29 June. Innamincka Coach camp #2

No rain and little wind overnight, the dingoes were calling to each other at 3am. 

Phil lost his welders gloves to the dingoes. Michael found one with slobber and teeth marks in it. 

Up at about 6 and headed off for shower and to do the laundry, still muddy, slushy and slippery underfoot, but drying out with a steady breeze. Shower and laundry done and back to camp to string up a line from a tree to the car. All out and done before breaky. 

Dads on breaky this morning - bacon and eggs for us. Nice crispy bacon and yummy Edna Angove chook eggs cooked to perfection. 

We pottered around today, there was lots of checking of batteries and solar panels and extending Andersen plug leads and drone flying, sitting around. Showering, shopping, etc. We also spent a bit of time cleaning mud encrusted shoes and shovels and chairs. 

Dad phaffing with something

Nothing to be done, except sit around and ponder.

Jadon's Car, with solar panel at work.

Meg and Stef, cooking up something

Looking back to camp.

 Dad cooked soup and toasted cheese sangas for lunch. 

Droning on. 

This was the neighbours camp's dog. a nice old girl.

We cleared our cars so we could all pile into three for a drive out to Burke'a grave. We went the wrong way first. Kate took control of their Pajero in the wet conditions. The roads are ok around here but roads out are mostly closed. 

Yep, we are pretty much closed in. Only open road is out to Burke's grave, so off we go.

Cooper Creek at Burke's Grave walk.

The Cooper and amazing red gums.

We'd been to Burke's grave but it still amazing to read the story again, to see the Cooper Creek and the stunning red gums and other vegetation that survives the harsh summer temps and regular droughts. 

Kate...sits in an old gum tree...

Burke's Grave.

 From the lessons learned on the signage along the way the tragic tale could have ended very differently had they shown some respect to the local aboriginal people who had survived out here for thousands of years. It seems Burke and Wills were rude and dismissive of the people and as a result they lacked the knowledge about how to live off the land. 

Green Birdflower

Green Birdflower

Green Birdflower flower.

Shot over the Cooper to the distance.

More nibbles upon return to discuss the plans. It seems our one option to Birdsville is likely to open tomorrow and we plan to depart when the roads are announced OPEN. We have a few days to get to there ( approx 580?kms away). 

Dinner tonight was a delicious Keens Chicken Curry - not bad if I say so myself. Communal dishes and then sitting around the fire and watching the younger ones play a game of Codename - a game which sucked a few of us oldies in too and kept us up until almost midnight. It's now 12.07am as I write this and time to get to sleep. 

A beautiful clear night after a sunny and slightly windy day which has done wonders for drying clothes and thankfully the ground.