Maralinga Mystery Tour 2013
Submitted: Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 11:16
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Member - Stephen L (Clare SA)
Reply By: Robin Miller - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 11:27
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 11:27
Looks like a wonderful trip Stephen and some great shots - hope to find out more about the tracks over time.
We were at Geo-Center when you were taking those pictures and it was a lot dryer there than your shots show.
AnswerID:
516958
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 11:53
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 11:53
Hi Robin
Great to hear you made it to the Geo-Centre. You will have to head up to
Maralinga, there is so much to see up there.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
796465
Reply By: Member - Michael P (QLD) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 11:29
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 11:29
Stephen Hi,
That would of been a wonderful trip.Great photo's.
Have You heard how Della is getting on.
Regards Mike.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 11:50
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 11:50
Hi Mike
It was a fantastic trip. Della had to be Air lifted to
Adelaide by the RFDS and is now back
home in
Ceduna.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
796464
Reply By: Member - Jdub - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 14:01
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 14:01
Fantastic pics Stephen, can't wait to get started on our run in September, thank you for your assistance.
Jaydub
AnswerID:
516971
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 14:29
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 14:29
Hi
John
You will be in for a fantastic trip. You will find Robin a walking encylopdia and what he does not know, would not be worth knowing at all.
Give Robin my Best Regards
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
796473
Follow Up By: Phil B (WA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 15:31
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 15:31
Hi
John and Suze
You're off again are you; gee you're giving the old eighty a real work over this year.
Stay safe mate stay safe.
cheers
FollowupID:
796478
Reply By: Phil B (WA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 15:29
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 15:29
Hi Stephen,
What fantastic looking country - looks like you guys had a ball poking around the various sites.
thanks for sharing.
cheers
Phil
AnswerID:
516977
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 15:52
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 15:52
Hi Phil
We had a great time and I know that you would have had a great time. We would have seen even more if Aboriginal Business was not going on.
Those tracks will bet here for the next time....
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
796482
Reply By: Member - Jdub - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 16:26
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 16:26
Yes, we are on the go again. At 435,000kms. there should be some life left, toss up who or what outlasts the other! Could have done with your assistance on the last one, really needed a "quartermaster" at times--lol
Jdub
AnswerID:
516984
Follow Up By: Member - Michael J (SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:40
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:40
---and 425,000km of those would have been orf road touring desert/high country/anywhere and having a bluddy good time..
ohwotafeeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MJ
FollowupID:
796501
Reply By: rotor138 - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 17:49
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 17:49
Hi Stephen,
I have heard a bit from an older bloke at work(roxby) about Glenloth
mine and how we should go have a look at it. Unfortunately the project we were on has ended and he is now up at Gove in the NT and we didn't get the chance to head out there with him. Would you happen to have a gps location or be able to direct me to a map that shows where it is located? I am willing to pass on my email if needed.
As for the flowers being in full bloom you can smell it in the air up here at the moment, not to many peas out though. Not in comparison to a few years ago anyway.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 19:54
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 19:54
Hi Rotor
A question for you first please.......how are the Sturt Desert Pea looking up your way this year, and are there any special coloured ones out? When we headed to
Maralinga via the side way through
Commonwealth Hill Station, we missed the White Desert Pea by 2 weeks. When I contacted Ben from Mobella to thank him for letting us go through, he was telling me about how we were too early for the Sturt Desert Pea..
Now to answer your question, here are the GPS Co-Ordinates for the Old Stamping Battery at Glenloth. They were recorded in WGS 84..
S31 06 40.7520 E135 07 48.5760
The Old Battery is on the edge of
Lake Harris and the
Mine started around 1905.
Old Glenloth Stamping Battery remains
The old Stamping Battery still inside the old shed
Old Stamping Battery
Old sluce table inside the shed
The old Stamping Battery Shed at Glenloth
Old ruins at Glenloth
Also of interest, there are lots of other
mine sites at Glenloth, and this site was owned by a chap from Roxby.
Memorial at Glenloth
Memorial at Glenloth
Glenloth site
When he died, a memorial was erected on the above state that he owned at this location....
S31 06 18.7920 E135 05 28.8600
There are also a number of interesting items around the area.
Old Mine shaft at Glenloth
Modern Times at Glenloth
Old drilling rig at one of the mine sites
Old Mine shaft at Glenloth
I hope this helps you out and looking forward to what you have to say about the Sturt Desert Pea
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
796497
Follow Up By: rotor138 - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:52
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:52
Haven't seen many desert peas at all so far only one small patch on the side of the road into site. Was also looking from the air the other day for larger patches to no avail. There is plenty of fried egg daisies everywhere along with the red ones (don't know the name of them) that are in your last picture of the
mine shaft.
I read the other day in the local rag that there are big patches in town in peoples yards that they have propagated themselves. If you are up this way the most reliable area that I have found for them is yellow
rock which is a couple of k's before the first turn off into Roxby on the
Woomera rd. It's marked by a couple of painted rocks on the side of the road. Just keep an ear out for bikes as there is quite a few tracks through there.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: rotor138 - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:55
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:55
I forgot to thankyou for the gps locations, might have a wander out there over oct long weekend.
Thankyou again
Leon
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:18
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:18
Thanks Leon
Also if you need a mud map of how to find the area ( very easy from
Kingoonya ) drop into the pub, and they will point you in the right direction.
Cheers
Stephen
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796506
Reply By: Member - Michael J (SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 17:51
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 17:51
Hi Stephen,
3 weeks travel put to very good use looking at the photo's. I just love the one of the campfire, brilliant.
The rains have been good to the area judging by the wild flowers, nice Sturt Peas..
Missing out on a couple of tracks has an upside too, good reason to go back;))
Take care
MJ
AnswerID:
516993
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 18:38
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 18:38
Hi Michael
It was a great 3 weeks for sure, and the outback was as good as it gets.
As for those tracks that we missed........they are on my return visit list.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
796490
Reply By: setsujoku - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:46
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:46
I must admit that
Maralinga is not a place I had on my
places to visit before joining this site. Since seeing all of the info, history, and pictures from peoples trips there, it is now high on my list of
places to visit in the next few years.
It would be great to get a geocaching trip out there, and pick up the caches that are out there already and maybe place a couple more for the few who do visit.
AnswerID:
517006
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:27
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:27
Hi Setsujoku
It is a great place and there are endless
places where you could place new geocaches
You will not regret making the effort to visit the area.
Cheers
Stephen
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Reply By: Member Bushy 04(VIC) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:49
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 20:49
Great pics real interesting for us oldies.
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:24
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:24
Hi Bushy
It is a great place and area to visit and the place would not be the same if Robin was not there. He alone brings life to the area and all the history of the area.
Cheers
Stephen
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Reply By: Member - John (Vic) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:05
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:05
Good photos Stephen, look forward to the blog.
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:21
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:21
Hi
John
It will be another big blog with megga photos. It may be a little time before it is up....I have to write it first...lol
Cheers
Stephen
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796507
Reply By: equinox - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:41
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:41
Hi Stephen
It looks like you had a great trip.
Well done for "pioneering" access to new roads and tracks.
I'll have to have a look around there next time I come across.
Cheers
Alan
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:59
Friday, Aug 23, 2013 at 21:59
Hi Alan
Did I hear you say new tracks.....you should see the map that Robin gave us....there are dozens of tracks out there that very few people know about.
Get on the good side of Robin and the opportunities are endless. How many people get hold of the front security
gate key...very few indeed...likewise the sign we put on the front
gate while we had the place to ourselves.....cleaning...lol
Cheers
Stephen
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Reply By: prado 01 - Saturday, Aug 24, 2013 at 08:48
Saturday, Aug 24, 2013 at 08:48
Awesome stuff.
Do you think the
wildflowers would still be around early October as we may nip out from
Coober Pedy for a few nights to Emu and back.
Cheers
AnswerID:
517021
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Saturday, Aug 24, 2013 at 20:33
Saturday, Aug 24, 2013 at 20:33
Hi Prado 01
You are only talking just over a month, and the way things were looking, I would say yes. There were many types of
Wildflowers that were full of new buds, but not out in flower.
Enjoy your trip.
Cheers
Stephen
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Saturday, Aug 24, 2013 at 22:41
Saturday, Aug 24, 2013 at 22:41
We've been out that way most years and october is usually better than August for flowers.
2004 (like this year) was a particularly good year and the following photos were taken in October 2004:
ABH October 2004 - west of Emu
ABH east of Emu - October 2004
and one for Stephen :-)
On the road to Totem 1 - October 2004
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Sunday, Aug 25, 2013 at 08:10
Sunday, Aug 25, 2013 at 08:10
Hi Phil
Those are so typical of what it should be like for sure. Any time is great out in the Great Victoria, but to see it in full bloom makes it even better.
Thanks for sharing those great images.
Also Prado 01, I would suggest you get in contact with Robin at
Maralinga. The
Emu Road is now open and Robin could meet you at Emu and escort you down to
Maralinga where you get to see even more great country that has been closed to the Public for a very long time.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: prado 01 - Monday, Aug 26, 2013 at 12:49
Monday, Aug 26, 2013 at 12:49
Open and I presume by permit.....and Robins contact number is ?
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Aug 26, 2013 at 16:15
Monday, Aug 26, 2013 at 16:15
Hi Prado 01
Yes all the areas that we visited require permits. Deal direct with Robin up at
Maralinga and his phone number is....
08-8670 4089
Robin is a hard man to catch, but leave a message and he will get back to you. If you would like to email an enquiry to him, his email address is
robin.matthews@y7mail.com
It is
well worth the visit, and mention that you heard about it from ExplorOz
Cheers
Stephen
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