Day 21, Sunday 17/7/2016, Montecollina Bore, Strzelecki Desert to Olive Downs Camp, Cameron's Corner

 It was -2 degrees C overnight but warmed up quickly to 6 degrees C this morning. 

Col saw a dingo sitting next to our cold campfire this morning when he first got up. The toilet paper was shredded, and the calico bag for the dunny was missing.

After breakfast and packing up camp, I cleaned up the dingo mess. Jack and Siân came for a walk with me to search the dingo's lair. We found plenty of dingo scat, but no bag.  We were packed up at 0745hrs but didn't leave until 0800hrs because of the fruitless bag search.

Driving north along the Strzelecki 'highway' are endless fields of yellow wildflowers. 

Then heading east towards Merty Merty corner, the creamy clay coloured sand changes firstly to pink, then orange. We were driving over small dunes on the eastern track, but with a smooth clay base. Lots of yellow flowers on every dune.

There was no yellow bus west of the corner. It's now a brand-new cattle yard with a sign saying 'no camping'.

We got to Cameron's Corner at 1100hrs. There were motorbike riders everywhere. The Pajero was topped up with fuel and we had pies, sausage rolls and coffee in the roadhouse. Jordan was hilarious at the corner marker post, running from state to state (SA, NSW, QL).

Siân opened the gate for the dingo fence, and we were in NSW corner country by 1200hrs. Third time lucky. Our two previous attempts were in 2010 and 2012, both of which were closed from flooding. Once through the fence into NSW there were about 30 emus and hundreds of kangaroos. I enjoyed the smaller track that took us into the 'coat of arms junction' otherwise known as Olive Downs. 

We went for a lovely short nature walk near our camp here and saw loads of kangaroos in the gibber hills. We've now left the sand dunes of the NW corner of NSW and have entered what is referred to 'jump up country'. Gibber plains and mesas.

Just ran out of water from our 60L tank. Lucky we have 2 more 20L containers.

Everyone seems exhausted today. We've just paid our NP self-registration fees and sat down to a nibbles plate that includes Gina's quince paste. Jack has pulled out the backgammon/chess/dominoes case but Jordan was hoping for a poker night.

After dinner and a bit of a chat, we ended up having an early night.

No fires allowed here.

Day 20, Saturday 16/7/2016, Montecollina Bore, Strzelecki Desert

 It's cold and windy. Col was up pretty early today. He had a face to face encounter with a dingo at the dunny. Then had a sunrise walk in the wetlands.

Col, Jordan and I had a soak in the thermal pool. First you have to make a dam wall with a small outflow pipe (so the dam wall isn't breached). 40 degrees C! Amazing for the muscles!

It was a day of food. We made custom mini dampers for lunch again. 

We had some lovely chats with a few other travelers, then Siân and Jack had a few exploration walks while Jordan had an afternoon nap.

Col, Jack and Siân checked the water and oil levels on both cars and then blew out the dust from the air filters (using the air compressor).

After more soccer shots, I went for a sunset walk at the wetlands, then did the veges.

Everyone loved tea tonight. We each wrapped our own potatoes and cooked them in the coals, with other veges and chicken schnitzel on the Biji BBQ. 

Siân has mentioned 5 times how much she loves her Rekorderlig cider and seems to be a little giggly. Col has finished 'Inferno'. Jack is onto the 2nd book of his 'Century Trilogy' and Siân is onto the 3rd 'GoT' book. Jordan has read the desert textbook as she didn't bring her kindle and has also been quite into the photography. Very cultured!

We have the whole place to ourselves tonight. We went for a night walk and found lots of yabbies near the warm water. Dingoes howling in the distance.

Day 19, Friday 15/7/2016, Montecollina Bore, Strzelecki Desert

 I slept as long as my bladder would allow, 0800hrs. Col cooked some bacon, and I whipped up some scrambled eggs for breakfast. Col then provided us with a private bird show as he threw some left over egg, and the whistling kite did a wonderful dive for it.

The kids were looking bored after that, so I sent them off to explore the dry Strzelecki creek bed. It was a lovely day of exploration walks that included the creek bed, thermal pools and wetlands. We enjoyed reading by the fire for quite a while. I made a damper for tea and then Col helped me to put a stew in the coals to simmer away for tonight.

In the afternoon there were soccer shots at goals, another walk to view the wetlands, then snuggling around the fire at sunset.

The damper and stew were scrumptious! We have been entertained by our kites again. 

There are about 4 other groups camped in the area, but quite spread out. Another chilly night and I went to bed quite early.

Day 18, Thursday 14/7/2016, Coward Springs to Montecollina Bore, Strzelecki Desert

 Back down to -2 degrees C last night. There was ice on the swags and the kids' swimmers were frozen. All the clouds of the last few days are gone.

We skipped the mound springs board walk and headed straight to Lake Eyre South Lookout.

Spectacular! It's 12m below sea level and is a glowing salt pan with a patch of water seen way further out. It's a pretty thin layer of salt here, with orange mud beneath (Halligan Bay has a thicker salt base, is easier to walk on and has multi-coloured wind-swept salt-sculptures).

Everyone was again suitably impressed, and it was a great way to end our time together. I loved the poached egg daisies. There were heaps of them.

After a quick toilet stop at Marree, we also walked across to the old Ghan station to see the Tom Kruse truck. We then all topped up fuel at Lyndhurst, had lunch together, and said our farewells. Morgans/Davies are making a quick 3-day dash back home from here on the tar to get back to school. Parkes clan will head up the Strzelecki Desert and across through Cameron's Corner. This is our 3rd attempt to get there, as we keep getting flooded out of it. All roads are open.

It is so green that it doesn't feel like desert. We can see the north end of the Flinders Ranges to our right and are passing lots of emus.

I talked Col into stopping so I could get some footage of them, and Jordan was straight out to get some photos. Siân chased them so we could get some action shots. Jack sat in the car reading, and Col sat in the car watching us.

It was mostly gibber plains (although green) until just before Montecollina Bore where we started to see some small cream/yellow sand dunes with bushes.

The pond that has formed from the bore's constant flow is beautiful with trees, bushes and birds galore. There are three whistling kites circling, and they all missed a rabbit that I saw making a dash.

I did Col's dunny photo by sunset (one with Jack modelling) and Siân appreciated the reverse sunset colours with me.

Jordan then dragged everyone out to kick the soccer ball for a bit, until it was time for a card game, fire, dinner and books. A few yarns spun by the fire in the chilly evening and dingoes howling overnight.