One half of one miles progress for the Thornycroft today, the cause of the ferocious knocking has to be found and repaired or the men may be forced to remain at Mount Liebig for a fortnight until Colson returns looking for them. The vehicle stalls in a most unprintable part of the world as far as Taylor is concerned, a bloody sand drift.

And that's the cause of the problem, Taylor discovers sand has clogged the oil canals, they will have to be bored out using the only tool available, a stay wire salvaged from the Golden Quest.

Repairs to the planes fuel tank cost Coote a day at Marree, which he doesn't begrudge, yesterday's petrol fumes have left him feeling decidedly flat.

Lasseter and Johns have made 25 miles in their night march and rest up in dense mulga to escape the heat of the day. Late that afternoon they continue south finding the country parched and expected waterholes dry.

Freddy Colson continues with his unpleasant journey east and camps on the east bank of the Derwent for the night, he examines the tyres, there's patches on the patches. For Coote it may be a wing and a prayer, right now Freddy could use a tube and some air.