Wed 18th – Brrr it was a cold cold night. We reckon minus 2 to 3 as it was only 0.4 at 8.00. Heater was going for it all night. It was so cold to pack up, our hands were hurting. The sun was nice and warm though. We find people aren’t real quick moving in the mornings around here. Mind you we are still sticking to QLD times, SA is 30 mins behind us. Should point out you need a parks pass to go to Dalhousie which is in Witjira National Park. We purchased a 12 month one well before we came.
The road is rough, corrugated, sandy, bull dust and rocky, constantly changing. People have said to us how rough it was but compared to the road into Lake Eyre its good.
We saw another dingo, this one was a nice looking dog. Curios animals watching us seeing what we are doing, cautious but not overly timid. And then another one a bit further along.
Dalhousie Homestead Ruins, are a fascinating place to stop for a cuppa and a walk around.
The campsite at Dalhousie Springs is a large very dusty area. There are different size bays suitable for single, a couple of campers or groups. Many of the sites have fire pits but you must bring your own wood in. There is a toilet block with toilets and cold showers. There is also parking for day visitors.
The hot spring is about a 200m walk from the camping area. The sign said it was 31 degrees but it felt hotter, feels like a hot bath when you first hop in. We stayed in a bit too long and felt a bit sick, so short swims are advisable. There are tiny little fish that come and nibble on you, especially your feet. The spring area is very large about the size of a football oval, so no worries of it being too crowded. There are steps to hop in but they can be very slippery as Chris found out. You can just touch the bottom close to the step area and it feels sandy. It is very deep at either end and slimy on the bottom and a long way to swim. The water is a tad salty add that to the dust and our already dry skin we might need to buy a bucket load of moisturiser in Alice, remember we have got used to the humid weather of Brisbane.
The wind has really come up and is blowing the dust through the campsites we seem to be in a bit better spot than most but the kitchen got covered in grit so it will only come out when in use.
It can be quite entertaining watching others set up, especially when they have so much gear to set up.
We walked around the campsite chatting to people finding out where they had come from, where the were going etc. One told us of a dingo that walked through their camp last night. There are signs up warning not to leave anything out including shoes as the dingos take them.
We put a roast on and then went for another dip in the hot springs. There are lots of noodles that have been left for people to use. They were great and are the way to go. As it started to cool we could see steam coming off the hot pools. Then all these Welcome Swallows started brushing the surface of the water, we think going for the little fish that had come to the surface to feed on the bugs. Was a fascinating site to watch as we floated in the hot water.
There are a few campers more than we have had any where this trip, but apparently not as many as the night before.
