TRAX 4WD Fellowship

Trip Report – The Madigan Line Part 6
Monday July 3 – Thursday July 27, 2023

Rob & Alec Drummond – Nissan Patrol
Phillip Favaloro – Nissan Patrol

Continued…

We awoke next morning to a quiet day with a few twittering birds interrupting the peace. The peace didn’t last long, as having breakfast, the wind picked up, but as we had decided to do some washing, a little wind would be useful! Once the washing machine had finished doing its thing, the wind was now very strong and made hanging the washing an interesting task.

Rather than waiting for the washing to dry, we went for a drive around the immediate surrounds. If you haven’t been to Arkaroola before, ‘do yourself a favour’ as they say and do so. The scenery is spectacular and accessible by car and not too much walking, though if you’re more adventurous, there are longer walks.

By the time we returned to camp that afternoon the washing was dry, but the camp had been flattened by the winds, with the Drummond tent lying on, and Phillip’s swag being tossed to, the ground. The Drummond tent was irrefixable as some of the componentry of the 30Second tent had succumbed, so we spent the rest of the day close to camp and trying to figure out how to get the tent up and liveable again. The Drummonds gave up and decided to take a room in the Resort which was at a good, budget rate of $90. We had dinner together then left Phillip to return to his swag.

The next morning, we joined up again, breakfasted, packed up and left, heading towards, Tibooburra.
The track up to Mt Hopeless on the Strzelecki is a fairly easy run that passes on the eastern side of the Flinders Ranges to the west and dead flat ground to the east.

Once reaching the Strzelecki Track a turn to the right takes you 122kms before turning east towards Cameron Corner via Merty Merty. A surprising discovery was that long stretches of the ‘Track’ looked to have been recently sealed and as ever, the road signs out here were very clear, though they looked as though they had been recently washed out of the ground with floodwaters.

The track across from Merty Merty was unremarkable other than some sculptural attempts by the locals.

Later that afternoon we finally got to Cameron Corner and stopped for the obligatory photo. This time with only the three of us, we could have each of us in a different State.
Driving onwards from CC, the sun was getting low on the horizon, so we set our sights on camping at Fort Grey in the Sturt National Park. Keeping unwanted wildlife out and the

wanted within the National Park, there are some electronic devices which deter movement through an invisible barrier. Bilbies and quolls are being protected through a feral predator-free project and from all reports they’re thriving, so the deterrents appear to be doing their job.
Bringing your attention to the plight of the wildlife are megafauna sized wire models of little furry animals together with appropriate explanations.
After setting up camp and demolishing dinner, we played with night photography again with varied results.

Compared to our last visit here a few years ago, when the landscape was totally desolate, the countryside was alive after months of on and off again rain with many wildflowers carpeting the land.
A leisurely drive to Tibooburra saw us at the fuel pumps by mid-morning. After our Elevenses, we turned south towards the turnoff to White Cliffs.

Although there’s never any substitute for preparing a good itinerary and having a few decent navigation aids, the quality road signs we encountered would enable you to get to most major destinations.
There must be plenty of budding sculptors in the outback! Enroute to White Cliffs we came across a version of ‘The Thinker’ as well as a wiry ballerina.

Upon reaching White Cliffs, we set camp in the town caravan and camping ground and wondered what all the noise was about. We found the answer! A flock of Cape Barren Geese honking their way around town.

We walked around town and ended up at the local pub where we had a hearty dinner.
Today, the plan was to get to Kallara Station near Tilpa for the night. Enroute, we found a few wrecks of cars and Phillip decided he’d like to drive one home.

There was plenty of evidence of the rain that had fallen throughout the last several months with little bare ground between the scrub and good feed for the cattle. It was an easy drive across the plains and we soon found ourselves at Kallara, where we asked where they would prefer us to camp. They said ‘anywhere down there’, pointing towards a gate and the paddocks beyond. We found a spot above the Darling River, on flat ground with more firewood than we could ever use. The campfire was soon ablaze and we settled into a great night in the bush.

Next morning, we went back towards the main camping area and enjoyed hot showers and then took photos of various farm remnants from yesteryear as commonly found on many stations.
The road down from Tilpa towards the Barrier Highway was in good condition with parts of it recently graded and close to the Highway, it was sealed for about 15kms. We saw Mt Grenfell Historic Site on the map and decided we would stop in for a look on the way to Cobar. This historic site is about 30kms north of the Barrier Highway on sealed roads and protects the Ngiyampaa rock art within the park and a short or a longer walk is the way to view these. You start these walks from the same place, that being the recently renovated picnic area, and the signposts and markers take you around the 4km loop around the rock art and includes the Choy trig station at the summit of Mt Grenfell.

The campground in Cobar is on the Barrier Highway which never stops carrying traffic on the east west journey, so we settled on Meralda Station, just 5kms from town. The facilities here are basic a good and clean and offer fireplaces and hot showers. It was turning into a very cold evening, so we opted for a bucket of firewood from Meralda which kept us warm over the two nights.
The next day we spent most of our time exploring the Great Cobar Museum and Visitors Centre and learnt much about the harsh conditions of early settlement in and around Cobar. How the miners, pastoralists and towns people managed to eke out an existence and thrive is quite remarkable. They even have a ‘Furphy’ or two!

Our last morning on our trip had us waking to bird song, with butcher birds, parrots and magpies competing for the airwaves.

After packing up, we visited the Fort Bourke Hill Open Cut Mine which is still pulling out a variety of ore and gold from deep beyond the visible pit.
Heading back towards home, we joined up at Narromine where we said our goodbyes and wished each other well on our homeward journeys. Phillip was going home via Mudgee and the Drummonds were heading straight home. We both agreed it would have been great to have completed the Madigan as we had planned, but were also glad of the opportunity to enjoy and see other parts of the country.

Until next time Madigan…

Rob Drummond

Trip Report – The Madigan Line Part 5
Monday July 3 – Thursday July 27, 2023

Rob & Alec Drummond – Nissan Patrol
Phillip Favaloro – Nissan Patrol

Continued…

We woke to a double sunrise. The sun was below the horizon and lit up the earth-side of the clouds, then again lit the sky when the sun tipped over the horizon; brilliant!
Our first stop for the day was just down the road to Curdimurka Railway Siding (yes, another!) which we could see from our camp.

Curdimurka, like most of the other sidings on the Old Ghan Railway, ceased to operate in the mid-1970’s with the realignment of the railway to the west. The buildings remain largely intact but it’s a pity that the furniture and other fittings have been removed thereby robbing the traveller of a glimpse into lives led in recent history.
After poking around for a while, we moved onto Lake Eyre South Lookout, just down the road. Lake Eyre was full, or very close to it, but still a fair distance from the
Lookout. “Well, we’ve come this far, let’s not waste the opportunity”, so a walk down to the lake shore was in order. It took about 15 minutes to get close to the water line, but the closer we got, the further away it looked. The shore was sludge and the light reflecting from it, made it look like the surface of

Lake Eyre. As the sludge was becoming deeper and less stable, Rob gave up and decided to retreat and forego dabbing a toe into the salty lake.

We returned to the cars, had our ‘Elevenses’ then
drove about half an hour until we came across a rail bridge covered in corellas. Rob and Alec quickly donned the long lenses and set about capturing the birds on film.

The outback does throw up some oddities from time to time, and the artistic (?) offerings at Alberrie Creek are testament to some people’s belief in their own skills. The entrance to this park is alongside the

Oodnadatta Track, and comes with its very own warning:

Having spent more than an hour being culturally educated, we headed south towards Marree.
Marree is at the junction of the Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks and was once a thriving community serving much of the outback, perhaps most famously through its postal service driven by Tom Cruise whose mail truck stands on blocks near the railway station.

Around town there are examples from the Commonwealth Railway days and tributes to the many Afghans who played such an important part opening the outback, bringing their camels and handling skills to aide the settlers and explorers.

The day was getting on a bit, so we enjoyed a leisurely 63km drive down the Track to Farina where we stayed the night at the campground. Farina is on private property which is open to the public. The town is undergoing preservation and restoration of the many buildings, and each year, for eight weeks only, the town is buzzing with many volunteers working on pointing the stonework and other tasks in order to keep the buildings standing. Perhaps the most famous building in Farina is the underground bakery which was fired up in 2010 after 80years of neglect. We eagerly sampled a few of the products on offer.

Apart from appreciating the town’s buildings, it’s often fascinating going for a stroll through a cemetery, particularly one that is so well maintained. Farina’s dates back to the 1870’s and hosts 244 registered names from various backgrounds.

Moving on, we filled up at Lyndhurst for the drive across to Arkaroola via Copley. There’s no service station or store here as fuel comes from a bowser where you have to type in how much you are going to take, and hand over your credit card details. We finally worked out how to use it and were soon on our way. We stopped in Leigh Creek along Gammon Ranges Road; literally the creek, not the town, for our lunch.

The drive eastwards from here becomes more spectacular the further you go, and is only bettered by turning north up Umbertana Road. This ‘road’ eventually enters Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park where having too much overhang on your 4WD, either front or rear would not be wise.
The track winds its way, up hill and down dale across undulating countryside that was once grazing land. We visited the ruins of Illinawortina Well and Homestead and were amazed at the methods of construction used. Some buildings had no evidence of mortar, apart from some mud, and appeared to have used a dry wall construction, while some door lintels appeared to be nothing more than tree trunks, rather than finished timbers.

Just a few km’s from Arkaroola we noticed a road sign visible from the opposite direction and thought it might be useful to have similar at the other end of the track; I wouldn’t like to tow anything more than a box trailer along that route.
We reached the Old Bolla Bollana Smelter ruins which are part of the rich mining history of the Arkaroola area.

We reached the campsite at Arkaroola just after sunset after a fascinating day’s travel, set up camp, then sat down to dinner in the restaurant at the Arkaroola Resort; the kangaroo was superb!

(to be continued)
Rob Drummond

Trip Report – The Madigan Line Part 4
Monday July 3 – Thursday July 27, 2023

Rob & Alec Drummond – Nissan Patrol
Phillip Favaloro – Nissan Patrol

Continued…
Our first stop the next morning was Pedirka Ruins which was to be the first of many visits to abandoned railway stations along the Old Ghan Railway. Pedirka Siding began in 1929 and was abandoned in the late ’50’s after the realignment of the Ghan Line. Of note, was the only bore to be operated by air in Australia. Air was pumped underground to force water to the surface.

Having passed through Hamilton Station, the track had improved though showed signs of the recent rains with several large washouts part way across the track. It was time for ‘elevenses’ so found Fogarty’s Claypan, a dried flood plain to stop for our obligatory cuppa and cake.

It was time for lunch when we hit the junction with the Oodnadatta Track so we sought shelter from the sun and wind. Not long after refreshments we came across ‘The Angle Pole Memorial’. The Angle Pole marks the place where the Old Overland Telegraph turned north toward Alice Springs
Oodnadatta is another remnant of the Old Ghan Railway with several interesting displays scattered around the siding buildings; however, Oodnadatta survives as an ongoing township of around 100 providing fuel food and shelter for travellers. Of course, everyone’s heard about the Pink Roadhouse.

We spent a couple of hours around town poking around the rusting wrecks of trains and hoists before having a cuppa at the Roadhouse. The track is a well maintained dirt road and we were able to keep up a reasonable pace and the kilometres quickly passed by. On occasion, the vehicle track passes alongside the railway track and you can pretend to be a train, however caution is advised as there are buried railway spikes which could lead to disaster for your tyres.

Not being able to pass a good ruin, we stopped in at Mount Dutton, another railway siding.
The lonely grave not far from the siding buildings is a reminder of the stark isolation of this tiny settlement and the remoteness of the railway during its construction and operation.

We were heading for a campsite on the Nappamurra River near the Algebuckina Bridge. We found a small space clear enough for us to camp and have a campfire on the banks of the river. We set about cooking dinner of roast veggies and lamb back-straps and finishing the meal with Rob’s ‘scamper’, something between a giant scone and damper.

Next morning, we explored the Algebuckina bridge which was the longest railway bridge in South Australia at 587m until the Seaford suburban line opened in 2014. The bridge ceased operation in 1981 when the Ghan line was relocated 100km to the west.

A short visit to the Algebuckina Siding Ruins had us wondering about how easy it would be to stop the ravages of time on the buildings remaining along the track. These ruins were falling apart from the bottom up, presumably due to wind and water erosion, and will soon fall completely.

We visited several ruins of sidings that day, each with its own interesting individual appeal. One standout was the desalination tower at Edward Creek Siding. Being careful, Rob was able to climb the outside and get an insight into the operation of the plant with the resultant salt and minerals lying deep in the bottom of the tower.

We stopped at William Creek and found the remains of a rocket fired from Woomera.
We spent a short time here poking around the township. If you ever enter the hotel, don’t forget to duck – the doorway is only at shoulder height!

The day was getting long but we decided to stop in at Strangways Springs. Strangways is one of the many ‘mound springs’ found throughout outback South Australia where mineral-containing water, under pressure from deep underground, comes bubbling to the surface and forming mounds like little volcanoes. These mound springs are natural outlets for waters of the Great Artesian Basin.
Strangways was a busy little community being on the Old telegraph line, the Ghan Railway and also was a pastoral property from 1859 and even now, parts of it are still under ‘pasture’ being part of the greater Anna creek Station.

On top of one of the mounds were what appeared to be tiny succulents. The mounds though were totally dry, but the succulents were hanging dearly onto life. We supposed there must have been enough moisture coming up from down under to keep them alive, as there probably wouldn’t be enough rainfall to do so.
After leaving Strangways, we made camp alongside Stuart Creek near Curdimurka. Rob wanted to camp at Coward Springs, but that wasn’t possible as it was fully booked! Coward Springs is in private hands now so you have to book and pay for a stay and a dip in the hot springs

(to be continued)
Rob Drummond

Trip Report – The Madigan Line Part 3
Monday July 3 – Thursday July 27, 2023

Rob & Alec Drummond – Nissan Patrol
Phillip Favaloro – Nissan Patrol

Continued…
Next morning, we awoke to a cacophony of budgerigars. Alec stoked the embers of last night’s fire; Phillip repacked his water tanks and Rob chased the budgies with his camera.

Today we were on our way to Mt Dare only 11kms away to the south, retracing Binns Track to Andado before heading west to New Crown, then south to Charlotte Waters and finally to Mt Dare. A drive of 224 kms of dirt road to get to a destination only 11kms away, but at least we won’t get bogged!
There had been a lot of rain over the previous weeks and months and the amount of colour around was spectacular.

Along the way we passed through many gates, mostly closed, many carrying signs asking for respect for their biosecurity status as accredited organic properties. Phillip spotted a road sign that had hit the dirt and asked that we exercise our community spirit and raise it to its regular position. Not much chance digging a hole in this country! so we did our best and completed the task by piling rocks around the post much like crosses on graves in a spaghetti western.

The track goes through stations, and the names of these are familiar to those who have spent time perusing maps of the outback. They are private properties and working stations, so don’t expect a township with shops or use of any facilities; just be thankful for the ability to traverse their lands and a tree for shade as you munch your lunch. Just before reaching New Crown, Rob spotted a flock of red-tailed black cockatoos in some trees near the track. Within moments it was out with the long lenses and shutters were snapping away.

The condition of the tracks was causing us concern for any thought of doing a Simpson crossing, having abandoned the Madigan. We encountered a few sections where water completely covered the track or where it looked as though we were trying to get around an inland sea.

We arrived at Charlotte Waters which began in 1871 as part of the Overland Telegraph network, before technology forced a change of personnel when the police took over in the 1930’s. All that remains now is evidence of efforts to provide full time water storage to all the travellers and scientists who ventured to this remote location. After spending time walking around the site, we hopped into the cars for the final section to Mt Dare.

More water at the border! When will this end? Only a few more km’s until we reach Mt Dare and the day was getting long. With less than a few hundred metres to go, we encountered a road block of several vehicles and more water! We found out that a group of 5 vehicles had sent a car suffering from several issues first into the mire to see how far it would get. It didn’t get too far before stopping where apparently, it was not possible to drive past.
The way forward was therefore blocked to any traffic and delayed us getting to camp for over an hour. Eventually someone from Mt Dare came to the rescue by driving a distance around the ‘main’ problem.

We followed him through more mud and water to the dry of Mt Dare.
Safely at Mt Dare we spent the rest of the remaining daylight doing some washing, calculating fuel requirements and topping off an action-packed day with a hearty meal at the Pub.
The next morning, we packed away our clean washing and camp and set off toward Dalhousie Springs. We had found out that we could possibly do a Simpson crossing as the “Simmo is open from the east” but there was some conjecture about where Eyre Creek would be crossed. As we were unable to get definite information, and not wanting to risk running out of fuel if needing to retreat westwards again, we decided discretion was the better part of valour and to re-route our trip south along the Oodnadatta Track.

Did I mention that there was water around?

Immediately after leaving the Mt Dare compound, we encountered more water, but as we had been advised how best to tackle the obstacle, we drove through the middle at a slow, steady pace to continue on our way. There were several chicken tracks around the water, but these are unnecessary as the base on the tracks is quite firm, even after being soaked for a few months.

Close to Dalhousie we came across a dingo close to the road. He obliged our efforts to get some photos before trotting off.
If you’ve never had your toes nibbled by little fish, then get to Dalhousie Springs and float around in the approx. 37 degree waters. These 30mm long ‘Dalhousie gobys’ feed on algae, snails and humans! Having spent enough time to complete our personal grooming by our little hosts, we quickly dried off in the desert warmth and set off towards Dalhousie station ruins. The station was built in the 1870’s from the local limestone from the surrounding springs and was abandoned in 1925 until it was taken over by Department for Environment and Heritage in 1984. It is currently in a state of ‘maintained ruin’, whereby the remains are being conserved in their current state.

Not long along the track we left Witjira National Park and started searching for a camp for the might. The wind was pretty stiff from the west that afternoon so getting a sheltered spot would be nice.