Northern Flinders Ranges

We're back briefly in civilisation before heading back to the outback up in Lake Eyre. Since leaving Mildura we made our way up to Broken Hill accompanied by "How to be a Pirate" another great success. Beautiful vast countryside, very flat. At Broken Hill we bush camped on the outskirts, possibly in mining land which was beautiful none the less, getting colder at night. After a morning in Broken Hill getting fresh food and more stuff we headed off to the outback in the Northern Flinders Ranges. After a couple of hundred km of our last bitumen road for a while, we hit our first dirt road, and as it had just rained our trailer and car became immediately red. We now really look like we are hard core travellers. Made it about 150km up the road before we decided to bushcamp by an old ruins and windmill, accompanied by the odd dead sheep. A bit creepy but very much outback. The next morning (not very good at getting going early yet) we headed off again to Arkaroola a private game reserve in the Northern Ranges. Stopped for lunch and had our first gorge walk which was beautiful but maybe not as spectacular as we hopped. That evening we made it to Arkaroola and are now experiencing probably what it will be like the rest of the way with lots of camper trailers. Arkaroola is nestled in the ranges surrounded by very red, rocky mountains, that the boys thought were fantastic and were immediately off to climb. Can't get the youngest one to walk very far, but he's very happy to climb a mountain, which was what we did for the next couple of days. Also went off searching for the hot springs, only 30km's away, which only took us 1 1/2 hours to get there on the 2WD track! Really specatcular scenery. Hot springs were a bit of a disappointment with lots of green weed (which we discovered later particularly likes radioactive water at 62degrees) but we all got in anyway. First bath since departure and scolded all the dirt off. Had proper showers the next day much to the boys disgust. Saw lots of Rock Wallabies, not sure they were the famous yellow footed kind though. More mountain climbing and some trailer/car modifications before we headed off this morning. Did I mention how cold it is at night now? We wake up in the morning to anything liquid left outside to being frozen solid. Not helping in the motivation to get up in the mornings! We are now in Leigh Creek, probably last connection for a while. Heading up to Lake Eyre this afternoon where we may get the boat in the water! Thanks Jo and Simon.

Hope everyone is well. Over and Out.