TRIP to CANNING STOCK ROUTE Day 13

24 June 2012

STAGE 2 CURTIN SPRINGS  TO WILUNA DAY 2

GREAT CENTRAL ROAD – DOCKER RIVER TO WARAKURNA - GILES

We are in Ngaanyatyarra country.

After a false start this first morning – our car wouldn’t start and had to be bump started - we meandered past Docker River and met up with the 4th Oka.

There was an abandoned white commodore left in the middle of the road. Apparently it was not there last night when one member of our party had continued on.

We saw wild camels and had morning tea at the base of a tall rocky ooutcrop. Although it was 14.5C it was icy cold due to the wind.

One dingo inspected us all closely. It looked, walked and ran just as our grandchildren’s dog Jetta does. A second dingo just made it across the road without being hit by us.

There were a few abandoned burnt cars along the way.

Two graders were grading the road and a police car passed us the other way.

Ranges on our right added scenic interest.  The myriad of greens along the way were mersmerising – yellow greens, olive greens, grey greens, lime greens, caramel greens.

When we stopped we could explore the surrounds. 

Lots of beautiful, tiny flowers in reds, pinks, yellows, purples and paddy melons along the way

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The casuarinas looked so lovely.

As we were in spinifex country we started to collect wood along the way.

We stopped at Warakurna Roadhouse near the Giles weather station. They had the best showers. This roadhouse was not here in 1985 when we were last here.

The gallery had beautiful pieces of local art. There was also an informative video linking the art to everyday life, the stories of the people, how to find honeyants, bush tucker. „Our paintings are hand of friendship to you“ the placard stated. What a gift.  

One of the artist's work was featured on a building at Giles Weather Station.

In mid afternoon we went across to the weather station for the tour and release of the balloon. All balloons end up in the tropical air stream going from west to east.

Len Beadell’s grader has pride of place outside and his paintings are inside the information centre.

Also the remains of the Blue Streak Rocket launched in 1964 on 5 June from Woomera are found here. It was found 50km SE of Giles in 1980. We saw it when we were here last time.

Lovely night around the campfire to finish the day.