Julian & Ali Travels


The Rig Road		May 25 2017

		The French Line is the shortest route from Dalhousie to Birdsville. A straight line, created for a French oil prospecting company in 1963. The Rig Road is better engineered. Designed and built for heavier equipment required for drilling. It is clay topped in places, though that is partly broken with use.

		There are few corners either way.

		Just what one would expect in a desert. Signposts. We turned right. It will approximately double the distance to Birdsville.

		We haven't met many other people. This is Piers (English) and Steve (Irish) following a loop from Dalhousie. Limited by fuel and water.

		Helmets removed for a chat. We filled their water bottles.

		Then carried on. Hard to get lost really.

		At one dune top stop I nearly stood on this chappy. A dragon. No fire. Didn't even look annoyed. It was very still. Absolutely no movement at all. The perfect photo subject.

		The dunes in the Simpson are long, with swales between. Vegetation on the tops is different to that in the swales.

		Some of the swales have bare patches.

		Having turned right at Wonga Corner and followed the WAA Line we turned right again at Georges Corner. Onto the Rig Road.

		We haven't a clue what created this. It looks like its been digested. A cast?

		Observed by a bird of prey. They seem to be everywhere.

		On close inspection it looks like where the last water gathered in the swale from the last downpour. We've had three drops of rain.

		We camped a night at Georges Corner. The airstrip to the right out of the picture looks like it hasn't been used for a while.

		In every big tree is a nest.

		We really are on the Rig Road. km from Dalhousie?

		Our progress is watched again by another bird of prey. Falcon sized?

Dune Top		May 25 2017

Gateway

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