Victoria Trip 18th - 28th August

Victoria Trip 18th - 28th August

After having our van in the repairers for a month...few minor jobs plus removing the 2 x 4.5kg gas cylinders replacing them with 1x 9kg and a jocket wheel bracket for storage...we finally got it home on the Monday..packed it up again and left home Tuesday morning..heading East...who knows where?

With the weather being wet and stormy we decided when we reach Tailem bend ...we will work out which direction we will head...either East via Pinnaroo or south via Bordertown ..or via Keith down south
Well it ended up being via Bordertown....getting there it was still wet so where to go.Hmmmm??
We headed through Kaniva...then did a sudden right turn and ended up at Lake Ratzcastle.
Now we have been there several times when the weather turned bad and its not a nice spot in high winds and rain. So with that thought in mind we parked up and set up down in the swamp..same spot as before...knowing it was more shelted there.The wind didnt let up...but we were far enough away from the big gum trees to be safe.

Wednesday I dug a fire pit from a used one mounding the sandy soil up pretty high to protect it from wind...so Rosie could cook with campovens... I didnt keep a daily report of events happening so the days went like this...breakfast...wood collecting...chat with new neighbours and locals...get rainwater from the fishing hut tank...lunch...then Rosie would go for a walk around the lake... she felt lot more secure with having the new twin portable hand held UHF radios...we got from EMG mags...they worked great.

                                        Oricom UHF Radios

Before you knew it ...it was Monday....we been there 6 nights..so we headed off.....up through Horsham to Warracknabeal...where we got extra supplies and fuel and headed up to Brim.

                                                       Pub

We worked out this was our 6th stay there in 2 years.
Parked in the same spot as we have other times...chat with locals and new neighbours..most seem to come from Tasmania...before we knew it ..it was Thursday...so with others we all headed to the Pub for parma night...$18 a big plate and a pod of beer in the price.

Friday and it was time to head home...now for planning the next trip

Lake Eyre Trip

May 2015 TC trip

Day 1...1st May
left south around 8am...convoyed with Frank & Brenda & Gerry through Adelaide ...north and caught up with Hugo and his brother Malcolm....headed north and ended up staying night at Warren Gorge.

Day2...
left and headed out to Probys grave then on to Kanyaka Homestead..then up to Hawker...finally arriving at Beltana Campground $20 night...Rosie cooked a pork roast in campoven on camp fire.

                                                                        Beltana

Day3..
Left there still heading north stopped at Leigh Creek for fuel and had a look at Copely..then up to lynhurst and out to Talc Alf but no one home..while we were there we did a short trip up the Strzelecki Track...then north and had a quick look at an ocka pit then on to Farina town (old Ghan) where we are staying 2 days to have a look around...camping here is $5per head per night unpowered but have flushing toilets and donkey hot water showers.

                                             
Day4 ..
Rosie did some clothes washing this morning..Rosie went for a walk through the ruins town...no campfires either night

Day5 ...
Packed up early and while others were packing up we went exploring the town towing the van...then left
Headed north to Marree...got fuel $185.00 ltr...checked out the old diesel train engines and Tom Kruse truck.. then headed out to Muloorina Station ....where we set up not far from flushing toilets $10 night....then explored the water hole part of the Frome River..No campfire tonight.

Day6 ...
Headed out to Lake Eyre via Level Post Bay....long trip...then walked out on the Lake...then headed back to Station on way stopping at another point of lake where we ate lunch..back at Station we had a campfire...Rosie cooked a damper went down well...

Day7..
Packed up and headed back down to Marree..got fuel again and extra rain water..then headed west on the Oodnattada Track..first stop was Alberrie Creek to look at plane henge...next Lake Eyre South lookout...having lunch at Curdimurka Siding...(old Ghan)...then out to the Bubbler springs...and finally on to Coward Springs where we set up camp for night...$25 night no power/drop toilets/donkey hot showers...we had a look at the Hot Spring but too many people there

                                                                     Coward Springs

Day8...
Packed up and headed west again ...stopped at Beresford Siding..then finally to William Creek...total of 60klm today..Had dinner at the Pub I bought couple stickers and a stubbie holder..$30 night powered in the Caravan Park opposite the Pub..3 of our gang paid for a flight over the lake only to find it was short trip as oil sprung from plane...when airborne ..try tomorrow again...Hugo had a fire going tonight....was short as the sand flies?? ate us alive....I cant work out how they managed to bite me while in bed through 3 layers of clothing.but boy do they itch..Rosie ones look bad .as she still getting over the ant bites that were nasty on her foot.

Day9...
We decided not to go out to Halligan Bay to Lake Eyre today with others.and I had a lazy morning while Rosie did clothes washing in the CP laundry...Late camp fire tonight as they finally got to look at the lake from air..$420 each

Day10...Mothers Day
Left William Creek this morning...and headed to Coober Pedy...staying 2 nights at Stuart Range CP.($34 powered)..4 of the Group are leaving us tomorrow..Tuesday we are making our way home... might stay one night at Lake Heart...and have a look at Woomera.

Day11...
Monday....Frank & Brenda...Hugo and Malcolm headed off this morning...Leaving us and Gerry ...who went for a drive around Coober Pedy...we 3 had pizza tonight..had an early night

Day12...
Left Coober Pedy this morning and headed to Lake Hart only to have rain on the way...Gerry decided he would head home too..we headed to Woomera...had a look around and thought the trip home was bit far so stayed night at the CP..($25 powered) place was showing its age but wasnt too bad for 1 night
Lake Hart

Woomera

Day13...
Left Woomera this morning and headed down to Port Augusta...we were thinking of heading home too..but the storm clouds rolled in...about 100klm from there..we looked at a parking bay only to see Frank & Brenda packing up their van..they are heading to WA........went though PA and now staying tonight at Stony Creek BC at Wilmington ($25 powered)

Day14...
Headed home this morning to a very wet trip home....only to find the developers have closed off our driveway.luckly we still got the van in over the carpark drive

Now where to next???