Celine certainly getting an outback experience. 116Km.
I had used 100 litres of fuel for Jervois to Birdsville 740km of hard driving.
Thursday 7 th June
11:00am 20 degs. Annie decided to stay in Birdsville, Ian, Celine and I headed south to a lunch to stop just
south of Walkers Crossing track, then detoured to Warburton Crossing for a look. 40metre wide and
several metres deep flowing quickly, approaches unpassable. Will be closed for months.
Back onto Birdsville track, good road side camp at Mt Gasson creek 80km north of Mungerannie 236Km.
Friday 8 th June.
8:40am 17Deg. Another magnificent sunrise, flies in plague proportions! Colder night , dark clouds on
horizon. Approaching Maree I had another puncture. Finally arrived in Maree, Ian who had agreed to take
Celine back to Truro in the Barossa Valley was concerned about the weather so headed south on the
Oodnadatta track.
The trip from Broken Hill to Maree had covered 3471kms over 18 days. We experienced amazing scenery
and visited some very remote areas.
Thank you to all in the group for making this a memorable trip.
A special thanks to Ian for arranging permits while I was away.
I personally enjoyed the Hay River track and think of it as a driver’s track as it is continually challenging,
with some spectacular scenery.
Farina
After spending the weekend in Marree and attending the gymkhana, I proceeded to Farina on Sunday 10 th
June. I was the only volunteer from the Pajero club.
Set up camp in the volunteer’s camp ground and proceeded to spent the next week roofing the second
section on the new bakery shop- information centre. Based on the originals Patterson’s store, this is the
only new structure to be built by the Farina Restoration Group.
Although based on an original building, because of the modern building regulations it has a higher profile
than the other existing buildings.
All the other work is basically stabilising existing stone buildings.
Comments by travellers that ALL the buildings are stone, is incorrect, as some of the private homes and
businesses were timber/corrugated iron construction (although long gone) only government buildings and
pubs were constructed out of stone railed in from down south.
From the latest Farina newsletter:
Over 9 weeks 205 volunteers worked 18,138 hours, in 10 years volunteers have worked in excess of 82,000
hours! The bakery operated 8 weeks a year and sold out everyday!
Farina took on the rest of the world in the annual Cricket Match winning handsomely thank to some
excellent umpiring by yours truly! Farina station owner Kevin Dawes, was sanctioned for having sandpaper
in his possession while batting???? A dinner of bakery produce was enjoyed by all after the match.
Any member interested in volunteering in 2019 google Farina Restoration Group.
Graham Halliburton
#1740