Day 21 - The run for home

 Woke up to rain so we decided to ditch the field days and head for home. The Truck is a handful and I need to get it some TLC. We are just limping it home. We ticked over 5000 kms outside mudgee and made it to a wet cold Wolgan Valley around 4pm. Good to be home. The truck is booked in for Monday morning. 

What a great trip. Our favourite part was probably the Bulloo camp. The truck and camper did well all things considered. The camper was warm and comfortable. The truck was a beast. The Combination weight was nearly 8.5 Tonnes and still the Iveco sat on 100kph and averaged under 20 litres per 100 kms for the full trip. 

We can’t wait to get back out there again

Day 20 - Off to Agquip

 After a lovely night on the Naomi River we headed to Gunnedah for the field days. As bad weather is forecast for the rest of the week we need to make the most of our first day. We were on site by 10 Am and spent the day (14kms of walking) ticking off our list of exhibitors to get around. A lot of time was spent photographing mullets 

By 3:30we were completely rooted, but had covered the whole site. We met up with Lisa’s brother and headed to the Hip Camp we had booked. We had a lovely night by the fire ahead of the looming bad weather 

Day 19 - The Truck has blown a shock or two

 We got bounced senseless yesterday and I didn’t put it together straight away. But after we got on the road today I realised something was wrong. It’s hard to pin down on a truck but at least the front left shock is blown, but possibly both fronts. I guess the beating we have given it has taken a toll. 

After doing the tourist thing in Lightening Ridge including excellent allpress coffee and a mine tour,

 we headed south to Narrabri. It was a slow day as the truck was hard to keep on the road. We found a farm camp beside the Naomi river about 15 kms out of Naarabri. When I called the guy to ask if we can stay, he asked if I was Michael Coates from Lithgow. It was Ian Waddell. We had a great chat and we headed out. Had his 500 acre farm on the river all to ourselves. It was lovely

Day 18 - Old people in Caravans

 After a below zero camp by the billabong including ice all over the truck we had a slow pack up that included some maintenance and dust extraction, we headed for lightening ridge via Goodooga Hot Springs. When we arrived at the springs we were greeted by literally hundreds of old people in caravans slow cooking themselves on mass in a small concrete saucepan. It wasn’t for us. 

We headed to Lightening Ridge which was like a ghost town on Sunday Arvo. The only think happening were the caravan parks  All full of old people. Lisa found a Farm stay about 15 kms out of town so we got the hell out of there. The Farm was lovely and we camped in the bush with the cows  

Day 17- Heading East

 Was a big day. 50kms of bush track to get to the main road. Then 400kms of hard road to Bourke. Found a lovely bush camp outside town on a billabong 

50k trek out of Bulloo

 There is no way I would drag the camper through this country if I didn’t have the Iveco. It makes such light work of it all. 

The Big Rig tackling the roughstuff

 The truck just eats the rough stuff. Pretty amazing vehicle 

Everyone was in a hurry today

 

Day 16- Take a breath

 With such a lovely quiet camp site we decided to take a rest day. Lisa went for w10 km run while I did some jobs fixing broken shit. 

In the arvo we went for a walk along the shoreline photographing birds. 

What a magic place. 

Old mate showed up for Friyay

Bulloo Sunset

Bulloo overflow Video

 Aerial View from our camp

Dinner Bliss

 

Bulloo Overflow Photos

 

Day -15 On the Road again

 What a day. after a lovely sleep in we spent a few hours clean and reorganising the big rig for 2 person running. We headed north around lunchtime. First stop Milparinka 

This place has certainly reinvented itself over the last 40 odd years. It was a very busy little villlage, full of Mundi ferals and clay shooters . Then we headed to Tibooburra. It took a fair effort to get the supplies we needed for a few days remote. More water less poo. The mid arvo we headed for the Bulloo overflow. The is a large water body that fills up very occasionally. It was a 75 km slog in from Tibuburra but well worth the effort. It’s a new national park. They purchased a large station adjoining the Bulloo. They haven’t really got it up,and running yet but it was open if you made an effort. 

Day 14 - Derby and Joan

 Ash and Will headed home today on the plane. Lisa and I spent a frenzied few hours running around doing a bit of a resupply and then headed north towards Tibooburra. We stopped at a roadhouse called Packsaddle. It was a cute place but unfortunately full of feral Munda Bash participants. We camped behind  the roadhouse and had dinner in the restaurant. This is not a usual activity for us and a bit of a brain fart. 

Day 13- Back to Broken Hill

 It rained and blew hard last night. I was up 3 times tending to camp. Will had a bad night too so this morning we let him sleep in. Lisa and I unhitched the camper and headed to town for breakfast. No fuel at Orraroo so lucky we had diesel and add blue inboard as both warning lights were on. 

3-1/2 drive to Broken Hill was uneventful but nice. Will was great in the truck. We arrived at around 2.30 and ash booked a cabin in the caravan park. Was a stroke of genius as we could transfer luggage and reorganise. Ash and Will headed back home in the plane tomorrow. Lisa and I are visiting the laundry and then heading north. 

Day 12 - Hiking and stuff

 We packed up camp and then hiked into the pound to the old homestead. It was a lovely walk that I last completed in 1978. 

In the afternoon we drove down through Hawker to Orraroo. It’s a beautiful town. The cafe was hectic so we will head there for breakfast tomorrow morning. We found a free camp 5 minutes from town in a farmer’s paddock. It’s lovely and there is nobody here. 

A few camp photos this morning at Wilpena Pound

 

Day 11- Flinders Ranges

 We had the best day today. After an early start around the campfire this morning we slowly packed up before going exploring in the hills around town with Bourke & Will 😂. We then went to the Beltana Pub for a toastie and carrot cake along with a tour. We headed for the southern flinders late morning turning left through Parachilna Gorge. It was very rough. We turned right at Blinman and drove down to wilpena pound. We decided to stay at the camping area as it is very quiet. We set up built a fire, went exploring and then went to the resoyfor dinner. A most lovely day was had by all 

It was so nice that everyone was so taken with the beauty of the Flinders. It made all of the effort to put this trip together worthwhile. 

Beltana

 

Day 10- William Creek to Beltana

 After a lazy start to the day we packed up and headed out of  WC. First break was at a great viewing area beside lake eyre south. Turned out to be very social with lots of travellers keen to chat. Next stop was a Maree for some $3 diesel and supplies in the well stocked servo shop. Lisa and Ash loved the joint. We then headed for the Flinders. Turns out the road south of Maree is now sealed. We pulled up for the night in a little historic town called Beltane which is 10ks off the main road. They have made a little Hip camp in town with toilets and showers. Only 3 of us here. It’s fantastic. Tomorrow off to Wilpena. I have an oil leak on the transfer case  I will have to try and do something with it before we break camp tomorrow .