DAY 6 – DESERT OAKS CAMPSITE TO RAINBOW VALLEY 25-4-16 [114 KLMS]

Woke to a clear crisp morning surrounded by red sand.

We realised why it was fairly cold before dawn, as the hatch above the bed is open and all the cold air falling onto us….6 degrees C .  The diesel heater again came to the rescue and took the chill out of the van very quickly.  The hatch above the bed will be definitely closed in future.

A leisurely pack up as not a long drive today.   Caught up with Michael & Annette [Bushtracker owner] for a van discussion before we set off.

We stopped at Stuart Wells for a morning coffee and a stretch of our legs.   This roadhouse had a range of camping facilities, bar/dining facilities, toilets/showers as well as penned emus and some sort of guinea fowls.  A cute friendly silky type dog seemed to be the owner of the property as he was greeting everyone and as we left he was flat out on his back asleep on one of the chairs.

Michael & Annette arrived and joined us for more discussions on van matters and show of his locking systems on his fridge doors and van entry door……designed to counter off tar conditions.

It was then off to Rainbow valley a further 50 klm up the road.   The turnoff revealed our first taste of unsealed road for the next 22 klm.  Some sections were quite corrugated and I would have hated to be inside the van been shaken to pieces.  Other sections contained loose sand, whilst other sections were good.  On arrival we had the choice of many dedicated bays, each with its own fire pit.

The colours in the rock is quite spectacular and we go for a walk for a close up view of the main rock and the smaller Mushroom Rock.  Walking up over the sandy dunes was made easier by a track of plastic framing to walk on, however my ankle collapsed and over I went grazing my knee and bruising my arm.   It has been quite a few years since my ankle has collapsed like this ……hopefully it will be another few years till the next time.

Tony & Michael try to upload water from a container to the van as we were running a little short, via a supplied pump.   They plug it into our grey anderson plug on the van but nothing happens…….off to Tony’s van and plug in and it works….Therefore no water upload by pump and another warranty issue to pursue!!!!

The weather is in the low 30s and the flies are very friendly and numerous. We walk back to one of the viewing platforms just prior to sunset to view the changes in colour of the rock.   We meet up with 2 friendly couples there, one elderly couple who had been in Weipa back in the 80s and another young couple – he English and she New Zealander.   He came prepared with a tripod for his photos………..the colours were good however unless I adjusted the camera  speed the colours and background were much brighter.  I took many photos, many of which were discarded….the benefits of digital cameras.

After sunset and our evening meal we sat around the fire on a lovely clear desert night with a gentle breeze blowing through the desert oaks creating a lovely sighing sound….very nice.

A  thoroughly great spot to stay.

DAY 5 – ANITA BUSHCAMP TO DESERT OAKS ROADSIDE CAMP 24-4-16. 423 KLM

Woke to a cold morning, but the luxury of a diesel heater quickly warms up the van and us.

Left Anita Camp about 7:30am and had a good hour and half drive to Marla for fuel, loo and coffee.

We are seeing more birds other than crows…hawks, cockatoos and a couple of wedgies…….possibly due to some roadside dams with some water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Landcruisers are pulling both vans really well and the guys are pleased.  Stopped at The Marryat Rest stop for a mid morning break.  We think this is where we stayed 2 years ago on the way to Uluru to met up with the Darvells and the Sweaneys…..the latter for our WA wildflowers trip, unfortunately without the Welshs.  We remember it being –5degrees Celsius in the morning at 10 to 8.     It is a very pretty rest spot beside the sandy floor of a major creek when in flow.

Stopped for lunch at some gravel pits according to Wiki camps……..unfortunately it is now fenced off or we are at the wrong place.   We stop on the narrow track leading in for lunch, which was followed by a 1/2 to 3/4 hour nap.

Erldunda, the turn off to Uluru, was our next stop for our first ice cream of the trip…not Tony’s…….We both had Magnums which we note according to the wrapper is celebrating its 25th birthday.  Following this we head up the road some 30 klm to Desert Oaks Roadside camp for the evening.  A good camp site and Tony is off to check out all the different types of vans and things that we need to be aware of as novices.

One group, who have been on the road for the last 3 and 5 years, has come via an overnight stay in Port Augusta only to have their van tyres slashed in a caravan park by teenagers, who police say they know but can’t do anything about.

Another farming couple from Qld has a Landcruiser towing a Bushtracker and passed on many useful hints.

We are really low on water according to our gauges…..a bit of a worry and yet we have been very frugal…..only 1 shower since last Wednesday.

DAY 4 – LAKE HART TO ANITA BUSHSITE CAMP 23-4-16. [423 KLMS]

 

Nice start at 7:45am….so easy to have breakfast and get the caravan on the road compared to our previous trips with a tent.  Overall, very little traffic on the road in either direction……occasionally some very large trucks.  I am amazed at how far mobile phone coverage is now up the middle of Australia.   Received a call regarding Rotary matters from fellow Lilydale club member some distance above Glendambo.  We had a fuel stop earlier at Glendambo.

Not many live animals sadly……..some road-kill which attracts a few wedge tail eagles and many crows.

Stopped for lunch at 12 noon and Michael cooked egg & bacon in Turkish flat bread ……very tasty…..will have to go for a good walk later ….Hehe!!!!

We are always blown away by the vastness and emptiness of our country, and wonder how the early explorers achieved what they did.  It is very dry, and we have not seen any water.  We came across a couple of kilometres of quite green grasses growing in patches and along the roadside…..that little spot must have had a generous cloud overhead.

We arrive at Anita Bushsite Camp  around 3:15…a really great large free camping site and it is good to be off the road at an earlier time.  Tony is pleased, as he can have a fire for cooking and then to sit around after our meals.   The only down-side was that we were immediately set upon by small bush flies, so out came the fly nets for all four of us.  I think the flower on the left is a paraleeka, or something like that.  Did not bring our flower or bird books.  SIGH.

Tony and Michael practised putting the awnings up.

 

 

Around 5ish, another couple showed up to the campsite.   Tony invited them to share our campfire…..they were 2 young ladies from France who have been travelling through the outback after a period of work in Denmark WA.  

Tony got a lesson on Wiki Camps from one of the young ladies…..totalled thrilled and amazed with this APP and said we should be using it….Hehe  I put it on his phone a couple of months ago, and have been radioing through suggested sites to him as the lead driver.  Tony also discovered that she was a  deer shooter in France, so had plenty to talk to her about hunting and shooting etc.   She used the ground to draw many images to help her in communicating with us.

The flies had gone to bed upon dusk, so we sat and chatted until it became too cold despite the great fire.  The girls showed some of their wildlife photos taken, which we helped identify.   Some new APPS were shared with them.

We agree for an 8:00am start for next morning.

Day Three–White Dam to Lake Hart. 22-4-16. 525km

Tony knocks on the door at 6:45 and asks how we are going!  We were going OK to our way of thinking, just the dishes and the van to set up for travel.  At 7:15 Tony is out on the track ready to go,he gets out of the car. “What happened to 8:00”, I ask. He shows me his watch – 10 to 8.  I show him mine 7:20,  he had not turned his watch onto SA time.  “No wonder you thought I was rushing you” he said.  On the road by 7:30

Drove to Peterborough – coffee and cake for some, fuelled up and did our shopping  PB is a very friendly RV town, caravan parking, dump site and potable water. Most of the small towns we have passed through are RV friendly.

Tony sends through a call to tell us of a large vehicle coming our way.  We are about to go up a hill and decide to pull over and stop.  the escort vehicle comes down the hill and stops at the lefthand turn immediately at the bottom of the hill.  When the vehicle comes over the brow of the hill we are so  glad we stopped, it is enormous, taking up 1 1/2 lanes, we would never have passed him there.  When he gets to the bottom, he swings right out to take the corner – a simply huge farm vehicle of some sort.

Stopped at Pimba for fuel, only 2 diesel bowsers, but only one available due to  the lady in the car in front locking her keys in her Land Rover.  During the 15 mins we were there, it was still not open, despite the petrol station staff assisting.

Drove on to Lake Hart, have a small walk and camp for the night.  It is very windy.

304 km, 61 litres.   Very good given the numerous steep inclines

Day Two. Sunset to White Dam 21-4-16

We have a more leisurely start this morning

We are not far from the SA border and undergo the usual  fruit fly inspection.  They are very thorough, but we have been this way before and know the ropes, we’re not carrying anything illegal.

Arrive at Renmark where Tony hopes to find someone who can properly repair his cables.  We luck out first stop, the man  there can fix most of them (not the reversing camera).  It will take approx 2 hours and cost $200.  We all walk into town.  We stop at the Tourist Information Office and Tony asks the lady yhere if there is an autoelectrician in town (for the camera).  She gives him a phone number which he rings only to get a beauty parlour.  Hehe.

We go into town to a local baker Tony is thrilled by the big variety of cakes. Call into Super Cheap Auto for D shackles (we need stronger than the ones that were supplied)

Back to the caravan place.  Tony collects his van 2 1/2 hours work $277.  The man did an excellent job however.

We do our shopping here, have lunch and head off.

We have decided to stop between 3:30 and 4:00.  Eureka, find a good spot just after 3:00, just off the Burra Morgan road – White Dam.

A good campsite, easy to set up and then undertake some filing to fit the D shackles to the caravan chains for both Michael and Tony. Tony does some more taping of his cables and ponders the correct location to prevent further damage.

8:00 start topmorrow.

Day One. Melbourne to Murray Sunset Park (Near SA border) 20-4-16

Early Start, Met Tony sand Jennifer at Mc D’s Calder at 6:00 AM.  Had breakfast and left there at 6:30 on our BIG Trip.
Drove to Charlton for our 1st stop – loo and the bakery, and of course for the required rest stop.  the vans are travelling well and the drivers are becoming used to the art of towing.
Stopped at Ouyen for lunch – so much  easier to  get in the van to prepare a meal than out of the back of the car.
Michael was really tired now, he didn’t sleep well previous night, so it was decided to have 1/2 hour kip (the other 3, not me).  They woke up 45 mins later and felt very much better.
Drove to Mildura and got fuel (this was actually further than planned).
Headed off towards the SA border.  The plan was to get off the road by 4:00 but all of Tony’s known campsites (National Parks and State Forests) were closed – SIGH.  On we go.  We had to find a place before we got to the SA border because we had fruit and veges on board.  Finally located a place, Michael and I missed the turn off and had to do a u-turn, disaster, we hit the left side of the van on a dead overhanging branch.  (tell you further down). 
Got to the good spot and set up.  Tony then noticed that nearly all of his cables to the van were damaged, cut right through, burnt, melted plastic etc.  The had been caught between the hitch and the towbar. Michael had electrical tape and Tony began to repair them.  Michael disappeared and after a while I went to look for him.
Bugger!!! he is repairing a tear in our awning (from the previous u-turn) and points out a 60cm groove in the aluminium siding of the van, he is very upset.
We are all really tired, so have tea and go to bed 7:30  PM  hehe.