7.30
am 3.1 degrees, sun shining in on the kitchen side. 8am still only 5 degrees on
the bed side of the truck but we got up. Lots of noise coming from the station
as they are loading in the cattle they have mustered.
Steve
got the fire going while we had breakfast while we waited for the sun to warm
us up.
Eventually
got to 13 degrees as we packed up.
Took
another track down to the dry Frome River bed and met the road coming from the
station.
A
loaded cattle truck rumbled by then another one. We followed them for a bit
then overtook one on a straight section.
As
we were reaching the first one another empty truck was coming towards us. We
listened to them chat on the UHF. They are transporting ‘weaners’. The empty
truck driver commented about the ‘terrorists’ coming up behind the other truck.
We laughed and gave him a wave as he came past us. Sadly though we passed two
roos that had just been struck by that truck.
Steve
commented that the steering wheel wasn’t centred and wondered if he has bent
something in the steering on the corrugations yesterday. Then we heard a
strange noise. We pulled over to check it out. He couldn’t find anything with
the steering then he looked at the back and found the driver’s side spring had
broken which has pushed the rear wheel back. He got out the high lift jack and
set about fixing the problem.
As
I was no help I made a cuppa then went wandering looking for more crystals.
When I came back he had jammed some firewood in to push the spring forward.
Then he found some wire and tied up the front part.
I
did well with my rock hunting.
The
cattle trucks came by and Steve told them we were ok. Steve turned the wheel
hubs in and we started the slow drive back in high range 4WD to take the
pressure off the back axle. Lucky he is a good mechanic. We still had 30km to
get back to Marree. Spotted an emu in the creek.
Back
to the turn off – the Ghan rail bridge and embankment.
Into
Marree past the race course.
Now
that’s not what we expected out here – a yacht club.
Marree
Aboriginal trade routes have existed in this area for
centuries providing access for ochre from Lyndhurst and Parachilna, and pituri,
a narcotic from the Simpson Desert. The springs 2 km north of Marree formed the
junction of the routes which led to the Cooper and Diamantina regions in the
north-east, and to the Finke River and the Musgrave and MacDonnell Ranges in
the north-west. These original trade routes, explored with assistance from
Aborigines, have now been established as the Birdsville and Ooodnadatta Tracks.
During John McDouall Stuart’s first attempt to cross
Australia, one of his party, David Hergott discovered the springs to the north
of the Marree township. Stuart named them Hergott Springs. They became an
important camping place for travellers and for construction workers on the OTL.
In 1883, a new township site was surveyed about 2 km
south of the springs and the railway line was built to the new township in
1884. Marree was the official name given to the township survey in 1883 but the
area was commonly known as Hergott Springs and the railway station and post
office continued to use that name. Signs and post-markers were changed in 1918
due to the hostilities of WW1 and the whole area finally became known as
Marree, a sad epitaph for Hergott, a brave explorer, who died in Melbourne in
1861 at the age of 36.
Marree quickly outstripped Farina as the most
important service centre for the north and the population rose to 600 in a few
years. Stations on the Birdsville Track were supplied by Afghan cameleers from
Marree and a strong Afghan community was established on the north side of the
line. The use of the railway by the Afghans to move between their communities
in Marree and Oodnadatta had some influence on the affectionate naming of the
train as the Ghan.
In 1936 Harry Ding, a pioneer motor transport owner
from Yunta, successfully tendered for the Birdsville mail run and employed Tom
Kruse to drive for him. The flair for adaptation of vehicles by Harry and quiet
dogged determination of Tom, started the legend of the Birdsville mail. In 1952
the classic documentary film ‘Back of Beyond’, featured Tom at work delivering
mail along the track.
Since the closure of the Ghan Line the population of
Marree has declined rapidly, however essential services has been maintained and
the Aboriginal people have become involved in the town.
Pulled
up beside the old Afghan settlement which went from here out to the racecourse.
I went over to check it out while Steve went in search of a mechanic/wrecker
hoping to find a spring.
A
memorial mosque.
1.90c/l
for diesel at the Oasis Roadhouse. Old rail carriages make good store rooms. No
luck for Steve finding a spare spring.
Inside
was a shop, café and lots of information about Donald Campbell and his
‘bluebird’.
BP did a film of the first attempt in 1962 so the people at Muloorina Station had a lot of visitors for a while and were part of the film.
$35
for a 4 litre cask of wine – will do without I think. Obituary of one of
Birdsville Track’s legends – Kevin Oldfield.
Maybe
we should stick around for this.
Crossed
over the railway line past an old engine.
Drove
around the township – neat and tidy with old and new homes. Now I wonder if we
can have a sign saying Cairns ‘Caucasian’ school.
More
carriages being reused.
Parked
near the hotel then wandered over to railway station. The railway museum was
locked.
Looking
across to the hotel and the old things on display. Tom Kruse, the mailman’s old
truck and a big wagon.
More
info about Sid Kidman.
Wandered
over to the hotel. Beautiful stained glass.
Lots
of old photos inside. First telegraph station in Hergott Springs (just north of
Marree), 1884.
Hergott
Springs Station 1890.
Transferring
the mail in 1930.
Birdsville
Track wool wagons 1890.
The
Ghan derailed near Lake Eyre.
Camel
train at Hergott Springs.
Some
old coins found when they were renovating the hotel.
Nice
entrance.
The
dining room has lots of information about Stuart’s exploring and is decorated
with an old telegraph pole etc.
Another
room was dedicated to Tom Kruse – the Birdsville Track mailman. Lots of
information and photos.
They
made a movie/documentary about him.
The
old mail truck did one more run in 1999 from here to the Birdwood Museum, SA
after it was discovered and then restored.
Another
stained-glass window.
In
another room all the boards about Donald Campbell were on display but this time
without the glass front so easier to photograph.
Chatted
with a chap from Canada who has been here for 4 months and loves it. They had a
book exchange here so I got two new books to read. A pilot came in who takes
people on flights over Lake Eyre. I commented that he had a great job and he
agreed he has the best workplace in Australia. This window dedicated to the
Afghan camel men.
Nice
mural in the bar. Interesting door.
You
can book flights over the Finniss Springs area to see the Marree Man. Found an
article about the chap who first carved it in the ground and as it has become
such a tourist attraction they have redone it so it can be easily seen.
Greenhide
Bronco rope made by one of the Oldfield family from Clayton Station.
Very
sad story about a family who perished just off the Birdsville Track in 1963.
Steve
thought this was interesting. A small sticker at the bottom says ‘In an
emergency – break glass’.
Back
to the truck. Steve made another repair to the spring using the big hammer
instead of the lump of wood and put some chain on the front as well as the
wire.
This
is the end of the Ghan railway and telegraph track for us for a bit. We will
meet it again when we head back up through Finke to Alice Springs in September.
Onto
the Birdsville Track.
Across
Frome River again then into wide flat country. Good road – no longer ‘a track’.
A
few flat topped hills appeared but mostly it was flat. Past Lake Marion – flat
area covered in salt bush.
Pulled
into the ruins of Lake Harry palm plantation. A bore has been capped and there
are three pipes leading from it to the pastoralist’s dams/tanks and one tap
which used to have a shower rose above it. Nice hot water – a bit salty.
Lake Harry
This area was developed in the late 1860s by the SA
Government as an experimental date palm plantation. Other plantations were
established at Oodnadatta, Coward Springs and Marree, but it was the plantation
at Lake Harry that became the largest and most successful. More than 2,000
palms were planted and irrigated by large channels. Many palms were propagated
and planted in other area (Renmark in SA and Mildura in Vic still have
outstanding examples) but high labour needs and low yields resulted in the
closure of Lake Harry in 1915.
Parked
on the other side of the homestead ruin trying to get out of the wind. No date
palms around here.
The
swallows are the only ones living here now.
Checked
out the old car and the bits and pieces left behind. Some frame work is still
standing that would have held the pipes to send the water around the
plantation.
Pretty
colours as the sun started to set. Using the windows gives the pictures a nice
frame.
The
map of today’s travels.
We
filled up our buckets with the hot bore water and had our showers while the
wind has settled.
Nice
temperature for dinner by the fire and cards. It got a bit nippy when a breeze
sprang up and blew the cards off the table. We gave up trying to play and went
to bed.
