After testing the first Matrix prototype in Easter this year, Steve has since built the second Matrix prototype. Presently, Steve and Rhonda are enjoying the good life 'testing' the Matrix II. Read on below and follow their journey as they head on their way to the Flinders Rangers.

We left Sunday about 10am hoping to get to St George, but only made Lake Broadwater camp near Dalby by about 3pm.  This is a very good camp site with clean showers and toilets and the ground is flat and grassy with good views of the Lake. When the caretakers arrived that evening we were advised of a bird hide about a one km walk around the lake. There was quite a lot of birdlife on the lake which gave us a taste for what was to come. Rhonda tried her new zoom lens at sunset and sunrise and managed a few pics with the early morning fog coming off the water.  I turned the heater on and stayed in bed, it being about zero outside and a warm 22 inside, until Rhonda finally returned from the frozen mists.  Rhonda talks about the photographer’s ‘golden hours’ – before sunset and after sunrise as being the optimum time for the best photos and breakfast and dinner have to  be scheduled  around these special times.

Monday we made it through to Bollon. We had stayed here on our return trip at Easter and found the free camp beside the Wallam Creek to be a delight. Bollon is a small town with amenities in the town about a kilometer from the campsite, this makes for a good evening and morning walk beside the banks of the beautiful creek. The creek is prolific with birdlife and overgrown with river gums so it presents a real picture of tranquility.

Both Matrix and Rangie are going well and the Matrix is a delight to live with, very warm and well insulated. We have been coming to terms with the Weber BBQ and have found that it works well when the lid is closed, so tonight we are planning a roast chicken. So far we have managed chops and fish, and we are both finding the diesel stove easy to use although much slower than gas.

On Tuesday we set out with the vague intention of making Thargomindah. I was looking forward to an ice cream at the Eulo store later that day only to find black smoldering wreckage. The store was completely burnt to the ground, as was the caravan in the back yard; this was a very sad sight as the proprietors livelihood had just gone up in smoke. We motored on and came across Lake Bindegolly NP 34km east of Thargomindah and were delighted to find a lake filled to the brim with nesting birds. Not 6 meters from the road could be seen dozens of ducks nesting on the water with swans and cygnets intermingling, with all types of water birds in abundance. We found a beaut little bush camp for the night and set about exploring the bird watchers paradise. Rhonda was in photography heaven and set off at sunset to capture as many images as possible. The Great Crested Grebe was nesting in abundance on the lake and it was fun to watch the territorial antics and feeding habits of all the birds. One of the Grebes carries the hatchlings on their back under the wings; they are then fed by the ever present partner. Rhonda managed to get an amazing pic of this feeding taking place.

On Wednesday morning another 150 images were taken before the sun was up, and we decided to stay the day and enjoy the natural wonder of the lake. I needed a couple of things from the Thargomindah hardware store for some repairs to our camping chairs, and a pie for morning tea was the order of the day. This was a very relaxing day with perfect weather and a chance to sit in the sun and read. We went out at sunset to capture yet more photos and I ended up just sitting on the bridge railing taking in the natural beauty of the birds nesting and feeding on the lake.

Thursday saw us packed and away by 9am, that’s what holidays do to you as this is considered an early start. I must say that up till now we had been running the trailer purely on the solar panels.  I had purposely not connected the Anderson plug from the car prior to leaving. I do this each time we travel in an attempt to gauge the effectiveness of the solar system. So far the system had coped well, with the morning reading never being below 12.5 volts before the sun hit the panels. This time of year being winter with low sun angles all day I believe the system is coping well and we will continue to monitor the readings.

Friday was dirt day as we were looking forward to finally hitting the dirt roads before Innamincka and seeing how the new Matrix handled the dust. I decided to stop and alter the preload on the trailer wheel bearings before the dirt roads as the hubs were still a bit too hot. I didn’t have the luxury of 2000km service so we did a couple of roadside stops. I was also beginning to believe that the newer Teconsha Prodigy P3 brake controller was not as good a unit as the simpler Prodigy. One feature of the older Prodigy has is the hand wheel adjustment of the brake setting, this gives instant adjustment of the brakes as I normally travel with the bakes turned up fairly high. When I get to a town I find the highway setting too harsh and adjust them down to a lower setting. With the P3 push buttons the action of reducing the setting is very slow and cumbersome; I also have to put my glasses on while driving to see the small numerals.

We were not disappointed with the Matrix dust sealing as by the time we had reached Cullyamurra Waterhole near Innamincka the trailer was totally dust free. This was one of the features we had come to test and the results were looking good. We had also filled both water tanks and both jerry cans with diesel and the trailer felt very stable on the dirt. We were travelling with close to the maximum weight of the trailer and it seemed to just follow with ease.  Cullyamurra turned out to be another gem of a site; I’m running out of superlatives to describe these beautiful spots. Again a campsite beside the Cooper Creek which is filled with Pelicans, ducks, egrets and cormorants, the overhanging river gums shading the campsite, home to Kingfishers, parrots and Rosellas, truly quite breathtaking.

The following day we woke late at 7.30 following another 10 hour sleep. After the early picture taking ritual we decided to try Minkie water hole just the other side of Innaminca. By this time we had to look up the date as we had lost track of time and couldn’t work out what day of the week it was.  I guess you know you are relaxing at that point. Innamincka was its dusty self with the dirt main street and round outback public toilets. As there is no phone tower here we had to use the pay phone next to the toilet block to call in at work, but they all seemed busy so when I rang off I looked across at the 2010 high water flood marker half way up the toilet block outer wall. I had really been looking forward to coming back here as there is a raw wildness about the town and I think when they eventually tar the main street area it will lose some of its character. After filling with diesel I decided to sit on the seats outside the pub with an ice cream and soak up the atmosphere. Some people came past and had a look at the Matrix but seemed to know more about it than I did, but all up a fantastic place. Minkie waterhole was a carbon copy of yesterday. We had the whole camp area to ourselves and the weather was holding up picture perfect. We set up camp and just sat by the river bank reading and taking in the scenery. This product testing was becoming hard work.

Saturday morning saw us leaving Minkie early and calling into Innamincka to check the road to Cameron Corner with the lady who owned the shop. Several people started looking at the Matrix but assured us they would have to win lotto to buy it. We decided our time was better spent going to the dump, there’s nothing like an outback dump to make you feel humble. Our chosen route to Cameron Corner was down the tracks through the dunes past the areas of Omnicrom and ……. We were able to stop several times to explore the yellow flowers showing on the silver bushes contrasted with the red of the sand dunes. We both love the red dunes with the multicolored foliage, this day made for great photography as the sky was clouding over and the herringbone effect of the cloud bands was just stunning.

At our lunch stop I gathered some firewood for the evening fire and Rhonda continued to snap away, content with the ever changing scene before us. This road was an absolute gem as it was totally deserted, in pretty good condition, but fairly narrow and winding through the red dunes which were flanked occasionally on both sides with yellow and white wild flowers. We stopped several times to soak up this naturally beautiful scenery. Cameron Corner store was certainly more than I had expected and after fuelling up we decide to camp on the other side of the dunes in total isolation. We were rewarded at the end of another hard day of product testing with a beautiful pink/grey sunset and a warm fire totally isolated in our camp spot between the dunes. The Matrix had performed beautifully on the dusty tracks, the mild corrugations bringing up a problem with the internal fridge door lock, but still totally dust free inside. The solar was also performing well, this being our seventh day on solar alone, still not connected to the car, at lunch the panels were reading 10.4 amps, at 7.00pm that night we were reading 12.7 volts, so they were coping well with all we were using.

We left Cameron Corner early and headed to the area of Merty Merty and on to the Strzelecki Track.

We enjoyed the drive over the dunes from Cameron Corner but thought that the track of the previous day was much more scenic. After years of looking forward to doing the Strzelecki Track I was somewhat disappointed in that this road is more of a highway than a track. I suppose I should be grateful that it is kept in such good condition, but compared to where we had just come from it was fairly boring driving. We finally made the turn off to Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and had to use the 20 liters of diesel in the van jerry tank as our fuel light had come on. The car computer was telling me I would make the camp with 7 km to spare but I decided to be cautious. We found the turn off to what we thought was the camp and proceeded to get well and truly lost up a very narrow 4wd track with serious washouts. We spent at fair bit of time negotiating this very narrow track with Matrix in tow before we decided that this couldn’t possibly be the road in to the camp. After turning around we ventured back down the track and I asked Rhonda to take some photos of the more difficult washouts as there would never be another chance like this one. At several of the washouts the Rangie had a wheel in the air but both vehicles came through well despite a bit of paint missing of the rear slide bars of the van. Finally managed to find Arkaroola and set up camp with a well deserved cup of tea. Product testing wasn’t meant to be this nerve wracking.

Monday was to be a lay day, when you lay about and don’t do much. I was in charge of the washing as the Prime Minister was busy and this was the first time I was to experience a washing machine rage. Rhonda put on two loads and I had to go back and hang them out and put on two more loads once they had finished. When I went to the laundry a woman had taken our clothes out of the machine and started using my machine. Well, I could have scratched her eyes out. I didn’t know this sort of thing happened. After calming down I hung out the washing and came back later to find another woman using the machines, this was getting very complex. When you want to play pool you put your two bob on the table edge and the next game is yours, so where did I put my two bob and how did I know when my turn was up. It was like some kind of secret society, you had to be in the know somehow. Rhonda eventually went back and finished it off as it was all becoming a bit much really.

It was about this time that I started to become concerned at the lack of solar going in to the batteries, early morning was overcast and I was looking forward to some sunshine. After I had calmed down from my little pout due to the washing machine, the sun finally came out so I checked the meter only to see 2.8 amps of solar going in. I went back outside only to find we were now in the shade of a b….. tree. When we pulled up yesterday all the vans were lined up like ducks in a row, each one with a tree on the right side, so being the good little Boy Scout that I was, I parked with the status quo. There were actually two trees, one quite healthy and one a very tall dead stick. It was at this point that I thought of my axe and considered lopping off a branch, but being in a wilderness sanctuary I didn’t think this would go down too well. There was a sign on the way in saying No Chainsaws, no mention of axes. (Probably a sign made by a Gen Y, they don’t know what an axe is). So I moved the van about 10 feet forward, the solar went to 12 amps and I was in heaven.

With much anticipation we started looking up the 4wd tracks we could explore only to find that most of the really high tracks were taken as tours in the back of a 4wd. This was very disappointing as we had heard much hype about Arkaroola as a great 4wd destination. The cost was also a surprise, at $240 per couple for the premier tour in the back of a Troop carrier on wooden bench seats; we were both very reluctant to indulge. After having done extensive 4WDing in the Victorian High Country and experienced the thrill of some really dangerous tracks this was a total let down. In the afternoon we took the Rangie out to a waterhole and came back feeling very underwhelmed.  I took the opportunity to check the solar reg only to find it back to 2.5 amps, now the dead stick was casting shadows on the panels. I guess I should have been a Nigel and parked in the middle of the paddock. We decide to move on tomorrow and experience some other parts of the Flinders. I spent the rest of the afternoon chasing a rattle in the Rangie tailgate that had become feral. (Yes I know Toyotas don’t rattle, or squeak, or breakdown). A couple nearby came over to admire the Matrix, so we did our salesman bit and showed them all over the trailer. All up a really good relaxing day, despite the washing machine rage and the tree and dead stick problem. I guess that’s camping.

After moving on from our relaxing day at Arkaroola we headed for Leigh Creek with lots of photos on the way. The sky had turned to a photographers dream so we stopped often. Leigh Creek had good water so we filled both tanks and stopped for a while so that Rhonda could continue her ongoing battle with Telstra over our Modum. Our destination was Brachina Gorge and this turned out to be an amazing place. We drove 12 kilometers up the dry river bed of the gorge. This was an awe inspiring drive as we weaved our way between huge river gums and a species of pine tree, lots of rocks and rock pools. Eventually we arrived at the end of the gorge and were greeted with the most charming of camp sites; we had the pick of about ten level sites overlooking the dry creek bed in amongst the river gums, simply magic. There was also a very clean long drop toilet and a fire ring with swing grate. After cooking a roast and potatoes on the Weber I started the fire and listened to the galahs settling for the night. We sat out under the stars with a roast dinner, our favourite wine and a warm fire. I finally felt that we had found what we had come here for.

Update - Wednesday 10 August 2011

 Wednesday morning was an early one as we had intended to take some pics at sunrise when the light was the softest and the clouds were pink. By 6.30 we were ready and opened the door of the van to be greeted by pitch blackness, we had forgotten to time the sunrise, which was about an hour later. Once we could see what we were doing Rhonda started the picture taking process, which involves me going backward and forward to the trailer to adjust some part of the photo that is not quite right. I quite enjoy this part, as it is a challenge to see what we can create with what is available. Sometimes I ask if she would like me to move a tree a bit to the left or right, but I just get a metaphorical back hander. With great reluctance we left our beautiful valley in anticipation of finding a similar spot in Bunyeroo gorge. As we drove on we were very disappointed to find that the gorge just opened up more and more to a much wider valley as we moved out of the narrower landscape. The drive was particularly beautiful as the early morning sun lit up the mountain tops and the kangaroos, startled by our approach, hopped away up the valley slopes covered in multi colored wild flowers. Our destination for the day was Wilpena Pound and we arrived there just in time for a pie for lunch and a cup of tea. This is a great van park and we chatted with some old customers we hadn’t seen in years. The next morning we did the walk to the Pound, or at least the lookout. The view was interesting, lots of trees and rocks, but what we both found fascinating was the story of the family that farmed in the Pound at the turn of the century. It certainly made me realize how hard these early settlers worked and the hardships they endured, a very sad tale.

After lunch and a catch up with work we drove down to Port Augusta to give the car and van a wash as we had arranged to meet Malcolm Street from Caravan World just north of here on Sunday morning. We had decided to stay overnight and try and fix this b……. computer modem once and for all, and then we were heading back to Bachina Gorge until Sunday morning where we would do a magazine photo shoot in the surrounds of the Gorge.

As we had managed to find the only piece of green grass in Port Augusta caravan  park and Friday was looking to be very busy with washing and shopping we decided to stay another night. It’s funny what a patch of grass will do for the soul, relaxing on our chairs in the sun, reading and having afternoon tea was a new experience, at least one we had not experienced for a couple of weeks. Most activities were usually taken with a liberal coating of red dust. The unpowered site area was deserted when we pulled in and this is fairly normal in van parks as most vanners want the powered sites. By late afternoon we had gained one neighbor about ten metres away and this was no problem, being a respectful distance for noise and privacy, after all we were the only two campers in the two acre paddock. After dark we heard a bit of noise only to find someone trying to squeeze onto our lush green lawn with their camper trailer. I’m talking about ten feet from our van. I guess lawn lust was alive and well in this neck of the van park. No problem really as it rained all night and they were very quiet, probably frozen.

Next morning we awoke to find a very dirty Quantum had pulled in during the night.  David and Margaret McConachy from Victoria had been away on a ten week maiden voyage, they were very happy with the performance of the Q and so we had a great catch up. The rest of the day was spent shopping and doing stuff about the camp and planning the next two weeks.

I should at this time stop and comment on the performance of the Matrix.  We can honestly say it has been fantastic!   My original concern was that there would not be enough room inside the van for long term living and this has proven to be not the case. The van doesn’t need to be any bigger and even though I am taller than most people, there seems to be ample room. I was concerned also that the shower would be a problem so close to the kitchen but again no problem as the full height door closes it off fully. The bed is magic as it is in the Q and the van is incredibly warm, consistently about ten degrees warmer inside than out. On cold mornings of 3 -5 degrees it is 15 degrees inside and this is with the roof hatch open, so the insulation effect of the fiberglass construction is a bonus we had not previously experienced.

The diesel stove is proving to be the biggest hurdle as it is so slow to start and this can be overcome by planning ahead but it will also not cook as hot and as quickly as the gas cookers. This means meals like stir fries and browning meat are problematic. The kitchen works really well with the stove in the corner as there is lots of bench space for preparation. The Weber BBQ is just fabulous and we cook on it every second night so this is a real winner. The van travels on the road well and feels like a Quantum although the fuel consumption is up slightly as we suspected it would be.  Overall we are both very impressed with the level of comfort and functionality and it will be interesting to see the reaction to it when it is released in October at the Melbourne Show.

After topping up with water we were once again ready for the road, having full water tanks and full pantry is a great feeling as you feel you could just go anywhere you please  - total freedom. Our destination for the day was back to our little valley at Brachina Gorge where we were to wait for Malcolm Street from Caravan World magazine. On the way we stopped at the Quandong Café at Quorn and had bacon and eggs for brunch. Quorn is a very much a step back in time as all the buildings are circa 1900,s with wide streets but no one was about. This would be a great place for history buffs as there is the Pichi Richi railway station with steam train rides and a quick glance up the main street showed three old pubs in a row, all beautifully kept. We left with a Quandong pie, a local delicacy  to be consumed later, and headed for Hawker and the local railway station/gallery, another beautiful old station rich with the history of the area and so beautifully kept. At this point we were surprised to receive a call from Syd and Marion Reilly who have been travelling for just on four and a half years, three of those years in their Quantum. Most of you will remember Syd and Marion as the couple who have been our sales team at the various shows around Australia. As you can imagine we were very keen to catch up, and we were only 200 kms apart, so we decided to meet in the middle at Brachina Gorge.

After more photography along the way and some firewood collection from a creek bed we arrived about ten minutes apart at the camp. I sometimes wonder whether we look like a pair of travelling Gypsies as we scrounge around in dry creek beds and road sides for those special pieces of firewood, ones that are not too big, not too much white ant damage and not too long. It certainly breaks up a trip as you drive along checking out all the timber piled up in the long paddock. Our night was spent with tales of where we had been, where we were going next and everything we had seen along the way, as we shared a roast dinner cooked on the Weber  consumed with a favourite wine and warmed by the roaring fire. It doesn’t get any better than this.

The next day our perfect whether decided enough was enough. Breakfast was taken watching the drizzle accompanied by 5 degree temperatures. It had tried to rain all night and was very cold with a southerly coming up the valley so we stoked up the fire again and waited for the sun to reappear. The Matrix provided the sensible option as the heater had been on all morning and inside it was toasty warm. We sat about exploring the various aspects of the camper as it was the first time Syd and Marion had seen it finished and they gave it the tick of approval. We all agreed that the gas stove and grill would be the better option as the diesel stove is fairly ordinary at best. After we said our goodbyes Rhonda and I moved the camper into a more sheltered sunny position and settled down to an afternoon of nothing, just reading and resting. During the afternoon I watched the solar regulator jump through hoops as the sun appeared and disappeared behind clouds. The panels are capable of about 20 amps but at this time of year with low sun angles we have to settle for about 13 amps max. I love solar, the more the better, as it is free energy and the b….. government hasn’t worked out a way to tax it (yet). With the evening light came the opportunity for more photos, so as Rhonda snapped away at the camper I decide to stalk the local Emu with chicks. It was then that I decide I needed more tree photos as I love the big twisted river gums and started to take them from all angles. This type of activity is a bit like fishing, very relaxing, a bit meditative, and helps you forget the world out there.

Malcolm Street was due Monday morning at 10.00 am so we headed off to meet at the start of the gorge. The mega photo session that ensued was such fun as we spent about three hours driving through the gorge, back and forwards finding all these amazing photo opportunities. Malcolm was very professional and  seemed to be able to take full advantage of the scenes that were available. I think we also opened Malcolm’s eyes as to the agility of the Matrix in tight conditions as this is where it excels. I had been doing the usual drive, stop, wait, and drive on routine when we spied a dry creek bed to back into for a special effect. It turned out to be softer than it looked and I soon had the Rangie spinning all four wheels in the soft sand, so that was a bit of fun. Later in the morning we found a small creek crossing and I was asked to drive through really fast for the water spray effect. I did this four or five times and it too was good fun. After both Malcolm and Rhonda had exhausted a couple of camera cards we decided to say farewell, we left Malcolm to head east where it would hopefully be warmer. We finally pulled into a roadside stop at  Terowie, an old disused railway station with lots of charm. The temperature had dropped to 8 degrees so we disappeared like a pair of rabbits into the Matrix, turned on the heater and had a hot shower, a warm dinner and a glass of wine. In ten minutes it was 22 degrees and we were warm and happy - another great day on the road.

The following day was bitterly cold as we walked the main street on our daily exercise regime. This town was once home to 2000 people and   with a bustling railhead as the narrow and the wider gauge rail lines met, but the town was now reduced to about 150 residents. Some of the buildings in the town were well preserved and some were in need of a bulldozer, and as we walked along the broken footpath it struck me how difficult life would now be in this remote community. There were many little towns just like this one, some more prosperous than others, with the pub at the epicenter and different stages of repair and disrepair evident in the buildings. Most towns are very proud of their heritage and the part they played in developing this country, the residents of Terowie had erected plaques at different locations to tell the story of their rich past. The entire area of South Australia has surprised me in the extent of desert areas that reach down near to Port Augusta, I had not expected this. There are lots of abandoned stone buildings in the paddocks, built mid to late last century that stand  like sentinels on the barren grasslands now home to flocks of sheep. Rhonda and I became fascinated with these beautiful relics and stopped occasionally to photograph some of them if the sky was being kind and putting on a show. It was on this day that we found one we thought would make some interesting pics. As we stepped out of the car at 11.00am we found it was still only 9 degrees with a stiff wind from the south. The results were worth the effort as we both came away with a pictorial record of this beautiful part of the country. Our camp for tonight was a national park beside the Murray River, another tranquil setting.

By this time we had again lost track of the day of the week, we were fairly sure it was Tuesday, so Tuesday it is. As I stood by the Murray River I realized I wasn’t a happy camper. There was an itch that I had to scratch. Looking out over the muddy water with dead trees half submerged I came to the conclusion that I was missing the beautiful red desert with its pristine scenes of white, yellow and purple wildflowers dotted so carefully against the rolling red of the dunes. I missed the total isolation of a country where you could drive all day and see only a couple of other travelers, where the roads were red not black and when you called into a national park it was completely deserted. The desert seems to have purity about it where nothing is false, everything has a purpose, it has simplicity, and that is what I needed to have my fill of before going back. Rhonda was feeling the same way and agreed that we should head north from Mildura after stocking up, so we  headed to Mungo national Park, Menindee Lakes and up to Tibooburra, then home.

The drive to Mungo NP brought back a nightmare from last year’s trip when we became bogged near Goodoga after the road had received too  much rain. The road to Mungo had only had overnight rain but still enough to cake the car and camper in mud and make the drive far from relaxing. A phenomenon of this World Heritage listed wetland is a natural sand and clay formation known as the Walls of China and after a walk around this area we decided to move on  to a riverside camp at Pooncarrie. The drive was about 50 kms of red sandy road, slightly damp but very well kept. This is the type of road I keep telling everyone that is a joy to drive. This one was perfect. We stopped at one point to admire the roadside plants up close.  They were a very prickly rounded green bush that had gone to seed and created a beautiful picture beside the red dirt of the road.  The free camp at Pooncarrie turned out to be a lovely spot beside the Darling River overlooking the   muddy brown water about 10 metres below with the bonus of a supply of firewood and after setting up we thought that a couple of wines were in order. Once the fire was going we settled down to enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun, the fire and the wine. As I sat there reading I could hear the fish jumping and splashing in the water below, but try as I might I couldn’t catch them in the act, no matter how hard I looked. Then I would look away and one would jump and all that was left was a ripple, slowly growing bigger as it dissipated in the reflection of the setting sun. Maybe it was the effect of the wine but I am sure it was a conspiracy.  In the end I gave up and just listened to the fish and the birds and warmed my toes over the fire.

Updated Thursday 18th August.

The next day we moved onto Menindee lakes area and looked for some more red sandy tracks in the Kinchega NP where we could take some photos. After checking out the old Homestead ruins on a raised walkway Rhonda became a bit nervous about the large Brown snake that slithered under a bush from its warm spot in the sun. We later also looked at the old sheering shed and this provided a few good pics of some very old machinery. One old traction engine had been walked up from Melbourne in the late 1800’s and I just couldn’t imagine how long or hard that journey would have been. The men would have had to constantly feed the machine wood and water along the way, all at a walking pace. Later we found a great spot for some pics and  stopped on the sandy road. Rhonda got out and walked onto the high sandy verge, stamping her feet as she walked amongst the bushes. She took one pic and moved forward about ten feet to take another and as she did so a large brown snake moved from where she was and crossed the road behind her. She remained totally oblivious to the snake until I told her what had occurred later in the car. As we motored out of the park we had to stop suddenly to miss another brown snake crossing the road. It seemed a nice warm day and I guessed they were all out shopping.

We ended the day camped beside the Menindee Weir a small way out of town as the National Park was looking a bit suspect. This was another great spot with flat grassy sites right up to the water’s edge, all at no cost. Not only was the sun sinking into the water on the horizon but the fish were jumping as well. These fish were double jumping fish, they would jump once and having got   your attention they would jump again and you could see them plain as day. This went on all afternoon and into the night, - a great spot, much better than last night where we had single jumping fish which were just plain annoying.

On Saturday morning we headed for Mungo NP. We decided to do some more red sandy track pics as we only had about five or six hundred so far. But seriously I had managed to convince Rhonda that this thin almost invisible line on the map would be a good track. After the first ten gates she wasn’t so sure as the road/track made its way through properties. About half way we met the only person we were to see all day.  Luckily he owned one of the properties and advised us that we were headed for a swamp that was impassable. He then gave us directions to his farm and right through his back yard and out the only way possible. Although we did manage to get some good pics along the way, Rhonda ended up opening and closing about 30 gates in the 60 kilometers of sandy tracks and we were both very happy to see the big wide black road into Broken Hill. The local Racecourse had just been converted to a camping area, so for $15 we had a beautiful flat grassy site with a great view of the racetrack - unique and very private as only a few people were there.  An emu making itself at home on the racetrack was an amusing sight although it would create some carnage if it appeared on race day. We were woken just before sunrise by a lone man on a trotter with another horse in tow going past our window at speed – all quite entertaining.

It was now exactly three weeks since we had left home and we were still enjoying our life on the road.  While the trip was primarily mooted as a test for the M2 it was also a great opportunity for photography as we had wanted as many images of the van as possible for future brochures and marketing material. Rhonda has taken many really useable photos in different locations and I have come to terms with any changes I wish to make to the van. We have also encountered different weather conditions from freezing cold to rain, many totally overcast winter days and the solar system has coped extremely well, especially given that this is the worst time of the year for solar with the sun was at the lowest point in the sky.  But we have not connected to 240 volt for the entire trip and do not use a generator so I believe that the choice of the two 135 watt panels as standard was a wise decision.

On Sunday we motored slowly on from Broken Hill to Tiboburra. I still had 30psi in the tyres as some of the road was dirt and some tar. I consider this to be a really good compromise tyre pressure for both conditions but I’m very careful not to exceed 85kph on the tar as the tyres can get too hot beyond this speed. It was about 300ks so we listened to an audio book, a good adventure story and the miles just passed us by. Whenever we travel we take about a dozen of these books from the library and they really help pass the boring miles and miles of nothing.

We settled into a nice spot in Dead Horse Gulley campground in the NP at Tibooburra and did our usual “set up and do as little as possible” routine. As we were chasing some more red sand hill pictures we had decided to drive to Fort Grey which is only 30 km from Cameron Corner and stay the night there. At this stage we had done a lot of dirt road driving and the van and car were handling the rough roads with ease.

We hadn’t found much to get excited about at Fort Grey except a spectacular sunset and knew that Cameron Corner was where we would find our red sand hills, so we headed there for fuel and a bumper sticker. Maybe I should have bought two as this was the second time I had been there in three weeks.  This  completed our circuit of the Flinders Ranges and Menindee Lakes areas. The only real direction left to go now was east and we headed home via more dirt roads hoping to find the perfect sand hill. Rhonda had always wanted to take a panorama picture that would always remind us of this trip as it has been so enjoyable. The day was warm and windy and as we stopped for morning tea in the middle of nowhere a ute pulled up and Ted jumped out to say hello. He was the manager of the 3200 sq km cattle station on the Queensland part of Cameron Corner. He was most helpful in telling us where our elusive sand hills would be so off we went into the desert once more. Finally after much stopping and searching we came to THE  SPOT or at least what we thought would make a great panorama. After seeing the pics of today’s efforts I think we did well.

The road onto Noccundra was probably the worst and unfortunately the longest and dustiest we had so far encountered, but it was also the last dirt road for our trip. The camp beside the Wilson River was spectacular as the birds were in fine form feeding from the river in the late afternoon sun. I managed to identify a few more birds I had never seen before, always a thrill, and Rhonda clicked away at the Pelicans feeding in the dying light.

The morning sunrise was spectacular as we both sat beside the river watching the masses of Cormorants feeding in the morning light. As Rhonda recorded the images I noticed that a flock of about 100 birds had gathered on the opposite bank. I was startled to see them all take flight at once only to be replaced with a lone dingo looking for a cormorant breakfast. He stayed for half a minute and then melted back into the bush; I guess the fish were not the only thing on the menu this morning. We turned and headed for home.

Lake Bindegolly near Thargominda was a stop we had to make as we had enjoyed our time here so  much three weeks ago. The little Grebes that we had seen here had previously had chics and were carrying them on their backs as they swam about the lake. This time they were teaching the chicks to swim which made for amazing photos as the speckled and striped chicks were pushed from their secure nest on mum’s back into the water. They would swim for a short while then clamber back up the feathery slope of their parent’s tail and disappear under the wings only to emerge head held high in triumph. Our day ended with a stopover at one of our favourite sites at Bollon beside yet another river.

We are now only two days from home and totally relaxed. The Matrix and Rangie have both done everything we had asked of them with very few problems along the way. We have covered about 2000 km on dirt roads and lived for four weeks in the Matrix in complete comfort, totally reliant on solar power.  We have both agreed on any final changes to be made to the Matrix. We have explored an area of Oz we have never seen and gathered some amazing images and memories we will keep forever.