Flinders Ranges

Well been a little slack of late. Back from an awesome out back trip travelling to Hillston, Ivanhoe, Menindee lakes, Yunta, Arkarolla and the Flinders Ranges. Australia is such an amazing place with an incredibly diverse range of ecosystems. I had the opportunity to test some new gear (Bacho folding saw, Mountain Designs Sprite Tent, Black Diamond Ion head torch, Leatherman multi tool, Andy Strapz adventure panniers, Katmandhu gas burner, Katmandhu Sleeping Mat) and will over the next few months post reviews on these items.

This trip was undertaken on a motorbike with 3 friends and was a brilliant way to travel, if not somewhat challenging. Some days we covered big distances across wind sweept dunes. At night we would sit around a campsite and talk about the days adventure and life in general. Is there anything that is comparable to being out in the wilderness with good friends?

Here's a few pics.


At the campsite at Hillston




Old gold mining site near Yunta South Australia



Not much grows out here



Ivanho Menindee road 200km outback road


Menindee Lakes was a highlight of the trip. Beautiful red sand and plentiful wildlife. The lake was empty due to the tributary water being diverted to agricultural land and drinking water for near by towns. Also the drought has had an impact. When ever it fills up with water I will be heading back as supposedly millions of birds flock to the area.



The circuit road around Menindee lakes, in search of a campsite.



Ruins near Yunta





Dust storm in the Flinders



Taking a break




Time for a brew





Bola Bolana Springs Arkaroola




Water is a scarce resource out here.


kangaroo at water hole



The Pinnacles Arkaroola


Arkaroola


Desert Flower





Bola Bolana Springs Arkaroola

Old Cooper mine ruins Arkaroola

GS near Chambers Gorge


Arid is an understatement
Aboriginal Art work, each circle represents an individual ceremony

Contemplation

Nice view from the tent







Walked through gorge, awesome scenery


Climbed nearby mountain, nearly made it to top, but became a bit dangerous without proper gear so turned back

Arkaroola and the Flinders Ranges, one of the best wilderness areas on the planet!

Adventure beckons

previous expeditions Lake Eyre

In late August I will be heading outback with a few friends on a motorcycle trip. We plan to ride to South Australia and make our way to Arkaroola via Yunta onto Strezleki track to Coward Springs up the Oodnadatta track, then to the Painted desert, Cober Pedy, William Creek and back to the Flinders Ranges and home.

At this point it's all about preparation, fitting out our bikes with the necessary components so that they can cope with the 1000's of km of corrugated dirt roads. A trip of this nature on a motorcycle requires a minimalist approach, as too much weight compromises the handling of the bike. Considering that it will be necessary to carry ten liters of additional fuel plus adequate water supplies for venturing into the desert it makes the whole propsition an interesting logistical challenge. So all my gear is spread out around the house, as I go through a trial pack and then discard items.

I intend to take along a few new gadgets to test with the aim of writing up a review. Hopefully the one item I do not have an opportunity to review is the first aid kit. My firewood processing combo will be a Bacho folding saw and the Becker BK2 knife. I also have a new Mountain Hardware Sprite 1 tent and CaribeeCosmic 1600 compact synthetic sleeping bag. The Caribee bag only cost $89 and even though it has a rating to -5 I'm a bit nervous about it's ability to cope with the cool desert nights. My understanding is that Australia unlike Europe does not have an official rating standard for testing sleeping bags, so one is at the mercy of the manufacturers in-house rating scheme. As a precaution I will be packing a Coleman emergency blanket which I will place beneath the sleeping mat in order to provide some insulation. A silk sleeping bag liner will also be thrown in for good measure.

I actually have a great Macpac down sleeping bag that is tried and trusted in these conditions however; I have never owned a synthetic bag and I am curious to see how it performs. By the way I purchased the Macpac bag in 1994 and it is still as good as new! It cost a lot in it's day, but quality often comes at a price. That fact does make me a little nervous about the Caribee.....oh well!

Anyway it's time to get back to the packing.