August 2nd

We all enjoyed the wonderful drive through a spectacular bush of Gimlet Eucalypts and Goldfield Black Butt
Eucalypts. The bush varied as we went along but we saw a huge variety of bushes and flowers.
I will list some of them for my own record: Causerina, Cypress, Hakea Francisiana, Acacias, Grevilleas, Eucalypts including Gimlet, Youngiana, Goldfields Blackbutt, Wood Wardie, Flavida (Yellow Flowered Mallee) and Platycorys (Boorabin Mallee), Daisies, Upside down plants in bloom, Desert poplars and Grass trees.
Driving through the abandoned aboriginal settlement of Cundeelee left us all feeling disallusioned. Such places, where so much money has been spent and not used to advantage is really saddening. The relics of buildings, sports courts and old cars were in a really scenic spot on top of a hill. We believe that aboriginal families were relocated to this point in preparation for the tests at Maralinga. Evidently there was no readily available water and people, generally, were not happy.
The road did deteorate this afternoon and was very tiring for the driver, the passenger and  the vehicle, because it was so narrow. However the lovely bush continued.
 This evening we are camped near Queen Victoria Springs on a red sandy spot. To really top the day off
John Harrison is cooking roast beef for dinner.

Hakea Francisiana

Eucalyptus Flavida in bud