As always we spent our last evening summing up the key stats, trip highlights and planning for the next journey. Here goes:

Distance travelled: 7,328 km – 4,454 of those on dirt roads (that’s about 69 hours of teeth chattering corrugations). Shortest distance travelled in a day – 79km, longest – 529km.

Most state borders crossed in a 5 minute interval: three (NSW, SA, QLD)

Days of sunshine: 34/35; Coldest night -2 degrees (only a little below the Melbourne daytime temperature when we arrived home)

The most consecutive days without a shower: 5 (thank goodness for baby wipes)

Winners of the fly-eating competition in order of consumption: Jatz (prize fly-catcher); David (inadvertent swallower); Andrew (snout inhaler)

Funniest moments: There were many but two clear winners. 1) Naomi mistaking a child sqatting in the distance for Jatz having a poo – and calling loudly for Andrew to get a poo bag (gotta love the blind brain assumptions), and 2) Someone who prefers to remain nameless inadvertently locking another poor camper in the shower cubicle (damn those slippery slide bolts) – we did let them out when we heard their cries for help from across the campground.

Most iconic moment: travelling alongside the ruins of the Old Ghan Railway for the full length of the Oodnadatta Track.

Best view; There were many good ones, but by far the best was the Painted Desert.

Best camp site: Bourke & Wills Dig Tree – nothing quite beats sleeping with ghosts. But the isolation of Haddon’s corner made a close second

And of course…..

Best feed (other than our own camp cooking of course): the roast pork dinner and birthday cake at the Beetoota Hotel.