Leaving Eromanga around 4am The Doc headed towards Quilpie; on the western side of Quilpie he turned right onto the Quilpie-Thargomindah Road and headed south towards Toompine. South of Toompine he turned left on the Eulo-Toompine Road and headed towards the Adventure Way and Eulo (he also had morning tea at this road junction). It was a really nice drive along both these roads. The route is on the linked map here. The pictures are from this small part of the trip.

While driving along Eulo-Toompine Road The Doc saw three caravans just off the road, one was being towed by an Eldoret Blue Grenadier (there was no time to stop and talk as there was a long drive ahead). When the Doc reached the corner of the Eulo-Toompine Road and the Adventure Way two large SLRV vehicles (MAN Commanders) were traveling west were talking about the baby SLRV on the UHF (The Doc’s Grenadier). Both events happened in about 30 minutes in the middle of nowhere.

The rest of the trip to Goondiwindi (actually nearby Bogabilla) was the same route as the trip in.

Shakedown lessons
Cunnamulla would be the refueling stop, but the grey nomads were everywhere, especially lined up for fuel. There was still fuel in the Grenadier’s mounted fuel containers. The Doc pulled out the fuel pump to find out the diameter of the tank opening did not let the pump be inserted. The Doc decided to refuel at Bollom instead and arrived on fuel vapors (with one or two litres left in the car).

The fuel tank was fixed at Expedition HQ during the next service, by reboring the opening. It turns out when the tanks were purchased, The Doc was given the wrong set of fuel tanks. This is why The Doc does shake down trips to find things like this out without creating major dramas.

The Doc also found out on the trip he could not sleep in the Grenadier due to his ongoing injuries from the car accident and instead had to stay in a motel. Before setting out The Doc thought he could sleep in the car, but he got a reality check instead! It became obvious on this trip The Doc needed extensive rehab and he started heading back home for treatment. The car was not only being tested but also the driver under field conditions. It was a wake up – and the intense rehab is still ongoing.

The Lightforce Viper lightbar also prove itself in the dark and rain driving out of Eromanga.

Heading north out of Eromanga along the Kyabra Road, traveling through Kyabra Station, you come across Kyabra Waterhole (pronounced Ky-ab-ra). It is a permanent waterhole fed by surrounding floodways. The Station owners kindly make it available, free of charge, as an overnight stop for travelers.

The Doc stayed for about an hour, as the main objective that day was the nearby red sand hills – being the most eastwards of any of red sand hills from the Simpson Desert.

If you keep traveling north you reach the Diamantina Developmental Road, turning right you head to Quilpie, turning left you go to Windorah and on to Birdville. Enjoy.