Week 12 - Flinders Ranges - 3 nights

Eating lunch overlooking Wilpena pound

View from St Mary's Peak looking back over Wilpena pound

Camp oven cooked damper

Cubby house tree

Kangaroo

Emu in camp

Sacred Canyon

The drive into the National Park was spectacular! So much colour with wildflowers set against the red backdrop of these ancient canyons. We drove in via Parachilna and visited a little town called Blinman. Then we set up camp in the afternoon sun at Wilpena Pound Resort. Thd next day we set out to walk into the pound, past the old homestead called Glenallen Then we reached a look-out called Wangarra, which overlooks the pound. We ate lunch up there (curried egg) and enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere. We then headed back down and Gavin departed us on his way to St Mary's Peak. This was a very long and tough walk.

That night we had a campfire and I made damper in the camp oven. Recipe from School of the Air recipe book purchased in Alice Springs (this is for Mum's benefit!). Absolutely delicious with butter and quandong jam. Gavin said it was the best damper that he has ever had - it brought a new meaning to the word 'Damper'. Basically it was a scone mix. The kids ate it with Nutella. Yummy!

We loved the camping ground, with a beautiful view from our tent up to the range and emus, kangaroos and wallabies walking past our front door. Jacinta and Sarah enjoyed playing with new friends inside a hollow tree - huge cubby house.

On one of the days we took a trip out to walk along Sacred Canyon where there are aboringinal etchings in the rock. Very easy and scenic walk.

Week 12 - Our final week - Copely

Quandong Cafe

Sarah wearing my hat!

Coal mine at Copely

We left Maree and headed for Wilpena pound, in the Flinder's Ranges National Park. On our way there we just had to stop for lunch at The Quandong Cafe in Copely. This place is in every travel magazine. It is in this little run-down town in the middle of no-where but there were about 15 4WD's parked outside and a line out the door for orders. Luckily the people in front of us were just getting jam and the 4WD convoy had finished morning tea and departed as we ordered lunch. The quandong pie with cream is to die for! Lucy thought that it was delicious too - she ate half of mine!

Copely is also famous for it's very large coal mine which supplies a large proportion of S.A's coal. Gavin took a picture of a section being blasted out of the open cut.

Week 11 - William Creek to Maree

Beresford ruins

Bathing in the desert - Coward Springs

Beresdford siding

Gavin cooking - Coward Springs

Lizard - shingleback

Sausages for lunch

Maree - train station

Dog proof fence - SA

Brearded lizard

Tom Kruse mail truck

Taipan??

Emus

The first stop today was at an old railway siding called Beresford. They built a lake and a lovely sandstone house for the workers - now abandoned. I was bewildered at the thought of running a steamtrain across the desert. They created a line of springs to travel through.

Next stop was for lunch at Coward Springs. There was a pool feed by bore water - very warm. Gavin cooked us sausages under the trees.

We then travelled to the old railway town of Maree. The original Ghan railway passed through here. They have a small number of relics of that time in the centre of town. The Afgans really did help to open up Australia. They helped to cart mail and deliveries across Australia. There is a remanent camp hut there and lots of tributes to their service.

Gavin was fascinated with the old mail truck driven by Esmond (Tom) Kruse MBE, to deliver mail to north to Birdsville. He read a book about him years ago, (The back of beyond), and the truck was the original Leyland Badger.

The kids were fascinated with the wild Emus and lizards on the road. We also passed the dog-proof fence.

Off to the Flinder's Ranges now! The weather forcast is good - clear skies and warm temperatures.

Post note - on our travels to FRNP we saw a snake that had been run over by the car in front of us. We think it was a Taipan.

Week 11 - William Creek - Oodnadatta Track and Lake Eyre

Track just opened after rain. Phone service cautioned extreme care with washouts.

Arrival at William Creek

For the electricians - Rocket stage wiring!

Rocket attitude

Jacinta near a smaller missile.

Lake Eyre - North

Gavin's face after tasting salt water

Leaving the Pub!

Lake Ayre - South

We had a great trip from Coober Pedy across the Great Central Desert to the Oodnadatta track. The weather was beautiful - clear skies and warm 25 degrees. Everything is so green and the wildflowers are everywhere - partly due to the recent heavy rains. There were lots of wash out sections on the road, spectacularly deep and potentially suspension snapping but with eyes peeled, easy to do around 80km/hr. William Creek was very quaint and we had a yummy lunch at the little pub. There was pub campground and also a couple of rockets that came to earth in the desert. Some were dragged in from the local Anna station, (largest cattle station in the world, 24,000 sq. km). Stage 1 of the last British rocket to be launched from Woomera was laying there, having landed nearby. It's task was putting a sattelite up with an expected life of up to 2071. Interesting to to look at, especially how liitle damage had been sustained in a fall from about 50km up. All titanium we think, the electrical wiring and plugs got a good check over from Gav.

After dumping the trailer we then high-tailed it over a water logged track about 70km's out to see Lake Eyre North in flood. We had a great time - wet the toes etc. - Gavin decided to taste the salt in the lake! Yuk! Off to Maree tomorrow. - V :)

Week 11 – Coober Pedy – South Australia

Coober Pedy - view from our camp - look at the big hole!

South Australian boarder

Sarah holding joey at art gallery

Underground Serbian Church - Coober Pedy

The drive from Uluru to Coober Pedy was a long one – 600km or so. We are now in South Australia! The next morning we got up and did a 4hr Tour. This place is very weird and hick. I have never been to such an extraordinary town before! We went to a Serbian church – underground and toured the town. The kids loved Noodling (that is the name for fossicking here). They found a few opals – flecks really. We sat in the centre of town and ate a counter meal at the hotel. The local aboriginals were very loud – shouting out to each other across the street. In the afternoon we visited an art gallery that was also a rescue centre for injured kangaroos. The kids all got to hold the youngest joey. Very cute. We also bought a painting be a well respected Aboriginal Artist who is based in Coober Pedy. If you come over to our place have a look – I’d like to know what you think.

Tomorrow (22^nd September) we are off on the Oonadatta Track to William’s Creek and then to the Flinders Ranges. Forecast for the next week is dry and sunny – Perfect SA weather! All the tracks should have dried out.

Week 10 – Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park – 4 nights

Base walk Uluru

Base Walk Uluru

Kata Tjuta

Base walk - with my mum

Our night our in Yulara

Toasting the trip

Uluru sunrise

Uluru sunset

Girls liked the sunset - warmer

Together at Uluru

It was a dry pack-up of the tent after all the rain of the day before. We travelled into Uluru with my Mum on her last stage of the journey with us. The first thing we did was the base walk around the rock stopping in at the waterholes and rock art. I didn’t know that there was so much rock art around Uluru itself. During the walk it started to lightly sprinkle with rain but not enough to get us wet. We were a bit tired after the walk and we all settled down to lunch at the Cultural Centre with Mum – the view of the rock was amazing. In the afternoon we drove out to Kata Tjuta (Olga’s).

On the last night of Mum’s stay we went out to dinner in the township. We had a lovely meal together and it was a great night. The next day we went back to do one of the Gorge walks at Kata Tjuta. The place was very eerie. Then we drove Mum to the airport and she flew back to Sydney. We were very sad to see her go and I have promised to put some of these photos on the blog.

The next morning we got up for the sunrise over Uluru. It was amazing! Then we rested most of the day and began packing up for the trip out the next day. In the afternoon we got ready with bubbly and cheese for the last sunset over the rock. We got out there early and left late with one last drive around the base of Uluru.

Week 10 - Kings Canyon – 2 nights

Kings Canyon Creek

Kings Canyon escarpment

Waterfall in Kings Canyon

View from the lookout on Rim Walk

Walking across creek

Navigating the walk

Sarah wanting a photo

Lucy getting her in position

Kings Canyon

Long drive from Alice to Kings Canyon today. We passed through the beautiful George Gill Range and Mum was very impressed. The first night at Kings Canyon was very wet and we were warned in the morning that we may not be able to get out the next day due to the creek rising. We decided to gamble and stay put in the rain as the tent was nice and dry inside and Yulara was getting overflow tourists so it would be very crowded in the facilities. No buses or coach tours getting into Kings Canyon.

The next day we did the Kings Canyon creek walk. It reminded me of the Blue Mountains where I grew up – wet and cold. We made the most of it and the scenery was spectacular! The resort restaurant was the place to be for lunch. In the afternoon everyone relaxed had hot showers and then we went out for dinner. There was live entertainment with the Roadies singing very Aussie songs like home among the gum trees. The kids joined into the act and played instruments. A lovely, dry indoor evening on a rainy night.

Next morning all was well and the gamble paid off. We packed up a wet tent for the first time but it wasn’t raining and the creek was passable. Making our way to Yulara Resort in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.