[humdingerslammer]

I’m back!!!!

After 6 weeks, 13100kms and $6125 spent in fuel I have finally returned home, having eventually reached Arnhem Land (Nhulunbuy).

The first days were spent in Victoria… Murray-Sunset NP where I got well and truly bogged in mud. One minute I am driving on a dirt track damp from recent heavy rain and the next I have slid off the top of the track into mud half way up the diff pumpkins. So much mud on the MT tyres that you would think there was no tread at all. 4WD low, a bit of power and nothing but wheel spin. But then, 4 max trax thingies and 5 minutes later, a few revs, 4wd low and out in a flash. Mud and crap everywhere!!

Eventually got to the Pink Lake which wasn’t very pink since the rain had pretty much flushed out the algae that makes the colour. Since there was mud everywhere I decided to stay in the Hattah-Kulkyne NP for a few nights. Much more civilised here and had families of white winged Choughs and Apostle Birds to keep me company. The Hattah lake was full with water and lots of migratory bird life. A lot different to the arid dry environment when I visited here a couple of years ago. Lots of campers coming and going as well, many of who had abandoned their plans to stay at Murray-Sunset NP because of the mud. Did a few kilometres of walks and set off north after a few days.

First passed through Mildura and headed off to Menindee. The lake here was full as from all the rain in the area and from a great volume of water passing down through the Darling and Paroo and Channel country catchments from the north etc of Queensland that had been drenched with rain. There would be water all through outback Queensland and higher as I travelled north.

I followed the Darling River run as far as I could. There were some road closures that meant that the south access to Tilpa and Louth via the west Tilpa-Louth road was closed. I did eventually make it to Louth but not much to see. I don’t know what attracts people to live in such remote and rundown places.

Made it to Wanaaring where I encountered about 2 dozen well fed geese wandering around Wanaaring… a foxes delight, no doubt. Oh yes, here I met up with 4 utes that had passed me at break neck speed on the dirt road in. One thanked me for pulling over and letting them pass (I travel slowly, since less things break). I asked him why do he not slow down when he overtook. Anyway, be that as it may.

I was filling with fuel and one of them noticed an Ilkurlka sticker on my window and asked if I had I done the Anne Beadell track. “Of course” I replied. “Where else would I have got the sticker” I added. This guy was apparently the expedition leader which would be the support for 6 motorbikes tackling the Anne Beadell. He had led a failed attempt a year or 2 earlier, he tells me.

So the guy starts to question me about the state of the track etc. and asks about how much fuel they would need. I tell him there was 600kms of sand when I did the track that burnt fuel like nothing. I suggested taking double and a bit more than he thought they would use. He thought I was pissing in his pocket and did not believe me. “No skin off my nose” I told him. He kept carrying on about this and that so I said “Look mate, if you don’t want to believe what I am saying, why ask me for info?” He walked off and I stopped talking, which was a bit amazing on my part to tell the truth.

There was one motorbike rider with them at the time (an older guy clearly experienced). He told me he would just power through at speed through the sand. “Good luck” I told him. “I hope you have a strong neck to fall on when you come off from hitting hidden jump-ups and rocks and gullies buried under the sand”. Very displeased, he was. Oh well, perhaps they all made it safely home.

I followed the dirt Hungerford Road to eventually make it to Currawinya NP abutting the southernmost border of Queensland, which I will write about a bit later.

I have added a few pics of the trip to this point. Sorry,you might need to turn your head