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Lyndhurst to Melbourne

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After shuffling our travel itinerary a bit around, due to 4WD tracks that were closed because of heavy rainfalls, we were now travelling to Melbourne in order to catch our ferry to Tasmania. The shortest path would have been to travel along some bitumen Highways through South Australia and then into Victoria. After checking in Marree, we found that the Strzelecki Track is an equally well built up track as the Oodnadatta track these days. That means that one can drive 100km/h almost along the whole track. So we decided to make a little detour of a few hundred kilometers.

In Lyndhurst we started on the Strzelecki track towards Innamincka. Along the track itself, there are no landmarks or sites to be visited. The track starts out with a very brownish surrounding dominated by the colours of the Northern Flinders Ranges. After roughly 70km we veered of the track into the Northern Flinders Ranges. The chosen track makes a loop of roughly 120 kms before joining the Strzelecki track again. The loop as well gives access to Arkaroola, a beautiful Holliday destination in it's own right (check the 1999 trip). The next morning we noticed that we had a slow leak on our left rear tyre. After inflating it, it would hold sufficient air for another 2-3 hours travelling. That meant that we would have to search for a garage in Innamincka to get the tyre fixed.

Once back on the Strzelecki track, the road leads through roughly 300 kms of almost featureless landscapes with the odd sanddune that has to be passed. A number of waterholes and bores give opportunity to camp or PicNic along the way. 90kms outside of Innamincka lies Moomba. A petrochemical plant operated by South Australia and Northern Territory Oil Search (Santos). Here quite a number pipelines from the different Oil- and Gasfields in the Cooper basin collect the so one energies and pass them through bigger pipelines to the users in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney. Oil, Gas, LPG and Ethane are exported as well via an additional pipeline terminating near Whyalla from where the goods are loaded on ships to reach their destinations.

After another 90 kms, we reached Innamincka. The Township consist of a trading post, a hotel, a Ranger station and a mechanical service plus a 5-10 houses where probably the people live. Astonishingly we found that the Cooper Creek carried quite a lot of water although it is surrounded by several hundred kilometers of desert on all sides. Around Innamincka a lot of natural and historic sights can be found in the Innamincka Regional Reserve. We first visited Lake Coongie, an amazingly picturesque lake with almost greenish shining freshwater surrounded by white and orange beaches and sanddunes. Here in this oasis in the middle of the desert we found an intriguingly diverse birdlife. We spoted Herons, Igretes, Pelicans, Ducks, Spoonbills and a number of Kites. Not to mention all the smaller birds.

Back around Innamincka as well the story is told of Burke and Wills, which lead an exploration party in order to become the first european settlers to cross the continent from south to north. They actually succeeded their quest and reached as the first european settlers the Gulf of Carpentaria. Due to ill fate, they later perished on their way back south with the exception of John King, who managed to survive with the help of Aborigines until he was found by a search party.

After visiting the Dig Tree, part of the Burkes and Wills history, we travelled on along gravelroads on station property towards Tibooburra in New South Wales and from there via Broken Hills, Mildura and Swan Hill to Melbourne. In Melbourne we stepped out into the busy Citylife for a change. The Locals call Melbourne "the most liveable City in the world". Which we dare to be of absolutely different opinion. Nevertheless, we found a lot of beautiful sites and we enjoyed the beautiful restaurants that let us forget about cooking and doing the dishes for a while.


Just after Lyndhurst the Northern Flinders Ranges Crossing the Dof Fence on the way through the Ranges Sunset in the North Flinders Ranges The North Flinders Ranges the next Morning Petrochemical Industries in Moomba, in the middle of Nowhere
The Landscape of the Strzelecki Track, the same for 500 km What you see when you climb on top of a sand dune What you see when you climb on top of a sand dune The Cooper Creek in Innamincka Do they hear the grass grow?
Track to Lake Coongie, a freshwater lake in the middle of the desert Lake Coongie Scenery The Pelicans at Lake Coongie Plantlife on the Sand
Lake Coongie Scenery Our Cruiser on top of a sanddune Lake Coongie Scenery That is Innamincka (Only the ranger station is missing on the picture) Cullyamura Waterhole
Burkes place of death Burkes Grave White Corella History ladden Dig Tree Similiarities of the faces of Burke and Wills carved in nearby Face Tree by a Stockman
On the way to Tibooburra On the way to Tibooburra Just after Tibooburra An Emu Dad with 11 chicks in the vincinity of Broken Hill Near Broken Hill
Prickly plant Fields just out of Broken Hill The road of the eateries in Mildura The Gold Tree in Swan Hill as a reminder of the 2000 Olympics
Flowers on the Sand Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: Flinders Station Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: The Central Business District Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: A huge Mirror Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: The Crown Casino
Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: The Harbour Fountain on Crown Plaza Sculptures on Crown Plaza Flinders Station up close The Rialto Towers in the Middle. With 253 m the tallest buildings in the southern hemisphere
Royal Botanic Gardens You'll find a Quuen everywhere in Australia. Here it is Queen Victoria Shrine of Rememberance: Remembering the lost lives in the Wars Australians fought View from the Shrine of Rememberance Sunset in the Streets
Just after Lyndhurst the Northern Flinders Ranges
Crossing the Dof Fence on the way through the Ranges
Sunset in the North Flinders Ranges
The North Flinders Ranges the next Morning
Petrochemical Industries in Moomba, in the middle of Nowhere
The Landscape of the Strzelecki Track, the same for 500 km
What you see when you climb on top of a sand dune
What you see when you climb on top of a sand dune
The Cooper Creek in Innamincka
Do they hear the grass grow?
Track to Lake Coongie, a freshwater lake in the middle of the desert
Lake Coongie Scenery
The Pelicans at Lake Coongie
A Majestic View in flight
Plantlife on the Sand
Lake Coongie Scenery
Our Cruiser on top of a sanddune
Lake Coongie Scenery
That is Innamincka (Only the ranger station is missing on the picture)
Cullyamura Waterhole
Burkes place of death
Burkes Grave
White Corella
History ladden Dig Tree
Similiarities of the faces of Burke and Wills carved in nearby Face Tree by a Stockman
On the way to Tibooburra
On the way to Tibooburra
Just after Tibooburra
An Emu Dad with 11 chicks in the vincinity of Broken Hill
Near Broken Hill
Prickly plant
Fields just out of Broken Hill
The road of the eateries in Mildura
The Gold Tree in Swan Hill as a reminder of the 2000 Olympics
Lake Balgo
Flowers on the Sand
Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: Flinders Station
Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: The Central Business District
Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: A huge Mirror
Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: The Crown Casino
Melbourne from the Rialto Towers: The Harbour
Fountain on Crown Plaza
Sculptures on Crown Plaza
Flinders Station up close
The Rialto Towers in the Middle. With 253 m the tallest buildings in the southern hemisphere
Royal Botanic Gardens
You'll find a Quuen everywhere in Australia. Here it is Queen Victoria
Shrine of Rememberance: Remembering the lost lives in the Wars Australians fought
View from the Shrine of Rememberance
Sunset in the Streets
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Last Updated : 30th of August 2001


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