Geoff Walden is organising the leisure for the upcoming Orange Competition in Gayndah, and he has invited a bunch of us from the Australian Electrical Autos Affiliation to attend. Gayndah is a small rural city about 2 hours inland from Gympie, Maryborough, and Bundaberg in Queensland. It’s clearly a productive citrus-growing space. The Orange Competition is held each second 12 months. This years’ theme is citrus superpowers. The visiting EVs will match proper in. We’re nonetheless a curiosity when you get off the coastal roads.
We loved our earlier journey to go to buddies in Gayndah, who graciously offered us with our personal little charging station.
Tess and the Large Orange in Gayndah. Photograph courtesy of Majella Waterworth.
Geoff tells me:
My spouse and I’ve lived right here (retired) for about 5 years and have been desirous about EVs and all the brand new vitality issues that goes with them for a very long time. We took supply of a BYD Atto 3 in September final 12 months. As you may think about, there aren’t any public or quick charging amenities out right here, which isn’t an issue for us since our photo voltaic and the grid preserve us charged. Over the Christmas holidays, we took a 5,500 km journey by way of Damaged Hill to our households in Adelaide and Canberra. It was a very good journey and the whole lot went very well.
Gayndah to Adelaide in a BYD Atto 3. Screenshot from Google Maps courtesy Geoff Walden.
Being a largely conservative space, there may be not a very optimistic perspective to EVs on this space. I’m concerned within the administration of the leisure for the Orange Competition and thought it is perhaps good to see if we are able to get some EVs and their folks out right here to try to develop some curiosity.
Clearly, it is going to be a problem given the shortage of native charging amenities, however it might be nice to see some EVs on show and within the Grand Parade.
So, provided that, we’d be most appreciative should you and anyone else is perhaps desirous about serving to to boost the curiosity of EVs and all that goes with them in our space.
Under are the highlights of his current journey to Adelaide. You’ll be able to learn the entire story right here.
We now have pushed to Adelaide and Canberra annually for at the very least the final ten years. Previous to the BYD we drove a Ford Territory and earlier than {that a} BMW X5. We might usually journey down the Newell Freeway after which throughout to Cobar, Wilcannia, Damaged Hill and many others. Due to the shortage of quick chargers between Kingaroy and Goondiwindi and south we determined to go down the New England freeway.
We have been involved about flood waters previous to leaving Gayndah and did as a lot analysis as we might. As an example we booked cabins at caravan parks that we thought we would want previous to leaving Gayndah. That gave us a chance to speak to folks in regards to the state of affairs of their space.
By the point we received down there, we weren’t tremendously affected by the floods. The quantity of water on the Darling River Flood plains main as much as Wilcannia was fairly wonderful. We now have stayed on the Warrawong on the Darling caravan park close to Wilcannia on earlier journeys when towing a caravan. It got here very near flooding them however after we arrived they stated the height had been reached and it was receding. It was nice to check the quantity of water round this time with what the state of affairs has been previously.
Charging at a caravan park on the Darling River. Photograph courtesy of Geoff Walden.
The flood didn’t have an effect on us an excessive amount of across the Murray on the journey to Canberra. We did plan to cease in a single day at Robinvale which is on the Murray. Nevertheless the flood was affecting their septic system they usually have been unable to take friends till all of it subsided a bit. They offered contact for the comparatively up market Euston Cabin Resort which was on the opposite aspect of the river. The flood was nonetheless very apparent there, particularly the odor.
In all probability the factor that had essentially the most have an effect on was potholes attributable to the rain. Hitting them at 100Ks takes your breath away and definitely places some strain on suspension and tyres. Happy that they didn’t have an effect on the automobile in any method so far as we are able to inform.
We used the in-car navigation all the way in which and it didn’t allow us to down though a few instances it took us on fascinating roads. We didn’t have to attend at many chargers besides one the place a Tesla proprietor left his automobile plugged in for one hour although it was totally charged. Reasonably than wait we went and checked into the cabin on the caravan park the place we had pre booked and got here again later within the afternoon. We all know how lengthy the man stayed plugged in as a result of one other Tesla proprietor who critically wanted to cost reported the man on Plug Share.
Granny charging at Euston. Photograph courtesy Geoff Walden.
Our first concern occurred at Wilcannia the place neither of the NRMA quick chargers there have been working so we booked right into a caravan park and charged up in a single day.
At this stage there are few quick chargers in South Australia and the part that involved us most was from Damaged Hill to Peterborough. We made it OK and charged up in a single day and made it to Adelaide the subsequent day. At a pinch, on the freeway driving at 100 km/h we get 340 km if we wanted to however could be completely happy if we needed to drive 300 km from one charger to the subsequent.
This emu had a loss of life want and was taking part in rooster with the automobile. Photograph Geoff Walden.
We granny charged in Adelaide. The journey throughout to Canberra was simple because of the NRMA quick chargers. However there appeared to be a dearth of quick chargers in Canberra, or possibly I didn’t look arduous sufficient. There have been loads of kind 2. Chargers however solely 4 quick chargers that I might see.
With a bit of planning the journey from Canberra within the ACT to Gayndah in Queensland (distance 1330 km) was easy aside from charging in Dubbo. We stopped on the NRMA charger to see it occupied by a Volvo XC 40? The proprietor (a neighborhood) was away for 90 minutes. We regarded longingly on the financial institution of Tesla expenses about 200m away. We see now that these Tesla chargers at Dubbo can be found for non-Tesla automobiles. Regardless that they’re very costly at 79c per kWh. Had they been accessible we’d have used them provided that the wait was making us very late for our reserving at Coonabarabran.
Time for a cuppa whereas we quick cost at Berri.
I used to be to see how the tyres some homeowners are complaining about affected our journey. We didn’t see any issues together with nearly one full day of driving within the rain. Though it’s in all probability tough to elucidate, each my spouse and I (we shared the driving) felt that the journey in all respects was considerably much less tense than it was in both of our two earlier ICE automobiles. It’s tough to elucidate that to different folks however definitely the shortage of noise and the expertise helps. I believe it rides nicely. We hit a number of extra potholes at 100 km/h than we must always have however given the street circumstances on the time there have been a number of potholes round and they’re arduous to see within the shadows.
The air con labored nicely. From Damaged Hill to Peterborough the surface temperature was 40°C and we have been fairly snug contained in the automobile. The seats are snug, though for me the headrest is a bit of too far ahead however I received used to that.
Since having the automobile in Gayndah our attitudes in direction of driving have modified. For instance, there’s a roadside stall at Mundubbera that at current sells very good grapes. We expect nothing of driving the 40kms every method get some. We might have to consider it if we have been nonetheless filling the tank up with diesel.
Trying ahead to assembly you on the Orange Competition in April, Geoff. Everyone seems to be welcome, particularly should you can convey your EV.
