8th July - camp between Birdsville and Bedourie to camp between Bedourie and Diamantina Lakes National Park.

After a wonderful quiet night and great sleep (most slept till after 7.30) we had a slow pack up and departure. 

Phil found a lizard lying upside down on the ground, looking crook, he tried to give it some water. We took pics and decided it was not well. So it was relocated to a safe place away from our stomping feet. 

Before departure the lizard was checked up on and he was in good condition - we summize that he got too cold and was in shut down mode.

Our comatose lizard.

Another  lizard.

and again.

Mmmm, just standing around...not sure why.

That's why, possibly the packing up of the toilet tent, it's always the last thing to be packed. Thanks to Stef for making and carrying the 'seat.' 

Me, actually, My shadow.

We hit the road for Bedourie - I travelled with Kate and Mary and Phil with Dad. 

A trip with Mary and Kate today, they have stopped their microphone rattling, using part of a cereal packet, not hard to see which one.

View of something.

Some waterway along the way.

 We checked out the Bedourie Info centre to suss out  the weather conditions and were assured that there was no problem heading for Diamantina. Steve headed to find a dump point. We bought some souvenirs and utilised the loos. I went to fuel up, as did Sarah and J and Stef. We said goodbyes to Mary, Phil and Kate who are now bound for the NT and home for Kate to start school. 

Fairy Martin nests in the shelter at our lunch stop.

Made by tiny birds, who gather little daubs of mud (when it's wet) and build these nests, daub by daub. You can see different coloured muds.

The nests are lined with feathers and grass.

Perfect little daubs of mud, I'd hate to think how many 'daubs' per nest.

The old steam engine at the bore, where we stopped for lunch.

We were travelling the Matilda Byway.

More of the engine, it was a "Davey'" something or other, which Steve thought was OK.

Our travels today - from Bedourie direction and turning left to Davenport Downs

Check the clouds

 Off the beaten track a bit more this arvo we moved from flat plains to rocky ridges and sandy/dusty tracks through Davenport Downs Station which is 

1 490 000 hectares - a huge property. 

The Cattle Station we were driving through - Davenport Downs was huge almost 1.5 Million hectares!!!!

 Tootling along we changed order so Steve wasn't getting all the gates, when suddenly Meg calmly says over the radio they have heard a strange noise in the back of the car (she was driving Jadon's car) then the call that they have done a tyre. Steve and us turned back to find a shredded rear left tyre and J winding down his spare and Stef with jack ready to remove what was left. 

Uh oh, that is not a healthy looking tyre. Meg was driving Jadon's car.

Jadon unwinding his spare. 

It was not an easy procedure. 

Meg was amazingly calm about the whole thing. We walked back to have a look and found a chunk of the wall of the tyre on the right hand side of the road. 

Meg and Milan and I went for a walk back along the track and found quite a lot of detritus, including this section of the inside of the tyre, on the opposite side of the track. NOT a great ad for Cooper.

The clouds were awesome today.

New tyre in place, J has decided he likes the black rims, the ruined one is back underneath...ready to roll again. 

All sorted and back on track, we decided we wouldn't make it to the NP. 

Dad suggested we should get wood. Steve spotted some, so Dad and I, Stef and Milani pulled in and stacked the back of TVan. A little further up Steve and Meg were collecting some on the front of Steve's van. 

We pulled off the track a little to make camp for the night. There is a chance of rain - and this road will be pretty messed up if that happens. The camp is on some flat clear area (clear of prickles) with a cow track passing through. Not long after we settled our camp a herd of Brahman steers moseyed over to check us out. A beautiful looking herd of cattle. Grey, white, red, black - they look so clean and sleek. 

Our campsite happened to be across a cow track, these ones were very curious about what we were doing on their place.

You can see the track heading directly under Dad's TVan, my tent went up on the track too. 

Sunset at Davenport Downs camp.

 A small but hot fire with our wood, which is some of the best we've had. 

Nice curried snags for tea, then some time to sit around the fire. 

We have perfected our camp set up.Steve is our marker and we all move into formation from there. Fire ready, nibbles ready....go.

Sunset.

Dad's van in the sunset.

The night is not so cold, I think the cloud cover helps. No rain at this stage (10.30) and the clouds have cleared a little. 

Into tent and bed by 11.11. The fire was so good but bed was calling. 

The crew around the fire.

We have the common campsite ailment of very dry skin and hands which leads to slit skin. Steve has a nasty one on his thumb and I have a couple of piddly little ones on my thumbs. Reve, Steve's mum mixes up a potion that they used on cracked cow teats. Tonight we applied the ointment to thumbs and band aided them up to assist the healing. No amount of moisturiser or hand cream seems to beat the dryness. I've made sure I wear the riggers gloves when I am doing stuff in the hope it will help. It isn't until your thumbs can't do stuff that you realise how useful they are! 

My Kris Kringle present last year, a very useful light in the tent. Thanks Steve Caldow

My light again.