Mt Dare, Dalhousie Springs and Purni Bore are all in the Witjira National Park. Early on Day 2 we crossed into the Simpson Desert Regional Reserve, the main practical difference to us being that we could now have a camp fire. Within the first hour we came upon the man with his front wheel off I mentioned in this post:
The landscape we travelled through was quite dry, but not as dry as we later encountered:
We had a choice of which track to take, the short and direct way or the longer way:
We were here to enjoy the desert, not just to cross it. We chose the longer way, to the right. It proved a good choice!
We were already seeing quite a lot of flowers, the result of rain earlier in the season:
This was quite a healthy clump of spinifex:
Here we have a sandhill showing about as green a stand of vegetation as we saw in the open desert:
Plant matter on the sand:
A little later we came upon the grave of a desert lover, whose wish it was to be buried in the desert:
Here’s the surrounding environment:
Soon after midday we stopped to photograph the fields of flowers we were passing through:
More flowers about an hour and a half later:
We were on a late lunch. Len took a walk up the hill:
And found more flowers:
Another hour down the track and the flowers were gone. Never again did we see flowers in such profusion.
The sandhills were becoming higher and more challenging. I think this was the first time Ian G_J had to have a second go:
Later when we had struck camp, Ian took a walk up the hill:
As the shadows lengthened, Len too took a walk:
He spied Margot near the throne room:
That’s a camera in her hand.
This contextualizes Len’s swag:
And a closer look:
I reckon that’s 2-star accommodation. Len liked it; I’m glad we bought a tent. Betty and Eoin’s tent was distinctly 4-star, with 2-litre shower annexe:
As at Purni Bore we had a fullish moon. Here’s the rising moon:
And later:
We did have our first camp fire:
To end another glorious day!
Note: This post is the sixth in a series on our Red Centre holiday.
Lovely photos. The flowers are great and the one of the moon is beautiful. Terrific memories for you.
Morning Brian,
Still photos never seem to illustrate the wind.
Of the ones you’ve posted it looks very still and calm all the time.
Was this the case ?
Jumpy, on the contrary, there was a wind blowing most of the time. I don’t remember it as annoying except that it kept blowing the flame of our gas burner away friom the bottom of the billy can. We had to put it on the grond next to the back wheel and use the plastic guard/container to keep a bit of heat going vertically.
Where you see photos of the vehicles, you can see the wind’s effect by the bend in the fibre glass poles. For example, look at the fourth last photo in this post, which shows our Nissan Navara stationary with a bent pole. The one before that shows a shot taken from the cabin with the pole bent right to left through the windscreen. That was pretty normal.
Aah, well there you go. Thru work travels to mining districts I’ve seen thousands of those flags at varying angles but most don’t indicate wind direction or strength, just where they’ve ended up after a hard life.
So that didn’t register.
Ive never been to that type of desert area. One day, perhaps.
Show me a photo of the sea or coastal plants an trees and I can guess the wind speed within 10 knots.
( No offence intended but some hair length would also be helpful 🙂 )
jumpy, our flags were always vertical when the wind wasn’t blowing. Perhaps they were new and properly attached. See the fourth last photo. You can be sure the wind was blowing.
Do keep them coming Brian. I am enjoying MY trip through the centre.
Greetings, SEF, and thanks!
The next is in the bin!