Graham and Al’s (Plus Nicko) Excellent Adventure – Part 3 – Birdsville to Home

We did not feel like hanging around Birdsville, too many people and the camp ground was very busy. Nicko was bored as he had been there for about 3 days. He had made a mad rush to Birdsville as it seems I had left a rather boisterous message on his voice mail claiming that we would get to Birdsville before him. His attempts to get to Birdsville were also confounded by bad weather with all roads closed except for those approaching from QLD. So, as Nicko kept reminding us, he did 7000km just to get to Birdsville on time and then ended up being 3 days early. (My Apologies Nicko)

The Original Birdsville Hotel – Photo Curtesy Al

So with slightly foggy heads, resulting from the celebrations at the pub on the previous night, on Tuesday the 30th June we set off for Innamincka via the Cordillo Downs Road. There was some confusion as to whether the road was open as 2 road condition signs on leaving Birdsville conflicted. Assuming that someone had just missed one sign and forgot to change it to “OPEN” we headed east along the road to Windorah. Now I have to say, QLD does do a very good job of maintaining their outback roads. Even though they are gravel, they can take a lot of rain before they start to deteriorate. Chris and I have found this in the past also, as we have travelled through this area on a number of occasions and the Diamantina Shire roads are very well maintained. Diamantina Shire apparently has the most kilometres of road per resident of any shire in Australia.

As we turned South onto the Cordillo Downs Road, and, although a minor road, it was still in excellent condition. However, with some degree of foreboding, we were due to cross the SA border in about 30 km. As was expected, the road at the border changed from a well formed and built up road with imported road material to a road simply graded out of the in situ earth. As we progressed it was obvious that there had been very recent rains, not surprisingly, as we had observed a huge storm skirt around Birdsville the previous evening, thankfully missing us in the camp ground.

It wasn’t long before we came upon the first section of submerged road. It seemed solid were other cars had taken a detour around the submerged road section so we followed suite. Well that was our first lesson. It is well known that you should always take the main route through any dodgy tracks/roads. When in doubt, stick to the centre. So ignoring our better knowledge, and with Nicko following our lead, and towing a camper trailer behind his Prado, he got a little stuck. However once he engaged his centre diff lock he made it through OK. But lesson learned, always use the middle of the road even though it is under two feet of water.

Nicko – momentarily stuck

Negotiating one of the many inundations

A little further down the road and after negotiating couple, less troubling sections of submerged muddy and slippery road, we came across a submerged section about 250 metres long. There was another Cruiser that had just come through the bog hole and informed us that keeping to the centre of the road you should not have any trouble. Near the other end  of the bog hole some 150 metres away there was a car and trailer well and truly bogged. The guy that had already come through was contemplating how to get back to help the guy and his wife who were in a very desperate situation at the other end of the bog hole. We told him that once we are through we would give the guy a hand. So we drove straight through the middle of the “lake” with some slipping and sliding but with no problem. Even Nicko with his trailer ploughed through the mud and slush OK. Once we were safely on the other side we turned our attention to rescuing the guy that was very, very, bogged. The poor guy was absolutely exhausted and he and his wife were at their wits end trying to get out of the bog hole.

Good Samaritans about to save a couple in deep doo-doo. You can see the extent of the water we had just come through.

I perched the cruiser on some solid ground facing his rig and estimated that if we extend the winch lines on each car we should be able to hook up and pull him out.  So then we watched in agony as the poor guy, totally exhausted, could hardly put one foot in front of the other to extend his winch rope/cable. To make matters worse, his winch was not well maintained and he could not activate the winch motor. The remote control was not working and he could not find the control lead. Anyway, after some effort, eventually we were able to winch him and his trailer to safety.  They were extremely thankful. As he could not operate his winch that was now extended, he had to wrap his winch rope around his bull bar. (Note To Self – always check your recovery gear before heading bush).

We had been warned by the guy that we first met at the northern end of the bog hole, heading in the opposite direction, that there were some worse sections of road further on and one in particular that had a sheet of water that extended for about 600 metres around a bend. So with that in mind we told the two unfortunate travellers who had been bogged that we would stick with them and get them through to Innamincka. At first they thought that would be good, but then the thought of coping with more mud and water was beyond their emotional limit. They turned around and successfully returned back through the hole that we had just pulled them out of, but this time sticking to the centre of the road.

So on we went, aiming to get to Cadelga Ruins to stop for a bight to eat. We encountered a few more stretches of mud and water but with no issues. Speaking to people at Cadelga that had come up from Innamincka, apparently the road had been categorised as “OPEN”, but obviously the people that determine these things were not aware of the monstrous storm that had passed through this part of the country overnight. Ironically, Chris and I went through this a year earlier  (June 2014) and while not as bad, we had to negotiate many stretches of mud and slush as well.

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Keeping in mind that we still had a long stretch of submerged country to negotiate a few kilometres south of Cadelga Ruins we headed off after a quick lunch.

We arrived at the huge stretch of water that we had been warned about, at least 600 metres long (and almost as wide), and to make matters worse also went around a bend. We could see way off in the distance about 10 vehicles stopped at the other end obviously heading north and unsure of what to do. A bloke had walked all the way up the side of the road through mud and slush to determine the best path through but was doubtful that there was any safe track.  We chatted to him for a bit, but with the knowledge that others had gotten through with no problems, to his amazement, we ploughed straight into the water. The 10 vehicles at the other end of the inundation had perched themselves a little way down the side of the mud hole and sat there in amazement as we alighted onto solid ground. With that, it did not take them long to follow suite. I wonder how long they would have sat there had we not come along.

Soon we were at Cordillo Downs Station. This is still an operating station, these days stocking beef in lieu of sheep. Cordillo Downs station is the site of apparently the largest wool shed in the Southern Hemisphere. Many people claim that it is the largest shearing shed in Australia but that is incorrect. I understand it was never a shearing shed, only a wool store. The honour of the largest shearing shed goes to Isis Downs in QLD near the town of Isisford. (But I could stand corrected).

Slideshow of Images From Cordillo Downs

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Pushing on south around 3:30 PM we started to look for somewhere to camp. It might sound easy, no fences, camp wherever you want pretty much, but in reality it is a little different story unless you want to stick out like a pimple on a bum.

Not a lot of camp spots in this country – I don’t think our swag mattresses would overcome these gibbers. Photo by Al

But eventually we did find somewhere to stop about a km off the road with some firewood on hand.

Setting up camp on the Cordillo Downs Road – no crowds here – excellent! – Photo by Al

The next day we took a short cut across to the Arabury Road as an alternate route to Innamicka but with the opportunity to drop in and check out the Dig Tree. Unfortunately, muggins me missed the turn off. My excuse being that the roads and recently been realigned and very different to when I was last in the area, and on top of that the sign had not been replaced. When I realised my error further down the road, the majority decision was to continue on to Innamincka.

The following day we arrived at Innamincka, did a little shopping, Al and I had a Desert Parks Pass but Nicko had to buy a camping permit, then we headed out to Cullyamurra Waterhole to find a spot to camp. Damned school holidays in play again. I have been to this water hole on numerous occasions and have never seen it so busy. However we found a fairly decent spot.

Camped at Cullyamurra Waterhole

The next morning we packed up, visited the Burke Memorial. It’s generally called Burke’s Grave as he was first buried here in 1861 by Alfred Howitt but Howitt then returned in 1862 and exhumed the bodies of Burke and Wills and returned them to Melbourne for burial in the Melbourne General Cemetery. We then ducked into Innamincka for a shower, fuel, and a look around, visiting the Cemetery and the Town Common. We originally had a plan to visit Coongie Lake, 110km to the WNW, but the road had been closed for some time and not likely to open any time soon. We headed south down the Old Strzelecki Track with Cameron’s Corner in our sights.

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As we neared Cameron Corner we were confounded by “No Camping” signs along the road passing through Bollard’s Lagoon Station. So at Nicko’s suggestion we passed through Cameron’s and headed into QLD along the road to Omicron Station and found a fabulous camp site, tucked in behind a sand hill with plenty of fire wood. Firewood continuing to be an essential part of each camp as the nights were very cold. In the morning we went back to Cameron Corner to take the obligatory photos standing on the corner of SA, Qld, NSW.

Me and Al at the Cameron Corner Marker – dog fence in the background

Cameron Corner on the Map

Once the Cameron Corner obligatories were behind us we were on our way to Tibooburra. After nosing around Tibooburra a bit we decided to head out to Mount Wood Station in the Sturt National Park to check out the Outdoor Pastoral Museum.

Slideshow of Photos from Outdoor Pastoral Museum – Mount Wood, Sturt National Park

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On our return to Tibooburra we grabbed a shower and some last minute supplies and fuel then headed south to Milparinka in search of a place to camp. We had our nose set for home by now. Nicko’s camper had some issues and needed some attention from the Melbourne manufacturer, so after a night in the camp-ground behind the Milparinka Museum we headed for Silverton and  two nights at Penrose Park. Silverton has always been a favourite stopover for us (Chris and I) as it has for Al and his wife Lorraine, when heading into the outback.

Camped at Penrose Park – Silverton

Milparinka Hotel – another excellent night in the bar.

So two nights at Silverton and an excellent meal in the Silverton Hotel saw us soon on our way down the main road to Mildura. There appeared to be rain threatening and so the option of heading out to Menindee Lakes and down the dirt road through Pooncarie was ruled out. A night in a motel room in Mildura the following night, Pizza and a beer or two or three, a shopping spree (camp chairs) at Kulkyne Kampers and we were home by late afternoon on Tuesday the 7th July.

Oh well back to normality, unfortunately. Really didn’t miss the nightly news and TV. Hmm have to start planning for our next trip.

A special thanks to Al and Nicko for making a number of photos available for use on these blog posts.

Bye for now.