Day 6, Thursday: Ceduna to Glendambo

• A later start enabled some of us to explore Ceduna, walk out along the jetty, and smell the sea air.
• Then more dirt and sand and corrugations AND great scenery
• Lunch at Hiltaba, formerly a working sheep station, now managed by the Nature Foundation of SA.  The local fauna and flora are now protected, and all ferals, stray stock, wild goats, weeds, even dingoes are being eliminated.
• Kingoonya Hotel, a brief stop, to see a once thriving town, now almost deserted.
• Glendambo on the bitumen, our stop for the night
• A simply glorious sunset
• Dinner at the Glendambo Hotel, itself worth a visit because of the shearer’s shed ambience.
• Another successful auction was held.

Day 7, Friday: Glendambo to Woomera

• We are on the bitumen of the Stuart Highway going north, then it was back to sandy tracks. This is cattle country.
• Bon Bon and Mount Eba and Millers Creek are all stations we passed through. 
• The Dog Fence gate needed to be opened, by Mal and shut by Tail End Charlie on our way to
• Billa Kallina, located north west of Roxby Downs for our lunch stop.  This station has been in the family for 70 years.  They run 2,000 head of beef breeders and 3,000 head of Dorper ewes on 7,000 sq kms.
• We explored the homestead environment.  It’s a lovely family home, with a tennis court and swimming pool. The earth dugout shelter, to protect them from fallout from Woomera, is a bit of history together with a museum shed. There is a large modern shed for tractors etc, lots of hens, a rooster and the farm dog.  We were invited into the school house, where the children demonstrated how they receive their school of the air lessons.  Our contributions for the provision of lunch here are going to the Isolated Children and Parent’s Association.
• Woomera Traveller’s Village was our destination for the night.  We were accommodated in what would have been two storied units for servicemen.
• Dinner was at the Eldo Hotel, passing the large display of rockets outside the Woomera  History museum.
• Entertainment was by Tiffany Reynolds, and a very successful auction was held

Day 8, Saturday:   Woomera to Leigh Creek

• We left Woomera on a rare bit of bitumen to travel via  Roxby Downs.
• then to morning tea at Andamooka, adjacent to the Andamooka Historic Cottages
• Morning tea and packed lunch was supplied by the Rotary Club of Roxby District, organized by Sandy & Craig Sumsion. A lovely reunion of Campbelltown members.
• Then it was back into sand hills along a rough track that ended at Lake Torrens. As this was not the route we were meant to be on, the convoy retraced its route.  However an unlucky puncture meant an unexpected long stop in a dry creek.  There, as the men fixed the tyre, were lots of Sturt desert peas to photograph.
• Back to Andamooka, Roxby Downs and onto the Borefield Road, past Olympic Dam, onto the Oodnadatta track to Maree, next Lyndhurst for fuel and finally Leigh Creek.  We had travelled over 500 kms that day.
• Our final night was in the Leigh Creek Caravan Park; excellent facilities for those in accommodation.
• The final dinner was in the Leigh Creek Tavern, where we were joined by an enthusiastic mob of young locals who made the final auction a most successful one. Entertained again was by Jasmine Kimber.
• At breakfast, in the same place, would you believe there were still more auction items.  A final listing of the monies raised on this trip will appear as a separate news item.
• After speeches, especially a special thanks to Mal & Val for organizing the whole event, we all said our goodbyes, especially to our Victoria friends, and then set off on the 600 km journey home on the bitumen!   I did miss the dirt and sandy tracks and the dust that we had become accustomed to over the past 8 days.

Wacka, Stevo and myself shared the same vehicle for the trip of  3,236km, with many a good laugh.  Wacka took the first passenger seat, while Stevo and I shared the driving.  As ‘Tail End Charlie’ (Wacka) was navigator, radio operator, manager, and photographer.  He will produce a DVD of memories for the participants.

Reflecting on CROE5 2014: 

I will have many fine memories of the fun we had, and the new friendships made.

We are especially grateful to Val and Mal for making this happen.  It has been a great success.

If Val & Mal decide to organize another of these trips and you have not experienced the true Outback of SA or Val’s dumplings or damper cooked by Mal you should seriously consider joining them for one of the memorable trips of a lifetime. From the Vics and the Sth Aussies thank you again Mal and Val Hansen!

A proud CROE5 2014 participant

Bryan Schell. 

CROE5 The FUN, Entertainment, Auctions, and Food