Bowra Station was a great spot.  Lots and lots of birds.  Chestnut crowned babblers everywhere and saw lots of Major Mitchells.  Definitely a place to return to.  I had several  sessions watching pairs of Bourke's Parrots going about there business.  The last night there we had a tremendous electrical storm.that went on for most of the night.  In the morning there was lots of surface water but we were given the all clear to leave.  We crept out to the road but still managed to get a good coating of red clay that has set like concrete under the wheel arches.  On our way to Sydney we called in at the Warrumbungles National Park.  Sadly, the park has been devastated by the very hot fires 6 months ago.  We could find little evidence of regrowth and most trees don't look as if they will regenerate.  It will be many years before the Warrumbungles recover to anything like their former beauty.  Only the main road, the bush camping area by the creek and a couple of short walks are open.  Camp Blackman, the Visitor Centre and all side roads are closed or gone.  Heart breaking.  The weather got very cold and when in Blackheath the temperature was minus 6 with the wind chill factor.  Thank goodness for the diesel heater.  But we rugged up well and didn't let that stop us exploring look outs, waterfalls etc.  the Blue Mountains are certainly a spectacularly scenic area. So here we are in Sydney staying with our son, Paul, Daughter in law, Alison, and 4 month old Matthew.  Matt is a dream baby.  Full of smiles and curiosity about the world.  Also sleeps amazingly well.  We are so lucky.  Moving over to daughter Angela's home on Friday to spend time with Angela, Tim, Adam and Laura.  Expect to be home on the 5th August. 

I last left you in Alpha.  From there we went to Rubyvale which is actually famous for it's sapphires not it's non existent rubies.  We didn't fancy srabbling around in the dirt searching for what might be a sapphire but we did visit a lot of outlets and learnt a lot about that gem stone. We also saw some amazing sapphires that we could have bought for a mere $95,000 or a cheap one at $45,000.  Did you know that sapphires come in all the colours of the rainbow.  Our favourites were the greens shot with other colours. We meandered on through Emerald and down the Carnarvon Hwy to Roma.  Sadly, because we were buying ice every day we weren't able to revisit Carnarvon Gorge. We stayed outsside Roma on Meadowbank Museum Farm for a couple of days so that we could properly explore Roma and surrounds.  Roma was one of the first places to exploit reserves of gas and coal seam gas.  The farm was a peaceful place to camp with only a couple of others there. Lots of old farm machinery etc to look at.  Eventually we arrived in Robina and  spent a week with our friends Sylvia and Ron.  We were also able to catch up with my niece and her two children and I spent a day with a dear ffriend who has recently moved to the Gold Coast.  On arrival we were informed that although the boat had arrived in Melbourne it didn't have any spares for our fridge on board.  Oh Dear.  However, after some discussion Dometic went away to think about it.  The following Monday , lo and behold, they had found a cooling unit tucked away in Sydney so it was brought up to the Gold Coast quickly and we now have a working fridge.  Halleluyah.  Whilst on the coast wwe also had a new wind screen fitted as a passing road train had heaved a rock at us not far out of Mt. Isa. 
So now we are on our way to Bowra Station outside Cunnamulla for a few days and hope to do some good birding there. Today, when stopped at a roadside rest area another vehicle was there and unbelievably it contained two women (ex members of Melbourne(82) Ionian Club) I hadn't seen for about 15 years.  Much surprise and chatter and we have booked into the same caravan park in St George so that we could continue the conversations.  Huguette and Joy now live in Brisbane and the Gold Coast and are on a trip in Joy's motorhome to far north Oz. 
From Bowra we will take about a week to get down tto Sydney where we will spend about 10 days before coming home.

On our last day in Alice Springs we were lucky to coincide with some NZ friends who are doing a year's trip around Oz.  It was great to see Marian and Clive and we hope the rest of their time here is full of good times.  Unfortunately, the (so called) Plenty Hwy didn't quite live up to the information we were given on several occasions about the good state of the road.  It has certainly had an enormous amount of money spent on it in recent times but the volume of huge B Doubles  full of many heavy cattle haven't done the surface much good at all.  It is a generally a very hard rocky surface that is deteriorating into corrugations.  The scenery is pretty ordinary, flat, dusty, yellow grey soils and sad straggling grey plants.  The first day on the road was a long and tiring as we missed a good camping spot that had been indicated on the map by a bloke we met because it was in the wrong place on the map.  We ended up bush camping at night fall on the bank of the Arthur  River (dry river bed, of course).  The next day wasn't such a long drive and we pulled into Tobermorey Station early in the afternoon. Our  timing was good  because helicopter mustering was in progress and it was fascinating to watch the skill of two young helicopter pilots controlling a large herd of cattle (hard to tell how many but between 500/1000).  They flung those tiny choppers around the sky and did amazing things with them.  Swooping and diving, climbing and spinning, and hovering like enormous dragonflies.    Tobermorey is a real oasis along the track.  Grass and flushing loos and very interesting to get another insight into station life.  Tobermorey is about 6 or 7 thousand square kms!  We really enjoyed our afternoon there.  The next day we made it into Boulia, thankful that we hadn't suffered any tyre damage as many others had.  One young family with five children had 3 punctures.  However, the next morning we discovered that the fridge hadn't been so lucky.  Things were getting rather warm in there and eventually I was forced to throw out everything in the freezer (which was full).  Obviously a problem so we had no choice but to go to Mt. Isa where there is a Dometic (brand of fridge) service centre.  Sadly, we were informed that the cooling system was kaput and that there are currently no spare parts available anywhere in Australia.  A boat is due to arrive in Melbourne on the 30th with the necessary!  So we are travelling with our fridge acting as an old fashioned ice box.  Every day we put more ice in the vegetable bins and this keeps things cool enough if we buy frequently.  It is working out perfectly well.  We have decided to make our way to the Gold Coast and spend some time with our friends, Sylvia and Ron and to see my niece and family and my friend Evi, who has recently moved up there.  We have a booking with a service centre in Burleigh Heads to get the fridge fixed as soon as the part turns up in about 12 days time (hopefully).  We have met others with the same happening and the Mt. Isa man had a string of people in the same boat.  Why is this happening is the question. So, at present we have moved down through Winton and Longreach and tonight are camped in a little country spot called Alpha.  Very quiet and peaceful and a lovely soft afternoon.  That is all for now.

Painted Desert view west of Oodnadatta

Giant termite mound on the Plenty Hwy

Helicopter mustering at Tobermory Station

Black footed rock wallaby, Alice Springs

Sunrise Mt. Dare

The Ochre Pits, West MacDonnell Ranges. The aboriginals sourced ochre here for decorating themselves and for medicinal purposes

Sunrise, Old Ambalindum Station

We left Alice Springs on the 14th after doing much shopping and washing and headed for Glen Helen in the West MacDonnell ranges.  We camped at the resort which is in a rather picturesque spot looking across water at an amazing red cliff face.  After dinner we went over to the resort and listened to the singer.  He is also a photographer for Australian Geographic and has beautiful photos of the centre playing on the TV behind him.  Worth going just to see the photos although we enjoyed  the music as well.  The next day our first port of call was Red Bank Gorge.  About a half hour rocky walk into this spectacular chasm. Next stop, Roma Gorge.  This required an 81/2 km drive along the Davenport river bed.  Very slow over river stones but attractive with lots ghost gums growing in the river bed.  Roma Gorge is a very special place, a beautiful gorge with an aura of peace and history.  We found many ancient (6,800 years old) aboriginal petroglyphs.   Well worth the trip in.  Later we visited Tylers Lookout which has 360 deg. views of the surrounding countryside.  Our last destination was Gosse Bluff Reserve.  140 million years ago a 1km wide comet crashed into the earth and caused huge devastation for hundreds af years.  A fascinating place.  The circular crater is surrounded by rugged rocky hills that are the remains of the enormous amounts of debris thrown up by the impact. 
Today was our 51st wedding anniversary and tonight we had a lovely dinner in the resort.  The equal of any restaurant in Melbourne.  During the day we went first to Serpentine Gorge, another stunning gorge with lovely refections in the pool at the entrance to the gorge.  The remainder of the day we spent at Ormiston Gorge, a truly spectacular place.  After lunch we did the Ghost Gum walk which finishes by coming back along the gorge floor where there are lots of large boulders to clambered over.  Boulders in an array of unusual colours, mauves, purples, pinks, cream, smooth and shiny.  Such a contrast to the sheer deep red rocky walls of the gorge.. One gets a real feel for how ancient Australia is. 
We had an enormous stroke of luck.  When we left Alice the last thing Bill did was fill a water tank.  Unfortunately, without realising it, he left the cap and bunch of keys on the back bumper of the van.  We drove into Serpentine Gorge on our way to Glen Helen but didn't stop as there was nowhere to park our big rig.  Two days later, when we returned to Serpentine Gorge, as we began the walk we noticed a water cap and keys on a picnic table.  Thought "oh, the poor peoople, they will be upset to lose those". A couple of hundred metres down the track Bill suddenly said, "I have an awful feeling those keys look familiar", so he ran back and sure enough they were ours!  We didn't even know they were missing! as we hadn't needed those particular keys.. It turns out that a ranger had found them and put them on the table hoping someone would claim them.  Can't believe they sat on the bumper for more than 100 kms or that no one else had acquired them for two days. We made a speccial trip back to the ranger station to thank him. Decided that was the best 51st anniversary present we could have had.  Back in Alice now having the truck serviced etc. before the next leg of our trip.  Planning on going back east via the Plenty Hwy.  so should be in Boulia about Friday.

Sunset on the cliff at Glen H

Rocks, Ormiston Gorge

Water on the way to Newhaven

To Old Ambalindum Homestead.  We said goodbye for the present to Kaye and Dennis and cruised serenely down the Ross Highway, stopping for morning tea at Corroboree Rock.  We then turned onto the Arltunga Road which is gravel and which soon became dreadfully corrugated and stayed that way for the next 55 kms.  Very slow driving.  I recommend that anyone travelling into Old Ambalindum take the alternative route which although longer and with more gravel is more comfortable.  Were able to hook up to lovely water and power (for some hours each day by generator) and spent the rest of the day chatting to the other two couples already there, and collecting firewood etc.  We had a lovely communal fire and Dave, who is taking us out on Friday for the day at Mt. George fossicking and sightseeing etc., spent a long time chatting to us all.  The next day we organised with Maggie (caretaker) to purchase some diesel as the trip tomorrow is going to be long and we won't get fuel until we get to Tilmouth Well in a couple of days. Packed a lunch and drove back to Arltunga Historic Reserve to explore the ruins and abandoned mines.  We climbed up a very steep slope with lots loose rock to the "Joker" mine and then walked into the gorge.  Next stop the "Great Western Mine".  A bigger mine and more interesting with huge piles of rocky  debris that had been excavated by hand.  What a terribly hard life those men lived for very little return.  Also saw remants of the  very basic structures that they lived in.  Continued on to the White Range Cemetery.  A sad place but well preserved now.  Went over to the other side of the main road for lunch and viewed the restored old police station and lock up etc.  Had had enough of ruins by then so returned to camp and had a sociable  afternoon with Jan and Hugh Gallagher from Lismore.  Another lovely night around the camp fire.
An early start today, up at 6 to leave by 7.30 for our day out with Dave.  Firstly we called in at the main homestead and Tim, the owner of the property, very kindly filled our fuel tanks.  He also gave us some interesting information and statistics on the running of the station.  It is 63 kms through the station to Dave's camp and we got there about 10 am.  Along the way we stopped  at several spots including one creekbed where garnets are embedded in large boulders.  We also saw lots of  healthy looking cattle which are Santa Gertrudis/Droughtmaster crosses.  A lovely rich red brown colour. Dave has two buildings, one a large room housing a nice table and chairs, and 6 bunks, also a kitchen area and lots of shelving  for books, tools of his trade etc. etc.  All very comfortable.  Dave is an ex gemologist/Jeweller. He is here working on the station and searching for his "holy grail" a deposit of rubies.  The second structure was left by geologists searching for uranium some time ago and seemed to house his own private quarters.  After a cup of tea we set off in convoy (Jan and Hugh as well ) .  First stop, Hardings Spring where we checked the bore and saw a lot of cattle.  Then we drove some distance through some rocky very sceenic ranges.  Lots of caves up in the hillsides.  Before we returned to his camp for lunch he left us at a spot which was absolutely littered with garnet. Not jewel quality but we had a lot of fun fossicking seeing what we could pick up.  Over the course of the day collected quite a bag of different bits and pieces.  After lunch we drove in a different direction to look for different minerals/gems.  Fascinating stuff.  We ended up at an old Mica mine where mica sheets are lying around feet thick.  Along the way we got an idea of the size of the prooperty (3,300 sq. kms).  There are approx. 500 kms of tracks, and hundreds of kms of black polythene water pipes servicing the many troughs and water points.  All require regular checking.  They have B Doubles, graders, bulldozers, utes etc.  Tim is a trader.  That is, he buys in young cattle to fatten and sell.   He says he can fatten a skinny beast in 13 weeks, it is such good country.  We arrived back in camp quite late, rather tired after a very worthwhile day and had travelled more than 200kms. 
Before we left Old Ambalindum the next day Maggie gave me a tour of the old homestead which is now used for accommodation.  A lovely old building, spacious and very solid, but quite expensive!  We took the tourist road out which hits the Stuart about  50kms from Alice.  At the junction we caught up with Jan and Hugh and used his battery to pump up our van tyres as our cord doesn't reach that far.  Much appreciated.  It is bitumen to Tilmouth Well, mostly  one lane and beautiful two lane for the last stretch.  Tilmouth Well is expensive. $30 unpowered, $40 powered.  It rained here last night.
Left here at 9am to go to Newhaven Wildlfe sanctuary.  The road into Newhaven is red clay, sometimes corrugated, sometimes sandy, sometimes smooth. Once we got onto Newhaven property the road deteriorated and we began hitting patches of water.  Mostly we could drive alongside them, some being long, 50 metres or more.   Thought we had passed the worst when "wham" in front of us appeared a very long wide brown lake stretching out into the land around us.  Looked at it, then I decided to wade it. Very muddy but not quite knee deep so put the truck into low range and powered through.  Got to Newhaven camp ground about 12.30.   A delightful place, plenty of trees for shade, excellent clean showers with hot water and very clean, non smelly waterless toilets.  All cleaned daily by the volunteer couple who are there.  Later in the afternoon did the Camp Hill walk which takes in a circuit of the big hill behind the camp.  Good except for the humungous numbers of bush flies which plagued us.  Not many birds,
Next day.  Slept in this morning because the sun didn't come up until 7.40am.  Our neighbour, Alec, appeared as we were getting dressed to say that Major Mitchells had arrived in the nearby trees. Terrific views of these gorgeous birds.   Later we went out to Potato Creek Gorge and after lunch we did the Lakes Tour (self guided as are all tours on the property).  The main birds were a flock of 20 white necked herons on Susie's Lake but a pretty drive through different habitats.. Lots of flowers similar to our milkmaids. 
.Said goodbye to Meg and Alec, so today we are on our own.  Today we did the Hillside Drive.  Different to yesterday, lots more birds, and when we saw two dingoes we stopped to look at them.  Then 4 more appeared out of the trees and surrounded the car having a good look at us.  Not at all nervous of us.  Spent some time in the area of Freshwater Bore.  Lots  and lots beautiful, healthy looking eremophilas in red, apricot and yellow, also yellow grevillias and other things in flower.  Drove back to Freshwater Bore later in the afternoon. A lovely fire tonight and zillions of stars. Newhaven is a beautiful place.
Wed.  As we didn't have sufficent fuel to do another long drive we left Newhaven and travelled back to Alice Springs with our fuel light on as we approached town.  Put the van through Peter Kittle's car wash before we booked back into G'Day Mate CP.  Discovered Kaye and Dennis had only left a couple of hours ago.
Thursday.  Another big clean up, washing day etc.  Tomorrow we plan to go to Glen Helen for a couple of days and have a dinner in the restaurant there as it is our 51st wedding anniversary..

Update from Alice Springs.  We have been here since Thursday and haven't really done much except clean up etc. and hang about so we are itching to get going again. Dennis and Kaye arrived back from Tennant Creek on Monday (yesterday) and intended to begin their spruce up/catch up today.  Unfortunately, Dennis fell off his ladder this morning and ended up having a ride in the ambulance to the hospital where they X Rayed him etc etc.  He has a stable fracture of the lower spine so is somewhat uncomfortable.  The docs. recommend 4/5 days rest then they will slowly make their way home.  As there doesn't appear to be anything else we can do to assist them we will continue on tomorrow.  Our plan is to go to Old Ambilundum Station which is past Arltunga (East MacDonnells) and in the Ruby Gap area for 3/4 days then go via a night at Tilmouth Well on the Tanami to Newhaven Sanctuary.  Thence back to Alice to restock etc.

The rain stopped and a couple of cloudy cool days with some wind soon dried out the track enough for it to be reoopened.  We gave it another day to let it dry out some more before we tried it.  Where there were wheel tracks through the soft stuff we could follow along quite comfortably but in many places the wheel tracks were all over the place like tangled spaghetti.  Still areas of water across the track and later on the inevitable corrugations.First stop "Plane Henge" which is an area of very imaginative sculptures made from all sorts of , mostly waste, materials.  Innovative and quirky.  Fun.  Tonight we camped at Coward Springs.  Rather quiet. Only a few rigs, some having been caught there when the rain came.  The four of of us toddled down to the "spring" and climbed down the ladder (uip to Kaye's neck) and had an immersion I guess you would call it.  Hardest thing was climbing up the ladder to get out.  Another one of Dennis's lovely fires tonight. 
We woke to a beautiful morning and were aaway by 9 am.  First stop William Creek which doesn't impress.  Further on we stopped where the old Ghan Railway is close to the road and picked up a load of broken up sleeper bits for fires.  Found a good lunch spot under a windmill about 10kms south of Warrina siding ruins.  Next stop Algebuckina Bridge. Arrived Oodnadatta about 3.45.  Kaye discovered a minor hassle.  She hadn't locked the fridge door so had clean up to do.  Also their fridge seems to have moved slightly. 
We spent two nights in Oodnadatta because we went out to the Painted Desert the next day.  The land forms and colours are so unusual and striking.    It really is a must see. Yellows, reds, oranges, purples etc wth sheer cliffs and steep slopes.  Did a walk up to the top to look out over the vista but the flies were once again in plague proportions.  Spoke to Lynnie Plate (owner of the Pink Roadhouse) about thee road conditions to Dalhousie Springs and Mt. Dare.  She said it had been graded 3 weeks ago and was good.  And so it was as far as Hamilton Station the next day.  Once we turned off towards Pedirka Ruins and Dalhgousie the track became rather on the rocky side. Steady slow driving and we reached dalhousie Ruins where we stopped to inspect the conservation work going on there.  Unbelievably, the flies were even worse.  The next 12 kms to Dalhousie Springs were extremely corrugated. Real teeth rattling stuff.  Once we arrived and set up though it is a good place to be.  The spring is a very large pool 36degC and about 150metrres long by 50 metres wide.  Deep mostly with areas one can stand up in , with a soft squiddgy bottom.  A very popular spot.  Dennis still seems to have a bit of a fridge problem.
It is only a fairly short distance across to Mt. Dare (about 70kms) but it took us 3 hours to navigate a badly eroded road which was through a gibber plain and pretty wel down to bedrock.  We just crawled over the rocks expecting tyre damage but none eventuated.  The original hotel at Mt. Dare has been demolished and a new establishment has been built. Friendly nice people running it.  We were the only people there (I wonder why) but later another two rigs arrived.  The most  remote hotel? in Oz they say.  Diesel is $2.25 a litre.  I wandered down to the pond behind the hotel late afternoon to see what birdlife was around.  100s Galahs, crested pigeons, zebra finches, a few black faced wood swallows, a whistling kite, white plumed h/eaters.etc.  But the crowning glory was a large flock  of about 70 (at least) red tailed black cockatoos who screeched their way in and chased the galahs out of their preferred trees.
Talked to Karen, the manager, about the Old Andado Track, which is part of Binns Track, and she gave me a detailed description of the first section out to Old Andado Station. Said her information was pretty recent but boy was she wrong!  On the strength of her info and others we decided to do it.  After the fi rst few kms the track became rather over grown and we had to take our towing mirrors off,then soft sandyy areas and bulldust.  Then the crowning glory a stretch along a river bed in deep soft sand ending in a slope on a curve.  Thank goodness we had the 200 Series because it was stretched to the limit. Kaye and Dennis didn't make it quite the first time and had a second go but thankfully got there.   Unbelievably, at the top on the flat are cattleyards and a road train and two utes were therre loading cattle.  We thought, oh good, surely that means the road will now be better if he got in.  Some parts yes but others we dragged our bellies through the soft sand and bulldust.  Stopped for morning tea at a bore and the truck ground its way past us. But the road then improved and we made it to Old Andado Station and Molly Clark's home for lunch time.  Molly Clark was a wonderful old territory character who lived out here on her own and when she eventually had to go into Alice Springs she just walked out and left everything.  So visitors are welcome to walk through her house and look in the cupboards etc to see all her treasures and just how she lived. Even the bed is made up.  What a hard hard life.  We had intended to camp there but it was 30deg so decided to keep going until it became cooler to find a camp spot.  Along the way we drove into the MacClark Reserve to see the very rare Acacia Peuce trees.  Trees only found here in the entire world.  Worth doing.  Continued on and for a while the road was terrific.  Sadly, it didn't last and before we got to Alice we had every type of condition one can imagine thrown at us.  The terrible corrugations went on forever, bulldust, mud, rocky sections etc. etc.  Later in the day we were almost despairing of finding a camp spot but we did in the end.  A beaut spot, flat and clear with trees at the back and a perfect spot for a fire.  It was  glorious night, clear, calm,warm, with amazing stars.  Dennis's fire was perfect as usual.  Unfortunately, the story inside the vans wasn't so perfect.  Kaye had a 2 litre bottle of milk in the fridge and it had worn a hole in the bottom and leaked out all through the fridge and under it as well.  Dennis had suffered a broken Brass bolt which connects the gas bottles to the van and had no gas as a result.  Never seen a brass bolt break before.  We had a microwave problem.  The innards of the micrwave had torn free from the casing. The screws had torn out the metal and it was coming out.  The casing was still securely attached to the wall but Bill had to remove the whole thing and rescrew the microwave back together then replace everything.  A big heavy job.  The microwave still works!  Thank goodness Bill the improviser and handyman always carries quantities of tools screws etc. etc.  The next morning we set off carefully and after a long slow rocky stretch and some bad corrugations the road improved.    However, worse news was to come.  We stopped on a nice flat stretch for morning tea and when i oopened the fridge discovered all my eggs except one were smashed and leaking through the fridge.  However, that was nothing compared to what K and D found when they opened their door.  The fridge had moved onto the coolant pipe and smashed it so the van was full of evil smelling coolant.  They also had a tyre that went flat as we stopped.  What a mess.  They cleaned it up as best  they could but van is unusable because of ammonia fumes and damage the coolant has done.  Thankfully, this has happened on our way into Alice Springs not earlier down the track.  It was a relief to finally make it into Alice, get set up, have a lovely shower, and think about the clean up tomorrow. Took ourselves out for a "celebratory" dinner at Barra on Todd. Such luxury.
D and K have left van in caravan park after taking it for insurance quotes and gone up to Tennant Creek for the weekend to see her sister.
Alice Springs.  Have had a thorough clean up inside and out and we look respectable again.  We were filthy.  Took the van to the Peter Kittle car wash and then Bill took the truck in.  Did a big shop as stocks ere getting a bit low.