It was lunch time, so we pulled off the track and headed toward a shady tree beside Arcoona Lake, only a kilometre or two from Arcoona Homestead.

Here are a couple of images of our lunch stop at Arcoona Lake.

The night before, we'd camped beside the ute, setting up not far off the track on Arcoona Station. Heading off after breakfast, the morning was almost gone by the time we got organized for a planned six day ride and left the ute and trailer out of the way behind the sheds of Arcoona Homestead.

The plan was to travel generally north, roughly following the track of explorer, John Mcdouall Stuart, on his expedition of 1858, riding, camping and photographing on Arcoona and Andamooka stations.

Several days previously, the arid region had experienced good rain. Although Arcoona Homestead had only about an inch (25mm), Bosworth Station, to the east, had two inches and the towns of Andamooka and Roxby Downs, to the north, got around three and a half inches. Excellent rain in this low rainfall part of Australia.

But our adventures with the wet conditions are another story.

Arcoona Lake is a fresh water lake. When it fills, the lake stretches a couple of kilometres and holds for a year or two. I've seen young fellas from Arcoona with a jet ski on the lake, having a great time where it may be dry for maybe ten years between rains heavy enough to make the creeks run and fill the lake.

Lunch was fairly simple: A drink of water, a couple of Nutri-Grain bars, a can of apricots and a can of custard. The fruit and custard were eaten straight out of the can so there was no washing up. Ah, the pleasure of simple living while traveling!