Submitted: Sunday, Sep 14, 2008 at 00:00

By morning the clouds had cleared and the wind had dropped. We packed up, got extra fuel then headed out on the Old Andado road. The road was pretty good until Santa Teresa but once past there the going was slower.

The country we travelled through was lovely with the Rodinga Ranges all around, red dirt, lots of cattle and lots of camels. We began to move further into the desert country and the road snaked its way between bright red sand dunes with Spinifex and gums. We stopped for lunch near some yards and tanks with a mob of cattle watching us with great interest.


At Old Andado we wandered around for a long while. I tried to imagine life out here in the middle of the sand and the vast flatness. The house was open and there was a sign asking that respect be shown for Molly’s home. It was like walking back in time. The old furniture, magazines, kitchen utensils, photos and bits and pieces all covered with layers of red sand. No one had been there for a while as ours were the only footprints.


We crossed some well packed sand dunes and came to Andado Station where we had to make the choice of either going direct to Mt Dare on the Binns Track or go on the more used and probably better maintained New Crown road. In the end we opted for the Binns Track because we’d travelled from Mt Dare to New Crown a few years ago. It wasn’t too bad at the start with just the usual rocks and corrugations. The country was changing from dunes to gibber plains and then it opened out to that flat, wide skied country where you feel as though you were on top of the world. You can even imagine that you see the curve of the earth on the horizon. We reached the bed of the Finke River and the Mayfield swamp. The trees changed to scraggly, grey leaves and rough bark and the road wound its way along. In places the road was badly cut up by wheel tracks which were full of bulldust that was deep and soft.

We came to a road hazard sign and ahead of us the churned up, channelled out bulldust stretched as far as we could see. The track became wider and wider as vehicles had attempted to find better ways through. It was really deep and soft and we were bottoming out but we kept up our momentum and got through it really well. It was funny to see how much dust was on top of the trailer when we finally got through it all.

We began to move away from the river and over some dunes into a smaller section of twisting creek-like country before coming out all of a sudden to the edge of Witjira National Park and across the border to South Australia. Almost immediately the colours changed and the sand had a soft pink light in the late afternoon sun. The trees were small and stunted and the track narrow and in places covered by sand drifts. We were now only a short distance from Mt Dare and could almost taste a Mt Dare steak and feel the hot shower. It had been a good day with our drive taking us through lots of beautiful country and I was so glad to have finally got to visit Old Andado. When we were talking to the Mt Dare people later they told us that they weren’t recommending anyone take the Binns Track to Andado because it was so bad. Apparently someone had been stranded out there just a week ago. We were glad that we’d gotten through so well but if we’d known how bad it was we would have gone the other way.

We were now in the last days of the trip and as we went further south we noticed the temperature getting cooler each day. I’d hoped to camp at Eringa Waterhole but our changes of plan had made that impossible so we just stopped for a cuppa and went on to Oodnadatta and then out to the Painted Desert. It was the middle of the afternoon when we got to Arckaringa Station which appeared to be deserted. We had planned to stay to see the colours change on the hills so I knocked at the door and a young man took the camp fee and gave directions to where we could camp. We saw no one else for the time we were there.
Our only companions were two friendly dogs who decided that they wanted to play. They had their noses in helping set up camp, tried to run off with anything that was on the ground and if we got out of our chairs they jumped right in
It was blowing a gale and there was little protection. We huddled beside the camper, reading and trying to stay warm, all the while wondering why we didn’t just move on.


The afternoon finally moved towards evening and the light on the Painted Desert was beautiful. The wind died down a little and we managed to find a place out of the cold while we cooked and ate our meal with the help of our doggy friends.

It was extremely cold so we jumped into bed, pulled the doona up and thought longingly of the Top End warmth. When we woke the morning light emphasised the starkness of the country around Arckaringa which only makes the beauty of the Painted Desert even more amazing.

We set off for Coober Pedy crossing the vast Moon Plain which is so deserving of its name. It was a lovely morning but still cold and windy. At Coober Pedy we got some fuel then found a very nice restaurant where they served excellent coffee. We sat inside beside the windows with the warmth of the sun seeping through our bones.

Back on the highway it was about 200kms before we turned off towards the little town of Kingoonya on the Transcontinental Railway Line. The road was good and when we got to Kingoonya we stopped for a look in the hotel and a chat to the publican. We’d met a bloke parked beside the road just as we left the highway who was also on his way to Kingoonya and he told us that they put on a good meal there. One day we’ll go back and find out for ourselves.

This drive from the highway through to the Gawler Ranges National Park was really enjoyable. The sand dunes surrounding the salt lakes were off to our right and ahead of us the ranges were coming into view. We drove past properties nestled amongst the hills and we stopped to look at the ruins of days gone by.

We had thought to get in to the National Park to camp but could see that the day was getting away from us and so headed to Mt Ive Station. We were met there by a friendly young lady who made us feel very welcome. As we set up camp the day lost all its warmth and became so cold that I had to dig my trackies out from the depths of my bag. We both felt that we would return to Mt Ive Station another time and spend a few days as I would love to go out to Lake Gairdner.

The next morning we spent driving into and around the Gawler Ranges National Park and then having lunch at Pildappa Rock. We could’ve spent more time in the National Park but since we’d already decided on a return visit it didn’t make sense to rush around now. From Pildappa Rock we decided to go to Smokey Bay and then along the coast road to Streaky Bay where we camped for the night. My parents loved to go to Streaky Bay and they enjoyed having a meal at the hotel. We celebrated my mum by doing the same.

From Streaky Bay we took the scenic route around the coast past the Granites, Sceale Bay and Murphy’s Haystacks. At Elliston we sat in the sunshine drinking coffee and eating vanilla slices from the quaint little bakery before continuing on to Port Lincoln. This coast is so lovely and Port Lincoln is such a pretty place with the beautiful bay and gardens along the esplanade. We took a photo of Makybe Diva, had lunch and then because it was early afternoon and we had to be in Adelaide mid afternoon tomorrow, we got going again.

Cowell was our next stop for take away coffee and then we drove in to Whyalla just before sundown. The caravan park was right beside the sea and although it was cold it was a nice way to spend the second last night of our trip.
In the morning we got on the way to Port Augusta, down to Port Wakefield and finally to Adelaide where Ray’s daughter was in the middle of shifting house and our services were greatly appreciated. We slept in the camper on the front lawn of their new house and the noise of the traffic was almost unbearable after having so many quiet nights on our trip.

By 7pm the following night we were home and the journey was over. We had a few problems with the broken tooth, bites, fridge, a couple of tyres and various bits and pieces but nothing that caused any serious worries. We travelled approximately 13000kms and a lot of that was on dirt roads. The most interesting places always seem to be away from the rush of the highway, out in the bush and down the winding track. I’ll be dreaming of more winding tracks and back roads until the next trip.

Tags: Travel Journal
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