The Commander had 40 litres of water secreted away under beds and in the BRC. I immediately volunteered to only drink wine and whisky and if we needed to melt our whisky ice that was fine. We only actually use 8lts a day when we are off the road. Pa does the numbers!!!

Decision time came when we had to turn south through the Barcoo. I apologise ahead but you cannot head there without suddenly becoming a poet!!!

In the outer Barcoo where the roads are few

and rivers with water are scanty

Nomads chose a dry bed as a site
to camp for the night
And parked their two wheeled shanty.

With a whisky in hand
they wandered on down
a red sand track to relax.

To their utter surprise
As they clamberd over a rock rise
A cattle pool stopped them in their tracks.