Pick this Place

Submitted: Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 12:40
ThreadID: 139906 Views:11959 Replies:8 FollowUps:25
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Should be easy because I'm sure many have driven past this place. But it rarely ever gets a mention by travellers
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Reply By: gke - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 12:55

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 12:55
Sturt's Stony Desert ?

Graham.
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Follow Up By: Phil G - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 13:28

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 13:28
Sorry Graham, Not Sturts Stony Desert but it is in South Australia
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Reply By: Mick O - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 14:10

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 14:10
Is it Lake Ballard Phil?
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 14:11

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 14:11
Scrap that guess. Just saw your reply that it's in SA.

Cheers
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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Follow Up By: Phil G - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:05

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:05
Gday Mick,
Lake Ballard looks interesting - I haven't been there. I have a daughter who recently moved to Kalgoorlie so will have to go exploring hopefully later in the year if we get released.
Cheers
Phil
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:29

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:29
Likewise Phil. Our son is a Geo working out of Kal. He'd been in Kal for 18 months before moving to this new gig 2 hours north east. They've got him 3 weeks on/three off at the moment up from the normal 8 days on/6 off roster. Poor bugger can't really go anywhere on his three off either.

So much to see and so much time in lockdown :-(

Cheers.

Mick
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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Reply By: Gbc.. - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 14:38

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 14:38
I was going to say Tibooburra, but if it’s SA, I’ll go the top end of the strez track south of Merty.
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Follow Up By: Phil G - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:00

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:00
Not Merti Merti
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Reply By: lindsay - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 14:49

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 14:49
Moon plain out of Coober Pedy towards Oodnadatta.
L.ndsay.
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Follow Up By: Phil G - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:34

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:34
Yes, you are the winner Lindsay!
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Follow Up By: Laz - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 00:07

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 00:07
Amazing place! Unforgettable! Recognized it at once, even I was traveling there about five years ago. Would love to see it again.
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Reply By: pmk03 - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 15:11

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 15:11
Bugger, Just opened this, was gonna say Moon Plain SA also
Cheers
Paul
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:30

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:30
Missed by that much Paul :-)

Cheers

Mick
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trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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Reply By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 15:36

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 15:36
So there is life on Mars...
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Follow Up By: Phil G - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:45

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:45
Gday Michael,
Yes there is - 2 people in the photo!
I'm guessing you are serious about Mars - it is an analogue site for planning missions to Mars!
Cheers
Phil
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Reply By: Phil G - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:42

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:42
Lindsay got it - Moon Plain in SA.
Its a Landscape I find very interesting and travellers usually drive straight past it as thik its boring country!

As you head towards Oodnadatta from Coober Pedy, you come across this plain - no grass no trees.
When you walk on it, it is really soft and spongy and dust puffs up - feels really wierd - just like walking on the Moon, hence the name.
There are remains of a petrified forest and it was also an ancient seabed, with lots of fossils.
It is also a place that is an analogue site for testing for potential missions on Mars:
http://energymining.sa.gov.au/minerals/knowledge_centre/mesa_journal/previous_feature_articles/moon_plain_martian_testing_ground

So next time you drive along that boring road, stop get out and go for a walk!
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Follow Up By: pmk03 - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:46

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:46
Hi Phil

It has also been used in a few movies, including Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Pitch Black and The Red Planet.
Although not as interesting as your comments........
Paul

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Follow Up By: Phil G - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:08

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:08
Gady Paul, yeah I was just looking at the Mad Max movies trying to find which ones featured the Moon Plain. Wasn't sure about Priscilla but I look out for it if I get more bored during isolation - haha
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Reply By: pmk03 - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:42

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 16:42
OK Then,
Seeing I was too slow
Where's this one?

Paul
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Follow Up By: Phil G - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:35

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:35
Thats a hard one. Don't think I've seen it, but if those are Western Myall trees, I'd guess its on the Eyre Peninsula or towards the WA border
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Follow Up By: pmk03 - Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:44

Monday, Apr 13, 2020 at 17:44
Hi Phil

You are in the correct state..... (SA)

Cheers,
Paul
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Follow Up By: Phil G - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 05:08

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 05:08
Somewhere between Port Augusta and the Gawler Ranges?
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Follow Up By: pmk03 - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 08:41

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 08:41
Good Morning Phil

No, sorry........ Still further west.

The pole beside the chimney should be a clue, as well something that is in the background.

Cheers,

Paul
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Follow Up By: Phil G - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 10:35

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 10:35
Ivy Tank on the Old Eyre Highway - I haven't been there though
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Follow Up By: pmk03 - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 10:55

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 10:55
Yep ! That's it... Ivy Tanks Roadhouse Ruins Old Eyre Hwy SA

Here's a link to a video from a visit back in 2018

Ivy Tanks is at about 10 Mins 30 Seconds.



Cheers
Paul
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Follow Up By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 15:27

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 15:27
Do you have the coordinates please? I am surprised I haven't put this into Places - or that no one else has. I knew from the first photo clue that it was the Old Eyre Hwy but I don't recall seeing this chimney at all, but I know the name Ivy Tank and sure I've been there but can't for the life of me figure out why it isn't in Places....and I have no reference on the map thanks!
Michelle Martin
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Follow Up By: pmk03 - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 18:48

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 18:48
Hi Michelle

I'm not good with co ordinates but it's near here; 31 15' 41.7" S, 131 18' 49.4"E (about 1.5km west of)

46km north east of Nullarbor Roadhouse & 77km west of Yalata SA on the Old Eyre Hwy. near a turn off north to get to Disapointment Cave.

It comes up on Google Maps but the actual location is on the Old Eyre Hwy, 2.1km north west of where it's shown on Google.

It also shows up on an old copy of Hema Great Desert Tracks that I have on paper. Unfortunately it's not marked on the digital copy I have.

It's a great place to visit although there's nothing left of the building. There is a car "Graveyard" also at the site. Similar to the one at Koonalda further west.

If you watch my video it shows us travelling along tracks heading roughly north from the Eyre Hwy. This turn off is about 52km west of Yalata. These tracks finally end up on the Old Eyre Hwy about 5km east of the site of the Ivy Tanks Roadhouse.

Hope this helps
Paul
PMK3AUSTRALIA
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Follow Up By: equinox - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 18:57

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 18:57
Here's some pictures of the car graveyard:






Looking for adventure.
In whatever comes our way.



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Follow Up By: pmk03 - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:04

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:04
Ha Equinox beat me to it, but here's a couple more of the site

Cheers, Paul
PMK3AUSTRALIA


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Follow Up By: Phil G - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:07

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:07
Michelle and Paul I have some old maps - Hema shows "Ivy Tank" and an old Auslig map shows it as "Ivy Tank Motel".
Coordinates on the Mosaic map are 31.265900 deg South and 131.299200 deg East
Here are some images

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Follow Up By: pmk03 - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:12

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:12
Thanks Phil,

The first one is what I have on paper, The second is interesting......."Motel" Yeah right! Ha.

Cheers
Paul
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Follow Up By: Phil G - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:19

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:19
Its interesting - looks like it was a Petrol Station/Motel until 1973 or therabouts. So not that long ago really.
The highway got moved south soon after - I remember first crossing the Nullarbor in 1977 and it was newish bitumen then.

Found another interesting link - according to this article from the 1950's, looks like Ivy Tank was one of the few places offering accommodation on the Nullarbor and it was pretty rough.
http://users.tpg.com.au/agnet/gurneys.html
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Follow Up By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:51

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2020 at 19:51
Thanks ok think we got it now. In fact it is on EOTopo in the base map (but wasn't in Places until now). It was just a black dot (which is the symbol for building). Thanks! Good Pick this Place.
Michelle Martin
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