The day started at 6.30 am with our wake up call with Darren playing some operatic crap of a bloke singing like his balls were in a clamp “I need to bang my head” or such! Helmut protested loudly that Darren had no taste, [Pat must have kicked him out of bed]. Darren responded that at least he had no paedophiles in a Ni$$an come out of the bush complaining like we did at Dalhousie Springs… Ivan pointed out that Daz had pushed in front of him as it was his morning for the wake up music. Uh oh Daz was up for another fine later that night as Ivan is the sergeant at arms! Hmm a lively discussion between Daz and Ivan took place, I still don’t know who won, but later that night I’m sure Daz copped a fine for it.

The lead vehicle [Daz] called they had spotted a Dingo near the track. Of course it ran for its darn life when Daz and Greg howled by in the Play-dough at Warp Speed as you do in the Simpson. I don’t think any other vehicle saw the dingo that morning or perhaps for the next week? Next we had the usual discussion over the radio on what day is it; with Sergeant Ivan listening intently for the person with the correct answer. Thankfully no one owned up to the correct day, I think we were getting wiser by now. Anyway who wants to know what day it is when you’re on holidays? We stopped at the lone Gum tree at 9am and little did we know some were noted for fines later for stepping over the fence to get a closer look at the Lone Gum Tree, “oh well you get that” I said when I was to pay a fine later that night.

It wouldn’t be a good trip if someone didn’t get lost at least once on the trip. Well this trip wasn’t going to be any different with someone too cry “I think I’m lost!” In fact it was only 9.30 am and Mitch radioed to Tail end Charlie [TJL], Mitch asked “have you heard from Darren recently?” “Err no” I replied “not recently but what is the problem Mitch? “I cannot see anyone in front of me and I think I’m on the wrong track or going in the wrong direction” replied Mitch. “Hey Mitch did you take the right hand turn when you saw the car in front of you at the “Y junction” a while ago?” I asked. “Yes” replied Mitch “but I haven’t seen anyone in front of me for a while now and I thought that I must be on the wrong track!” hmm I thought has Mitch been driving too slowly again? [Mitch has a new engine with just 5k on it] Daz listening now radioed back and had some fun with Mitch for thinking he was lost, in fact they all did oh and Ivan was taking note as well Te He!

Morning tea was had at 10 am on a huge Salt Pan on the Rig Road [Wow it was big and good] with a lazy wind straight from Siberia whistling past as every one lined up their vehicles for photographs. Everyone was pleased to get back into the comfort of their warm cars as we left the salt pan. As we pogo-ed along sandy tracks the radio burst into life with chatter about a wild cat on the track. Some were saying it was huge and Helmet said he had never seen a feral cat before and it was a big one with Mitch and Peter agreeing. Ha ha I though as I approached the dead animal and discovered it was in fact a Fox! Some were disbelieving of my report of a Fox so I wheeled the 80s around and got out of the truck to take a better look. Yes it was a fox and I reported that I had placed it on the roof rack so Kath could make a fur hat for Daz. The children laughed and when we later pulled up young Ben wanted to see Darren’s new hat! He was so cute.

Darren called a lunch stop around 11.50 am as I was tail end Charlie it took me over 25 minutes to arrive as the group was spread out a few miles or so. Wow another real big salt pan on the Rig road thankfully the wind was ever so gently in a SE direction for a good while during lunch and only blew a gale towards the end of lunch. It was spectacular to see the vast flatness of the Salt Pan. We all happily moved off with the track skirting around the very large pan and the occasional sand dune in fact we had very little good sand dunes now as we were on the out skirts of the Simpson. Throughout the day Kodak and other photographic film producers were soon to be happy with the amount of photos taken. Most vehicles swapped position in the convoy and allowed others to pass as photos were taken. Ivan had 6+GB of photos numbering into the hundreds if I’m correct.

We were now on our home run to our camp that night near Clifton Hills on the Warburton track having gained a day somewhere with only a few hours of driving to go. The tracks were somewhat easier than predicted in the travel plan. The radio crackled with Darren pointing out a big dune was ahead and we all should have some fun. Ivan had done the dune so easily that he turned around and waited for another go as I caught up at tail end. I was in a prime position to witness the attempts of all. Daz was now out of his car with radio in hand directing Peter up one of the three approaches. I laughed as Peter failed but managed to shower his car and others standing by with sand from his tyres which went over his roof and fell down the back. It was a spectacular sight with rooster tails of sand as Peter finally got up the dune. Ivan went up again this time with the left front wheel a meter up in the air. Craig had a no go and reversed for # 2 then 3 and got up on four! Mitch stalled his engine on take-off before getting to the dune… Mitch then failed to proceed on the sand dune but got up on the second attempt in a now bigger cloud of black smoke bellowing from the tailpipe and engulfing his car. Ivan not to be left out of the fun had yet another go on a different line which was the tougher one and didn’t make it so he reversed and whoosh in a flurry of sand up he went. It was up to me now with plenty of “Come on TJL” from the radio. Well TJL almost made it up and I too joined the ranks of non achievers that day. I was up on the second go and the fun was over for now. In all the flurry of sand flying about from our vehicles, 2 vehicles travelling in the same direction as us one was a Play-dough and the other a 100s passed us whilst playing without a wave or looking! Hmm, perhaps not impressed we were having so much fun?

With the day coming to an end we set up camp just past the stockyard near Clifton Hills H.S. before Warburton creek. Our camp was off the road in a nice spot near a good billabong of muddy water with plenty of birds and perhaps other wildlife. Peter inspected his car I think he got a few buckets of sand from places he thought could never hold the darn stuff. We all stuffed ourselves at the five o’clock cheese and bickies around the fire and I think most didn’t want dinner straight away. Eight o’clock soon rolled around and Ivan with his wicked sense of military style sergeant of arms [we all think he was back in boot camp and was getting even with someone?] he rolled out the fine sheet with just about all of us paying the obligatory gold coin or three. Hmm, at least I had some money left as others had to IOU it again hey Daz. Oh and Greg Goulden didn’t get away either, something about slipping under his [Ivan’s] radar I think so GG had to pay as well Ha Ha. Yawn it was soon time for bed as it was a cold night again with the thermometer hovering around 5 degrees and dropping. Hmm, it’s so lovely in the bush at this time of the year isn’t it?

Best wishes Terry [aka TJL] and Kath Leeder

The Rig Road had a little surprise for our good folks with a loose and steep dune to get up and over. Ivan gives it a good go and spins his petrol Prado over.

Mitch I'm sure would have been spewing he had to give his precious new engine a bootful. Smok'n like the Queen Mary there Mitch.

Craig nearly got there. Mind you, he may have been preparing the track for the next vehicle.

Judging by the amount of sand over Peter's bullbar, bonnet and windscreen, he's given this dune a BIG go.

Helmut has the foot well and truly buried in his HZJ100.

Darren's nearly there. Forward travel may have halted but that's no reason to lift off.