Monday 7th May 2007

up at 6. coffee in the kitchen with a couple of the crims, early risers, thommo, dodgy.

       
   took photo of thommo in the kitchen amking coffee. it was a good shot. he asked me to email a copy to his wif and gave me the address. Unfortunately, bill could not get it to deliver and I also tried after the walk but could not get it to go. The adddress must have been wrong. I had (and have) no way to contact thommo to explain.

   had a radio sched before taking down aerial. roger good bill weak

SACS (South Australia Corrective Services) officers and their 4 charges left at 7:45. Photos and goodbyes.

I got away 5 minutes later.

I had no sooner got on the arkaroola road when 3 cars pulled up. one saw me 1st or 2nd day and had recently spoken to warren. Looks like my adventure lingers on in conversation for some time after I leave. Included were a couple that I met at the woolshed at balcoona yesterday. They had gone on to arkaroola, stayed there, and were now heading back.

the single guy collecting plant specimens was one of the three cars that stopped . they were mnot travelling together. He waited til I kitted up with face net and all and then took a few photos. He had a very professional looking camera

noon position to bill was fron munulana creek

arkaroola air service strip and hangar and plane 1km off to the left.

6km out of arkaroola, doug, driving tourists to strip pulled up in bus and said he would meet me back in arkaroola. One couple on bus I had already met twice before on the road.

got to old arkaroola homestead. some relics. pictures. thought I was at resort when I saw buildings in the distance. I was buggered . big day. long kilometers. 27km to here. sign told me still 5km to go. all up and down. very tiring.

made it to arkaroola. big day. lots of up and down on pebbly road.

Hams tonight vk3ford matt swan hill
vk2gr mob dale sydney
vk5ptl trev crystal brook
vkiad owen canberra

couple next door invited me to dinner. baked dinner. around the camp fire



Tuesday 8th May 2007

shower at 6.30. walk 1.5km around road to ablution. still dark, just enough light to stumble there.

Came back in daylight. Straight lined back to camping area. down steep hill, see wallaby nearly every time I take this trip, across and wind through wide creek bed. confluence of many creeks coming out of the hills. never could work out what this part of it was called

went to the shop after shower. met doug spragg at the shop. got on well. he has interests in aviation (he flys the 172 with tourists), radio, astromony (has observatory and large telescope for paid tourist attractio), government seismograph active on display in shop. Doug runs around at 100km all day. conversaton is rushed but interesting. he keeps saying must catch up properly.

expecting a parcel here from bill. nothing at the office for me.

paid another $15 for another night. everythin expensive. small apple $2.

email and public phone call to clive at Asta, sat phone support man, still trying to get incoming calls sorted out.

doug told me to help myself to a tour of the electrical generating shed. Several decommissioned diesel generators, almost relics, plus modern one humming away. I felt somewhat priveledged to get access.

spent an hour talking to 2 guys travelling in a light plane. piper single 4 seater. both took photos of me with them

met malcolm at the bar and mentioned dave as if they were long lost friends. then spent 15 minutes while every one around tried to remember who "Dave" could have been. he obviously did not leave a big impression.

radio good. roger good bill ok.
hams good tonight extras again thanks to getting onto macca and them spreading the word.
vk5fjda john crystal brook
vk3ajk jack lakes entrance
vk5vh ron marden adelaide
vk4tpd ray maryborough
vk4aat terry brisbane
vk2atz vlad newcastle (same club as Bill)

Wednesday 9th May 2007

morning radio sched. able to leave antenna up.
vk5atq trev 20km NE adelaide
vk3ford mob matt nyall west

discussed not much PR for DBA. I suggest agent who takes (gulp) 50%. roger and bill not too enthusiastic. but worth a try

discuss setting up own web site. suggest name www.jeffswalkgulftogulf.com yuk keep thinking
I phone old friend in Perth Daniel O'connor MBA and high up there with it corporate man. discussed agent. He was emphatic, no one woudl be interested. too much "noise". japanese walking backwards, naked, etc etc . But I pressed him. He said one guy owed him a favour so he would ask his opinion.

asked at shop for parcel and they found it this time. it had been there all the time. got new camera card and a watch. receptionist is relative of tom's wife.

met anne at geology and geography display. good display. got on well with anne. 30 something. well qualified and employed to look after display and talk to tourists. 

radio tonight. roger, bill. added doug and anne to email list.
also
vk5vh ron madden
vk4tpt ray maryborough
vk4soa syd brisbane heard macca

batch of 7 guys middle aged doing the outback thing with a guide. great batch of aussies. no post office here. I gave guide my camera memory card in an envelope to post to bill with $10. eventually got posted frmo Melbourne a week later. Had dinner with these guys. see picture.



Thursday 10th May 2007

in camp area most of the  day.  trip to the shop spent time talking to anne. poured over 1:50,000 map for short cut due east, along paralana hot springs road to blue duck mine, then station track follow lady buxton creek to main road heading north. main but dirt. anne photocopied map for me in the office. cold windy miserable. not other notes for today.

bought marked down frozen steak. out of date. cooked over open fire on discarded piece of tin and intense heat sterilisation

after dinner  joined in with family across the way. sat around the fire for several hours



Friday 11th may 2007

Left Arkaroola by 9 am. waited till anne started work. took photo of anne with pack on

Cyril, I will continue on another email