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 quickly to go down.

Sue pops out the Maxx trax and Mal deflates the tyres. We drop back into low range , 2nd gear and drive out and down to the bottom. Mal repeats the loop twice to make sure he now has a workable set of tyre pressures and a satisfactory driving technique.

Bruce lowers his tyres to 20 psi - he drives the VW up and down twice without a single problem. We joke about trading the Mazda in on a BT50 - well Mal thinks we are joking - were we joking?????

The day is late when we pass Leo camped up on the side of the road, satellite dish outside for the evening - mustn't be any room inside to let it sleep inside.

We travel on and find a small road which leads to a pleasant camp near a tree between two red sand dunes. Alison and Bruce walk up to the Eastern sand dune while Sue and Mal sort out some gear and later we walk up and enjoy the wild flowers and the red rippled sand before sitting outside as the sun gives up the ghost and stars get a chance to twinkle above us. We eventually retreat to bed as the night cools and our beds call.