Saturday 11th July 2015 - Quirindi to Moree

Moree is the meeting place with Richard, Jennie and David for our 2015 Three Corner's Trip. Our plan is to travel to all the corners where NSW, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory meet ie. Cameron Corner (NSW, Queensland and South Australia); Poeppel Corner (Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory); and Haddon Corner (the right angle bit between South Australia and Queensland).  This means we will also be travelling in three deserts, the Strzelecki, Sturt's Stony and the Simpson.  We have our camper trailer in tow but RandJ are tenting (and pulling a trailer) and David will be sleeping in a swag, so we have been warned that there will be a few nights when the others will be heading for improved accommodation and will be leaving us to the elements - not that we are complaining - we love the Aussie Swag and it has a great bed. - what more could you want.

We had spent a few days at Quirindi for Alex's Mum's 106th birthday and headed off after lunch for the drive to Moree (with a quick coffee at Narrabri) where we were meeting the others at the Gwydir Caravan Park (Site fee: $32).  We chose this park because it has its own "free" artisian pools - 4 in fact ranging in temperature from 34 to 39 degrees.

A coffee to keep us going

As we arrived in Moree we drove into a thunderstorm.  Lots of lightning and some rain.  Not want we wanted to put the camper up in.  Fortunately it was short lived and we soon had the camper up on our site near the pool complex and were soaking in the warm water.  We appreciated the warm water as the weather outside was very cold from the Arctic Vortex covering the tablelands to our east with snow at the time.  We were pleased we had our electric heater with us.  Looks like it will be powered sites for a while.

After a soak it was off to the Tavern up the road for dinner - quite satisfactory.  David hadn't arrived at this as he had had a late getaway from Lismore and would arrive later in the night.

Fortunately we had lots of bedding and with the electric heater to warm up the camper before bed we were very cosy.

Camp at Moree

Sunday 12th July 2015 - Moree to Bourke

We went for a decent walk this morning (although not that interesting).  The Caravan Park is on the edge of town and it is mostly an industrial area plus a school and the black soil is very sticky after last night's rain as we found out when we attempted to take a short cut.

Back to the Caravan Park for another soak in the artisian pool joined by the others (David had arrived during the night) then breakfast at the kiosk -  bacon (lots of) and two eggs.

39 degrees - just lovely

We filled up at Woolworth's probably our last cheap fuel for a long time - diesel @ $1.30 (with the 4c off).  We got a McCafe Coffee (usually reliable when you're looking for a take away) and headed for Bourke.

A cold and windy spot for lunch

Had lunch on the side of the road but only gave the spot 2.5/10.  It was very windy and icy! Dave filled up again in Walgett and then it was on to the Kidman Camp Caravan Park just on the other side of Bourke.  Jennie and Richard found a very fancy log cabin for the night, David a much less fancy 'donga' (shipping container made into accoimmodation), while Jill and I settled for a powered site and our electric heater.  It's going to be a very cold night.

After snacks in the log cabin we joined the "Poetry on a Plate" dinner and poetry night held around lots of campfires.  The poetry was pretty good and the dinner delicious - lentil and beef stew.

"Poetry on a Plate"

Monday 13th July 2015 - Bourke to Wanaaring

After a short walk around the caravan park and breakfast in the Camp Kitchen (toaster and jug provided and much warmer than setting up our kitchen in the icy wind) we headed off to the Jandra, a paddle steamer which does a one hour round trip down the Darling River.  It was very relaxing and the captain very informative - interesting and amusing.  It was amazing just how many pelicans there are on the river.  The Jandra is a modern rebuild of an original paddle streamer which plied these waters.

Our trip on the Jandra

We then headed into Bourke and went to the Supermarket and Op Shop (to get some "stuff" for a "Sparkly Dinner in the Desert" - Jill found some butterfly wings and Alex a brightly coloured tie which can be enhanced with some glitter glue - no sequence to be had in Bourke).  We spent some time at the wharf precinct where there was an old steam engine and a replica of the original wharf - all three storeys of it.

At Dubbo Wharf

Jill found a nice little knick knack shop and bought a few bits and pieces including some jojoba hand cream (made in Bourke) and had a cup of coffee.  It was then over the road to the RSL club for lunch before setting off towards Wanaaring.

The road was still bitumen for a few kilometres out of town but soon turned to gravel, something we will get a lot of over the next couple of weeks.  Along the way we pulled up to collect some firewood which we loaded onto the camper and Richard's trailer before calling it a day about 50km east of Wanarring at a lovely spot beside a billabong.  It wasn't marked on the map so guess it's just a claypan filled with the recent rain.  We soon had a great fire going on which to cook sausages, lamb chops and lots of veges.  It's not as cold tonight as the wind has dropped.

Camp for the night

Tuesday 14th July 2015 - Wanaaring to Tibooburra

What a lovely spot to camp.  Not so cold this morning although it was down to 5 degrees when we got up to see the amazing sunrise.  We went for a walk around the billabong - quite a few bones, skulls etc from feral goats (perhaps this was their last stand in a drought at some stage).  There are some great reflections on the water as we look back towards our camp.

It didn't take much to get the fire going, The coals were still very hot and we soon had bacon, eggs, tomato and spinach on toast (with avocado) ready for breakfast.

When Jill and I went for a longer walk after breakfast we found we had to go around a little creek .  There were lots of claypans around and an even bigger 'lake'.

We were back on the road about 10am.  Huge mobs of feral goats as we were driving towards Wanaaring.  We stopped at the General Store where David filled up with fuel and Alex bought a coffee (not particularly good).  We then went for a walk to check out the Paroo River and the free camping spot where we thought we might have got to last night.  We were very happy that we had stopped early.

Wanaaring on the banks of the Paroo River

Interesting cloud formations on the road to Tibooburra

On to Tibooburra where Jennie, Richard and David booked into the motel and Jill and I headed for the Caravan Park.  Jill did the washing and hung it on the line (Jan, who had shown us our camp site told us the dryers struggle with really wet washing).  It's a bit windy so the washing should at least part dry over night.

Hot showers were great before heading off to the two storey pub (there are two pubs in Tibooburra) for dinner.  Meals were excellent.

Wednesday 15th July 2015 - Tibooburra to Strzelecki Desert

Behind the Caravan Park is a rocky hill which we climbed to the top of before breakfast.  The landscape around Tibooburra is amazing.  So many rocks as far as the eye can see.

Morning at Tibooburra

Breakfast was grapefruit juice, Jill's yummy home made paleo granola with apple puree, coconut yogurt and banana - real gourmet stuff.  We then packed up and headed to the road house to wait for the others (we had filled up the previous evening at the Trading Post).  Coffee, post cards end a few bits and pieces while we waited.

First stop was just out of town - Balancing Rock which is a pretty incredible formation balancing on three points.  You can actually look through the gap underneath.

Balancing Rock

From here it was on to Cameron Corner.  There has been recent rain out here and the yellow daisy like flowers are quite spectacular - especially where the soil is particularly red.  At one place there was also a huge claypan to cross.

We called into Camp Grey just before the border for lunch.  It's amazing to think that Charles Sturt carted his boat out here in search of the inland sea.

At Cameron Corner a hole was dug and one of three posts we are carting with us 'planted'.  The post simply recognise the fact that we were here in July 2015.  The corner peg itself recognises the fact that John Cameron originally surveyed the corner (New South Wales/Queensland/South Australia) in 1882-83.

Cameron Corner

From Cameron Corner we headed west into the Strzelecki Desert.  We kept a look out for Jennie's Camp where we had camped for a couple of days waiting for the road to dry out on a previous trip, but didn't find it.  It had been Jennie;s birthday so we really enjoyed our enforced stay with a 'formal dinner', and birthday decorations - even a cake.

We camped 50km west of Cameron Corner between the dunes.  The wildflowers here were just amazing - even some Cunningham's Birdflower.  We heard dingos when we first arrived but saw no other signs.

For dinner we had pumpkin soup which Jennie had bought from home, corned beef and onions and potatoes wrapped in foil and baked in the coals.

Thursday 16th July 2015 - Strzelecki Desert to Innaminka

A morning walk among the dunes and the wildflowers.  They are quite amazing.  Bit of a mystery that the Cunningham Birdflower is only growing near the road.

We headed off towards Merty Merty and then onto the Old Strzelecki Track,  On the corner someone had made an interesting skeleton out of various bones - quite creative,

The track is in very good condition having been recently graded,  We guess it's kept this way because of the oil and gas exploration.  There are lots of oil wells in this area.

Stopped to pick up some firewood as the weather has not warmed up a great deal.  We turned onto the Strzelecki track for the final run into Innaminka and stopped by the road for lunch.  Still quite windy and not entirely satisfactory.  The gas was very slow heating up our soup. There was also quite a lot of traffic meaning lots of dust.   Jennie and Richard were in the lead today and were looking for a spot on the right hand side of the road out of the dust but unfortunately spinifex and speargrass prevented that.

We arrived at Innaminka soon after lunch.  Called into the tip on the way in.  There has not been a lot of change since we were here last.  Alex, Jennie and Richard camped on the Town Common on the banks of Cooper Creek.  We set up camp, had a vodka, wine beer etc and some nuts before heading to the pub for dinner.

We had been remembering previous dinners of 'Beef and Creek' - the Innaminka version of Turf and Surf but found that the Innaminka Pub aka The Burke and Wills Hotel has gone upmarket and now includes meals with 'rosemary smash', 'red wine jus', 'beurre blane sauce' and prices to match.  The dinner area (huge) was lovely and warm though and the food good so we stayed on and played cards for a while.

Back in camp we were very pleased that we'd thought to fill our hot water bottle.  We wished we had one each - and a gas heater.  It's a bit cold out here.

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.

Saturday 18th July 2015 - Innaminka to Coongie Lakes

Stopped in at the Trading Post before heading off to Coongie Lakes.  We thought the shelves might have been filled overnight as there was a big truck in yesterday afternoon and we watched the forklift unloading lots of boxes.  Unfortunately none of it had made it to the shelves yet!  Jill bought a cute hat with a fly veil and pictures of flies all over it.  We also picked up permits for Coongie Lakes (park entry $10 and camping $19) and were then on our way.

The track follows the north west branch of the Cooper Creek.  Once we were on the track we stopped to put up sand flags as we were crossing dune country (not very big ones though as it turned out)

Sand flags go up on the way to Coongie Lakes

Lunch was at Kudriemitchie Outstation - a lovely spot on the creek among the Yulkuparlu trees.

Lunch at Kudriemitchie Outstation

A bit further along we had a dingo with a rabbit in its mouth run across the track in front of us.

On arrival at the Lake we were amazed at the amount of water when the area is so desolate.  The aborigines would have had plenty to eat around here -lots of mussel shells around, in fact we had a couple of middens near our campsite.

Coongie Lakes

Initially we checked out the south western side of the lake but there were quite a lot of campers there.  We found a lovely spot on the eastern side of the lake (close to the "No Camping Past Here" sign), at the base of a pretty high dune.

Setting up camp at Coongie Lakes                                                                                              Dave will work out how this barbecue goes together

We made good use of the top of the dune for afternoon drinks and nibbles where we watched the spectacular sunset over the lake.

Drinks on the dune while we watch the sunset

Tonight we christened David's barbecue with sausages, potatoes and sweet potato with David's cans of beef and veg on the side,

The stars are great out here - Venus and Jupiter and a very new moon very bright over the lake particularly impressive.

Sunday 19th July 2015 - Coongie Lake to Innaminka

Slept in this morning (very cold) and woke with a beautiful huge red sun over the lake,  Went for a walk along the shore of the lake - Alex photographing birds.  There are lots of waterbirds (grebes, ducks and stilts) on the lake and black kites, falcons, crested pigeons, honeyeaters, plovers, mudlarks. crows, fairy martins, willy wagtails, galahs, corellas etc.

Breakfast - eggs on toast all cooked on the fire plus Otto coffee - all in a very relaxed manner.

We left the trailers and drove as far as we could around the lake then back to camp to pack up.  We had a bit of an Oops moment while packing up.  David backed into a tree and broke his back window and a bit of other damage.  We had to sacrifice one of David's tarps to cut a patch to go over the hole where the window had been.  Gaffer tape is a great resource at times like this.  Even used it to hold the rear light in place.

Our Oops Moment                                                                                              Our camp spot - we could come back here anytime!

Jason the Ranger dropped in while we were driving out.  Seems they only get out here occasionally.  He was saying that they plan to fence off the middens close to our camp to stop people driving over then.  Good idea.

Lunch at Kudriemitchi Outstation Campsite 2. We're impressed that our lettuce and rocket are still edible after 10 days on the road.

Back to Innamika for showers, coffee and fuel.  It's getting late in the afternoon but we decided to head off towards Walker's Crossing on the Fifteen Mile Track to get a bit of a start.

The track is pretty desolate  (mostly floodplain) and we were beginning to think this was a bad idea as it was getting dark  - but eventually we found a bushy spot off the road near a dune.

The Walker's Crossing Track                                                                                                            Camp for the night

Monday 20th July 2015 - Innaminka to Birdsville Track at Koonchera Dune

When we woke we found we were camped among daisies -and there were wattle trees on the dune.  To top it off we had a huge flock of budgerigars fly through - and a flock of corellas fly over.

It's not too often you get this close!

Back on the road.  At the turnoff to Moomba Oil/Gas fields we got phone reception (the first since Tibooburra) - David could text his daughter for her birthday and we could check on Sarah who is expecting number 3 at any time from now.

Were travelling through lots of flood prone areas at the moment (often showing up as lakes on the GPS).  There's lots of water on the track in places but not a problem as there's always a side track.  It's easy to see why the Walkers Crossing track is often closed.

We arrived at Walkers Crossing and made it our lunch spot.  Walkers Crossing was put in by Santos in 1986 as the original crossing of the Cooper was regularly damaged by flooding interrupting the oil and gas exploration taking place in the Simpson and Sturts Stony Deserts.

The crossing (dry at the moment) now has a bridge across it but it's cordoned off at the moment.  Perhaps they only use it when the creek has water in it.

Walker's Crossing

Just north of Walkers Crossing we left the Creek and headed west, initially across dunes and then into Sturts Stoney Desert.  What a variety of landscape - one moment sand and the next gibbers.

What a change in a few kilometres

And what a desolate spot Sturts Stoney Desert is - completely flat and covered with gibbers - really shiny brown/red smooth rocks.

It's pretty obvious why it's called a Stoney Desert

At one stage in this gibber covered, vegetation free landscape the Prado developed a clunk on the rear right.  We stopped a few times trying to locate the source with no avail.  We were starting to get a bit worried when suddenly it disappeared.  Just a pesky gibber in the suspension we guess.

We couldn't believe that at one stage in the Stuart Stony Desert we came across cattle - and they looked in pretty good condition.  Goodness knows what they ate.

Eventually the Walkers Crossing Track reached the Birdsville Track and we turned right and headed towards Birdsville.  We started to look out for a track off yo the left which would take us to Koonchera Dune and Waterhole.  Jennie and Richard had been there many years ago on a trip with Frank fro Opposite Lock Ballina and we thought it would be a good camp spot.

We did find a track but after following it for some kilometres (and noticing a big padlock on one gate we passed through) we decided to abort.  We didn't like the possibility of heading out in the morning to a locked gate.

Despite the "wild goose chase" we found a nice spot between the dunes looking over quite a large 'patch' of water.  Dinner was sausages (cooked the other night on David's barbecue) with fried rice, onion, carrot, mushroom, sweet potato, peas and ginger - couldn't find the garlic!

The sunset was just spectacular.