Sunday 4th July 2021

We have left Cameron's Corner a day earlier that we had planned, But not before I buy some souveniers and we refuel the ute again. Our plan is to go to The Dig Tree, and into Inaminka, South Australia, and then take it as it goes through out the day. 

From Cameron's Corner to the Dig tree is a 4 and half hour trip or 342kms. Our travel takes us across much corrugated dirt, and past some paddocks of water. There seems to be q fair bit of water laying around, and parts of the road have been detoured around the watery plains. The guys that were staying beside us for the last couple of days have decided to to go Noccundra for their next stop on their way to Longreach. 

We are traveling along when there is a car pulled up on the other side of the road flashing it's lights, and as we get closer it is them. They apparently missed their turn, and had made it almost to Innaminka, and then turned around to find where they had missed their turn. We stopped and showed them the map we are using, and insist that they take a pic of the page we are following, and after a bit of a discussion, it is decided that they will follow us, but not go into Innaminka, like we are. One of the boys has taken a liking to Jack, and gets out of the car and give him a pat. So onwards we go, and we loose them in the dust, but we do spot them in the distance as we roll across the tops of some of the rises. The road has improved somewhat, and when we get to the intersection for Innaminka or Quilpie, we don't wait for them as we are going in different directions.  

We are unsure if we will even be able to get into Innaminka, due to South Australia having closed their borders to everyone, and was told that they do have police manned on the gate between the borders. So as we sail along, a distance of 18 kms from where we turned onto the bitumened road, which is nice to be driving on again after driving on dirt roads for the past 4 days, we come across the border crossing, and there is no-one present managing the flow of traffice in or out of the state. So we continue our journey as planned and get to Innaminka, and take a little look around. All that is there is a Trading post anda Hotel. The Trading post has the fuel bowers and is doing a great trade. We get a couple of rounds of toasted sandwiches and head back to Queensland, with Eromanga in mind for where we will stay for the night. It was just after 2pm when we left South Australia. 

We are going to see the Bourke and Wills Dig Tree, and it is 28 kms out of Innaminka. The Dig tree is a mature Coolibah, a type of Eucalyptus, and is believed to be around 250 years old. It is the site of which information burried in a bottle  about supplies were burried by Brahe. There are Three Coolibah trees there that are of significance, one has a face brazed on it of Burke, a memorial to Bourk, and whas blazed in April 1861, which is still visable, although some of the carving has some growth over it.  The third tree has markings on it from the expedition party, which is still visable. 

We continue on our way,  heading to Eromanga and when we get to a sign post saying how far it is to Eromanga, we change our minds, as it will be to dark for us to be putting up the camper. From the Dig tree to Eromanga, it was a distance of 320 kms.  So we are at a crossroad of where we will go, and we have started to head towards Eromanga, but turn around and head back the other way to Noccutunca, as it is only 28 kms get there. We see a couple of Kangaroos, which we help them to decide to go the other way across the road, and a couple of cows beside the road. 

When we get to Noccutunca we check in at the pub there to see about camping sites, and are told that we can stay over the road on the river bank for free, and the showers and toilets are up next to the pub, we also decide to have tea at the pub. So we go and set up the camper in the dark, and as we are heading back to the pub, our neighbours from Cameron's Corner are camped here also. We stop and say hello, and they have had issues with their camper and the dust and dirt of the roads and then let the dogs out for a pit stop and go to the pub for our meal. I have Beef and Guinness stew, and Bob has Lasagne. It was very welcome after our day of travels. The publican and his daughter are very nice people, and it was all very good. 

We return to our camp, settle the dogs for the night and then settle ourselves, watch a movie, and the call it a night.