An Active Autumn

A 6am start from Sheffield, just before the August Bank Holiday, saw three of us embarking on the 170 mile Way of the Roses which required a minibus ride across the Pennines to Morecambe where in bright and blustery conditions we paid a visit to Eric's bronze statue with the Lakeland Fells as a backdrop after a substantial builders' breakfast in a beachfront caff.
Over the next 3 days we covered around 70 miles a day heading first to Lancaster on an old railway line and then up in to the Yorkshire Dales via quiet lanes and empty byways. The Bank Holiday crowds were largely avoided as we passed through stunning scenery and toiled up long ascents before flying down country lanes to sheltered valleys. We were very fortunate in having dry conditions and an occasional tail wind with comfortable B&B accommodation easing weary muscles. Good pubs restored our energy levels each evening with lunch stops taken on the hoof at such gems as Clapham where we rested by the lively stream. A steep climb out of Settle tested our stamina and the the fast descent at Greenhow Hill our nerve before a night outside Pateley Bridge in a stone farmhouse.
After Brimham Rocks the going became easier as we passed through Ripon and York although new construction work in the latter's centre caused some temporary route finding challenges. We picked up a spare tyre for one bike before heading to Millington near Pocklington for another good night in the local pub and a solid night's sleep. The second puncture of the trip appeared overnight but was soon sorted and before long we were spinning through the delightful Yorkshire Wolds and towards the east coast where as we dropped in to Bridlington we had the first and only rain of the trip  - a short sharp shower - which soon cleared away and allowed us to arrive warm and dry at the B&B having negotiated the BH visitors enjoying the lengthy sea front.
We walked a few miles south on the sandy beach to ease tired muscles and enjoyed a good curry that evening to celebrate three memorable days - a huge thank you to Andy and Mandy for great company, a barrel of laughs and a bagful of memories and also a big thumbs up to Sustrans for a superb and well thought out route that exceeded our expectations.

Back in Shropshire I decided not to tackle the coolant pipe precautionary work on the van as a new part sourced from VW looked as if it wouldn't fit so I will wait until the MOT next week and have it done alongside any required work. 

In early September I spent an enjoyable few days supporting Sarah and Liz as they tackled a four day horse trek - the Brecon and Radnor Loop which started above Talgarth and rather like our Way of the Roses passed through stunning scenery on little used roads and tracks. I assisted at the odd busy road crossing and Crad assisted in a transit through Brecon before the usual team gathered for the pre Brecon Beast preparatory work with signs assembled, the campsite facilities installed, T shirts collected and the water and fruit supplies collated. 
Good weather saw a trio of us heading over the Beacons in rented 4x4's to ensure that the 800+ riders would have a safe and enjoyable day. Warning signs at steep descents, refreshments at the top of steep climbs and signage on the remoter sections to reassure riders visiting this stunning area for the first time all formed part of a well practiced routine.
The actual event passed very smoothly - a large number of marshals around the course, admin teams back at Beast HQ, Brecon Mountain Rescue on the tops and a group of us roaming around the route to provide mechanical assistance, deal with issues as they arose and remove the signage after the last of the riders all worked as efficiently as ever to ensure that everyone was accounted for and a substantial amount raised for local charities. I would like to thank Dale as usual and Chris for his first year of involvement as both worked hard at a a variety of tasks and gave considerable support to this very worthwhile event.

Later that week I traveled back to Shropshire to share a family day in memory of Dad who passed away two years ago - as always Mum amazed us with her fortitude and determination to enjoy to the full her new life and opportunities despite the sad event that triggered off so many changes.
 
More recently I met an old friend in mid Wales for a couple of days of mountain biking which included a visit to our bothy (Moel Prysgau) on the Towy that for once was in immaculate condition although frustratingly only the very next day another irresponsible group of off roaders drove in and left large amounts of litter, churned up the ground and yet again caused damage and destruction.
We will try and get in and clean up again soon but consideration needs to be given to more serious deterrents as otherwise we may lose the use of this very special place.
I was impressed by Greg's T4 camper - very similar to my venerable beast but with a quarter of the mileage - which he picked up for a very good price and we managed to shoot some good Go Pro footage as I now have faith in the suction mount that I purchased recently.
On our journey across the Cambrian Mountains we caught up two well laden BMW bikes with strange but familiar plates - Marco and Ursala were from Wellington New Zealand and were at the end of a 6 month European tour that had begun with shipping the bikes to Dubai for a trip through Iran, Turkey and then north - their blog here is well worth a browse and will keep me amused and inspired for some time.



I am currently looking after a smallholding near Brecon where a few of us gathered for a long walk on a section of the Epynt Way and a good mountain bike ride over local hills to Brechfa pond followed by a walk in blustery conditions around the Usk reservoir neat Trecastle.
Reroofing one of the old barns awaits the last of the materials to complete the job which should soon be done so meanwhile the scaffolding offers a unique opportunity to photograph the house and fields and the airy barn will allow me to check over the van before the MOT early next week. 
 The outcome of this will dictate my activities for a week or two but I hope to head north in early October for a few days, return via the motorhome show at the NEC and hopefully gather with friends for a few days before we head to South America in late October. A visit to the Practice Nurse today saw the last of my inoculations so a mild dose of Yellow Fever is possible over the weekend - but at least they are all done so it is now a matter of arranging some travel insurance and funds prior to departure.

Piccies sit here and where I sit sits here - an update will follow in early October.

An August Month

Having planned to spend August in the UK as there were a number of milestones to be celebrated I have been visiting various friends, exploring new places and revisiting old favourites.

We joined friends at the excellent Camping and Caravaning site near Rhandirmyn to enjoy a walk round the Dinas RSPB reserve, the spectacular Llyne Brianne dam and remote splendour of the Abergwesyn Gorge followed by tea at the forest cafe near Beulah. The Royal Oak provided a good meal as ever and we hope to return in September once Mike has fully recovered from an operation.

A return to the Doethie Valley ride in mid Wales gave me a chance to chat with the guys undertaking the repairs to the deep erosion gulley that so far has taken 300 tonnes of shale to fill and will require probably a thousand or more to complete. The dumper drivers were shifting 5 tonnes at a time up the steep rough track where a mini digger was filling the gully. Heavy rain the previous week made the track down the valley a bit more challenging but it still amounted to a cracking day. 

Early August saw a gathering of old friends near Brecon for a 60th birthday bash where nocturnal giant Jenga caused amusement and risked injury to participants and onlookers alike. During the day I had fitted a new leisure battery - being an AGM type it could be placed on its side under the passenger seat overcoming the usual height restriction and should provide 118 AH of power for the forthcoming winter trip south. A new smart charger was also wired in permanently to keep things properly topped up - I have another identical one that tops up the engine battery when on hook up so have I hope covered all angles.

A good walk in the hills above Aberedw on the Sunday rounded off an excellent time after which I headed in to the forests of mid Wales to remove 20 bags of accumulated rubbish from the bothy recently the subject of an unauthorised visit by off roaders. Later that week the abandoned 4x4 was removed using a timber forwarder so with luck the thoughtless driver whose details are known will receive a large bill.

I returned to Shropshire that week to celebrate Mum's 80th birthday. The kindly neighbours took us out for coffee in Montgomery followed by a surprise champagne and nibbles party in the communal gardens of her estate which were looking at their summer best. That evening we celebrated in style at a local restaurant although my sister in law was unfortunately absent after the sad passing of her father.

A busy schedule then took Mum and I back to Coventry for her to stay with old friends while I accompanied Penny to a wedding in nearby Cubbington. Superb weather underpinned a day of celebration - the bride and groom left the church in style in a wagon and horse combination and at the reception we all enjoyed a hog roast and energetic dancing.

After giving the van its 52nd service (312,000 miles) I noticed that a couple of coolant hoses and a steel pipe are looking tired so will replace those later this week after my return from a few days in Sheffield. 

Last week whilst walking in Pembrokeshire we saw a sign advertising a garden open and teas available and were rewarded with a surprise visit to Ffynonne - the family home of the Lloyd George family. The caretakers gave us a warm welcome and we decided to return the following day for a tour of the impressive house - this was well worth it and gave an insight in to the life of an important family with many links to historical events, political dynasties and royal lineages.

A short visit to Sheffield started well with an 8 mile walk above Marsden in the Pennines followed by a trip in to the impressive Standedge Tunnel. This made for an excellent day which included a brief foray in to Holmfirth - no sign of Compo and his friends.

Walking tomorrow will be followed by a meal to plan the finer details of next week's intended coast to coast bike ride - Morecambe to Bridlington - after which I will return south to change the aforementioned pipes and depart for a few days wild camping in mid Wales.

The trip north should have included a trip to see family in York but my aunt has joined the MI and stent club so we decided to give her time to recover before calling in, probably in the early Autumn when I also hope to spend a few weeks in Scotland before the South American trip.

Before then September will see the Brecon Beast take place on the 13th followed by farm sitting locally, the van MOT and some preparation for a return to Morocco and then a planned venture through Italy and down to Greece and beyond for 2016.

Thus as ever you can review the above by the photos here and follow my meanderings from time to time here. 

The clip below is a hint of more to come from the Oz trip.

  

A Rare Summer in the UK

Perhaps the most striking feature for us after the many weeks in Australia's red centre was the vibrant green of the British countryside in June.

The van had stored well in Carmarthenshire although a small hole in the exhaust had enlarged so a couple of new sections were fitted by ATS in Brecon which should give me a Europe wide warranty for impending travels.

Just before we left for Oz in April a rear spring had failed so having sourced from T4sRUS new heavy duty springs and some new rear shocks - worth doing as the originals had covered 310,000 miles - I jacked the van up in a friend's shed near Brecon to undertake the work.

What should have taken an hour per side soon began to unravel as the top bolt was seized in to the upper shock bush and despite much effort would not budge. Thus the only option was to carefully burn out the rubber to give some play, cut away the shock absorber and then cut through the steel bush without damaging the bolt - all tricky given the limited access and awkward angle.

Anyway eventually the bolt came out and that side was soon re- assembled, however similar issues on the near side were compounded by the bolt head shearing off - not something easily replaced in Brecon on a Saturday morning. Jan and Ian kindly lent me their Kangoo to pop up and see Mum and source a new pair of bolts from the helpful staff at TPS Shrewsbury on the Monday morning.
So the van now sits higher and firmer than it has for years and combined with the front suspension work done after Morocco should pass the Autumn MOT but I am aware that with such high mileage other issues may arise and I need to consider my options.

Having looked at alternatives earlier in the Spring I am taken by the Wild Ax Solaris - see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co4viT6mbpY  which offers the flexibility I need and a few more creature comforts. However with an 8 month waiting list this in itself throws up other considerations.

I spent some time in the Cambrian mountains before and after celebrating Sarah's birthday in Pembrokeshire - one of our bothies had been visited by a group of off roaders who as well as leaving rubbish, trampling the ground and damaging fixtures and fittings had also abandonned a Suzuki jeep having failed to extract it from a bog using MBA tools - Natural Resource Wales are currently looking at the substantial costs and logistical issues of removing the vehicle as it is many miles from tarmac and hundreds of yards of rocky challenging track from even the forestry road.

Whilst on a return visit a group of off road motorbikes turned up and whilst the exchanges were polite and friendly enough I was grateful to have had the Go Pro quietly recording the event being in a minority of one.
A scramble along the Afon Pysgotwr gorge near Rhandirmyn was an unexpected adventure - a return some time to tackle the river as a canyonning trip would be good fun.




A weekend near Priddy was a great opportunity to catch up with friends, enjoy a good walk past the huge TV mast and return via Wells with a pleasant evening in the Hunters Inn where little has changed over my thirty of years of patronage - although the pub grub does now offer a veggie option I stayed with the traditionally excellent chilli. An amusing anecdote arose from showing friends some photos outside as when starting the computer a few days later I noticed a number of damaged pixels on my screen. Having arranged for a collection and repair under warranty, Mum whilst looking at the problem, accidentally touched the screen and the defect disappeared - it turns out that tiny droplets of tree sap were the cause of the issue and a humble return call was made to John Lewis!

A good party in Brecon was followed by a trip north to see Penny in Sheffield where we enjoyed our usual energetic week, the highlight of which for me was a day on her family's narrow boat heading along the Aire and Calder Navigation from Castleford to Leeds. The comfortable and sophisticated 58' boat is powered by a diesel engine that also tops up a large battery array. These power (via inverters) a fully equipped kitchen with oven, fridge/freezer, a washer/drier, entertainment systems and all the mod cons of a normal home. Hot water to a full size shower and central heating is also available from the diesel systems as the vessel is gas free - something that appeals to me in a camper van. In fact I was so taken by the notion of life afloat that it may well be an option for me in a decade or so when perhaps the travel bug has been truly swatted.

After mooring in the centre of Leeds we enjoyed a good meal out before Penny and I caught the train back to Castleford where the parking attendant who lives by the car park was waiting for our safe return on his front door step - amusingly his ticket booth is on wheels and he rolls it back and forth from his garden every day!

The following day we visited Elsecar Industrial village and the impressive Wentworth Woodhouse estate near Barnsley followed on the Thursday by a decent bike ride around the cycleways of Rotherham where the former industrialised mining areas are greening up rapidly. During this ride I was persuaded to embark on a coast to coast ride from Morecambe to Bridlington in late August which should be good fun.




Over the weekend I stopped near Cromford to meet up with friends who also travel full time - we first met in Wolfsburg a few years ago and share a similar approach to life on the road whilst adopting markedly different methods.
Thus I was royally fed and entertained in their comfortable coachbuilt van located on a small site above Dethick. A new scooter gives them easy access for getting out and about which otherwise sits in Pete's man cave - a nice IW box trailer that gives them oodles of storage. A walk on Saturday included a visit to an excellent local butchers in Holloway for a home made pie followed by paths and lanes above Cromford - some of which were a bit of an ordeal thanks to head high vegetation. However a descent from the top along the High Peak trail gave us the opportunity for ice creams in the sun at High Peak Junction before a steep walk back up to the field.


In Shropshire all is well - Mum has been in her new home for exactly a year and seems very happily settled. Now that all the houses are completed and the roads surfaced it is a very lovely place to be and no doubt the last few Wintles properties will soon be sold.

So looking ahead August and September are busy after which I may run the van down to Portugal before heading to South America so that I can continue south for the winter just before New Year.
Reports will continue via the blog and you can track me at this link or enjoy the photos here.

South Australia and the final leg back to Victoria

The huge stretch of the Nullarbor (my 3rd crossing now and still as enchanting as ever) entailed a couple of overnight bush camps and included the sighting of an escorted abnormal load of mining equipment that even by Australian standards was remarkable.
We detoured inland a little to stay at Pildappa Rocks which provided excellent camping, a good fire and sublime sunset photos from the smooth granite surface where rainwater pooled up to provide patches of lush grazing for the kangaroos. Around the circumference of the rock the farmer had created dams and walls to collect the run off for irrigation as this is still a very dry part of Australia.

 

Kimba saw us at the point regarded as the mid point of the run between Perth and Sydney and we eventually overnighted memorably at Mount Remarkable National Park where emu, parrots and roos had little concern over the tented bipeds.

The long pier at Port Germein provided another refreshing walk and later inland we visited Barra, a former copper mining town whose ruined engine houses and stacks were a reflection of the early Cornish settlers traditional skills.

At Morgan we crossed the Murray River on the chain ferry and camped on a tributary where pelicans watched us warily as our trip drew to a close. Indeed a final night at Baileys Rock saw the first real rain of the trip but we were rewarded by good sightings of a tawny wide mouthed owl chasing the moths attracted to the trailer lights.

Thus after 7 weeks and almost 7000 miles the trip was over - unloading the trailer and airing the tents and swags was soon accomplished before we enjoyed a meal in the local pub and for me the first pint of Guinness for a couple of months. PnK dropped us off for the Melbourne train and two hours later we were at the Alto hotel once more for a weekend of rest, recuperation and laundry. The Queen Victoria market was revisited and we also explored the excellent Royal Botanical Gardens, strolled along the Yarra and made our way back through Chinatown finding the urban vibe a huge contrast to the remoteness of most our trip.

Bargain Car Rentals lived up to their name by providing a brand new Hyundai for £10 a day that gave us a chance to return to the Victorian Alps for a week - it was winter but still warm and sunny encouraging us to spend a day with hired bikes on the Great Victorian Rail Trail starting at Yea and passing through a brick lined tunnel that reminded me of the newly opened ones under Bath back home.

Cosy cabins on campsites provided for our accommodation at Yea, Mansfield and Rutherglen with the opportunity for some local walks including to the summit of Mount Timbertop for views towards Mt Buller where the ski season was in its early stages.

After a relaxing week we returned the car to Melbourne Airport and were soon underway on a long but smooth return to the UK with a brief stop in sweltering Dubai, a crowded train from Reading and a peaceful night in the van back at Carmarthen where all was well.

At present there is a slight hiccup as replacing the rear shocks and springs has proved temporarily tiresome, however new bolts will be sourced tomorrow and fitted Tuesday freeing me up to have a nose around favourite Welsh haunts, catch up with friends and look forward to a variety of events over the rest of 2015.

The final batch of piccies for this trip can be found here and it would be appropriate to finish by thanking PnK for a memorable trip that allowed us a rare opportunity to travel to some amazing places. The stillness of the desert, its remoteness and the very nature of travel in such a harsh environment will remain with us for a very long time.

Sporadic locations via SPOT here but irregularly for the time being until we head off to South America in October. The page only keeps locations for about a week so may well be blank at times.

Down to the Nullarbor

So after some good daytime exercise at Mount Augustus and a couple of restful nights we headed south to Meekathara and before long were enjoying 'smoko' or coffee break at the old Mount Gould gaol built to incarcerate sheep rustlers who hassled the early settlers 150 years ago.

Stunning desert scenery provided the back drop to our steady progress and memorable overnight stops in the desert added to the sense of adventure. Thus the picture perfect small town of Sandstone came as a surprise with well kept streets, a cracking pub and an interesting museum - a creditable effort to the 60 or so permanent occupants of this once bustling mining settlement. We enjoyed an excellent pub lunch before heading off once more in to remote country.

In the 1960's a certain Len Beadell had been contracted by the government to push routes through these remote areas with his 'Gun Barrel' Team and his legacy is a grid of dead straight tracks named after family members that are now graded annually and permit access to very remote parts of Western Australia. The Ann Beadell highway took us south east to Leonora where we again refueled and later stopped at Yeo Lake homestead.This was a beautiful but sobering place in the middle of nowhere that two brothers had tried to establish as a working sheep or cattle station - the simple tin hut was reminiscent of some of the bothies back in the UK and had a well with a hand pump and a rudimentary bucket shower that provided us with a good wash.

The weather had clouded over a bit and indeed after a night in the bush on the Connie Sue (Beadell) track we packed up in the first rain of the trip.
However things soon improved as we headed south under clear skies which led to a chilly night as we were now well south and east.

Reaching the Trans Australian Railway at Rawlinna was a milestone and we were lucky to see a vast freight train heading west with a mixed load of containers, pipes, trucks and minerals. However after following the line to Neale's Junction we struck south on a rough track once more stopping 90km north of Cocklebiddy for our coolest night yet. 

Thus we reached the Nullarbor and turned left heading east on the final leg of our 11000km journey. Huge road trains and fellow travelers were something of an oddity and the superb white dunes at Eucla near the sand smothered old telegraph station were a stark contrast to the desert scenes of the previous month. Similarly as we turned down to the remarkable cliff tops above the Head of Bight we marveled at the empty seas, distant horizons and glorious colours.

We are now off for a week exploring Victoria so I will hopefully post again before we depart for the UK next week to update the final leg of this superb trip. 

Locations will appear here 

and the latest crop of pics can be found here.

Alice Springs to Mount Augustus - the remote way.

So after a weekend of relaxation and restocking in Alice Springs we headed west in to the McDonnell Ranges with ten days worth of food, fuel and water stopping at the various access points to the lofty ridge including Glen Helen where we had called in our own van almost exactly four years to the day before. 
We stayed the night at Redbank Gorge and then picked up the Gary Junction Rd - a dirt track that headed out towards the Great Sandy Desert. 

The trusty Landcruiser easily handled the conditions and the sturdy trailer continued to perform well and provide for our needs at a range of overnight stops where the true silence of the desert was almost deafening. A good range of wildlife was spotted - wild camels, wedge tailed eagles, the odd kangaroo and most notably at Jupiter's Well a large flock of noisy galahs who crowded the trees waiting for scraps as we ate and then next morning congregated on the half oil drum we had filled from the hand pump. As a result of the good water supply we had enjoyed a rare shower the previous night courtesy of the on board gas heater and water pump and were able to top up the 30 litre spare jerry can. A puncture picked up the previous day was plugged and we set off again with the intention of picking up the Kidson or Wapet track out to the coast. A deep sandy section had us bogged briefly until lower tyre pressure provided better traction and the night out in the bush was defined by the ghostly call of numerous dingoes within yards of our camp. Huge termite mounds were also a feature of the superb desert scenery but before long a mining company sign advised us that the route was closed until further notice. 

We had called in at some of the remote aboriginal communities where dilapidated houses, numerous wrecked cars and seemingly despondent locals were a predominant and troubling sight. Fuel could be bought at a high price and we purchased the odd treat from the sparsely stocked shops that were usually heavily barred and secured. Punmu was in a similar vein and had a school staffed by young Australians who were friendly and full of hope but again there was on overwhelming sense of futility about people continuing to live hundreds of miles from any source of employment or other support. 
After passing the Teifer gold mine we emerged on to a sealed road and stayed two days at the refreshing Carawine gorge where a huge sea eagle passed overhead with a large fish in its talons, jabirus fished in the shallows and again galahs and a range of other colourful birds took advantage of this unspoilt oasis.
A night of civilisation at Marble Bar gave us the chance to go and see the eponymous outcrop of marble that straddled the river and enjoy a cool beer in the tin pub although the camp site was busy and noisy in advance of an indigenous funeral due the following day.

Thus after a week in some very remote country we pulled in to Port Hedland where again 4 years ago we had called in search of rear brake pads and a fix for seized calipers. The huge piles of salt shimmered in the hot sunshine and we were lucky to see the huge Gaia Petraeus iron ore carrier escorted in to the vast port.
After a resupply in the shopping mall we turned off the main road for a memorable night at Balla Balla Creek just a couple of miles from the sea and enjoyed a remarkable sunset.
Millstream Chichester National Park was a good stop with a couple of walks available and the old homestead to explore - most of the old farm machinery had been made in the north of England at a time when it was months by sea to get down here and these stations would have been even more isolated.
Whilst heading to Tom Price we saw one of the huge ore trains that constantly supply Port Hedland and had a noisy night on the town site as many mine workers use it and their shifts start early!

A couple more nights of peace and quiet in the bush saw us arrive at Mount Augustus,a geological oddity that claims to be the largest rock in the world and rises to over 3000' above the surrounding semi desert landscape. The station provided a rare grassy campsite and welcome showers and we decided to have 3 nights there as there were numerous walks and sights in the area - the best being a day walk to the summit following a superb gorge up and a rocky trail down. The night skies were awe inspiring as there was no moon and as usual we enjoyed a fire and dined well.

With limited battery power and internet allowance I will come to a halt for now - we are back in Melbourne in a comfy hotel after 7 amazing weeks on the road and I will describe our journey south to the Nullarbor and then east back to Victoria in a day or two - apologies for the long gap since the last post but as a look at the Spot locations here will show you we have been a very long way from civilisation. 

Perhaps the adventure can best be appreciated by looking at the bumper crop of photographs here.

Home in two weeks but a few adventures planned for the interim - regards to all for now.

Melbourne to Alice Springs via the Hay River Track

Our trip started well with the Carmarthen to Swansea train being cancelled, however 36 hours later we were on the bus in to the Melbourne CBD and the welcome comforts of a small hotel - the Alto on Bourke St.
After some much needed sleep we walked through the centre to the Queen Elizabeth market which had an amazing display of stalls selling excellent food and crafts from around the locality. Sunday saw a stroll along the river passing Melbourne's social and entertainment centres before checking out our onward travel arrangements to Geelong. 

Thus on Monday the train delivered us to Phillip and Klara's home town where at their house a smart 4.5l V8 Toyota Landcruiser sat hooked up to a substantial aluminium camper trailer. This remarkable piece of kit was hand built by Phil and looked very much up to the job being fitted with water tanks, gas bottles and stoves, 240v and 12v power and lighting systems, a fridge, plenty of storage and a clever drawer arrangement to keep dry and tinned food in plus our rucksacks, folding chairs and a tent for our use. A second large drawer contained their sleeping arrangements - namely a double swag that pulled out to give comfy sleeping well clear of the ground.

Thus on the Tuesday we headed north on tarmac with plenty of supplies - both solid and liquid stopping off at various heritage sites en route. We soon felt at home as it is less than four years since our last visit and enjoyed various relics that related to the development of this enormous country over the last 200 years. The Big Lizzie traction engine was a monstrous beast that pulled trees and stumps out of the ground to clear land, consumed a hundred tons of wood a week and proceeded at a stately 1mph.

Ice creams at Wycheproof were enjoyed as we inspected the intriguing creations from scrap of a local artist before our first night at Green Lake - an abandoned livestock farm with good basic facilities. We soon had the tent erected and were introduced to the Ecobilly and the various functions of the trailer that would provide us with the essentials of life over the next few weeks. A good meal round the camp fire set the scene for many similar evenings and a smooth routine soon developed that at the start of each day usually began with a dawn chorus that to us was unfamiliar.

Kinchega National Park on the banks of the Darling River gave us a two night stay with a quick trip in to the nearby small town of Menindee and then a visit to explore the old Kinchega homestead whose enormous shearing shed saw 80,000 head hand shorn each year in its heyday. At a nearby weir dozens of pelicans fished lazily whilst eying us warily - a comical sight for both I suspect.

 Silverton north of the large mining town of Broken Hill was reached after a couple of days and provided our first night in a proper campsite. The former silver mining town was full of character and has been the setting for a number of films - most notably the Mad Max series - but is nowadays largely abandoned with artists moving in and out and creating all sorts of colourful and quirky displays. We ate well at the surviving pub that was packed with memorabilia and enjoyed hot showers at the slightly run down site.

Saturday in Broken Hill saw the town celebrating ANZAC day - the mining conglomerate BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary) was established here and valuable mineral resources are still extracted here on a substantial scale. For us it was a chance to stock up before our first foray in to the real outback as seventy miles west of the town we headed on to the first gravel tracks of the trip. Cardboard protectors were taped to the rear windows to stop stones causing damage and tyre pressure were lowered to smooth the ride as we headed to a lunch stop at the remains of the old copper workings at Waukaringa.

Chambers Gorge saw another two night stop giving us a chance to visit the aboriginal engravings, climb Mt. Chambers for stunning views across to Lake Frome - totally dry and now a shimmering expanse of dry salt pan. Strong winds blew which kept it comfortable for us although PnK found it cool and we enjoyed another evening around the camp fire.
We headed out via Blinman which had once seen a copper mining boom and sported an interesting mining heritage trail, assorted quaint historical buildings and a shop selling delicious quandong pie.
The undulating Paralchina Gorge took us across dry creeks, through ancient gum trees and out to the highway at the Prairie Hotel which sat alongside the rail line that sees 30,000 tonnes a day of coal head south to Adelaide's power station. Later that night as we camped in the bush we heard the 2.8km long train as it took 3 minutes to pass.
The mining town of Leigh Creek was a last chance to stock up on food and top up the 200 litres each of water and diesel that would see us across the deserts ahead - after passing the coal mining area we stopped at Farina which had been my furthest point in 2011. The abandoned town provided a fascinating history of this remote area but in fact was to be the start of our venture in to the true desert country.
Marree was a highlight for Sarah as the famous mailman Tom Kruse left here on epic journeys delivering post and supplies to remote farms that exceeded a thousand square kilometres and depended on his tenacity in battling extremes of climate and terrain for their very survival. The Birdsville track up to Mungerannie is now far easier but still only gravel all the way and subject to occasional flooding - Tom in his day would cross the 5km wide Coopers Creek in a small 'unsinkable' boat if the waters were up but we were able to drive through as we had not seen any water in days.

Just north of Marree at Copley we were denied another quandong pie as the bakery had closed but an amiable character - Talc Alf - was still entertaining a handful of visitors with his view of the world surrounded by some very creditable carvings of the local soft rock from which talc is obtained.

The Mungerannie road house was the last sign of civilisation for us - one of the many artesian bores was pumping hot fresh water in to a large pond and surrounding marsh which attracted a variety of birds - and various other travellers stopped for fuel and refreshments including some hot and dusty looking motorcyclists.

Various warning boards advised of the possible dangers ahead as we entered the Simpson Desert and began following the K1 track north. These tracks and the associated shot lines are the legacy of widespread exploration of the area in search of oil and gas, most of which led to nothing but the few tracks that remain passable are the key to crossing these inhospitable regions. However a 4x4 is essential and some of the huge red dunes were a challenge for Phil's powerful vehicle - low tyre pressures, a steady approach and front and rear diff locks proved the key to success especially as the 1.5 ton trailer provided an additional challenge.
A sublime evening atop a dune toasting the setting sun with fizz had us all counting our blessings, especially in the light of the tragedy in Nepal that has touched so many around the world. 

The next day for some 15km the track followed a dried out lake before we reached a significant land mark - Poeppel's Corner where the NT, Queensland and SA all meet seemed to be in another world with scrub, red dust and flat vistas stretching in every direction.

The Hay River track was no more than two tyre marks in the scrub as we headed north enjoying remote desert camps and seeing nobody for three days. Phil's mate Adrian had joined us at Marree as the permit required to cross aboriginal land  insisted that at least two vehicles needed to travel together and his Hi-lux followed at a safe distance as we followed the dry river bed with occasional camels, wedge tailed eagles, falcons, galahs and wild budgies appearing from nowhere : in four days we saw no sign of water and wondered how on earth they survived. 

Eventually however we met three vehicles heading south and a day later reached the Batton Hill homestead where an aboriginal family were running a small bush camp started by their chief elder who had passed away last August. Whilst their yard was a perhaps predictable mas of wrecked cars, plastic toys and run down buildings the camp was, whilst basic, clean, well laid out and sported a good shower heated by a wood fired boiler and decent loos. A huge fire trough enabled us to relax after a day of very strong winds that had blown dust all around but did at least keep the flies away - they had been a constant feature of the last few days but did not detract from what had been a truly unique experience. Several hundred kilometres of remote, merciless terrain with little room for error had been punctuated by starry skies, good company, excellent food and a surreal desert stillness the like of which we may not see again even on this trip.

After another two days we have reached Alice Springs which seems like a modern metropolis but in reality is a town facing up to the huge problems afflicting the indigenous people - namely high unemployment, substance abuse and a changing modern world that is leaving the traditional cultures further and further behind. Our relatively safe, modern and comfortable crossing of land that they managed to survive on for thousands of years has served to enhance my respect for a people that appear to have wrung an existence out of nothing.

In a day or two we head west and will be out of contact once more for some time.

However you can follow our position at this link and see the photos to date here at this link.