23. More wildflowers!

Across every dune there seemed to be a new display of colour - usually yellow, but often white, or maybe the "poached egg" daisy, and occasionally some softer mauve colors.

24. Dalhousie Springs.

The prize after the trek through the desert is a swim in the warm luxury of Dalhousie Springs - it was even worth the agony of a cold shower first!

From Dalhousie Springs it was back into civilisation(?) at Mt Dare where we had a hot(ish) pie for lunch, and filled up with our first fuel and water since Birdsville (600kms).

25. The Old Ghan Line

We followed the "Old Ghan" train  track almost to Alice Springs, sometimes travelling on it, and sometimes beside the track.

The "Old Ghan" was decommissioned in 1982 when the new Ghan line was opened. The new Ghan was built about 100kms west of the old track to avoid the continual flood damage in the Finke River and other major crossings.

The photo shows our intrepid photographer, Greg Rivers going to great heights for yet another impressive photo (we think!) from an old water tank required for the Ghan  steam engines.

The Finke River had been flowing but an easy crossing was available. 

A kilometre further on we drove through the one and only massive bulldust hole in the trip - visibility ZERO for 20+ metres!

Fortunately D.B. was on hand to record the bulldust charge  ......... here we go .....

...  ker THUMP!!  ...

 .. where's the track gone??

.............. can't see a thing!!!

 .............  whew .... we're coming up for air again!

...... that was fun .... I think!

27. Camels Close up!

Harvey slid through the scrub to get up close and personal with these guys!

The vegetation was continually changing, now we went through beautiful mauve flowering pussy willow patches, and masses of desert oaks, a type of casuarina.

28. Wow!

Yet another truly impressive desert landscape behind our camp near  the Old Ghan line. Typical weather too! None of those heavy winter jackets we took were ever worn! No wind, and no rain - how lucky can you be!

29.     Whatta Hat!

Maryvale Station was our next fillup spot, and by mutual consensus we all agreed Adrian HAD to buy this hat! The sort of hat no young Brit can live without! 

At Maryvale Station there were 16 young Victoria Uni students spending 2 weeks working with the Aboriginal children at the local community school. The students and the children were all obviously having a ball!

            More please!        

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