Murray Sunset/ Big Desert August 20, 21, 22

millsy

4x4 Earth Contributer
BOOKED OUT - Murray Sunset/ Big Desert August 20, 21, 22

Sorry, we now have enough cars for this trip. The people coming, or could be coming, are listed at the bottom of this post.

Would anyone be interested in a weekend through parts of the Murray Sunset and the Big Desert, including the Border Track south of Pinnaroo - the one way section.

I am proposing the weekend starts on Friday 20th August. Drive up to Glossop to camp in the Katarapko Conservation Park (or the Murray River National Park as named on Google maps) just south of Berri on Friday afternoon/evening after work.
Saturday morning across to the border a bit past Yamba, and turn into the Sunset country. Head down one of several tracks, including the Millewa South Bore Track, or the Border Track, which I know are both quite sandy and well vegetated. Eventually ending up at Pinnaroo to refuel. Then, across to the Big Billy Camp ground which is about 40km south of Murrayville on the Nhill/Murrayville Road. This is a nice clay topped road, a bit rutted here and there due to erosion. If time gets away from us there is the beautiful camp ground at Pine Hut Soak, which is just 20km south of Pinnaroo. This is one of my favourite camping spots and have used it 3 or 4 times in the last 2 years.

Sunday morning 11 km back up the Nhill/Murrayville road to the Cactus Bore track and head over to to the Scorpion Springs Conservation Park. A bit of a look at the Scorpion Springs and the Fish Ponds, and then down the Border Track. Some of my mates have done the Cactus Bore Track and reckon it was the best part of their trip. I missed out because I had to make a dash back to Pinnaroo via the highway and re-stock with the good stuff - FUIC! So I am looking forward to it this time. We might even camp at one of several nice camp grounds just off this Cactus Bore Track instead of on the hard pack clay at Big Billy. I think these would have a sand base rather than hard pack clay. There is a good lookout apparently along the Cactus Bore Track that offers great views across the Big Desert.

There are toilets at Big Billy and Pine Hut Soak camp grounds. There is also a toilet halfway down the Sunset country at the Pheeney's Campground. I will need to check out where the toilets are in the Katarapko park. Not sure if there are any, but I imagine there would be. I don't think there are toilets at the camp grounds on the Cactus Bore track, but I can make a phone call to the Ranger's Office to find out - same for the Katarapko situation.

So hopefully we can get a few cars together and have a great weekend!

The 'group' at this stage . . .

CONFIRMED STARTERS
Millsy - John ( MQ Patrol SWB )
Patrick Albrecht
Travel Bug - Scott and Sandra ( Pajero )
Chard and Lindsay ( Landcruiser 100 series )
Alien d2 - Kyle and mate, from Bacchus Marsh ( LandRover Discovery )

POSSIBLE STARTERS
Mark ( Hilux traytop )
 
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frosty

4x4 Earth Contributer
Not this time for me Millsy, but one day, I'm coming down to visit you and your gunna take me out on one of these desert treks!!

Your a lucky young fulla!!
 

millsy

4x4 Earth Contributer
Look forward to meeting up out there some time. I remember you wanting to come down last year. And likewise, I would love to bring the MQ up your way for a look around the tracks in the Great Divide! But I would have to get some decent muddies and a lift to keep up with you mountain goats!
 

oznog05

Member
Hi Millsy,

I'm heading over that way in October. Going to detour north for a look around on our way over over to Adelaide.

Interested in seeing your report for some info on place's to stay.
 

millsy

4x4 Earth Contributer
G'day Millsy, we'll tag along if it's a goer.

Regards Richard

Richard, nice to hear from you again. How's the new business going? Making your fortune? Did you find a suitable warehouse for your stock?

Your the first mate, so we will start the list up on post #1 and see what happens. I love getting out there on my own, or with others of course. So does not matter if its just the two of us, and your family. Anyway its a long way off yet. Maybe a few more might join in.
 

Chard

4x4 Earth Contributer
Millsy there is a typical concrete floor, national park type of long drop toilet on the campsite 1 - 19 track. This track vears left off the main track after the sign-in registration hut inside the kat national park. It is opposite campsite number 8.
Dunny co-ords from Google Earth, (not sure if WGS84)
34,21,5051 S
140,32,3851 E

We have spent many weekends camping at number 8, top site but a bit overgrown now. Always gets fish too.

Have fun.
 

millsy

4x4 Earth Contributer
Thanks for that Chard. Saved me a job. I have only been in there twice before, and that was many years ago.

Maybe you can advise on how bad the roads are these days if there is rain. The second time we camped there, probably on that 1 - 19 track by the sound of it, next to the creek, it rained through the night. The next morning I had to call for the RAA because the Torana's battery was flattened by my home made camp light. But then it was almost impossible to drive the car out of the park.

When we walked out to ring the RAA we could hardly walk on the white clay roads. Unless we walked perfectly along the crest in the middle of the track, we just lost our balance as we slipped sideways into the gutter. Same thing with the Torana! The RAA guy was amazing! He had to carry this 20kg battery into us so we could jump start. And then he walked along by the Torana as I drove slowly, pushing and shoving the side of the car to stop it from slipping off the crest! Above and beyond I would say!

Hope they have done something about it, or we will not be going in if rain is likely!
 

olcoolone

New Member
Wrong Richard...

Your think of the Silver Bruiser with the shower and boat business.

Haven't seen him for a while at any business functions.

We are the ones with the Hilux into remote travelling.

We have just got back from doing the Madigan Line and the Hay Rive Track in the NT and hopefully at the end of June head over to the Great Sandy Desert in WA for a few weeks....and then do your trip if it's on.

What's the latest on SA meetings.

Regards Richard
 

millsy

4x4 Earth Contributer
Sorry mate! Obviously confused. It seems like a long time ago that we had that meeting up at Mt Lofty!

I look forward to hearing some yarns about your adventures. Have you read Dunerunners lates chapter? It was all about the Great Sandy Desert, the Pilbara and the Kimberly.
 

Chard

4x4 Earth Contributer
The roads can get slippery but nothing that a 4wd with about 18psi will bother. We were in the Lyrup section of the park for Anzac weekend and it had 5 - 10 mm over night. Had to rescue a boat trailer after the father-in-law just left it and a 2wd hilux that was sideways across the track. The track was dry in a few hours and dusty the next day.
With your 4wd knowledge it just makes the drive more fun if it rains.
 

millsy

4x4 Earth Contributer
The roads can get slippery but nothing that a 4wd with about 18psi will bother. We were in the Lyrup section of the park for Anzac weekend and it had 5 - 10 mm over night. Had to rescue a boat trailer after the father-in-law just left it and a 2wd hilux that was sideways across the track. The track was dry in a few hours and dusty the next day.
With your 4wd knowledge it just makes the drive more fun if it rains.

Thanks again Chard. Well I hope the ol' girl will cope a bit better than the Torana! And at least I have some tread on the 'new' AT's. So far I have dabbled a bit in the mud, with the old tyres, but whether it was my lack of skill or the the tyres, I have had to be dragged out twice now. On two or three other occasions I have managed to reverse out of a bog. But I reckon if the MQ slipped down into the gutter on the side of one of those white clay roads I can imagine a big winch job to extract it! Hopefully it was just a Torana thing!
 
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shane 45

Active Member
Ok Millsy we are in for the October long weekend it should be a good trip mate. We are sitting here in Wallaroo just got back from fishing didnt catch anything not even a cold. Had a great time up at Balcanoona last week the sights were great and wish I had more time up there. Any way the Office Beach Caravan park has 4 camp site and 3 cabins free for the June long weekend mate. We are coming up again will book our cabin tomorrow mate.
 

millsy

4x4 Earth Contributer
Sounds like you are having a great weekend up there. Sunny and mild yesterday - windy and rainy today. You wouldn't bother sitting out on the jetty in these conditions - would you?

Tell us a bit about Balcanoona. Never heard of it! Where is it? What were the sights all about?

Still working out the exact route for the Back of Burra trip. We might shorten the trip to Danggali. We can always do the hills north of Burra, and the long trek up to Lillydale on another trip. We could then turn west at Lillydale and head back out to the Barrier Highway at Yunta. I like Yunta. A really typical little fuel stop out in the middle of nowhere. Some real characters live out there from what I have seen. Might even be a good camp site not too far away, and then have an easy run back to Adelaide on the Sunday. I know there is a mine or two, some probably abandoned, because Dad bought an old bondwood caravan and camped out there for a while in the eightees, prospecting. Not sure exactly where. Then when he got home he conned me into paying him the same $300 he paid for it. Still have it sitting in the front yard! Has come in handy though. You never know when you need an old caravan, or two. I allready had one, even older. And antique collectors have even made me offers for them!

It would make it a lot easier for WIlkat's family - including the pet dog, making it a 4 hour drive to Dangalli, rather than 6 or more. That way we can go through the Danggali and camp in the 'dog friendly' Chowilla Game Reserve a bit further south. And then we have more time for the Snset on Sunday.

Have a look at the two routes on the Back of Burra thread. What do you think?
 
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shane 45

Active Member
I think its a good idea mate. Balcanoona is at the top of the Flinders 30ks from Arkaroorla mate the sights were of the ranges around the air strip have some photos that I took.
 

millsy

4x4 Earth Contributer
Did you say you were working up there?! Is it hard? Would they take on an ex chalkie? How long would t take me to learn how to drive one of those shaker thinga-majingys? You lucky coot! Photos, photos, photos, . . .!
 

shane 45

Active Member
Millsy the only peice of equitment they would give an ex chalky is a shovel or a broom if you were good with them you might end up on a roller mate. Here are some photos.
 

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millsy

4x4 Earth Contributer
Thanks Shane! For the photos I mean. Maybe I'll stick to pushing the kids to do some work instead. Sounds easier than me pushing a shovel or a broom. A bit of green up there I see. Last time I was up near Arkaroola it was in February 2008. All brown, except for the gums. Hot and dry, but not windy, luckily.

Love looking at those hills. Mesmerizing. And to think they were gently pushed up, and are still being slowly lifted. But at the same time, and at an even faster rate in places, being washed away by the rain. The tilted strata in the first shot shows the uplifting well, and also the erosion under the harder rocks at the top of the ridge.
 
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