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Dear
Subscriber,
Welcome to
2010!
It seems ages ago that we were looking forward to our Christmas 2009
trip on Kangaroo
Island!
It was a most enjoyable trip, and I have posted a "review"
on our website blog
Our first trip for 2010 (Wilson's
Promontory) departs 1st March.
Traditionally, we have always had January and February
"off", and this gives us time to attend to bus maintenance,
registrations, book work and planning for the coming year.
Bookings for our trips this year have been busy, particularly
for William Creek and The Painted Desert, where we have arranged a a second departure date (8th June).
The Coongie Lakes personalised tour (18th July) is
fully booked, however if there is interest (given the floodwaters
presently flowing down Cooper
Creek), I could
look at another departure date. Itineraries for all trips are on our
website under
Maps and
Itineraries
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Innamincka - Hot
Rocks project
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An
informal presentation by Geodynamics site manager,
Mr. Bill Austin, was held at the Habanero 3
last month.
Mr. Austin outlined progress to date on the Habanero
and Jolokia projects and took a group of
six interested residents
on a tour of the 1 MW Power Station.
A new more pliable, but stronger bore casing material will be used to
complete the Jolokia 1 well when the
company
resumes operations in early 2010. The new grade of steel will be
specified to ensure it is suitable to withstand hydrogen sulphide and
carbon dioxide conditions which were identified as the root cause of
the Habanero 3 incident in April 2009.
To secure the kind of finance required to build subsequent plants, a
25 Megawatt power station (called a commercial demonstration plant),
must first be built to demonstrate to financiers that the company can
produce geothermal energy
on a commercial scale. Geodynamics was fortunate to
recently be confirmed as a $90 million grant recipient by the Federal
Government - this funding will assist with the development of the
commercial demonstration plant.
In response to a question regarding the relocation of the
power station and power-lines to Jolokia,
Mr Austin said that although it would be an expensive exercise, this
would be one of the options under consideration to get the 1MW power
plant operational in the medium term. He confirmed that the Company
had not taken any decisions on this yet.
The tour was followed by question time and an informal supper.
Click here for Geodynamics
Progress to date
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Around the traps......
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William Creek Hotel - has new managers !
Mim Ward and Bruce Ross took over the pub in
early November.
Mim previously worked at the Prairie
Hotel and has been part of the South Australian Tourism Commission's
"Year
of the Outback". Mim and Bruce have
also managed a pub in country Victoria.
They have already been exposed to 47 degree heat, downpours which
closed roads and 35 Frenchmen on motorbikes... Its great to have them
in the Outback and we wish them all the best with their new business
venture.
Farewell
Dork -
0ne of Innamincka's true characters.
Dork the cheeky corella, who greets patrons
at the Innamincka Trading Post by screeching "Hello Dork"
has moved this month to his new home in Maryvale, Queensland
- "See ya Dork "
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OBE Organic
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The taste of the Australian
Outback!
David Brook is chairman of OBE Organic  Beef, a producer owned Australian company
supplying quality organic products.
Cattle are raised by farmers who practice sustainable and ethical
agriculture, grazing the way nature intended on 250 species of native
grasses and herbs.
David has always lived in Birdsville (population 100 people)
apart from his senior schooling completed in Adelaide, South Australia.
His family is part of the history of ranching in Australia.
His maternal great-grandparents were married in Birdsville in the
late 1880's. His father Bill Brook, originally from Adelaide, purchased their first
property, Adria Downs Station, in 1939.
The vast scale of David and Nell's business enterprise is enhanced by
their operation of two aircraft, a Cessna 182
and Cessna 210. Both hold private pilots licenses, with David having
logged over 12,000 hours in the air. Two of David and Nell's children
are currently involved in the OBE supply chain
David has been active in local government for the last thirty years
including some thirteen years as Mayor of his local community.
In 2002 David received the Order of Australia Medal for his
contribution to the community, local government and the establishment
of organic agricultural production in the region.
He is a board member of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame.
In this month's newsletter, OBE has announced the appointment of Holco Fine Meat Suppliers as their
South Australian distributor. Click here for further details
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Coach Tours 2010.
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The following are departures in
our BUS vehicle:
Wilson's
Promontory & The Great Ocean Road Itinerary
(9 days) -
$1895pp
Monday 1st March
Kangaroo Island Itinerary
(4 days) -
$975pp
Thursday 18th March
Mungo
& Hattah Kulkyne National Parks
Itinerary
(5 days) -
$995pp
Saturday 10th April
Back
O'Bourke
itinerary
(9 days) - $1875pp
Saturday 24th April
William
Creek & The Painted Desert
itinerary
(9 days) -
$1895pp
Saturday 15th May
Tuesday 8th June
Cooper
Creek and Innamincka
itinerary
(7 days) - $1675pp
Thursday 24th June
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Personalised. 4WD trips
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These trips
are in a Toyota Landcruiser vehicle with a
maximum of 4 passengers:
Birdsville/Innamincka
(9 days) -
$2925pp
Wednesday 11th August
Marree, The Birdsville Track, Mungerannie,
Birdsville, Big Red, Cordillo Downs,
Innamincka, Camp LXV, Cameron Corner, Sturt NP, Tibooburra, Broken
Hill, Loch Lilly & Quandong Stations,
Burra.
Coongie Lakes and The Cooper
Creek
(7 days) -
$2045pp
Sunday 18th July (fully booked)
2nd departure TBA
Old Strzelecki Track, Innamincka, Coongie Lakes, Camp
LXV, Cameron Corner, Sturt NP, Tibooburra, Broken Hill, Loch Lilly
& Quandong Stations, Burra.
Flinders Ranges & Skytrek
(5 days) -
$1350pp
Thursday 26th August
Rawnsley Park, Wilpena
Pound, Willow Springs Station,
Skytrek,
Arkapena Scenic Adventure & Chace Range Spectacular,Arkapena
4WD Moralana Scenic Drive.
Flinders
Ranges & Arkaroola
(5 days) -
$1650pp
Monday 6th September
Rawnsley Park, Wilpena Pound, Bunyeroo
Valley, Brachina Gorge,
Blinman, Arkaroola, Ridgetop
Tour, Nooldoonooldoona Waterhole,
Gammon Ranges, Moralana
Scenic Drive.
Yorke Peninsula &
Southern Flinders Ranges
(5 days) -
$995pp
Saturday 16th October
Ardrossan, Edithburgh, Innes
National Park, Warooka, Wallaroo, Alligator Gorge, Melrose,
"Bridle Track", Pt Germein.
The Opal Trail
(5 days) -
$2540pp
by demand
Pt Augusta, Woomera, Andamooka,
Coober Pedy, William Creek, Mound Springs,
Marree, Blinman, Brachina Gorge, Bunyeroo Valley, Wilpena
Pound, Clare.
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Thanks for
your continued interest in Desert Sky Tours
Howard Humby
Desert Sky Tours
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