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Follows on from Part 4 >
http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic.php?t=4288
Sorry guys, no GPS POI’s this time… these trip reports are getting too time consuming as it is. !!
-After leaving Maree it was time to turn off and head up the Birdsville Track. But first it was time to protect the rear window.
I’d run the gauntlet down the Oodnadatta but upon reaching Maree we found two golf ball size rocks, one between the spare and the body and the other on top of the tyre, held there by the wiper.
A trip to the Maree store and we had a cardboard box to cut up and tape to the rear door. (Duct tape is your friend, have some in your toolbox.. 101 uses)
Cheap insurance and piece of mind.
The first stop when heading north up the track is the Lake Harry Homestead ruins about 30k’s out of Maree. This was once a camel trading post and date plantation with some 40 acres of dates planted in the 1850’s.
The nearby bore being the first sunk along the track, it’s now capped and fenced off, however there is a shower head and tap sticking through the fence for those in need of a hot shower.
It’s a pretty barren spot these days and it’s hard to imagine there were 40 acres of date palms here 150 years ago.
Another 23 k’s north and we reached Clayton Station which is on the right hand side of the track. Almost directly opposite is a camp ground set up by the station owners. It has a hot shower, clean, flushing toilets and even a “Spa”. A great spot for an over night camp.
Keep an eye out for “Max” the dog, he often comes over from the station to say hello to visitors.
Just a short drive a long a station track leads us to the Clayton wetlands. No camping allowed here but a lovely spot to visit and check out the wildlife. Nice to see a spot of green too….
Lunch break for the day was at the Cooper creek. On a rise above the creek on the southern side is the M.V Tom Brennan and memorial. The Tom Brennan is a restored barge that was used to get mail and supplies across the Cooper when it was in flood in years gone by.
The area around the Cooper is very barren but the creek it’s self is lined with shady trees. Good camping along here.
I had to find one sooner or later…….
A quick stop at the Mulka HS ruins. Early last century this was a station/store run by the ex local copper and his wife. The story goes when they tried to post the copper to a new region he quit and took up the store at Mulka because he didn’t want to leave the area.
Our stop for the night was Mungerannie roadhouse. What a fantastic pub… great company, great food, cold beer, great camping down by the creek…. Loved it.!!!
Diesel $2.20
$8 a head for camping.
The next day we headed of for the final run to Birdsville. We had lunch on the side of the road before getting to the border crossing into Queensland.
Slowly it was getting greener and by the time we got to the border I was starting to believe the grass was really greener on the other side! The Birdsville area had had 3½ inches of rain in the weeks leading up to out visit so the country side looked great.
We rolled into Birdsville late in the afternoon with just enough time to set up camp at the caravan park and check out the Diamantina. Of course we made it to the pub in time to watch the sun go down.
Diesel- $1.96 (Birdsville fuel service across from the pub) it was $2.08 at the roadhouse.
Powered site at the CP was $25 night.
Goto part 6:
Part 6
Mick
http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic.php?t=4288
Sorry guys, no GPS POI’s this time… these trip reports are getting too time consuming as it is. !!
-After leaving Maree it was time to turn off and head up the Birdsville Track. But first it was time to protect the rear window.
I’d run the gauntlet down the Oodnadatta but upon reaching Maree we found two golf ball size rocks, one between the spare and the body and the other on top of the tyre, held there by the wiper.
A trip to the Maree store and we had a cardboard box to cut up and tape to the rear door. (Duct tape is your friend, have some in your toolbox.. 101 uses)
Cheap insurance and piece of mind.
The first stop when heading north up the track is the Lake Harry Homestead ruins about 30k’s out of Maree. This was once a camel trading post and date plantation with some 40 acres of dates planted in the 1850’s.
The nearby bore being the first sunk along the track, it’s now capped and fenced off, however there is a shower head and tap sticking through the fence for those in need of a hot shower.
It’s a pretty barren spot these days and it’s hard to imagine there were 40 acres of date palms here 150 years ago.
Another 23 k’s north and we reached Clayton Station which is on the right hand side of the track. Almost directly opposite is a camp ground set up by the station owners. It has a hot shower, clean, flushing toilets and even a “Spa”. A great spot for an over night camp.
Keep an eye out for “Max” the dog, he often comes over from the station to say hello to visitors.
Just a short drive a long a station track leads us to the Clayton wetlands. No camping allowed here but a lovely spot to visit and check out the wildlife. Nice to see a spot of green too….
Lunch break for the day was at the Cooper creek. On a rise above the creek on the southern side is the M.V Tom Brennan and memorial. The Tom Brennan is a restored barge that was used to get mail and supplies across the Cooper when it was in flood in years gone by.
The area around the Cooper is very barren but the creek it’s self is lined with shady trees. Good camping along here.
I had to find one sooner or later…….
A quick stop at the Mulka HS ruins. Early last century this was a station/store run by the ex local copper and his wife. The story goes when they tried to post the copper to a new region he quit and took up the store at Mulka because he didn’t want to leave the area.
Our stop for the night was Mungerannie roadhouse. What a fantastic pub… great company, great food, cold beer, great camping down by the creek…. Loved it.!!!
Diesel $2.20
$8 a head for camping.
The next day we headed of for the final run to Birdsville. We had lunch on the side of the road before getting to the border crossing into Queensland.
Slowly it was getting greener and by the time we got to the border I was starting to believe the grass was really greener on the other side! The Birdsville area had had 3½ inches of rain in the weeks leading up to out visit so the country side looked great.
We rolled into Birdsville late in the afternoon with just enough time to set up camp at the caravan park and check out the Diamantina. Of course we made it to the pub in time to watch the sun go down.
Diesel- $1.96 (Birdsville fuel service across from the pub) it was $2.08 at the roadhouse.
Powered site at the CP was $25 night.
Goto part 6:
Part 6
Mick
Snaga
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