To Innamincka

 

Arriving back in Australia, we wasted no time getting home. Summer was approaching, Ned received a full service and all was checked and adjusted, ready for another stint traveling this amazing land.

Before long we were packed and ready to leave. A warm breeze at our back, Ned carried us out the gate.

Heading west we passed through Charters Towers, on our way further west into the channel country.

In three weeks we were booked on the ferry to Tasmania, our aim was to meander southwest to Roma then across to Cunnamulla, continuing to the South Australian border and Innaminca.

Once in South Australia it would be down the Strzelecki track and the eastern side of the Gammon and Flinders ranges to our friend Deb and the camels before traversing Victoria to Geelong.

Leroy, our daughters dog, or grandson as we call him, was traveling with us, as we were looking after him till we met up with his mum who was traveling northward towards us on the same road.

Surat, with a nice camp on the river would be a good spot to meet, so when we arrived we selected a spot and holed up for a couple of days. Leroy, only a small dog but with a heart of a lion, would look out the window at the sheep in the adjacent paddock and threaten to do them some damage. He was subjected to the indignity of a harness and lead at all times outside, much to his disgust.

With Leroy and his mum reunited it was back on the road for us. Bolon was our next camp, finding a spot beside a creek under the gum trees it welcomed us, as did a pelican who flew in and rested on a fallen log in the creek. He must have had a long flight as he stayed there on the log, all afternoon and night. In the morning, he rose and stretched, then slipped into the water and promptly caught a yellow belly fish for breakfast and glided downstream with a flick of his beak as a farewell.

Further west, Thargomindah rests in the western Qld sun, the Bulloo river passes through south of town and we found a camp on the river, though it was dry. A hot breeze blew down the dry riverbed as we set up and the flies called all their mates to come and check us out. All windows open and fly screens up we turned on the fan inside and settled in for the night.

Next morning, after a tour of the town, which didn’t take long, we took advantage of the hot showers offered at the local park and after spending some money at the store and servo we ambled on west again full of fuel and refreshed.

Adventure Way, that's the route name we were on, stretching from Cunnamulla to Innaminka, its a narrow, but sealed road, a bit rough and bouncy in places but more comfortable than the corrugated dirt tracks we so often encounter. We were now passing through the Santos oil and gas fields, with roads skirting off on both sides to various wells.

Innaminka sits just over the border in South Australia and that was our next stop. Before the border is the famous Dig Tree, where the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition came to a tragic end, the expedition was a series of mistakes from the beginning and ended with only one member surviving. We detoured to the site of the tree.

Cooper Creek, the site where Burke set up a camp and left a small party of men to wait while he and three others set off to reach the top of Australia. After 4 months away they finally returned to find the camp had been abandoned, unknown to them, only hours before their arrival. The rest is sad history.

 A pleasant spot but conditions can be harsh, especially in summer. We contemplated the explorers fate while standing under the shade of the ancient tree, being thankful we have it so much easier than they did.