Can we have a mice report please?

Thanks Richard & Wilko, we have also been waiting for them to die off , We want to get up to Tamworth/ Gunnedah. Your updates are very useful , any idea when they will be gone?? Regards Keith

Kieth, in the style of Len Beadell, the mice should be gone by 3.00pm next Tuesday. If the frosts keep up, they might be gone by Monday.

There is still a few down here at Griffith, but not in huge numbers.

We camper trailered in the Gawler Ranges this time last year in the middle of the SA plague and spent 2 nights beating the little darlin's off the canvas and mesh windows of the Kimberley. They even got into the roof lining of our friends Tojo.
We now own a caravan and the friend's passengers stayed with him for several days!

Darian, When you were up in the Riverland, did you notice all those little mouse coloured stains all over the road, They are the ones that didn't get away. LOL Some places, the road is carpetted with them.

Hi Alli - I'm about to almost do the same trip with my family and I'm shocked to hear about the mice - sand, heat, floods I've heard about but haven't heard much about mice - what do you do when in a tent with so many mice around??? My kids are going to freak!!! Any suggestions - thought the cold nights might keep them at bay??? Do they eat through tents? And do they get into trailers?? Haven't really paid this much attention to the critters before but I am astounded at the conversations on this topic... I have to pay attention... we are leaving in two weeks....
Thanks for any suggestions... Rose

Hi Rose,

we havent had any eat through the tent thank goodness :) but yes they have been in the trailer, they come out just before dusk so as long as you keep all the doors zipped up you shouldnt have a problem. Cold nights don;t seem to worry them in the least. I have bought traps and if you put a bit of peanut butter on them you will catch them for sure.

My husband and I quite often watch them get in the traps and cheer when they do (we are wondering about what sort of people that makes us lol) my 6 year old gets most excited when he hears the traps go off now too.

we have had them eat through the grey water pipe from the sink too, so would suggest that you pack it away at night which is a pain but better than having them climbing up inside and eating their way out.

Only other thing is bring an enormous amount of warm bedding mate as we have had quite few nights at minus 2 and believe me this is nasty in the tent.

Hope that helps

Alli

Hi Alli - thanks for that we are almost travelling the same route in 11 days - I really have to stop thinking about these mice - we are staying in a tent so hopefully it won't be chewed through - its a ripstop material not canvas so I'm hoping that I haven't bought the wrong one.....
just wondering where you stayed at the West Mac Ranges.. will definitely have a great time no matter what the mices are doing....

Cheers

Rose

Hey Rose,

we camped at Red Bank Gorge and it was fabulous. Stay at the first campground you come to, Woodlands from memory. There are 13 or so camp sites spread out around a large area, lots of bush in between so even if there is someone else there (we were there 4 nights and I think there was 4 other lots of campers there during that time and we couldnt see or hear each other) it cost us $7.70 per night (family rate for 2 adults and up to 4 kids) there are gas barbeques with 2 hot plates at each camp site and they are FREE and pit toilets within easy walking distance. It was quite the best place we have stayed really, no showers but you know for the price we didnt care.

If you have a toilet then there is a beautiful camp beside the Finke River, with the turn off almost directly opposite the Glen Helen Resort turn off, four wheel drive track to get in and again no showers and this camp ground is free.

You can go into Glen Helen Gorge to have a look and walk without camping there and the walk at Red Bank up the Gorge is good. If you drive past the turn off for Red Bank, (25kms or there abouts from memory, they are doing roadworks there) there is a turn off on your left to Roma Gorge, where there are aboriginal rock carvings dating back 8000years that are worth a look at. You drive up the river/creek bed (4wd) took us about 40 mins then you walk in, easy walk about 200metres then you get to the rocks. When you walk around and look there are LOTS of carvings if you look around. Definitely worth a look it is quite amazing, not well known either.

Hope that helps. Have a great time :)

Allison

Hey Rose,

we camped at Red Bank Gorge and it was fabulous. Stay at the first campground you come to, Woodlands from memory. There are 13 or so camp sites spread out around a large area, lots of bush in between so even if there is someone else there (we were there 4 nights and I think there was 4 other lots of campers there during that time and we couldnt see or hear each other) it cost us $7.70 per night (family rate for 2 adults and up to 4 kids) there are gas barbeques with 2 hot plates at each camp site and they are FREE and pit toilets within easy walking distance. It was quite the best place we have stayed really, no showers but you know for the price we didnt care.

If you have a toilet then there is a beautiful camp beside the Finke River, with the turn off almost directly opposite the Glen Helen Resort turn off, four wheel drive track to get in and again no showers and this camp ground is free.

You can go into Glen Helen Gorge to have a look and walk without camping there and the walk at Red Bank up the Gorge is good. If you drive past the turn off for Red Bank, (25kms or there abouts from memory, they are doing roadworks there) there is a turn off on your left to Roma Gorge, where there are aboriginal rock carvings dating back 8000years that are worth a look at. You drive up the river/creek bed (4wd) took us about 40 mins then you walk in, easy walk about 200metres then you get to the rocks. When you walk around and look there are LOTS of carvings if you look around. Definitely worth a look it is quite amazing, not well known either.

Hope that helps. Have a great time :)

Allison

Hey Rose,

we camped at Red Bank Gorge and it was fabulous. Stay at the first campground you come to, Woodlands from memory. There are 13 or so camp sites spread out around a large area, lots of bush in between so even if there is someone else there (we were there 4 nights and I think there was 4 other lots of campers there during that time and we couldnt see or hear each other) it cost us $7.70 per night (family rate for 2 adults and up to 4 kids) there are gas barbeques with 2 hot plates at each camp site and they are FREE and pit toilets within easy walking distance. It was quite the best place we have stayed really, no showers but you know for the price we didnt care.

If you have a toilet then there is a beautiful camp beside the Finke River, with the turn off almost directly opposite the Glen Helen Resort turn off, four wheel drive track to get in and again no showers and this camp ground is free.

You can go into Glen Helen Gorge to have a look and walk without camping there and the walk at Red Bank up the Gorge is good. If you drive past the turn off for Red Bank, (25kms or there abouts from memory, they are doing roadworks there) there is a turn off on your left to Roma Gorge, where there are aboriginal rock carvings dating back 8000years that are worth a look at. You drive up the river/creek bed (4wd) took us about 40 mins then you walk in, easy walk about 200metres then you get to the rocks. When you walk around and look there are LOTS of carvings if you look around. Definitely worth a look it is quite amazing, not well known either.

Hope that helps. Have a great time :)

Allison

Hi Alli - thanks for all that fantastic information - do you suggest to camp at Red Bank or Glen Helen - don't mind the no showers bit - figure it's all part of roughing it... my boys certainly don't mind!! No surprises there!!!

Do you suggest coming from Kings Canyon and uluru or should be go from Alice Springs, then West MacD, then Kings canyon & Uluru. Camping by the Finke River sounds beautiful... probably too many places to camp really... anyway let me know your ideas.... appreciate your thoughts...


When you say if you have a toilet do you mean that you can't dig a hole - sorry I'm not sure about these things - is there some etiquette in the outback for toilet matters!!!


Just another question - how many days would you suggest spending in the West Mac Ranges and is it worth having a central camp for that time to check the area out - as we have a trailer and if we do any off road travel we need to leave the trailer. Apparently that is the case when we go to Palm Valley/Finke Gorge.

Still working on my itinerary to the Oodnadatta track and about to start packing... getting really exciting around here... with a little pressure as time is passing so quickly...

Thanks so much. Rose

Thanks again... Rose

Hi again Alli - just wondering how much water you allowed as you travelled the Oodnadatta track - did you find water was easy to come by?

Thanks again... Rose

Hi rose,

personally I would be camping at Red Bank over Glen Helen, you do get showers at Glen Helen but the camp area at Red Bank is MUCH nicer and cheaper. About digging holes to go to the loo, out next to the Finke not really any cover to go behind if you get my meaning also Dingoes will dig up any hole you do your business in so maybe not a good idea.

I forgot to mention there are fire pits at Red Bank and believe me you will want a fire. You can't collect firewood around Red Bank but up the river bed on the way into Roma Gorge there is HEAPS, burns beautifully and easy to collect. We headed out from Redbank and looked at Glen Helen, Finke and Roma leaving our trailer set up. We also called in at Big Ellery campground but saw too many mice (was only the middle of the day!!!) so decided not to camp here.

On the way back to Alice we called in at Ormiston which is beautiful, you can camp here too, quite small sites and very close together but there are showers. Also the ochre pits which are pretty amazing.

We chose to leave Uluru and drive back to Alice then head out to West McDonnell Ranges, we were over the tourists to tell you the truth and had heard from a number of people that Kings Canyon was worse than Uluru. Dan and I went to Kings Canyon before the kids on a trip we did on the bike so we werent too fussed. Plenty of people do it either way. There are permits required if you do one of the tracks from Kings Canyon round to Alice not sure of the details though.

We have an 80 litre water tank and carried 2x 15 litre spring water things from Purity, we used the whole tank and one 15 litre at the McDonnell Ranges and that was 4.5-5 days. As long as you camp at a caravan park every few days you can fill up with water, we havent found it an issue.

When do you leave???
How long are you away for???
It's most exciting and great fun :)

Allison
(Hot Water Bottles are a must for us too)

Hi Alli

We leave this Saturday bright and early (myself, hubby and three kids) - straight for Mildura and camp overnight - will be the first time we set up the tent and camping stuff so if we forget anything can buy it in Mildura. Will then stop Rawnsley Station for two nights - do the Skytrek 4WD trip and then head off to Lake Eyre and the Oodnadatta track. Hopefully camp at one of the camps near the Lake Muloorina Station or Halligan Bay... not sure yet. Mabey there are less mice in these areas!!! Then we will travel the Oodnadatta track for 2 days ending at Oodnadatta - hoping to cut throught the Painted Desert to the Stuart Highway - then going to either Alice Springs or else Uluru not sure which way yet as we have two older kids flying to Alice and hiring a car so don't want to be too far from them when they arrive. want to explore Kings Canyon, West Mac Ranges and the Olgas. Sounds alot but hope to manage all that in three weeks... We will return via the Stuart Highway stopping at Coober Pedy overnight. I think it is doable.....should be awesome....Any suggestions??
Rose

" must" be the place to be..

should check before i submit hey... lol