THANKS DON - ANOTHER MUD STORY

Local advice didnt match the plans or the physical roads. Short Story - got bogged - nothing worked.

Smoke Signals attracted Ron from Yalda (somewhere between White Cliff and Tibooburra). A BIG THANKS Don on a busy day for taking time to help us out. We hadnt seen anything but two emus for 24 hours and it looked like it might stop that way for a few days.

We had food, shelter, water and felt we could walk if necessary back along the road to the turn off road (realising we should stop with the car but feeling no one would know we were there and that it wasnt a long walk 20K we thought but it was in fact 30K).

We learnt some lessons:

No. 1 take a starpost or two with you. Sometimes even if you dont mean to be off road you are!!!!!

No. 2 go back through on the ruts and dont leave the road for the seemly hard paddock.

No.3 even if you mean to stick to proper roads a proved communication system is needed for emergencies if you travel alone.

No wonder Australia is the great place it is with country folk like Don, he gave up his time, lent us a starpost, would have contacted another farmer who could get through to us with a vehicle if necessary, offered us hospitality and even gave Sparky a ride in the whirlybird to check out the roads to his homestead. Was even concerned if I would be frightened left alone for awhile. I told him I had picked up a straw broom in Coonabarrabran and heaven help anyone or thing that came near, lol.

Sparky got us out easily with his winch and the starpost, sadly the road looked too bad for us to attempt but another time we will visit. It was a beautiful spot to be in except for the Troopy sitting in the mud.

Carolyn