Day 7 - Quorn to Arkaroola

As today was meant to be a reasonably easy day, we decided to leave late, around nine.

It was overcast though, so the tarps and undersides of the tents were wet. We hoped we'd have time enough at the next spot so things could dry out.

As usual, we were a little slower getting away than the others, so we said we'd catch them at Hawker. We topped up our fuel at Repco, whose fuel bowser malfunctioned, so we said it was probably ten litres and paid for that.

After some hot drinks and fuel we were on our way to Arkaroola. As yesterday, the ranges were spectacular. A little more sun than yesterday, so it was much better for pictures.

We drove past Wilpena, where we'd visited yesterday, before turning East just before Blinmon and leaving the tar. The dirt road was quite good, but with many muddy sections and rocky parts, so soon we stopped to lower our tyre pressures and engage 4wd.

As usual we were soon left behind by the others with extra toilet breaks holding us up a little.

Before this however, we had some silly fun. Warren was behind some quite slow moving traffic, two old cruisers towing caravans. He went around them easily then radioed back that the road was clear, so we pushed through as well, in situations that may potentially have upset the slower traffic. When we stopped for some photos they eventually came past and beeped their horn, so I waved. Soon after we caught them again and a slow moving van. Warren again was through, and radioed that it was clear to come through. I don't think they were very happy. Such is life.

On the dirt roads I was taking it was, tyre pressures too low to go fast and the road was too rough for higher tyre pressures. Occasionally Warren and Brad would wait after a turn to make sure they could contact us by radio to tell us which road to take, before zooming off again.

A variety of road conditions, hard packed clay, corrugations, muddy bits and muddy crossings left us covered in a variety of mud colours.

We eventually came to a turn through a little muddy track leading into the Vulkathunha Gammon Ranges. Warren and Brad were waiting and after a short time we were at the entry point to the Arkaroola area, and Vulkathunha Gammon Ranges.

We stopped to get the visitor permit envelopes, which we would need should we choose to stay, then headed into the area. We planned, if the conditions were right, to camp at the North Western area of the loop track that ran up the Eastern and down the Western sides of the area.

It didn't take long for us to be left behind again when we needed a toilet stop ad the others forged ahead.

We stopped again to lower our tyre pressures as the rocks and corrugations were still quite rough, 26psi in the front and 28psi in the rear. This was quite helpful. As we would our way along the track to the "loop" we managed to fill our SD memory card in the GoPro.

Arriving at the loop, and hearing over the radio that we were still heading to the Mainwater Well area, we turned right to the North and would our way through the rocks, creeks and very interesting landscape, surprisingly catching up to the others. They'd had a few close encounters with kangaroos, something we could relate to as we'd had the same earlier with an Old Man Emu on a collision course.

I remarked to Katrina at the time that I was having trouble picking them out, only minutes later stopping to avoid some lizards on the road. One of whom ran off indignantly as we cautiously drove between them. So I started being more careful with my peripheral scans.

The track to the camping area was quite interesting, ups and downs and winding around, before we reached a signpost telling us to turn for the camping area, and also tellins us that it was 32km to Arkaroola Village this way, something that wasn't on my HEMA.

Into the camping area beside a large bricked wall area, which was presumably the well, we stopped and started unpacking, before Brad interrupted us with a new location by the creek. We promptly decided to move and setup beside the creek.

The kids enjoyed playing in the well, around a windmill and grated off area which could also have been the well, and fetching firewood before getting back onto their game machines for as long as possible.
It's going to be a cool clear night. Hopefully we will take the opportunity to see the night sky.