SERENDIPITY AND THE OUTBACK

Plans to do Cameron Corner, the Strzelecki Track and Flinders Ranges all came to grief when we joined the myriad of other campers stuck in Birdsville due to road closures.

Birdsville is always high on the ‘to do’ list and it’s easy to spend a couple of days there with a mandatory meal at the famous pub and trip out to see the legendary Big Red,  largest sand hill in the Simpson Desert.  While previous visits had been a chance to test both vehicles and 4W drive skills, this time to see it in flood was quite spectacular.

Another day was occupied with a flight to Lake Eyre.  It is a three hour flight that reaches only the top of Lake Eyre but has the benefit of taking in views of Big Red, QAA Line crossing the Simpson Desert, the Channel Country,  the mighty Wharburton Creek and Anna Creek and other of the world’s largest cattle stations.

    Although  road closures  greatly limited our choice of destinations, seeing this area in flood is a once in a lifetime experience, enriched even further at this time of year (August) by  magical wildflowers  stretching as far as the eye can see in a riot of delicate colours.

Most dedicated 4W drivers will agree that one of the great joys of outback travel is finding great camp sites ‘away from the madding crowds’ and here ‘Outback Beds’ were a real find.  These are remote cattle properties that open for camping and are particularly suitable for vehicles set up independently with solar, hot water etc.  At Kilcowera Station near Thargomindah we were guided to a magnificent lagoon with a great range of bird life and had it all to ourselves.  Another stop was at Trilby Station on the Darling River near Louth NSW  where we were spoilt for choice of great campsites.   Find Outback Beds at www.outbackbeds.com.au

The state of central NSW roads was a surprise with road closures dogging every move.  After much drama and with great relief we made it to Goodooga, only to find the worst was yet to come!  En route to Hebel  the thick mud quickly caked all six tyres and with no traction whatever Steve did a great steering wheel dance of constant opposite lock to control both Prado and Quantum – a very scary experience.  A quick stop to change to low range resulted in an uncontrollable slide into even thicker mud at the side of the road and yes, we were bogged, there for the duration.   As luck would have it, the only other vehicle we’d seen for most of the day happened by and was none other than a ‘Cruiser ute! He was good enough to snatch us out and we continued on our not so merry way to the border.  Now not being  League followers  we don’t get into the partisan  Blues/Maroons thing but when we arrived at the Queensland border we were ready to (not even metaphorically) dismount and kiss the ground…….a well maintained and solid gravel road had never looked so good!!!

Once past Hebel and on to the blacktop we stopped to de-mud the wheels  (vibrating like we needed six wheel alignments) ……and the only implement we could find to do it was a kitchen knife!  We pushed through to the civilization of St George and fell into bed only to be woken throughout the night by great clumps of mud falling off the Quantum!    When we finally arrived back at work next day with Prado and Quantum  everyone was highly amused except Chris and Matty,  our two hard working detailers  who no doubt felt they deserved a bonus.

So although the conditions were less than ideal there were many compensations.  The quintessentially Australian experience of seeing the magnificent wildflowers, the desert in flood and  Lake Eyre being filled by a mighty inland river system was an opportunity  to treasure always.