Coober Pedy to Alice Springs

25/6
Travelling north up the Stuart Highway today.  Stopped in at the roadhouse at Marla for a coffee.  Lots and lots of traffic on the road especially 'caravaners'.  Also stopped at the border for the obligatory photo, but did not hang around long as there were too many flies.

The border

Had a lunch stop and fuelled up at the turn off to Uluru and then headed for Kings Canyon.  Made our bush camp down an access track leading to a radio tower, just short of the Watarrka National Park.  Great spot but unfortunately the short drive off the bitumen lead to the Giles' third flat!  Not happy campers! 

Camping before Kings Canyon

 

Visiting dingo

Were joined by a dingo as we sat around our camp fire, who skulked around in the shadows for a while.  He was just curious, but we had that feeling of being watched all night.

26/6
Driving into Kings Canyon Resort this morning we came upon a couple of camels.  Mike, looking for the best photo nearly caused 'an incident' when the stalked camel took fright and ran across the road in front of an on-coming car.  Oops! 

Set ourselves up at the caravan park and then we were off to sight-see at Kings Canyon.  Walked the 6 km rim top trail.  Very rocky, lots of up and down and light drizzle which became heavier and heavier until we would have to call it rain.  Made rock scrambling interesting, but absolutely amazing landscape and views and lots of fun! 


Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Also did the creek walk into the bottom of the canyon and met a young guy who was carrying his congo drum into the lookout.  He drummed a 'conga in the canyon' for us and the sound was amazing.  This evening after our camp oven dinner we went across to the Dingo Bar for a few drinks.  State of Origin was on and we were surrounded by very passionate supporters.  More rain during the night.

27/6
Quizzed fellow campers this morning about the state of the track from Kings Canyon through to the Western MacDonnell Ranges.  Did not sound promising as a number of people had done damage to their gear coming through.  Decided to back track a little and go straight to Alice Springs via the Ernest Giles Road.  Nearly made it!  Twenty kilometres of dirt to go and more bad luck for the Giles' rig.  A ricocheting rock must have hit the back window of the Colorado canopy because it shattered into a thousand pieces.  Understandably Keith and Sue were very unhappy by this stage and completely 'over' their string of bad luck!  Soldiering on, we drove into Alice Springs, booked into the caravan park for two nights and Keith set about doing repairs to the tyre and makeshift repairs to the back of the Colorado.

28/6
Today's plan was to visit Mike's Uncle Maurice who works at the Aboriginal community at Hermannsburg. We could not believe it though when we phoned ahead a few days ago to tell him we were coming to see him, and he said he was flying back to Adelaide yesterday.  Never mind, no personal tour, but we were going to the Western MacDonnell Ranges anyway, so we started by heading out to Palm Valley this morning.  Once we left the bitumen, it was forty two kilometres (return) of rough 4WD track.  The Hilux has now experienced the real deal! 


Palm Valley Track

We were well and truly shaken up, but enjoyed a 2 km walk along the valley and then back along the ridge top while we were there. 

Palm Valley

Then to Hermannsburg for a walk around the historic Lutheran Mission precinct, had a quick look around the community and headed back towards Alice Springs. 



Hermannsburg Historic Precinct

Managing Hermannsburg!

Stopped in at Standley Chasm where they wanted to charge us $10 each to walk, so we bought a coffee and went to Simpson's gap instead.  More amazing scenery and rock formations!
 

Simpsons Gap

Simpsons Gap

We were recommended to eat out at Sporties Bar tonight.  Great meal!!!

Flinders Ranges to Coober Pedy

June 21st
Brian and Di loved Arkaroola so much, they decided they would stay on for an extra day to do their own thing and will catch up with us later.  After breakfast we drove out to the Arkaroola Water Hole which allowed time for the dew to dry off the canvas before we packed up.  Very pretty spot with towering cliffs of red rock and home to the Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby (which must be very sure footed as well, because it is so rugged).  A lot of water has obviously come rushing down these gorges at some time. 

Debris at Arkaroola Gorge

Arkaroola Waterhole - unedited

Then back to pack up camp and drive on to Copley because we were told that their pies were famous.  Everyone seems to have famous pies around here.  Not that we mind giving them all the taste test.  Bit of a set back on this section of road, the Giles' had their first flat, so a new tyre was also purchased in Copley.  Then to Leigh Creek, (Copley and Leigh Creek about 4 km apart, however, Leigh Creek is the far bigger centre) to restock the fridges and pantry before we drove north to bush camp at Farina Ruins.

Flying the drone at Farina Ruins

June 22nd
Walked the Farina township ruins.  Established in 1878, it was obviously once a large, bustling community.  A lot of restoration work is being done by volunteers, some of whom we met back in Hawker, so it was interesting to see what they had been doing.  Continued our drive travelling along beside the Old Ghan railway track.  Stopped at Marree where there was a fairly chilly breeze blowing and although not particularly inviting thought we would get ourselves a coffee at the Oasis Café.  We were laughing at the name.  Then we discovered you had to step inside what appeared to be a dilapidated and run-down old shed with a bowser at the front, to experience the oasis.  The smell of the fresh baked bread was amazing!!  From Marree we were on the Oodnadatta Track.  Stopped in at Lake Eyre (south) and Plane Henge where there is a selection of strange and unusual sculptures on the side of the road.

Lake Eyre

A Sculpture at Plane Henge

A Sculpture at Plane Henge

The Oodnadatta track is a series of dips, floodways and creek beds with lots of flat treeless plain in between.  There are so many dips and it does get a little crazy which has resulted in  a few being renamed.  'Dip shit', 'Deep Dip', 'Another Dip, and 'Dip and Cheese'.  We thought we should name one 'Dip and Biccies'.  It has rained here recently so sections of the road are cut up with deep tyre ruts.  Also stopped in at Mound Springs (artesian springs called 'The Bubbler' and 'Blanche Cup') and to put the Old Ghan in a bag.  (Collecting and chopping up railway sleepers for fire wood). 

Artesian spring

 

Putting the Ghan in a bag

Set up camp early at Coward Springs and had a spa in the artesian water before hosing off under the KK shower. 

Coward Springs

We had a short walk before dinner to look at the Old Ghan railway siding which has been restored and set up as a small museum.  Experienced our first flies today (just a couple)!

Sunset at Coward Srpings

 



Camp at Coward Springs

June 23rd
On to William Creek collecting more of the Ghan for firewood along the way. 

More fire wood

Pulled up outside the William Creek Hotel to discover the Giles' had another flat tyre.  Bugger!!

Tyre changing at William Creek, (who is the supervisor?)

Interesting outdoor museum with bits and pieces from the Woomera Rocket Firing Range.  The French back-packer did a tyre repair while we had a coffee at the Hotel.  Peoples business cards and scrawl decorate the walls of this 'character' building.  Mike added his card to the collection.  Lots and lots of flies!!  Then we left the Oodnadatta track and headed for Coober Pedy. 

The worst section of road between William Creek & Coober Pedy

The tyre repair didn't hold so we took the opportunity to have a lunch stop and did some more tyre changing on the side of the road.  Rolled into Coober Pedy about mid afternoon.  What a strange and fascinating place!  Set up camp and did laundry before taking an evening walk down the main street and eating at the highly recommended 'John's Pizzas'.

Whatever you do, don't step off the track!

June 24th
Off to the tyre shop first thing today for a 'newy'!  Coopers have been given the flick and Maxxis are in favour.  Then we did as much as we could in Coober Pedy.  Went to the Opal Cave, had a coffee at the underground Crystal Café (where we sat next to a couple from Waroona), checked out the bakery, did a tour of an underground residence, went in and out of as many for the Opal stores that we could manage (but did not get to all 25 of them), visited Umoona Mine, Old Timers Mine and ended the day with a huge sugar overload, underground, at the Dug Out Café.  The landscape here is dry, desolate and dug up, (large and small mounds of dirt as far as you can see) with so much scrap metal left laying around town it looks like a junk yard.  Then underground a whole different world exists.  They had three 53 degree days in a row this last summer.  Amazing.


Above ground

 

Below ground

More Flinders Ranges

Hi to all of our followers. 
Just a quick update, as phone signals are few and far between in the outback which is 'messing' with my blogging!!  We arrived in Coober Pedy today after spending almost a week in the Flinders Ranges and then driving a section of the Oodnadatta Track.  We have managed to avoid all the rain which is great because a few millimetres of rain here is the difference between the roads being passable and impassable.  A few coolish nights have caused some body parts to snap freeze, but the days have been fine and our 13 degree days are slowly turning into 18 degree days as we move further north.  We have been sitting around wonderful campfires each night and loving the starry skies.  The vehicles are performing well now that the Giles' Colorado has new springs, however, they have not been so lucky lately with their tyres.  Tyre pressures are the hot topic of conversation and scanning the horizon for, and the collection of firewood for the next campfire is a main priority.  In many places it is very scarce and in National and State Parks you cannot collect it of course.  You will need to read my new posts for all the nitty, gritty detail.  Hopefully I will get them up to date before we move on.

June 17th
Started the day with a walk along the 8.2 km Wangara trail past the historic Wilpena Pound homestead to the lookout to gaze over Wilpena Pound.  Then did a drive and a walk to Arkaroo Rock and Sacred Canyon and saw some Aboriginal rock art.  10 km of walking today and our legs were feeling every bit of it as most was over rocky and uneven ground.

Di, Brian, Keith, Sue and Sally

On the Wangara Walk Trail

Wilpena Pound

Sacred Canyon

Not sure where to put my foot!

June 18th
Packed up and left Wilpena Pound this morning and tackled the 4WD roads through Bunyeroo Valley and Gorge and Brachina Gorge towing the campers.  Beautiful scenery all the way and a few river crossings.

Our convoy

Bunyeroo Valley

The Hall's Rig

Had lunch at the Aroona Station homestead ruins and then did a bit more driving before stopping in at the Great Wall of China.  Saw a lot of goats on the roadside before setting up camp in the river bed at Parachilna Gorge.

Great Wall of China

Yes, Mike is here!!

June 19th
More 4WD track driving through Moolooloo Station to Glass Gorge, averaging about 30 km/hr then we all lined up at the counter of the Blinman General Store where the boys had chunky beef pies and the girls had quandong pies.  Yummo!!  All sorts of animal life around us today.  Camels, goats, kangaroos, sheep, horses and emus that seemed 'hell bent' on tangling with our vehicles.  Fortunately we managed to avoid them.  The road wasn't too bad, lots of dry creek bed crossings.  We stopped in at Mt Chambers and Chambers Gorge and walked in to have a look at the Aboriginal heritage area and then on to camp at Arkaroola, an amazing private sanctuary set up as an Eco tourism destination. 

June 20th
Off for a 8 km walk this morning through the Mawson Valley and along the Spriggina trail past the rock formations 'Sitting Bull' and 'The Pinnacles'.  After having some lunch back at camp we did the Ridgetop 4WD tour to Sillers Lookout.  Absolutely awesome!!  Learnt the story of Reginald Sprigg, did some serious 4WDing and from what felt like the top of the world saw the most amazing views.

The truck

Sue and Keith - Coulthard's Lookout

View from Coulthard's Lookout

View from Sillers Lookout

The Track

Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges

 

 

June 14th
On the move again today as we headed to Port Augusta via Clare and Wilmington.  Stopped in  at Reillys Winery at Mintaro to buy a drop or two of medicinal Port and very yummy Grenache Shiraz before driving onto the Old Bakery at Stone Hut for a pastie.  Then a pretty drive down through Melrose into Port Augusta to meet up with our friends Sue and Keith.  Set up camp in the caravan park for the night.

 

Outside Reillys at Mintaro

Stone Hut

 



Camped at Port Augusta beside Sue & Keith

June 15th
Sue and Keith's neighbour 'hawked' all night.  ('Hawking' is Mike's new word to describe the noise this guy was making and has become an in house joke).  In the morning we walked down to support the local fruit and vegie shop and watched the dolphins off the end of the jetty.  Then off to Woolworths and Autopro before driving out to Quorn.  Arrived in Quorn just as the steam train from Port Augusta came into town.  It was all happening in Quorn actually. 

Quorn Railway Station

 

A wedding and race day as well!!  After welcoming the train and eyeing off the 'interesting' fashions we did a historic buildings walk through the town and had a coffee at the cafe.  Then off to Warren Gorge where we did the 5.2 km walk to the top of the ridge and set up at the bush camp.

Warren Gorge walk

 

Putting our names in the visitors book at the top

 

Building our camp fire at Warren Gorge

 

Enjoying the results

Set up well away from the other campers which turned out to be a wise decision as there was quite a bit of revelling (not us, them) during the night.

June 16th
After packing up camp we headed for Hugh Proby's grave site, Buckaringa Lookout and then onto Simmonston, the town that never was.  Kanyaka waterhole and homestead was our next stop and the ruins of these historic buildings were really extensive and amazing.


Kanyaka Homestead Ruins

 

Kanyaka Woolshed Ruins

Then into the town of Hawker where we made lunch and wandered into the café for a coffee.  We walked to the Old Ghan railway station and up and down a few of the streets before Brian and Dianne Hall caught us up and we were a convoy of three!!  Then off to Wilpena Pound to set up camp in the Flinders Ranges National Park.

Blogging by the campfire with my head light!!