GOODAY FROM INNAMINCKA STH AUS

Hey back in South Australia from Qld trippin.

You may remember that I was intending to travel north west (430 k's) from Birdsville Qld to Diamantina Nat Park Qld, then direct south approx 650 k's to Innamincka, Sth Aus.   Well I have done it all in the last week.

The silver flash did well over rough dirt roads through pastoral stations to here. The weather is still quite warm out here. High 20's, low 30's.  Very dry and dusty out here. Soon as I wipe dust off anything in the van it is covered again so I have given up.  There must be some gaps in back door or side or front doors as lots of red dust inside. I live among red dust!

Anyway Diamantina NP was excellent with a big waterhole in the Diamantina river where I went kayaking.  I also went kayaking yesterday here in the Cooper creek on arrival, very cool, the waterhole next to town extends about 12 k's.  There are several other waterholes on the Cooper too.  A real oasis in the outback/desert.  Oh did I say I was here in winter last year where i experienced some great camping on the Cooper creek as well.

Oh yeah I saw my old station wagon in the council yard at Birdsville which I unfortunately had to leave here last year after breakin down. It looked happy amongst some other abandoned vehicles!

On the trip last week I finally started seeing kangaroos north of Birdsville again after not seein any since before Marree.   Also finally saw my 1st group of camels near Boulia.  Also saw brolgas and Emus walkin through the main street of Bedourie just like tourists!!  Saw lots of eagles and healthy populations of Whistling Kites at Diamantina NP and heaps here on the Cooper Creek.  Was talkin to peoples fishing in the creek this arvo, they were catchin Grunter bream and Yellowbelly fish on prawns for bait.

I am headin to Coongie Lakes Nat Park which is on the Cooper creek about 100 k's north of here in a few days for a bit then back here again..  There are about 5 lakes full of birdlife and lots of kayaking/swimming opportunites there i have been told that is real good spot.

 It was blowing up to at least 30 odd knots today which caused huge red and white dust storms everywhere, I found a spot to spend the day on the creek away from the dust clouds. Don't wanna be in the middle of them, yuk.

Am lucky the pub here has Wifi internet as there is no mobile or mobile internet here.

Birdsville sunset, sky is on fire!

This is where the famous Birdsville races are on 7 Sept. 5000 odd ppls attend.  1600 k's from Brissie

Camping on Diamantina river at Birdsville

The famous Birdsville hotel. The airstrip is on left so ppls get out of plane and across road to pub, easy as.

This very hot scalding permanent water bore at Birdsville goes into a large lagoon below the caravan park

On the road north of Birdsville.  Mitchell grass plains, cattle fattening grass

A Dotterell on edge of waterhole

Pelicans on Diamantina river at Diamantina NP

100s of Galahs wheeling around above Diamantina rive waterhole. Click on picture to get full screen to appreciate the view better

Ready to go kayaking inn Diamantina NP Diamantina river waterhole

My 1st ever time seeing camels in the wild, groovy as!

On top of Janets Leap hill, looking north over Diamantina river floodplain

Sunset on top of Janets Leap hill at Diamantina NP

Spoonbills on Diamantina river waterhole

Feral cat on other side of Diamantina River Waterhole after I yelled out Coo-eee to him, startled look

Hot outback chips on the road, best in the outback, yummo

Dead young eagle , looks like it crashed into barbed wire cattle fence, sad

Pair of brolgas at a cattle waterhole

Crossing some red sandhills

Any small or large waterhole is welcome in the outback to wash off the dust from your face, kneck and arms etc.

Red sand road headin to Innamincka + mitchell grass plains

Surprised to see flowering gum trees in dry area north of Innamincka

Hey Cooper Creek, its about 15 feet lower than last year, but still very pretty. Went for a 3 hour kayak on it yesterday

Apair of Parrots in one of the red gums on the creek above my camp

If you didn't know the Innamincka area was the site of the death of Burke & Wills from their ill fated trek from Melbourne to the gulf of Carpentaria top of Qld  in 1860-61.  Died on return trip. Click on pic to zoom in and read some info on it.  This is from 17 k's south of Innamincka on the Cooper Creek where Wills died

BACK IN BIRDSVILLE FROM THE SIMPSON DESERT TRIP

Woww...That about sums up my experience over the last 4 days driving through the Simpson Desert.

I went on the track that runs west of Birdsville for some 500-600 k's west through the Simpson desert.  The first 30 k's is dirt, then you come to BIG RED, a 30 metre sand dune that is a big local tourist attraction.  After gettin over big red its all desert country.  The next 110 k's takes you to the Northern Territory border, then I went another 20 k's along a dry lake and across a few k's of dunes to Poeppels corner.  This where the three states of NT/SA/QLD meet.  See the map below

The simpson desert is similar to Fraser Island where I have driven a lot at.  Lots of sand driving except the dunes are mostly red and higher.  It is also slow going, average 20-30 k's an hour so the 170 one way trip takes 8-9 hours to do.  Its also a lot more remote than Fraser Island but you still see the occasional groups of 4wd drivers crossing the desert and motorbikes and dingoes..

The silver flash easily made it up and down the high dunes.  I was impressed.  I had the tyres down to 20 going out there and 15 on the way back to ensure ease of access across the dunes.  The Simpson desert trip would have to be one of the top highlights of my gap year so far.

TOMORROW I am heading nrth approx 250 k's from Birdsville to Diamantina Nat Park which is also in Qld.  Then going south back some 400 k's into South AUS to Innamincka area for a few weeks.  Cool place there, went there last year, on the cooper creek.

Hey I took a video as I drove over some dunes so you could experience the fun times with me.

Click here for your simpson desert virtual driving experience   http://youtu.be/q5Y8PTbDsIg

Heres som pics of my desert experience.  CLICK ON ANY PIC TO GET A FULL SCREEN VIEW..

 

BIG RED dune.  There was a higher track to the left side

This was the 2nd dune I crossed nearly as big as Big Red

Desert dune wildflowers

These large prickle dudes are just waitin on the dunes for unwary tourists wearin thongs. I also got 3 of them stuck in my hand when I went to sit down on top of a dune to watch the sunset.  Put my hand out to brace myself, forgot  about them, Ouch....

Running repairs.  The underfont protection Bashplate fell off again after takin some rough treatment.

The endless desert

Sunrise over the desert at Poeppells corner

Froggy and Huggy riding along the dry Lake near Poeppels corner

The man in the moon was watchin over me

Sunset over the desert

On top of BIG RED.  There is a small lake nearby

See Poepeels corner in the middle.  On the right Birdsville along the dotted road line, thats where I went.  Bottom right see Innamincka in Sth Aus, going there in about a week after goin nth to Diamantina Nat Park 1st

Augusta Poepells surveyed the 3 borders in 1880, click to see full view

The corner plaque

Campin near Peopples

OUTBACK OBSERVATIONS AND THOUGHTS

HEY CHECK MY BLOG, CLICK ON THE 'INTERACTIVE MAP' PAGE TO SEE WHERE I AM TRAVELLING.   IF YOU FORGOT THE ADDRESS IT IS:
WWW.MERGY60.BLOGSPOT.COM.AU

It appears to be unseasonally warm these last few weeks. Last year it was ice cold at nite and days under 20.  The tourist info states that in winter the outback is an average 18 deg during the day, which seems so many weeks ago.  Lately it has been between 25 to 32 degrees during the day and very balmy at nite.  Am still in shorts and tshirt.  Have not put my jumper on at nite for over a week or thick socks, bizarre.
The temperatures are sometimes double  Adelaide???  I miss the cooler weather, damn.

A weather guy was on the radio today saying that all of outback Qld has had above average temps this winter.  In fact in the whole of Australia there have been temperature records broken this last year. hmmm

In the last week there have been highabd severe fire danger warnings in the QLD/SA Channel country which runs through here down through Innamincka in Sth Aus.  Pretty extreme for winter.

The coldest places so far would have to be along the Sth AUS coast before Adelaide and parts of the Flinders Ranges too in May and June.  But still not cold enough for me to put on long pants!

The dearest petrol so far north of the Flinders Ranges was Oodnadatta $2.17. Cheapest $1.75 at Coober Pedy on the main Stuart Hwy which links Adelaide to Darwin

Have not seen any kangaroos, wallabies or feral goats since south of Marree which is located half way between Adelaide and the NT border.  Must be too dry for them in top half of Sth Aus outback.

There is a medium sized kangaroo called a  wallaroo or euro, which you know it is around cos it makes a hissing sound when you get near it.  So you hear the hiss before you see it. Mostly in the Flinders Ranges.

Have only seen a cupla groups of emus north of Marree. Mostly dingoes as well on the northern side of the dog fence.

No feral pigs seen anywhere must be all in outback Qld where I have seen plenty.

Saw my first feral cat the other day on the bank of the Diamantina river approx 40 k's south of Birdsville, was a tabby cat eying off some waterbirds in a small waterhole

Have only seen approx 3 groups of emus north of Marree. When I was in the Flinders Ranges 2 emus crossed the road in front of me to the left side. Then they started to run along the side of the road ahead  of me and were doing 55 k's an hour before veering off into some bushes. Very impressive. Fast birds.

Dearest loaf of bread has been $6.50

No idea about milk as I have a big supply of longlife milk from Adelaide

Have been buying bananas where available. Dearest $8.50 per Kg at Marree

Still have not seen any camels either this trip or previous outback trips..Not happy

Havn't seen any foxes since the Flinders Ranges.

I have seen Rabbits all through the outback and also Eagles.  Hardy animals

The whole outback Sth Aus, western Qld and southern NT would not have been settled if it was not for the presence of  the Great Artesian water Basin under the outback.  The basin was formed millions of years ago by rainwater from Qld seeping into the underground and spreading under the outback.  So the early explorers (1840-1870) and then the pastoral sheep and cattle pioneers, The old Ghan train line from Adelaide to Alice Springs and the overland telegraph service that followed in the mid to late 1800s would not have occurred without the discovery of the mound water springs  by the explorers previously and then further sinking of bores into the basin to get reliable water for town water supplies..  And then I wouldn't be able to travel around with support fuel, water and food in small towns.  Can you imagine the difference if there were no reliable source of water in the outback.  It would cost a fortune to transport water over the vast distances of the outback and deserts and most of the small towns and the people would not be there.

Birdlife varies around the different areas.  I have come across some permanent waterholes which vary from 100 metres to 4-5 klms in dry rivers and creeks and wetlands created by open running water bores.  These are like oasis in this dry dusty outback. Have seen seabirds such as seagulls, Terns which are the ones that dive for fish on the coast and Pelicans from 1000 to 1600 k's from the coast so far.  They must have good water radar.  Lots of different ducks, moorhens, stilts etc, a pair of Brolgas, finches, budgeragars or budgies and wrens. heaps of galahs, corellas, Eagles, kites, falcons.  They are all mostly around the remote water areas or along dry river or creeks where high trees grow except for eagles who seem to be around most places but only in small numbers.  Oh yeah the usual crows, occasional magpies and mudlarks or peewees too.

In another post I will convey some memorable highlights of the trip so far , thats if I can remember them all..

ARE YOU STILL AWAKE THERE.........

BIRDSVILLE TRACK MORE PICS

A Brolga at the Mungerannie pub wetland + the other following birds

This wetland oasis next to the Mungerannie pub  is quite amazing to come across in the dry outback. It has been created by an open water bore that was drilled underground into the great artesian water basin

A blurry finch. These small birds congregate in large groups and make lots of tweeting excited noises

Corellas

Blacked wing Stilt. 

Pink eared duck, go the bird book

An example of a sunken bore into the great artesian basin on the side of the road

Waterflow from the above bore. The water is scalding hot. In the late 1800s the government sunk these bores along the Birdsville track from Qld down to the Rail head at Marree in Sth Aus to water  Qld cattle herds that were drove by drovers down the track to the train at Marree and onto Adelaide markets.

I heard at the Mungerannie pub that a german lady was coming down the track from Birdsville on a bicycle.  When I saw her next day I offered her a cuppa and we had a interesting chat for about an hour. Very brave lady!

Had to laugh as it was quite funny to see a dunny on the side of the track which is not a normal site anywhere out here.  Waterfed by a bore.

The next 4 pics are of changing landscapes along the track.  This is stone gibber plains

Grass shrub Goyder Lagoon

Flat plains with adjacent sand dunes on left

Large vegetated sand dunes

Found a nice shady camp spot next to a sandune