Desert Oaks Camp on the SBJT about 57 kms from Great Central Road to a camp off past the camel yards on Blockstone Warburton Rd.
Away today by 8:30. After a rather mild night under the stars beneath the desert oaks.
Last night was time for a good wash, so I put the tent down on the camper and had a beautiful wash before bed last night and plenty of room to do it.
We were all eaten and finished dinner by eight and some were ready for bed. We managed to stretch it out with a cuppa and a biscuit before ready for bed.
Also required is the nightly ritual of filling hot water bottles and packing up the fire pit so there’s no sparks that can blow in the night. Then it’s time for bed.
Today the road started off wide and good. We were running parallel to a dune behind which peeked the mountains of the Walter James Range occasionally.
About 30 minutes down the track turned into right towards those mountains to look at Mungabiddy rock hole. Very nice.
Then the Anne Range loomed out to the left. Contrary to popular opinion our central Australia is NOT flat and desolate!
Stopped off at Len Beadell Ghost Gum plaque. Beautiful Red Rock in Max Meikan range behind the majestic gum and plaque.
We came to the end of the SBJT and turned onto the Great Central Road at 11:15.
Another Len Beadell Plaque from his 1956 road making tour was found on Giles Rd. He and his crew constructed the road to Giles weather station in 1956. The SBJT was surveyed and created during 1960.
Wingellina Community was our next stop. This is where we need to connect with Linda, a community elder who provides a guide out to the Surveyor General’s Corner.
We drove into the community and rang Linda, only to find no answer – call failed.
There was another bloke who Stef talked to who offered to take us if Linda couldn’t. Luckily we were parked near the clinic and the Sister came out and said she would go and get Linda.
So Linda arrived and I tidied up my front seat as she would accompany us to the corner. We tootled out of town past Linda’s house and also stopped to pick up Deano just down the road. Linda was lovely and chatted all the way to the corner. We passed her the house she and her husband had lived in before he died. Dino shared with Steve that both her husband and two sons were buried at that property she loves going out there, but only does it now in Holiday time when the grandkids return from Darwin and Alice Springs.
We arrived at the Surveyor General’s corner and took the obligatory photos and signed the books at the South Australian Northern Territory and Western Australia Australian Border Posts.
That was Back to win Angelina where we paid our money then dropped Linda and Dino home.
Then we needed to head off down the Blackstone, Warburton road and find a campsite away from the various communities. We pulled off the road down a track past some stockyards with two camels in them and around into some bush there. There were limited options and our night was windy and cold – Phil rigged up a windbreak which helped a little.
Tea tonight was Marion’s kitchen – Yellow Thai Beef curry. It was cooked in the camp oven with rice and was quite delicious.
After tea we did some stargazing and no dishes (they could wait till morning. We saw quite a few shooting/falling stars and satellites and had a few confirmed as seen by others.
Travel adventures with Nicola & co. 