Friday 17th July 2015 - Innaminka

It was 2.5 degrees at 6am this morning so we snuggled back under our many layers of bedding, including a woollen dona, waiting for the sun to warm up our campsite!

A nice walk along the creek and then breakfast! Jennie made scrambled eggs with mushrooms, tomato, onion and kale - very yum.  And Alex and Otto made coffee - very, very yum.  While we had breakfast we watched the kites 'fishing' and a sole pelican swimming along the creek.

Off to the Trading Post after breakfast (Innaminka's only shop apart from the pub),  Bought tissues, crap joke toilet paper (?) and a children's book "In the Bush"

Today we explored around Innaminka - mostly historical sites to do with the Burke and Wills Expedition.

In 1860–61, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south, to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres. At that time most of the inland of Australia had not been explored by non-indigenous people and was completely unknown to the European settlers.

The south-north leg was successfully completed (except that they were stopped by swampland 5 kilometres from the northern coastline), but owing to poor leadership and bad luck, both of the expedition's leaders died on the return journey near Innaminka. Altogether, seven men lost their lives, and only one man, the Irish soldier John King, crossed the continent with the expedition and returned alive to Melbourne.

First stop was King's Marker where King was found by the rescue party in 1861 after the death of both Burke and Wills.  King was assisted by the Aboriginies in the area for two months until rescued and had much more respect for them and their way of life than either Bourke or Wills.

King's Marker

Will's Grave was not far away and we also called into other pretty spots on Cooper Creek west of Innaminka.

Will's Grave

Along the Cooper west of Innaminka

Just East of Innaminka and looking back towards the settlement.

We then heading east of the settlement to have lunch on Cullyamurra Waterhole, reported to be the largest in inland Australia at around 28m deep in parts.

We went on the Yulkuparlu (River Red Gum) Walk to the "Choke" which we had walked to on a previous visit but could never find.  It's a narrow part of the Cooper - amazing rock formations in this area.  We still didn't find the Aboriginal markings which are supposed to be in the area.

Yulkuparlu Walk and the "Choke"

Called in to Burke's Grave on the way back into town.  It's getting later in the day and the colour on the River Red Gums is just amazing.

Around Burke's Grave

Dinner tonight was Beef and Veg curry with green apples and raisins - yum.   Then a trip to the 'CBD' for showers, Innaminka has a public toilet, shower and laundry block near the Trading Post.  Showers were very hot with plenty of pressure, plenty of hooks and somewhere dry to put your gear.  All very satisfactory.