We left Vulkathunha-Gammons National Park on a beautiful morning with fantastic views. Drove it to Balcanoona and then headed 150km north to Mt hopeless intersection with the Strzelecki track. Road runs parallel to the Flinders ranges for quite awhile so very scenic drive. Road was tough thou with corrugations and horrible rocky sections so slow going. Had morning break at the intersection of one of the oil pipeline maintenance roads. The pipeline runs 800km from innamincka to Adelaide. The landscape was very flat, dry and barren North of where the ranges flattened out. Just red rock gibber country for miles and miles.
The Strzelecki runs between Innamincka and Lyndhurst and we joined it about half way heading north. Just after the junction the desert (Strzelecki) changes to white sand which is clumped around nitris bushes so makes this crazy looking dimpled bumpy vista. Stopped at Monticellino bore for lunch which was white, sandy and exposed. Road much busier with mostly tourists and in really good condition so didn't need to be in 4wd mode even. Plenty water holes around too and saw a few emus.
We had planned to do the Merty Merty track to Cameron's corner but it was closed due to covid which really annoyed us as there is nothing about this online. Instead had to continue north to Innamincka which was not really that different really just more people. Huge gas/oil processing plant at Moomba. The desert charged to red sand dunes as well so very beautiful and before Innamincka it changed back to gibber (small rocks rather then sand and very very sparse).
Innamincka is tiny historic town on the Cooper creek with a pub, fuel and shop. Camped at the town commons (if your thinking lush green grass and mowed order and strawberry mimosas you'd be very wrong!!) which was pleasant, clean with shady trees and no toilet paper. Some people think that if the bear shits in the desert, wipes with toilet paper and let's it there it'll be magically cleaned up without a sound. Lazy bear is very wrong especially when there are spotless clean toilets and showers within 200m.
The pub is an iconic Aussie destination so for our last night in SA we felt obliged to drink some beers and eat some very good burgers and steak sandwiches.
Today we've crossed the border on the road to Thargomindah (thou might spend the night at another iconic outback pub called the Noccundra). Before we left Innamincka, checked out the really good visitor Centre which used to be the old nurses hospital. They were some tough women! For a fascinating history, look up Australia Inland Missions and John Flynn who set up the Royal Flying Doctors. Also visited and read some of the history of Burke and Wills ill fated expedition which albeit a success in that they were the first to traverse Australia from South to North, was a woeful story of poor leadership, stupidity, desperate timing and ultimately death by starvation which only one man survived. That fella was King and he actually lived with the local Aboriginals for 77 days until he was " rescued". Also worth reading more about on de internet.
The road is now sealed (Dunk is soooo disappointed) all the way to Thargomindah but still really interesting. Gas and oil drills everywhere but very scenic intermix of red sand dunes, gibber and Cooper creek flood plain country (massive areas flood). It's even green cos it rained here about 3 weeks ago. Well they got 20mm!
No idea what we're going to do on the way home. Storms and hot weather forecast which might close some roads so we'll have to play it by ear.
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