Dig Tree — Burke and Wills Nappa Merrie Campsite

The Dig Tree is a coolibah on the south bank of Cooper Creek at Nappa Merrie Station, carved with the blazes left by William Brahe in 1861 directing Burke and Wills to supplies buried at the base. Burke and Wills arrived at this exact spot nine hours after Brahe’s party left — the most catastrophic near-miss in Australian exploration history. The tree is fenced and preserved, the carvings still legible, and the surrounding Cooper Creek floodplain is everything the outback promises: ancient, flat, and humbling.

Access is via the Innamincka Track from Innamincka township, roughly 90km east along the Cooper floodplain. The road crosses multiple creek channels and can be impassable after rain — this section goes underwater fast when Cooper Creek runs. High-clearance 4WD required. Check conditions with Innamincka Trading Post before heading out. No facilities at the tree itself.

Where Australian exploration history turned tragic.