The Ghan railway line was closed to trains in 1981, when the new line from Adelaide to Alice Springs was completed. The Oodnadatta Track runs alongside the Old Ghan line for many kilometres. We camped right next to the disused rail line, just next to Lake Eyre.
Not another camper in sight.

They say that the old sleepers make great fire wood. Now you’d think after 30 years, that all those railway sleepers would have been salvaged, souvenired, or just burnt for the campfire. But rest assured there are plenty left.

We had our best fire yet. The wind dropped off when the sun went down.
This is one of Harry’s photos at sunset. The tiny spec in the middle is the first star for the night. Later, there were thousands.

The filling of Lake Eyre in recent years has attracted thousands of visitors to witness this rare event. I have been lucky enough to see it from the air on flights to and from Alice Springs. But to see it at ground level (albeit from a distance) was amazing. All this – 12m below sea level.

It’s hard to describe how beautiful it is.


Photo below, we have stopped in the fading light to take some photos. It may look hot, but it was actually freezing, with a biting icy wind howling across the gibber plains.

At first light John sprinted up Mt. Chambers for spectacular views of the area.

Above is our camping spot for the night with the enticing climb behind us.
He summitted in a flash, and was back to get Fergus and Harry for a return trip. Off they went, while my very old knees and I made coffee and toast in peace. Emus dropped by the tent for a very close look. I think they have trailer envy. (Actually, John thinks everyone has trailer envy).
They made it to the top!
Here’s a photo Fergus took from the top of Mt. Chambers. That’s Mt. John (true!) you can see in the distance.

This morning’s task was to climb Mt.Ohlsen-Bagge. It’s only 2.5km to the summit, but it’s pretty much all uphill. Harry and John took the lead, while Fergus kept me company as I trailed behind, wishing John wasn’t the only person with carrying the water.

The view was great! Here’s Ferg with St.Mary’s Peak in the background.

You can see both inside and outside the pound from the top.

We had perfect weather again. The walk down was tough on my knees. I think I got second hand ones when I was born.
On arrival back at camp, we found that we hadn’t quite crow-proofed (or magpie –proofed) our camp. Hence our near full carton of eggs was raided, and remnants strewn all around. They also like butter.

We packed up after lunch and headed north, further into the ranges. It is a beautiful drive through Bunyaroo Valley lookout. The landscape is remarkably non-Australian in sections, where a native fir tree covers the hillsides, without a eucalypt in sight. It had a very “Montana” feel about it.

Then it’s down to the valley floor and along the creek bed. They recently had a huge dump of rain, so it was a rare sight to see so much water around.

We left the National Park and drove on towards the Gammon Ranges NP, but turned off to Chambers Gorge. John camped here once, on a trip with his family back in the 70s.
Another good campfire after a fun day. We toasted marshmallows, and Ferg fell asleep in his camp chair. More fun tomorrow – John wants to climb Mount Chambers. Of course.

Today’s drive from Melrose to Wilpena Pound was filled with the good old Who Am I? game. you know – ask any question and only get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Some of the mystery people we chose ranged from surfing heroes to school friends. But John really had us stumped when he chose the lady who works in the bakery in Torquay and always has a bandaid on her nose. Go figure. That, plus quizzing the boys on what was written on the plaque on the BIG rock in Hawker where we stopped for lunch, made the 160km just fly by.
John and I have both been here before, but the sight of those amazing red ranges, their sweeping curved profile, reflecting the late afternoon sun will never lose its wow factor.
We arrived at the Visitor Centre in Wilpena Pound and checked in for an unpowered site. Trevor the Trailer has everything we need – power included. This place offers such luxury! It’s a National Park, but we are allowed a fire (and as I sit and type this, my face is glowing from a 5 star fire). There’s barely another camper in earshot, so it feels like we have the peace of the bush. There’s a shower and toilet – now that’s luxury. But wait – there’s a sink to wash your dishes in!
Tomorrow we’re doing a walk to the summit of Mt.Ohlssen-Bragge (I’ll check my spelling tomorrow). John wanted to do the 9 hour walk up St.Mary’s peak (highest peak in the Flinders Ranges), but Ferg and Harry saw the “9 hours” bit and boycotted it. Think I might side with them, if we have to vote.
Tell you all about it tomorrow.