Thurs, 11th Oct, 2018 Bush camp, French Line near Colsons Track, Simpson Desert to Dalhousie Springs Campground, Witjira National Park, SA (exploring)

6am 17 degrees, sunrise through a bit of cloud.

A crow flew over with a squawk then I heard one little bird tweet – otherwise it is all quiet.

7am 18 degrees, light SE breeze, clouded over completely with that high thin cloud so the sun is still getting through.

Steve dug a hole to rebury the other camper’s rubbish which has been dug up – they didn’t bury it deep enough or they should have just taken it with them!! Track has been pretty clean considering the traffic it sees. A few bottle and cans along the track though at the bottom of one dune there was a pile of cans left behind. The worst has been the toilet paper flying around and caught in bushes.

The wobbly ride continues.

I had turned off our phone but it still goes off if I have an item on my calendar. It buzzed to let me know it was Charles and Wendy A’s birthdays today. Sending them birthday wishes from us hoping they both have a lovely day.

Heard chatter on the UHF and three vehicles were heading our way. We passed the Colson Track turn off.

They called and said they had pulled over and will wait for us to come through. We stopped and chatted for a while. They are from Melbourne and looking forward to a drink at the Birdsville Hotel. I videoed them as they wobbled their way up the next dune.

Choice of two tracks – we took left one – 10 metre climb according to ‘Fred’. I videoed it.

Lots of spinifex on the flats now, nearly replacing the grass.

Big dunes now – some dunes are double headers.

A few smaller ones in a row between the bigger ones.

Stopped for a cuppa. Steve asked if I would like to drive in case I felt I was missing out. No thanks, I had my one sand dune driving experience and that is enough for me. I could do it in an emergency but why worry when I have a capable driver doing the job.

Long wobble down then 3 dune step up climb from 84m elevation to 108m – a 24m climb onto a plateau.

At the top we spotted the remains of a trailer. Well, the axle and wheels.

A wedgie is doing circles in the thermals above us looking for something to eat.

Slowly creeping up in elevation – now 113m, though on the flats it is around 100m.

Another vehicle called up they were coming towards us. We are still a distance from them but will keep calling to make sure we don’t meet at the top of a dune.

At 26 13 10.6S 136 25 46.8E we stopped to read a sign about the seismic shot points. We have seen these random poles sticking out of the ground beside the track. Very interesting reading the plaque. Fancy 45 men working out here for 3 months – imagine carrying enough food and water for them all.

The other car called up that they had stopped on a crest because their flag had fallen off. We continued and finally found them.

We pulled off the track and they drove down to meet us and have a chat. A couple with some kids in the back – not a trip I would want to do with kids.

We continued up and down smaller, more frequent, dunes.

Through Wonga Junction which is the meeting point of Rig Road and the French Line. 12km south to the abandoned Mokari Oil Well and air strip but we will skip that. The Rig Road has a clay surface to enable the drilling rigs to be moved by road trains when they were drilling out here.

Looks like they continued with the surfacing along the French Line as in the flat sections we can see the old base which is now getting corrugated.

The dunes are a lot smaller so we are just rolling over them. Still at 95 to 100m elevation.

Stopped for lunch. Steve went back into high range now as there seem to be no bigger dunes to go over and it isn’t as wobbly on the flats.

We laughed when we saw the 40kph sign – Steve will need to speed up!!

We now enter the Witjira National Park and as such have finished the Simpson Desert. Signs reminding us about no fires allowed and no firewood collecting in this National Park.

Continued along over smaller dunes till we reached a Slow Point sign.

Purni Bore was over the dune which I think is the end of the French Line.

Wandered over to the information boards.

Looks like a dead baby camel bones and some lazy beer drinker’s cans.

Walked down to the bore, there are depressions where the original water would have created more lakes when it was allowed to flow freely. Now a pipe takes the water down to the lake.

The ground is like a sandstone/limestone base with ridges etc. Steve picked up a piece and it was very light.

A small pool with reeds has been created along the pipe as water spits out and steam hisses occasionally making it sound like there is some strange creature in there. The water is 85 degrees.

Some little birds that weren’t on the info board.

I followed the pipe down to where it enters the lake – well to the Hot Water sign at least.

Continued along the dry ground following the reeds to where I could see flattened grass. Looks like this is where all the animals and ‘feral’ animals come for a drink.

The water is so clear but the stuff underneath doesn’t look very nice. A bubble comes up in the middle every now and then but I think it is just because the water comes along under the ‘sludge’ and breaks through there.

I tested the water – pretty hot.

Looking along the reeds and then across to the red sand dunes nearby.

Lots of dung everywhere – spotted emu and camel ones.

Steve met up with me as I was walking back. He had just seen a dingo go across the flat and up into the dunes nearby with what looked like a big lizard in its mouth. I just got him going up into the sand dunes.

I said about the flattened grass area so we headed back there. The dingo came down off the dune and headed for the water too so we waited until he had a drink. It would be like having a hot cup of tea. He kept an eye on us.

As we walked closer he walked around the other side of the pool. Must have tough feet.

He wandered off around the weeds so we headed back. Lots of swallows and zebra finches flittering about.

Another couple pulled in so we wandered over for a chat. Heading east. He said it was much nicer at Dalhousie Springs and there is a beautiful warm pool to swim in, though the mozzies are a bit fierce at night.

The high cloud cover is still there making it quite hot today. More flies here than we have seen in the last few days.

Made a cuppa before we headed off. The dingo came back and wandered across the track.

Lots of nasty burrs here.

As we drove out he wandered over to say good bye – certainly wasn’t worried about our presence. Mightn’t have gotten and camel photos but I got a lot of this dingo.

Continued rolling over little dunes. Met another couple, foreign sounding, who are heading east but via the WAA Line rather than the French Line. It is much the same my map says but doesn’t get as much traffic so maybe it won’t be as chopped up for them going up the dunes.

More rocks are appearing on the track as part of the base put down on the track. Steve deciding whether to put some air in his tyres then we go over some more sandy bits.

Over some more low dunes with wider gibber stone flats in between.

Past an airstrip – we wondered what the thing was in the middle – it must have been the pole for the wind sock. Then we saw the sign and the flat air strip.

Bigger wider flats between the dunes now. Over a final dune and we enter the Spring Creek Delta. It can flood easily here.

A sign advises us that Aborigines live out here. I wonder how many exactly.

Rockier corrugated track now over a few little sand rises then wide flat plains. 

Slowed down for a soft sandy section. Steve is happy he didn’t pump his tyres up.

Zooming along 50-60kph in 2WD now. A few flat topped hills appearing in the distance.

Alternating between rocky and sandy sections as we run alongside the hills.

Wide flat clay pan opens up in front of us stretching for miles westward with a gibber stone range to our left and rolling hills on our right.

Lots of black cattle dung on the track which is strange as this is a National Park but maybe they allow the Aborigines to run cattle on it.

Stopped to photograph a dingo by the track – it was happy to pose for some photos.

The road across the clay pan is closed which would go straight to Dalhousie. We go north for a while then across and back down to the original track after a while.

Still going through corrugated sandy and rocky sections with lots of different tracks to choose from. I can see blue sky ahead – the thin cloud cover is disappearing.

Dropped down off a plateau (115m) onto the next plateau (102m) then down through Spring Creek (96m). Looks like salt and some water there.

Spotted four cattle grazing.

Back to the old track – 26km return trip to the lookout. Won’t be much different view to what we have seen so will skip that. Turned right and through the fence line - 6km on to Dalhousie Mound Springs.

Turned off first to dump our bit of rubbish – a few cans. We burn the rest. Now this is a smart frame for their rubbish – no rubbish flying over the landscape here.

Walked over to check out the view – lovely pinnacle in the middle of a flood plain area.

The ground has a crusted surface.

Past some mound springs – easy to see by the big trees and green reeds.

Large flat topped hill as we turn into the main area.

Past the ranger station and some sheds on the other side. We drove into the visitor day use area and checked out the information box – no information here.

Big notice on the top about ‘drones’. Looks like they have been issuing some fines. I remember when cameras first came out on mobile phones and all the talk that went on about people taking them into toilets or at pools etc but that has been forgotten as mobile phones have taken over. As drones seem to be the next step for people travelling – we have seen a lot of people with them and they take fabulous photos of the view from up in the sky – it will be an issue for a while then people will forget about them.

Walked down the path to the pool. Information boards here and a visitors’ book. The water is very warm so will be nice later on. There are noodles etc to use too.

Dalhousie Springs

When Stuart explored this area in 1859, Aborigines managed to keep this wonderful valley of springs a secret but 12 years later an Overland Telegraph Line construction party came across this great fracture zone. Christopher Giles wrote “We beheld a singular spectacle. The ground we had been traversing abruptly disappeared and we found ourselves on the brink of limestone cliffs 50 to 70 feet high”. The party saw, “waving green reeds, with large pools of water at intervals, and dotted with island cones topped with reeds or acacia bushes”.

These springs were named Edith Springs after the wife of Sir James Fergusson, Governor of SA at that time. Lady Edith requested that the name be changed to honour her father the Marquis of Dalhousie.

While sheep were the initial mainstay of pastoralism, by the turn of the century the focus had shifted to cattle, and although many bores were sunk on Mount Dare station, the springs remained vital for the survival of stock. At one time it was hoped that the springs might supply water for irrigated crops and an area of cultivation was set up near the main spring. Farm machinery at the site is all that remains of the unsuccessful experiment.

A bit of machinery left as a display.

Went back and set up camp. Put up the fly mesh under each awning to help stop the mozzies and the flies. The toilet and shower block is nearby though I went to use the toilet and the mozzies nearly carried me away so will use the new handicap one beside as it is open and light so they aren’t in there. The rubbish bins are all full and it appears there aren’t any rangers here or camp hosts so I presume someone will come and empty them sometime.

Rang Mum on the Sat Phone to say we were safely across the Simpson Desert. All good back in Cairns. Our route for today.

An aerial view of the pool which I got off an information board near Lake Eyre.

Put on our togs and went down for a dip. There are heaps of ‘noodles’ available which is very handy. I got to go in first. It was so warm and felt quite hot at first but it didn’t take long to feel refreshed.

Another couple from Melbourne came down so we had a nice long soak while we chatted. I looked up the pool to where the source is and spotted a green shed. Laughed as I said to Steve, ‘I found the hot water systems’. When we were at Mataranka 26 years ago Steve went up stream trying to find the hot water systems as he couldn’t believe that hot water came out of the ground like that.  Steve could reach the bottom just out from the steps. Other people said it gets warmer as you go up the pool towards the source and cooler down the other end. We tried both and didn’t feel any difference. Lots of swallows swooping over the water and the corellas are making a racket in the trees at one end of the pool.

Stayed in too long as we were a bit light headed when we got out but that didn’t stay for long. Back to camp for late drinks while we read our books. 6.30pm 29 degrees, no sunset as there is a thick cloud band in the west.

I cooked dinner. I had planned to go back for another swim but it got dark quickly and then a dingo howled very close to our camp so I think we will just stay in and read. We are both enjoying the books Erica gave us by David Baldacci.

A few mozzies have gotten in but they are bush ones and easy to kill and they don’t seem to buzz in your ear like normal ones do. Mr Dingo came closer and howled again and then another one howled from the other side of the pool. We aren’t worrying about using the showers or toilets here as the mozzies have taken them over. There is a new disabled persons’ toilet which is separate and so far the mozzies haven’t moved in. Also it appears the showers are only cold water. After our nice warm swim we don’t need one. The water is very nice and doesn’t leave you itchy or anything.

All quiet in the camp now as we put the other mozzie net over the bed. The stars are out though some cloud is still on the horizon.