July 8th

John & June, Jack, David, Adam & Cynthia

The roads today have been much smoother to drive on after the violent corrugations of the Plenty Highway and the weather is very much warmer so we look forward to some easier camping now we are well north of Alice Springs.

We followed tracks across country to the Aboriginal settlement of Utopia. To our amazement we found it completely deserted. Some buildings appeared to be quite new, including the school. The tiny township is situated on the banks of the Sandover River which has an extremely wide, sandy bed. We enjoyed our last picnic lunch together under a beautiful Ghost Gum tree. Cynthia, David, Adam and Jack set off south  for Alice Springs, the first stop on their return home to Oxley.

John and I took the track going west toward Ti-Tree, on the Stuart Highway. We have travelled through
 Station properties and Aboriginal lands and have camped the night at the foot of a very small rocky rise 
called Mt Solitary. Camp oven lamb stew tonight!


My blog updates are being posted from Ti-Tree with good Internet connections.