10 November 2016 - Noccundra to Innamincka via The Dig Tree

We were greeted by another fine and warm day.  In fact, it got to 39 degrees today.

8.30am saw us on our way, 20 km back to the Adventure Highway, which we joined and then headed west, towards The Dig Tree and Innamincka.

101116 Today's trip, follow heavy brown line frpm
Noccundra to Dig Tree and Innamincka

101116 Only to Innamincka and the Dig Tree for us today

The road was pretty good compared with yesterday's.  It was mostly bitumen, with some dirt stretches on the Queensland side, some of which were being restructured, probably prior to being sealed.  The road into The Dig Tree left a lot to be desired.  There were 14km of gravel road with creek crossings and washouts.  The bitumen on the main road ran out at the SA/Queensland border and it was not too bad gravel for the last 17km into Innamincka.

On the way we passed Santos’s oil and gas activities at Jackson North and Jackson (oil) and Ballera (natural gas).  The petroleum products go to Brisbane, Adelaide and Eromanga.

*101116 A donkey oil pump, a bean pump or a "Noddy"

101116 Commercialism in the countryside - Jackson North

101116 Jackson Oil Facilities

101116 The Ballera Gas Plant

A lot is made of the Dig Tree, which is the site on Cooper Creek where Burke and Wills made camp during their expedition to travel from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1860-61.  The expedition split at Cooper Creek, with some going north and others asked to wait three months for their return.  They waited 18 weeks. The northern brigade arrived back at the Dig Tree, the day after the others left.  Ultimately Burke and Wills perished, it is thought from Beriberi.  In all six rescue expeditions were sent to find Burke and Wills.

101116 the site of the Dig and Face Trees on Cooper Creek

101116 The Dig Tree Story

The Dig Tree is a Coolibah tree under which were left rations and instructions by the departing group with a carving in the tree advising the returning party to “Dig” under the tree.

101116 The Dig Tree

101116 What was written on the Dig Tree

In 1898, John Dick, a travelling stockman and amateur wood carver, carved Burke’s face, along with his initials in a nearby tree.  The tree is now called the Face Tree. The face carving really was the only thing visible, due to the ravages of time, and one would guess the repeated flooding of the Cooper Creek.

101116 The Face Tree

101116 The carving in the Face Tree - well preserved

101116 Cooper Creek downstream from the Dig Tree,
flowing strongly

101116 Cooper Creek upstream from the Dig Tree

We crossed Cooper Creek several times today.  The most notable modern crossing is the Burke and Wills Bridge.

101116 The Burke and Wills Bridge

101116 Cooper Creek from the bridge

101116 Sign at the bridge

101116 The plaque at the bridge

One can see why Cooper Creek is so important to the Channel Country of SWQ.  It and its overflows cover huge areas and today we saw them at their best.  Wild flowers spreading through the Mitchell grass, with green as far as one could see.  The green was interrupted by the dark green of the trees and grasses of waterholes and swamps associated with Cooper Creek, as it meandered its way across the countryside.  That’s Cooper Creek.  Further west there are the Diamantina and Georgina Rivers to add to the water flow as it makes its way to Lake Eyre.

We crossed the SA/Queensland border 17 kilometres from Innamincka.  Innamincka is a one hotel, one store, one source of fuel town, but it is well looked after.  There are plenty of portable units available for tourists and petroleum industry workers.  It has an airport as well.  We lunched there before setting off on our return journey.

101116 We were on the Strezlecki Track again - yippee!

101116 Crossing into South Australia from Queensland

101116 Innamincka

101116 Innamincka from a distance

We saw many open spaces again today.

101116 The road snaking through the countryside

101116 Spectacular scenery

101116 Surprise hills in the plain

101116 Looking down over the many channels

We saw signs of country humour and ingenuity.

101116 Bush Barometer

101116 Sophisticated vermin resistant rubbish bins -
a new use for bread crates

Today was a day full of awe-inspiring scenery and history, balanced against the commercialism of the tourist and petroleum industries.  It was a great day, although we knew we had been busy in covering 564km during the day.  Love this place!