Taking care of the Dingo Barrier Fence in Queensland can be a pretty tough job at the best of times, but during a big wet serious off-roading takes on a whole new meaning... as fence patrolman Peter Flegg knows all too well........

There was a loud bang, and the Landcruiser gave a sudden jerk as the cable ricocheted off the top rung of the bull bar. It was now obvious that the HZJ 75 Landcruiser would need more assistance than the 8000lb Thomas winch to get it out of this bottomless creek. It was the third time that the cable had snapped, and we had already disconnected the trailer.

Scott retrieved the high lift jack from the back of the Cruiser, secured it to the bull bar, and lifted one front wheel out of the mud. As he did this, I was busily cutting logs in about one metre lengths with the chainsaw. As fast as I could cut logs, Scott was squashing them underneath the Super Grippers. An hour later, with all four wheels up on logs, and logs laid out in front of the wheels, and another of Scott's repair jobs on the winch cable, we were ready to try again.

As the Thomas took the strain, I rode the clutch in first low, trying hard not to spin any wheels. Using the winch in short bursts the Cruiser crept its way up the steep silt bank onto dry ground. I turned the vehicle around and secure the winch cable to the little 6x4 trailer. The trailer was then winched up to safety as Scott sat inside it to prevent the A frame from digging into the mud.

This was one of many sticky situations during a very wet patrol on the Queensland Dingo Barrier Fence, early in 1994.

The Queensland Dingo Barrier Fence is 2500 kms long and is looked after by the Rural Lands Protection Board, (now called The Department Of Natural Resources), of which 1340 kms belong to the Western Division of that department. The Western Division is broken up into four patrols; the Thargomindah Patrol takes in 390 kms of fence, the Windorah Patrol 360 kms, the Adavale Patrol 310 kms, and the Tambo Patrol is 280 kms long. The Western Division of the fence has its base compound in the small outback town of Quilpie, 1000 kms west of Brisbane.

Our HZJ 75 Landcruisers are set up with all the necessary equipment such as dual batteries 8000lb electric winches, long range fuel tanks with a total capacity of 180 litres, 12 volt fridges, air conditioning, UHF radios, (now also equipped with HF radios and some have sat phones), and heavy-duty tow bars which are modified for maximum exit angle.

The Patrolmen also carry enough materials and tools to maintain their section of fence.

The vehicle used by the main reconstruction gang has extra options fitted, such as, HF Rad phone, Linsel Hoist, and 60 litre Trailblazer fridge.

Different makes of vehicles have been employed on the Barrier Fence in the past, but it has been found that due to their reliability and overall durability, the Landcruiser is the most suitable vehicle for the job.

The Western Division of the Barrier Fence begins at the New South Wales/Queensland border, approximately 50 kms west of Hungerford, on Moombidary Station. From here the fence winds its way north to Hammond Downs Station, east of Windorah. The fence then turns east and runs to Adavale, and then north-east to Tambo. From Tambo the fence becomes the responsibility of the Eastern Division of the Department of Natural Resources. This section of fence runs south east from Tambo to Mt Maria Station, and then east to Jandawea.

Generally after big rain, the main reconstruction gang is split up and distributed among the lone patrolmen to assist them in a "wet patrol". During these wet patrols, a three or four wheel motor bike is carried by trailer. These little vehicles are used to patrol flooded sections of the fence where it is impossible to get the larger four wheel drive vehicles through.

The bike is dropped off at a wet section of fence, and one man will inspect the fence by motor bike, while the other heads to a predetermined meeting place on the fence using station tracks and hopefully higher and drier ground. The detours taken by the Landcruiser are often lengthy and the driver normally encounters numerous obstacles such as flooded creeks and long boggy plains. During these wet times it is common to clock up 1000 kms to inspect 390 kms of fence on the Thargomindah Patrol.

Even the bikes have trouble crossing the likes of the Wilson channels, on Mount Margaret Station on the Thargomindah Patrol. I have been stuck in the middle of one of these channels for two hours. Knee deep in mud and water, getting eaten alive by mozzies, it is not an enviable position. Trying to push the three wheeler up a steep slippery silt bank is rather frustrating. The only way to recover it from this situation was to employ the wire strainers as a winch. With a length of wire secured to a tree, and the strainers secured to the front of the bike, the trike can be pulled out of most situations.

The Bulloo River crosses the fence a number of times. When in flood, and where it crosses the fence on the Thargomindah Patrol, the Bulloo can be up to 20 kms wide.

After a particularly wet week early this year, and after a week had passed since the wet patrol, we were on our way to Milo Station to repair a section of flood damaged femce. It was considered dry enough to take the Landcruisers in with trailers carrying a lot of fencing materials. Little did we know what was in store for us when we had to cross the Bulloo River near the Milo Station airstrip.

Late one afternoon, with 600 mtrs of flood damaged fence completely restored, Allan and I were on our way to the next job where we were to meet Scott and Eddy. At the time of writing Scott is the Adavale Patrolman. Between us and them was the Bulloo River. Because of the tandem trailer we were towing, Scott anticipated that we would have problems with the river crossing. By the time we arrived, they were both waiting on the other side.

A quick look at the crossing found it to be quite boggy. It has never been the same since the grader was bogged here some time ago.

Allan threw his boots on the floor and grabbed my camera to find a good spot to get some "evidence".

I soon had the diesel revving with all its might. Coupled to second low, the Cruise clawed its way towards the 15 foot drop into the Bulloo River, as all four tyres threw mud higher than the HF aerial. Much to everyone's amusement, the Cruiser only mannaged to to drag the trailer about 50 mtrs before it ceased to go forwards. Several minutes of reverse to first enabled me to send the Cruiser over the bank and down onto the mushy river bed. Another 50 mtrs and once again, no more forward motion. By this time my audience was very amused. Scott was pleased as this was another mark against me in the unwritten contest of who gets bogged the most times.

The winch couldn't pull the weight of the Cruiser and trailer together, so once again the common exercise of, disconnecting, turning around, and pulling the trailer along with the winch. But our problems were not over yet. How were we to get the trailer up the other bank? I think I really made Scott's day when I asked him to run a chain from his Cruiser to mine. Then maybe with the two Cruisers hooked up together, we would be able to get the trailer up the other bank.

Protesting diesels and violently spinning wheels eventually had us all up on high ground, where Eddy had already got the night's camp fire going. Soon we were all sitting around the fire swapping yarns.

Situations like this are an every day occurrence for patrolmen on the Queensland Dingo Barrier Fence.

Those of you who tow trailers or caravans would be interested in seeing the Barrier Fence Flying Gang shift camp. The convoy normally consists of several trailers, two caravans, one fuel trailer, an eight ton truck, one four wheel drive tractor, an articulated grader, and two or three 75 series Landcruisers.

The 12 foot tandem trailer, running on Landcriser rims, has a tow bar fitted to the rear of it. One of the caravans is hooked up in tandem with the trailer which can be quite a heavy load for a Cruiser when the trailer is full of fencing materials.

Fitted to the rear of the caravans are large rollers. These rollers are for assistance when crawling through deep, sharp creek crossings, and it is common to see a 6 inch gap underneath the caravan wheels, when the van is being dragged through a steep creek.

The tandem axle fuel trailer also has a tow hitch on its rear, and this is hooked up in tandem with another trailer or caravan.

Besides an endless number of creek crossings, when moving camp, the convoy also encounters a number of steep rocky ranges. To get over these, the small road trains need towing assistance from the four wheel drive tractor or the grader. Depending on the condition of the track and the obstacles encountered in the move, speeds over 30 km/hr are rare, and it can take quite a few hours to move the camp 20-30 kms along the fence.

The question that everyone seems to ask is "Does the Dingo Barrier Fence work?" My answer would have to be "Yes." It must be noted here that the fence is just that- a Dingo Barrier. An effectively dog proof barrier, not a form of dingo erradication.

It would be foolish and untrue to say that there are no Dingoes on the inside, but the Dingo Barrier Fence is the major backbone to Dingo and wild dog control within the protected area.

Click on the camera for some pics

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