Central Australia

On our way to Uluru (Ayres Rock) stopped at the Mt Conner Lookout (Mt Conner is 3x bigger than Uluru), took some pics and moved on to Curtin Springs Station , free camping and $3 hot shower; it’s just a small place of 4168 sq km .  Just a big carpark really (has a few powered sites too) and we could have camp fires and there is a resident emu always looking for a free meal.  The station has a shop, pub, restaurant, fuel and even bird avaries to look at.

 

We met Brian and Kaye from Albany WA who pulled up there “nice warm” caravan next to us.  Brian had plenty of fire wood so we sat around a cozy fire with another couple, Thomas and Eyvonne from NSW and talked about our travel stories.  Cool night so got into bed for an early start to drive to the Olga’s and Uluru (1 hours drive) and do the whole lot in one day…but for once the weather man was right and the change came through as we were told…rain…one of the coldest and most miserable days when we woke on Wednesday 19 June.  Brian and Kaye offered us a cuppa in their caravan, so we chatted with them till lunch.  There were about 30 vans and camper trailers plus cars with tents here last night and not many of them have moved today with the weather being so … YUK!!!

We sat in our van for the arvo, reading and playing games to pass the time, dinner time, it was so cold outside, I was jumping and dancing around to warm up and get some feeling back into my toes.  This is one of the nights where it is a race between Steve and I to do the washing up (hot water…mmmmm).  Not long and it was back in to bed.

Thursday the skies were looking more promising so off we go to the Olga’s first …viewing dune and then to do the Valley of the Winds walk, it took us 3 hours and I found it quite difficult with the loose rocks to walk on back to the car my leg was a little worse for wear. 

So next was a drive to Uluru and we drove around it,took pics, did a flat 30min walk to Mutitjula Waterhole

and then to Yulara but it was dead as a door nail, no one any where, couldn’t even find the café so we left and back to camp.  Steve shouted me dinner at Curtin Springs in the Bough Shed and that was our day done.  Brian and Kaye had left bound for Kings Canyon and we were heading there tomorrow.

Friday was a cold morning, 4C at 7.30am, so hard to get out of bed but we braved it.  Got to Kings Creek Station and had lunch there but we decided to camp at Kings Creek Resort campground (20km closer to the canyon walks) both places were the same price $42 powered for 2 adults.  On the way we had to slow down for a camel running out on the road…they could do a lot of damage.

We got a site on the back row, beautiful sunsets over the ranges

so like everyone else we sat our chairs there with our nibblies and drinks for the best pics and watch the sunset and who walks up behind us…Brian and Kaye.  So nice to see them again.  We booked for two nights and tomorrow we would do the short walk with Kaye and Brian

and then we had morning tea with them and Steve and I went to do the Rim Walk…OMG, it was fabulous, as I have said many times…nature is a beautiful thing!!!  It took us 3 ½ hours with a break up the top for lunch.  Steve was a bit tired and my leg was well and truly worn out but it was definitely a must do.

 

We had dingoes and feral cats in the caravan park and packs of dingoes howling through the night but no babies taken….

We left Kings Canyon 10am, got a permit to drive the Mereenie Loop Rd (absolutely 4WD) very rough but made it through unscathed, just the brain a bit more rattled…hehe. 

Its aboriginal land so there is no stopping for 155km and then onto Hermannsburg.

We were told about a tea room in the Historical Precinct that served Devonshire teas so that was for us.  Hermannsburg is an aboriginal community – no entry and no pics in their resident streets so we headed straight for the “old mission”.  $10 entry and something was in the oven…streudel…mmm.  One serve streudel and one serve scone with cream and jam and a very, very, very strong pot of black tea (we had to get 2 more  pots of hot water to weaken the brew).
Next stop...Palm Valley.

Catch up till next network coverage

We are only half and hour out of Port Augusta and the 2-way is on and the roads are busy with travellers and road trains.  OMG these things are huge, the three trailer trains are long enough but now they are getting 5.9metres wide...look out!

We pulled over for a lookout view but it was windy and cold so after taking a happy snap I was ready to hop in the car and Steve says...oh oh...I hate those oh oh...

happy snap

oh oh

He forgot to hook up the stone stomper mat to the back of the car and it has been dragging on the road for the past two hours...looking through the bits and pieces we found a couple of carabiners that will do for now.

Otherwise out here there is nothing but flat top mountains, plenty of salt bush, the Trans Australis Rail line and lots and lots of red dirt.

We got to Woomera and there are no people around, it's even a pupil free day and no kids, very weird,  We walk around and have a look at the rocket displays and go into the museum...ahh a lady and a few kids, then down to the Info centre but not very helpful so we left this little ghost town and moved on.

nobody???

Stopped at Pimba Roadhouse for lunch and it was raining and windy so I left Steve  to hop out and pump fuel on his lonesome...hehehe...  there is a free camp here but we drive on to Andamooka.    We go to the Mobil and pay for our camp ($2.20pp and back to the vacant block of land with a toilet and a playground.  Another strange place, its about 3.30pm and nobody around.  There is a bit of Opal mining going on here so maybe they are all underground?

historical cottagelived in by a little Italian man

camp site for the night

We go into town and have a look at the historical cottages (built by first settlers here) and go back to the camp, Steve sat in the car while I went and checked out a better spot to set up camp and he was having a beer in the driver's seat so while he had his second beer we contemplated life camping at Andamooka for the night.  The landscape is more like a moonscape with the proverbial outhouse in the middle of piles of dirt.

Slow start to the morning, waiting for the canvas to dry out from the dew overnight and the cool morning, everyone has left us so we sit and have another cuppa...life if grand.
We head into town to look at the long bus and his collection of opals but nothing seems to be open so we leave and head to Roxby Downs the town that grew for the Olympic Dam Mine.  Not much happening here but there are people walking the streets.  Info centre not very helpful but we did pick up a free brochure printed by the Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta.  What a great find...it gave us our next three nights of accommodation.

Out of Roxby Downs we got to see about 6 eagle  having lunch on the side of the road so we turned around and went back to have another look and got a few pics. 

We turned onto Borefield Road and let the tyres down the road was cruisey with a little of water
and mud but nothing my driver could not handle.  It took about 3 hours and we got to the Oodnadatta Track intersection and off we go toward William Creek.  Our first nights accommodation is a 'so called popular spot' (we were the only ones there)Screeching Owl Creek right beside the  old Ghan Railway line and here I find my souvenirs, rail spikes, they are everywhere but I convinced Steve to let me  keep these...

Borefield Road

old Ghan railway, at our first night on the Oodnadatta Track

sunsetting

my little bit of the old Ghan Railway

all the others he made me leave for the next happy camper.
Woken the next morning by a dead tree full of galahs, and another slow start to the day.  Again waiting for the canvas to dry out a bit from the cold dewy night. The sun is out but with low temps things don't dry too quick.  We got going about 11am...its nearly lunch time but who cares.
We stopped to look at stuff along the way...mostly ruins of the sidings for the old Ghan railway

 

 

and we were surprised to see the amount of water in Lake Eyre South, two yrs ago after the flooding we saw from the air almost nothing in the south lake, so I'd say Qld has done it again...sent the rain and filled up the lakes in SA.  Good onya Qld.
Got to William Ck Pub and we stopped in and Steve had a couple of beers, we found that the Oodna Track had been closed for three days earlier in the week due to 13mm of rain and the road only open yesterday...looks like we got that break after all.  I drove up the road to Annie Ck xing for our next night and Steve had another oh oh moment, the Anderson plug between the car and van had fallen out and broke off (just as well Steve bought 50 million Anderson plugs off ebay before we left) a job before it gets dark.

Another peaceful night by ourselves with a campfire and a clear sky.
We are going to keep moving, the weather is great atm but there is a change coming through on Wednesday so today we make it to the Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta.
FYI...the roadhouse is for sale for anyone who likes some isolation time in the middle of the country and 50C+ in the summer.  We were going to stay in the caravan park here but just got hot chips and a drink (good chips) and moved onto Kathleen Ck (after running low on fuel, taking the road to Todmorden Homestead and stopping to fill up with our last 60lt in the jerrys I saw we have lost a D shackle holding the Tvan safety chain to the car, not so bad, while Steve was huffing and puffing refuelling I searched the bits and pieces box again and found a smaller D shackle that did the job for now.  We crossed the Todmorden property on a track we found on the GPS and ended up back on the Oodna Track at Kathleen Ceek...ahh the serenity.  Cup a soup for dinner and an open campfire and another clear sky.
Today we reach Marla Roadhouse in about 1 1/2 hrs, after refuelling and phone reception (sent a few messages) made a quick sandwich while dodging the flies...don't belive it when someone tells you there  are no flies in the winter months in the outback, there are plenty.  We are back on the bitumen and heading to NT.
We have made it to NT and we are just down the road from Uluru...250km.  We are in the Caravan Park on the corner of the Lasseter Hwy and Stuart Hwy NT if you want to catch up.

Cheers