I was going to do a 4wding course before I came on this trip, but for a variety of reasons didn’t get around to it.
I tell you, there’s nothing like learning on the job! And boy, do you learn fast when driving the Oombi Track.
This track has it all. Rock crawling and climbing, creek crossings of all descriptions, sand, black soil, long grass, and dust.
And not just any dust. As it’s burning season it’s ash and soot. I don’t think my feet or my finger nails will ever be clean again. I don’t think I care.
Today we had a lot of it on the one day.
First up was the long grass where it was sometimes difficult to find the track.
While travelling through that we came to the black soil. Wet black soil. Soil that gets very slippery when damp, and can pull you down when it’s very wet. We had both.
We first noticed it when the cars started sliding a bit on the track. Then when we came across a couple of bog holes so had to try to find a new way around them. And again when the lead car got bogged in the mud. Somebody had to find another way around the mud to get in front and pull him out.
That was fun.
It was even more fun when somebody else did the same thing.
And more fun again when we came to another place where it was very muddy and a couple of people got stuck.
We finally got out of the mud only to be greeted with more rock. And a steep climb up some rock stairs.
More fun!
There’s a place for lockers and this was definitely one of them. There was a lot of grinding, scraping, revving, sliding, and jumping from everybody coming up that one.
PRO DRIVING TIP: When you get over the part where you needed your lockers, turn them off. Otherwise you might be worried that you’ve fucked a wheel or your steering. Because lockers make it very difficult to steer!!
And then we got caught in a fire. I told you this is burning season, and we came face to face with it today. More on that, including video, in the next blog. It deserves one of its own.
After yet more rocks and a couple of creek crossings we came to the Berkely River. We topped up the fresh water, did some washing (of clothes and people) and had a swim before setting up camp. I’m exhausted so I think I’ll be in bed early. After sitting by the campfire with a g&t that is – or to be more accurate a g&Sammy P, which is what I exchanged cooking skills for.
Day 10 is a rest day. No driving today. I think I was in bed by 7pm last night and didn’t stir again until dawn. And I didn’t even have to lift my head from the pillow to watch the sunrise through the window of our tent. What a way to start the day!
Apparently “just down there” the fresh water of the river meets the tidal salt water of the ocean.
Some of the blokes went down there yesterday afternoon to go fishing, and somebody reeled in a big barra. I decided to tag along for a walk and to take some photos when they went out again this morning, because it was only about 1km and I need a walk. Easy.
Hahahaha. Famous last words. That was 1k scrabbling over rocks. But about half way along was another amazing swimming hole in amongst a series of small waterfalls. Stunningly beautiful, again. The boys carried on down to the salt water to fish and I had the place to myself. It was bliss!
Eventually I walked down to see where the fresh water meets the salt. We’ve camped near these places on some of the rivers. The fresh water flows down river from the rainfalls in the wet, eventually tapering off to nothing in the dry. The big tides push the salt water up river until it gets to a point high enough that it goes no further.
The ocean is about 30k from where we’re camped, and the tides still reach this far. That’s a big tide. And there’s still a lot of water flowing downriver.
Losing my phone out of the helicopter has turned into a blessing in disguise. It’s forced me to get the camera out again and take proper photos. I used to go hiking with a camera pack containing three lenses. But you get lazy when phones take such good photos. However now that I don’t have my phone it’s back to the camera. And this countryside is so stunningly beautiful that it deserves proper photos.
