Innamincka & Diamantina - flood reports

Hope the roads dry out for our Easter arrival.

You must have put the kybosh on the big rains coming down here - it sort of fizzled didn't it?

Hey Armo - great to hear from you. You aren't using your scone are you? If you can't use the inside track, how are you going to get across the warburton to use the outside track from the K1? Hmmmmm? There's always another answer though - haven't worked it out yet. I'm still recovering from the shock of receiving simply divine flowers for Valentine's Day (fairly difficult here - they came on thursday's mail plane from charleville - 800 klms away). All you nasties out there - I'm well aware they only came this year because I am talking about buying him a boat (he thinks I'm buying it for him - huh!). Just been over to the Billabong Caf for a coffee. We all get together Sunday a.m. about 10:00 for cappas - whole town comes. Mr Plod the Policeman (also known as Captain Pugwah of SS Betoota) has promised (on his honour) to make and bring Carrot Cake tomorrow. Walkers Crossing will be a big questionmark? Coongie Lakes should be stunning. The pilots tell us that the Georgina River (read Eyre Creek) looks as though it will fill Muncoonie Lakes and then hopefully there will be enough water to push it down Eyre Creek (Big Red way). When the Creek comes down there - it's the only place I know where the rich purple monkey faces flower (Mimulus Prostrata for the purists) - looks like a purple groundcover, tiny flower like a violet. I do have photos of that. See you soon.

Ok you win and yes I did expect that answer Ruth. I was just dreaming that the Yelpawaralina Track crossing of the Warburton might be possible. Looking at the map again, with my glasses on this time, I can see that the full Diamantina volume is heading that way on the way to lake Eyre so I agree that I was away with the fairies.

On those Valentine flowers, why fly them in, surely you could wait and pick all you want in a few weeks time!

It sounds like you guys have a wow of a time without all those annoying tourists! Don't worry we are all plotting furiously ways to bring you back to reality in the near future.

Keep those updates coming. we hang on every new bit of news. It sounds like I need to add Eyre Creek to the watch list now.

Cheers, John

Hi Ruth, in your experience, what are the chances of the Warburton crossing on the K1 being passable in late July ? We are planning a trip through Currawinya NP, Diamantina Lakes, Innamincka region, Birdsville, Poeppel Corner, K1 line then back to Adelaide via Birdsville track & Flinders Ra.

Werner

Silly boy Armo, give your glasses a clean next time! Werner, looking into my crystal ball I'd say you had a fair to middling chance of going that way. Nice trip you are doing - make sure you've got plenty of time. Long way into Diamantina Lakes and you need a couple of days at least there (don't forget the fishing gear).
At our usual Sunday a.m. coffee and cake and yes, Mr Plod came with a beautiful carrot cake (kindly made by Mrs Plod) we asked the Mayor (who owns the property with Big Red and most of Eyre Creek and also the plane we try to fly in) and he thinks the water is stretched out in Eyre Creek so much above the Muncoonie Lakes that he doubts it will totally fill the Lakes let alone make its way down Eyre Creek to where we need to cross to go to the SD. Shame that. Still, rain is supposed to happen here shortly and a few inches would run the creek.
We went out after coffee and drove to Lewis Hill to look at the water and collect some flower specimens for one of the girls doing horticulture, lucky we all received our VD flowers on the plane because the heat has knocked the few wildflowers around shockingly. Very very green where the water has receeded. River has dropped to 6.95m now. It is thought that Innamincka (Cooper Ck) will only have a short run in the creek. From the top of Lewis Hill (try driving over big red bundis - pronounced boondi - bouncing over big red rocks up to the top) we could see Roseberth Station homestead in the distance in the river. They are built up high on a bluff with water around them on three sides. Their only way out is to fly into town - takes 8 minutes. They are coming in this afternoon for coffee and fresh (frozen) bread! We could wave to them and watch them wave back in the binoculars whilst talking to them on the 2-way. Better than being bored! They've flown in already and are here knocking on the window. See you all.

Bear - woke up this a.m. overnight temp was 35 degrees and it was 40 when I got up. had one of those mornings when I didn't want to be here and I did want to be at the beach and then you write from Coogee. Not fair. The 4 day forecast has it raining here tonight and tomorrow - we could do with a break from the temperatures, they've been fairly constant. Too hot for tennis.
What's happening in Coogee this weekend - how come you haven't packed the tent and got adventuring? Don't use work as an excuse, o.k.

ditto ruthWow, am I cute! The extra long legs are built-in prevention against ducks disease. Great looks and a real goer. Doesnt waddle along like some.

Thanks Frank - aren't you nice.

Hey Bonz, do you know where the cheapest spot to fly over Lake Eyre is. We are thinking of taking our tribe for a fight at Easter.
Andrew2001 Landcruiser 100S Turbo Diesel
"We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"

Andrew,

I have a friend with a flying licence so thats always the cheapest, he may be interested in flying the tribe over Eyre, if you email me I'll ask him, my emails behind my pic. How big's the tribe? We might be able to combine and hire a bigger plane, cheaper by the dozen.

RegardsLife ISN'T like a box of chocolates...it's more like a jar of jalapenos.
What you do today, might burn your bum tomorrow."

Remember, it will only be the northern part of the North Lake - but think about this. The Diamantina is about 600 klms long at this stage and in some case 20 klms wide. Same goes for Cooper Creek. So if you pilot is malleable (like that) then you can make a really interesting flight. It's interesting country along the top of Lake Eyre also. Give your maps a good going over.

Ruth
We are coming up from Maree to Birdsville and then to Diamantina NP and across to Longreach. Do you suggest we fly from somewhere like Longreach and along the Diamantina or the Cooper. I assume you don't have joy flights from Birdsville yet!
Andrew2001 Landcruiser 100S Turbo Diesel
"We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"

Ruth
We are coming up from Maree to Birdsville and then to Diamantina NP and across to Longreach. Do you suggest we fly from somewhere like Longreach and along the Diamantina or the Cooper. I assume you don't have joy flights from Birdsville yet!
Andrew2001 Landcruiser 100S Turbo Diesel
"We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"

Whoops - didn't read this until tonight! Yep - Easter is the go for us. Flight out of Maree sounds the go.
Thanks for the reports. You are a pretty good publicity machine for area - tis working on us - we can't wait to get there. Keep it up.
Andrew2001 Landcruiser 100S Turbo Diesel
"We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"

Hiccups? - sometimes my brain has a stutter stutter and tells me to dubba dubba click!2001 Landcruiser 100S Turbo Diesel
"We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"