Easter Hols 2021 Outback NSW

trip reports
Big Red
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Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

I looped around to the north then headed south past Gilgunnia Goldfields rest area then turned right and made my way through some reserves to finish up above Roto.
There was a no access aboriginal area sign which I took to mean I had to stay on the road

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Big Red
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Posts: 2699
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 6:30 am

Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

I continued south then picked up the road to Willandra National Park and made camp there for the night.
Its in a transition stage and your supposed to book online but pay $8 on site but the site stopped when I tried it so I just put my money in the envelope and set up camp.
There is a whole lot of building you can access here from shearing quarters to the once grand old homestead, pretty cool that you can wander around inside them.

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Big Red
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Posts: 2699
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 6:30 am

Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

Sunday 4th April
I headed off after a couple of coffees but found my intended route closed off and overgrown so took a signposted track thinking it might be the one, although it was two vague wheel tracks in a huge paddock it was easy enough going but ended up looping back on to the track in I had taken yesterday.
I followed the main track out then headed south before picking up the road to Ivanhoe where I refuelled … and magically my fuel gauge seems to be working like normal again as I only put 105 litres in it when the gauge was reading 3/8th.
I took the dirt road across to Menindee which was pleasant enough.

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Big Red
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Posts: 2699
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 6:30 am

Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

I headed out of town to Lake Pamamaroo where after a bit of a look around I found a quiet spot away from the masses and set up camp on the waters edge … warm water, sunshine, no neighbours, plenty of wood and internet … what more could you ask for !!

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Big Red
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Posts: 2699
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 6:30 am

Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

Monday 5th April Easter Monday

Today I went nowhere and did nothing but relax with a book or the internet and occasionally have a swim

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Big Red
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Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

Tuesday 6th April

I slowly got ready to move on and wondered if I was going to have trouble on the soft sand exit with my tyres still at highway pressures so made sure I had a fairly straight run from the waters edge at Stumpy’s Camp but needn’t have worried, she sailed through no problems and I was soon back out at the highway.
I stopped at the Menindee Lake lookout and was amazed that there was no water in it apart from a little overflow near the connecter shut off.
I made my way to Broken Hill and did a bit of shopping to replenish the can supply then headed out to the pinnacles for a look but the road is gated and locked just over the hill from them so I headed back to town for KFC.

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I drove out to Silverton and had a quick look around town

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I then drove west past the Mundi Mundi lookout to the reservoir.

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Big Red
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Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

I then headed north following the SA border over a maze of fairly good dirt roads … but the amount of gates you have to open and close was driving me batty.
The RTA road eventually runs right beside the track along the dog fence and I followed it for a while.
I pulled away from the dog fence at Coonee Creek and made camp on the flats between the dunes that they call a creek.

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Big Red
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Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

Wednesday 7th April

I had a reasonably early start due mainly to the amount of flies that were annoying me and at the first gate a Toyota 79 dual cab arrived just as I was closing the gate, I reopened it and drove off leaving it to him to close.
Not long after I crested a dune and saw a section of very wet mud in front of me, I made the mistake of trying a line to the right hand side of the road as the middle was a mess of big ridges and water filled ruts.
I still had some speed up and was still in 2WD so went for it and the softer outside edge grabbed the front right tyre and pulled me into the gutter so I kept into it to make it as far as I could and got just past the water bit before she came to an inglorious halt in soft gloopy black mud.

I got out and locked the hubs in and was just getting back in when the big Toyota turned up and stopped before the mud.
I started of in first low but went down so reversed a little bit, maybe 150 mm, then hit it in second and started wiggling, slowly but surely she threw mud all over my Ute but clawed her way back on to solid ground and I pulled up half expecting to cop an earful from a property owner but the guy in the Toyota took the sensible option and headed straight through the middle … for about a car length and went down.
He went to reverse up for another go but didn’t budge so I yelled out to see if he wanted a tow as there was nothing around to winch from.
Turns out he was the manager of the dog fence team so we pulled out his winch cable but it was not long enough so I backed in on the driest line I could find and hooked up then pulled him through no worries.

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We wound his line in and I though he had continued up the dog fence as I veered away at Hawker gate but after I smashed through an unseen washout I heard the unmistakable sound of the conrod hitting the sump as the diff bracing had dented the sump, I thought I had fixed that problem but it appears that some of the bumpstop has broken away allowing it to go up further on the left hand side.
I pulled up just past a fence crossing and I was underneath with a big hammer smacking the side of the sump to make it pop down a bit when old mate pulled up to ask if I was all right.
He looked at me in a bit of shock when I told him it was just the conrod hitting the sump and it would be fine as soon as I bashed it with the hammer to gain a bit of clearance … LOL :lol:
He asked again if I was all right and after I assured him I was fine he headed off and I caught up a short time later.

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Big Red
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Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

I diverted off to Depot Glen to have a look at Pools Grave before driving out to Sturts Cairn, the view from up there is 360 degrees of green as far as the horizon.

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Big Red
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Posts: 2699
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2020 6:30 am

Re: Easter Hols 2021

Post by Big Red »

Next I headed in to Milparinka for a look around

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