On leaving Mt E we retraced our steps back along the 30km access track off the Gibb River Road, having come along it in the dark a few days ago.

It was then another 29km west along the Gibb to the Mt Barnett Roadhouse. At Mt Barnett we have come 354km along the Gibb and have another 305km to go to where it ends outside Derby. So a bit over half way and reports are that we have done the toughest bit, whatever that means!

The Roadhouse is the only spot along the Gibb where you can pick up a few supplies of basic groceries including bread(frozen), milk, fruit and veg etc. Consequently, pricing is pretty vigorous.

We had arrived at lunchtime and after paying our site fees for Manning Gorge indulged in the compulsory Mt Barnett burgers. Allthego enjoyed a cheeseburger and Homealone a peri peri chicken burger. Now, they didn’t come with chips! Extra $12 for a largish box. All up $58.

They do have something special for sale each morning, fresh sour dough. Baked on site and priced accordingly, $20.

Now, Allthego remembers a saying that ‘man cannot live by bread alone, he must have red cordial as well’. Mt Barnett knows this too and their red cordial, to go with the sour dough, is $16 a bottle. We hadn’t had fresh bread for nearly two weeks, so we couldn’t resist the sour dough. Our supply of red cordial was running low and that was also a need to be satisfied!

The 7km track down to the Manning Gorge campground starts alongside the Roadhouse. It was generally an easy drive along a well graded track for the first couple of kms, after that it got a bit rocky in places and there were a couple of low level water crossings. But all good! This was our base for four nights.

We now have to visit the repair man about a snake as we head off on 9 June for the next stop.