By the time breakfast is ready the sun is on our campsite and we are able to sit in its glow to warm ourselves somewhat and encourage us to get organised to go exploring around Mungo.
Today we are going to do the Mungo Track - a 70km loop from the visitors centre (yes we are driving it- not walking it)
The first point of interest on this track is the "Walls of China" lookout. From this vantage point you are able to get a view of some of the iconic landscape features of Mungo NP. You are only able to go beyond this point, and walk out onto the area, on an organised Aboriginal Discovery tour which we were not able to do at present.
Here are some of my photos from this vantage point - it's a pretty weird landscape.
It was out on the "Walls of Chna" that the bones of a young aboriginal woman were found - "Mungo Woman". This discovery led to the the finding of two aboriginal men- "Mungo 1" and "Mungo 2" - coated in red ochre - this is th worlds earliest known use of pigments in burial.
From here we drove to "Red Top Lookout" - which I found a much better vantage point - here you are much closer to this interesting landscape.
Here's a questionable pair - a selfie of us at the Red Top Lookout!!
We had to keep moving along and did not stop at all the points of interest on this track as the weather was looking to detiorated into rain again - the dark clouds were again looming over ver us and we were getting a light spattering of rain in parts.
The track from Red Too a lookout is one way and very narrow in parts - but it widens out in the area of Vigars Well where we see are getting close and closer to white sand dunes.
Then we come to the relics of Zanci Homestead.
Mungo and Zanci stations were both sold to National Parks and Wildlfe in the formation of Mungo National Park.
Zanci Homestead is very much ruins - except for the Woolshed where there is a a major interpretive display that traces the pastoral heritage of Willanda Lakes from its origins in the 1850s amidst the outstation back-black properties that st ended settlement beynd the Darling River.
The relics of the homestead have a well preserved "dugout" - an underground room that was built as a coolroom and refuge from extreme heat in this area in summer if required.
There is also the old stables building - which makes for a great snapshot
We arrive back at the Mungo Woolshed - our starting point for the Mungo Loop.
It's been a great day exploring and driving the tracks around Mungo NP.
We head back to camp for a late lunch and then back outside the park boundary to scavenge more wood for a fire tonight.
So far the strong winds have not sprung up again today and we are hopeful that we will be in fo a much calmer night tonight.
Another short walk from the campground this afternoon takes us out to Mungo Lookout - a view across the expanse of what is now the died up Lake Mungo. It's view too hard to describe - but looking out you can start imagine what it must have been like to inhabit this area when the lakes, fish and plentiful birdlife abounded for the first inhabitants of this country to survive on.
Tonight after dinner - sitting by the fire - we again are taken in by the huge expanse and immensity of the stars above us.
For me this has been the best of the best for viewing the starry night skies. Indescribable!! You just have to be there to appreciate it!!
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