Blakeley is irritated at the non arrival of the rest of the expedition, shorthanded the three men set about unloading the Thornycroft and repacking supplies and purchasing more locally, Blakeley soon realises one truck will be inadequate and unsafe and approaches Allchurch for advice on a good local driver with vehicle, Fred Colson (Ted Colson's brother) is recommended.

Coote and Taylor leave Parkes at 10.30 and arrive Broken Hill 3.40 p.m. nearly out of fuel and against headwinds and surprised to find a good size crowd waiting for them at the aerodrome. Naturally, Coote holds a press interview that evening and reveals that if the reef is found the expedition will contact Arthur Blakeley by radio in code so that he as Minister for the Territory can prevent an ill advised gold rush menaced by starvation, thirst and dangerous natives, (those bloody Myalls again) They overnight at the Grand Hotel.

This evening Blakeley introduced Lasseter to Ernie Allchurch, the Postmaster and 'Old Timer', Blakeley had to cut the meeting short with embarrassment, Lasseter's considerable lack of  local knowledge is painfully evident for a bloke who was supposed to have been in Alice Springs in 1897. Allchurch takes Freddy aside and states the obvious, the man is a fraud or deluded. Blakeley can only shrug and point out that Lasseter in bound by agreement to reveal the location of the reef two days out of Alice Springs.

As is the habit in a Terry camp, Sunday is a rest day at Murra Turra, Mount Connor is faintly visible to the west otherwise it's a vast open plain with high red sandhills and mulga thickets, not ideal for road making. With Bailey's local knowledge they find Rawson's vehicle tracks made in January this year, this is good news, Rawson, a sandalwood gather is rumored to have travelled some way past Mount Connor towards Ayers Rock, if so then the Endeavour trek should be that much easier. It's a day of quick wit and wide discussion at Murra Turra and Terry files young Bailey's name away for future expeditions.

LASSETERIA