Sun, 14th Oct, 2018 Bush camp by Coglin Creek, near Charlotte Waters OTL ruins to Chambers Pillar, south of Alice Springs, NT (exploring)

7am 24 degrees, clear sky.

The door on the bed side has become too hard to close now so Steve decided we should change it this morning.

It is a fiddly job but we managed with the help of two big sticks to help hold the door up while I held it against the truck. Steve had to pull off the rubber hinge then cut off the old pop rivets. Next job was to screw/pop rivet on the new metal hinges which were two lengths so had to get them perfect. My arms got a work out holding the door up. Once the strip was done on the door part then we had to do the same to where it attaches to the truck. In the end it worked perfectly and the door closes well. Luckily we were on the shady side and there weren’t too many flies about – I had put on my fly net just in case.

All finished by 10am so made a cuppa and finished packing up. Thermometer said it was 40 degrees in the shade of the truck!!

We continued a new wide gravel road which loosely follows the Overland Telegraph Line to Finke. The old Ghan Railway is further west which we will pick up again in Finke. I photographed the map.

Through red sand section. Water on the track from the recent storms. Further along two camels were having a drink from one of the pools on the road.

Quite a lot of water lying about. Some spots we had to go right to the edge of the road to get around the water.

A couple more camels who didn’t want to get their photos taken.

Through a gate – my job to open and close it of course. A new road turns west before reaching New Crown Station or the Finke River.

New Crown

When Charlotte Waters Repeater Station was declared obsolete by the Post and Telegraph Dept, it was sold to the owners of the New Crown Station who salvaged the building materials to build the homestead.

Left the red sand and now have gravel as we rise onto a ridge with some hills around us.

Down the other side – lovely view with two flat topped hills in the distance.

Open plains with hills to our left. Through the next gate – hot strong north-west wind.

Across the Goyder River which is wide and dry.

Bitumen runway for the airport as we approach Finke. Solar and diesel power station on the left.

Onto bitumen as we head into town. Neat and tidy so far.

Good recycling idea.

Checked out the info board – needing to be redone.

Finke

Finke was established in 1929 during the extension of the railway line from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs. Finke is run by the Aputula Community, after the closure of the railway in 1982, with its own council, culture and restrictions. (No alcohol may be brought into or consumed with the town boundaries unless bought at the Liquor Store. No photographs either.)

The Finke River (700km in length) was named by John McDouall Stuart in 1860, “After William Finke Esq., of Adelaide, my sincere and tried friend, and one of the liberal supporters of the different explorations I have had the honour to lead”. The river now only flows once or twice a year and then not always for its full length. The largest recorded flow was in 1974 when it ran for 9 months and Lake Eyre reached its highest recorded level. It is claimed to be the world’s oldest rivers, simply because it has been running in its present course for longer than any other river.

The old railway water tank and more info on the little rail trolley. This sign definitely need redoing.

Across the road is the old Police Station precinct. The corrugated shed at the back had 1940 carved into a bit on the roof.

All quiet in town – being Sunday everyone must be indoors keeping out of the heat and sandy wind. There is a shop, art centre and mechanic but they are all closed. There is a liquor shop but I noticed a sign as we came in about bringing in alcohol. A bit of art brightens up the place. Not sure if the building across the other side was part of the old railway precinct. Looks like some of the old fettlers cottages. This area of course was done much later than the stone buildings from Oodnadatta down to Marree.

Lots of horses wandering around.

The weather forecaster – no stone so there must have been a cyclone.

Next minute we were running back to the truck as a wind storm brought a wave of dust across the open paddock towards us. The poor horses had to just stand there.

Drove down the street to the old railway precinct, crane and goods shed.

Found the Finish Day 1 sign for the Alice to Finke Desert Race that was held in June just before we got here when we came down from Halls Creek. Lots of white tyres marking the track.

On the other side of the sign it says Start - Day 2, as the competitors then head back to Alice.

A big sports stadium is beside the red dirt footy oval etc.

Lovely mural on the toilet block.

Waved to a lady and daughter outside their home as we did a blocky. There are signs on the street entrances – no photography. Not sure if that is cultural or that they don’t want people to see how they keep their homes. Sadly they don’t keep them well and most have dead cars in the yards and junk everywhere. Oh well they have to live there.

The school, established in 1958, looks nice and tidy and the small hospital is one of the Anglican Church’s Inland Mission Hospitals.

Continued north following the old Ghan Railway Trail driving on the actual rail embankment with the Desert Race track beside us. Took a video.

Passed more horses as we went through some hills. Found two bores and tank on the other side of the hills that were used by the railway.

There are tracks going every which way. We took one and ended up at the Finke River where we found some old bits of the railway crossing washed down stream but not the actual crossing.

Went back and found the right track. There are two lots of foundations here as they built a few bridges for the railway but they all got washed away in the floods. First one then a photo looking along the bridge back to the bore frame.

Found the next foundation.

Walked further over the very hot sand – I only had my thongs on and there is a very hot dry wind. Found a different type of foundation from another attempt to put a rail bridge over the Finke River.

I was checking my notes and realised we should have turned off on the road to Kulgera so we could check out Lambert’s Centre. The geographical centre of Australia. Headed back to Finke then headed 20km west. A dead kangaroo was at the turn off – first one, dead or alive, that we have seen since Qld. Wound our way up 13km of narrow corrugated red sand track. There was a choice of one track going straight, obviously the original, and the other newer one which wound around the trees trying to get away from the corrugations but it was just as bad.

Arrived at a clearing where there is plenty of room to camp on the red sand flat beside the acacia bushes but as the wind is howling I don’t think we will stay. I thought there was information etc here like at the roadhouse on the Sturt Highway but there was only the marker and an old toilet block.

Got our photos in the centre of Australia – we have been to the most southerly point and the most northerly point – still have east and west to do. It looks like the same as the flag pole on the top of Parliament House in Canberra. The wind is making the Australian flag fly well.

  

Dark clouds are building around us. Lots of locks and people have left their name on all kinds of bits and pieces on the chain. Good spot for a selfie.

  

My turn to be in the centre.

Signed the visitors book – this book was started in July this year and it is nearly full so a lot of people make the trip to stand at the centre.

We parked beside the ‘not too good’ loo to use it to block the wind so we could make lunch. It is 42 degrees in the shade of the truck at 1.30pm. Someone has a sense of humour.

Back to Finke – flags flying well. As we drove in the wind brought up all the sand again – glad we are in our air conditioned truck.

Went down the race track this time. Spotted this interesting sign and wondered if this is the sacred site where they have dumped an old car.

Crossed the Finke River on the race track. The railway bridge would have been further to our right.

Took a video of ‘Pat’ zooming along the race track then the road splits. Across a bit and we get back onto the railway embankment.

Long straight ‘track’ with the race track to our left and sand dunes on each side.

Travelling beside the line to an old shed, stock yard and loading platform of the railway called Rumbalara Siding. No info here though. Lots of old sleepers, railway line and clamps. A water tank and buggy maintenance spot.

Continued on the actual railway line again. Mesas appearing around us.

The track changed and we ended up on the race track. Lots of lumpy bits. Took a video of us rolling over the humps – boy I wouldn’t want to do this at speed.

Long straight railway again – sandy and corrugated. Crested a rise and there was a vehicle in the middle of the track. Drove down and a man and two ladies were very happy to see us. Mansell and his wife, Jubilee had been into Alice to pick up supplies and to collect Joanne from the airport. She had just been home to Cairns, lives in Woree, and is returning to Finke where she works in the Kindergarten with Jubilee. I think Mansell worked with the church – they have been in Finke 5 years. They had a trailer full of gear and it is very hot today and they just couldn’t make it up the sandy slope. Steve got to work with Mansell with the snatch-em strap to get them out of the soft sandy while we stood in the shade of a tree and chatted. Joanne said there were about 180 people in Finke and most of that are children. It isn’t a dry community and they have lots of problems as the nearest police station is at Kulgera. Joanne said that Cairns was having rain when she left and there had been hail on the Tablelands.

Steve got them unstuck then they hooked on the trailer and then we snatched them up the rest of the way to the top of the rise. Said our farewells – hope they make it the rest of the way without any problems. Jubilee got us all together for a selfie. Steve said he found some old railway spikes when he was digging in the sand around the tyres.

A big container and sign, Mt Squire, which is a fuel point for the race track. There was a rail siding nearby too but no sign of it.

On to the next siding which was Engoordina. Good information here and about the previous one, Rumbalara.

There are some nasty prickles around here.

Continued along the straight track into desert oaks and acacia bushes and sand ridges.

Through a narrow cutting on the railway track.

Very rutted sandy section then a ‘Roads to Recovery’ sign and hey presto the road improved.

Next siding is Bundooma and there was information about the accident on the bridge over Alice Creek which is further on.

Better map on this one and it shows all the ones in South Australia. We saw the ones down to Marree on the way over to Cairns.

The big water tank still stands and the foundations of the buildings are still here.

I walked up to the sand dune and looked back over the foundations of the buildings.

Steve found some old railway spikes.

All kinds of treasures have been found and left here from different eras of time.

Still very windy so we kept driving. No point pulling up to camp as the wind is hot and blowing up all the sand. Across Alice Creek – railway bridge foundation just down a bit from us.

Back onto the trail line again. The race track is still running alongside this track. Over a rise - who says it’s not green in the desert.

Jubilee said to take the fence line track to Titjikala Community through Maryvale Station then head down to Chambers Pillar, instead of going all the way up to Rodinga. We did though it was not a smooth track and there is a bit of water about making it boggy. Some cattle on the track then two donkeys stopped for a photo.

A bit further along two more and a baby stood for their photos – very obliging animals. They have interesting markings.

The sun disappeared behind a cloud making a nice photo.

Found the rubbish dump full of wrecked cars and lots of other interesting bits and pieces. Around the hill and we arrived at the entrance to Titjikala Community. Gave some locals a wave as we passed by. Turned and crossed the dry creek and then turned onto the Chambers Pillar Road. 42km to go and it was 6.15pm but still light so we kept going as the wind is still strong. Hope it settles soon.

Across a very boggy/sandy section then we run down along the Hugh River.

Lots of dust in the sky creating a lovely sunset as we headed south.

Continued along the track trying to snap photos of the sun setting as we go. The sun set at 6.36pm.

Corrugated, curvy track then as darkness comes on us we climb up the Jump Up. Note says this is the first glimpse of Chambers Pillar – we can just see it. Very steep descent then down the track to a gate which I had to open and close. Up and down some sand dunes then through another gate to enter the Historical Reserve. Continued along the track – there was a turn off to the Bush Campground but we continued to the Chambers Pillar Campground. This is a first – a campground with a view of the ‘feature’. We can just make out the pillar and on the other side of us is another huge rock formation called Castle Hill???

There are two other campers here so we found a spot with a view of the pillar and set up. As the water in the back tanks was hot from the heat of the day we had our showers first. Lovely after the sand blasting day we have had.

Easy tea of soup and tinned stewed meal and a cold drink. A light cool breeze starting about 8pm – still 32 degrees.

The stars are out and I even spotted a satellite. I can see the Big Dipper and my A set of stars which I haven’t seen in ages.

Quite evening reading – Steve has never read books so much in his life!!

10pm 29 degrees as we get into bed – no need for blankets etc tonight – won’t even need a sheet.

There is a gentle breeze which is making a lovely soft swirling sound through the desert oaks.