The push back south

Well with mark heading back to Sydney I spent the night back out at silverton. After spending a bit of time talking to some other travellers I lit the fire and had some nice steak cooking in no time. Around 3am there was a bit of rain but the good old B&W Simpson swag handled it well with not a drop getting in. At day break it was a slow pack up and a quick shower and coffee and I was on my way. My plan was to go and checkout the lakes around menindee and then head over to mungo np. Well 100 and a bit km down the road I get to menindee go to turn in to the np to checkout the lakes but came to a quick stop with a big sign telling me the road is closed due to the rain overnight. So back out and take the turn to wentworth a couple of km down the road which is the way to mungo np only to yet again be turned back due to another closed road. So after contemplating my next move I made the call to back track to broken hill and head south down the silver city hwy. with a very uneventful day on the black top I made my way south of mildura did some exploring down the mallee track and its off shoots then back on the black top for a bit then off into the scrub for the night. Sometime around midnight the winds began to blow getting increasingly stronger and the rain began to get heavier until the rain was blowing side ways it looked as thou it was raining as many leaves as it was water. With a few good size branches coming down and what sounded like a good size tree not to far away I packed up and hit the road. So a good night/morning driving. I now love my led light bar, it left my hid lights on the bar for dead. With a much better white light that didn’t reflect of the signs as much and much better spread (180•) and about the same distance. Now sitting in ballarat having a coffee thinking I will hit Lorne for a few days fishing 🙂

Corner country

Well it’s been a couple of days so thought I would update you all on our WALKABOUT adventures.
So last time we had just arrived in Broken Hill. Once in town we found a quick feed and resupply of food and then made our way to Penrose park, the caravan park/ old picnic park at Silverton. After we checked in we made a straight line for the shower block and our first proper shower in days. After that we headed to the best place in town, the pub. Here we got to see the publican teach a couple of pommy ladies why you never except a challenge from an outback bar maid. I won’t go into detail but let’s just say when you are told to look one way and put a funnel down the front of your pants expect to walk out with a cold wet crotch lol. After everyone had stopped laughing themselves silly at the pommy ladies expense we made our way to the beer garden to enjoy a few quiet ales and a pub meal ( I could say the meal was nice but……) we finally headed back to camp and on the way bumped into one of the locals wondering the streets of Silverton that made a bit of an Arse of himself ( yes the donkey 😉 ). Once back at camp we started the fire and continued to enjoy the night with a few more cold ones before hitting the swags.
The next morning we hit the road and after a quick refuel headed for Cameron Corner, about 500km north. A few hours later and about 330km of combined tar and dirt rd we arrived at Tibooburra. Here we stopped for lunch at a upturned 12 oar boat on poles that is a monument to the Charles Sturt expedition. I don’t blame them for ditching the boat around here and am amazed they made it as far as they did. We then continued to the corner dodging the sheep, cattle, roos, goats, emus, wedge tail eagles and lizards.
Once at the corner and after the obligatory stops for photos we made our way into the corner store and proceeded to have a couple of cold ones with the 1 local and the husband and wife behind the bar. Soon we were joined by a couple more and then a couple more who seemed to be the owners. And wouldn’t you know it at a bar in the middle of nowhere with 8 people in it 4 of use were from Tassie, the 2 owners from Wynyard (west coast) another bloke from Woodbridge (south of Hobart) and of course yours truly from Hobart. As sunset wasn’t far off we made our way the couple of hundred meters to our campsite and rolled out the swags and light the fire and in no time had the T bones cooking over the fire as we watched the sunset with our feet up and beer in hand. With the warm weather I kicked back the top of the swag and enjoyed going to sleep while watching the amazingly clear nights sky. In the morning it was back on the road and the drive back to broken hill. Once back in broken hill Mark made the decision to head back to the big smoke of Sydney with a gearbox that had started making a noise in Melbourne in 2nd gear now getting noisier in every gear but 5th. So after a quick goodbye and a shuffle of a few things between vehicles I have made my way back to Penrose park for the night to contemplate where to head now as I was planing on heading down the border track but without a second car it’s probably not the best way back. So stay tuned to see where I end up next 😉

The adventure continues

Well I thought that after a few days without reception while I sit here I. Broken hill I would update you all on where we’ve been.
After exploring more of wyperfeld/big desert np we continued north through murrayville cutting almost straight across the mallee hwy to stay on the dirt and off the black top and headed north into Murray sunset np. We spent a bit of time here following some tracks which were all in good condition. We finally ended up in mildura and after a quick stop for food and fuel we headed for the Murray river (lock 9 to be exact ) from here we followed a track that runs right along the rivers edge. After a few km we pulled up for the night light the fire and generally enjoyed the surroundings.
The next morning we had a lazy start and decided to keep following the track along the river with hope it would lead us into the top of Murray sunset np on the boarder of sa all was looking good until we had to cross a small river that ran into the Murray. We followed the track a bit further in the hope we would find a better spot to cross. But we finally came to a property fence after a couple of km with no gate through. After back tracking to the water crossing and a few minutes of contemplating weather to try the crossing I made the call to don the shorts and walk it first. After making it all the way across with the water only getting to my knees I walked back across and got ready to cross. Knowing it was a bit soft under the water I gave it enough power to hopefully get me out the other side. Well when I got within a meter of the other bank I was about a foot to the right of where I had walked and wouldn’t you know it I went straight to the axles 😦 . With the river being as wide as it was we had to join 3 snatch straps together and even then it only gave mark about 1-2 meters to snatch from without the risk of getting stuck himself. As it turns out after getting the snatch straps wet and muddy after several attempts he was never going to move the patrol which was well and truly sitting on its axles. So out came the winch and the tree prospector and the 20m winch extension strap all with mark sitting on the other bank having a good laugh. Once everything was setup I jumped back in and winched myself out. But now I had to get back over the other side as the call was made not to continue along this track as it was only heading into more wet areas going by the map. So a quick pack up of the recovery gear and the patrol now facing back to where I had come from. I aimed the wheels a foot to the side of where I had come to grief and hoped for the best. With the foot down I made it through and a foot from coming out the other side I came to a stop but this time a quick throw into reverse and back into drive soon saw me back on the other side with mark. From here we back tracked to lock 9 and back to the sturt hwy which lead us over the as border and into renmark. From here we headed north onto the dirt into chowilla reserve to follow another track further north and into danggali conservation park where we pitched up for the night.
With another early start we continued north eventually turning east. A few km from the border stopped at an intersection in the middle of nowhere I looked out the passenger window not to see mark parked next to me but the owner of the neighbouring property who turned out to be a top bloke and had only owned the property for a few weeks. So after following him back over the border onto his property we had a chat for awhile and continued on dodging the goats on the way until another 100km or so we hit the black top once again about 95km from broken hill which is where we are now and about to head to silverton to spend the night.

Photos

Little to big desert

After a day playing on some of the tracks in the little desert we found a nice campsite next to a waterhole and soon after arriving got a fire going and set up camp for the night. With the fire going we thought it was time to get the old campoven out and cooked a nice roast lamb and veggies washed down with a few cold beers. Around 1am a big down pour set in but we slept it out and by sunrise the rain had stopped.
After a quick cuppa we were on the tracks again and heading north. We had a quick stop at Nhill to top up the tanks and shortly after we were entering the big desert and on the chinaman track which turned out to be a but of fun with some water across the track being a bit deeper then expected at times but we both made it through that track plus a few others and we are now kicking back around a nice firepit (dug with our multi tool shovel 😉 ) with the chook in the campoven and beer in hand and hopping for clear sky’s tonight.