We have a late start, our destination is Purnie Bore. The sunshine and warm weather has made the dunes softer, making it necessary to use low range to comfortably push the vehicles over without feeling like we are on a bucking bull at a rodeo, the track is badly dugout in spots. There are some sharp bends just past the crest of the dunes that are steep and gouged out making them dangerous. We have seen no one else on the tracks today and it seems we have the desert to ourselves.

Despite the trip now becoming a 4wd adventure we still get time to spot lizards and birds, the desert is like a botanical garden and it’s alive with birds. There is so much vegetation the label desert just doesn’t seem a good description of the landscape.

We reach Purnie bore late in the afternoon, the vehicles worked hard today. The bore is the site of an old drilling well, which failed to find oil but did find water. While the bore was originally allowed to flow uncontrollably it was later restricted providing a valuable water source for wildlife who have now come to depend on the water at this site. As a consequence the vegetation around the wetland is a scene of flocks of birds and chorus of bird song. Where the zebra finches land the bushes are turned into an Australian Christmas tree covered with countless singing baubles.

A lot of minerals are deposited at these springs and some form an impervious basin that enables the creation of these permanent water bodies.

Purnie bore has basic facilities but a toilet and cold shower is luxury. We settle in for another night show of stars. Dingoes howl in unison waking us up at about 0400 but it was worth it.