king's canyon to mt isa



a tourist and alec , who is who ??

 Wed Oct 26th made our way to King's Creek Station.Once again had a major storm half hour after we had set up. Never seen a black sky quite like it so much so that Ian tried to take a photo but i don't think you can picture it unless you see it for yourselves.It just meant we had a siesta that afternoon as we really couldn't do anything else.It bucketed down with rain and during the night as well. So we left early the next day to get an early start before it got to hot for King's Canyon. What can i say if you are ever up that way don't miss it absolutely spectacular views. We did the 6kms circuit walk of the canyon and plateau. Scenery just magic. Had lunch at Kathleen Springs just down the road but i certainly wouldn't be swimming in them!! Another storm during the night and it rained. Made our way onto Alice Springs arriving in the afternoon and it was certainly time to get supplies and catch up a bit. Nice caravan park with a swimming pool just as well as it was plenty warm enough.Ian did the honours. Ian took me around Alice Springs as he has been here before a few years back but still remembers it like yesterday. He was here approx. 32 yrs ago with Geoff Pine. He purchased a you bute Akubra hat - sales lady fabulous!!!.Wandered around the town and mall then onto Alice Springs School of the Air. Would you believe a family that was on the film that was being shown attended St. Peter's Boy's. I recognized him straight away.School of the Air was the first of it's kind in the world and established on the 8th June 1951.They have the largest classroom in the world 1,300,000sq kms or 521,000sq miles.10 times the size of England.Children are enroled in pre-school at 4 1/2 yrs old they offer school until the kids turn 14 yrs old and then they have to go to boarding school or school by correnspondence. Most years the enrolement is 120 students and that usually remains constant. The students get together 4 times a year to meet each other with their families. The school provides all of the satellite and computer equipment needed for each family which can be anywhere betweent $10,000 to $15,000 fully installed. All equipment must be returned when finished with and there is always technicians available to assist with problems. So interesting to visit. Next we visited the first overland telegraph station established in 1871 which is next to the Todd River.  It was Sir Charles Todd that esablished the overland telegraph station connecting Adelaide to Darwin (north and south of Australia) and it took him just 2 yrs to do so. His wife Alice had Alice Springs named after her also. Came across a tour guide named Alec who was a half cast aboriginal who i could of listened to all afternoon. He was so interesting and part of the "stolen generation". What a nice man, he was very grateful that someone had taken him and gave him a life. His mother was 14 yrs old at the time and couldn't take care of him, in the aboriginal community, his father was from Scotland and 120 kids were taken and raised some of the time at the telegraph station with the help of missioneries. Back then nobody wanted half cast children. The men were working on the telegraph line. From there onto Anzac Hill.
Sun Oct 30th made our way to west MacDonnell Ranges. Set up camp at Orminston Gorge. Visited the gorge and waterhole. Then did the lookout as well. Once again weather came in during the afternoon so bad it settled in and did the same all night, cold as well. We got worried that we wouldn't be able to get out of the ranges so we were up early and Ian said let's head north fed up with the weather.The storms seem to be following us around. So away we went Alice Springs and 1230kms later stopping on the way at Devil's Marbles overnight and Camooweel for 2 nights, now at Mt Isa  .As anyone who has been up this way before there just isn't much in between and we did travel through a few fires started by probably lightening. We enjoyed our stop there along side the Georgina River( recommended to us by somebody)a billabong full of wild life birds etc and Ian did some fishing. Caught 8 fish we did google them to make sure of what they were. A Barcoo Grunter also known as jade perch. Really nice eating fish a freshwater fish. Still have some in the freezer, Ian just used bacon rind for bait, he was excited, had a good day good to break up the travelling. Now from here there is plenty to see along the Barkley Highway. Tomorrow we booked a mine tour of Mt.Isa mines then move on from here there is not much else here but plenty of work.

coober pedy to ayers rock



waiting for sunset, any excuse will do




sunrise



the olgas

Sat Oct. 22nd. Left Coober Pedy and heading north. Drove all day stopped at Marla on the way and reached Kulgera which is the first port of call in the NT. Nice place considering it's in the middle of nowhere. Only $20 per night for power and water which is unusal for up here. Would you believe it rained overnight and we had a storm. The rain seems to follow us. Kulgera onto Ayer's Rock arriving here in the afternoon with suspected storm's but a nice 32 degrees and a swimming pool. We are staying in the Yulara Resort which is really the only place to stay. You need power to run the air conditioner as the van gets warm but i'm not complaining. Went to the cultural centre first which they reccommend and then onto the Olga's. Walked 7.4kms full circuit to the Valley of the Winds and then onto a 2.6kms walk into Walpa Gorge after that effort returned home to have a swim only to find it had been taken over by a mob of screaming 15 yr old girls from an exclusive school in Melbourne. Heading out to the rock with a glass of wine to watch the sunset but not sure on our chances as it has been very cloudy in the afternoon's and stormy. No not much success will try again tonight if no go get up early to see the sunrise. Today headed out early to meet up with a park ranger who does a commentry and walk at Ayers Rock. The rock is the world's largest monolith and rears 348m above the Mulga Plains and it's made up of sandstone. We had been reccommended to do that by a couple we met last night. Well worth it and then we left that and did the 9.4kms around the base of the rock.Not much success at evening sunset at rock so got up early to see it rise for 6.05am with all the other tourists i've never seen so many coaches!!! Headed on to Kings Canyon in the morning as we were up early.

more pictures Port Augusta to Coober Pedy

road from Woomera to Roxby very exciting

Oonadatta track

flying into William Creek

what else do we have to say

sue underground mine

Port Augusta to Coober Pedy

woomera

the big fella in coward springs

Left Pt Augusta Oct. 16th (Sun) after visiting the flea market on our way out headed for Pimba which wasn't many kms up the road.Caught up with Mark for a beer at the Pimba roadhouse known as Spud's as he was driving through to Roxby for the week. Stayed there a night behind the Pimba roadhouse and had a drink in the pub there so Ian could watch the big rugby game and see the Wallabies loose.Then we set off for Woomera and looked around the rockets etc very interesting i used to go there a lot with mum and dad as a kid to visit friends so it was a bit like visiting the twilight zone as nothing much has changed except it's so quiet not much happening. There is a population of 150 now did used to be a very busy town. Bought back a few memories. Anyway now onto Roxby Downs a population of 4,500. A very modern town in the middle of nowhere. From there headed to Andamooka for lunch and i have to say what a shit hole. Looks like somebody got all there old sheets of iron and dumped it of. Went back to Roxby and was going to have a drink with Mark but couldn't get a decent place to stay so rang him to say we were heading off. They have a caravan park and charge top dollar $30non powered and $43 powered. The rest areas seemed to be non existent and didn't feel safe so we headed for Coward Springs. Quite a long trip that afternoon on a dirt road called the Boorfield Highway onto the Oonadatta Track. We did check road conditions before we headed off to make sure safe. All good when we arrived our big mirror in the bathroom had fallen of the wall with the vibrations of the road. Mind you the mirror we thought was to big and too heavy for a caravan. The corners broke but everything else in tac. Heading to a glazier to get glass cut and Ian is going to glue and screw back on. Back with some more blog soon and will continue we are moving camp spots. Coward Springs is a oasis in the middle of the desert it is continually being filled by the Great Artisian Basin. The water temperature is a constant 28degrees all year round. This place was founded by the people building the first Ghan Railway. It  was one of many  stopping spot's for the old Ghan Railway followed on by the Oonadatta track. It had the  pool to cool off and years ago did have a pub which no longer exists. A very beautiful place. Leaving Coward Springs to make our way to William Creek which was 80kms up the Oonadatta track and took us a good few hours with the van. Booked a flight over Lake Eyre which was so worth the $250 for an hours flight. Lake Eyre has been the driest in Aussie and rarely recieving 120mls a year. It is the largest lake in Aust. at 9,300sq kms and is also the lowest land in Aust. at 15m below sea level for those who are interested in a bit information. For the last 3 years the lake has had water in it prior to that it was 1974. The water is now quickly receding. Gives you a much better  idea of how big it actually is although you still really only see a small area. Onwards to Coober Pedy and what a shit road, worse than the last one but i'm glad we didn't leave it a day later as we have had rain here which would of made things interesting in the middle of no where. Been here for 2 day's, oldest and best known opal town in Australia as well as the world's largest opal producing centre. Very interesting with the mines, noodling for opal and the many dugout's(ie living) as the temp's often exceed 50dgrees c. Coober Pedy in Aboriginal dialect means white fellows burrow and that is what the place certainly looks like. Also visited 3 churches that were under ground very different.It was nice to meet up with Mark's Auntie and Uncle who are teacher's here and had a lovely evening with them in their dug out . Now heading to Ayer's Rock in the morning now getting into the long haul's. Diesel running at around 166.9lit. for those interested. Stayed tuned. 

Coffin Bay to Pt Augusta



elliston sculpture walk

colton bakery

perlubie beach (streaky bay)

catch of the day

pildappa rock (wave rock)

 Left Elliston still weather is not very exciting,cold wind. Stopped on the way at Colton to buy wood oven bread reccommended to stop by some kiwi people we met in Coffin Bay. What an amazing stop, an honesty box to put money in, a very little old church with slide windows and you pick your wares. Then onto Venus Bay for a great walk along the top of cliffs. Along the way saw dolphins follicking in the surf. The coast line along that part of the world is amazing. Drove through to Streaky Bay , needed some money and Sue forgot her pin number. Ian thought that was a blessing but will have to get it sorted once in Pt Augusta. Anyway we are happy in a beautiful place called Perlubie Bay a find out of the camp 5 book. This is another non caravan park we really like these and this one is free and includes a toilet and water. The van does really well free standing we have everything we need except something to charge the lap top which we are looking in to today. Met someone yesterday and they charge theirs up from the car as they travel along. Met a lovely couple that have been on the road for 14months sold everything up and had a big 5th wheeler. They were from Brisbane and gave us some great places to stay ready for our trip into Brisbane. Also other places along the coast north of Brisbane. This site is right on the beach and at long last some nice weather. Decided to spend another day here and going fishing on the Streaky Bay jetty. Ian with his rod and me with a hand line. What a top afternoon Sue caught 8 fish and Ian 2. Nothing like rubbing it in. We had 8 trevallis and 2 good size tommies. Bought some oysters on the way home  for kilpatrick on the bbq. We had an entree, followed by our catch and coleslaw what more could you want. Happy hour with other campers and found out all the gossip. We also have 2 girls here from Holland touring around only 27 yrs old had never had an oyster before.The atmosphere it much more relaxed in these non caravan parks. Leaving Perlubie Beach behind and heading east back to Pt Augusta ready to travel north. Ian found a spot in the Gawler Rangers Nat park 15kms from Minnipa. This is Pildappa Rocks a beautiful spot free camping again with toilets. This is an amazing granite rock and normally would probably drive straight pass. Another couple in a camper trailer also pulled up so just us for happy hour and a camp fire. We had this place all to ourselves. Now back in Port Augusta a caravan park for a couple of days then moving to another park that only costs $5 per night. Ian's got a few job's to fix on van after a couple of dirt roads. (not too bad dirt roads). Had a water leak as well. Anyway doing all these jobs before we head off and get more food supplies as it's not too badly priced here and alcohol supplies!!!Also there's a big rugby game on Sunday that Ian want's to see Wallabies v All Blacks.

some more photos to look at

avoid bay

tom kruze's truck, pt augusta

maykvie diva port lincon

locals at yangie bay, coffin bay national park

4wd along seven mile beach , coffin bay national park

hesso to coffin bay

hesso station

hesso station, road through middle

hesso station from transmission tower

tonights dinner, fresh goat

the vennables arrived on the fri night and had a great week end on the station , more goats , more beers, more reds, all good , photos to follow. left hesso and cruised down to cowell( via pt augusta) and stayed there the night to catch up on some washing etc after a lot of camp fires at hesso station.left cowell heading to tumby bay calling into arno bay,ellis beach on the way, raining most of the way. arrived at tumby bay earliy arfo to catch up with pauline searle ( nee pauline holland from portage road for those who can remember) set up camp at there place for the night and had a nice goat curry, (fresh from the station cooked by sue)and some more red of course,very civalized. left pauline and husband dan and are now at coffin bay national park which is just great. just have to pay $7.00 once only entrance fee ( sorry $9.00 for non consession card holders) and then $7.00 per night as long as you want. we have long drop toilets here and that is all so this is our first long stint at free camping,(pretty much up to now its been op's power) , ie no power, water etc so will see how long batterys etc last. will be heading of on sat 8th to elliston caravan park for a powered site so i can see the fords win at bathurst and south africa beat the wallabies. will download pictures at that point when we are all charged up again. Patrol going well, have been playing with the gas gets and at present geting 12.46 lit per hundred on the diesel , on the way up from adelaide it was 12.8 but had a strong head wind , 14.44 lit per hundred including gas at that point. havent put gas in agian yet to work out total usage but more than happy with fuel consumption at present, battery low cheers to all ian