IntroductionThe planning is over and the time has come to set off on our next adventure. The Simpson Desert has been tempting me for years, ever since Mum and Dad first introduced me to Australia's Great Outback. It has taken me this long to not only get the time and experience to go, but to get others to join me. The weather has dried up, as have the roads and my thirst has grown. The truck is packed, water and fuel containers are full, work is over for the next four weeks.....woohoo! James and I are joined on this journey by Dad, in his 100 Series Toyota, Bill and Chris in their 100 Series Toyota, and cousin David as a willing passenger. Let's go!
Day One Saturday 26th
June 2004 – Rowville to Murray Bridge:
My mind suddenly switched on as the nightly dreams faded away. I opened one eye and with blurred vision, saw that it was 4.00am. I attempted to return to a fitful sleep, but I couldn't. I tossed and turned until the alarm went off at 6.00am. A shower shook off the cobwebs and after feeling refreshed, I continued with the final packing. James was roused at 7.00am and we hit the road at 7.30am. A bit more air in the tyres and we were on the freeway heading firstly into Melbourne, then out of it again. The Western Highway was quiet as we had infrequent rain showers. Dad and David we ahead of us, but not by a large margin. Beaufort was the first coffee and milkshake stop, and it was then I realised that I had left my boots at home. We overtook Dad and David at Green Lake just before Horsham, but we didn't meet up until I had bought some new boots, and the boys had bought some nourishment from the Bakery. A top up of LPG and quick lunch in the park on the highway in Horsham and we were off again. The South Australian border came and went as the scenery went from dry and brown to green, then salty and boring. A quick stop in Keith for a stretch and we continued on towards Murray Bridge. The sun was dipping lower in the sky as we reached the Avoca Dell Caravan Park. A quick unpack and we all started to relax. Dad and David walked down to the Murray River to capture some magic moments as the sun set, whilst James watches over my shoulder as I type this. Dinner was at the Bridgeport Hotel, and I must say the meals were extremely disappointing, as was the service. We were back in time to see the last half of the Sydney Swans vs Collingwood AFL game, and thankfully the Swans prevailed, hopefully ending Collingwood's chances of reaching this years finals campaign. Well, until tomorrow....... Day Two Sunday 27th
June 2004 – Murray Bridge to Port Augusta:
Everyone was awake early, with the half hour time difference not making things any nicer, as it was only 6:30am! We took our time packing up and after breakfast had been devoured, we hit the road at 8:30am. The South Eastern Freeway was light on for traffic as it was Sunday, and so we were soon entering the environs of Adelaide city. On the lookout for a supermarket, we noted that nothing seems to open until 11:00am on a Sunday...lucky buggers. Dad filled up with diesel and some refreshments were purchased as we continued on. The road is now double lanes all the way to Port Wakefield, a change since the last time I traveled this way. Port Wakefield is the service station capital of the world! There would have been 5 or 6 located in a 2 km distance - extraordinary. We were driving into a headwind, so my fuel economy was very inefficient, at 26litres to the 100km. The highway bypassed Snowtown, the town where the grisly remains of many victims were discovered in the old bank vault, and Crystal Brook before we left the highway at Port Pirie to refill the LPG and our stomachs. Back onto the highway, we reached Port Augusta at 2:00pm. Bill and Chris arrived as we were checking in and after settling in, we discussed food requirements before heading to Woolworths to stock up. Dinner was cooked on the bbq and a couple of beers and red wines were consumed before we all hit the sack early, excited about reaching the Outback and Coober Pedy tomorrow. Day Three Monday
28th June 2004 – Port Augusta to Coober Pedy:
It was another early morning rise, and the trucks were packed up very quickly. Dad had already topped up his fuel reserves, so I nicked into town to top up both the LPG and Unleaded, whilst Bill and Chris bought some firewood. We congregated on the outskirts of Port Augusta before heading north along the Stuart Highway. Again we were driving into a head wind, and the traffic was a bit heaver, with loads of caravans to overtake. As we were only cruising along, we were passed by many a 4wd. We stopped at Woomera and looked at the displays showing the equipment used during the missile testing days and a coffee before returning to the Stuart Highway. We again had to overtake those vans that had continued on without stopping at Woomera, as we drove onto Glendambo. A counter meal at the pub was the order of the day, and whilst James and I shared a chicken schnitzel and chips and Chris had potato and leek soup, the others all had the sausages and onions in gravy. The meals were very nice and just as we were leaving, the manager was lighting the fire in the massive fireplace.....this would be a nice place to stay by the look of it. With 252kms left to go to reach Coober Pedy, and the sun well past the yard arm, we continued on our way. The landscape is rather sparse with greenery the further north you travel, and I am sure that had they not received rain recently, it would have been a lots drier, with a lunar look. We arrived in Coober Pedy just before 5:00pm and headed straight to the Caravan Park. I was concerned as my voltmeter was showing the charge to be low, and the battery meter wasn't showing that the batteries were being charged. However, I drained the second battery for a while and then started the truck to see that things were working fine. Obviously both batteries were at full charge, and so the isolator had kicked in...you learn something new everyday. We dined at the Old Miners Cafe, and the meals were magnificent, as was the wine. The stroll back to the Caravan Park was nice, and the temperature wasn't as cold as we had experienced so far. It was an early night and I was stuffed after three days of driving long distances. Thankfully we are here for two days, so that I can wind down a bit. Day Four Tuesday
29th June 2004 – Coober Pedy:
It was a beautiful morning, with not a cloud in the sky and only a slight breeze. We all went for a walk up the street to have a look at some shops. Only James and I have been to Coober Pedy before, so it is a learning experience for the others. Coober Pedy is a strange town, with its pock marked landscape, and underground homes and businesses. It takes a lot of getting used to, especially when suffering from claustrophobia as Dad and Bill do. Bill was having communication problems with his UHF radio so we drove down to the auto electrician, who sent us to OME, where no one could assist us as they were all at lunch. We returned to the Caravan Park and had some lunch ourselves before deciding to look at the problem ourselves. It turned out that the aerial had not been soldered at the point where it screws into the unit, so we welded it ourselves, solving the problem. The rest of the afternoon was spent winding down before filling up the vehicles fuel contents and stocking up on some supplies. At 3.30pm we hopped on a minibus, and went on a tour that took in the Breakaways, the Moon Plains and the Dog Fence, before watching the sun set over the Breakaways, dining on scones, jam and cream and tea. The Breakaways are what remains of the ancient inland beach. Where we stood was where the sea used to crash into the shoreline. The area has also been seen in many films, including Mad Max 3 and Pricilla, Queen of the Desert. The colors were spectacular, as were the formations. The Moon Plains were entirely treeless, but due to the recent rains were covered in small green plants with little yellow flowers, quite magnificent. On returning to the Caravan Park, dinner was cooked and consumed before another early night. The previous days driving had caught up with me and I was exhausted. I was also looking forward to getting off the bitumen and getting to Oodnadatta. Day Five Wednesday
30th June 2004 – Coober Pedy to Oodnadatta via Painted Desert:
The sun had barely breached the horizon, and we were up and ready to go. A last stop at the supermarket, and we hit the gravel road on our way to Oodnadatta. Having been recently graded, it was an easy run to the turn off to the Painted Desert at the Mount Barry Homestead. We were truly lucky as the usually dry land was lush with color and water. We went through a few large puddles on the Painted Desert Road, so the truck was now covered in red mud. Similar to the Breakaways, the Painted Desert was awesome, with its mix of colors - reds, purples, whites, greys, ochres. It was a paradise for artists and photographers alike. We had lunch on the side of the road, before reaching Oodnadatta just after 2:00pm. We settled into our cabins before walking up to the pub for a cold beverage or two. We walked back to the Caravan Park to continue with some more drinks, before returning to the pub for dinner. The meals were large and very nice and after chatting to a group who had just come from Purnie Bore in the Simpson, and a few of the locals, we headed back to camp and hit the hay. Day Six Thursday
1st July 2004 – Oodnadatta to Mount Dare Homestead:
It was another early rise as we were meeting John Wright, another Exploroz member, who was going to shows us through the hospital. John is the only Registered Nurse in Oodnadatta and is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, servicing the locals in town. The tour was finished by 9:30am and we returned to the Pink Roadhouse for some breakfast of bacon and egg rolls....beautiful, and topped up the fuel. Very soon we left the blacktop in the main street, and were again stirring up the dust as we headed towards Mount Dare. The road was a mixture of sand, stones, dunes and gibbers as we headed north, getting closer and closer to the Simpson Desert. At Hamilton, we kept to the left and continued along the "graded road" towards the ruins of Eringa. Eringa was next to a waterhole, full with the rains and teeming with birdlife. It was here the Sydney Kidman built his home as he built up his massive cattle dynasty. Now the kitchen is the only building still standing, with scatterings of fridges, wiring and other relics littering the ground. Lunch was taken here, before we continued on, reaching Mount Dare in good time. Dave, the manager of Mount Dare Homestead was on his own, tendering the bar, accepting camping fees and fuelling up vehicles as we swept the dust from our throats with cold beer. When Dave was quiet enough, he showed us our rooms in the old homestead. Not needing to unpack anything but fresh clothes and food for dinner, the beer was soon flowing with ease. Dinner was prime rib eye an inch and a half thick cooked on the bbq, accompanied with potatoes, bacon, vegetables, rice and a couple of bottles of red. It was nice to slip into bed with nice clean sheets and blankets, knowing that the shower in the morning would be the last one for a few days. Day Seven Friday
2nd July 2004 – Mount Dare Homestead to Dalhousie Springs:
It was a cold morning, but the shower warmed and woke me up. Dave showed me through the workings of the satellite phone, and after topping up the fuel tanks, we hit the road to Dalhousie Springs. It was only a short drive with good road conditions, and before reaching the Springs, we diverted off the track to go and see the Dalhousie ruins. Only a couple of buildings still remain, and the old stock yards, but the was a plethora of date palms around the mound springs, with no real idea as to who planted them. They are now clogging up the springs, so the rangers regularly burn them to reduce their growth. Dalhousie Springs itself was well populated when we arrived, so we were lucky so find a couple of sites right next to each other. After the tents and swags had been erected for the first time, and the chairs and tables set up, everything else was removed from all the trucks and repacked, ready for the bumps ahead. After lunch, we all went for a swim in the 37 degree waters of Dalhousie Springs. It was too hot for me, so I was the first out, but it wasn't long before the others had had enough and we went back to camp. The afternoon passed quickly, and it wasn't long before it was time for dinner. Some rump steak, vegies and rice were the order of the day, and after I a few beers the red wine appeared. Just as the sun was going down, and the little fire we had lit put out some warmth, a couple of dingoes wandered into camp looking for food. They were not shy, and came within a couple of metres of us, before they decided that we had been too quick in cleaning up and there was nothing for them to scavenge. The full moon came up and soon it was bed time, after a very relaxing day. Day Eight Saturday
3rd July 2004 – Simpson Desert: Dalhousie Springs to French Line:
It was another cold morning as I lay in the swag and watched the sunrise, a very beautiful sight. We were all ready to go by 8:00am, so into the desert we headed. It was a roughish track out to the Spring Creek Delta, but after that the dunes kicked in. Soon we reached Purnie Bore, that had a shower and the water was 87 degrees, too hot for me. Some photos were taken of the bore, but there wasn't much water in it, and it wasn't the time of day for the birds. There were a couple of camel carcasses by the side of the water, not sure if that is a reflection of the water quality, age or camel influence. The dunes continued on as we reached the Wonga Junction, where we turned left onto the Rig Road. We reached the Mokari Airstrip in time for lunch, and the wind was howling so it meant dry food for lunch instead of cup'a'soup. The conditions of the Rig Road were fairly good, with no major blowouts on top of the dunes before we reach the WAA Line intersection, 50kms past the airstrip. The Rig Road continued to the right, but we continued straight on for a couple of kilometres before turning left up the Colson Track. This track headed in a northerly direction and was in great condition as we scooted along towards the French Line. Within 20kms we reached the French, and deflated our tyres a bit more as we turned east. Over a couple more dunes, we located a great camp site out of the wind, so we turned in there and set up camp. Tortellini with bolognaise sauce was on the menu, and was topped off with an egg cooked by David. The fire had a bit more oomph in it as we had collected wood along our way, as well as there being plenty around the camp site. The moon rose majestically over the horizon in its full potential, a site you rarely see. The coals developed nicely as the marshmallows were produced, and James cooked them well for us. The poetry flowed and the laughter grew as we all had a joke and told tales as the flames began to dwindle and the air turned cold. The swag was nice and warm as usual, and James slept in the tent. Day Nine Sunday 4th
July 2004 – Simpson Desert: French Line to Knolls:
It was another chilly morning and the beanies were in abundance as breakfast was consumed and the trucks packed. I had emptied my forty litres from the jerry cans the previous afternoon, so at least the load on the roof rack was reduced by 40kgs. We set off along the French Line for 53kms of slow driving up and over the dunes. Dad, David, Chris and Bill soon got into the hang of sand driving and coped really well. The track wasn't really difficult or rough, nor the dunes terribly high, but it was slow going before we reached the junction with the Erabena Track. We had an early lunch, as the wind blew again, but at least this time I was able to boil the billy for cup'a'soup and coffee's. We added some more air to our tyres before heading south along the Erabena Track for 43kms to the junction with the Rig Road. The Erabena was heavily cut up by tyres after the rains had come through and there were a few washouts along the way. At the Rig Road junction, we turned right again and drove another 9kms to the Lone Gum tree over heavy corrugations. The koala was still up in the gum tree and photos were taken before a decision was reached to continue on instead of camping at the Lone Gum for the night. We retraced our steps along the Rig Road and Erabena Track before reaching the WAA Line 12kms from the junction. Tyres were again reduced as we travelled along a narrow track over many bumps, humps and dunes. It was a challenging drive, one that I really enjoyed, except for the firewood bouncing around the back. I eventually threw it all out as James was constantly being hit with it. It was only 31kms to reach the Knolls Track, but it took us over two hours stuck in second gear as the speed was kept to a minimum. We reached the junction with the Knolls Track at 2:30pm and turned left to head north again towards the French Line. We reached the Approdinna Attora Knolls at around 4:00pm and found a campsite outside of the restricted area shortly afterwards. As we were in the swing of things, it did not take long to set up camp, and soon the camp fire was roaring to get the coals ready for tonight's stew. I prepared some potatoes for the coals, as well as a beef goulash in the camp oven. An hour later everything was ready as we dined on potatoes topped with bacon, cheese, sour cream, beetroot and coleslaw, before devouring the goulash. The satellite phone was used to catch up with folks back home. A few beers and a couple of bottles of red later, the voices were straining as John Denver's voice was heard erupting from the car stereo. As John's voice ended, so did the night and everyone headed for bed, ready for another day of driving the French Line. Day Ten Monday 5th July
2004 – Simpson Desert: Knolls to QAA Line:
As per usual it was a bit chilly upon wakening, but after breakfast had been consumed, we headed back to the Knolls for a look and some photographs before heading back to the French Line. With only 40kms until we reached Poeppel's Corner it only took us a couple of hours. The track was, again, up and down, side to side, much like a washing machine, but fun all the same. Once we reached the salt pan that once was the border between Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia, we located the correct path across and ended up at the correct Poeppel's Corner. According to the annuls of history, Poeppel's measuring chain had stretched, causing the post to be placed more than 300 metres too far west in 1880. The post was later moved by Lawrence Wells to the edge of the lake, but was again moved after a gravitational survey dictated the correct position, represented by a cold concrete post. Lunch was had, even though it was very windy, but the stove worked wonders and the billy was soon boiling. After lunch we continued on along the shoreline of Lake Poeppel. The track was easy and a fast pace was possible. We followed the shoreline until we reached the QAA Line. Turning right onto the track, we headed directly east towards Big Red and Birdsville. The QAA Line was still slow going at this end of the track, with corrugations and scallops, but the dunes were starting to get further apart, higher and the run ups were longer. We also came across more vehicles heading in a westerly direction, than we had previously seen. The wildflowers were still in abundance, especially on the eastern side of the dunes, and the other plants and bushes were more prolific. At 3:30pm, we located a suitable camp site, and I tested the Helton Heat Exchanger and the shower for the first time. It worked really well, except the shower rose was a bit blocked, so the stream wasn't crash hot - the water was though. It was really nice to be able to wash the dust off, especially seeing as so much was getting into the truck from the rear door. Before the trip I had removed the carpet and replaced it with a piece of checker plate so that I could cook on it whilst traveling. The problem was that the seal was no longer as the checker plate was too thin, so dust was streaming in. Dinner consisted of rump steak, chicken rissoles, veal steak and vegetables, followed by pancakes with golden syrup - beautiful. As the sun set and the dishes were washed, we settled down by the fire and reflected on our journey so far. With this being our last night in the desert, and me out of cigarettes, and only 114kms to Birdsville, we all went to bed early ready for the final run. Day Eleven Tuesday
6th July 2004 – Simpson Desert: QAA Line to Birdsville:
The sun was just coming over the dunes when I awoke. It was the coldest morning so far, with the temperature gauge showing 1.7 degrees. The was a cold breeze also so it didn't take long for everyone to pack up and be ready to go. It was initially difficult on the QAA Line, as the sun made it difficult to see the corrugations and scallops on the run up to the dunes. We powered along though and steadily drew further away from the other two vehicles in our quest to reach Birdsville as soon as possible without stuffing around. We came across a convoy of sixteen vehicles heading west, but they were waiting for our three vehicles to come through before proceeding. It was difficult to reach the others on the radio, as when I was on top of a dune, they were in the valleys, so eventually we stopped trying to contact them and pushed on. It wasn't long before we exited the Simpson Desert National Park and reached Eyre Creek. It was obvious that a fair bit of water had flowed through the creek recently, and the washaway's slowed the pace. The dunes were getting rather large now as we were closing in on Big Red. We could tell when we were getting close, as the radio traffic on UHF 10 increased dramatically. Finally it came into view, and we were called to give it a try. Having conquered Big Red two years ago, I was confident that I could do it again. After three attempts, and dropping my tyres as low as suited with the load, I gave up. I couldn't get enough momentum to get up the final left turn to reach the pinnacle. The others were getting close, as I could hear them on the radio. I let them know that I hadn't made it and was going to cross at Little Red. Dad also gave Big Red a couple of runs, but he too failed at the same place I did. I was putting more air in my tyres to cope with the final 40kms of gravel road into Birdsville, the others came over Little Red. Bill and Chris didn't attempt Big Red, but I was confident that they would have made it as their automatic Cruiser had coped with all the other dunes easier than Dad and my manual Cruisers. As they added air to their tyres, we set off for the Birdsville Pub. Within half an hour we were sucking on a cigarette, drinking nice cold beers before downing a pie and some chips with gravy. Dad, David, Bill and Chris soon joined us and quenched their thirsts and filled their bellies before we handed in the satellite phone at the police station. The Caravan Park was the next stop, and we finally met Ruth and Ian face to face. With rooms put aside for us, we could see that the benefits of the Exploroz forum had come to the fore. Ruth and Ian were fantastic, and it was a joy to put another face to a name. We settled into our rooms, and washed three loads of dirty and dusty clothes before heading back to the pub for dinner. The night was topped of with coffee's and hot chocolates at the Cafe before strolling back to our rooms and straight to bed. Day Twelve
Wednesday 7th July 2004 – Birdsville:
David, Bill and Chris were heading back to Corowa this morning, so were farewelled them before tucking into a hearty breakfast cooked by Ruth. They were the best bacon and eggs around, and with James enjoying his spaghetti on toast we were all very content. With nothing planned for the day, I settled down to catch up on the trip notes whilst Dad and James did some drawings. Due to the big breakfast, no one felt like lunch, so I continued on with the notes for a while longer. After having done enough, I decided to see if I could find the leak in one of my hoses that was causing a minimal amount of cooling fluid to escape. I eventually found a small nick in one of the heater hoses leading to the gas converter, so a quick trip to the service station to buy some hose soon solved the problem. I re-topped up the fluid levels and everything worked fine. We took a quick drive out to the Diamantina River and the Race Track, before James took Dad to the Birdsville Working Museum. I went to the pub before James joined us after the tour. We headed back to the rooms in time to prepare dinner, and Ruth joined us for a couple of glasses of red as the steaks, potatoes and vegetables were cooked on the massive barbeque reserved for those staying in the rooms. We had it all to ourselves, and the red wine did its job. Ruth left us to go and watch the decider of the State of Origin Rugby League game between QLD and NSW. I decided that I could no longer stay awake, and headed to bed without finishing my dinner. I was expecting quite a hangover in the morning. Day Thirteen
Thursday 8th July 2004 – Birdsville to Mungerannie:
Due to close to ten hours sleep, and a lot of water consumed during the night, the hangover didn't eventuate. We slowly packed up and headed across for another of Ruth's wonderful breakfasts. I also met up with Vince, another Exploroz member who was travelling around for a while. After breakfast was finished, we bade Ruth and Ian farewell and headed off down the Birdsville Track, with Mungerannie as our goal. The Birdsville Track was a lot different than the last time we had traversed it, with it being more like a dirt highway than a track. In fact I have driven rougher bitumen roads than the track. This meant we reached Mungerannie in good time, and settled into the bar as Dad went to do some sketching at the waterhole. James had a shower before we returned for another wonderful dinner at the Mungerannie Hotel. Again we decided to get a couple of rooms, as the sky was full of dark clouds, and I anticipated rain. We left the bar about 10:00pm and headed to bed, knowing we had a 400km dirt road drive tomorrow to Arkaroola. Day Fourteen Friday
9th July 2004 – Mungerannie to Arkaroola:
The rain came as predicted overnight, but it was only enough to settle the dust. We had a quick breakfast of tea and toast before continuing along the "highway" towards Maree. After stopping to have a look at the Ooroowilanie and Mulka ruins, we continued on past the Natterannie Sandhills and the Cooper Creek before stopping at Clayton Homestead for a toilet break. The Dog Fence and Lake Harry ruins came and went before we reached Maree, and the end of the Birdsville Track, in time for lunch. The ham and salad rolls were rather distasteful, so we continued on through Lyndhurst, and onto Copley. Here we pigged out on vanilla slices and lamingtons at the famous Quandong Bakery. We travelled the extra 5kms into Leigh Creek to top up the fuel and supplies before returning to the Arkaroola Road from Copley. This road was also in great condition due to the recent rains and grading, and so we twisted our way through the Gammon Ranges to the Arkaroola Village, within the Arkaroola Wilderness Area. We checked into our cabins before bumping into Stephen Spiesser, my old IT boss from Fosters Days. He joined us for a beer and some red wine before we all went up to the restaurant for dinner. Another bottle of red and some port after dinner was enough for the yawns to begin and it was time to say goodbye to Stephen and head to bed. Day Fifteen
Saturday 10th July 2004 – Arkaroola:
It was 8:00am when James woke me up hungry for some breakfast. After having a shower, I put some weather seal on the rear door in an attempt to stop all the dust being sucked into the vehicle. I also wiped up as much dust as I could from in the vehicle with a wet cloth, but there is still a lot in there. It will take me months to get it all out when I get home. Dad took James up to look at some rocks while I caught up on some more of the trip notes. After lunch, we headed out for a short drive out to the Nooldoonooldoona waterhole. On the way we headed up a short steep 4wd only track to a lookout that gave 360 degree views of the surrounding harsh mountain range. A little further on and we reached the Pinnacles, two cone shaped rock formations that stood out in the rugged terrain. Next stop was the Bollabollana Springs, but there was no water to be seen anywhere. Arkaroola is an extremely dry region, and the dry waterholes were proving this. You could see evidence that when it did rain, and flash floods swept through the creek beds, they did so with amazing power, as they eroded the hard cliff faces, and ripped mature trees from the creek bed. The Bollabollana Copper Smelter still showed remnants of past mining glory. This copper smelter was established in 1870, and contained many buildings and homes, but now only the copper sluice and the smelter remain. Harsh environment for hard, hot work. Moving on, we finally reached the Nooldoonooldoona waterhole, where a short walk led us to two waterholes, although they were only small. There was a lot of evidence of wallabies in the area, but we could not spot any. James enjoyed climbing over all the rocks, and climbed up into a cave for a photo. James, Dad and I went up to the bar and watched the end of the AFL game between Essendon and Richmond over a couple of beers. When the game was over, we went back and cooked spaghetti bolognaise for dinner. It was another early night as the body clock was certainly dictating waking and sleeping times. Day Sixteen Sunday
11th July 2004 – Arkaroola:
This morning we headed out to conquer the Echo Camp Backtrack. We passed by Mt. Oliphant at 624 metres, before reaching the Echo Camp Waterhole. Again, there wasn't much water, but two ducks were enjoying the sheltered space. Low Range was soon engaged as we reached the backtrack. There were some steep climbs and descents, in rocky and dusty conditions, but it wasn't a challenge for either Dad or myself. The track was only 11km long, but it did contain one magnificent lookout at the top of the range, looking over towards Lake Frome. Next stop was the Paralana Hot Springs. The springs emit naturally radioactive gases, as the water and gases rise from the depths of the earth at a temperature of 97 degrees. In the early 1900's, a health spa was created here, but it didn't last long due to its remoteness. The is also no recorded history on what happened to those who worked and bathed in the springs, as the gases are cancer causing, and staying in the area for long periods of time nor drinking or bathing is recommended due to this fact. Camping is also not permitted due to the health risks. The pools themselves were very small, with only two being visible. The water wasn't steaming, and there were only a few small bubbles every now and then, but the smell was obvious. On returning from our drive, we relaxed in the sun and repacked the trucks before dinner. I cooked up Chicken Alfredo for James, while Dad and I had Rump Steak, vegies and fried eggs. It was a cold night and everyone was in the sack early. Day Seventeen
Monday 12th July 2004 – Arkaroola to Rawnsley Park Station:
It was up and off again today to the next destination of Rawnsley Park Station at the base of Wilpena Pound. We headed south from Arkaroola, before turning off to Blinman. Unfortunately 20kms out of Blinman, I noticed that the truck wasn't handling so well, and discovered the rear passenger tyre had a puncture. Out came the exhaust jack, hydraulic jack and tyre plugs. We couldn't get enough lift from the exhaust jack due to the lack of clearance, but Dad's hydraulic jack gave us the lift we needed. I cleaned the hole and plugged it, but it was still leaking a bit of air, so I inflated the tyre to over 30 psi and continued onto Blinman. There was no mechanic in Blinman, but we had lunch at the pub, before driving another 15kms to Angorichina Village where a tyre repairer was on site. The tyre was soon fixed correctly, and I was told I had done a good job with the plug, it was due to the hole having a split that it was still leaking air. For $25, it was a cheap fix. On the road again, we soon reached Wilpena and took some shots of the Caveneaux Tree. This tree is estimated to be over 450 years old, and has survived fire, flood and drought, yet this ancient red gum still stands, with Wilpena Pound in the background. A quick drive through the Wilpena Resort, before continuing onto Rawnsley Park. The scenery is certainly different to that around Arkaroola, with big red gums and pine trees dominating the views. Rawnsley Park Homestead, is itself a working property with tourism the main focus. The caravan park is nice and green with plentiful shade and nice clean facilities. After settling in, we headed down to the Woolshed for happy hour before a scrumptious dinner. The temperature gauge has dropped dramatically, and it looks as though warm clothes will be the go from now on. The electric blanket was on, as was the television before sleep took over in a nice warm bed. Day Eighteen
Tuesday 13th July 2004 – Rawnsley Park Station:
A bit of a sleep in was had...8:11am James woke me up. It was a chilly morning and I enjoyed the hot shower to wake me up. The agenda for today was clothes washing, trip notes catch up, and a trip down to Hawker for supplies and fuel. The washing was started and I caught up on the past few days trip notes. Once all the washing had been hung up, we headed into Hawker. Mobile phone coverage was available, and after the phone stopped beeping from SMS messages, I was able to catch up on some calls. Fuel was the first stop, before a visit to one of the galleries and then the general store for lunch and supplies. We then drove to the Old Ghan railway station, but it was closed, so we went to the pub for a couple of quiet ones. On the way back to Rawnsley Park, we stopped in at the Arkaba Woolshed. It wasn't actually open as we discovered, but we did watch while the farmers docked the tails and castrated a few sheep. It was messy, but James seemed to enjoy it. Back at the caravan park, the washing was brought in as Dad set up the fire ready for tonight's feast. Day Nineteen
Wednesday 14th July 2004 – Rawnsley Park Station:
It was an extremely chilly morning, but Dad had already stoked the fire so it was nice and warm by the time I had had a shower and returned for morning juice and cigarette. The rest of the morning was spent lazing about. I started organising my photos, and after setting up three pages, I was over it. We decided to go for a drive. and so headed up to Wilpena for another look around, before heading off with Parachilna the destination. We took the scenic route out via Bunyeroo Valley, Bunyeroo Gorge and Brachina Gorge before hitting the bitumen again south of Parachilna. The drive was fantastic and we saw many emus and a couple of kangaroos on the way. The views were spectacular and we all enjoyed the drive. At Parachilna, we ate at the Prairie Hotel, famous for its "road kill" menu. You can dine on anything from goat, rabbit, emu, camel and kangaroo, as well as ordinary fare. Their specialty is the FMG which stands for feral mixed grill. As we were having a spit roast for dinner, we all ate lightly, and only dad had some road kill with a kangaroo burger. We returned via Hawker, again finding the Old Ghan Cafe closed. Very disappointed we returned to Rawnsley Park, as the temperature quickly dropped as the sun disappeared behind Wilpena. It was buffet night at the Woolshed tonight, so Dad, James and I went down in time for happy hour, before stuffing ourselves on fish, calamari, soup, damper, roast lamb, kangaroo fillets, roast potatoes and deserts. It was very cold when we exited the warm Woolshed, so we were glad to sit by the next door neighbors fire for a few minutes before hitting the sack. Day Twenty Thursday
15th July 2004 – Wilpena Pound to Peterborough:
It was the coldest morning so far, with ice on the windscreen, bonnet and roof rack. A hot shower was welcome before the truck was packed up and we hit the road. We refueled at Hawker, where the owner let me know he too was an Exploroz member, but the card gave no discount on fuel. We headed down the road towards Quorn, before turning left onto a road not on the Hema digital maps, but on their paper map. It was a beautiful new road that took us to Cradock and Carrieton, before we reached Orroroo in time for brunch tea. Whilst enjoying our food, we met a couple who were on their way back to Sydney after just completing a trip similar to the one we did last year. It turned out that they too were Exploroz members, so it was good to meet some new members due to the spare wheel cover. It was disappointing that the one member I wanted to catch up with in Peterborough, Willem, would not be home..maybe next time. After leaving Orroro, we headed to Black Rock and turned off to find Magnetic Hill. It was easier to locate than the one near Mount Macedon, but the theory is the same.....pull up, switch off the ignition, place the vehicle in neutral and watch as the vehicle rolls "up" the hill.....mmmmm. We reached Peterborough in good time and checked into the caravan park. Clothes washing was completed before James and I played mini golf while Dad kept score. James did very well, but not good enough and after two games, I went and fed the deer some bread while James played another round. He had enough after round three and headed back to the cabin to watch television. Dinner was a barbeque and another early night as I was feeling tired. Day Twenty One Friday
16th July 2004 – Peterborough to Mildura:
It was a very cold morning, as cold in the fridge as in the air. Dad's vehicle was covered in ice, but mine was under shade cloth, so was only wet. After packing the vehicles, we were ready to go, but my truck wasn't. I couldn't get her started on LPG or petrol, and so after a phone call for some advice from Mrs Diamond, I was still stuck. I rang RACV Total Care and was passed onto the RAA in SA where I was given an estimated waiting time of one hour. In the meantime, Dad towed me into the sun in an attempt to warm up the gas converter. The hour came and went, and it was getting close to 11:00am. I gave it one more try, and bingo, the truck started. I filled up on LPG and then we headed off into a very strong headwind on our way to Mildura. The rain met us at Morgan as we stopped at the bakery for lunch, and followed us as we stopped at the Overland Corner Hotel for a quick ale. It was raining heavily when we finally reached Mildura just before 5:00pm and quickly unpacked the trucks. As we had bypassed Port Augusta this time, we decided that Mildura was our point for indulgence as we raided McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Hungry Jacks. I think everyone else had the same idea as all three food outlets were very busy. Back in the van, we watched the Bombers get beaten by the Eagles, with Dustin Fletcher losing a couple of teeth in the loss. Everyone else was asleep before the game was over, and with Dad heading home in the morning, he was the first in the sack. I watched the whole game before going to be myself. It was quite warm as James insisted on the heater being on all night, but it would help in the morning. Day Twenty Two
Saturday 17th July 2004 – Mildura to Berri:
The wind was still cold and blowing fairly strongly as I found out when I went to get some milk. We were a bit slow to get going as we didn't have far to go. We topped up the fuel and supplies, except for fruit and veg as there is a checkpoint just over the SA border. The truck started with only a lit bit of a fuss, but didn't travel as nicely along the highway as I would have liked. The revs were running very high with the RP7 having no effect, and it was running rough when the momentum and revs were low - possible valve/s stuffed. Instead of going through Renmark, we turned off to Lyrup, and crossed the Murray on the ferry and were soon in Berri. Alan and Elaine (Exploroz members) were kind enough to put us up, and put up with us for the next couple of days before we head back up to Clare. It was nice to be in a real house for a change, with beautiful warmth and comfort. After catching up on all the gossip, we went for a drive around Renmark, then to the Overland Hotel for a couple of cold ales in front of the roaring open fire. With bodies warmed, we returned to Berri and relaxed before going to the pub for dinner. After dinner the girls went and wasted some money on the pokies, while Al and I watched James on the Nintendo games before we headed back to the ranch. After chatting for a while, I realised that it was after 10:00pm and well past my bedtime. Day Twenty Three
Sunday 18th July 2004 – Berri:
It was 8:00am when I awoke, and jumped into the shower. Al and Elaine were already up and tiptoeing around. James was next up. Al cooked his legendary bacon and egg breakfast on the barbeque before he and Elaine went off to their 4wd club meeting. I was feeling like crap as a cold virus hit me full on, so after a visit to Woolworths to buy some vegies we went out to Banrock Station for some wine tasting. I couldn't taste anything, so after purchasing a case of the Sparkling Shiraz and a couple of bottles of the Egret Cab Sauv, we headed to Barmera in search of some food. After finding a nice take away place, we took our food down to Lake Bonney to eat it. A couple of pelicans came up close, and James decider to try and get closer, before one of the pelicans took offence, opened his mouth, and chased James away. The look on James' face was priceless as his eyes opened wide, jaw dropped and little legs moved as fast as lightening. Back in Berri, I topped up the LPG before heading back to Al and Elaine's house. They were still not home, but had given us a key, so we sat and watched some football until they came home. James, Al, Elaine and I went for a walk to look for golf balls - James and Elaine found one each. Elaine prepared a magnificent leg of lamb, that was topped off with ice cream covered in Judith Kempen's famous prickly pear sauce - beautiful. After watching a movie on television, we all hit the hay. Day Twenty Four
Monday 19th July 2004 – Berri to Clare:
The day started off really well, with a beautiful morning, albeit a bit chilly. We farewelled our wonderful hosts, Al and Elaine and set off for Clare where we were going to catch up with Lyn, Al, Tegan and Callum, as well as meet other fellow Exploroz member Roachie. I had trouble starting the truck again, but once we got going, everything was going as well as expected, until we neared Eudunda. The car backfired three times, and lost power worse than before. Once in Eudunda, a toilet break was required and the truck had plans of its own....it decided to stop dead and not restart. Again the RAA were called and we had an estimated hour and a half wait, so we had an early lunch while we waited. When the RAA bloke arrived and had a quick inspection, I switched from LPG to petrol, and with a bit of help the engine roared to life. After warming up, I stopped at the petrol station to top up with petrol, and again had troubles starting the truck. After choking it a lot, she again roared to life, and with the RAA bloke following us for a while, we completed the remaining 70kms into Clare. In Clare, the first stop was at the Toyota dealer to book in for a check up. I couldn't get in until 8:30am tomorrow, so we headed back through town to the caravan park and met up with the Grierson's. After a quick meeting it was decided that we would stay an extra day in Clare and visit some wineries while my truck was being looked at. After unpacking, we all went and visited three wineries for tastings and purchases. First one of the rank was the Seven Hill winery where monks produce some lovely drops. A couple of purchases were made before we moved onto Annie's Lane winery. Again the quality was quite good and some select bottles were bought before we moved onto Neagles Rock winery. Here we were met by Bob the female Labrador, before being greeted by the owner of the vineyard. A couple more bottles and a couple of fantastic cheese boards were bought before we returned to camp. Tonight we were meeting Roachie at the pub, so after showers and getting a cab organised we had a couple of beers before getting picked up. The meals was very nice, with large serves and we swapped stories with the Exploroz members until it was time to head home. The same taxi driver picked us up, but this time he had an eight seater van so that he didn't need to do two trips. Back at camp we opened a couple of bottles of our recent purchases, and enjoyed them as the night grew long. With the kids in bed we were able to relax and listen to each others stories relating to the things we had seen and done on our separate journeys, and once the wine was finished, bed was the next obvious step. Day Twenty Five
Tuesday 20th July 2004 – Clare:
It was a chilly morning, with ice coating both vehicles and I couldn't start the truck in my attempts to get it to Toyota. The tow rope was again used as Al towed me into town where I was finally able to roll start the truck and keep it running. After ditching the tow rope, we arrived at Toyota where my worst fears were echoed when told it could be the valves causing the problems. Al drove us back to camp, not knowing whether I could be up for lots of dollars and an even longer stay in Clare than anticipated or not. Lyn had a brilliant brainwave and organised the hire of the van from last night so that we could all travel together around the wineries. Just as the van was dropped off, I received the call from Toyota. The findings were the points were stuffed and had been replaced, and the diaphragm in the gas converter was stuffed, expensive to repair. After dropping the taxi driver back at his office, we picked up my truck and took it back to the caravan park before heading off down the wine trail. Jim Barry winery was first stop before following the road known locally as "the roller coaster" that the kids loved. With a bit of difficulty, due to having more than one navigator, we found the Skillogalee winery, renowned locally for its great lunches. We dined under the balcony of the old homestead, surrounded by vines and the largest olive trees I have ever seen. Next stop was the Mitchell winery, the only winery where no purchase was made. We then stumbled upon the Stephen John winery and were wrapped to find a sparkling red available. Six bottles of the fine wine were purchased before we headed back into Clare to find the "Chainsaw" at the Tim Knappstein tasting room. The Chainsaw was another sparkling red that was named as the original vines were grafted with chardonnay vines that, when chardonnay's popularity dwindled, were cut from the graft with a chainsaw, thus allowing the original shiraz grapes to grow. A few bottles were bought before we walked the streets looking for "real" ice creams then bought a birthday cake for James' birthday on Wednesday. No "real" ice creams were found, so pre-made ones had to suffice. We returned the hire car, and were driven back to the caravan park. A couple of cold ones and a bbq dinner was prepared and consumed. Another bottle of red was cracked and we talked crap, showed photos and proceeded to get a little bit intoxicated. The night did have to come to a close though, as we had a nice long drive to Robe in the morning. Day Twenty Six
Wednesday 21st July 2004 – Clare to Robe:
The head was a bit foggy as I arose and took a shower. James awoke a 7 year old today, and opened a couple of presents before we got going. The agreed departure time was 9:00am, so a bit of a sleep in had been allowed. The clock hadn't even come close to reaching 9:00am and we had left the caravan park and were filling the tanks before heading to Robe. Everything was going nicely until we reached Gawler. We were supposed to turn off towards Mount Pleasant, but do you think there were any signs to assist non locals! Very disappointing really, lift your game SA Roads. Anyway, we ended up going down a street that turned into a dead end before somehow getting onto the Torrens Valley Scenic Drive. Eventually we worked out where the hell we were, and after wasting an hour of driving, reached Murray Bridge and stopped for lunch and a stretch. I refueled in Tailem Bend before we turned onto the Princes Highway and continued on our way. Meningie came and went, as did Policeman's Point before we had a pit stop at Salt Creek. A quick walk along the Chinamen's Well route, and a toilet stop in Kingston SE and we only had 45kms to go. We could see the storm clouds dropping rain on the horizon and the sky grew dark the closer we got to Robe. Thankfully the rain bypassed Robe, and we were able to unpack and settle in before celebrating James' 7th birthday with presents, cake and lollies. We had a great dinner at the Caledonian Inn before returning to the Grierson cabin for a few drinks. It was quite a late one, in fact I think it was the latest of the entire trip, but it was great to celebrate James' birthday with such good friends. Day Twenty Seven
Thursday 22nd July 2004 – Robe:
We could afford to have a sleep in this morning. James was still asleep, so I nicked down to the supermarket and bought some bacon and eggs for breakfast. Al did a great job and cooked up a feast as a couple of magpies and a load of seagulls kept a close eye on us, waiting impatiently for us to look the wrong way and lose our food. The seagulls missed out as the magpies were slipped the last piece of toast. After visiting the bakery to pick up some fresh rolls for lunch, we drove out to the Cape Jaffa winery where only Al and Lyn had a taste and made a purchase. I was a bit over tastings after the heavy schedule of the past two days and so decided to have a break from it. Next stop was the start of the Little Dip National Park. This gave us access to the beach, but with the tide running high, and my fear of beach driving due to a past experience, we didn't venture onto the beach, except by foot. The kids really enjoyed having a play, and scavenged lots of flotsam and jetsam as well as cuttlefish and sponges. After driving a few tracks, we headed back into Robe to visit the tower before going to the playground by the beach for lunch. Not having had any seafood so far, I went in search of a fish and chip shop to rectify that. Our favorite one on the pier was closed, so we had to head back into town to satisfy our urges. Back at the playground, we were surrounded by a multitude of cheeky seagulls as we all enjoyed our rolls, chips and seafood. The wind was extremely chilling, so we decided to revisit the Californian Inn to warm our bones and bellies. The children enjoyed their cokes, while Al, Lyn and I enjoyed a pint of Guinness. Back at camp, I caught up on some trip notes while everyone else relaxed. As the darkness took hold, and the first bottle of sparkling red was cracked as we munched on crackers, cheese, dips and cabana before dinner. The kids tummies started to rumble, so Al and I cooked on the bbq while Lyn prepared the side fares. After dinner a couple more bottle of sparkling red were emptied before an early night as the departure time of 8:00am was agreed upon. Day Twenty Eight
Friday 23rd July 2004 – Robe to Rowville:
Well today is the last day of our trip, and everyone is feeling a bit sad. The rain was tumbling down as everyone packed up and the Grierson's were ready to go with ten minutes to spare. The keys were returned and of we went. About five minutes into the drive I was tooted by a passing car to let me know that I had not secured the spare wheel carrier - bloody idiot. This was quickly rectified and we continued on our way. Penola came and went and we were soon leaving South Australia for the last time on this trip and entering Victoria. The rain didn't dissipate as I refueled in Casterton as we pushed for Hamilton and lunch. When we reached Hamilton, it took us a while to locate a bakery, but when we did it was a quick buy and run as we decided to eat on the go. We were making good time as we entered Ballarat and it wasn't long before the Bacchus Marsh turnoff appeared. We turned off and said our goodbyes to Al, Lyn, Tegan and Callum before rejoining the freeway. The traffic increased as we turned onto the Western Ring Road, and again as we neared the Burnley Tunnel. The Monash Freeway was not as busy as I had feared for a Friday afternoon and soon we turned off onto Stud Road. Home came into sight, and the trip ended as I turned into the driveway. This trip totalled nearly 6500kms and we were lucky enough to see some wonderful sights and meet some amazing people. The Simpson Desert was a delight and I enjoyed sharing it with my family, Dad, David, Bill and Chris. It was a pleasure to meet so many fellow Exploroz members, especially John Wright in Oodnadatta, Ruth in Birdsville and Roachie in Clare. It was also great to catch up with Alan and Elaine in Berri and Al, Lyn, Tegan and Callum in Clare. It was also a joy to spend the final few days, and James' birthday with Al, Lyn, Tegan and Callum. I am not sure where the next trip will take me, but I can't wait, wherever it is.
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