28.8.18. KC Station to Gosse's Bluff.

A sleep in this am. Awoke at 6.30. Up and out to loo. Then into usual morning routine. Start the fire, Get dressed, pack clothes, pack bed, mattress, put the billy on. Keep packing tent etc, cook, eat, dishes. Stand around a bit. 

Morning happening.

Where my tent was.

Col and Greg’s camp.

Preparation for eggs.

More prepping probably water for thermoses.

Dishes.

Dishes

Packing up the camper.

Up and over goes the bed.

Ungaroo was our little campsite, within the Kings Creek Station campground

Out of camp at 9.45 and off up the road a bit for a walk into Kathleen Springs. 

Not sure if you can read any of this.

Heading off to walk to the Springs.

And me and Milani.

Old stockyards 

Kathleen Springs.

A seed pod.

Here we all are at Kathleen Springs.

Then on the road again, heading for Kings Canyon Resort to pick up permits for the Mereenie loop - the next part of our trip... or so I thought.  I went to the resort, seems everyone else had turned into Kings Canyon to do the Gorge walk. I thought they were joking and had turned into Resort while I was at the campground, but no it seems they really were back a few kms at the Canyon Gorge  doing the walk. 

I checked the air in Tyres, fixed a rattle under the steering wheel (loose cover) started to read the paper and they all arrived back. Seems it was a miscommunication all round. 

Then we went to the KC resort campground Roadhouse to collect  permits and a little shopping for some. 

Next stage is the Meereenie Loop. 

First stop a lookout atop a ‘jump up’. 

View of the road below and country beyond.

Then onto the loop headed for Palm Valley. The road was a return to corrugations. It was rough and there was no way to avoid them. Quite a bit of oncoming traffic too. 

It was painful and we still don’t like corrugations. You have to concentrate on your track and where you are going. The surface was a mixture of sand and gravel. There were some nice views of the bush and hills etc but hard to appreciate as you are ever vigilant looking and listening for issues. 

Eventually it was I who heard a strange sound, pulled over to a flat Tyre. It was decided we’d pump it up and try and find the hole and plug it. Which we did - well the blokes all leapt in to the fray. We put Col's tyre pressure/temperature thing on it and Mary jumped in with me. 

We got a little distance only to lose pressure. The repair had failed. Off with the old and on with the spare and off we go again. Used Phil and Mary’s exhaust jack - very quick and easy - it sure beats winding up the shitty jacks that come standard these days. 

Stef at the repair. While the others look like they are doing a
lot of looking, they did assist with the jacking and getting
things organised. This is the first stop - attempting the repair.

Pumping up the tyre to find the hole

Tyre plugging kit in action.

The repair. 

Some sculptural looking Grass Trees, with Mac Donnell Ranges in the background.

We called into Gosse’s Bluff and then decided we needed to find a campsite soon to watch the full moonrise. 

Gosse’s Bluff from our campsite. 

All about some of the indigenous history around Gosse’s bluff. Mary in the background shielding camera from the sun.

The story of the bluff.

Full moonrise

Moon peeking over the trees.

The moon

Gosse's Bluff by starlight.