My wife Bev and I have just completed a trip through 4WD areas of South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory researching information for new maps and checking old ones. It is pleasing to find that 4WD tourism is becoming more popular as many groups actively try to encourage visitors. Shires in Western Queensland are preparing information about access to new parks and places of historic interest; several tracks have been opened up in the Northern Territory and others in the Kimberley should be open to tourists in the near future.

Cattlewater Pass. Visitors to Central Australia may be interested to take the Cattlewater Pass Track which links Arltunga (East of Alice Springs) with the Plenty Highway. This recently opened track crosses some picturesque range country where quiet camping spots can be found near sandy creek crossings. While returning to the Stuart Highway stay a day or two at the Gemtree Caravan Park. Graham and June Short have specialised information about fossicking areas of the Harts Range. Some gems including zircons and garnets are easily found and professional gem-cutters at the park are ready to facet and value your gemstones. Fossicking equipment is available for hire and advice is free. Still a great trip. 1-12-2004.

Gregory National Park. Another new 4WD track to be recently opened to the public runs north-south through Gregory National Park south of Timber Creek on the Victoria Highway. The park is named after Augustus Gregory who led the North Australian Expedition into the area in 1855. It took Bev and I two days to travel about 150 kilometres from Humbert River Station on the south eastern boundary to Timber Creek. Gregory National Park is the second largest park in the Northern Territory and although there are few tracks it is well worth spending a week visiting the gorges, lagoons and rugged mountain ranges already accessible to the public. Camping at Bullita Homestead is regimented but there is plenty of free range camping on the more remote tracks for those who prefer the isolation. 

Canning Stock Route. We also travelled down the Canning Stock Route from Halls Creek, skirting Lake Gregory (which is in flood) by travelling through Balgo Aboriginal Community. Over 100 vehicles were travelling the track while we were there so the approaches to the dunes and the corrugations may have been slightly worse than usual. Many of the vast areas burnt shortly before our last trip had revegetated and were very pretty especially the purple tinsel bush. Thousands of bright green budgerigars were seen on the northern section but the greatest concentration were found drinking from the water in Guli Soak (Well 42). The wells at Pierre Spring, Bungabinni Soak and Well 46 have been restored during the last couple of years and provide clean water at good camping areas. Well 26 was restored in 1983.

It was disappointing to see numerous signs urging travellers to burn and bury rubbish. On several occasions Bev and I saw rubbish dug up at campsites by dingoes. This happens all over the outback and I thought that burying rubbish was not an accepted practice any more. Please carry out all solid rubbish. It's much easier than going to the trouble of digging holes.

Travellers along the Canning should check the availability of fuel at Carranya Station near Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater. Two large floods caused havoc with facilities and services were only tenuously maintained by a caretaker when we passed through in August. The fuel pumps did not work and emergency fuel was supplied from 200 litre drums. Fuel is now available at Billiluna. 1-12-99. And at the community near Well 33. 1-12-2004.

A word of warning about travelling alone can be highlighted by a recent distress call from a couple stranded east of the Canning Stock Route. Luckily they had a single side band radio and their emergency call was heard in Queensland. It was reported that they were trying to find their way around the flooded Lake Gregory, became lost and finally punctured several tyres. Two vehicles travelling together would have a much greater safety margin, especially if one of them had a G.P.S. unit.

I use a Motorola G.P.S. and think it is a marvellous piece of space age machinery but one still has to be careful when travelling alone because no one has yet invented a gadget to replace common sense, the most important qualification for any 4WDriver. Luckily the couple were found and lifted out by helicopter but they had to abandon their vehicle in the hope of recovering it sometime later. They may have found a G.P.S., and the knowledge of how to use it, very useful. Safety in the outback is the responsibility of individuals and every reasonable effort must be made to plan for emergencies before leaving home.

Track information By John Deckert. 1-3-94.

Residents of the outback expect Christmas and New Year to be a quiet time as most visitors prefer to travel in the cooler months. However, as I write this article I am reminded by a news item on TV that several visitors to the outback perish each year. Survival time is often measured in hours not days. Late summer can be very hot, so carry plenty of water and be aware that even light exertion can cause dehydration. Few people notice they are perspiring freely because outback heat tends to keep the skin dry.

People accustomed to a cooler climate may take up to ten days for their body to acclimatise to extreme heat and can be at risk to heat related illnesses during this time. Children dehydrate very quickly and need special care. They often do not feel thirsty and so do not ask for drink. Adults must keep supplying fluids frequently. Water and fruit juice are best.

Please note that alcohol is a dehydrant, which dries the body out even faster, so it should be avoided. Do not travel anywhere in the outback without water.

The Bore Track closed. Many travellers will be disappointed to hear that the Bore Track which runs south through Innamincka Regional Reserve and joins the Bollards Lagoon Track near Camerons Corner is now closed. Under the terms of the new South Australian pastoral regulations relating to station tracks it is quite appropriate for station owners to deny access to travellers. In this case the property owners have denied access to their portion of the Bore Track. It can still be used within the Regional Reserve boundary and will probably be made available for use when the Strzelecki Creek is in flood as it can often be the only access to Innamincka. Information can be sought from the ranger station at Innamincka, phone 08 8675 9909. The Bore Track can now be used for a fee payable at Bollards Lagoon. 1-12-99.

Walker's Crossing Track has been proclaimed a Public Access Route. Gates have been replaced with cattle grids but good signs are definitely lacking.  Phone Innamincka Ranger Station for information. 08 8675 9909.

Someone went to an extraordinary amount of trouble to remove the plaque and vandalise the cairn at Walkers Crossing. They had to smash right through the cairn so that the bolts could be removed from inside. 

Fortunately a new plaque and surround has been built at Walker's Crossing. The large culverts have been bulldozed and a slightly lower crossing built. Reported October 2004.

Strzelecki to Bollards Lagoon Track Impassable. It has become common knowledge that a new track was cut through the dune field between the Strzelecki Crossing and the Bollards Lagoon track. This was done so that equipment for the gas fields could be moved up toward Innamincka when the Cooper and Strzelecki were both in flood a couple of years ago.

This track began to appear on maps because it was an excellent way to approach Innamincka during that time. (Remember that water comes from Northern Queensland and local rain is not necessary to produce a flood in the Cooper).

Unfortunately the new track has not been maintained and I have been advised that it is almost impassable. Anyone travelling without a backup vehicle would be very foolish to use this track.

Possible Road Upgrades. Many 4WDrivers regret having missed the opportunity to travel roads before they are upgraded to bitumen so I am going to do some star gazing and suggest three roads I think will soon be due for major improvement.

A meeting between the Northern Territory and Queensland roads officials is believed to have taken place to discuss the possibility of sealing the Plenty Highway to provide an all weather link between Alice Springs and the Queensland coast. If funding is available it is possible that work on sections of the Plenty Highway could start within the next couple of years.

The second possibility is the Warburton Road between Laverton in Western Australia and the Olgas in the Northern Territory. An estimated 20,000 vehicles, including road trains, is believed to be travelling this road yearly. Discussion with Aboriginal groups is aimed at eventually removing the requirement for permits. The Warburton Road is the main link between Perth and Alice Springs which together with the Plenty Highway completes the east - west link between Perth and Cairns.

The Outback Highway proposal now includes both of these roads. 1-12-2004.

The third road to be improved must surely be the Tanami Track. It provides the shortest link between the heavily populated south eastern part of Australia and the Kimberley, one of the fastest growing tourist areas in Australia. Improvements to this road continue but bitumen still looks a long way off.

'A Son of the Red Centre' By Kurt G Johannsen is an excellent historical record of the life of a modern pioneer. Kurt Johannsen, born in 1915, lived at Deep Well and Hermannsburg until 1928. After moving to Alice Springs Kurt started a general carrying business, taking freight, mail and passengers over vast areas of Outback Australia. His exploits make the average 4WD trip up the Canning or across the Simpson look like a Sunday evening stroll.

Kurt Johannsen built the first road trains before regulations limited their size. He also built numerous other machines and gadgets, went gold mining, searched for Lassetter's reef and learned to fly. Kurt Johannsen's 'A Son of the Red Centre' is an excellent book with numerous photographs. It is published by the author and is available from 3 Stephens Place, Morphettville, 5043, from leading bookshops or from Westprint Maps.

Today, as I write this article, it is 52C at Mount Dare Station on the edge of the Simpson Desert and Phil Hellyer is busy grading roads for this years influx of visitors, expected to exceed 3500. There is a possibility of a new track or two being built later this year and also a chance of some major repairs to tracks in the desert. There is also a rumour of increased mining activity in the Abminga Basin as the major companies search for diamonds. Now don't misunderstand me. I am not in the Simpson Desert, I am under an air conditioner, at home, where the outside temperature is only 42C. However, I keep in touch with my contacts because there is always something interesting happening in the outback. I hope you enjoy this selection.

Tennant Creek to Lajamanu (Hooker Creek). Information from the Tennant Creek Tourist Association states that this 450 kilometre track was used by the Wynns Safari in 1987 and that it is able to be used by tourists. Please note the track crosses Aboriginal Lands and a permit should be obtained from the Central Lands Council at Tennant Creek. Phone 08 8962 2343.

A 50 kilometre bitumen road leads from Tennant Creek to Warrego Mine. Wiso Bore is 15 kilometres further west on a good formed road which then narrows to a well defined track for the next 385 kilometres to Lajamanu (formerly Hooker Creek). The track is occasionally graded and should not be a problem for any well equipped 4WD. Fuel is available at Tennant Creek, Lajamanu and Kalkaringi during normal business hours.

This track provides alternative access to Halls Creek or Kununurra in the Kimberley. Roads from Lajamanu lead south to Tanami or north to Kalkaringi, formerly Wave Hill. (Permits are not needed for either of these roads). The Tennant Creek - Lajamanu track follows closely the route taken by Nat Buchanan during his exploration from Tennant Creek to Halls Creek in 1887. The track passes through the Buchanan Hills, one of the features named after Nat Buchanan.

Travellers wishing to use this remote track should check at either the Tennant Creek Tourist Centre or the Police Station before departing. I think some difficulty is being experienced in getting permits for this trip 1-12-99.

Nathaniel Buchanan. Nat Buchanan was born near Dublin in 1826 and arrived in Australia with his parents and four brothers in 1837, settling on a station in New South Wales. Ten years later Nat and his brothers Andrew and Frank joined the gold rush to California. Bad luck on the gold fields and poor management on the station forced the family to surrender the property. Nat took to droving between New South Wales and the Victorian gold fields.

In 1859 he joined the explorer William Landsborough and set out to find new grazing lands in Queensland. As a result of the experience gained and his knowledge of the area Nat was asked to be pioneer manager of Bowen Downs station. His reputation as a bushman was well established and his sense of direction and locality unrivalled. Nat married Katherine Gordon, in 1863. At that time Katherine was the only white woman in central Queensland.

Over the next 20 years Nat opened up land in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley. His most famous exploit was to move 20,000 head of cattle from Central Queensland to Glenco station south of Darwin. This feat has never been equalled by any other drover in the world.

Nat pioneered new tracks from Queensland to the Kimberley in 1883. He took up Wave Hill in partnership with his brother William and helped his son Gordon to pioneer Flora Valley and Gordon Downs near Halls Creek in 1887.

At the age of 70 he made his last big expedition in the Tanami Desert between Tennant Creek and Halls Creek, trying to find a shorter route to the Barkley Tablelands. In 1899 he retired to a small farm near Tamworth where he died in 1901.

Nat Buchanan became a legend well before his death. His mates often called him Old Bluey because of his red hair and fair skin which he shaded with a battered green umbrella. His feats of droving, his bushcraft, his powers of observation and his endurance were widely known and marvelled at by his peers. Through his explorations he helped settle more new country than any other man in Australia's history and yet he died with almost none in his possession. Nat Buchanan was King of the drovers.

Sturt Desert Pea. Rain in the Outback at this time of year often germinates areas of Sturt Desert Pea. The Aborigines tell a legend of a pretty young girl who was given in marriage to a mean and jealous old man. The girl was very upset because she already loved a handsome young fellow from a neighbouring tribe. During the night the young couple eloped and fled to a far away place where they set up camp and lived happily beside a sweet clear lake.

Some time later the jealous old man gathered up the members of his tribe and attacked and killed the people with whom the young couple lived. Next season he returned to gloat over the bleached bones of his victims but only found carpets of brilliant flowers with ebony eyes that had grown from the blood of the people he had killed.

The jealous old man knew that the spirits were very powerful so he turned to flee but a spear from a cloud struck him to the ground. The tears of the spirits turned the sweet lake water to salt and the spear became pebbles on its shores. But every season the flowers of blood spread their brilliance over the arid plains of the outback.

I have often seen the striking Sturt's Desert Pea in a small clay pit ten kilometres south of Hamilton Homestead on the east side of the road to Witjira National Park. (There is a cattle ramp or gateway about nine kilometres from the homestead). The spot is easily found and can be seen from the vehicle.

Walker's Crossing. Everyone has heard of the 'Power of the Press' and I guess we all agree that there is truth in the saying. However, I doubt if I have ever had any practical experience of this power before so I am glad to say it really is there and it does work. Several days after Overlander's March issue hit the streets I was thrilled to receive a letter in reply to my request for information about Walker's Crossing. Details from Mrs Eileen Walker's letter will be of interest to readers.

Syd Walker worked in the Field Service for Santos at Moomba. He supervised the rebuilding of a vital crossing of Cooper Creek which was prone to regular flood damage. The construction was done in late 1986 when seismic surveys were being carried out all over the Cooper and Eromanga basin taking in areas like the Simpson Desert, Strzelecki Desert and Sturts Stony Desert. An idle drilling rig could cost thousands of dollars a day so reliable tracks were important. Being able to cross the Cooper was essential.

Soon after the project was completed Syd Walker had a massive heart attack while practicing for the Cooper Cup cricket match, a popular event for the people of Innamincka and Moomba. The men of the Field Services decided to name the crossing after their friend and built a memorial cairn nearby. Sometime later it was noticed that an attempt had been made to steal the plaque so workmates from the Field Services removed it for safe-keeping. The plaque has been relocated within the Moomba complex.

The plaque reads;

WALKERS CROSSING

Erected in memory of

Sydney James Walker.

"Not just a mere aquaintance

but someone who's just our kind."

Born May 20th 1939. Died Nov 7th 1986.

Santos Field Services.

Eileen Walker says her husband loved the outback and that she was lucky to have many trips out bush with him. It is interesting to note that eight years and several floods later the crossing is still in good order. Thank you Eileen for that information.

The Curdimurka Outback Ball. Saturday October 8. Planning for this year's Outback Ball started before the last ball ended in September 1992. Your planning to be part of this occasion should also start soon. The Curdimurka Outback Ball is widely recognised in South Australia as the social highlight of the year and is becoming recognised in many other states as one of Australia's most unusual events. The ball is held every second year at Curdimurka on the Old Ghan Line about 100 kilometres from Marree. Curdimurka is the closest rail siding to Lake Eyre and was named after an Aboriginal word meaning huge mythical beasts. (Massive fossilised animal skeletons have been found in the region). However there will be nothing mythical about the 2000 people dressed in evening attire, dancing the night away on a landscape light by the glow of 500 illuminating flares and to the music of several top bands.

Guests can travel in their own vehicles or they can take advantage of bus or plane travel arranged by the organising committee. It is necessary to take camping equipment as there is no accommodation but camping is free and showers, toilets and firewood is provided. Tickets are selling like hot cakes so ring now for information about this night to remember. Contact Simon Coxon, on 08 8273 5100 or write to P.O. Box 3111, Grenfell St, ADELAIDE SA 5000. The Curdimurka Outback Ball was held every two years but Westprint has not been advised of it for some time. 1-12-2004.

Carranya Roadhouse closed. Billiluna Store opened. Carranya Roadhouse is now closed and to aid travellers on the Tanami Track and Canning Stock Route the Billiluna Aboriginal Community is making their facilities available to the public. The store is open weekdays but is closed on weekends and for two hours during the mid-day heat. Diesel and unleaded fuel, some supplies and take-away food is available. A permit is not required to enter for fuel or supplies. Contact Brendan Prendergast or Rob Hancock for information. Phone 08 9168 8988.

Innamincka News. Builders arrived on April 13 to restore the Elizabeth Symon Nursing Home at Innamincka. The restoration is a great project and is assisted by sponsorship from members of the Australian Geographic Society and the Australian Geographic magazine. The official hand-over of keys by Dick Smith and Peter Piggot to the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service will be at 4 p.m. on July 22, 1994. The nursing home has a long and distinguished association with the Innamincka area. The restored building (planned for use as an interpretive centre) will be a tourist attraction as well as a functional and valuable asset.

In the early 1920s Sister Kinnear was engaged by the Beltana Pastoral Company to tend to the people on Cordillo Downs and adjoining pastoral runs. Her ward, a lean-to of corrugated iron was totally inadequate so she appealed for assistance through the Adelaide newspapers. Sir Josiah Symon, a prominent Adelaide lawyer, contributed £1500 ($3000) toward the construction of a nursing home, provided it be named after his wife (Mary Eleanor) and built at Innamincka. The building was opened in 1929. As Sir Josiah's daughter's name was also Eleanor he later asked, to avoid confusion, for the name to be changed to Elizabeth after his mother. Although the nursing home gave wonderful service to the people of the area the importance of the Strzelecki Track was declining, station airstrips were being built, pedal radios installed and the population dwindling, all contributing to the closure of the nursing home in 1951.

Visitors are expected to begin arriving at Innamincka on Thursday, July 21, for the hand-over ceremony. An 'informal' program of events, aimed at raising money for the restoration, is planned for Friday. Be part of the action at Innamincka in July.

Tracks Information by John Deckert. 1-9-94.

South West Queensland.  While carrying out research in the far south-west of Queensland I was amazed at the effort being put into tourism by people living in that region. Several new tracks have been developed to encourage travellers to wander off the main east-west road, now called the Adventure Way.

The Adventure Way starts from the Matilda Highway at Cunnamulla and runs due west to Eulo, Thargomindah, past Noccundra and the Dig Tree to the Burke & Wills bridge and finishes at Innamincka. Along the way is found rivers, mountains, opal mines, host farms, historic towns and friendly people. This is arid pastoral country steeped in history, but with its own style of harsh outback beauty. Many opportunities abound for visitors wishing to get out in the bush and experience the real outback.

Camerons Corner - Naryilco link. A new track has been graded linking Camerons Corner directly to the main road running north to Noccundra. This new track also links to the Tickalara-Bulloo Downs-Thargomindah track. I recently drove its full length from Camerons Corner to Thargomindah, a distance of 340 kilometres, and can recommend it to anyone wanting a break from the pressures of city life. Apart from a wide variety of changing scenery only three homesteads, one station vehicle, a few cattle, some sheep and a few kangaroos were seen.

The red sandy soils around Camerons Corner changes after about 100 kilometres to stony plains where I encountered some of the finest bull-dust I had ever seen. Driving in these patches caused the bull-dust to shower my vehicle completely making it necessary to use the wipers to clear dust from the windscreen. The vehicle needed cleaning at the first opportunity as the clinging bull-dust wiped off onto everything and everyone who touched it.

The view out over the Bulloo flood-plain from some magnificient breakaways just west of Tickalara is quite spectacular. Although the track runs beside the Bulloo River to Thargomindah, the main water-course is rarely seen as it was necessary to site the track near the edge of the flood-plain.

The grave of Dr Lugwig Becker lies beside a waterhole to the north of Bulloo Downs station. Dr Becker died of scurvey while part of the Burke & Wills expedition were returning to Menindee in 1861. A track into this site is to be graded and signposted in the near future. Although I was unable to visit Dr Becker's grave due to flooding I still found this a most enjoyable trip. There are many other isolated public tracks to be found in south-western Queensland. All have their own special brand of scenery and most have exploration, mining, Cobb & Co, droving or some other reason for their existance.

The Missing Link. In July 1992 a new bridge was completed across Cooper Creek at Nappa Merrie. This vital crossing gave heavy vehicles a more reliable access between the oil fields of Jackson and Narcowlah, (about 100 kilometres inside the Queensland border), and the Moomba gas fields. Cooper Creek has a habit of flooding for months after heavy rain in Northern Queensland, disrupting the normal flow af traffic across its path. A high-level flood crossing had been proposed for years.

There had also been vague rumors in the outback about a direct route between Melbourne and Darwin. I was surprised to learn from local government sources in Queensland that the Burke & Wills bridge completed the second last stage in that plan. The 'missing link', almost 200 kilometres of new road running north from the Burke & Wills bridge to Arrabury station, is expected to be completed in late September. It will skirt a small mountain range and follow the high ground between two drainage systems along an alignment that may some day become a major bitumen highway.

Travellers starting from Melbourne can travel to Mildura, Broken Hill, Tibooburra, cross the Cooper on the Burke & Wills bridge, drive past Haddons Corner to Boulia and to Mt Isa, follow the Barkly highway to Three Ways and then turn north to Darwin. About 50% of the road from Broken Hill to Tibooburra is bitumen surfaced but the remaining 400 kilometres to Boulia is made up of variable dirt road. This new access to south-western Queensland is only part of a series of initiatives designed to assist travellers enjoy this unique part of Australia.

Northern Territory Tracks. The Mereenie oil field track has for many years connected Kings Canyon to Hermannsburg via the western end of the George Gill and James Ranges. The necessary permission to use this road has been difficult to obtain but now the road is being upgraded and permits will be available over the counter at Kings Canyon and Hermannsburg. This track is expected to be ready for use about September.

In other articles I have mentioned the possibility of a series of 4WD tracks being designated in the Northern Territory. I am glad to report that these tracks are now being negotiated with pastoralists and Aboriginal groups. The exact location of all tracks is not known yet but I can say that it is intended to link all of the Territory from top to bottom with the most extensive series of tracks ever proposed. This is one of the most visionary programs ever designed to lure 4WD tourists out of the major southern cities and I look forward to being involved. I feel sure you will be fully informed about these tracks by Overlander's feature writers living in the Northern Territory.

Tracks Information by John Deckert. 1-11-94.

NT 4WD Tracks. Great news for four-wheel-drivers. It can now be officially reported that the Northern Territory government has started identifying a series of tracks designed to link little known but often quite spectacular parks and reserves throughout the Territory. It will soon be possible to drive thousands of kilometres off-road but still be able to access major towns for service and supplies.

The NT government working party has planned many of the tracks and is now negotiating with pastoralists, Aboriginal groups and government departments for access to remote parts of the Territory. The first three sections will be to the east of the Stuart Highway taking in sections of the Old Andado Track, the Arltunga loop to the east of Alice Springs and a track joining the Murchison & Davenport Ranges with the Plenty Highway and Barkly Highway.

Each track will be adequately signposted and comprehensive information will be available to ensure travellers get the optimum enjoyment from the trip. Sections will vary in distance and terrain but should generally take three to four days to cover. Private enterprise will be encouraged to participate in this program by providing complimentary services and experiences to those available within national parks. The first three areas should be completed and ready for use in early 1995.

The opening of these tracks is one of the most determined efforts made by any State or Territory government in Australia to capture the lucrative 4WD market and it appears that many millions of dollars will be spent on this campaign over the next three or four years. It is pleasing to know that one government is not continually closing access to 4WDrivers but is actually planning to progressively open many thousands of kilometres of tracks to the public.

Warburton Road. WA. A new roadhouse has recently opened on the Warburton Road about halfway between Warburton and Laverton in Western Australia. The Tjukayirla Roadhouse provides fuel, food, minor repairs, camping and accommodation. It now makes travelling between Alice Springs and Perth safe and easy. It may also be of considerable assistance in providing fuel for those people who wish to travel the Eagle Highway and Hunt Oil Road. To contact the Tjukayirla Roadhouse phone 089 567 712. Current estimates are that about 10,000 vehicles a year travel the Warburton Road.

The Great Top Road. NT. Some publications advise that no facilities or access is available at Nathan River Station on the Great Top Road between Roper Bar and Borroloola. Although access to the Hidden City is still not allowed, Chris and Shelley Schilling have been working hard for the last 18 months to let travellers know that selected areas around Nathan River homestead are available for bush camping. They offer advice on fishing and can provide delicious devonshire teas. Shelley cooks great scones. Phone 08 8975 9940. Chris and Shelly are no longer at Nathan River. 1-12-99.

South Western Queensland. Several maps show a road running from Windorah along the western side of the Cooper Creek flood-plain past Lake Yamma Yamma to Durham Downs. It looked a most interesting way to get to Thargomindah so after gaining some local advice we drove to Tanbar station only to be politely told that the track did not exist for part of the way and the remainder was private station track. Many maps show station tracks but just because they are shown on a map does not mean that we have the right to travel through these properties. Some times tracks do not exist. Travellers should try to ascertain the status of roads before using them and if asked to leave must do so with good grace.

We used an alternative public road which looked more interesting than the main road system. Here are the directions starting from Windorah. Travel east to the main Cooper channel where there is good fishing and camping. Continue for another 100 kilometres along the bitumen road to Thylungra Station where the road branches westward to Kyabra Station. A big permanent waterhole beside the road is probably a stock watering point on one of the main stock routes in the area. It is about 50 kilometres to Eromanga and another 100 to Quilpie. South of Quilpie there is a camping spot where the road crosses the Bulloo River while further south at Toompine there is free camping and hot showers on the hotel property. Toompine hotel is filled with a rare collection of paraphernalia and is worth a stop. Phone 076 564 863.

From Toompine we followed the old coach road along the Bulloo River to Thargomindah. It is a most interesting track mainly following the Bulloo flood-plain then crossing the river at Soonah Crossing about 40 kilometres from Thargomindah. This track should only be used in the dry when it is often much more interesting to travel than the stony main road along high country to the east. Thargomindah is a neat township with an attractive picnic spot just out of town where the road crosses the Bulloo River.

From Thargomindah we travelled west to Eulo and followed the Paroo River down through Hungerford to Wilcannia where it joins the Darling River then travelled on to Menindee and Wentworth before returning home to Nhill. The south western Queensland area is quite fascinating and we hope to produce a map of the region next year.

Secluded Camping – Daly River. I have often wondered why someone with a reasonably large property has not made a feature of secluded bush camping and was pleased to find such a place on the Daly River to the south west of Darwin. The Daly is fed from several rivers including the Katherine which runs through Katherine Gorge. While looking at a possible 4WD track I met John and Ros Lucas who run Lukies Farm. They offer secluded bush camping along the banks of the beautiful Daly River with boat cruises and canoe and boat hire available. Activities can include nature walks, bird watching and fishing but I was particularly impressed with the sense of isolation and serenity. Camp sites vary in size to accommodate small or large groups and all sites are separated by a minimum of 200 metres of tropical jungle. Phone 08 8978 2411 for information.