never pump the tank completely empty.

 

Microbial contamination kits are available for the kerosene-based and diesel fuels, but I don't ever recall microbial contamination being a problem with petrol-based products. Not to say it can't happen, it just that I think it would be extremely rare.

 

https://fueltest.com.au/

 

[facthunter]

It's more likely in Diesel but I've had some Old Motorcycle tanks get contaminated and continue to do so unless treated.  Lawnmower Places have  fuel conditioners for sale.  Companies exist to "Polish" Diesel fuel that is contaminated and reclaim it, for about 40c/ Liter.  AVTUR has Bio Protection added. and Its dangerous to handle as a consequence. Don't use it as a solvent. Nev