Tashi delek from Tennant Creek, again,

Today’s trip was pretty much the same as Day 6, but in reverse. I left the motel in Katherine, sans breakfast, around 7, provisioning for breakfast and morning coffee at Brumbys, then heading south down the Stuart Highway.

My plan was to refuel at the Renner Springs Roadhouse, 160km shy of Tennant Springs, in order that I could once again partake of one of their home-made pies, for a late lunch. However, their diesel bowser started acting up. They’d had similar problems before, which they’d rectified by “bleeding” it. A half hour later, after two bleeds, which failed to fix the problem, they decided to check the level of diesel in their underground tank; whilst not quite empty, the pump couldn’t pick up what was left!

Unfortunately, I’d cut things a bit fine; I didn’t have enought fuel to reach Tennant Creek, or go back north to a servo in Elliot! With dread, I started contemplating the thought of sojourning in one of their 2 star motel rooms for a couple of days, until their next fuel delivery. Fortunately, they were willing to give me 20l from the diesel tank that supplies their generators, to get me to Tennant Creek!

Near Tennant Creek, I popped in to check out Kunjarra (The Pebbles). Unfortunately, what I saw bore little resemblance to the photographs at that site; I must have been there at the wrong time of day. Hopefully the Devil’s Marbles, 100km south, are more photogenic.

Here’s my route in Google Maps:

Cheers,
Julian