615 kilometres from the mouth.

Got up at 6 and got ready to leave when it was light enough to see.  Excellent for paddling.  No wind and water very still.  I wanted to make it past lock 6 and that meant I had to be there before 4:30.
Just after Pollards cutting came across a dead bullock in the mud and another younger one alive or just.  Tried to get my phone working to  notify the property owner but it was working but not good enough to make a call.  I decided to leave and see if I could contact someone further down.  Landed and went into a property near the bank and tried to rouse someone,  but couldn’t.  Left a note in  the driveway in the dust.
Over the way was a houseboat with a large group on board.  They had also tried to  contact someone with equal luck.  And had also tried to get it up. 
They offered me tea and fresh fruit salad which was fantastic. Great conversation where I learnt more about the river and the politics.  The spot was Lindsay Cliffs.
That was about 10:30. From then on I paddled to make the lock by 4:30.
Passed the border between NSW and SA.  And not far from the border sign and in the middle of nowhere,  miles from anything,  in the desert,  was a guy jogging in all the appropriate gear.  I realised after a few surprised questions from me that he was from a houseboat just down a bit.
Paddled past the customs house shop and houseboats.  I worked out at 3 pm that I could  get to the lock if I kept above 7k for the hour and a half.  So I did and arrived with two minutes to spare. Was not easy.
I told the lock master about the bullock and it’s location and he was going to look up the property owner and give him a call. I imagine for the next few weeks every second person the property owner comes across will tell them they have a bullock stuck in the mud near Pollards cutting. 
Went through the lock and slowly paddled to a camp.