Dick
You probably have a better understanding of Outback Australia than many of the coastal dwellers who post on here.
I remember taking railway engine drivers to Tarcoola, and we taxied across the golf course into town. There was often a brilliant display of Sturt desert pea flowers there. Another time I landed there with police on board to catch someone who had shot an opal buyer in Coober pedy, and was heading south.
I made many trips to William Creek. One time I remember taking people from Anna Creek to Quilpie, for a wedding (Two loads) and bringing them back two days later. I refuelled at Innaminka each time, and brought back a carton of beer for the friendly refueller. While at Quilpie I dropped some hay bales to some cattle that were marooned on an island. The area was flooded.
I flew to Arkaroola a few times, and went to a little strip at four mile creek lots of times during the developement of the Beverly uranium mine. (I also did the surveying there)
I never camped near the Warburton groove, but saw it many times when coming back from Melbourne, or Adelaide. I was fascinated by the bright red salt water algae in the lake. I
understand your fire story. One summer I was out in the Tanami desert (kookaburra country) with a 400 hp Fletcher, and a group of geologists. We camped in swags, and the Fletcher landed in the spinifex. The geologists used to go out across the desert in Toyota land cruisers and on motorbikes, using a pocket compass, and their odometer to navigate. I had to fire up the Fletcher and go to look for them sometimes, when they called in on radio saying they were lost.
One day two of them were happily driving along in there landcruiser, not realising that it was picking up spinifex which was accumulating against the exhaust pipe, and soon
it was on fire. They poured water on it, until they realised that water was all they had to keep them alive. They shovelled sand but could not stop it. It burnt their Toyota, and the battery and radio too. But we had a SAR system, and the trusty Fletcher arrived before last light to take them back to camp. One way or another the Tanami desert scared the daylights out of each one of us. We should not have been out there in mid summer. One night I got little sleep, as we were surrouded by spinifex fires.
Another time, I flew insurance people down to a station in South Australia where a tornado (yes those things that happen in Kansas) had gone through. There was a caravan there, but all that was left was the chassis and wheels. The rest was scattered around the plain like confetti, along with the remaains of two big polythene water tanks.. And a big trailer was moved about 30 meters. But a cessna 172 which lived outside was still sitting where it was left(not tied down).
As you say Dick that's Australia.
We must remember ALL DAYS ARE DIAMONDS. sometimes it's hard to remeber that.
But those pesky little aeroplanes are essential to life in the outback.