Praktikum downunder!

Sunday, 20th April

Today we decided to go to Palm Valley through a 4WD track crossing Finke River National Park. Before our departure we were asking the ranger from Kings Creek Station about the road conditions and the entry passage.

"No worries, you cannot miss it. Just take the track next to the fence at the grid on Ernest Giles Road".

Alrighty, that's easy, let's do it.

The first few kilometers have been really fun even if we scratched our car a lot because of tree branches on our way (thank god we've got a No-worries insurance!).

After about 4kms we reached Palmers River and had to think where to drive down the river bed because the track stopped suprisingly. It didn't take us long to find a appropiate position to drive on.

Unfortunately, we got stucked in the soft sand and had to dig a while to move our car out of the sand.

After getting out of the sand we were checking the area for a suitable track to the other side of the river bed because the whole river bed seemed to be quite soft.

But again we got stucked in the deep river bed and had to dig a lot. Unfortunately, after 3hours of digging and building rails out of tree branches and leaves and also decreasing air from the tyres, we haven't been successful...

We decided to take our backpack with food and a lot of water to walk back to Ernest Giles Road, which was about 4kms away. This took us nearly an hour, because it was so hot.

According to locals there should be about 20 cars a day passing this road. It was still weekend which increased our chances to stop a car.

Luckily, after only 30minutes a car was stopping. Sid, a half-Aboriginal and his daughter were on their way home just a couple of kilomneters away from here.
Sid didn't hestitate to help us, even if his first thought was that he won't stop for strangers on the road in the outback because of getting robbed.

After a ride back to the Palmers River Sid towed us out of the river bed with his car. We decided not to got further down this track. Also because Sid told us we weren't on the right track. The track is starting about 300m right-hand side of the fence, not directly at the grid. Thanks to the ranger of Kings Creek Station - stupid ass!

Meanwhile, it was already late afternoon and not enough time to get to Plam Valley that day. Sid offered us to stay on his land, aboriginal trust land along Ernest Giles Road.

We weren't hestitating and took the opportunity to experience the aboriginal way of living in the middle of nowhere.

Since a few years, Sid was building up his home for retirement on this land. He had a small garden growing watermelons, pumpkins and flowers. Being proud of his work he showed us his solar power station which provides the necessary enegery for living. Another striking thing was his water bore hole, where he gets unlimited access to water.

In the evening we were sitting together at the fire to share some stories and having a cup of tea.

Thank you so much Sid for your generous hospitality and the possibilty to get an insight into aboriginal culture that close. Hope to see you again some day!