Big Red Run - Day 10 and 11 - Eulo to Trangie and then home via TheDish at Parkes

After being delayed and back tracking to Eulo, we pulled out the map again and decided the easiest and simplest way home was on the blacktop, east to Cunamulla and then south to Bourke, before pushing on to a free camp at Warren.

Being a long day of  just over 600 kilometres, we hit the road early and found it an easy days run on wide straight highways.

We tried a self portrait...  whilst the boys made cubby houses in the back!

We stopped for lunch at a great future camp north of Bourke at Mays Bend.  This former caravan park on a bend in the Darling River was a beautiful spot for a rest and a leg stretch. We marked it as a great spot to consider coming back to.  The access track could be a little difficult after some rain, but we found the camping area wide and grassy with plenty of shady camp sites.

Mays Bend - Bourke

And so we continued south, through Narromine and on the Warren Weir, where we were confronted with a locked gate, barring our acesss to a promising camp.  Despite our wearieness we returned to the main highway and pulled into Trangie Caravan Park a short time later.

Big Red Run - Day 9 - Quilpie to Currawinya to Eulo - Or the day we nearly lost it all!

As our plans altered so drastically the day before, we thought we would try to head south on roads less travelled, with the aim of camping at Currawinya National Park near Hungerford. We got away just after 9am, after stocking up on a few supplies at Quilpe.

It was the last time we don't check a weather forecast when we have the opportunity to. And as it turned out, after an unfortunate series of events, we were lucky to have a camper to sleep in by the days end... 

We set off confidently enough from Quilpie, and made good time to Eulo, where we stopped for lunch at some mound springs.

The mound springs wern't exactly what we expected, and the chap at the Eulo Visitors Centre didn't seem eager to explain more (but he did kindly point out where we could find out about the Eulo Queen with a vague wave of his hand towards a collection of newspaper clippings on the wall).  Enough time spent here we thought, so we headed south towards Currawinya NP, north of Hungerford.

Our lack of observation of the changing weather began to haunt us as we turned off the black top.  The road ahead was red, and a sign ominously said "Boggy When Wet"... A short time later the wipers came on as a few spots hit the windscreen.  The Meteorologist of the family went a litte quiet as she confessed that she hadn't checked the weather for a couple off days...  Ah, what could possibly go wrong!

Big Red Run - Day 8 - Birdsville to Maree...er no make that Quilpie

We rose early to capture the sunrise on Big Red to overcast and foreboding skies.  And after a leisurely pack up, we headed back into Birdsville to fuel up and make tracks south to Maree.

The sun starts to make its appearance felt through an overcast sky.

Sunrise lights up our camp - at Big Red

We headed out of town on the Birdsville Track - and almost immediately got stuck in clouds of dust, behind a convoy of caravans doing about 50 kilometres an hour.  It became apparent in the next minute or two that the caravans weren't likely to pull over and let the trail of 4WDs behind them past in a hurry, so we pulled over to the side of the road to re-think our options.

Big Red Run - Day 7 - Big Red, The Simpson Desert and John Williamson

Day seven of our adventure dawned with much excitement in our camp.  This was the day that a dedicated group of ultra marathon runners would depart Birdsville for the run across the Simpson Desert, raising money for Type 1 Diabetes.  It was also the day that John Williamson would support the runners with a concert on the crest of Big Red... and it was our first day in the desert!

The first order of business was to watch the start of the race.  This was the first time that an event of this magnitude had ever been considered - and I was amazed that there were some 54 starters for the Big Red Run.  I must admit to having tears in my eyes watching this group of people depart for a 42 kilometre run to Big Red, all the while raising money for a cause very dear to our hearts.  In a moment of weakness, I promised the Little Fisherman (himself a type 1 diabetic) that if he wanted to run in this race when he was 16, then I would do it with him!  And please, if you want to donate to this worthy cause - please donate here:  http://www.bigredrun.com.au/ or http://www.jdrf.org.au/

The Big Red Run is about to commence

The Born To Run Foundation

After the runners departed, we enjoyed a much more leisurely breakfast at the Birdsville Bakery, before packing up camp and heading west ourselves.  This was where the fun really began!

Big Red Run - Day 6 - Innamincka to Birdsville via Walkers Crossing

Being our first time in this part of the world, we wen't too sure what to expect when travelling in the remoter areas.  The usual route from Innamincka to Birdsville is north, via Cordillo Downs on the Strezlecki Track, but we had caught up with some seasoned travellers at Innamincka who urged us to follow them along the Walkers Crossing Track.

Walkers Crossing is named for Sydney James Walker, who was part of the Santos Field Service who constructed the crossing of the Cooper Creek.  He died on 7th November 1986, just as the crossing was completed, and a plaque on the site is erected to his memory.

Big Red Run - Day 5 - Innamincka and the Dig Tree Circuit

We started our rest day with a nice lazy sleep in, followed by a delicious breakfast of home made pikelets.  As the sun rose, we amused ourselves watching the meandering pelicans, and other bird life making the most of the glorious day.  It was simply a magic camp, and we all appreciated the fact we didn't have to get up and get going in the morning.

The Cooper Creek was delightful place to camp

Playing in the River Red Gums at camp

We had a quick look at the map, and I suggested a quick dash out to visit The Dig Tree was in order.  The Little Helper was a bit puffed after the last few days travelling, so he asked to stay at camp with Mum, whilst the older brother and I made the dash.

Big Red Run - Day 4 - Tiboburra to Innamincka

We watched the sun rise from the comfort of our bed at Dead Horse Gully near Tiboburra.  We were enthralled by the beauty of the red earth juxtaposed with the ever changing spectrum of colours of the sky as the sun rose above the horizon, before it decided on a deep pale blue.

After a quick consult of the map, we have decided not to camp at Fort Grey, but to head to Innamincka via Cameron Corner, and then have a rest day - before pushing onto Birdsville.

Spectacular Sunrise!

Before we left Tiboburra, we stopped in to examine a replica of Sturt's boat that he hauled west in 1841, convinced it would be useful when he found his inland sea.  We were to follow a lot of not just Sturt's, but also Burke and Will's footsteps over the next week or so, and it was great to appreciate the challenges they faced by immersing ourselves in the terrain they traversed... and remind us to be ever thankful for the luxury of an air conditioned 4WD!

A reasonable size boat!

The drive out to Cameron Corner was the start of dune country, and we stopped for the obligatory photos at the corner itself, although we all agreed the original hardwood marker (on display at Tiboburra) was a much more romantic marker of not just the state boundaries, but of a time gone by!

We followed the old Strezlecki Track north to Innamincka.  The track was was in pretty good condition although a little sandy in places.  Being just graded on the clay pan, it is easy to see how a spot or two or rain would make any progress near on impossible.  I didn't twig initially, but the Strezlecki Track was first traversed by John Costello, a friend of Patsy Durack of Kings In Grass Castles fame.  

Playing on a dune in the Stezlecki

Strezlecki Fun

The Old Strezlecki Track was in great condition

We made our way to Innamincka, and camped on the banks of the Cooper Creek, such an iconic part of the Australian folklore.  We found a great camp down on the Creek, and settled in.  

The Cooper Creek at Innamincka

Some of the locals on the Cooper

It was an easy day of driving on good dirt roads, and the ever changing landscape kept us all enthralled as we headed west.  Innamincka is the kind of place everyone should visit - in order to sit by the Cooper Creek and watch the world go by.  The camping in the town common is dirt cheap - $5 for a site by the creek itself, and the boys found plenty of sand and dirt to play in.

We had covered 1 734 kilometres in the last four days - the rest day was very much in order!

Big Red Run - Day 3 - White Cliffs to Tiboburra

We decided to get up early to watch the sun rise over White Cliffs, and it was definitely worth the effort.  There is something special about seeing the dawn of a new day, particularly in somewhere where the sky is huge.  We went for a short walk to get a special vantage point where no photo will ever do the scene justice - but it didn't stop us trying for the perfect shot.

One little fellow wasn't particularly impressed with the early morning!

We had planned on a leisurely breakfast, before poking about in town for a while, however our plans changed when we met Garath on our way back to camp. Gareth was out walking his dog, and we got chatting.  It turned out Garath was a NPWS ranger, and invited us on a tag along tour of the Perry Lakes.  

Big Red Run - Day 2 - Condobolin to White Cliffs

We decided we wanted to be on the road by 8.30am, with the aim of making White Cliffs in the evening.  The kids were briefed that it would be a long day in the car, and after a damp pack up we hit the road.
 

We had decided to head north west to Cobar, before tracking west to Wilcannia.  The boys were bored with the black top, and kept asking when we would hit the dirt…  Not long was the answer, until we hit it, and the initial squeals of delight soon were replaced with the boys asking when we would be back on the black top!  I think they appreciated the fact we could travel a bit quicker on the bitumen roads, and the bumps were far more frequent and violent on the dirt!

Red Dirt!

Big Red Run - Day 1 - Home to Condobolin

As with all things requiring preparation, our shakedown trip to Birdsville was upon us before we knew it.  A previous commitment to a couple of weeks at sea ensured that I was unable to do anything much towards our trip - except occasionally ponder the situation between waves of nausea.

We berthed in Sydney on Sunday, and as the financial year closed, we caught up with family and friends in the big smoke, before barrelling south on the Monday to shop, pack and get our heads around the adventure ahead.

As we headed south we started to actually plan the journey ahead, and developed a rough meal plan.  We had originally planned to pack on the Tuesday, and get up at the crack of dawn on the Wednesday and make as much ground north west as we could, however Jo had a fantastic idea.  She suggested that if we were ready to head off on Tuesday afternoon, then we should aim to get a few hours down the road in order to break the journey.  I couldn't agree more - so the timetable was adjusted.

All packed at last...