After a really good sleep, woke to thankfully find it a lot less windy. Had quite a debate whether to go up to Innaminka, or to skip it and head down to Marree via the Strzelecki Track and head straight for Alice Springs. Shileen and Jason had st
ayed at Innaminka only a few months before, and nearby Coongie Lakes is her father’s favourite camp spot. It just had to be done.
Went up the Old Strzelecki track which is a shorter route and less frequented with trucks. This traverses oil and gas country, and once again I felt transported to the good ole U.S. of A. Had lunch looking at the working oil bores, however it was stil pretty windy so the sandwiches I made on the track really were sand wiches, with a strange crunch to them. Still, ate heartily, as this passenger business is heavy work.
We decided not to stay in town (it is actually almost less than a village), but went to explore Cullyamara Waterhole, about 12Km (7 ½ miles) or so from Innaminka.
Apparantly it is one of the most significant waterholes in central Australia, being an important stop for migrating birds, and feeding the wildlife around it. It is beautiful and pretty much deserted. A track runs along near the shore with smaller tracks off it to the water’s edge and the camping spots. The water is a few meters below the camp spots as the river has eroded the shore line. After we had set up, we decided to go for a drive to see how far the road and camping area went – miles! After about a 10 minute bumpy drive we eventually came to the end of the camping area. And ther we saw – life! 2 guys and an older man were standing in the clearing by their car, so we stopped to say g’day (as one does).
They had just been to watch the grand final of Aussie Rules at the pub. AAAArgh D had forgotten about it! So much for Roger’s idea that he would be there watching the footie in some local pub with the locals with some dead animal he had just killed slumped over the bar, with a bloody arrow in it…( thank you for your prophesy on that one Rog!). Darren was pretty annoyed he had forgotton, so needed to hear all about the game, so we got out to join them for a drink at their camp spot. The great thing about travelling with your fridge in the car, is that you have a coldie and meat ready for a barbie invite wherever you are. Perfect.
We walked over to their camp which was a little beyond the camp boundary in the reserve. They told us about a boar that had come to have a look at them in the camp the evening before. Later, while we were trying to hit a piece of wood in the water with a slingshot (I cricked my neck trying), we heard the boar snorting in the undergrowth a little way off. Darren and Dan, one of the guys, immediately were off after it….10 minutes later they came back victorious, having... er...'got' it. It was no more. I have to remind myself that these animals are vermin, and the ranger had been telling us that they have to have hunting days to keep the numbers of the boar and dingo down. ( Still I still feel for the sucker).
So this was very exciting and Darren has new friends now. He went at 6 am the next day for a long walk with Dan again, and that evening they all joined us at our camp for a ‘yarn around the fire’ and more food sharing. That was when I introduced them to ‘Dilly’ ….
ayed at Innaminka only a few months before, and nearby Coongie Lakes is her father’s favourite camp spot. It just had to be done.
Went up the Old Strzelecki track which is a shorter route and less frequented with trucks. This traverses oil and gas country, and once again I felt transported to the good ole U.S. of A. Had lunch looking at the working oil bores, however it was stil pretty windy so the sandwiches I made on the track really were sand wiches, with a strange crunch to them. Still, ate heartily, as this passenger business is heavy work.
We decided not to stay in town (it is actually almost less than a village), but went to explore Cullyamara Waterhole, about 12Km (7 ½ miles) or so from Innaminka.
Apparantly it is one of the most significant waterholes in central Australia, being an important stop for migrating birds, and feeding the wildlife around it. It is beautiful and pretty much deserted. A track runs along near the shore with smaller tracks off it to the water’s edge and the camping spots. The water is a few meters below the camp spots as the river has eroded the shore line. After we had set up, we decided to go for a drive to see how far the road and camping area went – miles! After about a 10 minute bumpy drive we eventually came to the end of the camping area. And ther we saw – life! 2 guys and an older man were standing in the clearing by their car, so we stopped to say g’day (as one does).
They had just been to watch the grand final of Aussie Rules at the pub. AAAArgh D had forgotten about it! So much for Roger’s idea that he would be there watching the footie in some local pub with the locals with some dead animal he had just killed slumped over the bar, with a bloody arrow in it…( thank you for your prophesy on that one Rog!). Darren was pretty annoyed he had forgotton, so needed to hear all about the game, so we got out to join them for a drink at their camp spot. The great thing about travelling with your fridge in the car, is that you have a coldie and meat ready for a barbie invite wherever you are. Perfect.
We walked over to their camp which was a little beyond the camp boundary in the reserve. They told us about a boar that had come to have a look at them in the camp the evening before. Later, while we were trying to hit a piece of wood in the water with a slingshot (I cricked my neck trying), we heard the boar snorting in the undergrowth a little way off. Darren and Dan, one of the guys, immediately were off after it….10 minutes later they came back victorious, having... er...'got' it. It was no more. I have to remind myself that these animals are vermin, and the ranger had been telling us that they have to have hunting days to keep the numbers of the boar and dingo down. ( Still I still feel for the sucker).
So this was very exciting and Darren has new friends now. He went at 6 am the next day for a long walk with Dan again, and that evening they all joined us at our camp for a ‘yarn around the fire’ and more food sharing. That was when I introduced them to ‘Dilly’ ….
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