OTL - Day One

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Where to begin! The last three days have seen us tackle the Overland Telegraph Track or “The Tele”. There were some tricky crossings, great camping and beautiful landscapes to keep us all satisfied.

Day one began at Bramwell Junction at about 1.00pm. We hoped to make it to a camping spot that we had heard about on Bertie Creek. The first crossing was Palm Creek which was an eye opener. We all hoped that wouldn’t be an indication of what was to come as the entrance was steep, slippery and full of deep drops with the exit much of the same. With many spectators, Dave went first. Down was ok but he needed to be winched out of the other side. Al followed with the same result. Lorelei loved it, Mitchell did not.

The next few crossings were fairly easy but all had to be walked and carefully planned first. When we arrived at the Dulhunty we thought we’d come to the end of our trip when seeing the two exits, until we found a third easier option. Many of the exits/entrances on the track have been severely washed out with steep walls and deep ruts.

We made it to Bertie Creek about 4.00. It had taken us only 3 hours to go 35 kilometres. Bertie Creek was a secluded camp spot in the crook of the Dulhunty River and Bertie Creek. We were surrounded by tiny rapids. We all (except Toni who chickened out) enjoyed baths in the cool creek water. We went to bed wondering what the notorious Gunshot would be like just three crossings ahead of us.

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Photos

Bertie Creek
Our bath on the first night