Doin’ The Canning #4 – Adelaide to Billiluna

Back home with internet access, time to post some of the story and a few photos.

As I said in my first post, the idea of heading off with a bunch of blokes to do the Canning Stock Route was spawned over a cup of coffee with my mate Al. Actually it was his idea which came about I guess as a result of the fabulous trip that we had, just the 2 of us, doing the Simpson Desert in 2015.

After some confusion as to who would actually be taking part the final team came down to:

Allan Gray (Jack)
Graham Kay (Perc)
Mick Clarke (Kaffir)
Mick Syme (Slip)
Robert Sabey (NaNaNaNa)(Chopsticks)
Cesare Stradaioli (Skywatcher)

Our three vehicles were my 76 Series Land Cruiser, Mick C’s 79 Series Land Cruiser and Al’s 79 Series Land Cruiser, bought second hand specifically for the trip.

Cesare flew from Italy to tick add a tick to his bucket list. He loves the Australian Outback
Mick S and Mick C both live in Adelaide and Rob (NaNaNa) was based in Pt. Pirie.

So Al and I left for Adelaide in our 2 vehicles on Sunday the 25th May arriving on Monday afternoon. The plan was to head off for Alice Springs via a route yet to be determined on Wed 28th June. To add some degree of confusion, Mick S had to stay behind for his sons 40th Birthday, and then fly to ALice on the following Sunday where we would pick him up around 1 PM and head up the Tanami Track.

OK enough background;

Of course on our way to Alice, I was without a co-pilot until Mick S joins us in ALice. So after picking up Rob at Pt Pirie we headed North through Port Augusta finally making camp in the bush about 20km short of Pimba on the Stuart Highway.

The next day we checked out Woomera, then deciding to leave the Main Highway and head for Roxby Downs where we bought some last minute forgotten supplies and a bight to eat. Continuing on along the Borefield Track coming out on the Oodnadatta Track about 68km WNW of Marree.

We then headed up the Oodnadatta Track checking out a couple of the old Ghan Siding Ruins and Algebuckina Bridge. We camped in the desert that night and it was freezing. Estimated the overnight temp to be well into the minus’, at least minus 5 or 7 degrees. This was an acid test for our bedding, all of us with our own swags of various design.

The following day we made a flying Visit to Oodnadatta then back tracked slightly to head West to The Painted Desert. From there we headed further west along little more than a track to Cadney Park on the Stuart Highway where we overnight-ed in the Roadhouse Camp Ground.

 

 

After another freezing night, we drove the remainder of the way to Alice Springs along the Stuart Highway, arriving in Alice on Saturday afternoon. The plan was to top our Booze requirements that afternoon and then do some food shopping on Sunday and fill up the fuel jerry cans then pick up Mick (Slip) from the airport and head up the Tanami Track. We checked into the Heritage Caravan park that I knew from 2016 had a bush camping area. We found a spot to camp next to the dog run enclosure. Great we thought.

Except that part the way through the night it appeared that a storm had come over and it was raining. Hmmm! better check to see what I have left out in the rain. Getting up in the freezing cold, in only my jocks I was to discover that indeed it wasn’t raining but we were being deluged by some large area sprinkers that were attached to the dog run fence. So I proceeded to bend the poly pipes over and jamming the crimped hose between the fence slats. Bloody hell it was cold. Four sprinklers all told, poor old NaNaNa copping the worst of it.

When we got up in the morning we became a little puzzled as none of the grassed area was green and did not appear to have been watered for some time. I remain supicious to this day that someone (namely the bloke next to us with a generator) was taking revenge for my cheer of HOORAY! when he turned off his generater around 8 pm. Last time I ever stay in that Park!

The Following day did our shopping, had lunch, I went and picked Slip up at he airport then we headed North along the Tanami arriving at Tilmouth Well. We decided to camp in the campground had dinner in the Restuarant. Fantastic meal and a great spot to camp. Firewood supplied and green grass to set our swags on.

The next night saw us eventually finding a reasonable camp spot, thank to Jack and NaNaNa, then arriving at Billiluna late morning Tuesday the 4th June.

All of us were now a little excited as this was the real starting place of the Canning Stock Route. While historically Halls Creek is the official start of the stock route, modern adventurers think of Billiluna as the start mainly becasue there is a made road from Billiluna to Halls Creek.

Next post – The Canning Stock Route to Well 33 – click this link for a complete map