Cameron Corner Day 11

Day 11 - Monday 20th August 2012

Noccundra to Bourke

Distance traveled 550kms, Mostly very rough very corrugated horrible to drive on dirt.

It was a very cold night the coldest so far of all nights.  I slept all night completely under the covers leaving a very small gap to get the air in.  We were snug and warm but it was very cold out.  Since we had a massive days drive we had to pack and be on the road by 8.30am!!!  It was an early cold start but we were on the road and pushing to Thargominda for fuel and supplies.  We made it in before 10am fueled stocked up and back on the move by 10.30am.  We then were pushing on to make Hungrford for lunch.  We found a great park to stop and rest stretch and have lunch.  From here the roads turned bad the corrugations were bone shattering and had to be drove over with white knuckles holding the wheel.  James was very tired so not far out from lunch he fell asleep and some how snored through the worst of it all.  By the time we pulled into Bourke we had enough of sitting in the car.  We had spread out over the afternoon so we met up at the Info & exhibition center to then head out to camp.  We were camping at the food and huts by Mt Oxley.  We pulled into camp by 5pm and set up.   There was a great camp kitchen to use with a long table that was big enough to seat all of us.  We all ate dinner together then Jen taught us a new card game and we played well into the night with plenty of wine flowing to make it all the more merrier.

 Sunrise at Noccundra.

 Its a Wagon wheel....

 Mr Driver :)

 Oh dear the dust.......

Cameron Corner Day 10

Day 10 - Sunday 19th August 2012

Innaminka to Noccundra

Distance traveled 269kms Dirt while in SA bitumen and dirt in QLD.

We had a lazy morning take off and first off headed to the grave sites of Bourke and Wills and visited the Kings memorial.  From here we pushed onto see the Dig tree and have a later lunch break.  We then pointed our tails to the sun and headed across into Qld and pushed on down to Noccundra.  At this point in the trip cabin fever set in for many and the radio conversations were what kept us laughing all the way to camp.  We pulled into the one pub town about 5pm and made a quick toilet break then went to find a place to camp beside the river.  It was a beautiful free camping area and we found a nice spot that was plenty big for all of us to spread out.  We got busy making camp and getting dinner underway.  After dinner we headed back across to the pub for a drink and to have showers.  We enjoyed a few drinks and chatted with some other travelers then we made tracks back to camp.  It was still reasonably early so we started a small fire to keep warm and chatted with Rhys and Effie till it was too cold to stay up.  

 Wills Site.

 King Site

 Leaving Innaminka

 The white marker in the tree is where the 2010 flood level was.

 Bourke site.

 Dig tree

 Radio and Knomeo made it to the tree.

 Just for James he wanted to see a 3 tralier road train.

 Just cause I was the only QLD supporter :)

Cameron Corner Day 9

Day 9 - Saturday 18th August 2012

Innaminka rest day. 

Distance traveled only walked to the pub and back.

We slept in till late.  Then I did some clothes washing.  We had a late breakfast and then enjoyed a warm shower.  We walked up to the Innaminka Hotel for lunch where we enjoyed Kangaroo burgers and a few schooners of beer.  It was a very lazy afternoon, I had a nap while James  collected wood and got the fire going.  Effie did an amazing roast Lamb dinner and we enjoyed damper cooked by Dave.  The weather was warm and all the wind had disappeared it was a very enjoyable rest day.

 Relaxing.

 Washing day at camp.

 Relaxing by the water.

 Dave relaxing.

 Cooper Creek

 Hammo perving on Di.

 Sunset over camp.

Cameron Corner Day 8

Day 8 - Friday 17th August 2012

Cameron Corner to Innaminka

Distance traveled 250kms via the Old Strezleki, Good dirt roads.

We woke early to the rattle of the generator and showered packed then headed to the corner store for breakfast.  We had not had a group photo so back to the corner post then off we headed.  The next 99kms there were 209 sand hills the first few were ok but then I started feeling unwell.  We stopped at the double decker yellow bus and boy it was  old and the wind had picked up.  From here to Merty Merty the road did smooth out a little but the sand dunes persisted.  At Merty Merty we turned north on the Old Strezleki and headed to find camp.  The boys were disappointed as the track had been recently graded so it was very smooth.  As we passed over the Strezleki it was only 40kms to go but we were all hungry, so we found a spot to stop and had lunch on a very windy track.  It was close to 1.30pm when we pulled into Innaminka.  We visited the National Parks office and then the corner store.  We picked up fuel and souvenirs then headed to the town common to camp.  The town common is run by the locals and is only $5 per night.  We found a beautiful spot right on the edge of the Cooper Creek where we could all camp.  After setting up the boys collected fire wood then we found a place on the edge of the creek to have happy hour while the sun set.  We enjoyed dinner then sat around a warm fire.

Back at the post we came to see.

 Big Yellow Bus, half way to Merty Merty.

Can you see Radio and Gnomeo?

Oil Rig.

 Finally made it to Innaminka.