The wind continued all night, but it was still pretty comfortable and not too cold in the swag. I think we all had a better night’s sleep than in Birdsville.
As we’re only going to Innamincka we’re in no hurry. A casual backup and we’re away. We’ve got about 250ks to cover today. Mostly driving without too much sight seeing in-between.
As we’ve got time we take a detour into see Cordillo Downs Woolshed. We get most of the way by turning off the Cordillo Downs Road, but then it’s a 35km each way trip to the actual shed.
Most of the road is pretty good and we make great time.
The shed is pretty amazing, of course I’ve seen photos of it, but is so much more impressive in real life. I’m not sure I’d drive 1000’s K’s to see it, but a 70k diversion was certainly worth the effort. The guys doing the restoration are doing a fantastic job.
Back to the road and we head south. Into the Innamincka Regional Reserve and the roads are really good. I’d heard this road can be awful, but so far so good.
We’re about 60ks out of Innamincka, and we come across a “Road Closed” sign. It’s not across the middle of the road, but there are no side tracks so it can only mean this track. We don’t understand why. The road has been dry and no issues. Could Cooper Creek crossing be flooded? We’re puzzled if the road was closed, why the sign was not back at the Turn of at Corrillo Downs Station? To turn back now would be over 150kms extra, neither of us really have enough fuel for that. After chatting about it for a few minutes, we don’t see any alternative but to carry on.
The roads seems fine, so the only explanation I can think of is Cooper Crossing, that’s only about 1km from Innamincka, we’ll use the Jerrys as Floaties if we need too. About 30ks later, 20ks before town, we see an oncoming ute, George waves them down. They’ve just come from Innamincka, the roads fine and open from that end…..what a relief.
We drive into town, the crossing is not even wet!
A quick snack for lunch, refuel. We buy our camping pass and head down to the town common. We eventually fine a nice enough place right by the creek.
After reading a fair amount about Burke and Wills’ expedition. I’m kinda pinching myself to be sitting here beside the same creek.
I’m doing a bit of writing by the creek and I can see 3 or 4 turtle just sticking their heads above the water.
We go over to the pub for dinner and of all things there are three old tractors in the carpark. One is towing small old caravan. George has a chat to them, only to find they’ve just crossed the Simpson in these things. Apparently, they left Renmark about 4 weeks ago and have been travelling ever since. Averaging 25km/h for the whole trip. They must have come down the Arrabury road, so we missed them when we diverted to the Cordillo Downs road.
To think they cross the Simpson in these things is nuts…… and towing a caravan??? How that van still has a rear step I’ll never know.
There are about half a dozen horses walking and feeding around town, they look wild, hard to tell.
Dinner is OK, not the greatest. We’re back at camp by 8, so a much tamer fire tonight and it ends up being a early night all round.
Postscript
In the following February, a flood hit the area. In the bottom right of this photo you can see the road coming in and across the cooper, not sign of the causeway….. The town is in the top middle and we would have camped over the right hand side, somewhere under that water……
Another wonderful old building, great picture. And actually some animals, apart from the emus you don’t appear to have seen any other wildlife. Have you seen any snakes? they are on the move now.