Trig Waterhole - Teatree Creek - East of Andamooka

In my search for one of the camping spots of explorer John McDouall Stuart, I visited Trig Waterhole on Teatree Creek.

The rising sun catches a teatree at the head of Trig Waterhole in Teatree Creek.

Trig Waterhole was dry as a bone when I was there but the dried up weed on the sandy floor of the waterhole indicated that water must have lain there for quite some time following the excellent rains of January 2007, about 14 months ago.

I now understand that it was Crozier Creek where Stuart made his camp on the night of Tuesday, 22nd June, 1858.

Tuesday, 22nd June, Andamoka. Started on a bearing of 342 degrees. At seven miles and a half, crossed a low stony range running east-north-east and west-south-west, which turned out to be table land, with sand hills crossing our line, bearing to a high range east of us 93 degrees 30 minutes. About eight miles in the same direction there is the appearance of a long salt lake. At nine miles and a half, on a sand hill, I obtained the following bearings: Mount North-west, 60 degrees 30 minutes; Mount Deception, 95 degrees. At eleven miles and a half passed a large reedy swamp on our left, dry. At seventeen miles sand hills ceased. At eighteen miles and a half the sand hills again commenced, and we changed our course to north for three miles. Camped for the night at a creek of permanent water, very good. The last four miles of to-day’s journey have been over very stony rises with salt bush and a little grass.

Wednesday, 23rd June, Permanent Water Creek. The horses had strayed so far that we did not get a start until 10 a.m. Bearing to-day, 318 degrees. At two miles crossed a tea-tree creek, in which there is water, coming from the stony rises, and running to the north of east. At six miles the sand hills again commence. To this place we have come over a stony plain, covered on the surface with fragments of limestone, quartz, and ironstone, with salt bush and grass. In a watery season it must be well covered with grass; the old grass is lying between the salt bushes. We have a view of part of the lake (Torrens) bearing north-east about fifteen or twenty miles from us; to the west again the stony rises, apparently more open. At ten miles, in the sand hills, we have again a view of Flinders range. The bearings are: Mount North-west, 78 degrees 35 minutes; Mount Deception, 107 degrees. At fourteen and a half miles we found a clay-pan of water, with beautiful green feed for the horses. As we don’t know when we shall find more water, and as Forster has a damper to bake, I decide to camp for the rest of the day. Our route has lain over heavy sand hills for the last eight miles.

But Stuart did cross Teatree Creek several kilometres up stream from Trig Waterhole, two miles north west of his Crozier Creek camping spot, having avoided a difficult climb up Trig Bluff, by passing to the north east of this steep and rough land feature.

Salt waterhole in Crozier Creek.

Of course, although Stuart doesn’t mention it in his journal, it fits with his method of navigation that he would have climbed the bluff, alone, to get observations and have a look around. He’d have seen the teatrees of Teatree Creek and possibly the water, from on top of Trig Bluff. He may also have seen kangaroo tracks leading to the waterhole or observed birds watering there.

As I understand it, these observations were the key to Stuart’s ability to push forward where others failed.

Loaded up at Chimney Hole Dam on Teatree Creek, for the trip back to Roxby Downs.

Teatree Creek runs around the west side of Trig Bluff and the adjoining ridge that runs to the south, while Crozier Creek runs parrellel to the same ridge, on the east side, swinging around to head east toward Lake Torrens.

Teatree Creek empties into Lake Torrens, a few kilometres north of the mouth of Crozier Creek.

Crozier Creek turns to salt several kilometres downstream from Stuart’s Crozier Creek camp site.