Going through the Simpson Desert - By Jake Lumsden

Jake Lumsden is our nine year old grandson who lives in New Zealand with his parents and younger brother and sister.  The photos below are of Jake and his brother, Tim aged 8, preparing to leave their mum and sister at the Auckland Airport. 

They travelled the trip from Melbourne to Townsville via the Simpson Desert with us and this is Jake's account of his trip.


Jake and Tim at Auckland Airport
Prior to departure

Little Sister Zoe there to supervise

A snack before they board

Zoe watches them leave -
no she doesn't turn around
Zoe they are out of the window

Going - Going Gone

Getting ready to go

Today my younger brother Tim and I travelled on our own to Melbourne. Our plane arrived at 5.30pm in Melbourne.  The air host came and got us through customs and through the final doors to where Nan and Grandad were.  The air host checked Nan’s ID so they could tell she was the right person to leave us with. Finally we could go to bed we were really tired. The Patrol was partly packed already we just needed to finish it in the morning.  Connor arrived late tonight once we had gone to bed.  Connor is my cousin that is going to be travelling with us turned up.   

The next day we are packed ready to go. Today we are going from Melbourne to Mildura it was 545 km’s. About 20 km’s out of Mildura we had to throw all of our fruit out because of the risk of spreading fruit flies in the area because of the excellent citrus fruit grown in the area.  They grow lots of grapes, limes, mandarins and oranges.

Having our first meal in Australia

 27/5/2013

Today we travelled 380 km’s to Burra. At Burra we saw some fossils at the town council building. There was the skull and part of the spine.

Burra is 150 km’s north of the Mildura and the Murray River.  Also known as the mighty Murray, because when the settlers came to Australia they used the Murray for food E.G fish, transport and water from the river to water their crops but they couldn’t drink it because it is so muddy so they had to find fresh water lakes that leads to the Murray. 

Our cabin

A steam paddler on the Murray

28/5/2013

Today we travelled 380 km’s to Leigh Creek. Did you know that Leigh creek was built for the excellent coal mining, they fill a 2.8 km train every day and that makes up 50% of South Australia’s power?

29/5/2013

Today we travelled 365 km’s to William Creek. William Creek only has one pub and no shops. Tonight is our first night in the tents and in the tent it will be for the rest of the trip until we get to Townsville. Today I used my fly net for the first time on this trip.

30/5/2013

Today we travelled 380 km’s to Oodnadatta.     

The pink roadhouse

Our plans were to stay at Oodnadatta but we continued on to Hamilton station.  The flies there were so annoying.

The flies at Hamilton station

31/5/2013

Today we travelled 255 km’s to Dalhousie Springs. At Dalhousie Springs there is a billabong that is 38 degrees hot. In the billabong there was a little type of goby that only lived in that billabong called the Dalhousie goby that nibbled at the dead skin on your feet and when you ran your hand over your feet it was so smooth. During the day the flies were all over you but at night there were mosquitoes which were all over you!   

1/6/2013                                                                                     

At the beginning of the
Simpson Desert

Today we travelled 150 km’s to our first night in the dessert bypassing Purni Bore. The bore at Purni Bore is 3-5 km’s deep and 85 degrees hot and is filled with mud and animal droppings. After lunch we headed into the Simpson Desert.

2/6/2013

Today we travelled 50 km’s to the second night in the desert.

Me on the sled

Tim playing with the whip

  

Me playing with the whip

3/6/2013

Today we travelled 115 km’s to Poeppel’s Corner. Poeppel’s Corner is where the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland all meet.      

 

4/6/2013

Today we travelled 120 km’s to Birdsville.  We went over Big Red. Big Red is the largest sand dune in the whole of Australia!!     

Big red!!

In Birdsville there were lots and lots of road trains!!!           

 One of many road trains

5/6/2013

Today we travelled 380 km’s to Boulia. We also saw some small planes that look a lot like the Royal Flying Doctor Service but sadly they were not the Royal Flying Doctor Service.L   When we were nearly there we saw a man rounding up his horses and in among all the horses we saw a camel!!  

6/6/2013

Today we travelled 380 km’s to Winton.  At Winton there is the Waltzing Matilda Centre.

At Winton there is also the Age of the Dinosaur’s museum. There are two main dinosaur’s named Banjo and Matilda. Banjo is a small carnivore and Matilda a large plant eater.  Matilda and Banjo were buried together. They think that Matilda killed Banjo with her tail.

Banjo

7/6/2013

Today we travelled 420 km’s to Campaspe River. Tonight we used the brazier for the first time on this trip!! (It wasn’t the best of fires) Grandad thought that the road trains were going through the middle of the two tents! Because we were camping right next to the road and the road trains were very noisy through the night.

Tim enjoying poking the brazier

8/6/2013

Today we travelled 250 km’s to Townsville! Tonight we are staying in a camp ground at the camp ground there is a swimming pool and a jumping pillow. The camp ground we stayed at was called Big 4.  I highly recommend it if you have children.



9/6/2013

Today we travelled 15 km’s to the house that Nan and Grandad are house sitting for the family that live there who are going to America for a month. They have one dog named Jessie. Jessie is a white and brown Dalmatian.

12/6/2013

Today we travelled 450 km’s to Cairns to catch our plane home to New Zealand. On the way to the airport we had to stop for a sugarcane train.  It went 0.5 km’s an hour that was so slow that it took 10 minutes to pass.   By 10.00 o’clock we were at the airport and checked in and were sitting down waiting for the air hostess to come and get us so while we waited we got a pie to eat.  When we were finished the air hostess came and got us.

We arrived in at Auckland at 6.30 pm.

I’d like to say thanks to Nan and Grandad for giving me this opportunity to go through the Simpson Desert. I know not a lot for people get to go through the Simpson Desert. 

Thanks a lot. J      

By Jake

Connor returns to Melbourne

After our long day going to Cairns we had a very leisurely start today - for Connor this meant the first day he had been able to stay in bed after 9 a.m.  It was not surprising to note that his stomach ensured he didn't stay out of the kitchen for too long!

We had asked Connor what he would like to do on his last day in Townsville and he thought that another swim at the Riverways Lagoon would be a good option.  So following a lazy morning we headed to the pool in the afternoon.  As it was a school day there were very few people at the pools but Connor enjoyed the lovely weather and the freedom of the pool.

 With packing completed and following an early dinner for Connor we headed to the Townsville Airport in time for his check in with Jetstar at 6.30 p.m.  We were surprised at how big the Townsville Airport was and how many facilities they offered.  The one café which a very poor food range at Cairns could do with checking out the Townsville offerings.  There are at least three food stores, book shop and general store and all at a domestic airport.  Most impressive.

Connor flew up to meet us in Darwin last year and together we had returned to Melbourne at the end of his holiday.  This time he had travelled up in the car and was returning on his own.  He was looking forward to catching up with his friends and his Mum and Dad.

Like we had done with Jake and Tim, we promised to stay at the airport until the flight was in the air.  His 7.35 p.m. flight left roughly on time and he was on his way - a late night for his Dad who will meet him in Melbourne as it is about a four hour flight.

So our grandsons have all gone home and we are back to just us - it will seem very quiet for the next few days.  We are house sitting here in Townsville for another four weeks and then we will commence our trip south house sitting along the way in Brisbane and Sydney before arriving in Melbourne on the 5th October ready to house sit there for a month or so.

We loved the experience of taking Connor, Jake and Tim along during this section of our travels.  They learnt heaps about the parts of Australia we travelled through, about themselves, about being away from Mum and Dad, about self reliance and self responsibility and these are big learnings for boys aged 8 to 13.  We have built memories for the future for us all and we will always remember our trip through the desert with the three boys. 

Jake and Tim head back to New Zealand

Setting the alarm is something we don't do very often but as we had to be up by around 5 am it was a necessity.  While we have been staying in the house Tim has been sleeping on a stretcher in our bedroom and Jake has been in one of the boys' rooms and Connor in the other.  Last night Jake wanted to sleep in our room as well, so with mattress on the floor he joined us.

Peter got up first and headed off to the shower and Jake and Tim both climbed into our bed with me for a few minutes to chat.  It was a special time.  However, before too long Peter was reminding us we had to be away by about 5.30 am so reluctantly we all got up, including Connor.  It was going to be a long day for Connor travelling to Cairns and back.  We had decided that we would not have breakfast before we left as it was just too early, so I had packed all the breakfast stuff into a bag and took it along with us for a stop along the way.

 

We drove out at 5.35 a.m. and followed the Bruce Highway north through Ingham, Cardwell, Tully, Innisfail, Babinda and Gordonvale to Cairns.  We had noticed last year as we drove south from Townsville that there were road works every few kilometres and it was constant stop/start as we travelled.  Whether they have finished those areas south of Townsville we have yet to find out, but they are certainly undertaking heaps of road works north.  Every few kilometres we had to slow down to 60 and then 40 and then stop waiting for our turn to proceed.  We would barely get going again and we had to stop.  We didn't count how many times this happened but it seemed to be constant. 

Time was quickly going and we realised that for us to arrive at Cairns Airport in time for Jake and Tim's check in we would have to forget stopping for a picnic breakfast.  Instead, during one of our stops at road works we collected the bag of food from the rear of the car and ate our cereal in the car.  Not quite as we planned!

We had about 380 kilometres to travel - surprisingly both Jake and Tim had a sleep and then as we neared Cairns we had our final car quiz on our travels and then decided to have a round robin of compliments for the person beside us and then random compliments.  It was really interesting to hear the boys thank each other for their contribution to the trip and was a very worthwhile activity.

Check in time was 9.50 a.m. and we arrived at Cairns International Airport at 10 a.m. - not too bad considering the stops that we had.  The lady at the service desk was very helpful and very quickly the check in process had been completed and we were told to wait at the café for the assistant who would come to escort Jake and Tim to the plane. 

It was sad for us to say goodbye to our two grandsons as it will be some months before we see them again back in New Zealand at the end of 2013.  A quick cuddle from Jake and a tearful farewell from Tim we said good bye and our travellers were on their way.  We waited in the airport until the plane was actually in the air before we headed into Cairns central.

Connor had not been to Cairns before so we wandered around the central area and then parked on the Esplanade and had lunch.  The esplanade has a large water park very similar to Townsville and this was being enjoyed by lots.  Unfortunately Connor didn't have his bathers so couldn't join in.

We hit the road again bound for Townsville and after a short stop at a roadside stall selling bananas we headed for home.  We were all exhausted as it had been a long day of travel.

Enjoying Townsville

After one night staying in the caravan park we moved to stay in the home that we are house sitting for the next five weeks.  The young couple and their two boys who own the home are off to the USA on holiday and we will care for their Dalmation, Jessie and provide security for their home. 

We met the owners on Saturday afternoon and explained that we had the three boys for us for a few days more and received their consent for the boys to stay in the home - alternatively one of us would have stayed in the caravan park with the boys and the other at the home.

We arrived at the house prior to mid-day and soon had everything unpacked off the car and in the car into the garage.  The next step was to ensure that each of the boys took home all their gear but that waited a couple of days. 

The homeowners have two boys similar in age to Jake and Tim so there were plenty of boys toys to enjoy.  The family had placed a mini pool table in the family room which became a very popular activity.  With bikes, scooters, pool table, balls etc and three televisions including a huge one in the family room there was plenty to keep the boys entertained but a little disappointment that there was no swimming pool.

We had a quiet afternoon - everyone was really tired from our travels and it was good to just relax.  However Monday we decided it was time to get out and about a little.  After a relaxing morning we made our way down to The Strand which is a 2.2 km beachfront promenade.  It has been built with enjoyment in mind with bike and walkway paths, swimming beaches, picnic spots and BBQ's, a water park, pool and cafes etc.  We took our lunch and enjoyed a great picnic beside the water park.  As it was a public holiday (Queen's Birthday celebration) there were lots of people about but unfortunately it wasn't that warm - around 23 degrees but with lots of high cloud.  Jake and Tim enjoyed playing in the water park but at 13 Connor was just a little old for it.  He did check out the pool but there were not many people in it either so gave it a miss too.

The beaches in Townsville have tropical marine stingers in them and there are specific instructions for swimming in the warm waters.  These include swimming in enclosures where there are stinger nets in place, the use of a full body length lycra swimming suit or wetsuit to avoid being stung by any jellyfish, and no swimming at night.  The nets are only in place during the peak jellyfish season from around November to May and they have recently been removed in the Townsville area although later than normal due to the large number of Irukandji jellyfish still being seen.  Because of the risk of stingers we did not allow any of the boys to swim in the beach.

From The Strand we made a short visit to the Townsville Information Centre and then home again.  The boys were more than happy playing pool and entertaining themselves.

We arrive in Townsville

We were keen to arrive in Townsville by around midday so we were up bright and early to get packed up and on our way.  We were delighted when two groups of campers came up to us and said how impressed they were with the boys and what a wonderful adventure we must have all had.  I think that they thought the boys would be disturbing the peace when we pulled up!  Not our boys – they entertained themselves with no screaming or yelling just normal chatter.

Each day Connor has helped by climbing up on to the roof rack to place the items and then Peter has tied the load down.  The grey tape has come in handy before the rope and today Connor must have thought he would use the rest of the roll as he kept adding more and more.   Jake and Tim took it in turns to be able to also go on the roof rack but today as it was our last major pack up both boys were up on the roof.

On our way we had to pull over to allow a couple of trucks with large loads to pass – they were escorted by four forward vehicles including two police cars and a follow up vehicle.  Wide loads are quite common on these roads with the transport of equipment to the various mines. 

Campaspe River rest area has quite good facilities including flushing toilets, BBQ’s, a shelter area, and tank water.  Peter must have been too busy to finish his morning ablutions as part way along the road out came the shaver – much to the amusement of the boys but not me.

Tim became “five hatted” as we continued travelling towards Charters Towers where we stopped at one of the truck stops for diesel.  Parked in the parking area were mining vehicles obviously en route towards Mt Isa or similar.  It certainly gave the boys an idea of the size of the mining trucks.

 

With less than 140 kilometres to go we soon arrived in Townsville and how good it was to know that we were at the end of our travels.  With only about thirty kilometres to go Peter suggested that we do a round robin of compliments for the person sitting round from us and then randomly.  It was really interesting to listen to what we each had to say.  We were still friends! 

We stayed overnight at the Big 4 Walkabout Caravan Park (we had stayed here last year as well) and the boys were soon in the pool or playing on the bouncing pillow – it was great for them all to have these fun things to do.  It was 27 degrees and just so lovely warm.  The tents were put up for the last time!  Our site was adjacent to the camp kitchen which was very handy with boiling water on tap, table and seating, BBQ and fridge and stove.  Shopping included ice cream – a real treat. 

The next morning before heading off to the house where we are now house sitting in Townsville the Patrol got the first clean to get the worst of the dirt off – Connor and Peter enjoyed as much water fighting as cleaning I think.

We have now completed our epic journey from Kensington in Victoria to Townsville in Queensland via the Simpson Desert.  We had travelled some 4000 plus kilometres through some very difficult terrain and outback areas.  With five in the Patrol and all our gear and food and water, plus an extra sixty litres of diesel carried for parts, we had a very full vehicle.  We had no major problems – we now had a chip in the front window screen thanks to a truck on the Winton to Hughenden road, some wiring (belonging to the caravan plug) had been broken, the backing light had been dislodged and the left hand tool drawer in the back of the Patrol had a break in the door front.  In all, nothing at all worth worrying about.  We had played quizzes each day to cement our learning of the areas we had travelled through, we had enjoyed card games each night, we certainly knew how to erect and take down camp, and we were all still friends.  It had been amazing experience for us all and we were all so pleased to have enjoyed it together.   

Tim swimming at the Big4

Connor having a swim

Connor and Tim

Jake sure looks like he is organizing something

Down the slide

No show without punch Tims turn

Jake on the jumping pillow

Jake and Tim

Must be story time

Tim thought that if Peter needed a shave then so did he!!