Eyre creek in Simpson

I love your sig picture Wim. :-)

I still haven't got around to making trophies out of those two bits of Grevillea, but hope to soon. BTW I loved the videos, I put them up on my youtube.

Hey just re-read your post. Looks like we are going to be in the same area at the same time. Hook up around a camp fire somewhere?

David.

I will make contact via HF once I am out that way.

Regards and have an uneventful season.

Wim

Just this morning, I had one cancellation on our 4 Corners Tour, so unless I get some more takers before April 15, I won't be in the desert in May. Shame really as we were doing 4 corners and Lake Eyre. My next trip starts in Alice Springs on June 1. Hoping to get across the desert then from the west.

David.

Is Poeppel your first corner.
If your Four Corners goes ahead, can you get to Poeppel and if so when would you plan on being there?
I will have to decide which direction from camp 16 on or about the 8th of May.
I am hoping for a slow trip down the Hay making Birdsville about the 13th.
I have a small amount of flexibility in my schedule.

Regards

Wim

Hi Wim

The order was to be Haddon, Peoppel, Cameron, SG.
The plan was to be at Birdsville on the 14th heading for Peoppel on the 15th, but as I say, my latest advice is that Eyre creek may still be impassable even by the detour on the 15th of May.

In any case, we are hopeful of getting at least two more participants, but unless we do it is likely the 4 Corners trip won't go ahead, in which case I will be leaving Alice Springs on June 1 bound for Birdsville on June 8. There are a number of interested persons keen to see flooding and Lake Eyre, but as yet not enough firm commitments. I hope we get out there, as we will likely be very nearby you. Would be good to catch up even if via the HF.

Cheers
David

David.

I have decided to get to Alice from the South. I will go via Cameron & Muloorina and check out the lake on the way.

Regards

Wim

I am sure we will get sufficient takers for the 4 corners trip to happen, given the interest in the desert in flood and Lake Eyre etc but Gee I just had a brilliant idea, though my boss may not agree. If the 4 Corners tour doesn't happen, I could meet you at Madigan's Camp 15 coming in from Batton Hill and I could go to Alice via the French Line. :-)

Exiting via the Hay is all OK except for quite a bit extra fuel, extra cost for permits and 4 1/2 extra days, not viable for a commercial operation

Gday Rob,

Its a couple of years since you joined us on that Hay River trip - absolute magic with Lake Caroline full of water, shield shrimp breeding, camels galore, Lindsays bush tucker lunch with his family..............it was one of the best trips we've done. Have a good time out there!

Cheers
phil

It is the big puddle centred about 20k west of Big Red that I am worried about :-)

I didn't know that rocks and sand were organic :-)

Huh Willem- thought you must have had a NICE injection lately - but I was wrong! LOL

Many people think that the cattle out that way eat rocks, there seems to be not much else for them to eat at times. I've seen the organic beef signs on AD and figured it would be pretty good country for organic certification.

I think what Ruth may have been getting at is that the crossing and the surrounding area is on private property I reckon the owners of that property would be pretty peeved if you tried an un-authorised detour.

Never seen an inorganic beast
Must take a better look in future

Good cattle seem to thrive on nothing, well at least for a while.
I stopped and took photos, two Hereford type X cows and their calves eating rocks in the Gibbers ,east of the Birdsville track , calves lying in the only shade, fat sassy 3yr old Mums getting food from the gibbers, drove on past a bit had a look, enough vegetation sticking up for a graze, they appeared to be thriving.
Later on heading South from the Daimatina Lakes Park saw a cloud of dust heading east, pulled up and watched as a mob of Steers ( Brahma X) crossed the road I would presume heading for water, they looked in good nick to me, picked up there attitude, they were going to cross before me, so let them go, I was only going to the next gate anyway.
Cattle in that country will now will be enjoying the floods, flies will be the main annoyance, food and water in abundance?.

Herbaceous plants seem to be the key. Higher nutrition than grasses perhaps.

Herbaceous plants eaten by herbivores who in turn are eaten by carnivores(us) with some mixed results. Maybe we should cut the middle man out and go grazing ourselves :-) I would lose a lot of weight fast!!!

Goodness Me Willem
I never thought that you might be a herbivore( veggie ), I would have classed you in the omnivore category as myself.
I was impressed by those cows and calves looking good, grazing on the Gibbers, that is why I ticked down the track a bit, walked out and had a look, among those stones was a pick of feed herbaceous of course.
As mainly a carnivore If I was starving I would have chosen one of the milk fat veelers under the shade to satisfy my hunger.
I must admit there had been the odd shower before I looked there last year, a little more than the guys a bit further north had had.
Have a good one
Cheers
Russ