Travelling North from Devil's Marbles

We were caught up in this huge storm and had a total "whiteout". Couldn't see anything and we knew it was bad when the truckers behind us wouldn't overtake and they backed right away. We endured about 10 k's of it and then it eased of and we could see the road again.

Devil's Marbles

We thought we would be in Barrow Creek tonight but after stopping there we decided to go on. Wycliffe Well was next on our list - the UFO capital of Australia. It was a great park but then we read about Devils Marbles so tonight we are in the Devils Marbles conservation park. It is an astonishing and amazing seeing the boulders balancing on top of each other and not just a few there would be 100's. We are in an independent camp site tonight and there are about another 40 campers - how many people are on the road? We went on an informative (self guided) walk around the boulders and lots of people were up on top of the rocks - easy to do as they are granite and not to hard to climb. There are long drop toilets here very unusual but we do have our own toilets - thankfully!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heading North from Alice Springs

We stayed in Alice Springs for a week. We loved the countryside and outcrops were dramatic. The Sturt's Desert Peas were growing everywhere and they were very lovely. The first caravan park we stayed was handy to town and opposite the Araluen Cultural Centre. We saw Jimoen there on Saturday night. It was a complete sell out and he was funny.
We went touristy and visited Anzac Hill, the museum of Central Australia and the Todd River (in the dry). We don't think we would like to be in Alice in the "wet" the rivers at the moment are all sandy and dry - but there are enormous bridges across them for when the rains hit.
We spent a day sightseeing and went to Standley Chasm and Simpson's Gap in the West MacDonnell Ranges. The scenery was great but unfortunately there had been an enormous storm through there a month or two ago and the path had been washed away. We were walking through pebbles and rocks following the riverbed. It some parts it was easy other parts a bit more challenging.
The second caravan park was a bit further out of town but had the East MacDonnell ranges as its backdrop - very stunning.
On the way North we passed through The Tropic of Capricorn - it's officially the line where the desert meets the tropics.
Tonight we are in Ti Tree a small township around 190 kilometres North of Alice Springs. It is already warmer and we are enjoying it!!
Tomorrow we head to Barrow Creek.

Kulgera

Wednesday 12th of May we set off for Kulgera. It was very interesting but extremely busy on the road – it seems everyone is going north. We spotted 14 cars abandoned on the side of the road or in the paddocks. Not much road kill, animals or birds. About 16 caravans overtook us today on their quest North. We crossed the South Australian border into the Northern Territory today and it was very exciting. The border is marked by a great stopping off point and also a 24 hour camping place. On one set of boards is all about South Australia whilst on the other set of boards it is all about the Northern Territory. The Kulgera Pub is the first hotel you come to in the Northern Territory when travelling North and conversely it is also the last hotel in the Northern Territory when travelling South. The amenities are clean and the water is hot – but you cannot drink the water without boiling it first. The park is very big and it almost ½ full at 4.30pm. There is a large rock to the North of the park and aboriginal folklore says that if you take your woman out to the rock and get her to sit on the rock she will become pregnant.

Dinky the Singing Dingo

Dinky the Singing and Piano Playing dingo is 10 years old. He is very fat but very agile and alert. He accompained himself on the piano when no one else did. All Dingoes in Australia have the Same DNA. He performs at least 10 times a day. This is what Australia quirkiness is all about!!!

Stuart's Well

We really enjoyed the countryside the rocky outcrops and the hills. Obviously when it rains it pours up here as there were lots of long and high bridges. Lots of bird life including wedgetail eagles by the score. The temperature was a bit chilly this morning around 5 degrees but soon warmed up to a balmy 28.
Stuarts Well has a camel farm next to it so we had a walk over there. As well as camels they had Alpacas and Llamas. Some were already saddled for the tour buses others were forlornly crying out for their Mum.
We have a small Emu farm on the same site at Stuarts Well. There is also a colony of Wedgetail Eagles. We have been watching them all afternoon as they fly the thermals. There has to be a least 20 of these most magnificent birds flying around here.
Stuarts Well is the home of Dinky the singing piano playing Dingo.

Erldunda

Erldunda is the best spot to stay between port Augusta and here. It really is an oasis in the outback. Not much dust and lots of grass. Diesel is the most expensive here and the dining room looks really clean. Uluru is still around three hundred Kilometres from here. The Lassiter highway is the only sealed road into Uluru and Kings Canyon. A family of wedge tail eagles has a base here.

Marla

Tuesday 11th of May we headed for Marla - a homestead on Aboriginal ground. It was the first time we tried to buy a bottle of wine and because of the strict alcohol laws you needed proof of who you were and then sign a document that it was for your personal use only. We went straight through to Marla as we didn’t like the look of the overnight rest areas as they were too dusty. It was very stormy all the way through and very windy and cold when we got there. The caravan park was clean and tidy with lots of hot water. The water was OK to drink but not too much was the advice we were given. Overnight was very chilly!! From here we went passed the SA/NT border. As you can see by the photos the speed limit is 130!!

Cadney Homestead

On Monday 10^th of May we set off for Cadney Homestead. We drove past the opal diggings on the way up here. It still is glorious weather and we are happy with our decision to go North and not to the cold Southern regions. With the warmth comes lot of dust!!! Saw our first Willy Willy today and its base was pure red dust. At the homestead there is a pool and the water quality is fine to drink and bathe in. We learnt a good lesson today about giving money to indigenous people, unfortunately we gave them cash when we should have gone to the Roadhouse with them and bought the children food.

Mother's Day 2010

We found a lovely little restaurant called Umbertos for Mother's Day lunch. We had a great time at the buffet style lunch/

Coober Pedy Tour

Today we enjoyed a tour with Gunter the Hunter. He was a crusty old German who had been an opal miner all his life - a great character!! He liked cruising at 120KM's on the bitumen and 100 on the windy gravel roads. Boy did we need a drink at the end of the tour. We went into the diggings and saw a few of the 4 million holes that are drilled as test holes for the opals. It was amazing how these miners lived and today it is the same manner as yesteryear except for a few modern machines. There are no big industrial companies involved only private miners. The miners only select 5% of their Opals as being suitable for sale. Gunter would work from May to October and then go and live in Bali for the rest of the time. There must be some money to be made!!
We found Coober Pedy to be a very unique and quirky town. We really enjoyed our stay here.

Woomera

We arrived on Sunday the 2nd May and the whole place was deserted!! We thought it might be because of the weekend, but no, it was still deserted on Monday. The whole town is run by the Department of Defence and the town itself is huge. They have a museum dedicated to the township as a rocket testing range in 1947 up till now including the recent detention centre mess.
We liked it so much we stayed 2 days. The Americans left their legacy (a bowling alley). It was a very interesting time.

Coober Pedy

Today we are in Coober Pedy, it's quite an amazing town. They have lots of underground housing, accommodation and mining. We are booked to go on a tour tomorrow. The weather is warm during the day but cold of a nighttime - just right for snuggling!!