July 30^th

The warmest morning we have yet had. Breaking camp is much easier without cold toes and fingers. Now that we have completed the Hann Track we will make our own way in an easterly direction. The track through the Mulga to the Connie Sue was only 3.6km in length.

The main word for today has been Corrugations. The Connie Sue Road as well as the Ann Beadell  were dominated by Corrugations. This made travelling very tiring especially for our drivers.

We crossed many sand dunes and travelled along the swales. The bush was rather plain and grey with only a few flowers. The Connie Sue did improve somewhat as we came further south. However we may choose never to come this way again because of the road quality which had deteriorated in the 4 years since we travelled along it from Warburton with our friends Eileen and Geoff Dinning.

We arrived at Neal Junction for an early lunch and rest stopover. It was interesting to read that The Great Fergie Tractor Trek had been this way.

This afternoon we have come east along the Ann Beadell Highway and camped among a thicket of Mulgas which provided quite good shade on a hot afternoon.

 Now for a little history.. During the 1950s and 60s Len Beadell was employed to develop some roads across the Great Victorian Desert. He had a truck, a grader, a bulldozer and a team of men. Connie Sue was Len’s daughter. Her mother was  Ann, after whom the Ann Beadell Highway was named. When Connie Sue was a baby she was brought out here with her parents and slept in a butter box. Today we drove along the road which was named after her.

Travelling the Connie Sue Highway

Eucalyptus Glomerosa at Neale Junction