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User Information for Kudriemitchie Outstation
TLCC's home away away from home...
USE BY MEMBERS AND NON TLCC MEMBERS
TLCC members, and Non TLCC members
can use Kudriemitchie as per these guidelines:
- At lease one member of each
group is to be a current financial member of a member club of the South
Australian Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs Inc.
- Club member and/or trip
leader to contact the Trips Co-ordinator of the Toyota Landcruiser Club
of Australia (SA) Inc. (TLCC)
- Trips Co-ordinator of TLCC
to contact Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs
in Innamincka and register the trip. If the period required is already
booked, Trips Co-ordinator to notify the club member and/or trip leader
to see if an alternative period is suitable.
- Users to be responsible
for leaving the outstation in a clean tidy condition.
- All vehicles to have current
Desert Parks Passes.
- Users other than TLCC members
to donate $1.00 per day per person for use of the facility. Money raised
to go towards ongoing maintenance of outstation.
- Users to be responsible
for forwarding fees to TLCC Treasurer after using outstation.
PREPARATIONS FOR TRAVELLING
TO THE AREA
- A 'Desert Parks
Pass' is required to stay in the area . This can be purchased for a
small discount through the Club. They can be renewed annually. Maps
of all S.A. Desert Parks & other information is provided on your
initial purchase, but not on renewals. Be aware that roads change faster
than the maps.
- Discuss your travel plans
with the Club Trips Coordinator and anyone else who has done the trip.
- Your intended dates for
staying at the Outstation should be booked through our Trips Co-ordinator,
who will then contact Parks staff at Innamincka to ensure you have the
place to yourselves.
- Pack all the gear that will
make your trip safe and enjoyable. Read on to get some tips.
- For travellers
from Adelaide, it is advisable to allow two days travel.
FACILITIES
Some housekeeping is necessary
after you arrive, and before you leave:
- Bring brooms and prepare
to sweep, dust and wipe.
- Empty ash from stove and keep for toilet.
- All doors and windows must be closed before you leave.
Improvements to the place are
currently being made and offers of help to persons in authority would
be appreciated.
COOKING FACILITIES
A WOOD STOVE is installed in the kitchen. Small pieces
of hardwood need to be 
brought with you. It has a flue to open and shut, chimney and other flues
to
allow heat to move to oven. The two (top and bottom) grates need to be
cleaned out to allow good circulation. At present (Sept 2005) the wood
stove is in need of repair and can not be used.
OUTSIDE COOKING on the new barbecue is also possible. This was tested
and proved to be very good at it's installation working bee. Check the
FIRE BAN dates with DEHAA staff.
LIGHTING
New wiring has been installed and electric lighting is possible in the
kitchen and some other rooms. Although globes were there it would be a
good idea to take a few spares of a wattage suitable to your generator.
Outside the building, next to the poly tank, in a 'drainpipe', is a plug
which can be connected to your GENERATOR, thus providing safe lighting
in the building. You should connect it with a Residual Current Device
(RCD).
BATHROOM
There is a bath, shower place and hand basin. Although
the drains work, hot or cold running water is NOT available. However by
hanging your own solar shower in the shower place, you will have facilities
almost like home (some people use a 12volt water pump in bucket of heated
water instead). The creek water, while cloudy, is fine for bathing & washing
and lathers well. Provide your own mirror to check your personal presentation!
WATER
While appearing murky due to suspended clay particles, the creek water
when flowing well is quite pure in chemical terms and is the source for
most residents of Innamincka. You may find that water will be eventually
pumped up from the nearby creek using the existing windmill. This has
yet to be investigated - in the meantime, a bucket with rope attached
is the suggested method for collecting water from the creek.
The rainwater tank against the building was replaced in 1999, and connected
to the gutters and heavy rain filled it shortly thereafter.
Spring water, like other items, is available from the Innamincka Trading
Post. Showers and washing facilities (troughs) and beaut toilets are available
to the public, in the Innamincka centre, and the water is pumped up from
the Coopers Creek. However you may find a queue in peak holiday periods.
KITCHEN
 It
is big enough for a dozen to sit down to eat if necessary. (A welcome
escape from the flies). Your own camping furniture can be added to the
existing table and chairs to increase the seating capacity. Cupboards
surround the room and are handy for putting thing ON but not necessarily
in. A sink and drainboard are convenient and the drain works too.
FLY PROTECTION (Insects too)
Most external windows have been screened with cream coloured shade-cloth,
which is a blessing to those inside. A fly-net hanging from your hat is
suggested when outside (anywhere for 1,000km in any direction actually),
but this only applies for daylight hours! Insects may be a problem in
some seasons or when rain is approaching. Experts could enlarge on this,
but in April their presence by the millions after dark was a sign of rain,
which fell 2 days later, closing the roads to travellers.
TOILET
A shaded, short-drop, well-aired toilet, with a view, also had a convenient
roll-holder. A recycled baked-bean can needs to be kept filled with ash
and applied to the drop hole when required.
Provide your own paper!
CAMPING - SLEEPING
Sweep dust out before placing your gear in one of the rooms. Be prepared
by bringing a broom and pan. The middle four rooms are the best but the
front 3 would scrub up if necessary. Dormitory style sleeping is available
in the long back veranda. The surrounding yards are fine for tents and
Kudriemitchie Camps 1, 2, and 3 are available a little further on up the
road if lots of other guests drop in!!!
WINDMILL AND COLD ROOM
Still undergoing refurbishment not far from the house, is a fly proof
cool-room under the tank where meats etc. would have been kept cool in
the past. It is surrounded by large shutters of straw to shield the contents
from the sun. These were replaced with new straw panels by the club in
early 1998.
ENTERTAINMENT AND AMUSEMENT
- Bring some good company.
- Go fishing. You'll need
bait (green prawns, shrimp or yabbies are best and available in Adelaide
or at the lnnamincka Trading Post). Your likely catch is Yellowbelly
(33cm mm. & 6 p.p. per day). Catfish are protected. No nets.
- Cook and eat.
- Put you inflatable in the
water & explore, photograph, relax.
- Flower & bird books, tape
recorder, tapes, good radio, reading material, crosswords, & board games.
- Drive to Coongie Lakes to
photograph the good views, sunsets & sunrises and camping. It's only
22km. and there is a toilet there too. However, AT COONGIE NO FIRES,
NO PETS, NO FISHING, NO POWERBOATS & NO GENERATORS ARE ALLOWED.
WEATHER
Summer - hot, may be wet
Autumn & Spring - variable, warm to hot, possibly damp to wet
Winter - probably cold to comfortable, maybe fewer flies
RAIN - Unpredictable in the longer term, but listen to weather forecasts
often. The Parks and roads can be closed or even impassable if rain comes.
FINAL WARNING
 This
is a remote area. Be self contained and let people know your plans.
Rain can close tracks for several weeks - always have emergency food supplies.
Outstations, like railway sidings, may have wire, nails, bullets etc lying
about. In places, the creek has steep sides. Dingoes may visit hunting
for food left about.
Thanks to Meredith Kennedy for the original article in Landcruising Australia Wide, September 1998, upon which this text is based.
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