Today we packed up early and hit the road heading for a fuel top up at Halls Creek. This would be one of the last places to get reliable fuel for close to 800 klm. We reached Halls Creek about 11:30 and wasted no time. We filled up, checked the jerry cans were full, and aired down the tyres for the 100 klm of dirt road.
I chose 28psi in the front and the camper and 32 for the rear tyres, as there is a fair load on the tow-bar. I always like to go slightly higher then check the next morning when the tyres are cold.
We arrived at Wolf Creek Crater at about 3, and staked our plot in the camp-ground. i call it a camp ground as this is the designated camp area. It only consists of clearings in the spinifex, with 2 drop loos. The camp area is about 800 metres from the actual crater, and 1 klm from Wolf Creek. Already i have spotted a head on a stick!
We set up camp and headed off to walk up the crater (in 35 degrees heat). It is an amazing view from the top. And hard to imagine the force to create such a hole. The crater is the second largest in the world caused by a crashing rock of 300,000 tonnes. Or was it 300,000 years ago. Doesn’t much matter as it’s pretty big and happened a long time ago.
I told Carolyn we should build a home here, as what would be the chances of another one hitting in the same spot? The witch was not too keen and mentioned there is no water for about 30 klm.
So far the track has been pretty good, in places up to 90 kilometres per hour, and others down to 40, but so far, not too bad. Looking at the map and guides, tomorrow looks like a big day as there is not much within 400 kilometres. It is a place that you cannot just head off the road a bit and set up camp. The giber stones (rocks) and prickly spinifex just does not allow it.
Next stop Renahans Bore at 550 kilometres it was going to be a big day, so we set off at 7:30. why drive so far? What with spiny spinifex and gibber stones, well there is absolutely no place to get off the road to camp. There are a few pull-offs for parking, but with massive road-trains grumbling through at night, and only being about 20 metres off the road, it did not seem too appealing.
As the Rabbit Flat Roadhouse permanently closed in January 2011, and unless you carry heaps of fuel, you have to top up at the Billiluna Community, which is about 1 kilometre off the track. Here we paid the most for fuel for the trip so far, at $2.60 a litre, and needing 60 litres, it was an expensive re-fill.
Like most of the bores along the roads, they have either dried up or been capped.
Renahans is one that just ran out of water. after 50 years of gushing forth, it ran just out. There are a few clearings in the mulga, but no facilities, so after dark we fired the diesel hot water up and had a magnificent hot shower under the stars.
We watched a beautiful desert sunset, and the sky turn to deep purple before the desert stars appeared. It is an awesome feeling sitting out in the desert listening to dingoes howl and seeing the stars so clearly above. A cuppa billy tea and an Anzac bickie, my best girl by my side (albeit her head was on a stick)what else can a man ask for.
Today was another early start as we wanted to reach Alice Springs (wow, that’s over 1150 klm in 2 days on some pretty average roads), a VB will taste extra good tonight. A quick stop and re-fuel at Tilmouth Road-House and we were on our way. by the way, Tilmouth has a huge selection of local indigenous art at very reasonable prices, so we just had to by a painting or two. This type of art work takes on a totally different meaning when you have visited the area.
Road Trains use the Tanami as it is the shortest trip from the Centre to the West Coast. These are big, big boys, and it’s worth stopping when they approach as the dust is amazing. The drivers are all pretty friendly and give a wave or a “hi” on the UHF
We counted 38 rolled-over or wrecked cars on the track. This track has a reputation as a car crusher, but as i keep saying “tyre pressures and speed, get it right and you travel safely”!!
From Tilmouth the road is sealed right into Alice, although some of the road surface is a bit average. Once we hit the bitumen it became very boring. We would so rather a thousand kilometres of rough unsealed, corrugated road, going through a desert than sealed road where all you have to do is keep the car going straight.
Now back in Alice, and hopefully will be able to meet up with Terry tomorrow, as he is headed north as we head south.
1 comment:
Fabulous stuff Timbo! Keep safe, give Terry a hug and see you both soon.
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