We headed north towards Bedourie along quite decent roads, with just one 10 km stretch that was very rough, consisting of jagged stones protruding through the surface. The remaining 185 km consisted of sections of bitumen and dirt.
Our morning tea stop was at the site of the Carcory Homestead ruins. The homestead was built in 1877 by Hector and Norman Wilson. Years of drought and the loss of over 4000 bullocks led to the property being abandoned by Sidney Kidman in 1906. Carcory is now part of Rosberth Station.
Our morning tea stop was at the site of the Carcory Homestead ruins. The homestead was built in 1877 by Hector and Norman Wilson. Years of drought and the loss of over 4000 bullocks led to the property being abandoned by Sidney Kidman in 1906. Carcory is now part of Rosberth Station.
We stopped opposite the pub in Bedourie and had lunch before pumping up our tyres for the remaining 190 km of bitumen to Boulia.
Our campsite tonight is on a tributary of the Georgina River about 60 km south of Boulia. Best of all, we had the whole place to ourselves, so we backed down as far as we could without damaging the van. When we arrived at 3:15, the temperature was 31 degrees, so after setting up camp, we enjoyed a cold beer sitting in the shade and staring at the water.
A little after 6.00, I lit the fire as we enjoyed a rum and several glasses of red wine. After dinner, we sat outside until well after dark, then went inside for a shower and a coffee, with the van's temperature still at 20 degrees.
There was no need to run the diesel heater this morning, as the van's temperature was 14 degrees. There was also no real rush to leave, with just 60 km of bitumen to Boulia. All the important tasks had been completed when we first arrived, such as refuelling, topping up water, and changing our cassette. Afterwards, we headed to the Min Min Centre to enjoy coffee and cake at their café, which we had visited ten years earlier.
We had planned to celebrate my birthday there, so you can imagine our disappointment when we found out the café was now closed, but we could still get a coffee from a machine in the next room. Not to be deterred, we crossed the road to a café that served the most dreadful coffee and cake we have ever experienced.
It has been ten years since we drove west to east along the Plenty and Donohue Highways, so we were surprised to learn at the information centre that the bitumen now stretched all the way to the border. Our campsite tonight was just above the dry bed of the Georgina River, not far from Glenormiston Station, and 123 km west of Boulia. To our surprise, we encountered 18 km of dirt before reaching the river, and we still had 141 km to go to reach the border.
We celebrated my birthday dinner with a lovely bottle of red wine, and we enjoyed steak, eggs, and onions cooked over the fire. What more could anyone wish for...
I asked a fellow camper, whom I had seen coming from the direction of Alice Springs, about the rest of the road to the border, and he told us that the majority of it was dirt. So before leaving, I reduced all our tyre pressures for what lay ahead. So much for getting the correct information from a visitor centre.
I asked a fellow camper, whom I had seen coming from the direction of Alice Springs, about the rest of the road to the border, and he told us that the majority of it was dirt. So before leaving, I reduced all our tyre pressures for what lay ahead. So much for getting the correct information from a visitor centre.
We briefly stopped at Tobermorey Station, which lies just inside the territory border. They have a very nice camping area with lush green grass, but $25 a night is a bit steep.
We have driven all the major dirt roads in Australia, and this is our second crossing of the Plenty Highway; however, we have never encountered road conditions like those we experienced today. The majority of the road from the border to our campsite on the banks of the dry Arthur River, covering 163 km, was quite rough and very challenging to drive, with me unable to see anything but the road surface. Most of the surface was filled with rocks of all sizes poking through, along with corrugations and bulldust holes. Our total trip for the day was 276 km and took us over seven hours to complete.
Our meal tonight was simple after such a harrowing day, and we enjoyed ham, red onion, and cheese jaffles cooked over the fire. It never ceases to amaze me how something so straightforward to prepare can taste so good.
Another cold morning, and the diesel heater was turned on yet again. We left after 8:30, heading to fill up at Jervois Station. Fuel costs $1.89 per litre, and the property spans over one million acres, running ten thousand head of cattle. Camping fees are much cheaper than those at Tobermorey, at just $ 5.00 per night.
The road surface improved, although we still encountered similar conditions to those of yesterday from time to time.
We called into Harts Range, now known by its Aboriginal name of Atitjera, to ask about camping past the racecourse. As we drove into the community, everything was shut, and we then realised it was Sunday with only limited trading hours.
I have always wanted to camp in the hills south of the racecourse. The site is known as the Spotted Tiger campground and is used by people fossicking for gemstones. So we headed off for 8 km on an extremely corrugated track, where much of the time we were down to almost walking pace.
As we turned a corner, we were confronted with an official Aboriginal sign stating 'No Entry, Penalties Apply.'
The road surface improved, although we still encountered similar conditions to those of yesterday from time to time.
We called into Harts Range, now known by its Aboriginal name of Atitjera, to ask about camping past the racecourse. As we drove into the community, everything was shut, and we then realised it was Sunday with only limited trading hours.
I have always wanted to camp in the hills south of the racecourse. The site is known as the Spotted Tiger campground and is used by people fossicking for gemstones. So we headed off for 8 km on an extremely corrugated track, where much of the time we were down to almost walking pace.
As we turned a corner, we were confronted with an official Aboriginal sign stating 'No Entry, Penalties Apply.'
After an eight-point turn and feeling quite disappointed, we returned to the Plenty and continued for another 32 km, then camped in an old gravel pit visible from the road but more than 500 metres away, so hopefully the evening will be peaceful.
On our way to the pit, we stopped to chat with three Bushtrackers heading east, taking their time to reach Echuca for the Bushtracker muster in September.
We enjoyed lamb cutlets and vegetables, then sat outside while the fire died down before moving inside. At 3 am, we had our first dingo encounter — one howling outside our van and drinking water from our shower bucket.
Our gravel pit was just 30 km east of Gemtree, and we continued into Alice on single-lane bitumen until reaching the Stuart Highway intersection.
We are now camping at the Big 4 MacDonnell Range caravan park for the next six nights.
On our way to the pit, we stopped to chat with three Bushtrackers heading east, taking their time to reach Echuca for the Bushtracker muster in September.
We enjoyed lamb cutlets and vegetables, then sat outside while the fire died down before moving inside. At 3 am, we had our first dingo encounter — one howling outside our van and drinking water from our shower bucket.
Our gravel pit was just 30 km east of Gemtree, and we continued into Alice on single-lane bitumen until reaching the Stuart Highway intersection.
We are now camping at the Big 4 MacDonnell Range caravan park for the next six nights.
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