We left camp at 8:15am this morning after giving mum and dad a head start. Nice early start will help with such a big day too so hopefully it is uneventful.
We back tracked out of the bungle bungle entry and met mum and dad at the turn off, all went well and they should make it into Halls Creek without any issues. We didn't leave until 10.45am as our compressor decided to continually overheat when trying to pump up the tyres so we had to do one at a time and turn it off, let it cool down and go again - Dad needed to use our compressor as his isn't working so we had 12 tyres to pump up, it was slow going. We finally headed off ready to get the last of the fuel and water needed, this is now the last stop before Yuendumu so we need to be sure we are fully stocked and prepared for the next few days as there isn't anything out there.
We arrived at Halls Creek and were advised that the service station doesn't provide drinking water, only the visitor centre and you have to advise them how many litres you expect to use and pay $5 deposit to get the handle for the tap to even use it, very odd but also very essential for us.
1.40pm we turned onto the Tanami and arrived at Wolfe Creek at 4.15pm. Tanami is in great condition, far far better than the Gibb and some of the other roads we have been travelling on the last few weeks, we were able to sit on 100km/h for the most part and Mum and Dad were not far behind us so it was a really good day without any delays.
I had warned Mum and Dad that the entry to Wolfe Creek is its own kind of insane with how rough it is, it is only 8kms and can take hours, it was rough last time and there was no exception this time either. The first part of the track isn't too bad but by the time you cross the 2nd gate it is just impossible, we were all down to 5km/h just plodding, there is no escape, no better route, no way you can possibly get through them other than just slow right down and ride the corrugation waves.
Dad actually took a video of mum driving down the road, it is about a 30 second clip and in that time the car doesn't even pass dad standing on the side of the road, it is actually slower than walking pace except dad is standing still and the car is just walking over the corrugations, it is really really something else.
It was just going on nightfall by the time we set up camp, there are a few people here but not busy by any means, i wonder if its the idea of staying overnight at Wolfe Creek that keeps people away or if its just not as busy on the Tanami as it is up in the Kimberley... hmmm.
We had all just sat down for dinner when we could hear a car revving all the way into the campground on the corrugations, it sounded like it was having a hell of a time, when it got to the campground we found it was a little 2wd 2 door hatchback, chinese tourists, they did a few laps around the campground and through everyone's campsite, which made us wonder what on earth they were doing and they finally decided on setting up camp right ontop of our neighbouring camper... with all the space in the area it had us shaking our heads as to why they decided to camp on top another camper - I put it down to the fact that it was dark, late and they were scared to stay on their own away from company - just... in.... case HAHAHAHA.
Tomorrow we will go up to the crater and have a look, I wanted to do the walk down into the crater, we weren't able to do it last time and it looks facinating to be able to walk down into it and see the inside of this monseterous crater but the signage says that it is no longer recommended that the walk is done due to unsteady rocks and steep decent - being pregnant means I have the added concern of slipping so its counted out for me and Anthony would have Alexis on his back in the carrier and it means that its too high a risk for him as well so we will have to miss out of that.
All in all a very good but long day, ready to continue on the Tanami tomorrow, we will not get to any destination tomorrow, it will be a camp on the side of the road for the night but we will be one step closer to home.
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