Noccundra to Dig Tree, Cooper Creek - 24 July 2014

We filled up with fuel at $1.89 litre at the Pub before heading north. It is getting warmer. In fact, last night was lovely and warm, and the days have been beautiful. The thermometer said 15 degrees in the van last night, and that was without the heater. We didn’t need it.

The fellow who owns the Pub has had it for 2 years and before that he spent 6 ½ years on the Jackson Oil Field, which we went passed today. We passed Naccowlah Gas Field and Ballera Gas Centre as well.

We were on sealed road most of the day today, with many road trains passing us. There was a section of dirt though. We could see cloud and a bit of rain to the south of us. As it turns out I don’t think the rain would have been a problem at Tibooburra. Never mind.

There were some beautiful mesas that we passed. Again, just springing up from nowhere, and the colours are just beautiful.

We started going over floodways that took us over dry creek beds. There had been signs with the name of the creek on it, but all the signs have been taken except on. The only sign left tells you that you have gone over 14 kms of the Cooper Creek Floodplain.

 The Dig Tree is situated on Nappa Merrie Station and they manage the Dig Tree area. You turn off the main road, and travel for 14 kms on a pretty bad dirt road, full of bull dust, corrugates and rocks, with some good patches as well. We took it very slowly and got to the Dig Tree okay. At the entrance to the Dig Tree area, there is a shelter. Inside the shelter is a picture board of the history of the Dig Tree, with information about the property and its history as well. Nappa Merrie itself is owned by Santos, but the property is leased by the Kidman’s. Apparently the Kidman’s are relinquishing the lease at the end of the year. It is 2,500 square kilometres in area. It is around 3 million acres. Hard to comprehend the actual size of it.

The fee to enter/stay at the Dig Tree is $11. We thought this was per night so put $22 in an envelope for 2 nights, but found out later that we could have stayed for a week for the $11.

We picked a spot very close to the Tree itself, and right on Cooper Creek. The Creek is reasonably wide where we are, but the water is only a few feet deep. It also doesn’t extend all that far either way at this point, before it is dry. We spoke to the Ranger, Duck (the name he has gone by all his life – he is 76 – his name is Donald) who told us that if it doesn’t flood in Queensland by September/October this year and the water travel down, it will be dry.

One thing that struck us was the bush flies. They are really bad and just stick to you. On went our nets! Certainly won’t win any fashion awards but they work.

 

We then went up and read the information on the Dig Tree in the shelter before heading across to the Dig Tree itself. It is an amazing story about Burke and Wills. Burke had no experience at all at this sort of thing and got the job because he knew someone of influence and all the fanfare about his departure from Melbourne. To actually find a way from south to north and to die before he and Wills could get back and report it is sad, but it is a story that captures your imagination. To think Burke and Wills got back only 9 hours after the rest of the party had left. There is some confusion as to which is the Dig Tree itself. One of the trees has LXV on it (stands for Camp 65). They have had to cover the other side of the tree to help preserve it. On another tree is the face of Burke carved by a fellow in 1898 and ROB (Robert O’Hara Burke’s initials) underneath. Also on that tree is the word DIG with something underneath. There is some conjecture this was carved by Brahe, who was in charge of the party who stayed behind. We will never know.

 

Back at the van, Duck (the Ranger) came over to chat and said to Bruce to hop in his (Duck’s) ute and he would take him to get some logs for the campfire. He came back with 2 huge logs.

After dinner that night, a couple that are camped a couple of hundred metres up the Creek from us, came down to join us at the campfire. Leigh and Diane arrived at the Dig Tree yesterday. They are heading to Perth via Birdsville and Darwin for their son’s 40^th birthday in December. They lived in their van for 5 years until about 18 months ago, and they now live in Victoria. We had a great night and we didn’t get to bed till about 11.30.

The stars in the night sky here are just magical. The Southern Cross is so clear, as are all the stars.

There are 4 lots of people camped by the Creek tonight. Diane and Leigh said they were the only ones last night. There are quite a few people who just call in to have a look at the Dig Tree, either on their way to Innamincka or back from there, without actually staying here.