'Back of Burra' on October long weekend

[millsy]

Well we have finally settled on a date for the 'Back of Burra' trip - the October long weekend. So have a look at the details, and if you are interested let me know and I will add your name to the list.

There are two ways we could go about this;

CHOICE 1
We would head up to Burra Gorge on Friday arvo/evening of Friday 1st October. Next morning top up the tanks in Burra ( servo opens at 7.00am ) and then head out to Mongalata and up through the hills north of Burra. We leave the hills to head north east across the plains to Lillydale sheep station. Then turn east for 40 or 50km and then south for 20km or so to turn into the northern entrance of the Dangalli Conservation Park. At this point we are about 150 km north north west of Renmark.

We will camp in the Dangalli park on Saturday night, and then trek further down on Sunday to have a look through the wetlands of the Chowilla creeks and lake system.

Some people might want another night out camping, being a long weekend. So if that's the case some of the group could head for home on Sunday afternoon, while the others could head out to camp in the Sunset Country. Then Monday mornig do some tracks down the western end of the park and turn out when we think its time to head back to Adelaide. There is a track out of the park - Pheeney's Track, that takes us out to Meribah. Then across to Mannum, or down to Murray Bridge on the bitumen, depending where you live.

CHOICE 2
The other alternative, if people feel that heading up to Burra Gorge on Friday night is all too hard - Saturday afternoon/evening at Burra Gorge. Sunday to Dangalli Conservation Park north of Renmark. And then Monday a look through the Chowilla Wetlands. Then home.

We can decide on which of these over the next 10 weeks I guess.

I will put a few photos up to let you see what to look forward to. Basically easy tracks through different landscapes. No real four wheel challenges as such, just a chance to get out north and soak up the feeling of the remoteness, the ruggedness, and also the natural beauty. A touring trip. Some parts hilly, some parts involving long lonely stretches in the 'middle of no-where'. Some parts very vegetated and some have plenty of fresh water creeks and lakes and the water birds. If we go into the Sunset, some nice sandy tracks, as well as a few rocky ones, and a mixture of tough dry mallee and softer, greener trees further south. Plenty of animals to spot, or avoid if you are the driver - sheep, kangaroos, a few emus, and quite a few goats in places. Hopefully we can spot a wedge tailed eagle or two if we are lucky.

The roads are a bit dusty of course, so if there is no breeze on the day we will need to spread out a bit to allow the dust to settle between vehicles.

So feel free to ask for further details. I reckon we have 3 or 4 starters at this stage, and so there would be room for 3 or 4 more.

Here are the people we have so far;

Shane45 - Shane and Glenda
geoffsa - Geoff and Jean
Wilkat - Anthony, Kathy and Kelli
The Stink - Dwayne and Anna Marie
JackedSurf - Simon
Millsy - John

[WILKAT]

Hi again,
As I have already left a message in your other post for June,Kath & I think the October trip would be better for us.Wilkat.

[Jacked Surf]

Same for me Millsy, This trip timed around October sounds great.

Gives me plenty of time to recoup the 4x4 budget after the Gawler Ranges Trip in July.

So put me down as going.

[Dunerunner]

G'day

It's a nice area you are proposing to travel to. Heading east from Burra along bushtracks could actually be quite isolated with very little traffic if any.

I would check with the Goyder Council Regional Council of Goyder - Welcome to the Regional Council of Goyder's Website for updates on work being done in Burra Gorge to improve the camping area

Cheers

[OGJON]

since you're going through Burra it's well worth checking out Red Bank CP
very nice place

[geoffsa]

As OGJON has said, Redbanks is a great spot for camping, that is where we will meet you anyway to save us heading south to Burra Gorge then back up to Redbanks (which you will pass nearby to head to Danggali.)

The sand will be a little softer that time of year too, although it is not much in the way of large dunes.

Millsy, we prefer option 1. But as you depart for the sunset country on Sunday, we will opt out and camp at Chowilla near a waterhole to come home on Monday.

cheers,

Geoff.

[millsy]

Originally Posted by Jacked Surf

Same for me Millsy, This trip timed around October sounds great.

Gives me plenty of time to recoup the 4x4 budget after the Gawler Ranges Trip in July.

So put me down as going.

Thanks Simon, I have added you onto the list that I have just put up on the first post. Let's hope the Gawler Ranges trip is kind to our rigs. I think we might be in for a bit of bone jarring corrugations up that way. Its almost like freshly laid bitumen in some parts of the October trip!

Problem is I discovered a bit of a pattern after a while. Whenever the track smoothed off like this, I let the speed build up from 70km/hr to 80km/hr thinking 'how good is this'. Yep, big mistake! Just as I was purring along at 80, a ditch appeared across the road, or in one case wombat holes enroaching out from the edge of the track. The worst 'Wake up mate!' were the critters. As I said before, scared the hell out of a kangaroo, emu, sheep and goat. Always when I let the speed build up. So 70km/hr seems to be the go if you don't want your front end/or fenders reshaped.

Catch up again in a few weeks up Port Augusta way. Hope you are all recovered by then.

[millsy]

Originally Posted by geoffsa

As OGJON has said, Redbanks is a great spot for camping, that is where we will meet you anyway to save us heading south to Burra Gorge then back up to Redbanks (which you will pass nearby to head to Danggali.)

The sand will be a little softer that time of year too, although it is not much in the way of large dunes.

Millsy, we prefer option 1. But as you depart for the sunset country on Sunday, we will opt out and camp at Chowilla near a waterhole to come home on Monday.

cheers,

Geoff.

OK Geoff. I have often seen the Redbanks Park coloured in on the maps, but always heading off north and never had the time to stop and investigate. Not sure that I have actually seen it as I have driven past. Probably could if I had bothered to look in the right direction. I reckon I have seen the new Park a bit further up the Mongolata track, just off to the right. I think I saw the track leading into it coming off the one I was driving along.

Anyway, looks like we will get a look when we pcik you up on the way through at about 7.45 - 8.00am. We will need to zip into Burra at 7.00am to fill up at the servo.

[geoffsa]

Originally Posted by millsy

OK Geoff. I have often seen the Redbanks Park coloured in on the maps, but always heading off north and never had the time to stop and investigate. Not sure that I have actually seen it as I have driven past. Probably could if I had bothered to look in the right direction. I reckon I have seen the new Park a bit further up the Mongolata track, just off to the right. I think I saw the track leading into it coming off the one I was driving along.

Anyway, looks like we will get a look when we pcik you up on the way through at about 7.45 - 8.00am. We will need to zip into Burra at 7.00am to fill up at the servo.

Sounds good, we'll be ready. You will be in Danggali before lunch time leaving that early, so we should be able to do the centre track to the south. It's classified as 4WD, but it's easy.

The other park north east of Mongalata you mentioned is Caroona Creek Conservation Park. It is mainly mallee type country throughout. No 4WD'ing in the park, although it has been written as such in a couple of magazines. A couple of camp sites and not much more.

[WILKAT]

What is everyone taking as there accomodation??? We still want to take our campertrailer,but still not sure?
We dont want to hold every one up if we get stuck,not that I think thats going to happen,but who knows what will happen out & about anywhere we/us travel??
Are any of the rds/trks very narrow?
I think that we would be ok,but I'm trying to reassure myself.