Mystery Meander

Friday 4 October 2013

Day 14 October 4 - Coachman Caravan Park to home.

We were all up and sorted ready to go prior to 8.30 departure time. Goodbye’s said to John, all aboard and on the road at 8.20.

Today we head for Melbourne, John is heading home to Echuca via Balranald and Moulamein etc, might get some fishing in.

Kerri is going to an Alan Jackson concert and will meet some family members in Melbourne for that, so the key aim for today is to ensure she is in Melbourne at Rod Laver prior to the 7.00pm start time.

Mary, Phil and kids are diverting via Lower Plenty to drop Lachlan off and maybe head home. Steve has Ro and will be heading home to Drouin where Ro’s car is. Ro will then take himself and Reve home. At some stage I need to get some of my stuff out of Steve’s car before finally heading home.

Just some other musings for the trip.

Finally, it seems we got Ska right, my car that is. With the addition of new longer rear springs, the tail end actually sits up fully loaded, rather than sagging and reducing clearance as it has in the past.

The new Snow Peak cook set gear I purchased from Drifta Kitchens, have worked a treat.

The only hiccup any of us really had was a flat tyre here and there, Stef sustained one overnight at the Caravan Park in Broken Hill and was able to get it repaired that day, Col copped one on the car and problems with the camper tyres too, which he sorted out in Birdsville and I got one going into Mungerannie and got it repaired there, without having to put the spare on…so all good really.

Ooops!!! I must have typed that too soon - We have just pulled up in Sea Lake, as Steve needs to replace his fuel filter, must have got some dud fuel somewhere evidently. After replacing the filter, which was incredibly dirty, the filter light remained on, so off it came again and the bowl and bits around the filter were removed and cleaned off. Still the light stayed on, so off we went to see if it would turn off after a good run, if not then a drive by Toyota in Bendigo. Along the way Sarah found a ‘wiki’ fix for the filter light, so plans made to eat at Inglewood, do the ‘thing’ with the light (requiring removing plugs, turning car on and off and replacing the plugs or something like that). Anyway the light was quickly fixed, some fresh rolls purchased for lunch, Kerri did a quick coffee and saugage roll for lunch and even managed some shopping while we made our lunch at the park near a lovely town hall and old house. Mary and Phil, stopped briefly to visit some friends and we never caught up again. We sailed into Melbourne and intended to tackle Rod Laver Arena drop off via Power Street, however the road up to Bolte was clogged, so we diverted through the city and had a good run, got Kerri to her drop off about 4.15ish, then the challenge of getting home in peak hour on a Friday night. We first decided to avoid the Monash and headed out Swan Street, but then it seemed like traffic was flowing OK onto the freeway, so we took that option, which was OK for about 10 minutes…2/12+ later we made it to Drouin.

Not only was traffic really congested, Steve’s back tyre was getting flat, so we pulled off the freeway to pump it up. Quite a different place to have car troubles, the traffic was almost at a standstill, so we got back onto freeway quite easily.

The tyre was still losing pressure, but we made it slowly, very painstakingly slowly to the Service Centre at Berwick – Steve pumped up the tyre again and headed for home to order Pizza on the way. I filled up again and grabbed a ‘wake up’ coffee.

We stopped briefly at Steve’s to eat the pizza and transfer Reve and Ro to Ro’s car and my stuff in Steve’s vehicle to my car, then finally made it home to Moe about 8.30. Ro continued on to Morwell to take Reve home.

Around Ernst Wanke Rd, I clocked up 5000kms for the trip, with the final total at home to the carport is 5102kms.

Meg and Stef left us on Thursday lunchtime at Chambers Gorge, they made it to Orreroo Thursday night and finally home on Friday about 10.30pm, with a lunchstop at Mildura and dinner at Ballarat. Well done Stef on a huge drive.

Turns out Steve's tyre issue was actually the WHEELS leaking, a weld on the rim was causing leakage, so four new wheels for Steve next week!!

New fuel filter in hand, ready to replace. Good planning that we carry these spares.

Ro and Sarah helping out.

That's the OLD filter, check out the brown base. That is dirt and stuff, the new one is white where this one is brown.

Finished...for the second time.

The town of Wycheproof. The train line runs down the middle of the main street. That's Steve, fully loaded in front and cool clouds too.

So train crossing signs at every intersection.

A beautiful old house in Inglewood. Mary and Phil have been watching it over the years, it was becoming quite dilapidated and evidently an elderly woman lived there in one room. Someone else has brought and is bringing it back from disrepair.

Yep, stopped in the Middle of the Monash Freeway, traffic was pretty much at a standstill. Ska is behind the Toyota here. Steve is just topping up the tyre in the hope he will make it to the servo.

Everyone was on hand to help/watch etc.

With reports of shocking weather at home, including high winds, cool weather and rain, we were not sure what we would find on returning home. Steve had a small tree down in the driveway, I came home to a lovely house, with lights on and milk in the fridge, gotta love having the house and pets sat, rather than locking and leaving. I had a branch hanging off my little tree out the front and the lemon tree chocked up with an outdoor chair. Thanks so much to Janine for a fabulous job with Snug and Aero and the house too.

So another journey or meander comes to an end. Everyone is a bit different and we see some more of this great brown land of ours. Thanks to all the crew we travel with, good company and fun times, here’s to many more.

I forgot to mention that our "f word" swear jar raised at least $100 for Royal Flying Doctor Service. It was a good fun thing to to. Well done to Lachlan for thinking of it.

and here is the SPOT map of our travels.

If anyone is interested in any other blogs I’ve done so far, you can find them here:

2012/13 Antarctica and Beyond: http://antarcticaandbeyond.blogspot.com.au/

2012 Goog's Track - Heave away, haul away, Bound for South Australia: http://googstrack.blogspot.com.au/

2012/12 Deddick Trak Trek: http://deddicktrek.blogspot.com.au/

2011 Simpson Sojourn: http://simpson-sojourn-2011.blogspot.com.au/

Thursday 3 October 2013

Day 13 October 3 - Wilpena Pound Campground to Irymple’s Coachman Caravan Park.

Up promptly this morning, as we needed to get going, the plan was to do a walk to look over the Pound, however time got away and we determined that a 3 hour walk would make the day too long. Instead we had a look at the Wilpena information centre and shop. Then plans were made to drive to a couple of lookouts (Stokes Hill and Hucks) and the Cazneaux tree – which was made famous by the photographer Harold Cazneaux – who was struck by the River Red Gum tree and the mountains and the light provided by sunshine, the photo was taken in 1937 and was titled “The Spirit of Endurance”, then a scenic Morolana drive. We ditched the drive and headed south, fuel at Hawker and then hit the road home to put some real kilometres under our belt.

Last night was cool and thank goodness the wind died down. Our campsite was a fair walk from amenities block, but a shower before bed was fantastic, followed by a little catching up on the blog.

Before I forget, I need to record a ‘first’ for the trip. This ‘first’ is a few days old, but I have been reminded a few times that is needed to be documented. Back a while now, when we made a really late camp in the claypan near Big Red, a ‘first’ occurred. We set up tents in the dark and all camps set about preparing ‘quick’ dinners, consisting of two minute noodles, leftovers etc…however one camp prepared their meal from scratch and were still sitting down first – well done to Steve who had Chilli con Carne in the bowls well before the rest of us.

This morning’s plan was to head for Tintinara today which would put us within reach of Melbourne and home tomorrow. When fueling up the plan changed and we decided to head out through Orreroo, Peterborough and Burra, through to Renmark. This required a change to plans for a pub room at Tintinara. We have now booked cabins and campsites at Irymple, where we stayed on the way up. The Willshire-Morgan-Viney’s will put up the tent and the rest of us have opted for cabins again, to make for an early start. Possibly Macca’s however we really could do breaky pretty fast in the cabin.

We stopped in Peterborough for lunch and loos, then on with a detour through Burra for a look, thanks to a Navman waypoint.

We have been in touch with the Dundek-Walsh-Mintern vehicle and they stopped last night in Orreroo and were in Renmark mid-morning, with lunch in Mildura, so it will be late home for them tonight.

Poor Reve, looks like she’s been a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson, her left eye is badly bruised and swollen, she has a bruised tongue – that looks like she has been sucking choo choo bars, also swollen lips, a cut hand and generally knocked around, her nose has only stopped bleeding at lunchtime today, but she is a trooper and is soldiering on.

We struck a bit of traffic, but handy having several cars someone ahead can check for oncoming traffic and assist with passing, we also struck some roadworks which had a 25km speedlimit. We all struggled to keep it that slow. Mary was quite frustrated by it.

The hills through here are lovely, many are dotted with wind turbines.

Hit the fruit fly, we all had a bit of stuff to ditch fruit and veg. Quite a bit in Mary and Phil’s case, as they were carrying the vegies for the mythical roast night – that never happened. So while others take a roast home, the veggies have been ditched. Mary and Phil did an amazing job fitting in the veggies for all 19 of us.

A quick pit stop in Renmark, before heading off on the last leg to Irymple.

Arrived at Irymple, 3 of us stopped for fuel and Steve & co. went and booked in. The Caravan Park was much fuller than last time, there is a country music festival in Mildura, guess we were lucky to get in. Mary and Phil and kids camped near our cabins, pizza was ordered and we all ate in the Davey cabin, of course there was time for pre-dinner nibbles – we are still taking stuff home tho.

Dad has decided to part ways in the morning, so we re-arranged stuff to get Ro into the Davey vehicle and also to transfer Kerri’s stuff from Dads to mine. We have most of that sorted before pizza.

Early-ish to bed to be ready to rock and roll at 8.30 in the morning.

A model of Wilpena Pound and the Flinders at Stokes Hill Lookout

View of the Pound from Hucks Lookout

Another indication of where we are.

The Cazneaux tree, with range in the background and some co operative clouds

A flower at the Cazneaux tree. Will need some more research to identify.

another shot along the way

Day 12 October 2 - A campsite off the road, up a creek in the Gammon Ranges to Wilpena Pound Campground.

After a lovely cool night, at our hilltop camp, I was up early in the hope of some nice sunrise colours, what started out in soft orange, failed to develop, so Reve and I resurrected the fire...and Steve set up his hotplate – which is now OH SO EASY to get out with his newly designed and constructed shelving in the back of the car.

Pancakes for us, with Berries built in, bacon and eggs and pancakes for others.

Then it was off south through the Flinders Ranges, we are certainly back in civilisation, so many cars on the road…very annoying. We stopped to photograph a tree and Col and Mary spotted some flowers, that was the beginning of the end. Col and Mary decided to slow down, take their time, and they might catch up with us further along during the day, this was not to be, we ended up at Wilpena Pound and they ended up in Arkaroola.

We had ditched the idea of Arkaroola that morning, given that most of us had been there and we needed to be heading south. We lunched at Chambers Gorge, then walked along the Gorge to see the Aboriginal Rock Art and amazing rocks walls of the gorge. After this, Meg, Stef, Peyton and Milani were leaving us to head home. Unfortunately as we all walked back along the creek bed, Reve took a tumble, she went down and landed on her face, which resulted in lots of blood from a blood nose, a cut above the eye and a bitten tongue. Reve is a good bleeder and there was lots of blood and very quick bruising. Poor Sarah got a fright to turn around and see Gram lying flat on her face on the gravelly surface of the creek bed. For many of us walking back a bit it looked like she was lying down to take photo. It was pretty scary as Sarah ran back to the cars for water and a cold can to put on the fast swelling face. Reve insisted she was fine and walked the final couple of hundred metres back to the car. Once there Steve and Meg did the best they could to patch her up. Reve has made a real mess of her face.

After finally seeing Stef Meg & co off, after Reve’s fall, we all then headed for a scenic drive through the Flinders to Wilpena Pound. Lots of amazing hills, rock formations, wallabies, roos, lookouts tc were seen, before pulling into the campground just before 6pm SA time, then quickly set up tents before heading off to the bistro for tea. Reve braved chips – which was something she could eat with her badly cut, bruised, swollen and bleeding face, she backed up with the most expensive dessert, a baileys, choc and almond ice cream in a brandy snap basket. Pretty good going.

Our campsite. With Toilet tent to right, always the last thing to be packed up. You wouldn't even know we were there.

Packing up the fire and bits and pieces. Once again Steve's fire plate was in high demand, it cooked pancakes, bacon, eggs and more pancakes and it now lives in a very easy to get at and put away spot in Steve's new draw and fridge shelf system. Designed and built by Steve.

Some small plants that ranged from red at the base through to yellow at the top.

The creek bed we drove through to find the campsite

The Davey's leaving camp.

Willshire-Morgan-Viney's leaving the campsite.

Ska parked while I take photos.

An unknown plant we hope Col might identify.

We both hit a puddle yesterday a little too fast - up and over the top it went...right over Phil's roof bag and well over the top of Ska.

Sign on the way out of where we were that day. Vulkathunha -The Gammon Ranges National Park

A couple of Wedge Tailed eagles in a tree beside the road.

A strange sandy patch on otherwise rocky hill. The aboriginal dreamtime story tells of the Sand Goanna (Vardna) entered the hill and laid her egg, leaving through the hill on the other side.

A sandy back opposite.

Just a nice creek bed.

Dad coming a little way along the Chambers Gorge walk.

Looking up to the sky beside the Gorge wall.

A goat doing as goats do, sitting high up watching us.

A carving enroute to the Gorge

We didn't see any racing camels, but liked the sign

again the clouds over a different part of Flinders Ranges Terrain.

Along the Bunyeroo scenic drive we did.

Ripples in the rock from far distant times. Looks like the patterns on the sand at the beach.

A beauiful golden trunked gum shining in the sunlight...perhaps this is what Cazneaux was talking about.

More of the Flinders Ranges again.

and again.

Day 11 October 1– Mungerannie to a campsite off the road, up a creek in the Gammon Ranges.

A very late start, after getting up to rain in the middle of the night, I slept soundly till 7.00am. (Vic time)

Showers were nice, even if the water rather smells of sulphur. On one trip to the loos I saw little Kingfisher, managed to grab the camera for a shot. Not sure if it is a Common or Azure kingfisher.

Off and out of Mungerannie by 9.15, stopped a little way down the track to look at Mulka Ruins, quite an interesting story. This bloke was a cop, based at Mungerannie, when it was time to be transferred, he resigned in order to stay in the country he loved. He and his wife, opened a store, which did really well, supplying locals with goods. The couple, George and Mabel Aiston, worked there for many years, and George wrote a lot of letters, which were donated to SA museum after hs death of cancer. Mabel kept the store running for a further 10 years. Unfortunatley due to a 7 year drought, many of the neighbouring landholders, left and the store struggled from then on. When camels were replaced by ‘lorries’ he sold fuel in the hope to keep things going.

There was also a grave up on a rise behind the store ruins, under a tree. Sadly it was a 14 year old girl, not related to the Aistons as far as we could tell. A lovely but sad inscription “Here lies embalmed in careful parent’s tears…”Edith Madeline Scobie.

Then off again, shortly later we passed the ‘loop track’ which is used in time of flood, this is the track that leads to the Coopers Creek Ferry Crossing. The Birdsville Track is cut by floodwaters on the rare occasion the area experiences floods. This was the route we took last time, we were very lucky to have the experience of crossing the creek in flood. Crossing the creek this time, there was no sign of water at all.

We stopped again to have a look at the MV Brennan, a barge which was once used to ferry supplies across the Cooper.

Continuing along the Birdsville track we arrived at Clayton Wells, here the good folk of Clayton Station have established a camping area, complete with flushing loos, showers and the jewel in the crown a stocktrough (large one) that is connected to the artesian waters, you turn on a tap and the tank fills with hot artesian water, quite warm and sulphury again, but lovely, seemed to be good for the joints etc. We stopped for lunch and I quickly changed into togs and sat for a while, luckily for us another couple had arrived earlier and had the tank half full when we arrived. After lunch Rod and Greg decided to depart and travel home separately, so we said our goodbyes and Greg made a final donation to the “F” word fund for the RFDS. Before they reached the main road, they had stopped and Greg was out walking beside the car as Rod drove slowly…they had something wrong. We schemed and plotted and determined, that we would drive past slowly and wave, given they were no longer part of the group. Very funny as Rod, waved to each of us, as they were taking the tyre off. We did a U turn and returned, it was a stone in the brakes, so easily fixed and they took off once again.

Somewhere along the route we also stopped at some other ruins, that had many, many corellas in the trees and in the ruins, some more photos there, before heading on. We also came across a large stone man, that has been erected to commemorate the explorations of John Mc Douall Stuart (Dad’s namesake perhaps?)

We were heading for Lyndhurst, where the couple in the Clayton Wells tank, had indicated there was reduced price diesel, opposite the pub. So we did all that filling, had some icecreams and drinks. Just prior to Lyndhurst we had a tiny bit of phone service, Dad got a text from the neighbours to alert him to the fact that winds had blown tiles off the roof at home, so we tried to call Jason, only to get the machine.

Our ‘sort of’ plan for today was heading down into the Flinders Ranges, with Arkaroola as a possible option. As usual time was running short so a campsite needed to be found, just into the Gammon Ranges. Mary and Phil scoped a great spot, off road, through a creek bed and up a hill with great views all around. While stony, we managed to dig the loo hole and the fire pit with little trouble. We all cooked tea, Meg cooked for Steve and Sarah, after Steve offered cream and mushrooms for the stroganoff, Ro and Kerri cooked some amazing steaks and pasta sauce for us and the Willshire, Morgan, Viney camp had the same. After tea Mary and I each mixed up a damper, which cooked beautifully on the coals, for two very big dampers, we only had two pieces left at the end.

Mary also tried another star trail shot, out behind us and the fire looking towards a hill across a valley, OMG, it looks brilliant in the screen on the back of the camera. I’m annoyed I was too lazy to try one myself.