Day 12 Just out of yulara to just out of Marla

1st August

Day 12

Just out of Yulara to Just out of Marla -485km

After a windy night we packed up from our roadside stop and headed east.

First stop was Curtin Springs where we had hoped to get permission to walk near Mt Conner, but they are no longer giving permission for people to do this, other than family, workers on the station, those on guided tours or those on helicopter flights. We were neither of these, so we were unable to go there. We conceded defeat and started our long drive home via the Mulga Station Rd, part of which is the Old Gunbarrel Highway. We were amazed to find a rocky escarpment to the left of us as we headed south along the Mulga station road. We were also treated to some beautiful sandhills with Jack Absolom style open patches and some beautiful red sandy tracks.

Our campsite 30 km out of Yulara

I loved the tiny red hairs on these mulla mulla growing at our campsite

unexpected escarpment visible from the road

Beautiful sandhills

Mt Conner

Having stopped in off of the road for lunch we marvelled at the offering of wildflowers (including bush tomatoes) available after the recent rains.

Len Beadell's Gun Barrel Highway

After following beside the SA border for quite some time we met the bitumen after about 240km and headed down towards Marla for another 160 km, crossing over the border stop, before finally heading in to the Oodnadatta Track and finding a spot off of the road close to a creek with some reasonably sized trees. We are hoping that these might shelter us a little from the wind tonight, and have put up the awning in case it rains (it has threatened for most of the day). Trevor said this was not needed and he was right.

We've shared pasta for dinner, cooked over the open fire again, a good red, and are heading off to bed, hoping that it doesn't get too chilly tonight in the swags.