The Great Victoria Desert is looking unreal
Submitted: Friday, Aug 29, 2014 at 21:12
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Member - Stephen L (Clare SA)
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Aug 29, 2014 at 21:38
Friday, Aug 29, 2014 at 21:38
Oh bugger Stephen,
I have only recently returned from a six week trip to the
Kimberley and back and already you have got me wishing I was elsewhere than little old
Adelaide.
Some great pictures as usual mate. Hope you enjoyed your trip as much as we did ours.
Actually, my mate advised he is yet to travel the full length of the
Birdsville Track.
We went as far as the Cooper
Creek crossing area when it was last in flood and now he wants more.
I am planning a trip next year that will take us up the
Birdsville track to Mungerannie,
Birdsville itself, then on to Bullia, across to
Longreach, down to
Windorah, Haddons Corner,
Innamincka and back down the
Strzelecki Track, with visits to many
places along the way.
With three couples sharing an experience of outback travel again, that should keep the old bugger happy for a bit.
He is still dirty we "cut" our
Kimberley trip short, as I was about to become a Grandad and he had to come back to wintery weather. (We told him he could stay up north by himself, but his other half was feeling maternal herself and wanted to return
home with us, to catch up with her own grand kids).
The grumpy old bugger is a late starter to 4WDing and now wants to make up for lost time he experienced when he had nothing but a "normal" car.
He is harder to please as he is fully retired and able to spend extended time away, without the need to return to a work environment like us "normal" folk.
AnswerID:
538362
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 29, 2014 at 21:50
Friday, Aug 29, 2014 at 21:50
Hi Bill
Yes it was a great trip thanks, and I read how you were up in the warm country.
Congratulations on becoming a Grandad and you should be in for another great trip next year.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
822757
Follow Up By: Freshstart - Friday, Aug 29, 2014 at 22:02
Friday, Aug 29, 2014 at 22:02
Oh bugger you and in spades. We just got
home from a CSR drive and I wanna go!!!!!!!!
FollowupID:
822760
Reply By: The Landy - Friday, Aug 29, 2014 at 23:35
Friday, Aug 29, 2014 at 23:35
Hey Stephen
I look forward to the full report.
We enjoyed our recent trip out there and it looks like the flowers have come out in force.
Some great photos, and I especially like the moon setting, I always think a full moon setting is so much better than it rising!
I look forward to getting back out that way next year...
Cheer, Baz
AnswerID:
538367
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 06:51
Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 06:51
Hi Baz
When the Outback puts on a full floral display, nothing can beat it, thats for sure. We have never seen such large displays of Sturts Desert Peas and even out on the Range at
Maralinga, they are in full bloom in
places that Robin has never seen them flowering before.
We were very privileged to see some very special country and I can not wait to show everyone the full story.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
822772
Reply By: Member - Duncan W (WA) - Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 00:32
Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 00:32
Hi Stephen, Pt Lilian is definitely one of my favourite spots and the Mini Richies on top of
the bluff are quite spectacular. The wild flowers when we were on the ABH in early July were just coming out with only the odd patch of Sturt Desert Peas and all were the blood red coloured variety.
Oddly enough we only saw 4 camels on the entire run from Nealle
Junction to
Coober Pedy.
WRT the corrugations between Emu & the
Dog Fence all I can say is thank whomever for all the alternative side tracks.
Look forward to reading the full account. By the sound of things you did the trip later than when we first talked about it?
Cheers
Dunc
AnswerID:
538368
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 07:03
Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 07:03
Hi Dunc
It was another fantastic trip and we saw many new
places that we had been wanting to see for a long time.
As for the corrugations, it is a real shame that the Connie Sue, north of
Neale Junction is now shaping up to be up there with full sections of major corrugations, and I am glad we driven it a number of years ago when it was a smooth drive.
The section of Anne Beadell between Emu and the boundary of
Mabel Creek is one section that I will never drive again for that very reason and now that the
Emu Road is open north from
Maralinga, it is a far better way to get to leave Emu.
Now the big job of the full story.....lol
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
822774
Reply By: Mick O - Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 09:50
Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 09:50
What a great trip Stephen. I’ve been
home three days and have only just skimmed through my 2,500 photos and 2 hours of video. A big thanks to you and Fiona....you for your research, route planning, attention to detail and effort in getting permissions/permits etc. Fiona for putting up with the many hours you must have put into making this trip the enjoyable tour that it was. Very different country and I’m totally sold on the GVD. May be some time before I get back to more familiar haunts like the GSD now lol.
I’ll look forward to your
blogs and more photos. Unfortunately after several months away from
home, Vik has a list of chores for me a mile long. It’ll be a while before I get to
mine.
Cheers and thanks
Mick
P.S. Your photos were an unreal pictorial summary of 4 weeks travel. Great work.
AnswerID:
538383
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 19:19
Saturday, Aug 30, 2014 at 19:19
Hi Mick
It was an absolute pleasure to have you and Russell as part of the group. If you and Russell are like me, I am not looking forward to donning respectable work clothes and heading off to work on Monday.
I will keep you posted before the Blog goes live and by then we will all wish were back out in
the desert.
Once again, thanks again for being part of the group.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
822832