Re. fantasic ABC TV Programme Desert Heart

Ruth,
I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy
Ray of sunligth struggles feebly down between the houses tall,
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty dirty city
Through the open window floating spreads its foulness over all.

And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle
Of the tramways and the buses making hurry down the street
And the languange uninviting of the gutter children fighting,
Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet

And the hurrying people daunt me and their pallid faces haunt
me
As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste
And I hate it, hate it ,hate it

That show reminded me of our trip through the desert last October when it rained at Peoppels corner and we were nearly stuck in the desert, a minor flood came down the Diamontina.
The drive from Peoppels to Birdsville was very challenging and the desert was absolutely beautiful and I loved it ,loved it ,loved it.

My Appologies to A( Banjo ) Patterson
Cheers David

Hey David, how clever are you? Did you remember it or look it up you little cheaty-weaty? Were we still here when you got here - I think we'd just gone east, hadn't we? I just love it when other people love the Desert. You know even when we aren't here anymore (working) we are probably going to get a house here and spend our winters playing out there. Isn't it the scariest thing driving out of the desert when it's raining. Not the dunes, they are easy but the swales are so sticky and wet and the road to Birdsville - you can do the best 360's without even trying - they topped that road with the worst stuff. It's trying to storm again today - only b....y 49 at the moment. Stinking. THUNDER - I can hear it above the roar of the a/c. If you are as old as me and went to school in Queensland then you would know that poem and others by heart.

Ruth,
Yes, I have the Queensland Education Department and my late father to thank for a love of all types of poetry. It's funny how little things that you see and do will cause long forgotten stanza's to just pop into your head.I have to confess I remembered most of it but I did have to look it up.
When we drove out of the desert we were responsible for some of those 360's, and I remember saying to others in our group at the time,
I bet the locals are not going to love us for how we were rutting up the road , however it couldn't be helped.
Having grown up in the country I know what a great excitment the rains and a local flood can cause in the community and so I look forward to your regular up-dates on this forum.
Cheers David

'I must go down to the sea again, the lonely sea and the sky' - did you have an Anthology book and in beautiful handwriting write the poem on one side of the page and then do lovely drawings and colouring in on the opposite side? I was at a one teacher school in the western suburbs of Brisbane and our Head loved the English language (he had a cane too, and it was called Mr Tickler!). Every time we visited one of our Grandmothers - the one we had to call Mater - we would have to recite poetry and play the piano for her. I guess that's what kids did then. I still love poetry, loved Shakespeare (thought Keats was a real sissy) but especially love Australian verse - how could you not?
Don't stress about cutting up the roads doing 360's - didn't you learn to drive when you were 12 or 13 doing doughnuts on the claypans? Someone had been out yesterday on the road to Inside Track and Big Red doing wheelies (lucky things). Thanks for bringing about some happy memories - my cousins hated having to do their "pieces" but I enjoyed it (my snivelling little brother didn't have to do it either now I think about it). Enjoy.These are Diamantina Barra
GO HARD OR GO HOME

JohnR. Please let us all know if you did record Episode 2, AND if you are willing to do a copy/copies. From the above replies, and there there are bound to be a number of "lookers" too, there may be quite a demand for a helpful person.

One of the curiosity thing about the programme is that I didn't see a single vehicle or 4WD track in any of the pictures, just beautiful deserts, rivers, etc.

missed the first couple of minutes as it turned out, but a nice clear satellite feed with surround soundRegards

JohnR - Not enough of the right travelling, some here..... some over there.......

Ah, thanks Mr Bitchi
Well, I'll be off to the ABC shop to order one in person then, with that product ID in hand.
As will be others from this forum I'm sure. It is well worth having. Pass it around the 4wd clubs etc.
Just proves that the left hand doesn't know what the richt is doing. The person I spoke to on the phone yesterday said not listed, not available.

(After lunch break)
Been there, done that, got the DVD $50.95 (reckon it is well worth it as one of my occasional "indulgances"). All 6 episodes = 294 minutes DVD running time (that's right!), plus a special bonus disc.
Would you believe there was a huge display there (in the Adelaide Myer Centre)? You had to push past it to get into the shop.
Remember, "the person I spoke to (at the ABC shop) yesterday said not listed, not available". Thanks Mr Bitchi for steering me in the right direction.

My Pleasure. Will have to go and get a copy myself.

Yes Ruth. We watched some of the DVD last night. Anyone on this forum who doesn't beg borrow or steal a copy is not a true 4WD Aussie enthusiast, just a mechanical jock junkie.
You will not be disappointed with your copy.
Heather & I are "doing" the Kimberleys May/June this year and back via the Tanami Road, but may yet get to Birdsville late in the season. Was up at Innamincka a couple of years ago just after the big flood, Adelaide to Broken Hill, Packsaddle, Tibooburra, Cameron Corner and then had to go up via QLD due closed road to Merty Merty, and still got rained in at Burkes' grave for 3 days. The National Parks Ranger tat Innamincka at the time was a lady, I think she was called Christine. The "town square" was one big muddy puddle. We were with/helping Graham (surname witheld in this forum) who fixes the Outback CB & Parks radios & repeaters, and may be known to you. Drives big white Troopy, antennas everywhere, looks like an Australian hedgehog (would that be an echidna?), the Troopy does anyway, not Graham.

Arkay, the lady ranger at Innamincka Christine is now a wildlife officer based in Mt Isa - nowadays she has to go to the Gulf and deal with crocodiles. Christine is a really nice person and was an excellent Simpson Desert Ranger - SA NP should be sorry they've lost her! Don't know the hedgehog - maybe he only does SA? We'll be here late this season - not going on The Ghan now, rather spend the money on the new fishing tinny - probably won't go anywhere until Christmas so hope we will see you.These are Diamantina Barra
GO HARD OR GO HOME

Thanks Ruth for the update on Christine. If we ever get to Mt Isa we will look her up. She is a nice person and came & shared a red with us at camp one night (after hours). Even brought her own cup so she didn't catch anything (apart from fish). We sang her a song or two (I am the local bush poet in our group), but I don't think we taught her anything she didn't already know.
We were hoping to make it to Coongie that trip but the rain beat us, so we'll have to go back another day.

Arkay, when you were at Innamincka - was there another woman at the ranger station then, named Robyn? If Christine only drank one red you were lucky. I have Christine's mobile for when you get here. That Robyn - she's around here too!These are Diamantina Barra
GO HARD OR GO HOME

We knew there was another woman about the place but we never had the pleasure of meeting her, unless we passed each other in the Dick Smith / Australian Geographic renovated Elizabeth Simons Hospital complex , now SA NPWLS Headquarters. It and the loos there were beautifully kept.
Have now checked the date - was mid June 2001. The photo I checked of the Innamincka Hotel is embossed 13/06/2001.
Can't "insert" photos here so can't send you sticky picckys.

Yes that would have been Robyn - she was here for a couple of years and now is in Bedourie. Talking to her last night - I'll tell her how clean her loos were.These are Diamantina Barra
GO HARD OR GO HOME