Phil Bianchi Thring Rock

Magazine Articles

I'm in the fortunate position of being able to combine my passion for WA bush history with 4Wheel driving. For twenty plus years I have been writing articles on a freelance basis for magazines such as:

Western 4Wheel Driver

  • I’ve written numerous feature articles
  • I also write two columns
    • The Things You See with Truthful Phil
    • What’s in a name?

Other magazines which have published articles include

  • The 4WD Action stable of magazines including,
    • 4WD Action
    • Camper Trailer
    • Camping
  • Fishing WA, initially as a freelance writer then I had a monthly column for some 3 years and
  • Outdoors WA (now defunct).
  • Go Camping Australia (now defunct) feature articles and a column Get Off Road with Phil.
  • What Tradies Want

Some of my trips have been five weeks in duration but the average is two weeks. My historical knowledge enables me to bring more to a 4Wheel drive trip than just driving around enjoying the scenery and camping. I've organised dozens of trips over the years to remote corners of WA in search of explorer routes, sites, blazes, inscriptions or just the scenery and serenity.

Articles:
Feature Articles

118 Years Apart

Following in the footsteps of explorer David Carnegie, we traverse over 720 kms of trackless country, with vast sand ridges, isolated ranges, huge desert oak forests and mulga belts all in a pristine Gibson Desert environment.

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A Plug (or six) for the Ernest Giles

Join big Phil Bianchi on another of his epic adventure; despite magic scenery, challenging terrain and exhilarating 4Wdriving; they were abandoned by the tyre god. Note the publisher misspelt Giles' first name Ernest.

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A Walker on the Canning

I couldn’t believe it when I heard that a woman was going to walk the Canning Stock Route solo. Then, when I heard she was an overseas tourist, my first thoughts were, ‘she’s crazy’ and hoped this wasn’t going to be another tourist underestimating the desert at the cost of their life.

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Beadell's Blight

The remote Sandy Blight Junction Road is a most spectacular drive, taking you through 435 kms of remote ranges, bluffs, vast groves of desert oak and mulga; with rock holes, white gum flats and vast spinifex plains. Join Phil as he tells us about the track and some of the exploits of Len Beadell.

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Carnage of the Canning

It isn’t just that the CSR is just a rough track, it’s a 1,800km long track with some 1,100 dunes to cross and has vast stretches of severe corrugations that stress vehicles and components, especially aftermarket fitments. In most instances, repairs can be undertaken in the field and the vehicle can continue the traverse.

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Following The Wire

Phil Bianchi found the towering cliffs, vast beaches, boggy clay pans and overgrown tracks of Baxter Cliffs a 4WD heaven.

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Fourbies & Greenies

Chastity and a prostitute was how the workshop between the Conservation Council WA. Recreational 4W Drivers and Trackcare WA was described in a text to an ABC Radio drive show interview on 12th January.

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Hunting the Hunt

Most people race along the Great Central Road without realising they are passing some of the most spectacular 4WDriving in Australia. This trek on the Hunt Oil and David Carnegie roads has it all; rich early exploration history, spectacular ranges, breakaways, caves, rockholes, vast spinifex plains and best of all few people travel here.

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In Search of Shiddi Pool

This nine day trek in the remote East Kimberley had challenging terrain, exhilarating 4Wdriving, magical scenery; it also had punctures galore, blocked air cleaners and mechanical problems.

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In the Footsteps of John Forrest

John Forrest is without doubt one of WA’s favourite sons. Not only was he a surveyor, but also an explorer, and he led three major expeditions into uncharted country. He also became the first Premier of WA, and upon moving to federal politics held various ministerial positions including acting Prime Minister.

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Old 43

Steve Mason is as keen a 4W Driver as you'll get. He tells us of his 4WD exploits in the UK and of his chopped 80 Series!

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Roaming Remote Rudall River

Karlamilyi National Park with its ancient ranges, bluffs, peaks and gum-lined water holes is a 4WDriver’s heaven. Formerly known as Rudall River National Park, it is located in Western Australia, east of Newman, with the main access route being the north-south track between Telfer and Len Beadell’s Talawana Track. For the serious 4WDriver there is so much to see and do.

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Stumpy Beaten by the CSR

After seeing the film Seriously Series - Road to Ruin and wanting to know more, I visited Kalgoorlie to interview the main character, Geoff Lewis. "Rather than talk at home, let’s go bush to a scenic spot," said Geoff, "and I’ll take you out in a real 4WD, a Land Rover."

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The Larrakin and his Mog

It’s not often one gets to travel in convoy with a vehicle like the Mercedes Unimog; in July 2015 I had such an opportunity. This behemoth is owned by none other than retired motor racer Larry Perkins, six times winner at Bathurst and numerous other races including in Europe.

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Tommy Ningebong

Tommy Ningebong was born at Well 9 on the Canning Stock Route circa 1900. He lived all of his life in the Wiluna, Carnegie Station and Carnarvon Range area; working as a stockman, tracker, horse breaker, dogger, camp cook and gardener.

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Tyre Carnage at Ernest Giles

Despite magic scenery, challenging terrain and exhilarating 4WDriving, Phil Bianchi and his crew were abandoned by the tyre gods.

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Vets, Bones and the Scan Man

Last year out on the Connie Sue near Point Lilian, I was scrambling up a breakaway heading for an art site. The climb was steep, much like the climb up to Canning's Cairn on the CSR. Wearing my size 15 Flash Harry hiking boots I made a steady pace puffing my way to the top. Suddenly my 'million dollar hi-tech hiking boots' locked together.

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