Submitted: Friday, Aug 01, 2008 at 14:35

Week 6:

Day 37: Sunday 27 July 2008

Woke up this morning and there was a sedan parked at the dongers. Another couple had camped last night. Must have got in very late as we didn’t hear them. Had brekkie and coffee, packed up and had a hot shower. Took pictures of the Painted Desert. Amazing colours. The change from khaki to maroon to white. Took the back road from Arckaringa Station to Mt Barry Stn and headed to Coober Pedy. The road is like a highway. We crossed the Moon Plain. 60kms of flat, rocky county. Nothing for miles. Fuelled up at Coober Pedy and got a yiros for lunch. Rang home and headed up to William Creek. Cold, windy and dusty so decided to camp at the pub. Basic motel style rooms (1 double, 2 single beds) and a shared bathroom with a bath!!. Hot bore water. $95 per night. Had tea at the pub. Good meal.


Day 38: Monday 28 July 2008

Up and had a coffee and headed off by 8am. We saw our first dingo of the trip about 5kms out of town. The road is pretty good. Had a look at Coward Springs Campground. Sheltered campsites but the spring is only small and smells. Maximum of 3 people I would say.

Pulled up at the Lake Eyre South Lookout. You can see for miles. Windy and cold though

Alberrie Creek is very interesting. You can see what appears like a dog in the distance but when you get close it is an old Railway water tank with a tail and an old car hanging off the top for the head. Very clever. Large sculptures of a windmill shaped like a flower, old bus across the creek as a hover bus, two aeroplanes upside down. It seems like a bit of a commune.

Fuelled up at Maree but they ran out of diesel so had to go across the road to finish fuelling up. Stopped at Lyndhurst for a coffee and something to eat. Lovely neat and clean servo.

Booked into Leigh Creek Caravan Park at the Mobil Servo. $18 for a powered site. Nice and warm now. Took a drive to Copley and bought some more Quondong Pepper sauce. We had bought some from there 2 years ago so needed some more. Lovely bakery. Had a couple of beers at the pub and went back to the Caravan Park. Lovely clean amenities. 24 hour public Laundromat with 2 front loaders (3 x $1) and 2 large dryers (2 x $1) Only 1 washing machine was working though. Caravan Park is run by volunteers from the Leigh Creek Progress Association. They should be commended as they do a bloody good job. The camp kitchen is absolutely great. Stove, fridge, microwave, tables and chairs, pots and pans, cutlery, china and everything to clean up after. TV with a lounge.

Had tea at the Tavern and it is good value for money.


Day 39: Tuesday 29 July 2008

Headed off and had a look through the old Beltana township. Very eerie. Very interesting though. Old Police Station with jail lock ups at the back, school, pub, bakery, butchers and a church with houses scattered around. We couldn’t work out what a noise was as it sounded like music in the distance but found it was the wind blowing through a wall made out of glass bottles.

Very pretty driving through the Flinders as it changes from rocky to hills and very green. There were roadworks through the hills. Had a look at Appealinna Ruins. They were interesting.

Pulled up at the Prairie Pub at Parachilna and had a beer. We bought a DVD of Tom Kruse. Went through the gorge to Blinman and had a beer at the pub. Lovely old pub. Original part is still operational and lovely slate floor. Freezing cold now and looks like rain. Had a quick look at Wilpena but is started to sprinkle so headed off again.

We pulled up at Hawker and got a motel room from the Hawker Hotel Motel for $80 for the night. Pulled in and the 4 people we shared the campfire at Chambers Pillars, and William Creek and Leigh Creek were staying at the same motel. We are basically going to the same places. Had a shower and tea at the pub with our traveling buddies. My electric blanket is on already.

Day 40: Wednesday 30 July 2008

Headed off and went to have a look at Magnetic Hill (22 kms out of Orroroo) You pull up on a slight incline and turn your ignition off, put the car in neutral and release your brakes and the car goes uphill. Hayd thought I was pulling his leg when I told him about it but it is a different story now and we had the camper on as well.

We took the back road from Orroroo which brings you out about 24 kms south of Yunta. Only cuts about 10-12 kms off but it’s a nice drive. We nearly had a wedgetail eagle come through the windscreen. Only just missed. We fuelled up in Yunta and headed home. Bugger.

So we arrived home about 1-30pm and are already chomping at the bit to go again. The frumpy (Jess the dog) was so happy to see us and the feeling was mutual. The only downer was I think she got overexcited and had 2 fits within a couple of hours after we got home. She was OK half an hour later and is now back to her normal mental self. All the kids have been around to see us so it’s into washing all the dirt out of everything, especially the car.


Fuel prices along the track.

Date Town Price
21-06-08 Glendambo $1.98.9
22-06-08 Coober Pedy $1.98.9
23-06-08 Kulgura $2.14
23-06-08 Alice Springs $1.98.9
23-06-08 Tilmouth Well $2.25
24-06-08 Yuendamu $2.40
25-06-08 Hall’s Creek $1.95.9
26-06-08 Fitzroy Crossing $1.99.9
03-07-08 Lombadina $2.00
05-07-08 Derby $2.06.9
09-07-08 Mt Barnett $2.38.9
10-07-08 Drysdale River $2.38.5
14-07-08 Wyndham $1.88
18-07-08 Kununnara $2.02.9
19-07-08 Hall’s Creek $2.03.9 (up 8c within a month)
20-07-08 Top Springs $2.10
20-07-08 Katherine $1.95.9
21-07-08 Elliott $2.14.6
22-07-08 Barrow Creek $2.42.3
22-07-08 Ti Tree Roadhouse $2.35
23-07-08 Alice Springs $1.98.9
26-07-08 Mt Dare $2.38
26-07-08 Oodnadatta $2.25
27-07-08 Coober Pedy $1.96.9
28-07-08 Maree $2.26
29-07-08 Leigh Creek $1.99.9
30-07-08 Hawker $1.98.9
30-07-08 Yunta $1.79.9

Tags: Places/Destinations
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