Onward to the Red Centre

Well it was time to head to the Red Centre and Harts Range in search of some Garnets and more good fossicking footage for our documentary series; it was to be an unscheduled stop but one several people had suggested we do. But with two film shoots in two days we were really more looking forward to some R and R at O’Brien’s Creek first, to dry out our caravan and our soggy feet, from the 4 months of wet tropical monsoon weather on the Atherton tablelands Queensland.  We had visited O’Brien’s Creek just before the wet season started but this time our good friends Arei and Topsy joined us, for what turned out to be a reunion of many old friends. 



We did a pre run trail of the dirt road with Arei and Topsy two days before, but the day we headed off to O’Brien’s Creek the area had seen two nights of solid rain, but hey we were keen as mustard to get out there, we’d handle it. We almost made it too, but the cause way crossing was flowing just too fast for our liking so we stopped for an hour or so and had some afternoon tea, giving the creek time to go down, which it did almost two foot in that time and while we waited low and behold who should show up but our good friend Garry ready for another season at O’Brien’s and he lead our crossing of the cause way on foot.  

Unfortunately there was not much fossicking done once we got there as the Elizabeth creek was still in flood and off limits to all who valued their cars. John and Maureen the lease holders of the camp ground, took life and limb in hand and ferried some of us across the raging river in a very old beaten up rusted Toyota land cruiser ute. Three in the front and the rest of us hanging on the tray back, the water level was almost over the window seal and more than a little bit scary for us city bumpkins, yet water off a ducks back for these locals.

Once across the creek the eight of us transferred to an extremely small rusty old car not much bigger than a mini. I think we defiantly cracked a Guinness book of records statistic, as our load also included eight sets of sieves, shovels and picks plus lunches. It’s a pity no one could take a photo of the fully loaded little car, but no one could move an inch.

Thankfully though that little car did manage to get us the several kilometres to O’Brien’s Creek and the gem fields and back three times. Topsy and Laurie my partner had some good Topaz finds just scratching around on the

edge of the creek during these expeditions but it’s the comradeship and laughter I’ll remember the most, especially the day us guys crossed the creek on foot.

After two weeks we left Arei and Topsy behind and headed off westward towards George Town and the Gulf of Carpentaria, a route we had travelled before running from cyclone Yasi a few months earlier. This time we had time to stop at the Terrestrial Centre in George Town, a large privately owned exhibition of minerals and gemstones from all over the world. With our interest right now on garnets, a gemstone we had never fossicked for before, and any information was more than welcome.

Our relaxed mode of travel had to alter to a faster pace, after news was received that my twin grandsons were eager to be born back home in Coffs Harbour and my flight home was booked from Darwin. We had so much planned to see and do before Darwin, so it was drive more miles each day to pick up the pace. Those five days of travel to Alice Springs are a bit of a blur with one night, road side rest stops after another, they all started to look the same, with the exception of “The Devils Marbles” a remarkable example of weathering.

And some little green men appeared at Wycliffe Well ? was it driver fatigue or Australia's allien outpost?

 After replenishing the food supplies in Alice Springs, and visiting the tourist information centre for road directions to Ambalindum Station. We headed out of Alice Springs as we were recommended to do on the Ross Highway a 75 kilometre tarmacked road to the Arltunga Tourist Drive turn off , then another 55 kilometres but a dirt track/road which apparently had just been graded. Never will we listen to the locals again, this drive was a nightmare.



This is the road

The dirt track consisted of hundreds of wide deep sandy river/creek beds, corrugations and pot holes the entire route, suitable only for very high clearance off road vehicles. Thankfully we do have a "semi" off road caravan, and a 4x4 Nissan Patrol which miraculously good old "Nugget" got us through. The 130 km trip took 4.5 hours and it was just on dark when we arrived totally stressed out at the Ambalindum Station homestead for our five day Easter long weekend.


 

We had chosen to stay at the Ambalindum homestead as ¾ of Harts range is on this property and we heard you could pick garnets up off the ground there, no digging required. Bob and Lois the station managers were more than helpful in directing us to their garnets, but even that location was 68 kilometres away from the camp on the 36,000 hectare station, which had over 800kilometers of dirt roads, were one could easily get lost or stuck on.

We did find garnets lying on the ground as they said not big enough to cut but they look ok in a jar.
What we had not factored into our plan was the remoteness Harts Range is to Alice Springs and the difficulty it can be to obtain fuel in the Australian outback, not to mention the damaged dirt roads immediately after the wet season.

On our second day we headed to Gem Tree a renowned fossicking camp site on the north slopes of Harts Range to have a nose around, refuel and check out an alternate route out of the ranges with our caravan, as we certainly did not want to drive back to Alice the way we had come with it.

another road

Well those plans were shot in the foot when we were rudely told there was no fuel for sale at Gem tree unless you were camped there. Explaining our plight only softened the women enough to sell us $40 worth at $2.27 a litre, enough she said to get us to Alice Springs some 60 kilometres away to refuel. At that rate we would be constantly running to Alice for fuel to do one trip fossicking, it didn’t make much sense to us to stay, so we packed up and left the ranges for Uluru, (Ayres Rock) the next must do thing on our list.

It pays to remember though in the outback fuel is probably more important than water, and if there is a next time we will have long range tanks under us.

Food for thought,

To  be continued..............................