Entry 2

Monday 18th - 24th May

Manna Hill roadside stop

Monday, on the road by 8.30am ... thats so early .... easy 150 ks ..drive to Melrose show grounds ... sensational place in the middle of nowhere at the foot of the flinders ranges. camped on side of hill had a sensational fire.

Melrose Showgrounds

Tuesday drove north through Quorn, historic old town the drove "slowly" over the Flinders Ranges onto Port Augusta. Another food, supplies and rum stop then took the right hand turn that said " To Darwin " 2700 klm away. Dabus was being nice as there was no wind and hardly any hills so cruised along at 95ks .. excellent... the navigator took the controls for an hour and did a great job ...

I can see more of that coming up !!... pulled into " Spuds Roadhouse at the turn off to Woomera ( 7ks away ) about 3.30 pm and camped amongst about 20 other campers. Around this place it doesnt pay to park in the wrong spot

NO PARKING !!!!!!!!!!

View over the fence

Wednesday up and at em early people leaving and we pack for a drive to Woomera, Roxy Downs and Andamooka. A 2 mins drive from Pimba and there is nothing as far as you can see.

What scenery

Woomera was fantastic great museum and great displays around town.

What a Rocket

Then an 80k drive to Roxby, it was 80ks of nothing then this town in the middle of no where, it has all the stuff … big Mitre10 big gardening section (your kidding) , Subway Pub swimming pool footy ground and hundreds of new homes, mining must be good. A 30k drive to Andamooka and we go from one extreme to the other. Not a blade of grass, dust everywhere and no flash shopping complex.

Andamooka street scene

Back to Pimba and camp another night.

After chatting to other motor homers we are on the road by 10am, and a few ks up the road I got behind 2 motor homes doing about 75 / 80kph. I had no chance of over taking so I cruised at that speed, after about an hour of that they turned off and I noticed the fuel gauge had hardly moved and I was enjoying the drive. Just one of them stupid things ya learn along the way, I have been whinging so much about lack of power and poor fuel economy, and all the time I have been trying to drive harder and faster than the bus is capable.

Arrived in Coober Pedy about 3pm, booked into C/park for 2 days.

Friday, walked up and back the main street then went for a drive to check out and around town. I have no idea how people can live in places like this, but you hear so many stories of… we called in for a month or so and have been here 20.. 30.. or more years.

Booked in for a tour in the morning to get the run down on the towns history.

Onto a bus tour at 8.30 and our guide was Rudy who was of the ….. called in here in 1975 and never left locals, tis great to have the proper tour as would have not known anything about the town just by driving around, such as the dusty and rock covered golf course (played on a lot) the underground houses and underground church all good.

Fuelled up ($1.28) and left about 1pm for 240k drive to Marla.

Camped out back of the roadhouse at Marla, chatted to a guy from Blairgowrie who had see our name and address in the register book and came over to ask where we are off to.

Then fuelled up again ($1.50) and off to Kulgera, happy not to need fuel as its $1.75 a long way from the $1.14 back in Port Augusta. Another 75k to Erldunda the turn off to Yulara and Ayers Rock. Fuel up ($1.55) and head west, tail wind …. Nice…. Another 60k and at Mt Ebenezer roadhouse, free camp out the back and a bar to watch the Sunday footy.

Mt.Ebenezer camp

A Cobb roast chicken and chocolate pudding, yum. About 15 other campers here for the night.