This is Part V of Leigh’s trip across Australia in a 1944 Ford GPW. Read Part IV here.

The trip so far. They started near Melbourne, met their group in Adelaide, and then together caravanned northward. On this leg they drove from Cordillo to Tobermory Station.

Cadelga Ruins

Leaving Cordillo we headed for Cadelga Ruins reflecting on the hardships encountered by pastoralists from isolation and drought, from there it was on to Birdsville, one of the remotest towns in outback Queensland and gateway to the Simpson Desert, the worlds largest area of parallel sand dunes, home of “Big Red” a 40 metre high dune. Birdsville is best known for the annual Birdsville races where the population swells from a sleepy 115 to over 8000 for one week in September.

Parked in front of the Birdsville Hotel

From Birdsville we headed north to Bedourie which started life as a major watering and rest stop for drovers and cattle as well as Cobb & Co coaches. Here we were treated to free camping at the Simpson Desert Oasis and although it was a Saturday the local school children (all 12 of them) arrived in uniform to be taken for rides around the town. I guess we were a bit of a spectacle in our old military vehicles.

Cattle transport Oz style!

Next day, and on a sealed road, on to Boulia – population 230, administrative centre of the Boulia shire that covers 61,176 square kilometers (23.620 sq. mile) with a total population of approximately 600, no over crowding here. The bush telegraph had worked overtime and the school kids arrived by bus to recieve the same joy ride experience as in Bedourie. It was here that the clutch started giving more grief, noises, difficulty in selecting first gear, nothing to do but press on.

Sandhill country

That night we were treated to a great BBQ with entry by donation and the proceeds going to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, an organisation that does great work in these remote outback communities.

Leigh & Cheryl @ NT border

Next morning off to Tobermorey Station, 249 km (154 mile) along the Donohue Hwy. Although highway it was not, one participant described it as a “boulder strewn goat track”. Tobermorey covers 5994 sq. km. (3724 ml) and is 110 mile long and 24 mile wide with the Simpson Desert forming its southern boundary.

Tomorrow on to Jervois via the Plenty Hwy, unfortunately the Plenty Hwy made the Donohue Hwy feel like a concrete interstate!

Read about the final leg of the journey here

This is Part IV of Leigh’s trip across Australia in a 1944 Ford GPW. Read Part III here.

Map showing the trip from Montecollina to Cordillo Downs

Leaving Innaminka

Once more the weather was fine as we set off for Innaminka, although this was to be the un-doing of one of the Jeeps as the temperature reached 35 deg C (95 deg F) and combined with the hard going it cracked a cylinder head, yet another MB (Toyota engined) had electrical & clutch trouble, hitting a wash away in the road a bit hard the front diff knocked the alternator & clutch slave cylinder off! Temporary repairs were carried out and they left the convoy to head for home, arriving safely several days later we heard.

Road to Innaminka

Innaminka has a permanent population of about 12 residents and is nestled on the Cooper Creek 1065 km (660 ml) north-east of Adelaide and 459 km (285ml) from Lyndhurst up the Strzeleki Track. The actual “track” was originally blazed by Harry Redford, a cattle thief while droving 1000 head of stolen cattle from central Queensland to Adelaide. He was subsequently caught but due to his heroic efforts in establishing a new route was pardoned and later became one of Australias greatest drovers.

Innaminka Road

Innaminka is best known for the tragic death in 1861 of explorers Burke & Wills on the banks of the Cooper Creek. The full story can be found here.

Burke’s Grave

As the next day was a lay day an impromptu fishing competition was held on Cooper Ck with several Yellowbelly Perch being taken, It was here also that our clutch began to make strange noises, due I thought to the ingress of dust into the spigot bearing – more of this later.

Cooper Creek Yellow Belly

Ex Australia Army International crossing Cooper Creek.

In the following days we visited Burke’s grave & the Dig Tree, Montkeleary Creek, home to millions of friendly flies, so bad you had to wait untill dark to cook & eat, then along the Arrabury Rd toward Cordillo Downs. First leased in 1875, by the turn of the century Cordillo Downs was running more than 85,000 sheep. During this time Afgan camel teams hauled stores to the station from Farina and returned with wool the round trip taking two months.

Today Cordillo runs only cattle with approx 7000 head of poll Hereford cattle on the 7,900 square kilometer (4908 sq. ml) property. Next we head for Birdsville via Cadelga Ruins.

Read Part V Here