Dig Tree to Innimincka - 26 July 2014

When we spoke to Duck last night, he told us about a back road from the Dig Tree to the main road that is not as bad as the one we came in on. It is like a highway compared to that one and it is also shorter. We took that this morning to make our way to Innamincka for the day, leaving the van behind at the Dig Tree. But not before taking a few photos of the Cooper Creek with its reflections and having brekkie by the camp fire.

It is about 50 kms to Innamincka from the Dig Tree. The main road is sealed to the South Australian border, and once you get to the border, the road is dirt and really deteriorates and it stays like that to Innamincka.

The town of Innamincka is a dusty little place as the roads round the small town are all dirt. It is an interesting place though. It is the beginning of lots of tracks, e.g. the Strezlecki Track and Walkers Crossing, which takes you to the Birdsville Track. There is a pub there, The Innamincka Hotel, as well as a Trading Post and the National Parks office. In the back streets there is a crane company, a transport company, an accommodation place and a few other places. The Trading Post sells fuel as well. Across from the Trading Post is a Public Ablutions block with showers and toilets as well as a laundry with a couple of tubs in it, no washing machine of course, as water is in short supply. On the way in to town, we passed a tanker leaving. It had left a load of drinking water for the town.

 

The building where the National Parks is located used to be a nursing home but closed in 1951 and fell in to ruin as the materials were used elsewhere. The service provided by the nursing home was taken over by the Flying Doctors. It was also in the midst of a big drought, and visitors to the area were dropping. In the early 1990’s it was rebuilt from the ruins and made into the National Parks office. Innamincka is on Cooper Creek as well and when we drove down to have a look at the Town Common on the Creek, there were lots of people camped along there.

 We drove passed a shed in one of the side streets of town with a Danger sign on it. It advised that it was a Military Target area, and not to touch anything as it may explode and kill you! Don’t know whether it is for real or not. Also next to the accommodation place not far away was another loo size shed with an Explosives sign on it. Anything goes in Innamincka I think.

We noticed a flood level marker between the Creek and the town. The height was 14 metres. It is just so hard to imagine that.

We had come prepared to Innamincka and went and had a lovely hot shower in the Ablutions Block. It was $2 for a 3 minute shower. I’m afraid I used $4 but turned the water off before the end. My hair was covered in shampoo when the water stopped after the first $2! We both felt wonderful. It’s the small things that make you happy. They were being well used by visitors. The flies are not as bad at Innamincka.

We had lunch at the Pub and had a Yellowbelly Burger and it was beautiful. There was a Canadian backpacker working behind the bar. She has been here for a month and will be there over the summer. She is from Toronto. She enjoys it so far but I think the summer will be a shock for her. The Pub has built on a dining room to the Pub and they call it the Outtamincka Bar. Got a sense of humour. Pretty snazzy.

We were hoping to have phone reception in town but no such luck, and even the paper was a bit behind. Bruce read Wednesday’s Australian while having lunch! We filled up with diesel at $2.09.7, the most we have paid this trip.

We headed back to the camp site and Duck joined us for a drink. He used to work for Sidney Kidman on Durham Downs, which is north of Nappa Merrie. Durham Downs was the jewel in the crown of the Kidman empire. He worked for him for 8 ½ years as a cattle drover and he has a mug he uses that was given to him by Kidman with the Kidman crest on it and Duck’s name.

Leigh and Diane joined us as well for Happy Hour, before everyone parted for dinner. Leigh and Diane came back later for the campfire and we had another good night.

We have decided to spend another day at the Dig Tree. It is such a beautiful place, so peaceful. To imagine you are walking in the footsteps of Burke and Wills is amazing.