Purposeful Meandering- Savannah Way Week 3

Week 3 started with us having a few days in Karumba. We were up early Sunday morning as we had a croc spotting tour along the Norman River booked. With everything being within walking distance, that was our preferred method of transport. It probably wasn’t the best for an ankle the size of a small grapefruit but nothing a bit of cement wouldn’t fix. The croc/nature tour was a good way to see more of the area and while we didn’t see an abundance of crocs we did get up close to a 3.5m salty. We were back on dry land by lunchtime and headed straight to the pub for lunch with a view. By early afternoon we were back at our campsite relaxing in the shade and by the pool as the temps nudged into the low 30’s. With good phone reception and Kayo on hand we had a good happy-hour glued to the footy and some liquid refreshments. As dusk fell and with dinner consumed we headed back to the foreshore to witness another magical sunset across the ocean.

Monday must have been communal moving day for half the van-park and no-one seemed to care what noise they made or who they woke. Needless to say there were no sleep-ins for us. What did ensue was a lazy morning for us with a good dose of bacon n eggs and coffee, this was the perfect way to start the day. We caught up on our domestics chores and enjoyed a morning swim before jumping in the car to do some exploring of the area. Karumba port area is the home to a once booming fishing industry that has recently fallen on hard times, similar to that of live cattle exports which use to happen from the same port. It has a hotel with a stigma as once being renowned as the roughest in northern QLD, its front bar is called the “animal bar” so you can understand why. The town now seems to survive on tourism and those that love their fish. A Barramundi hatchery ensures there are plenty of barra for everyone. By mid-afternoon one of our families had returned from their chartered fishing trip, they were sporting a nice haul of 14 fish, ranging from brim, grunter and some blue nose salmon. While they cleaned and prepped their fish we enjoyed another beautiful sunset over the ocean. Returning to the park we all enjoyed a hearty meal of fresh fish.

Tuesday, was time to say goodbye to Karumba, certainly a place we’d return to again. We made the short trek down to Normanton again where we all took advantage of the larger supermarket for some fresh produce. Heading east, despite the road being called a development road, it was in pretty good condition with it being 2 tarred lanes the whole way. We soon found ourselves in the small township of Croydon, this is the other end of the Gulf-lander rail train and a spot that was once founded on gold. We took a quick break before continuing further eastward. The road conditions deteriorated in parts to the single lane of tar and a wheel track either side. It was at one of the these shared road sections where we paid a hefty price for an overzealous driver. We copped a nice stone chip to the windscreen which had us singing the praises of impatient drivers. We stopped at Georgetown for lunch and fuel, a short distance out of town we were back on the dirt with lower tire pressures as we headed to Copperfield Gorge. After a couple of hours of good dirt driving we arrived in Einsleigh which sits atop of the gorge. We found a great privately run property called “Silk Rest” to stay the night. Soon afterwards, we headed for a walk down into Copperfield Gorge where we found remnants of the old mining era. The water was inviting enough that we paddled our feet for an hour or so. The area is still recovering from some major flooding back in January. By nightfall we found ourselves around a communal campfire where we mingled with other likeminded travellers.

Despite being in a remote rural town, we were awake well before sunrise as competing roosters tried to out-sing each other. Soon afterwards a gaggle of 30+ water-fowl wandered through camp in full voice. These guys sounded like rusty bed springs getting a good workout, this had us in stitches of laughter as our minds drifted into the gutter. By 9am we were on the road (dirt) again. Thankfully the dirt was short lived and we were back on the bitumen again. Continuing south, we arrived at Porcupine Gorge around lunchtime. We found our pre-booked campsites and had lunch before heading off to explore the area. One of the walks we did, took us deep down into the gorge where we enjoyed a swim and marvelled at the amazing rock colours. As evening fell, we gathered for our usual campfire. This one was a little more special than others as it was our last night with everyone together. As a way of celebrating our time together we enjoyed some toasty port, butterscotch schnapps and marshmallow s’mores around the fire.

Thursday started early for all of us, we said our farewells to one family while the rest of us grabbed a few final shots of the gorge before we headed to Hughenden for coffee and a bakery. This outback town has links to the dinosaur era and has lots of interactive displays around the town. Pressing further east we made tough work of the headwind that we pushed into for much of the day. By lunchtime we’d reached Charters Towers and the sad news of the search in the southern highlands filtered through, being all SES members ourselves we felt for all those involved. We used Charters Towers as a place to replenish food and other supplies. By mid-afternoon we started heading southward with no real destination in mind. It was too far to make it to our next highlight so by 4:30pm we found a suitable roadside camp for the night. With no facilities and nothing for miles our 1 star accommodation was worth the millions of stars above us.

Friday was another early start, surprisingly the highway noise throughout the night for our gravel pit stay wasn’t that bad. We packed up and headed down the road to Belyando Crossing which at the time of day we arrived was like a ghost town. Continuing south the most prominent thing we noticed was the lack of heat in the day. As expected the further southwest you go the cooler it gets. We chugged through the small country towns of Clermont and Capella before arriving in Emerald just before midday, we’d even managed to cross the “Tropic of Capricorn”. Once again we used the size of the town (the biggest we’d seen since Alice Springs) to stock up on a few “nice to have” items. An hour or so later we were back on the road headed south towards Carnarvon Gorge. Just before 3pm we arrived at our diggings which would be home for the next 3 nights. We were greeted by the amazing cliffs that surround the gorge. With no plans for the rest of the day we leisurely setup camp and watched a spectacular sunset over the cliffs. The remainder of our night was spent around the fire listening to Friday night footy….. Don’t talk to me about the Eels.

Long exposure shot as a Road-train went past

Saturday started at a relaxed pace, the plan was pretty simple, walk into Carnarvon Gorge as far as Leonie’s knee would hold out. Mike had an hours head-start on us and he was planning to head for the end of the gorge. We set off at 9am with a few other likeminded people. The gorge walk is relatively flat with a number of in-out off shoots to various natural attractions. Our first stop was Moss Garden which wet the whistle for what lie ahead. Next was the Amphitheater, I opted to do this side chute by myself as the terrain appeared much harder. After negotiating a few ladders and walking through a tight slot, it opened to an amazing conical hole with one way in and one way out. I took a heap of photos and vowed to bring Leonie back to here as we walked out. Back on the main trail we traversed a number of wide creek crossings using the stepping stones provided. We both laughed as we nearly each took a swim at one point or another. Unfortunately Wards Canyon was closed following a recent rock fall, so we continued onto the Art Gallery where we stood in awe of the ancient story-time told on the rocks. It was at this point we decided to head back to camp. As we returned, we detoured into the Amphitheater again where I could show Leonie the amazing formation that had been carved into the rock. By the time we returned to the car, Leonie’s knee had held up to a credible 15km walk. Once back at camp we enjoyed a warm bush shower before starting the fire. We’d restocked our wood supplies but for the first time on this trip we had to retreat to under the awning as we got our first serious downpour of rain. What a way to finish week 3 of our trip. Fingers crossed the rain doesn’t persist, there are more walks planned for tomorrow.

Purposeful Meandering Savannah Way - Week 2

Week 2 started under a thick blanket of fog, this seemed to keep the fishermen at home a bit later than the previous day. We all packed away wet camping gear due to the heavy fog. We headed into Borroloola to grab some last minute supplies and top-up on fuel. We were pleasantly surprised to see fuel was only $2.55/ltr. I’m sure that’ll change as we head to more remote parts of QLD. Heading east from Borroloola the road conditions quickly deteriorated to very rough corrugated red roads. By mid morning the fog had been replaced with bull dust. The distance between each car was often beyond a kilometre apart and our CB’s kept us in touch with each other on the varying hazards ahead. Occasionally unfenced cattle slowed our progress as we’d have to wait for them to clear the road at their pace. We passed the “now closed” Lorrella Springs and pondered at “what could have been”. This outback station was one of the draw cards for us coming to the Gulf, but the NT government and the station owners had a falling out so the station is now closed to tourists. Creek and river crossings become a regular part of our day, each one proved more inviting but with the threat of crocs lurking in the unseen we kept our distance. We enjoyed lunch at one crossing and laughed as a group of motor-bikers crossed with their feet well above the water level. By mid-afternoon we’d arrived at Calvert River and decided this was enough for the day. The river offered good opportunities for us to jump in shallow waterholes as we all took in turns to cool off. Some indigenous locals made good use of the river as they caught a catch of water and land based animals. As the sun set we were amazed by the amount of wildlife that appeared from the bush. Pigs, Kangaroos, cattle and much more kept us entertained and on our toes as they used the water for life. 

To our surprise, Tuesday dawned with a few drops of rain, this had us scrambling to get the canvas swag packed away quickly. Thankfully the rain didn’t last long and it didn’t do anything to settle the dust which once again plagued us for the day. By mid-morning we’d crossed into QLD. We marvelled that our trip had already taken us to 5 states/territories. Our intended destination of “Hells Gate Roadhouse”, was upon us quicker than expected & we ended up having lunch here, not dinner as planned. This roadhouse oasis in the middle of nowhere had plentiful grass to squish our toes through and lots of trees providing shade from the heat of the day. We shared the roadhouse with a few couples doing the same as us and a Discovery tour group making their way across the top-end of our country. We googled their itinerary and then fell over backwards at the cost - OMG! We decided to push further east, passing through the community of Doomadgee and for the first time in a long time we were back on the bitumen. Our speed safely returned to normal road conditions and before long we’d arrived in the small rural town of Burketown, which ultimately was home for the night. We grabbed the few remaining sites in the caravan park which initially we were grateful for, that was until 1000’s of galahs came to roost in the trees overhead. “How’s the serenity” couldn’t be further from the truth, but these were our first-world problems. Thankfully as darkness fell peace n quiet resumed and we enjoyed a quiet night in the van park.

With the van park full of workers undertaking a project in town, Tuesday started well before the sun crested the horizon as cars one after another headed for work. By 9am we were out seeing the few sights of Burketown, the once thermal spring is now a rundown bore with hot 68deg water filling an ecosystem for the wildlife. The boat-ramp and kids waterpark were the most impressive features of this remote town. Soon afterwards we were heading south towards Lawn Hill, our progress being regularly slowed by cattle that shared the road with us. An hour later we found ourselves in Gregory Downs, what was once only a cattle station is now home to a pub, coffee shop, rest area and some basic accommodation. We stopped briefly before continuing our journey to Lawn Hill NP. A Suitable camp site was selected and we quickly setup before heading to the gorge and a well earned swim, the water making a refreshing change from the afternoon heat. As the afternoon wore on we continued exploring what Lawn Hill had to offer. We stumbled upon a trail which took us to a breathtaking lookout over the Indarri Falls. Being the adventurous type we scrambled down to the water level and had a quick swim under the falls themselves. It was the perfect way to finish the day. We spent the evening finalising our census submissions which is quite funny when you don’t spend the night at your usual abode.

Wednesday was the perfect day for a sleep-in, I wish someone had told the birdlife to hold off on the early morning chorus. By 9am we had our first swim for the day, temperatures were climbing into the low 30’s and the best relief was in the shade in the river, so that’s how we spent most of the day. We’d have a swim, get wrinkly from being in the water, get out, get hot, get back in the water, get wrinkly from being in the water, get out again. It was a tough way to spend the day but someone had to do it. Late in the day we called a round table meeting to discuss plans for the days ahead, our thoughts of heading to Cobbold Gorge were dismissed after reading of the exuberant costs simply to visit the privately run place. Our meeting turned into the perfect opportunity for happy-hour and liquid refreshments and dinner. As night fell we all realised we’d got a bit burnt and had too much sun for the day.

Thursday started very early for 2 of us as we’d decided to photograph Indarri Falls with the first rays of sunlight. Things were going great as we collected some great drone footage of the falls. That was until my drone decided to take on submarine qualities all by itself, effectively crashing into the water some 300m away from our location. Needless to say those in ear-shot heard a few choice words before we embarked on a rescue mission. Some 3 hours later we returned to camp with my tail between my legs, no drone and a badly sprained ankle. Further discussions followed and another rescue mission was hatched. A canoe was hired and a frogman was enlisted, using the “find my drone” technology on the controller we zeroed in on a likely spot and a few minutes later my drone was recovered. The relief and smile on my face was priceless, whether the drone works again or not, at least I’d recovered the SD card and the footage from earlier in the day. With the mornings crisis now behind us, the rest of the day was spent at a much slower pace. The weather had cooled significantly from yesterday’s heat so there was less enthusiasm to go swimming. We spent much of the afternoon relaxing around our campsite. After dinner we enjoyed a fun evening of card and board games with our travelling companions.

Friday had us packed up and on the road by 9am, that was never early enough for us to beat the caravaner’s and we spent much of the 90km ahead of us sucking the dust of caravans travelling at less than suitable speeds. Eventually we were back on the bitumen and passing through Gregory Downs on route to the Burke n Wills Roadhouse. We had lunch at the roadhouse before heading northwards. A few hours later after some monotonous driving we were in Normanton, we quickly found a home for the night, then for the first time in a couple weeks we found ourselves in a supermarket replenishing some much needed supplies. With the remaining daylight we visited the Gulf-Lander train and the Purple Pub. Our evening was spent in the camp kitchen as we were fortunate to have some Friday night footy to watch.

Saturday saw us on the road again but not before we checked out a few more attractions in Normanton. The highlight being “Krys the Croc”, apparently it’s the biggest recorded croc to be killed. At 8.63m in length and over 2 Ton I’m happy the only time we seen it was as a replica on display. With only 70km to our next destination it wasn’t long before we arrived in Karumba. This town sits right on the Gulf of Carpentaria at the mouth of the Norman River and is a haven for those who love their fishing. After a quick look around the main part of town we headed out to Karumba Point which will be our home for the next few nights. By late afternoon we’d spent some time by the pool, listened to some live music, had a drink and a feed from the bistro without having to leave the comfort of our caravan park. With full bellies we wandered down to the point to witness a beautiful sunset over the ocean. Living on the east coast I’ve often witnessed the sunrise over the ocean, but the setting sun over the ocean certainly has some spectacular colours. What a week it’s been.

Purposeful Meandering Savannah Way - Week 1

Week 1 plus a few days has been filled with so much contrast and varying scenery. From the cold wintry conditions of Wollongong, through to the fruit orchards of Mildura, to the vast open mullock heaps of Coober Pedy and finally the arid openness of central Australia, there has so much to see. We’d always planned to do 4 really big days on the road, so we could spend the next 4 weeks taking a more leisurely pace to get home. Some 4000km later we found ourselves at the most northern point of our trip. Mataranka and its hot thermal springs was the perfect way to unwind after 4 big days behind the wheel. No sooner had we setup camp, than we were jumping into the thermal water at Bitter Springs. By Saturday evening our convoy of cars and families were all together. We enjoyed the banter of catching up so far from home.

Sunday was meant to be a relaxing day and predominantly it was, but we all found ourselves doing the odd minor repair or job on our vehicles in preparation for the trip that lie ahead. Jobs were intermingled with frequent swims in the hot springs or taking comfort in the shade as we accustomed to the hot 30deg winter temps. Unusually Mataranka was a busy place as many locals made use of a long weekend in the NT to get away.

Monday saw us on the road but not before we stocked up with delicacies from the local bakery. We soon found ourselves heading east along the Savannah Way. This was the primary focus of our trip, it’s the last part of Highway 1 that circumnavigates Australia that we hadn’t done. For the first hundred kilometres the single lane of bitumen was pretty easy. Oncoming cars yielded as we both shared the road. By the time we reached the small community of Roper Bar the bitumen had been replaced with red dirt, lots of dust and corrugations. Wherever possible we’d stop along the Roper River hoping to see a crocodile, but alas each time we’d get back to the car with no croc’s spotted. It was at one of these stops where we had our first casualty, one vehicle sustained a flat tyre which pierced the sidewall….. not a good start to the trip. Pressing on and temporarily moving away from the river we were surprised by the array of wild animals we spotted. There were the usual herds of cattle, but then we spotted wild donkeys, horses and even Water Buffalo, all of which used the roads  for grazing. But still no crocs. By days end we’d made camp at a place called Tomato Island, on the banks of the Roper River. As was the case all day we still didn’t see a crocodile, but we did enjoy our first campfire of the trip that night.

Tuesday, and we were on the road by 9am, we detoured via a few remote camp sites which littered the riverbanks, at one spot we were amazed how close some people were setup next the river. Maybe they didn’t understand what being “croc wise” meant. We negotiated a few easy creek crossings as we trekked eastward along the Savannah. However it wasn’t long before we were alerted to another flat tyre on another vehicle. Once again the tyre was irreparable with 2 big holes in the sidewall. We all chipped in making the tyre change as quick as an F1 pitstop. We detoured into a small fishing camp on the banks of the Limmen River with the prospect of potentially getting a spare tyre. Ha-ha how wrong were we, the run-down community offered nothing more than good advice and a stopover for keen fishermen, but we did see our first saltwater crocodile sunning itself on the banks of the river. Pressing on, we marvelled at the hundreds of termite mounds and wild animals that litter the open plains. By mid-afternoon we’d arrived at Butterfly Falls, this was our home /base for the next 3 nights. The place offered a refreshing safe swimming hole backed by a cascading waterfall and thousands of butterflies that shelter in crevices of the rock walls. Despite the water being rather chilly, it made for great relief from the 30deg days we’d been experiencing so far. As darkness fell and with dinner consumed we all gathered around the campfire for some liquid refreshments.

Wednesday started at a much slower pace, most of us had a morning swim which doubled as a bath and wash-off. By mid-morning we’d set off to explore a place called the “Western Lost City”, a rough and bumpy track that led us to these amazing sandstone towers which reminded us of pagodas we’d previously seen back home but these ones had striking orange and red colours with bubble type layering with some having little top hats due to weathering. As we climbed and explored on foot we all commented on how beautiful yet weird these rock formations were that appeared in the middle of nowhere. By mid afternoon we’d returned from our 4-hour exploration, the refreshing water of Butterfly Falls was the perfect way to end a hot dusty day. As dusk fell some of us had a close encounter with a brown tree snake that tantalised around their feet before heading off into the nearby grasses. Once again, under the cover of darkness with only the crackle of our fire we watched the overhead light show as millions of stars sparkled above.

Thursday dawned with a blanket of fog hanging over the campsite, but it didn’t last for long as the day’s temperatures headed for a high of 32deg. One of our convoy opted to pack up a day earlier than the rest of us and head to King Ash Bay where they hoped the introduction of 240volt power would be better for their fridge cooling problems than the 12volts being generated by the car. Before heading to King Ash Bay we all headed to the Southern Lost City. These prehistoric looking pillars and columns were very similar to the previous day, but given the walking track that meandered through the columns and the amazing butterfly spectacle we witnessed, we all felt today’s rock formations were much better. Returning to camp we all enjoyed a refreshing swim and some lunch before spending the rest of the afternoon doing odd jobs on our gear. By late afternoon we all indulged in happy hour and a late dinner. As had been the case on previous nights, we concluded our stay at Butterfly Falls with a relaxing campfire.

Friday was moving day, but once again a thick blanket of fog covered the area making it feel rather cool. As the fog burnt off the temps quickly rose. We were on the road by 9am just as the temperature hit the mid 20’s. There were a number of creek crossings to negotiate throughout the morning and at each opportunity we’d stop to see if any crocs were lurking. By late morning we’d pulled up at a conservation reserve which had similar rock formations to those of the past 2 days and whilst it was nice to see them, it didn’t hold a candle to the rock garden that we explored yesterday. After lunch we made our way to Borroloola for some much needed supplies. Fuel wasn’t the only expensive thing in town, groceries and fresh produce on average were 2-3 times the price of back home. A dozen eggs cost $13, needless to say, they stayed on the shelf. We did however have some luck sourcing a new tyre for one of our cars but at a hefty price. Pushing on, we headed out to the small fishing village of King Ash Bay where we caught up with the 4th car in our convoy. By late afternoon and after some well earned showers we headed to the local bar (Groper Bar) for a nice pub meal and some live sport on the tv.

Saturday started at a much more leisurely pace for us, however it was well before 6am when we heard the first boats motoring up the river. We spent a few hours catching up on some domestic chores before heading out to do some sightseeing. The closest town is Bing Bong and it sits right on the Gulf of Carpentaria. It’s a shipping port for exporting iron ore offshore, unfortunately for us it’s off limits to the public so our views of the gulf were a little limited. We did find a cool spot for some of us to do some fishing, with one eye on the shallows for snapping handbags and the other on our lures. We had some fun as the Barramundi jumped all around us but not onto the line. Returning to camp it was no surprise our washing was crispy dry as temps nudged 34deg in the shade. The afternoon was conducive to relaxing in the shade, we had ice creams as we sat on the bank of the river watching the many boats return from a days fishing. Late in the afternoon as the sun set we par-took in our usual happy hour activities. Our first week on the road culminated with us around the campfire making cookie dough bikkies in the camp oven. Bring on week 2 and more adventures.

Purposeful Meandering - Gulf of Carpentaria

To coin a phrase “it’s been a while between drinks (trips) is an understatement. To be precise,  it was 2 years ago that we tackled the Canning Stock route in WA. Undertaking big block holidays takes a lot of planning and this current adventure has been no different. Some bloke on the other side of the world decided to start a war which threw world fuel prices into turmoil and temporarily derailed our plans. It’s one thing to pay exuberant prices, it’s another thing to ensure remote locations have fuel. As the prices see-sawed so did our plans, yes we’ll go, no we won’t, yes we will.

Today, before the sun had crested, we set-off on our next adventure towards the top-end of NT and FNQLD. One of the few areas we haven’t explored in Australia is the section of coastline through the Gulf of Carpentaria. So for the next 5 weeks we’ll be exploring the Savannah Way and the coastal communities that are dotted along the way.

Bring on the adventure’s over the next few weeks 

Purposeful Meandering Around Remote WA - Week 8

Saturday started as Friday had finished, mother nature had unleashed herself overnight with howling winds and rain scrawls lashing most of Victoria, the temperature reflected the conditions and the time of year and we were grateful to be indoors. We’d soon packed up, the local tv news highlighted some the damage from the overnight winds. We headed into the centre of St Arnaud for a look around before continuing our travels across central Victoria. The coldness ensured we didn’t get out of the car too often. Occasionally we would stop to find a geocache, only to regret getting out of the car. By lunchtime we’d reached Bendigo, the warmth of the day had slightly improved and we took some time to look around. We’d been to Bendigo on a number of occasions but marvelled at the old tourist tram and old buildings which litter the Main Street. Just north of town in Huntly is one of the best pie shops we’ve found and the timing was perfect to once again feast on what they had to offer. Pushing on, we had a look through the large rural township of Shepparton before heading to Benalla for the night, where we spent another lazy night indoors.

Our penultimate day, Sunday started at slow pace as we needed to be in Beechworth for 12pm, so we spent to first couple of hours geocaching around Benalla and Wangaratta before making our way across to Beechworth. The alpine areas directly ahead of us still had blizzard warnings in place and as such there was no views of the snow capped mountains of Victoria. Just before lunch we found ourselves in Beechworth which was perfect timing to allow us to feast on the yummy pies from the famous bakery. We did a bit of sightseeing before making our way around to the Billsons Brewery which had the girls in our family delighted. Spoilt for choice and offering many flavours that aren’t in the shops yet we walked out with an ample supply of the products…. Back on the road and continuing northwards we soon crossed the border, back into NSW and the realisation that our holiday was quickly coming to an end. Heading north to Wagga we’d decided to spend our last days catching up with friends. By late afternoon we were catching up with geocaching friends for coffee and we had dinner with an SES friend who’s currently in Wagga for work.

Monday was a similar story to the previous day, we only had a few hours drive to be home but spent most of the day stopping off to catch up with friends. By lunchtime we’d made it to the SES office at Goulburn where we had lunch and shared the tales of our trip with our good friend Macca. The final leg of our journey home was uneventful and sadly our seven and half week holiday was done. We’d seen so much of remote Australia it’s hard to pick a highlight. We’ve ticked off a number of bucket list items and done it with some great friends. We truly do live in a beautiful country.   

Trip summary 

Total km’s - 17308km 

Longest distance in one day - 972km 

Shortest distance in one day - 92km 

Most expensive fuel - $3.70/ltr 

Cheapest fuel - $1.83/ltr 

Total fuel for trip - 2215ltr

Fuel cost - approx $5k

Max fuel carried when full - 187ltr

Max water carried - 120ltr drinking water 

Total number of nights - 52 

Total number of nights in swag - 44 

Number of nights under the stars (free camping) - 20 

Most expensive campsite - $73 

Number of time zones - 3 

Number of States - 6 

Number of State Corners - 3 

Remotest town visited - Punma or Wingellina

Furthest point from home - Carnarvon 

Most northern point from home - Broome 

Most Southern point from home - Penola 

Most Western point from home - Steep Point 

Best place we stayed - Karajini NP 

Worst place we stayed - Roadside quarry (eatin by midgies) 

Number of window screen chips - 3 

Number of tyres destroyed - 1 

Lowest temperature - minus 1 

Highest temperature - 38 

Number of Deserts crossed - 5 

Bucket list items completed - 5 

Number of Corrugations - 1,946,761 

Average fuel consumption - 13.7ltr/100km 

Number of flies swallowed - 6 

Vehicle damage - Battery, Tyre, Front hub, Windscreen, Solar panel, countless scratches

Purposeful Meandering Around Remote WA - Week 7

Saturday in the Simpson desert and we were reminded how cold this place can be, a cold wind howled between the dunes and with no protection from the vegetation we felt rather cold and exposed. This was day 4 of our crossing and the plan was to be in Birdsville tonight. The QAA line has marked call points starting at No:23 and descending to No:1 which are designed to radio ahead for oncoming traffic and/or to identify your location if you breakdown. With our struggling in 4WD we wondered whether we needed to use one of these as a reference point. As the day progressed the numbers came down, we progressively made it over each dune. At No:3 we had a significant creek crossing to negotiate and with recent rains it was flowing well. Garth made it across and setup as our recovery, but thankfully we made it across the water unaided but needed help up the muddy slope on the exit. Pushing on we finally reached Call point No:1 and what lay ahead was “Big Red”. This ominous 30m high sand dune has multiple tracks up it depending on your skill or vehicle capability. Given the minimal drive from the front hub we took the easiest line and were very grateful to reach the top on our first go. For the next hour we laughed and commiserated with others as they tried their best on the tougher lines, some broke parts others eventually taking an easier line. Big Red marks the end of the Simpson Desert and the last 40km into Birdsville was a pleasure to drive. We quickly setup camp in the van park and basked in our first shower in days. Our evening was spent at the famous Birdsville hotel enjoying a meal and drink.

We’d decided to have a lay-day on Sunday, which was a welcome change. A relaxing start ensued, with a cooked breakfast and no real plans for our day in Birdsville. We caught up on some washing and a few chores around the car. The most exciting thing we did was the 30min walk around the 3 streets in town and refuelling the car. Being Sunday all shops in town shut by midday, so that leaves the pub and the artesian bore for attractions. Around 3pm the rush of new travellers arrive in town and the peace was broken. Our relaxing day was much needed and great for recharging our bodies.

Monday dawned with us rolling by 8:00am. We drove the short distance to the Birdsville Bakery where we met up with Garth and Tom, we all feasted on the local delicacies for breakfast. Once on the road our plan was to travel the Birdsville track but recent rains had closed it for the past week, thankfully we were lucky the track had opened to limited vehicle access. We made our way out of town and soon realised why the track had been closed, water covered the track and surrounding areas in multiple spots. At times we’d be travelling the track at 80km/hr and all of a sudden we’d be in water up to the sills of the car. We quickly learned that best option was straight through the water, going around the outside in the soft mud was dangerous but we had a lot of fun learning the hard way. By lunch time we’d made it to Mungarianne Hotel, this was to be our intended overnight campsite but after some discussion we decided to keep going. Despite the publican telling us the road was better the further we went south, we were still faced with multiple spots where water covered the entire track. By mid-afternoon we arrived in Maree which meant we’d ticked another box of Australian tracks. Continuing south our goal for the night was the historic township of Farina. We stopped along the way to collect some firewood and just before dusk we arrived at Farina, which appeared to be a popular choice as the place packed with travellers. We struggled to find a spot but once we did, we settled in for a night around the fire with a few beverages and a warming port. With our plans for the remainder of our trip taking us in different directions this was our final night as a 2-car convoy.

Tuesday started like any other day, except Farina in winter is a very cold place. Our extremities froze, the dew covered everything and we all struggled to get going. Garth said his goodbyes early as him and Tom had a lot of ground to cover today. We took our time, doing a bit of sightseeing and stopping at the seasonal bakery in Farina for some outback baked bread. Heading southward we quickly drove into rain scrawls and howling winds with the car temp struggled to reach double digits the entire day. We had a few stops as we drove south, at Hawker we inspected the working seismograph located in the petrol station, while in Peterborough we were gripped by steam train fever. Late in the day we found ourselves in Clare, we’d had enough driving for the day so we lashed out and found a cabin for the night as the predicted subzero temps didn’t lend itself to sleeping in a swag. Ahh! the warmth of a heater and comfort of being indoors for the night.

Wednesday started slowly, the comfort of being indoors had us struggling for motivation but eventually we were packed up and on the road again. The cold weather conditions hadn’t eased and for much of the morning we were happy to drive, staying warm while in the car. We’d made our way back towards Renmark where we planned to visit another state corner. MacCabes Corner is another surveyors mismatch. I’m sure the intent was for all 3 borders (NSW/SA/VIC) to align but once again that’s not the case. Around lunchtime we arrived at the nearest parking point to the corner, we then set off on a 2hr return walk to reach our final corner location for this trip. Situated on the banks of the Murray River this tranquil spot is very different to the others we’d visited, but the magnitude of reaching our final corner in Australia was lost because the post was neglected. Once back in Renmark we spent a few dollars attempting to clean the car, the mud had got that thick on the car we were getting dirty simply getting in and out of the car….. it was a sad moment as we washed away some great memories. By nightfall we were setup in a motel ready to watch the deciding “state of origin” game. All new south welshman know how that ended and I’m sure half the motel heard us cheering a great win.

Thursday started with the morning tv shows advising of severe weather coming across the SA state in the coming 24-36hrs, while this didn’t deter us from our plans we were conscious of the pending weather. We spent much of our day driving through various towns in the Murray and Mallee regions of the state. Travelling through the Murray region we watched countless pickers in hundreds of orchards picking oranges and mandarins. A similar scenario was playing out throughout the day with the countless vineyards we drove past. We passed some very popular brand name wineries that we’ve enjoyed. By days end we’d managed to stay one step ahead of the weather but chose a comfortable option for our night in Naracoorte.

Friday sees week 7 coming to an end, we woke to rain and that was the tempo for the day. We headed out to the Naracoorte Caves hoping for something a little more than a guided tour through a cave, but we quickly reminded ourselves how spoilt we are having various roping cave systems so close to home. After a short look around we left disappointed but not surprised. With rain continuing to fall and temps in the low single digits we soon found ourselves in Victoria. The weather wasn’t any better, there was even a severe weather warning for areas near where we were driving. Around lunchtime we stumbled across the site of a story for the ages. In 1864, 3 kids went missing for 9 days. OMG! they were eventually found alive 100km from their home. We both struggled to grasp the magnitude of such an event in todays society….. Moving on we passed through the rural towns of Edenhope, Horsham and Dimboola before deciding the small town of St Arnaud was enough for today. The rain hadn’t let up and the temps remained in the single digits. It was a no-brainer that we opted for the comfort and warmth of something more than the swag for tonight.

7 weeks into our trip and the end is near.

Purposeful Meandering Around Remote WA - Week 6

Saturday was our coldest start for the trip. The desert is a cold but beautiful place in winter. Warakurna had put on an icy 0.3deg as we got out of the swag. There was ice on most things and everything we touched was painfully cold on the hands. Setting off there was an air of excitement to the day ahead, we’d made arrangements and secured permits to Surveyors General Cnr which borders WA/SA/NT. A 2hr drive off the main dirt road took us to a local community called Wingellina where we met our indigenous guide Linda. We transported her to the corner which is a few kms from her residence. Once at the Cnr she explained some of the history over the past 50 years. We grabbed some photos for our memories before dropping our guide back home and we continued our journey east. The Great Central Rd passes through various communities and a transit permit for the journey is only valid for 3 days so there’s not much time for detours. Given the Timezone changes as we crossed back into the NT we made it to Uluṟu right on sunset. We opted to skip the sunset over the rock as it’d been a big day and we still had few errands to do before calling it a night.

Sunday in Yulara was far more pleasant than the previous few mornings. We’ve decided to kill a few days as rain is once again forecast for the Simpson Desert, so we’ve decided to detour via Kings Canyon and the Larapinta Loop Rd around to Alice Springs. The weather gods must have been listening to us because as we headed out of Yulara the desert turned on a pea souper fog making the scenery impossible to see. However by the time we reached Kings Canyon (some 3hrs later) the sun was out and it was a beautiful day. We opted to do the gorge walk through the canyon before heading around to the resort for lunch. With our bellies full we continued along the extremely rough Larapinta Loop to the Finke Gorge NP and a small campground called Palm Valley. We opted to find a nice spot along the river which entailed doing some sand driving, well that didn’t go too well for us as it seems the front drive of our 4WD is broken. Alas we didn’t realise this till I was well n truly bogged in the sand. 2hrs later, thankfully Garth was able to recover us to some more firmer ground. With my pride dented we opted for a simpler spot for the night. I’m now left with some mechanical repairs to work out what’s wrong with the red wagon. Hopefully we can fix it before the Simpson desert crossing.

Monday dawned to another heavy fog blanketing the area. We packed up and made our way around to the Mereenie Loop which runs through the West MacDonnell Ranges. We made numerous stops at the various gorges and lookouts throughout the valley. We walked into a couple of the gorges where swimming was available. While the water looked inviting watching those in the water shiver uncontrollably we decided against it. By mid afternoon we’d made our way into Alice Springs, we took the opportunity to find a safe place to undertake some repairs to the front end of 4WD. An hour or so later I’d diagnosed an issue that wouldn’t be permanently fixed on the side of the road, however a temporary fix has hopefully allowed us to continue into the desert in a few days time. By days end we’d found a woolies where we restocked some fresh food, we also took the opportunity to treat ourselves to the comfort of a motel for the night.

Tuesday started with the realisation we’d just spent the night under a town curfew. Another heavy fog and cool temps blanketed the area. With food and fuel restocked we headed south out of town. The 130km/hr speed limits were tempting but for a change I acted responsibly and stuck to safer speeds. By mid-morning we reached Kulgera where we turned east towards Finke. Our first stop was Lamberts Geographically Centre of Australia, this ticked another item off our bucket list. Pressing on we were soon in Finke where we seen a few parts of town used in the desert race. Continuing towards Mt Dare, Garth took us to the remote place called Duffield, this was an old rail siding habited in the 60’s by his grandfather. Sadly only the ruins and a small section of track remained. You could see the excitement in their faces as they relived their family history. Back on the main track and with the sun setting we arrived at the Mt Dare hotel. Who would have thought to put a pub in the desert, but it works, the place was packed with travellers. We joined the hundred or so other campers as we enjoyed an outback pub meal which concluded a very long day for us.

Wednesday was another chilly morning in the desert. We packed up and were first in line for fuel as the single bowser opened. Thankfully we didn’t need much fuel @ $3:05/ltr. Heading further into central Australia we were soon at the outback oasis of Dalhousie Springs, this thermal pool bubbles out of the earth at approximately 37deg and made for a refreshing swim and change from sitting behind the wheel. As we left Dalhousie Springs you officially enter the Simpson desert, we’d put our sand flags on the cars and lowered our tyre pressures. By lunch time we’d arrived at Purni Bore, this is another artesian bore where the water comes out of the ground at almost 100deg. We had lunch here before continuing our journey over the sand dunes. With 3 routes over the Simpson we decided to take the WAA route and shortly before 3pm we’d found a great spot to camp for the night. Our first night in the Simpson desert was spent relaxing around the fire with a few liquid refreshments.

Some time very early Thursday morning I had a lightbulb moment that I should pull the front wheel hub apart again to see if I could improve on the makeshift repair I’d previously made. Well, at first light that’s what I did, only to find more broken pieces which is never good. After discussing the possibilities with everyone we decided to continue heading across the Simpson. By 9:30 the car was back together, we’d had breakfast and were all packed up. We quickly learned that crossing the Simpson desert is a slow activity, you rise and fall over each dune, you bounce and hop across each corrugation with an average of only 30km/hr. By lunchtime we’d only gone 90km. We shared our lunch spot with a very inquisitive dingo. Careful not to feed it we were soon back on the road. We passed a few vehicles and various adjoining tracks. The thing that surprised us the most was the greenery. Recent rains had freshened up the place, wildflowers bloomed everywhere and made beautiful carpets across the dunes. Late in the day we reached the large salt pan at the end of the WAA line. Given the recent weather and our 4WD issues we opted to walk the route across the salt pan and lucky we did. It appeared not many people had succeeded in crossing the pan. We erred on the side of caution and opted to turn around and return the 30km to the nearest alternative route, this made our already big day that much longer. By nightfall we’d found a suitable place to camp, all of us feeling very exhausted. There was no campfire like the previous night, we literally cooked dinner and hopped into the swag (where I am now, writing todays blog).

Friday marked the end of 6 weeks away, we’ve covered so much ground but there’s still a lot to go. Packing up we checked out the “Lone Gum Tree” before continuing our journey eastward, now on the Rig line. There seemed to be more and more irregular noises coming from the front corner of the 4WD which did nothing to soothe our fears of the hub failing while in the place that we needed it the most. The Rig line proved to be very easy, we had to detour around a wet salt pan but for the most we covered good ground, we even laughed at the moment we got into 4th gear and were doing 60km/hr. Once back on the French line the traffic increased dramatically, the desert is no longer desolate place and on a number of occasions we’d have to stop and let 6 and even 9 car convoys pass by us. The closer we got to Poppels Cnr the steeper the dunes got and with trepidation we had to engage 4-high a few times to make it over, each time the noises coming from the front got worse but we’d top the dune and the adrenaline would ease. About mid afternoon we reached our 2nd border corner for the trip, Poppels Cnr is the junction of the NT/SA/QLD borders and we were both grateful to tick off another bucket list item. Pressing on we both commented how we’d started our day in SA, we ventured 20km north into NT and by stumps today we finished in QLD.

Fingers crossed with 2 weeks left, more outback roads open up and we can get to the places we want to.