This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Monthly Archives: June 2017


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1999 Travels August 12

THURSDAY 12 AUGUST   STUARTS WELL TO CHAMBERS PILLAR   167kms

We were up at 7.30am, after a good night’s sleep, despite the occasional waft of odour from the camel farm next door.

Again, it took us two hours to breakfast and pack up – this is starting to look like the norm.

John topped up the diesel at the Roadhouse – $1.00 cpl.

Took the Stuart Highway south, for 10kms, then turned east onto the unsealed High Stock Route. This road appeared to have been recently graded and was in quite good condition, apart from a couple of bulldust patches that pulled Truck to one side when we ploughed into them.

And this road had gates! Lots of gates. I must have opened and closed at least eight of the things, in about 60kms.

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Just one of many gates on the Hugh Stock Route

As the name suggests, this route roughly parallels the Hugh River, for some of the way, but at too great a distance to really see it. After nearly 40kms, we crossed the Adelaide to Alice Springs rail line – carefully stopping and checking that there were no trains looming in the distance. We drove beside the railway for a short distance, before crossing the Hugh River bed; the nearby rail crossing was on a nice high bridge.

After another 25kms, came to the junction with the Old South Road – also unsealed – and turned south. The road was alright.

It was some 33kms to Maryvale Homestead. For a little way, the road ran close to the alignment of the Old Ghan rail route, before it swung away to the SE. We did not sidetrack to visit the Rodinga siding ruins at this point, being focussed on getting to today’s destination of Chambers Pillar.

We stopped at the store at Maryvale and bought biscuits and a tin of smoked oysters – these would be lunch. Bought a map, and some coke. All this cost $25. At least, we were able to use Visa for it.

Now we deviated from the Old South Road onto the track to Chambers Pillar, to the south west of Maryvale. After a few kms, stopped at the crossing of the Hugh River to eat our impromptu lunch. Buying the makings at the store saved having to unpack anything in Truck, apart from the board, plates, knife, tin opener that I carry in the picnic basket on the back seat, with the thermos and drink makings.

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The dry Hugh River bed, near Maryvale, where we stopped for lunch

After that, the track varied from good to challenging. There were bulldust patches at times.

We stopped to add to the firewood supply that we already had tied up on the roof rack.

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Gathering more firewood from beside the track

The crossing of the Charlotte Range, that other people had told us was hard, seemed easy enough to us. From here, we caught our first look at Chambers Pillar – distant, but quite clearly an impressive, slender column. There were surrounding flat topped hills, just like we’d seen further south, on the Oodnadatta Track.

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First look at Chambers Pillar, on the centre horizon. Track is indicated by the red line in the sand

The sand dunes that came after the Range were more challenging. This was the only section of the track in where we might have had problems, had we tried to bring the van in here. John had to have two attempts at one dune, after taking the wrong route the first time.

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Tackling a dune. The Range crossing is behind us on the horizon

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In places, the track was quite good

Chambers Pillar is a sandstone column that stands about 50 metres above the surrounding country – therefore it has been quite a landmark for earlier travellers and explorers. The first to see it, and name it, was John McDoull Stuart, in 1860.

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Chambers Pillar

The colours of the Pillar, and the nearby eroded landforms, remind me of Rainbow Valley, so I am guessing that the same factors caused there to be more resistant red sandstone at the top.

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Window Rock (left) and Castle Rock (right) are close by to Chambers Pillar

We reached the camp area, 45kms from Maryvale. This is near the base of the Pillar. The camp area is small, but very pleasant, with desert oaks that give some shade. It is a very scenic place to camp, between the Pillar and Castle Rock, which is even more impressive, I think. It has greater complexity and therefore more moods as the light changes.

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Castle Rock and part of the campground

We paid $5 in camp fees – honesty box system. There were several other lots of campers there, so we had no real choice about where we fitted, but we did like the bay we got into. We had a fire pit/BBQ plate, a low table platform, and there were pit toilets for the campground. Very nice.

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Our camp at Chambers Pillar, with Castle Rock behind

Set up as quickly as we could, then walked to the Pillar, which was only about 500 metres away. We walked around the base and scrambled up the scree slope to the base of the rock pillar, proper. This was a steep little climb.

08-12-1999 pillar from below

We had to scramble up this loose scree face to reach the base of the Pillar

Some workmen were there, building a walkway around the western face at the base of the rock part of the Pillar. The workmen were camping here too, accounting for why the campground seemed fuller than we’d expected.

08-12-1999 07 Chambers Pillar east face

The eastern face of Chambers Pillar

Apparently the platform  is needed due to erosion by tourist, like us. Hopefully, it will stop these same tourists from carving their initials into the Pillar – we saw too much evidence of that. What is it about some people that they must do moronic stuff like that?

The platform will impinge on photos of the sunsets, though. It is a very photogenic place. We were lucky to have blue sky, with just a few bits of cloud, for interest, without spoiling the light.

08-12-1999 12 Chambers Pillar west face

The western face of Chambers Pillar, and the partially built walking platform at its base

There were great views from the base of the Pillar, out over the surrounding country. We looked for a while in the general direction we plan to head after this. It looks big country! In a place like this, I feel very small and insignificant.

08-12-1999 08 country sth of Pillar where we going.jpg

The view from the base of the Pillar, towards the south, where we are going next

We wandered about for a while, taking photos. There was no shortage of material as different angles and vistas opened up. Did some more of this, later, as the sun was going down – wonderful colours.

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Late afternoon sun on Window Rock

08-12-1999 14 sunset on castle rock and camp

Castle Rock – late afternoon light over the camp ground

John did the radio sched with Alice Springs base.

Tea was a packet minestrone soup, and a Hawaiian tofu stir fry. Quite enough to satisfy.

We noticed lots of predatory crows in the campground – have to be careful not to leave anything unguarded that they might want to investigate.

The Chescold fridge appears not to be working! We disconnected it from the gas, emptied it, turned it upside down and shook it for a while, then talked nicely to it. Put it all back together again and now can but hope. Past experience has taught us that sometimes gases or chemicals or something, settle and compact on rough roads, and a good shake up is all that is needed. It will be a real nuisance if it has decided to really break down.

After tea, John worked on more map and GPS entry. I just sat about, taking in the solitude and the night noises.

Later, it seemed the fridge was working.

The night was cool, but not cold.

08-12-1999 chambers pillar.JPG

The route to Chambers Pillar


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1999 Travels August 11

WEDNESDAY 11 AUGUST   BOGGY HOLE TO STUARTS WELL   174kms

We had a good night’s sleep. Woke to a day that was warm, but with high cloud coming in rapidly.

Got up at 7.30. It took us a couple of hours to breakfast and pack up – no hurry.

Then we continued on along the Finke. Crawled past the other campers, who all appeared to be staying longer. The track at this point (the waterhole) was – obviously – up on the bank at the side of the river. But soon it was back to alternating river bed driving with criss crossing and bank driving.

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The track goes up the river bank – and some have had difficulty here

The river sections were a mix of sandy wheel ruts, then river stone sections.

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A stony section of the Finke River bed

08-11-1999 04 looking back at Finke Gorge from sth of Boggy Hole

Looking back up the Finke Gorge, from the track south of Boggy Hole

Occasionally the track deviated away from the river, through higher mulga country, cutting across where there was a big bend and meeting the river again.

It certainly is a majestic river. It would be impossible to see it in full flow, except from the air, in the Finke Gorge section, but it would be quite something.

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The Finke River, south of Boggy Hole, looking upstream

Truck handled the difficult conditions really well.

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The track criss-crossed the river

We came to a sign that marked the exit point from the National Park – a rare man-made landmark on this route.

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Leaving the National Park

It took us a couple of hours to get from Boggy Hole to the Running Waters Yards – relics from older pastoral times. It is here that the Finke swings east and the track goes west, for some 12kms.

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Running Waters Yards

Just before we got to the Yards, met a vehicle heading north – the only vehicle we’d encountered in two days, at that time. It was noon, and he was aiming to make Palm Valley! He had no idea of how rough and slow the track was about to become.

At the next track junction, we debated whether to keep going on the side track to Ilamurta Springs and old police station ruins, to the west. I’d have liked to go there and camp the night, but John preferred to keep going on our main objectives. So we turned to the south.

From here, the route was across low red sand dunes, in fairly flat country. The river red gums were replaced by desert oaks. On this stretch we met a group of five vehicles, towing camper trailers. They would soon be encountering difficulties on some of the sandy, rough, steep river bank sections to come. We’d thought a few of these entry and exit points a bit reminiscent of the OTL Track on Cape York! But without the water. The young couple that we spoke to yesterday, at Boggy Hole, had needed to snatch a Disco towing a camper that was stuck on that section.

John wished the group luck!

08-11-1999 10 track south of Running Water Yards.jpg

The run south to the Ernest Gikes Road

After a rather faster, but much less interesting run to the south, we came to the junction with the Ernest Giles road, and turned east. This is the unsealed route that cuts from the Kings Canyon road, across to the Stuart Highway.

We stopped to eat our lunch at the dry Palmer River crossing. The country now was markedly different to that around the Western MacDonnells to the north.

08-11-1999 11 Rogers Pass scene Ernest Giles rd.jpg

At Rogers Pass, on the Ernest Giles Road

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Lunch stop at the dry Palmer River crossing on the Ernest Giles Road

The Finke Gorge was an excellent little trek and I am very glad that we did it.

Not long before we reached the main highway, we turned off to the north, to drive for 5kms along a track to the Henbury Meteorite Craters. A few thousand years ago, a meteorite heading for Earth broke up in the atmosphere and the pieces impacted here, making craters of varying sizes.

We walked the few hundred metres to look at the main crater. It was definitely worth the short detour. Without knowing its origins, one could think it was a very large, partially filled-in quarry. Or an old volcanic vent – had there been volcanoes anywhere around here!

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Henbury Meteorite Crater

We were hot and thirsty by now. It was sunny, though there was some cloud still. Conditions were such as to make us look forward to the end of the day’s driving.

Reached the bitumen Stuart Highway and turned north. We soon crossed the Finke, yet again, but this time via bridge. The river here was wide, with the sandy bed we were used to, and multiple dry channels. I thought that floods here would cut the highway, for sure, given the low level bridging.

After  40kms, we came to Stuarts Well, with its roadhouse and camp area. This was 10kms north of where we wanted to turn off again, but we decided to do the extra, to refuel, and also for a convenient camp spot. This is fairly small, intended really for overnighters, like ourselves.

08-11-1999 15 pioneer truck and wallara ranch sign.jpg

Stuarts Well Roadhouse, with its Wallara Ranch sign. Our camp area was beneath the trees in the background.

We paid $12, for a pleasant grassy place to pitch the tent – grass! There was no power but there were lots of galahs in the surrounding trees, depositing their droppings on our camp gear and Truck.

We bought ourselves a cold beer – $3 each – and sat in the shaded beer garden area for a couple of hours, while John programmed his GPS and I read.

I bought some postcards of Chambers Pillar – tomorrow’s destination.

Stuarts Well is an interesting place. The father of the man  who owns it originally built Wallara Ranch, just east of Kings Canyon. It was they who, in 1961, formed the first track to Kings Canyon, and set the Ranch up as a tourism base, before the days of the current resort, on land leased from the station owner. Then in 1990 the station owner refused to negotiate reasonable terms for the lease renewal. It was believed that this was due to pressure from those who wanted to develop Kings Canyon further, and hoped to thus acquire the ranch lease cheaply. In protest, the leasee bulldozed everything they had built at Wallara, before leaving and setting up Stuarts Well.

The old Wallara Ranch sign now hangs at the front of the roadhouse, and an old truck is parked on display – with the attached frame that was used to make the first track to Kings Canyon. There is a display, inside, of the history outlined above. It made interesting reading. A story too often repeated – the “small man”/battler losing out to the power of big business.

08-11-1999 14 Stuarts Well rig that made first Kings Canyon track

This rig pushed the first track through to Kings Canyon

I had a lovely warm shower, albeit in a cramped Atco facility.

I think I may have been a bit dehydrated from today’s heat, as I didn’t feel at all hungry. I had some lettuce, tomato and cheese, while John had a great fish and chip and salad meal at the roadhouse for $9.50.

We sat and read until bedtime at 10.30. The night was quite warm and it was pleasant sitting out. The galahs in the trees kept squabbling – or maybe protesting about the bright light from our lantern?

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From Boggy Hole camp to Stuarts Well Roadhouse


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1999 Travels August 10

TUESDAY 10 AUGUST   PALM VALLEY TO BOGGY HOLE   56kms

Today was our eighth wedding anniversary. What a contrast to last year – from the lush tropical Far North Qld to the arid Red Centre!

It took us two hours to breakfast, pack up, and leave – from 8am to 10am. But we didn’t really hurry.

The day was hot – brilliant blue sky.

Had to drive back to Hermannsburg, the way we had come in here. Once, adventurers accessed the route south right down the Finke River, but that “short cut” from the Palm Valley track is now forbidden. The access road goes from Hermannsburg.

We topped up with diesel – 92cpl – and bought a few things at the store there. Then we headed SE out of town on a road that intersected with Ellery Creek, where we took to the creek bed and banks.

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The track followed the bed of Ellery Creek towards the Finke River

The first part of our way was through aboriginal land along Ellery Creek. It was just a bit sandy.

Once we got into Ellery Creek Gorge, the route began to criss-cross the stream bed. Sometimes we were in sand, sometimes in water worn stones. The gorge walls were a real orange-red. It was most spectacular.

The valley widened out again, somewhat, as we approached the junction with the Finke River, which came in from the west – our right. The Finke River was first found and explored by our old friend Ernest Giles. For him, subsequent explorers, missionaries and settlers, it was a way through the ranges. As Boggy Hole usually has water, that was an additional benefit. Of course, the aboriginals would have been using this route and this waterhole, prior to white arrivals.

08-10-1999 02 junction of Ellery Ck & Finke R

The junction of the Finke River and Ellery Creek

After the junction of the two streams, there was much more sand. We found no real problem areas, though it was slow going. For most of the way, the track was in the dry Finke River bed itself, though at times it moved up onto the bank beside the main channel.

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Finke Gorge ahead

 

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The track winding its way through Finke Gorge

The Gorge walls stayed red and rugged. River red gums grew in the river bed. Debris from previous floods was piled against the upstream side of some of these trees – higher than our Truck. It might not happen often, but they obviously have some very enormous flows in these parts. The Gorge would channel these flows, obviously.

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Truck in the Finke River bed with flood debris piled against a river red gum

Occasionally, there were very small waterholes, or areas of tall grasses and rushes that indicated where water had been standing.

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A little waterhole in the Finke

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The river bed got wider and the track got sandier

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Finke Gorge, not far from Boggy Hole

We reached the Boggy Hole area about 1pm, and ate our packed lunch. Then we explored a bit and found a place to camp – by a reedy section of the long waterhole. This offered an open camp area, as opposed to those a bit further up by the main part of the waterhole. It was a bit dusty, though. We had water birds near us, and a vivid red rock wall behind the waterhole. Overall, we thought it was a pretty spot.

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Our camp at Boggy Hole, with the waterhole and gorge wall behind

John went off in Truck to scrounge some firewood, while I did some camp setting up. He managed to get a little bogged in an innocuous looking patch of bulldust, near the camp! It was hard to believe. The spade, and the use of our shadecloth mats, extricated him, easily.

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Unbelievable! Bogged in bulldust near our camp

After setting up camp – which does not take long – we walked along to the main part of the waterhole. There were other camps set up there – a lone couple, and a group of four vehicles with a lot of people. There was a large burned area, where it seemed a campfire may have gotten away, and a big mass of melted fibreglass that maybe once was a canoe! Whoever the mess belonged to should have taken it out with them, not just left it there to mar the place!

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Boggy Hole waterhole in the Finke River Gorge

We had not seen anyone else on the track since leaving Hermannsburg, so had originally been surprised to find other campers at Boggy Hole – assumed they had left earlier and were ahead of us, but found out in talking with them that they’d come from the south. Well, that tells us the track that way is passable!

Walked back to our camp, which was about 500 metres from the others – nice and peaceful. Lit a campfire.

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The Finke River in front of our camp at Boggy Hole waterhole

At 5pm, we radioed in to VKS737, listened to the sched for a while, then reported, in our turn, our location, that all was well and our plans for the next couple of days.

Went down to the waterhole to collect water to use for dishes and washing.

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Late afternoon at camp

Tea was salmon cakes and salad.

After tea, once it was dark, John had a bush shower, from the black bag, which he’d put out to warm as soon as we’d arrived here. I used baby wipes for a quick wash – none of this exposure to the elements for me!

We sat around the campfire and drank our celebratory bottle of Omni.

I wrote up the diary. We read by the light from the kero lantern, but did not stay up all that late.

The night was clear, and cold.

John sneezed a few times and it made a strange, echoing roar, because of the gorge walls. I wonder what the other campers thought it was?

Coots and ducks kept up the occasional call from the waterhole, well into the night. Their noise was amplified too.

08-10-1999 finke route


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1999 Travels August 9

MONDAY 9 AUGUST     PALM VALLEY

The coach camp groups were up at dawn and made heaps of noise around the amenity block, so woke much of the campground. But it was too chilly to get up then, unless one had to. John eventually got up at 8, I had a rare sleep in, until 9.

We had decided to tackle the 5km Mpaara/Ampitheatre walk today.

After breakfast, took the walk track the half km or so, to the start of the walk, bird spotting as we went. Saw teenage and female Splendid Wrens, but no sign of a male one. Of course, it is the males who have the brilliant blue and purple plumage, the others are dull by comparison, with just a blue tail.

The track took us across to the Finke River, then along this to the Glen of Palms.

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Walking beside the Finke River towards the Glen of Palms

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At the Glen of Palms, looking forward to where we are going

There, we left the Finke for a tributary valley and climbed steadily and steeply up this to a sort of saddle on a ridge. The view from here, over the Ampitheatre towards Palm Creek – ringed by rock walls – was stunning.

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Climbing up – looking back down to the Glen of Palms and the Finke River

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From the saddle, this was the scene looking to our left…….

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…….then panning towards the right…..

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…….and more to the right, seeing why it is called the Ampitheatre……

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………finally, right around to Palm Creek in the distance. We go down there

The track then descended the ridge face and crossed flats to Kalarranga Lookout.

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Looking back

It was a rough walk in places, but John’s legs were ok.

We had a slightly late lunch after an exhilarating walk.

In the afternoon, we read for a while. John fiddled with the GPS, entering locations for tomorrow’s trip along the Finke. We took down the tarp, late in the afternoon, and packed it and the poles away.

Tea was packet soup, bacon, egg, potato and salad.

It was a very cold night. We had to get out the polar fleece jackets!

There was a crescent moon and brilliant star display.

We had a good night’s sleep after the exercise of the day.

08-08-1999 palm valley terrain.JPG

Palm Valley terrain. The dotted lines show our walks


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1999 Travels August 8

SUNDAY 8 AUGUST     PALM VALLEY

I got up at 6.30. Sometime during the night, John had rolled himself up in the bedclothes, so I woke up freezing. I went for a walk, in the early-morning light, to get warm – around the road and up the track to the Lookout. Sat up there for a while, watching birds and enjoying the solitude. Got back to camp about 8am, just as John was stirring.

The morning was rather cloudy.

After breakfast, drove the 4km track up to Palm Valley. This followed the line of Palm Creek for most of the way, some of it in the creek bed. It was quite rough, with rock ledges and sandy parts. Definitely 4WD needed.

By the time we set out walking, it was getting sunnier and becoming quite hot.

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As we walked along the bed of Palm Creek, we started to see some red cabbage palms

From the car park at the end of the track, walked the 5km Mpulu Walk. This took us, firstly, along the creek valley where the Livistona – red cabbage – palms occur, that are unique to this place. As this is what people come to Palm Valley to see, this first part of the walk had too many other people around for it to be totally enjoyable. However, most people only do the short walk to, and through, the palm part, and then go back the way they came, once the palms start to thin out.

08-08-1999 03 Palm Valley walk relics of wetter time

Walking in Palm Creek Valley

In places, water seeping from the sandstone valley walls was evident; it is this “fossil water” that sustains the palms.

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Seepage marks across the rock valley floor to a small waterhole

The combinations of rocky slabs on the valley floor, red rock walls, assorted plants, and occasional pools of water made for beautiful natural landscaping – the sort that people in the cities pay a fortune to have replicated.

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Landscaping by Nature

Our track returned to the car park via the ridge top, which was drier, and which offered some great outlooks. After we’d done the palm part, and followed the creek around in a big U curve, we climbed up the valley wall to the top of the plateau and ridge area. There were good views back over Palm Creek and south to the Areyoonya Valley as we walked back to the car park.

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Looking back down into Palm Valley from the track up to the top

I got some close-up photos of a pair of Spinifex Pigeons putting on a very nonchalant display and ignoring us.

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Hen pecked?

Back to camp the way we’d come, very carefully.

When we got back to camp, there was a big group of what we assumed were day trippers, having a BBQ picnic in the camp area, despite the existence of a picnic area down the track. They had parked in our camping bay, by the tent, so we asked them to move. Later, we had to ask them to please be quieter – they were so intrusive and noisy. It is an affront in such a peaceful place. We were very glad when they left – they didn’t clean the BBQ after themselves, of course.

Then we could relax and read peacefully for what was left of the afternoon.

There is an AAT group, and a safari tours outfit in the coach camp area, so there are still hordes of people about.

Tea was packet soup, sausages BBQ’d, potato and salad. I am back to cooking on the gas stove, of course – two burners.

The night sky was clear, with lots of stars, so it was very cold. I wore woolly socks to bed, and put the old sleeping bag we carry for guests, over the doona, too. That made the bed much warmer, and better.


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1999 Travels August 7

SATURDAY 7 AUGUST     PALM VALLEY

We got up at 8am. It was quite warm by then, but cloudy.

Spent some time chatting with a couple with two primary age children, from North Ringwood, not far from home.

Walked the Kalarranga Lookout walk – only about 1.5kms and quite easy. There were very good views down the Palm Creek valley, and over the Ampitheatre in the central valley.

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The Palm Creek valley from Kalarranga Lookout

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On Kalarranga Lookout

There was a crew filming something on top of the Lookout. It was a pleasant little circuit to walk.

08-07-1999 02 view over Ampitheatre from Kalaranga LO

Looking over The Ampitheatre from Kalarranga Lookout – with some palms

Had lunch back at the tent.

Then we had a relaxed afternoon, just enjoying being in the bush surrounds. There were a lot of other campers came in through the afternoon, and by dusk there were few sites left. Somehow, we lucked getting in here ahead of a crowd. It is so good to be away from the town again.

During the afternoon, darker clouds started coming in and a wind blew up that became quite strong.

John started reading a new book – Cry of the Curlew – that we’d bought in Alice as our wedding anniversary present (early). Part of our camp set up was a sort of “verandah” for the tent – a tarp on four poles. so it provides shade a shelter – an outdoor living area!

We had our showers mid-afternoon, while there was still hot water left.

Tea was steak, mushrooms, potato, zucchini.

By 8pm, the camp area was very crowded, as visitors continued to come in, and campers had filled up the coach area too. Two showers and toilets per gender are not really sufficient now! I guess this may partly be because it is a weekend, and the place is not too far from Alice. Possibly not the best planning on my part – might have been better to wait till after the weekend.

There was no check made, that I could see, by staff, over who had paid, via the honesty box system. I wondered how many had not bothered, thinking they could get away with it.

Early night, for us. The night was cold, so there was not a great incentive to sit outside for too long.

08-07-1999 palm valley.JPG


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1999 Travels August 6

FRIDAY 6 AUGUST   ALICE SPRINGS TO PALM VALLEY   155kms

Today is the second anniversary of John’s hip operation. I hope that is a good omen!

We finally got away, though it took us until midday.

It took quite a while to finalize the van for storage. There was much had to go inside the van, that we couldn’t put in until we were out, including the two bikes.

John had been concerned about vans being moved around in the storage area, but they assured him that our van would not be moved again, once it was in. We backed it in very well, ourselves. The stored vans are quite close together. It is going to cost us $2 a day.

I booked us on for four nights on our return – definite dates to be confirmed later. This will give John a chance for some bowls, again!

Then we had the real final shopping to do: wine casks, a beanie and new thongs for John, kerosene for the lantern. I bought a ticket in a big jackpot lotto draw. Picked up the result sheet for the last Territorian lottery and found I’d won $10. That will be a cheque that is mailed home.

And so we left town………

We headed west, towards Hermannsburg. Larapinta Drive looked different, this time, with cloudy skies. The range was very orange. Stopped to eat our packed lunch at the picnic area at the Hugh River crossing.

At Hermannsburg, took the Palm Valley track to the south. The 21km track was fairly rough, rocky in places, certainly needing high clearance, but not really 4WD. The track parallels the Finke River, was sometimes in its dry bed, then branched off along Palm Creek to the west.

We reached the Palm Valley campground mid afternoon, signed ourselves in at the information bay/entry station – $5 each a night. It is National Park.  Camp sites were delineated by bollards. There were plenty empty, so we had a good choice of where to go.

Set up camp. The first time is always the slowest – I hope!

The camp ground is alongside Palm Creek – dry, of course. It is in quite a deep valley, so there are red rock walls on both sides of us. There is quite a good little amenities block, with flush toilets and solar heated showers. There is a free gas BBQ.

The birdlife around the campground is prolific – crows, ringneck parrots, mynahs, butcherbirds, magpies – so there was much bird noise. There were also circling kites overhead.

From our site, we sat and looked across the grassy creek valley to a red cliff face with caves and hollows in it. There are cypress pines on the top.

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Our Palm Valley camp

Read yesterday’s paper, brought with us, which we didn’t have time for then.

There was a superb red sunset.

Tea was the last of the minestrone soup, rissoles, salad, bananas.

We went to the Ranger’s talk at 8pm. It was about the special Livistona palms that are the reason for this National Park. We haven’t seen them yet, though. They are relict plants from a wetter time, when there was tropical vegetation in these parts. They are able to survive here because of water seeping out of the sandstone of the valley.

The Ranger also said that the water here is good to drink.

We got to bed at 10pm. It was cold by then.

08-06-1999 to palm valley.JPG


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1999 Travels August 5

THURSDAY 5 AUGUST     ALICE SPRINGS

This was a busy day. The rain was clearing, which pleased us.

We spent much of the  day packing and moving stuff between the van and Truck. I defrosted the van fridge, turned that off and we put the fridge things we are taking with us, into the Chescold.

Had to go out. for John to use the pre-booked Internet time at the Library. While he was doing that I went to the Post Office and collected a letter from H – another one! I had a print made of the photo of John and me collecting our Mildura bowls trophy, and mailed that off to our bowls club, along with a cheque for our ’99 subs.

Did what I thought was the final shopping for the trip, except that it turned out to be semi-final!

Though we worked all day, it did not seem as bad as when we went through this routine to go up the Cape, last year. But we will not be away for as long, this time. We are only taking the hike tent, as we probably will not be staying long in any one place.

So, instead of the weight of the big tent and its associated poles, we will have the weight of the water that we will need to carry for the desert section. There will also be two jerry cans of diesel, and the second spare wheel, up on the roof rack.

Planning meals has been an interesting exercise. We need food that will keep well, as we only have the Chescold fridge; fresh meat is not an option after the first day or so. I was conscious of trying to keep weight down, but also had to avoid things like pasta that use a lot of water for cooking. It was not easy.

We had prepared a proposed schedule. Took a copy of this to K at VKS base, also mailed a copy to K. Told VKS K that we would try to sched in every afternoon. As an experienced operator and traveller in these parts, he knows that conditions may not always allow us to make contact, though. Instructed K that if we had not phoned him by the 25th of this month, he was to sound the alarm with the Birdsville Police – contact number provided!

VKS K said that the Old Ghan Track to Finke was in pretty bad condition. He’d been down there yesterday, helping Variety Club Bash people through. However, these are usually conventional cars, not 4WD’s. K said he nearly rolled his vehicle in a sand/bulldust area – and he is a very experienced driver. We shall see, but I admit to some apprehension.

Topped up the fuel at the local servo – was 82cpl, but it was too late to drive out to the refinery.

We were very tired by the end of the day and bought fish and chips for tea. Slept very soundly!


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1999 Travels August 4

WEDNESDAY 4 AUGUST     ALICE SPRINGS

Back to the town centre for more money spending!

At the gemstone shop, the verdict was that all four zircons would cut, but she wanted us to go to her home and see her husband, the cutter. So that was arranged.

We picked up the wheel with its new tyre.

Did a huge grocery shop for the coming expedition.

After lunch, went to see the gem cutter – S. He has the most incredible shed and back yard. He is a really eclectic collector: stones, shells, stuffed reptiles. He has brilliant gemstones and specimens. We spent about three hours there. He looked at a lot of the zircons and garnets we had collected, and “formed” some to assess their suitability for use. We finished up ordering two garnets to be cut for ring stones, and more for a set of garnet earrings. Two zircons would be cut for ring stones, possibly three. And he would cut zircons for five sets of good stud earrings. He kept some “spare” zircons, in case some didn’t cut well.

By the time we left his place, it was 5.30pm – and cold and raining. It was too late to begin the packing that we had intended.

Tea was minestrone, steak, mushrooms, potato, beans, and ice cream.

It is actually quite nice to hear rain again. It is not too heavy. Hopefully, it may settle down some of the Finke track, churned up by the Desert Race earlier.


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1999 Travels August 3

TUESDAY 3 AUGUST     ALICE SPRINGS

The day was mostly cloudy, but quite warm. That figures – I buy winter gear and it warms up! But the washing got dry.

Drove into town, firstly to the specialist gem shop. The lady there said that all our biggest and best garnets were too dark to cut. I think they were the ones from the last hole we tried. She kept four of our zircons to show to her husband, who does the cutting. We go back tomorrow for his verdict.

We dropped off a wheel at a tyre place, to have a new tyre put on. One day, out at Gemtree, John had noticed a large split on the side of a tyre, and had changed the wheel. He thinks we probably slit it on a sharp rock on one of the rough tracks. It looks too bad to be repaired, and we do not want a suspect spare, at this stage.

We picked up new clear headlight covers, previously ordered, from the Landrover place.

To the Post Office. The girl behind the counter said there was no mail for us. When we queried this, she said there was only mail for J and W Stocey. She swore she could not have made a mistake and would not do a double check on this. So, apparently, there was no mail for us.

At the chemist, I had a script filled, and bought a couple of bandages to replace those I’d worn on my cut hand, fossicking – which had gone mouldy.

John booked at the Library for Internet access for Thursday.

I broke the buckle on my leather sandals. This leaves me without good sandals, but I think it can be fixed – if I can find a bootmaker.

Collected my photos – was very pleased with them. Lots of good Gemtree ones.

To Coles for food supplies.

Phoned K. He HAD sent the mail, as asked, on 27th. So we went back to the Post Office and asked to see a manager. He checked. Yes – our mail was there. And had been all along. The arrogant little snit we had dealt with earlier was a trainee, he said. I hope I was scathing enough about her unhelpful manner to ensure she got a very strong reprimand!

There was only business type mail, but some of it was tax relevant, so John was able to finish off his tax documentation, ready to send off to the accountant.

I picked in the washing and put it away, then started to put photos in the album, while John was working on the computer.

Tea was sausages, egg, bacon, potato, and – a special treat – icecream!

I phoned K to say we had received the mail.

John phoned R and had a talk with her, and sister H – it is her birthday.

We have decided that we are going to do the circuit trip I have planned, that takes in the Simpson Desert, on our own. We will set up some safeguards. like making sure people know our plans, and we will rely on the HF Radio for communications. I have already found out that the caravan park will store the van; we have looked at their storage area and are happy with its security.