Gidday all,

Just been hanging round Taplin, doing odds and ends on the camper, fixing a few things that have been waiting for my attention for a while. The water temp gauge for the motor stopped working last week, so after some intense research, finally tracked down the correct sensor and replaced it. All working as it should now.

 

Also helped Deb start and move her bus to another location on the block. Was a bit of effort starting the thing as it had sat where it was for a couple of years, but eventually it burst into life with cheers all round.

 

After some time waiting for it to warm up and build up air pressure, it was into gear and on the move. Only a few hundred meters, but now in a better position for her and closer to the camels too.

 

 

Some cold and overcast days here in S.A. overnight temps around zero or less. Ice on the windscreen in the mornings. Memories of sweltering days in north QLD flood back at times like this, but only briefly.

Well, talk to you later, when we are doing something more exiting.

 

Gidday all,

Menindee, 118ks southeast of Broken Hill, is a quiet little outback town on the Menindee lakes. We rolled into town and as usual did a tour of the streets and stopped at the café for lunch. Took off for the lakes and looked at the sights.

The road we wanted to take went through the lakes national park then came back onto the Darling River again. It then continued following the river through sheep and cattle stations till you ended up back at Wentworth. So that’s the way we went.

 

Was a good trip all up. Back to Taplin and Deb. When we got back, Deb was having trouble with the transport she had organised to pick up her wagon, which was still in Copley, where she had left it at the end of the flinders ranges trip last year. After some discussion we offered to go and get it, as she could supply a trailer to cart it on.

So off we went again toward the Flinders Ranges. Arrived at Copley and the wagon looked pleased to see us.

 

. Loaded up and a quick trip back to Taplin. Deb was excited to see us drive in with her beloved wagon in tow. After a couple of days cleaning the wagon up and reorganization she was keen to hook up the camels and go for a spin.

 

We decided to do the border track alongside the National Park just up the road. As we were preparing to head off a friend of Deb turned up with her two camels and decided to come along too.

So off we went, truck, wagon and five camels, oh and two dogs.

First camp the grass was a bit long and dry so the night’s fire was lit in the middle of the track. Lucky not a lot of vehicles use come this way.

 

 

 

Lovely weather but cold nights. Debs friend was training her camels to walk while tied to the wagon, they soon got the hang of it and all animals were delighted to be out roaming in the wild. So were we.

 

 

 

It was only about 50ks the route we took, but we took the whole week to do it. A wonderful time was had by all.

Gidday all,

As always, last minute change of plans. Looked at the map and decided we were close enough to Lake Mungo to go and have a look. Always wanted to go there, so why not now?

Packed up and headed up the Darling River. About 30ks up the track found a nice spot by the river and pulled up for the day, we did get a late morning start after all.

 

Next day, made it to the visiter centre at Lake Mungo. This is the place they found the oldest known remains of humans in Australia, some 42000 years old. Mungo Lady, she was only 17 years old when she died.

They also found footprints in a clay pan dating back 40,000years, as well as preserved skeletons of megafauna.

 

 

 

 

 

You drive into the vast, dry lake bed to the western side, where you can see the ancient shoreline with its eroded clay mounds and shifting sands.

 

 

Called into the main campground and stayed the night. Next day did the loop track which takes you through the lake bed and around the other side. Another, more remote campground is over there so we staid the night there too.

In the morning, when it warmed up a bit from the minus 1 overnight, we headed along the track again. Reached the shifting sand dunes and went for a climb. Great views of the ancient lake.

 

 

Came out on the park boundary and pointed in the direction of the Darling again. What a special, important and spiritual place. We sat in the silence of the lake bed and thought of Mungo Lady and her tribe, foraging, hunting, communicating, laughing, living there more than a thousand years before the Egyptians started to build the great pyramids, just think about it.

 

Looked at the map again and saw we were half way to Menindee, so, back up the Darling, next stop Menindee.  

Gidday all,

Back on the road again. After a week or two back with Deb and the camels hanging about and then camel and dog sitting for her while she went to pick up a bloke who wants to get experience with camels for an upcoming trek he wants to do across Australia.

Deb arrived back with her student and set about training him with her new, young camel. He was nervous at first but was gaining confidence day by day.

We decided to leave them to it and headed off to do a recon of a trip Deb wants to do with the wagon and the new chums for a test run.

SA have public buildings in all small towns called Institutes, lovely old stone buildings, some big some small, most are still used something like town halls. Taplin, just a small settlement on the boarder, with only a handful of residents and a post office, has one. So many ruins of old stone buildings dotted about the state as well.

Out through Sunset Murray again towards Wentworth in NSW and Mildura in Vic

All good dirt tracks till you get to the Murray River near Wentworth where you meet the hiway and have to cross the river on a busy road, not good for camels and wagon.

Went into Wentworth and camped up on the river just out of town, where the Murray and the Darling rivers meet. Went out to the Perry Sandhills just out of town, a large area of sand dunes which were deposited there by the river in years gone by. They have been the location of many films and tv series like Man from Snowy River II, Burk and Wills, Flying doctors and Bony, to name some.

Camped up at the foot of the dunes and spent a couple of days there.

Will now follow the river back towards Renmark scouting for tracks suitable for the camels.

Gidday all,

Made a new camel logo for the cab of Ned the truck, we think he looks smart.

After we got the new batteries we headed back to Taplin and Deb. When we arrived, the camels, Coco and Ziggy were home and greeted me with hugs, they obviously remembered us and the truck. It was good to see them again.

Stayed for a day or so, then headed out to the Sunset Murray National Park, just over the border into Victoria. Came to the Shearers quarters camp ground, where we camped the last time we went through a couple of years ago.

The place was deserted so we set up camp and settled in. After a day or so we went over to the quarters to have a look. The parks rent out the building for stays, they charge too much though. One of the doors was open, so we went in for a look. Very basic but comfortable with an old wood stove in the kitchen. Found the keys to the shower block, so, never to let an opportunity pass by, we took advantage of the situation and lit the gas hot water system and showered blissfully.

Only saw about three lots of campers come and stay for a night then move on in the week we stayed there. On about the third day a friendly ranger came in and had a chat. We told him the door latch was broken on the quarters and he thanked us for letting him know,and would get it fixed. Told him the shower was open too, he said it was ok but lock it back up when we left. What a good bloke.

Had a great, peaceful week there, with our own personal shower. The sunsets were wonderful too. Had to leave on Monday as the park was being closed for two weeks as shooters were coming in to cull roos and foxes.

Back to Deb and work out our next move.

Gidday all,

The weather is finally cooling down, usually down to 5⛄ overnight. A welcome change from the relentless heat we have had this summer.

After the Coorong we kept to the coast as much as possible, up through Adelaide, port Wakefield, through Snowtown, on to Port Pirie, then up toward Port Augusta with a few detours here and there.

Called into Mount Remarkable National Park for an overnight stop and shower as there was hot water there.

Over the last few months I had noticed that the battery bank for the camper was not keeping up to our power needs as it should. After a bit of research on the net found a company in Adelaide to buy a replacement battery bank from at a good price, so decided to head back and do it. Would rather replace them now rather than wait till we were out in the middle of nowhere and the batteries collapsed and left us with no power.

Back we went and got the new batteries, the dealer offered me $40 for the old ones just to get rid of them. I declined as I had noticed a cash for scrap metal place on the way in. So on the way back out we called in and sold the old batteries to them for $100, all good.

Now we are worry free on the power front. As I said the weather is cooling down, so much so that after Adelaide we decided to head back up to the Riverland up north.

Through Gawler and Nuriootpa, on to Blanchtown and Swan Reach, then Big Bend on the Murray. That’s where we woke to the hot air balloon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woke up this morning to a hot air balloon drifting over us. A very calm peaceful sight. (bloody grey haired nomads with morning hair )

Gidday all,

Onward up the south coast, ducking into the beaches as we do. Came to Kingston, where the big lobster lives. Had a play in the playground then moved on to the Coorong.

 

 

 

 

 

Another track behind the sand dunes and in and out to the beaches. Lots of pelicans as this is their breeding grounds.

 

Went all along the Coorong, then at the top end went out to Narrung, an aboriginal community where the old church that is on the fifty dollar note lives.

 

A very special place the Coorong. We were lucky to be going through the week before Easter, we dodged the crowds.

Will keep following the coast, good weather so far.

Gidday all,

While at Cockatoo lake I tried my luck with the yabby net again, everyone was catching heaps but we came up empty each time. Finally got lucky, and big ones too.

  Moved on after a week on the lake, a bit reluctant to go, but the coast was calling.

Next stop, Mount Gambier, toured about town then did a circle around Blue Lake, amazing colours the photos don’t do it justice.

Then off out of town looking for a camp. Came to Little Blue Lake a way south. Another crater but much smaller. When we set up camp a car load of young fellas pulled up and started to do backflips into the water. Great afternoon entertainment. Then a couple of old kombi vans pulled up to camp. They were in top condition and looked great. They were heading to the Nullabor on a road trip, way to go.

We reached the coast at Port MacDonnell, a small fishing village at the bottom of the state near the Victorian border, with a fairly big rock lobster fishing fleet. Then northwest along the Limestone Coast, as they call it. Came to Carpenter Rocks, another fishing village at the start of a 4wd track through the Canunda National Park.

We hummed and harred for a while then, with Din’s urging, let the tyres down and headed up the soft sandy track. After all, why have a 4x4 if you don’t use it.

The track follows the beach just behind the large sand dunes on the coast, sometimes ducking off to the beach then back over the sand dunes and through the low coastal scrub and along great banks of limestone from which the coast gets its name.

Good old Ned performed well through the soft sand and dunes of the track, though had two attempts at one particularly steep dune, thought for a moment we may have to turn back, then found a less steep track around. These are the tracks we love.

Took two days to do the 40ks and came out just below Millicent, found a camp site at Geltwood Beach and stopped for the night then reinflated the tyres and hung out the washing, which received a good wash cycle on the track. 

Back onto the bitumen for the next leg to Millicent and then Beachport and Robe.