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On location, hunting for dinosaurs! While waiting for a massive Sauropod to wander across the barren...
Destinations > Making Hay
Making Hay
"The worst night of our trip so far," recalls John. "The wind was now nearing gale force and we were literally breathing dust. At least it had now swung back to the south-east and was a little cooler."
They continued to follow the valley in a southeast direction, negotiating the moguls that made staying on the track difficult, but following a distinct camel path. John was mapping the journey, using a moving map on Oziexplorer running on a laptop in his Cruiser. "The track we were making was far from a straight line," he said. "It was zig-zagging from side to side in the valleys and around the base of the dunes, which run predominantly in a south-easterly direction.
"When we stopped for lunch three hours later we had driven a total of 25km, over some rough but beautiful country," said John.
After a further four hours of driving they had covered 73km and found a sheltered spot in a horseshoe bend of a dune to make camp and get a bit of photography in while cooking up a lamb roast in the camp oven.
During the day they had picked up some radio traffic on the UHF and figured they must be getting closer to the QAA Line. Sure enough, the following morning they hit the QAA shortly after 10am.
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"We had travelled 106km during ten hours of actual driving spread over three days. We had three flat tyres and no other problems over some very harsh and unforgiving terrain," says Shane. "We found no signs of man at all and although we had seen plenty of tracks in the sand we only glimpsed two lizards at a distance, a mob of camels through some trees, one dragonfly and several spiders. There was nothing out of the ordinary in regards to the flora either."
After the obligatory photo session, the pair again made tracks for Birdsville, this time heading east. It was 81km to Big Red and the guys were back at the pub for a meal that night.
Although this trip wasn't an extended expedition, it does show that there is still adventure out there to be found for anyone with the urge to explore and the common sense to do it correctly. Regardless of the relatively short distance between the established Hay River and QAA Tracks, the ground covered was remote and harsh and entering it you would need to be prepared for anything. You can't expect to be picked up by the next passing traveller in this country and heavy rainfall or mechanical trouble could leave you stranded for any amount of time.
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They continued to follow the valley in a southeast direction, negotiating the moguls that made staying on the track difficult, but following a distinct camel path. John was mapping the journey, using a moving map on Oziexplorer running on a laptop in his Cruiser. "The track we were making was far from a straight line," he said. "It was zig-zagging from side to side in the valleys and around the base of the dunes, which run predominantly in a south-easterly direction.
"When we stopped for lunch three hours later we had driven a total of 25km, over some rough but beautiful country," said John.
After a further four hours of driving they had covered 73km and found a sheltered spot in a horseshoe bend of a dune to make camp and get a bit of photography in while cooking up a lamb roast in the camp oven.
During the day they had picked up some radio traffic on the UHF and figured they must be getting closer to the QAA Line. Sure enough, the following morning they hit the QAA shortly after 10am.
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"We had travelled 106km during ten hours of actual driving spread over three days. We had three flat tyres and no other problems over some very harsh and unforgiving terrain," says Shane. "We found no signs of man at all and although we had seen plenty of tracks in the sand we only glimpsed two lizards at a distance, a mob of camels through some trees, one dragonfly and several spiders. There was nothing out of the ordinary in regards to the flora either."
After the obligatory photo session, the pair again made tracks for Birdsville, this time heading east. It was 81km to Big Red and the guys were back at the pub for a meal that night.
Although this trip wasn't an extended expedition, it does show that there is still adventure out there to be found for anyone with the urge to explore and the common sense to do it correctly. Regardless of the relatively short distance between the established Hay River and QAA Tracks, the ground covered was remote and harsh and entering it you would need to be prepared for anything. You can't expect to be picked up by the next passing traveller in this country and heavy rainfall or mechanical trouble could leave you stranded for any amount of time.
next page »
