Oka owners group newsletter

Blackall is named for the second governor of Queensland Sir Samuel Blackall and was so called by Major Mitchell during his explorations. It is situated on the Barcoo River. This immediately reminded us of the poem by Banjo Patterson, “A Bush Christening”. “On the outer Barcoo where the churches are few and men of religion are scanty...” An interesting history unfolded as we looked around. The town is the original home of the “Black Stump”. The said stump is the exact centre of a meridian square, and was used by early surveyors, who stood a theodolite on it for stability so as to accurately align the borders of Queensland in 1887. The Stump on display today is a fossilized version surrounded by information relating its history. It was stated that anywhere past this point is “Beyond the Black Stump”.

Other points of interest in Blackall include the restored wool scour and the aquatic centre. The feats of the gun shearer Jackie Howe added to the fame of this interesting town. It was in 1892 that using hand shears, he sheared 321 sheep in a 7 hour 40 minutes working day and created a world record that has never been exceeded using hand shears.

During our travels Gordon and I are often amused by some of the place names or signs we see and wonder at the origin of them. This trip has so far been no exception. So far we have come across a place ‘Glum Gully’, it wasn’t far from Mistake Creek State School, I can only think that someone had a very bad day. On the road out of Blackall we came across ‘Tickle-belly Gully’. Imagination could run riot on that one. The hairdresser’s shop in Blackall was aptly called ‘The

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Shearing Shed’. Merrigang was the name on a property gate and we couldn’t decide whether it was a family name or just a happy group of property owners. Last but not least, a sign on the fence of a residence read, Horse S**t for sale at $6 a bag.

Sunday saw us in Charleville having come via Tambo and Augathella. The latter two being very small towns, were drive in, look around and drive out. Besides, it was a Sunday and most things were closed. We checked out the historic buildings and continued on. The inclement weather in Charleville prevented us from visiting the two venues we had planned on, ‘The Skywatch Centre’ and the bilby exhibition. The rain followed us through to Eulo. The next day we visited the few other areas of interest and decided that as Charleville is not too far from Mackay we could repeat our visit at a later date and spend more time there.

Cunnamulla, a word from a local aboriginal language meaning (a long stretch of water) is situated on the Warrego River. It is one of the few flowing watercourses we’d seen thus far. A quick visit to the visitor information centre and mini museum gave us an insight into the past and present of the town. A large weir exists on the outskirts of the area and we decided on a meal break there. To our amusement we saw yet another example of Australian ‘toilet humour’, a sign in the composting toilet that read “If you didn’t eat it, don’t put it in the hole”. Obviously, items other than natural waste had been deposited into the receptacle.

Eulo, a tiny settlement consisting of a general store, a pub, a few residences and a date plantation was our next stop. The owners of the date farm make all sorts of ‘date goodies’, including sweet, medium and dry date wine. They also grow figs, which are turned into dried or glace fruit, pickled figs and fig jam. We sampled everything and took away a few products. An interesting sign on the door of the shop had a list of words containing the word date. E.g. mandate, consolidate, accommodate, blind date and many more ‘date’ words.

On the way to our bush camp for that night we visited the Eulo Mud Springs. These are mounds of mud approximately two metres high with a centre crater. They are safety valves for the artesian basin and for want of a better explanation, are mud volcanoes. A sign at the entrance of the area stated that these occasionally go off with a resounding bang that may be heard for several kilometres. I had never thought of the pressure that could be created underground with the storage of countless mega, mega megalitres of very hot water. Very interesting.

The very far southwesterly town of Thargomindah was our next destination. The name means ‘Cloud of Dust’. Quite apt. A very friendly and historically interesting town and another offer to buy the OKA!! On arriving in town and looking for directions, the town water contractor approached us and told us to go and see his wife who was working at the post office, tell her to come and look at their new vehicle and then tell her to write us out a cheque. We were highly amused, he was quite serious. I’m not sure how we’d have travelled back to Mackay minus the car had the arrangement gone ahead. Gordon gave him our address to follow up at a later date if he wanted to. Thargomindah was the first place in Australia to use a hydroelectric scheme to power its streetlights. Only two other places in the world preceded, these were London and Paris. A visit and tour of the old Power House was very interesting. An historic house in the centre of town was once the town residence of the ‘Cattle King’ Sidney Kidman.

One hundred and forty kilometres from Thargomindah is the Noccundra Pub, over a century old, population. We stopped for a break and a visit. An interesting feature of this pub is the low doorframes, approximately 165 cms in height. Most people have to duck under. The local folk of a century ago were definitely of shorter stature. The building is a sandstone structure. Nice to see it had been preserved and was still in business. In the grounds outside stood a boulder with a plaque attached. It was to commemorate a rescue expedition for the Leichhardt party. It also failed, having only one survivor and of course the Leichhardt party was never located.

The next morning saw us heading for Cameron Corner. The countryside changed from sparse vegetation to vast gibber plains horizon to horizon. It was uneventful except for the constant dodging of kame-kazi kangaroos and end-it-all emus. We are quite used to seeing kangaroo victims on the side of the road but the numbers of dead emus we’ve seen during our trip thus far has been astounding. The drought stricken areas meant that the wildlife comes closer to townships looking for food and we have seen many smaller towns with emus in the main streets and on the footpaths and in the yards of the residences. Fortunately we did not hit one during our holiday.

Arriving at Cameron Corner mid-morning we stopped at the corner post for a photo session, then up to the corner store for a cool drink. It was a good opportunity for a toilet stop and of course there was more toilet humour with the signs on the doors reading Drip Dry for the ladies and Flip Dry for the gents. Travelling from Cameron Corner toward the Strezlecki Track we decided to take the shorter distance by going the ‘old’ Strezlecki Track, which shortened the journey considerably. The country changed from plains to dune country and we likened the road to being on a roller coaster. Road conditions were quite good and we encountered very little traffic so dust was not a problem. The vegetation became more varied with different eucalypts and shrub wattle taking the place of seemingly never ending mulga and spinifex tussocks. . En route we met up with the first grader driver we’d seen since leaving sealed roads and had a short radio conversation. These fellows are usually a mine of information on road conditions. They lead a fairly solitary life for weeks on end are usually ready for a chat to travellers. The track passed through the Moomba oil fields and several derricks working a short distance from the road provided a break in the usual scenery.

Arriving at Innaminka mid afternoon, we went immediately to the Trading Post which, at that time, was a hive of activity and doing a roaring trade. After fuelling up {$1.32 p/l} we spent our fair share at the shop and then went to the camping area on the banks of Cooper Creek. Plenty of other travellers had the same idea and of course we attracted a lot of interest as we drove in. A couple from Sydney approached us (Land Rover Club Members) and showed great interest.

Cooper Creek is a delightful spot. Camping near water was so refreshing after so many desert bush camps. Bird life is prolific and the pelicans sailing up and down looked like mini yachts. I’m always on the look out for different plants and trying to identify bush tucker and I noticed that the banks had an abundance of nardoo fern growing through the grass. I would not like the job of digging up the fruits and grinding them into flour for my living, sounds like too much hard work. . Next morning we did the usual tourist thing and visited the restored Australian Inland Mission Hospital that is now used as a museum and Nation Parks office. The Inland Mission is of great interest to me because of its connection to early nursing

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services initiated by the Reverend John Flynn. I understand and am amazed at difficulties experienced by the registered nurses (Nursing Sisters) of the era and the dedication with which they served the community.

Next a visit to the gravesite of Robert O’Hara Burke at a lonely spot on the high bank above the creek. Like so many explorers of his era, going out for the adventure and the fame, and never really knowing what was in store for them. We did not visit the cairn commemorating Wills, because it was 40 kilometres in the direction opposite to the route we were taking. He is not buried at the site as his family had his body returned to them and he is said to have been buried in England. There is a large memorial to him in the village from which he came. Several people were at the Dig Tree site when we arrived and so we all photographed one another next to the tree. A great deal has been done to preserve the tree and a hut construction houses all the information relating to the expedition. Water was in the creek, which is part of Cooper Creek, and the Corellas were there by the thousands. From a distance the surrounding trees looked as though they were flowering. Every branch was weighed down by the parrots. This made standing under a tree for the shade very precarious.

Late afternoon found us at Haddon Corner. It turned out to be an unscheduled campsite. After the photo taking we noticed that the passenger side front tyre was going down so repairs were necessary. We couldn’t decide which state to camp in so we parked the car over the borderline and slept in one state and had breakfast in the other.

The previous afternoon we had witnessed the equinox. To be out there on a flat open plain and seeing the full moon rise in the east and the sun very low in the west at the same time in a cloudless evening sky was a fascinating sight. Early next morning we began our drive into Birdsville. It was a still morning and the dust we created hung in the air behind us for kilometres. Three hours later after an uneventful drive through mundane country with only a few signs of wildlife we found ourselves in Birdsville. With lots to see we first went to the information centre. They couldn’t have been more helpful, as all these centres have so far been.

The working museum at Birdsville is something to be seen. Gordon and I have seen our fair share of museums but this one really takes the cake. The owner and guide a wheelwright by trade, has personally restored some of the wagons. Relics from all areas of our bygone era were arranged throughout the building. It would be impossible to give a mention to the many items on display, but to mention a few: Ancient hand operated washing machines, children’s toys, an early general store set up with all the bulk produce tins, any and all types of early tobacco tins, manually operated glass bowled fuel bowsers and a working Clydesdale driven chaff cutter and much, much more. We could easily have spent a week in there. Highly recommended for anyone going to that region. Visiting all the historical sites including the Birdsville Pub (an experience out on its own) took up the remainder of the day. Mention is given to the early explorers in various plaques and cairns around the district. These include – Burke & Wills, Captain Charles Sturt, John McDowell Stuart, Ludwig Leichhardt and John Costello. Our camp that night was on the banks of the Diamantina River where there is yet another blazed tree depicting a Burke & Wills campsite. Gordon and I have visited or camped near four camps of theirs apart from ‘The’ dig tree. Our plan was to travel along the ‘inside’ Birdsville track but on discovering that this had been closed to all traffic we elected to travel along the ‘outside track’ so daylight the next morning saw us on our way.

The condition of the track at that time was quite good and the road surface being quite hard meant very little dust. As there was very little traffic going either way progress was better than expected. Although it is desert country the scenery regularly changed from rolling sand hills to vast flat stony expanses with low growing shrubs. Differing terrains usually meant entering a new desert. The track progressed through the Tirari, Strezlecki and Sturt’s Stony Deserts. One point of interest in this region is the Mt. Gason wattle project. This species of wattle (Acacia Pickhardii) is only known to grow in two areas in Australia, one stand being on the Birdsville Track and the other being near Old Andado Station in the Northern Territory and is in apparent decline nearing extinction. National Parks has erected a stock, rabbit & dog proof fence around a selected group of the trees so as to protect them from grazing and study the manner of reproduction i.e. by seed, sucker or both. I would be interested in the results of the study.

An oasis known as Mungerannie Roadhouse was our lunch and refuelling stop. This place provided a respite from the seemingly never-ending desert. Situated on the Derwent River an artesian bore flowed into a man made naturally- heated spa pool, and was provided with vinyl chairs in the pool so visitors could be comfortable whilst enjoying the benefits of the water. The overflow went into the river so that the water in the pool was continually replaced. The bird life in and around the river was prolific and diverse and of course acted like a magnet to me. All too soon it seemed we must be under way again. Halfway to Marree from Mungerannie and mid-afternoon we came to a most unusual rest area. A strongly constructed toilet and shower block for either gender with hot water supplied by artesian bore, a shower curtain was also provided and, to cap it all off, outside was a large tub approx. 2.7 metres in diameter for anyone wishing to partake of a refreshing soak or spa in the warm mineral artesian waters. Three large wooden foot stands were situated strategically around the tub so that one’s feet might not be soiled on completion of a soak. Fluorescent lights powered by solar panels lighted the area at night. The whole facility was so clean, tidy and inviting with cultivated perimeter gardens we were sorry we were not staying that night. It seemed extraordinary to us that a local authority should go to such lengths in so isolated a spot for the travelling public. We pondered on some of the rest areas we’d visited in our time and decided it might be worth moving interstate to be near this kind.

On reaching Marree we stocked up at the local shop, which was well supplied, and then looked around at the relics of what was once a bustling town. The Oodnadatta track beckoned to us and we set off to take advantage of the remaining daylight before making camp that night. Forty kilometres out from Marree we came across the ruins of an old railway building and decided that this was a good spot. As the light was still good we undertook to explore the building. It is was a wonderful old stone structure of the kind that is no longer built. Obviously served as a station stop and also to house railway staff as it was equipped with fireplaces in the kitchen and the living quarters. The walls were a foot thick, making it cool in summer and very warm in winter. It was in a state of disrepair and had been vandalised to a certain extent but was standing up well. The Oodnadatta Track proved to be by far the most interesting track. Historically there was much to see and the 200 kms. to William Creek took much longer to travel since we stopped every few kilometres to look at something. The first point of interest was the strangest sight we had seen in a long time.

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Various sculptures were arranged over a large area of land beginning with a V.W. van cut in half longways to make a gate. Next was two aircraft standing side by side upright on their tails with odd paintings on them, following on from these was a pyramidical structure with a geometric shape hanging in on the inside from its apex (7-8 metres high). Further along stood a large windmill turned into a large sunflower with large green leaves welded to it, and last but not least was a metal man approximately life size and made from all manner of scrap metal. This included all aspects of his anatomy. I sought a photo opportunity here. Our information on this area told us that this was Mutonia Sculpture Park.

Travelling on we approached Lake Eyre south, a large expanse of land 12 metres below sea level. Quite dry and a great deal of salt around we did not go too close as we felt our weight might get us into trouble. Next we came to Curdimurka, a station fully restored to its former glory by the Ghan Historical Society. What a dedicated band of enthusiasts they must be. Nearby stood a cairn marking the passing of that area by the explorer John McDowall Stuart.

Mound Springs came up next a large area covered in mineral hot springs and various bubbling mounds. The region has significant importance for the local indigenous people. To our amusement we saw that some energetic people had turned the discarded railway sleepers into roadside signs consisting of a XXXX advertisement, some Roman Numerals, names and other initials with meaning only to the builders of these.

Soon an amazing sight caught our attention. Strung up in a tree known as ‘Pussy Willow’ (Acacia Felinata) was some twenty or so very dead feral cats and only a few metres further on was another tree called Foxtail Fir (Acacia Reynardii) and this one was decorated with feral foxes similarly treated: A crude but effective way of controlling feral animals.

Next up was William Creek, another isolated outpost of civilization; just a pub and a small shop selling take-away food and souvenirs, a small airstrip and heliport. We had planned to take a flight over Lake Eyre if it had had water in it but this was not to be. Apparently the salt was up to 4 metres in depth in some parts but we decided against the flight due mainly to time constraints and really wanting to go when the lake was full. Travelling further along the Oodnadatta track we came to Duff Creek but as we didn’t have any P.K. chewing gum we could not stay for an onion sandwich. Soon after we arrived at the Algerbuckina Railway Bridge. This marvel of engineering is the longest span bridge in South Australia, (587 metres long) and was built in 1889 during the heyday of the railway era to carry the Ghan across the Neales River in all weathers. Its height approximately 15 metres above the riverbed. A spectacular sight. The graves of three railway workers were situated on the northern end of the bridge. Two were marked with a white cross and the other had a headstone identifying him. He had drowned on the 2^nd August 1931, seventy-one years ago this month (we were there in August) had he lived he would have been ninety-one years old. There must have been a good deal more water around in that year. In 2002 we could barely find a puddle in the river.

That evening we made it to Oodnadatta and shouted ourselves a stay at the caravan park, a good long shower and did some overdue washing. It was a friendly place. The Pink Roadhouse is the place to fuel up and buy take-away food or a T-shirt. An early start the next day saw us at the Painted Desert by 9a.m. and enjoying the many aspects, colours and panoramic views of the region. During our visit we noticed a group of people putting up a few large marquees and wondered at their intention since ‘No Camping’ signs were prolific so being the curious sort we decided to stop and ask them. They were the advance catering party for the Variety Bash of which two were under way at that time, one from Victoria and one from Queensland. After chatting to them we found out which direction the vehicles were travelling and decided to be out of the area before their arrival. Imagining the dust we’d encounter was enough encouragement for us to head for Coober Pedy immediately. Only a few kilometres out of Coober Pedy we noted a small track off the main road called Lollipop Lane which was added to our ”unusual names list”.

Well Coober Pedy is definitely a different experience, as those of you who have been there will agree. We set out to do the usual tourist stuff and went to all the shops selling opals, just to look though, the opals that I liked the most were not the ones I could afford. The underground shops and houses were the most interesting features. I’m not sure I could live there as the underground areas would tend to be claustrophobic and also had a mustiness about them which would take a good deal of adjustment.

Buying water at the council desalination depot was a new experience for us. Each ten litres was 20cents into a machine, which meant we had to have bags of 20-cent pieces. The same applied at the caravan park when having a shower. Only trouble was the water stopped every two minutes and that was irritating. We appreciated that water is as precious as gold in this part of Australia but it would have been better to have at least $1 coin timers so that a more continuous shower was possible. However it was good to have water on tap and our thoughts are more suggestion than complaint. The day after we arrived all the Variety Bash people arrived and the town really came alive. All sorts of odd-looking vehicles drove up and down the streets in their fund raising activities and all had a good time. Shopping to stock up on food etc and vehicle maintenance was our next priority so we concentrated on this so as to have a very early start the next day. Reaching the outskirts of town at 7a.m. we farewelled Coober Pedy.

Next story .......The Anne Beadell Highway and beyond.

Gordon & Laurel Rollinson

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Hi there!

OKA OWNERS GROUP (PUTTING PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT FIRST)

NEWSLETTER June 2003

Sydney Police reported a quiet weekend on the 3^rd & 4^th May, 2003. It would appear that the OKA hoons were out of town that weekend. You know the type, they drag race at every set of lights, fire up their OKAs in the back streets, smoking the tyres... Six of them were up in the hills (compared to Mt. Everest) where they met up with a quiet country couple and went motoring, winding up in a very pleasant camping spot at Newnes. A great time was had by all, and it was good to be able to put faces to names. That’s when you could see the faces, as some of the time they had their bums up or their feet hanging out from under the OKAs.

On Sunday morning we had all hands and the cook making a repair job on Lloyd’s clutch. Thank you to all the crew who donated bits and pieces and their time to getting us back on the road and home again with no further problems at all. While all this was going on, the girls sat around the fire talking, and from time to time saying “look at our little darlings playing with their toys. These OKAs sure keep them out of mischief!”

Work completed, a discussion took place about clutch adjustment. I maintained that to get the clutch to take up closer to the floor, the cable should be shortened. Owen and Ron said lengthened. For a second I thought Jim might support me, but he left me to the mercy of those other two hoons. It appears they were right, so my apologies to Owen and Ron. It must have been an OKA design fault for you to win that argument! Mumble, mumble.... In any case we didn’t have to adjust the clutch at all.