Clay pans to Batton Hill

What a wonderful pink sunrise this morning. We had a lovely steak last night at the Hay Hindquarter Restaurant (in our camp set up with table cloth and all) and an early night for me. This shower invention has been a huge hit and most refreshing morning or night. Quite a few people have used it now and a few others have them too. This is something I highly recommend and rate a ten out of ten.

After packing up this morning we discoverd that we needed to achieve 260km till Batton Hill however, my research tells me that 120km a day on sand is the average achievable goal. The seven car convoy is going to have to stay on the tracks in order to avoid getting bogged today I think as we lost 2-3 hours yesterday. We are travelling north on the track and at 10am it is 23°.

We have just come into radio contact with another group - it seems it would be Jenny....who does ABC documentaries with another lady and Jenny's husband is the cinematographer. So we are awaiting pass over. The other Cars pulled over as they are travelling as a pair while we are a larger convoy. The other cars have cling wrap on their vehicles to avoid scratches and barnacles from rubbing along the duco. We are travelling north while they are going south. I believe due to the way the dunes are going the direction we are travelling is very difficult. In one hour we have done 13km give or take a bit as we didn't put the odometer on until we had done a bit of driving. The other people will find  it challenging as we have churned up two dunes. Quite badly. They told us that the last 8hours for us (their first 8) was hard due to the turning of the steering wheel in order to swerve the trees.

380km now since Birdsville and we have another 300km until the next fuel stop at Jervois. We have a full tank of 90L plus 40L in jerry cans. W have 15-16L to the 100km on fuel consumption so feeling very confident. We met one man getting 4km per litre and he was towing a caravan with a boat on top 25L/100 is so much more than us. Today the drive is less arid than yesterday because we are in a river bed and there is so much more grass with the sighting of this new species - a white flowering fluffy grass. There are more eucalyptus trees growing in this region too. The contrast of red sand to the green grasses is amazingly beautiful. Instead of sand dunes like yesterday we have been confronted by rock ledges which were an issue for cars without a lot of ground clearance but Rob made it through carefully with the good guidance of Urma who got out and kept a look out for him. It's now 12:30pm and we are driving in 35° heat but all good in our single cabin ute.

We are now travelling across Madigan's track. He was doing scientific explorations in 1930s and there are no tracks at all just GPS coordinates and thanks to Dave and Robyn we have managed to find 3 of the camp locations that were used in his expedition in 1939. No shade at all just low lying grasses and small tufts at that but they are so green and the contrast is just again so amazing for my Victorian eyes to see. Lunch was shared between camp 13 and 10 where we were able to simply pull out our wraps from the centre fridge inside the car and add some fresh tomatoes that are now on rations and we are one happy couple - eating with no flies! 

Food thoughts

1. I like naming our restaurant each night

2. Freezer is not freezing. But Tim is not worrying about it and I am not to worry either

3. Make a thermous for a morning coffee break

4. Fruit cake makes a good morning tea snack

Literary Thoughts

1. I finished reading Naveed and loved it so much - watch out for the ending you will need tissues

2. Started I love you more - some good ideas such as the XYZ principle (maybe I can share later)

Life thoughts

1. A positive attitude - the only thing we can do is play on the one string we have , and that is our attitude - happy couples have a happy set of attitudes

2. You are only one good thought away from a good feeling - Sheila Krystal

Fun facts

1. Lost tent pegs out of the tray

2. Yesterday dropped Pete's tool kit - sockets everywhere

3. Thanks to Wynd family I had a morning tea coffee today

4. So many other insects today - coloured moths, butterflies, tiny white and yellow mini butterflies and dragonflies have been around us today

Improvements

1. Buy Ajax surface wipes

2. Pack a square self folding tub - saw it at the caravan and camping show

3. Job allocation

4. Oz tent fly - but we are keeping the flies at bay with hats and neem cream and bushmans fly spray

Sun, storm and rain all in one day

Amazing weather patterns today...

From this 39° day we saw the clouds change dramatically before our  very eyes all in the space of an hour.

A most spectacular sun and cloud formation that was changing every minute but the temperature was staying the same until....

All of a sudden we were fronted by huge rain drops. All I was thinking was sleeping in the car is no different to the 16 hour flight home from Berlin!

Hay River Adventure

Day 1 on th Hay River track sees Tim and Dave both get bogged on the last dune of the day would you believe. Thanks to Lee, Dave and Paul who helped Tim get out. This happened in 44° heat. Just as the snatch strap was going (twice it didn't work) it was all getting intresting when they  successfully winched him out.

Then can you believe it we lost the track! We got to the top of another dune where the sand became churned up with over 5 cards traveling on it. Lee got stuck first but taking a short cut, then Tim went to the rescue. Then you guessed it we got stuck! Not once but twice, then Pete got stuck twice after pulling Tim out of the churned sand mess. But the fun had only started Dave tried to pull him out but he was getting pulled. We then hooked Rob onto Dave to save the day! This all took about 2 hours in 40+° heat which was not so entertaining but all finished well in the end.

Simpson Desert - SOS

Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day! We started the day to a radio announcement from our tour guide that Tim had sent a love song dedication entitled "You've got to kiss the angel good morning" very funny - have not laughed so much in a long time! That was until we took a wrong turn and found our selves lost - no red sand dune flags anywhere. We had just left Poeppel Corner where we were inundated by biting ants when we found ourselves at the end of the 7 car chain. Thinking we were going back to the salt flat we came to, we weren't too worried until we could not see anyone. Tim radioed to check where we needed to go. No one answered sending me into a small panic. After a minute or two we heard from them and were met at the t intersection where we were able to see straight to the salt flat and could see the orange sand dune flags finally. What a good feeling that gave me! I had a real sigh of relief - just to know how huge the Simpson Desert is not a comforting thought to have when you think you are lost - imagine no radio contact, we didn't have telephone coverage and the sat phone was with another car. 

The morning drive to Poeppels Point was fun. A couple of times we had to change from 2/4 wheel drive to navigat our way up and down the dunes. The environment is phenomenal. The dunes are do red and covered with a variety of different plants. Generally there are treed areas where wattles and small mulga trees grow and then there are the contrasts. The low flat areas where there is just grass, dune crests, Spinefex hummocks and Sandhills cane grass. As I said earlier at Poeppels Corner we were unindatd by huge biting ants - it pretty much defeatd the purpose of posing for photos but we managed to get a few. The Poepels Point was interesting we all signed the visitors book and took all the relevant memorable photos. It is hard to understand how survey markers can stand there for so long unseen for long periods of time in the past. It was named after surveyor Augustus Poeppel marked this as the location of the tri state boarder beaten NT, QLD and SA with a coolabah tree post that was carried from Eyre creek. His surveying chain had stretched which resulted in a 100m error which is still amazing considering this was before modern technology existed. Tqhen the car convey met to decide what track to take next on the way to the Hay River track. 

Last night was the first official night with no amenities. I succeeded in having a shower in our ensuite tent and loved the luxury of cool fresh water. Dinner was lovely, I set a table complete with tablecloth and matching coloured napkins where we enjoyed reheated spaghetti bolognase in style. Tim surprised me with a lovely bottle of Mumm champagne and I can say that I am now officially a survivor of the Simpson Desert.

Today we make our way onto the Hay River track a place of calcium beds to begin with, mud flats and flatter red earth covered with low shrubs and greyish plants intersected with spinefex grasses. It is currently 36° and we are expecting 40° each day until we get to Alice.

Interesting facts of the day

1. One lizard sighting

2. One antenna broken

3. One SOS call out 

4. Roughly 260km from Birdsville

5. 120km roughly today and it's only lunchtime

6. One snake slithering beside the car

7. One moth inside the car

8. 55million flies

Reminders for others who do this trip

1. You will find it easier to make lunch at breakfast time like we did as this saved the dreaded fly invasion

2. Pack snacks in the car so you don't get hungry

3. Keep checking your tyres

4. Make sure your camera is ready and not full like mine

Why not buy the Muungerannie Pub.

What a morning we had. We woke to the sound of birds in the trees, a breeze throughout the tent and it was just glorious. We had a slow start and were relaxing from a reasonably big night full of fun with Pete, Leah, Deanna and Gary (can you guess who stayed out till rally lat?) when I was reminded of what Tim told me at 1:30am. Last night Tim and the publican Phil had a wee bit to drink at the infamous Mungerannie Pub. When tim finally came to bed he said that we had a "tyre as flat as a pancake" and I thought he was joking. However, the lovely start to the day became a nightmare. We not only had a flat but the compressor wouldn't work! 

Science lesson 4 - the batteries that were running the fridges couldn't run the compressor as well - not enough volts. The boys checked the voltage on remote terminals from the batteries - reading 7 volts, the fridges shouldn't run under 101/2 volts but they were running. Checked in car battery chart - showing float which means it thinks the batteries are full - finally checked positive terminal on battery which showed 13.2 volts. So everything was fine. It just meant that the batteries couldn't run compressor and fridges at the same time. So hocked up compressor to th auxiliary battery under the bonnet and pumped the $&@@ the up. This necessitated the consumption of 3 beers in order to deal with the stress.

W decided not to buy the pub as it would cost 1.2milion, but are very thankful to Phil the publican who repaired the puncture and we are on our way to Bitdsville.

From comfort to country...

Today is the day the world and luxury as I know it will all change!

Towns have such funny names- learmouth, avoca, st aund,watchem, birchip - home of the Mallee Bull and a fuelstop. A big first day with nearly 12 hours of driving in total! 

 

Back on the road 10am and on the way to Woomelang, lascelles, Turriff - a one house town, speed with two service stations, Tempy another very small town but blessed with a primary school, blink and you'd miss these towns. Then we find ourselves confronted with blackened bush scarred from recent fires, it goes on as far as the eye can see on one side of the car. Then as suddenly as it started it stops to the sight of fresh green grass, the contrast is strange as is shocking. You see tree and shrub derbies but can only think about the animals left homeless and hurt. Oxygen was a lot larger but still barren and open to the harsh Australian sun. I have been reading Naveed and missed a few towns on,y to look up and see Carwarp a place with one silo beside the train line, a common sight on the journey so far! And again this happens when we see Yatpool - we are both thinking about the meanings behind these town names are the indigenous?amazingly we found ourselves going past Red Cliffs where the Big Lizzie is standing in full gigantic glory and we are surrounded by grape growing farms some covered some turning golden and some more covered in plastic, an amazing industry growing, thriving in the extreme heat of 23° today.

Eight hours later we have made it to Mildura. I was expecting a quaint town but was bombarded by outskirts full of big name stores - tim found a BCF and bought sunglasses and a Super Cheap Auto where he could buy an 8mm bit that he forgot to grab this morning at 4am - can't blame him really as there has been so much to think about. Needless to say that the maps were something that he also forgot to get off the printer, my wife rador saw this and grabbed them, however, only to find that my research and his took us in two different directions. Tim said "most of the time I seem stubborn is because most of the time I'm right" needless to say we are going his way through mildura and not Adelaide! My way could have been 14minutes less and better roads - but that will have to be explored on another adventure. Mission is to survive the first one!

Thais to my navigation skills we made it from mildura, though muriman, and are on our way to Renmark the long way round but I am telling tim that! He is a great driver with all of this extra weight on the back - our life for the next few weeks! The red earth is so deep and so very dry as we have sadly passed a few grape growing farms that have had to let their crops wither and die. A day full of contrasts, as we drove past lake  where the lush green grass grew you can only think of living near that idiilloc location surrounded by the vast open nothingness that I can see surrounding me.

Just had my second scientific discussion about dust devils and how they work with the warm air rises and lifts the red dust. The first was the canvour of the road and how that makes the car want to turn. Tim is so practical and is living the dream. We certainly know we are officially in the outback now as we have just noticed that there are no fences on the sides of the road!

From Burra to Marree...

What a beautiful morning and what a beautiful start to the day. After breakfast, camp pack up and refuelling we were off again. We passed beautiful churches, a market, such lovely shops on the way out of Burra. Then we were greeted to this fabulous display of green energy. There was a massive wind turbine on dismay th blade laying out one the ground explaining how it all works. There are just so many wind farms here out on Mt Bryan. The township of Teowie is lovey.

Next town was Hallet. Another tiny town historically significant because it was the birth place of Sir John Hallett who was a pastoralist with his brother Alfred and by 1845 held 160 square miles. I am wondering if this town is part of St  Halletts winery region?

Just gone through Whytee Yarcowie another tiny town two shops and near by a brick shell of a house. This now means we have entered the flinders ranges and we are surrounded by brown grassy hill tops that are just so peaceful to look out upon.

We are making our way through Peterbourough where it is astonishing to see such a large township. Driving past red ruins of houses of gone by eras then we found ourselves at Orroroo where there was even an equine club then as we drove out we saw theBendleby Ranges on the right. They looked pyramid like in height and style compared with th Flinders Ranges on the left being more undulated and rounded. 36km on we drove through Carrieton where there was one pub and just a few houses. 

Hawker was a larger community than expected where we saw Javis Hill lookout - saw is a verb loosely used as we have to keep going past things I want to stop and look at, read about, think about and in general experience. But at this town things changed a lot as we STOPPED. We got out had a quick look and I popped into a coffe, souveneir, art sales shop, took a few photos and we were O.T.R.A. (On the road again). There was no stopping at Parachilina but I was happy about that as it was too tiny to have any shops.

The unexpected stop we did make was to some old ruined houses on the side of the road. So picturesque and amazing views. There were also many ants so we were very careful - by the way they were huge ants. Then we found an emu on the road with eagles and crows all over it. Tim got so close to the eagle before it flew away and it was just amazing to see such a huge bird flying up to great heights with enormous wing span.

We had a great lunch in th ear and made our way to Leigh Creek where we refuelled. It seems to be a mining town. Lyndhurst was only another 33km away and took us past amazing scenery again full of the coloured stripes I'd only seen in picture story books and painted for the Jandamarra display at school. Next was Marree and I expected so much more so glad we got there early enough to keep on going for another 2045km to Mungerannie where another couple who are driving with us, Peter and Leah, had said was actually quite nice.

So here we are turning offf onto the Birsdsville Track where Tim has opened a XXXx Gold that has made its way from Castlemaine to melbourne only to make this momentous journey. The scenery could not be any more different from huge morning as we are not only on dirt tracks but the scenery is flat, tumble weedish and dry. There are mountous areas but they are not rolling rather ragged and flat topped in comparison.