MONDAY 22 August 2016 The rain has stopped and there are patches of blue sky. The weather report says some showers today followed by some more rain on Tuesday 7-15mm predicted. We hear that we had 7mm overnight, the caravan park is mud. We will pack up and see what we can find out about the road options. At the service station we meet a chap in a 200 series landcrusier with big mud tyres - the vehicle is liberally decorated with soft ochre icing. He says h...

SUNDAY Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Bruce, Happy birthday to you!!!!!! Loud cheers. The sun has returned, a raven calls for breakfast and birthday cake and "she sleeps". The day is cool with a breeze and the sky is littered with clouds. We drive just a short distance and we are onto the Strezleki Track - really an extremely well formed oil and gas extraction industry maintained highway. We zoom North towards Moomba. Well signposted roads turn off...

SATURDAY continued We stop for lunch by a small depression which would hold water after rain and here some wild flowers were flourishing in soft crimson and pale green colourings. A very attractive scene. We are bogged at the top of a sand dune. We radio Bruce and Alison and ask where are our friends when we need them. The double back and stop at the bottom of a very steep sand dune that Mal has galloped up, only to get bogged on top when he tries to turn too q...

MONDAY The mystery caravan that ran a generator and a satellite dish drove off and I am not sure if anyone was inside. Maybe it is an experimental holiday vehicle which does not have people inside? We packed up slowly and poked off around the loop road by about 10am. The landscape is mostly softly rolling gibber hills with several rows of hills which decorate the horizon line. A stiff cool breeze blew all day as we checked out the remains of pastoral endeavour ...

SATURDAY 13 August 2016 A cloudless sunrise reflected patches of brilliant orange in the still water. We drive out to the lakes. The view to the (I think South) is terrific, the salt lake lies off to the North. We walk down to the lake, the early afternoon is already quite warm. Small birds flit and arid flowers sparkle from the undergrowth. The lake on the side we approach from has a white sandy beach, which would be splendid when the lake is totally full. Now...