Pick this Place

Thinking that might be Lake Caroline.

I think it may be on the Madigan, Phil? I recall you mentioned this claypan after one of your trips. Can’t think of the name, it’s nearly midnight!

Bob

Madigans oval between camps 11 and 12.

Cheers, John

John got it - Madigan Oval. Its a diversion off the Madigan Line between Camps 11 and 12 that is not often visited but is well worth the small diversion.
GPS: 24.624767 deg South and 137.063733 deg East

Its like a football ground in the middle of the desert and is well described in Madigan's book "Crossing the Dead Heart". He diverted north east after camp 11 to explore the claypans and gidgee he'd seen from the air on his recce.
When I was there in 2004 you leave the main track and head north cross country for maybe 10k's . David Owen put a visitors book there about 20 years ago. Some friends returned there in 2006 and nobody had signed the book in between, and nobody seems to mention it, so I'm guessing it is still rarely visited.



Here is the section from Madigan's book:
" In the next two miles we passed four claypans, the last surrounded on all sides by sandhills. a regular hole in the sand like those we were to see later near Lake Eyre. This one was about three hundred yards by a hundred and fifty, and had about an inch of water in it. We went on for another couple of miles without seeing and more claypans, and camped. This was obviously the group of claypans I had seen from the air, and gratifyingly close to where I had placed them; in fact as accurately placed as such an area could be, without plotting each individual claypan."

Hi Phil,
Have been across the Madigan twice now, but not out to the oval. Would you have the GPS coordinates, so perhaps next time we go across we can get out there ?
Cheers, Mark.