Tanami Road

Tilmouth Wells is an oasis, with large shady trees, bouganvillea and a swimming pool. Here you can camp on green grass that is watered by bore water, full of calcium, so leaves a white tinge to everything.

There was only one other group of three people and a long distance away from us. It was very peaceful. The amenities were spotless. We had a great camp fire on which we cooked two very small leg lamb roasts (which we had purchased in Alice Springs) and roast vegetables all in the camp oven.

We left early in the morning. The desert, was green because of the rain, no substanial trees, but plenty of quick growing vegetation, the gravilleas of which were all in flower. There was not as much variety in flowers and colours as the last time we had visited, maybe because this time we travelled some weeks after the rain, so the small shrubs, bushes and ground cover plants that we witnessed before had already flowered and now were shedding their seeds as they started to die off.

Some 180 klms east of the old Rabbit Flat Roadhouse, we found a track leading towards a bore. We took this track for about a kilometer and parked for the night. I was worried about the sand and was concerned that we might get bogged. But this worry proved to be unfounded as the sand was solid and we did not sink in even when we left the track to park at the side of it. Peter wanted a campfire, so he dug a hole in the sand. The wood we scrounged all came from burnt small bushes and shrubs and left tiny, annoying splinters in your fingers. It was very cold in the desert so the fire was a nice way to keep warm for some of the evening.

We saw only one gecko lizard and the tracks of dingo, camel and small burrowing spinifex mice but no sign of any human activity at all. We heard only one road train passing all night, otherwise there was no noise!

The Tanami Road this time is a very different road to the one we travelled on three years ago. Now, unlike then, we could see the surrounding countryside because the road has been built up. It was still sandy in places and corregated, but three years ago, we drove almost all of it, in four wheel drive, in third gear. This time we could average 80klms per hour.

The Gregory Lake system was on our list to see. This meant driving to Balgo and then to Mulan, to obtain permission from the Aboriginal land holders.

 

 

 

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Alice Springs

After Jervois we drove parallel to the East MacDonald Ranges. There are gemstones to be found along here. Every so often we would see a "fossicking" sign. Certainly at Gemtree Homestead, you can be taken on fossicking trips from the station.

Unfortunately we didn't stop to make our fortune as we had a deadline to meet. the car was due for service at 7:30am in Alice Springs on Friday morning.

Two nights in a Westerns motel and then into the West MacDonald Ranges.

These ranges are stunningly beautiful and after some rain were green and full of desert flowers.

We "lucked" all along the Namatjira Road. The first stop was Simpson's Gap. Here we noticed a sign that informed visitors that a ranger would take you for a guided walk at 10:00am. As we had arrived just before this time we decided to wait. Dale, a young Aboriginal man turned up and was very enthusiastic with his love of the country and his newly acquired learning from the elders of his clan. He was learning to make his tools using ancient methods, as well as learning to catch and hunt for food. He told us about how the original owners utilised the food and medicine, to be gathered from the surrounding areas.

We learned a great deal from this young man about bush tucker and bush medicine.

The next gorge was Standley Chasm, we think this was privately owned as everyone was charged a fee for taking the walk through the Chasm. Again a magnificent place. Water in the small gap with Cycads and ancient acacia trees and greeness everywhere. We mostly walked up the creek bed over rocky boulders and tree roots.

Serpentine Gorge was as the name suggest a winding gorge, absolutely beautiful and again with water. Swimming was not allowed, but was allowed at Ellery Creek Big Hole, Waterhole. Here we came across a Frenchman, determined to swim in the water. When we met him later he told us he had merely dipped his feet in. No wonder, the water was freezing and the air tempersture not much more!

By this stage of the journey, up the West MacDonald Ranges, almost all of the creek crossings still had some water left, in puddles and holes.

We had been advised that a specialised chef was brought in during the tourist season to cook in the restaurant at Glen Helen Resort, which had won four gold plates. So we opted to pull in here with the view to enjoying a sumptuous meal. We were directed to the futhermost campsite where we were assured that no tour operators would set up camp. We had only just opened the camper, when sure enough, WayOutBack Tours arrived to set up camp right beside us. There were 17 on board, a mixture of Dutch and German tourists and one Aussie.

We had booked into dinner by this stage so decided it wasn't worth moving.

The sun began to go down, and as it did, it hit the cliffs leading into Glen Helen Gorge. What a remarkable sight! The cliffs were lit up in yellows, oranges and purples. It was truly awe inspiring.

Dinner was ok, but certainly not as good as the references had indicated. We began chatting to a couple from Austria, who were travelling in the outback on their own, had made all their own reservations and really enjoyed an adventure.

On leaving the dining room, we were greeted by a wonderful singer- songwriter, Chris, who could play the guitar, mandolin and fiddle and "spoons", as well as sing. We thoroughly enjoyed this part of the evening and stayed until he packed up for the night.

In the morning we took our time to get up and have breakfast because the tour group took over the amenities. We went to see Glen Helen Gorge whilst the sun was just entering the gap. Heaps of water and birdlife abounded. Budgerigars were in abundance as well as water birds, small wrens and songbirds.

The owners of Glen Helen keep an aviary near to the homstead with Gouldian finches of all three colour types as well as other desert parrots and ground birds.

We drove back to Ormiston Gorge, as we had been told it to was magnificent. The park facilities are very well maintained and the path was an easy walk down to the river and on to the gorge. Swimming is allowed here, but again it was very cold.

We went back again towards Glen Helen to continue our journey on the back road through to the Tamami Road. At the end of the tarmac road we turned off onto a secondary road leading towards Papunya. This took us besides Mt Sonder, Round Hill, Haarts Bluff, Mt William and Mt Edward. These are giant mountains of red and orange granite sticking up out of a flat desert of red sand. The road was quite rough and we were glad to see no other vehicles as we had to drive across the road to avoid mud and water holes as well as wash outs along the side of the road from the recent rain.

 

 

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Jervois

From Boulia, we took the Donaghue/Plenty Highway across the northern part of the Simpson Desert. The landscape became drier and more barren the further west we drove.

This area has received no rainfall for the past 2 years and was then burnt out in bushfires.

So by the time we had reached the halfway mark and pulled into to Jervois Station, we felt morally obliged to stay on the property, just to assist the farmer with our $15 camp fee. As it turned out, it had great showers which helped clear the red dust from us and excellent barbeques where you could light a fire for cooking and warmth.

Moving towards Alice Springs the desert started to become greener. The area surrounding Alice, has just has 2" of rain. So we look forward to our Tanami trip.

The reason for coming into Alice Springs was the 40,000klms service was due on the vehicle. Halls Creek were unable to help and we thought that the closer we came to the mining areas the harder it would be for a service to be done and would result in a very long wait.

The service was done yesterday and we walked through the Todd Mall admiring the extraordinary Western Desert Aboriginal artworks! One particular gallery struck a chord with us because the work in it was exceptional. This was the Pupunya Tula Gallery. One work in particular by a Grace somebody was the greatest attraction. All the work was done on Belgium linen with Matisse paints.

 

Sturt Desert peas growing in the median strip of the Stuart Highway just outside the Toyota dealership.

 

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Bedourie and Boulia

Peter and I really like these two very small towns. Bedourie is the Shire administration area for the Diamentina Shire which boasts only 544 residents, but covers millions of acres.

Boulia is the administration of the Boulia Council, which has a few more residents.

Both towns take great pride in themselves. At Bedourie we swam in the hot artesian spa and had dinner at the very old (at least 100 year old) pub. Here we met Maxine who flies around outback Australia, traing council office workers in a document package that her company from Melbourne sell. She travels tosome of the most remote areasin the world!

We stayed in the caravan park at Boulia on the last green grass that we would see for some time!

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Diamentina River?

Quilpie to Windorah and then into the Diamentina catchment basin towards Bedourie. We stopped on the Diamentina Developmental Road some 130klms before Bedourie and found a shady nook beside the Diamentina River. Well we think it was the Diamentina, only there was no sign - someone had swiped it! It was really deep where we stayed, but not a drop of water in it!

The Diamentina Developmental road boasts to being the longest road in Australia at 1433 klms long. We have taken it the whole way!

This was a great place to practice the clarinet!

The silence in the desert is amazing and the stars brilliantly bright and twinkly. We had a roaring camp fire which cooked dinner for us and kept us really warm. We heard no vehicles all night and no animals came to bother us.

 

 

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Cunnamulla and Bulloo River

A long day's drive meant another stay in a motel unit in Cunnamulla. Called Country Way, it was run by two blokes, who took great pride in their garden and cleanliness. Very comfortable and a good night's sleep?

Tonight a site beside the Bulloo River, just outside Quilpie in Central West Qld seems just the thing for tonight. Camper now open and Peter about to light a fire.

White wine in hand and blog on the go. Let's hope the other two-legged beings stay some distance away.

 

Home for the night!

 

 

 

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Wellington

The dilemma was ..........?

To turn left or right at Bungendore?

A right and then a left turn ensured a by-pass of Canberra. Onto the Lachlan Valley Highway and then the Mitchell Highway, arrival in Wellington (not far from Dubbo), was met at the local service station with apprehension when a local cattle buyer told us that the local population had a reputation for violence and that walking on the street at night should not be undertaken! The regional prison is located in the town with some pretty awful clients; their families and friends reside in the town.

Dinner at the local pub was magnificent and we did walk! A night in e lcal motel was an excellent choice because it rained heavily in the night.

We will travel up north to warmer places, quickly and slow our pace once the weather improves.

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