Thurs, 17th May, 2018 Bush camp between 2 dunes north of Well 27 CSR to Well 33 CSR, WA

Cold wind from the west blew onto us about 4am so closed the door – much nicer.

By 7am the south-easterly wind was back. Packed up and headed north again.

Crossed the first higher sand ridge which had Steve’s reconstructed camel bones on top. Took a video of the climb up as we are now heading back the way we should have been if we had made it past Well 25. The wind is making ridges on the exposed sand on top of the ridges completely hiding our wheel tracks from the other day.

Bit of wispy cloud coming over – looks like the moon but I think it was a blog on the windscreen.

Another video of a longer climb then I ran back to get Phil coming up. He is feeling more confident now and whizzed up before I was ready.

Got ready at the next one after I videoed us and got a good video of Phil and Kylie coming up the ridge to give to them. The videos don’t do the ridges justice – make them look flatter.

Past Well 28 where Steve dug out the frame and bucket – Mr Dingo has moved on.

I commented to Kylie on the UHF about the big mushrooms and she said they were ‘Puff Balls’ according to her map’s pictures.

Came upon a lone camel who was having a good chew on his cud or whatever so I videoed him for a bit.

Videoed going through the water over the track again – but no bog holes to fall in here thank goodness.

Took a few videos of climbing over the sand ridges as we headed to Well 29 for a coffee break. Wind still howling so managed to hide behind the bushes to make our cuppas.

We headed off following another track which heads is a loop rather than back tracking to Thring Rock again. Unfortunately as we went along in the long grass we realised it hasn’t been used in ages because it is eroded. Managed to turn around and then Phil had to get his car and trailer around which was a bit more difficult.

Back over the sand ridge we just crossed and around past Thring Rock and continued on over the same sand ridge just further along – another video of course.

  

As we went along the flats the willy wagtails zoomed in an out – he’s the black dot in the middle of the track.  I managed to get a couple on video at last. Normally as soon as I pick up the camera they dart off. One came out and because I didn’t film him he stayed in front of the track for ages. At last I got the video going and filmed him for a bit before he zipped off.

Lunch at Well 30 with lots of budgies zooming around. Collected some good firewood there too. Back over the limestone rocks and then through tunnels of wattle that have lost their blooms with all this wind.

Past Well 31. Up a windy sand ridge. I was going to go back to video Phil but he was up the top just as I got out of our truck. No problems at all now.

Past the Stop sign – naughty us, we didn’t stop.

A few more ridges then onto the straight sections of light corrugations to Well 32. Then we zigzagged on and off the track using the bypasses to avoid the worst of the corrugations as we headed to Well 33. Pulled in at 4pm but someone was in our spot so we had to go to the other side of the windmill and find a spot with bushes for wind protection. Kylie and Phil parked in front of us on the other side of the bushes.

Steve went to chat with the other campers in our first spot. He is towing a camper and cracked his water tank so Steve gave him some tape etc. He is heading north too.

The wind stopped at 6pm. So nice when it stops. A couple stopped by – she is an art teacher from Melbourne who came to teach the children of the community here. Arrived in October – that would have been fun. She has between 6 and 10 students when they come. Her husband is the teacher’s aide and maintenance man.

Another bearded chap with bad teeth arrived and he gave us the booklet of the Canning Stock Route that I downloaded when I got my permit. It also had a USB of videos and another booklet about Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ) which is the organisation working with the Martu people and the KJ 2016-17 Annual Report. He said to Steve that he used to work here when it was the oil exploration but now feels he owes the aborigines so comes as a volunteer to hand out info. Shame the Martu people couldn’t come and hand it out themselves and tell people about their country!! He was a bit over the top in his attitude towards visitors which probably isn’t helping visitors’ opinions on the land hand back etc. I asked why there are two different spellings for some of the wells and he said that the original one was what Canning wrote down when he heard and it. Linguists have now determined what he heard was spelt differently – that seems very odd to me. He said I need to study the book and he will be back tomorrow to test me!! Now that got my hackles up so I ‘as gently as I could’ gave him my thoughts!! He got on his high horse saying there should be a gate across the CSR and if you can’t say the name correctly then you won’t be let through. As I said before I don’t think he is doing the Martu people’s cause any good.

After he left to give the other group a booklet – he only had two so Kylie missed out, I looked at the books. Interesting financial reading. I looked at the videos on the USB then added the ones for Kylie that I took for her and gave her the USB to look at later.

Nice drinks and dinner around the fire with a lot more chatting. The wind came back about 9pm.