Day 14 Wolfe Creek Crater to Halls Creek to Mabel Downs Station

 

Km 257 Total

Fuel at Halls Creek $1.75

 

Rocked out of Wolfe Creek after one last look at this amazing phenomenon. 20 kms ordinary track, though not as bad as we’d been led to expect, and we’re back on the Tanami road for the last 100km of the 1050km!!!! Just short of the Halls Creek turn off, we passed the north end of the Canning Stock Route (CSR). I kid Mandy about turning left and heading across the CSR. L was the reply. We go straight ahead onto Bitumen for the first time in almost 600km and head north into Halls Creek. It’s a Sunday, and the Supermarket has a Road Train parked out the front and about 40 staff unpacking everything! As it was only lunch time we decide to head to Mabel Downs and stay the night just outside Purnululu NP rather than drive that 100km tomorrow.

 

We find a large area in the main street of Halls Gap that has a large rtee and park ourselves under it. Mandy opted out of finishing her lunch and the kids feed it to some birds. Seems they called in some mates and soon there are 30+ Black Tailed Kites swooping in and picking the bread out of the air as they throw it in up in the air. Amazing experience!

 

Lob at Mabel Downs Station “caravan park” which is really part of the station set aside for tourist activites. They have 4x4 coach (read 4x4 trucks with bus bodies on the back), fixed wing and helicopter flights. Because you can only take High Clearance 4x4 and single axle Off Road “Towable Units” (read Trailer/Caravan) many Greyus Nomadicus park their 500ft Triaxle Caravan/Palaces and take the coach tour ($250 pp!!!!!!) or some people leave their sensible caravans and take their 4x4’s into the park. It’s a long way for a day trip (52km of windy dirt track, no worse than a Victorian High country track) and there is easily 2 days worth of stuff to see, but 3 would be better. As we arrived about 1100, we had the extra half day to set up, look around and generally get a feel for the place.

 

Unfortunately, 5 car loads of bogans arrived with a pose of feral kids. Loud and obnoxious. Firewood is brought in, and cant be collected within the NP. Bogans inc inched all the firewood from both fireplaces. Karma people

 

Day 13 Renahn’s Bore to Wolfe Creek Crater

 

Road improved substantially after Tanami gold mine and 85-95kph was achievable without  shaking the fillings out of your head!  We made it to Wolfe Creek Crater around 1630 ACST, but as we’d crossed the border into WA about 2 hours earlier, it was technically now only 1430!!

 

Called in on HF to VKS Alice Springs, listened to another bloke in outback Queensland, and another in the Flinders Ranges in SA! Love it!

Wolfe Creek Crater - Impressive!

 












 

Crater is impressive! 850m across (its as wide and Mt Dandenong is tall!) and
 about 75m deep. Nice camp site..

Didn’t see John Jarret at Wolfe Creek either



Wolfe Creek Sunset

Day 12 Alice -> Tanami Road!!! The fun realllllly begins

 

Fuel Alice Springs $1.69 Tilmouth Well $2.24

 

Tanks filled and off we go, heading for the real bush now. 150km to Tilmouth Well, and after paying for liquid Gold at Tilmouth well, we finally hit dirt. Well, reports that the Tanami was in “the best condition it been in for years”soon make way for corrugations that could hide a Small car! Luckily these are interspersed with sections of reasonable road and bitumen. As we approach our intended destination of Renahan’s Bore they are getting fairly big and nasty. 6 hours of driving and we were all pretty over it.

 

Renahan's Bore: By Moonlight (116seconds @ F9)

Mandy had seen a post on Myswag.org about driving back away from the road and we were rewarded with a brilliant site about 100m back from the road. You could hear the Road Trains coming for 5 minutes before they went past, but they weren’t loud enough to wake you. An almost full moon and not a cloud to be seen. Magic!

Day 11 - Alice Srings and surrounds

Alice Springs and surrounds

 

Simpsons Gap

 



Memorial to the Rev. John Flynn, founder of the now
Royal flying Doctor Service

Headed out to Simpsons Gap, saw the Memorial to
 Rev. John Flynn, founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Interesting man, visionary really, providing medical care to those in the outback in the 1920’s would have been very challenging. Also visited the Alice Springs Telegraph station, where the telegraph repeater station between Adelaide and Darwin was situated. Until it was commissioned in 1886, Australia had no telegraph link to the rest of the world. Now, messages could be passed around the world to and from Australia in hours rather than weeks by ship!

 

At the Telegraph station was Charlie. Charlie is an Aborigine who lived there in the 1940’s after he was taken from his family as part of the “Stolen Generation”. Very heartening to listen to him speak of that time and his experiences. He is not negative or bitter, just factual and a great insight into a different time in our country's history.

 

Also interesting was Sam’s comment:

Sam:“So, Dad. Did they take him away from his Mum and Dad just because his mum was an Aborigine and his dad was white?”

Me:“Yes mate, they did.”

Sam “ But that’s just wrong! Why would they do that? Its not fair on him, or his mum and dad!”

Me: “ I know, but they don’t do it now….. but back then they thought it was going to help them”

Sam “I just don’t get it!”

 

Yep, me either mate!

 

Day 9

Uluru to Alice Springs

 

Longish day in the car. Arrive in Alice Spring and head to the  MacDonnell Range Caravan Park. Aka the Big 4. Amazing. Great sites and level, massive play ground with 2 jumping pillows!

 

Day 10 Alice Springs and Surrounds

 

A Day to get a few things sorted, a few check up on bubs. Max stayed with mandy whilst Sam and I went off to do some “stuff” Found Supercheap, ARB, TJM, Repco, BBQ’s Galore and Jaycar in Alice Springs. Woo Hoo!

 

Boys hung out with Jack and Tom again.

Day 8 Uluru

 

It rained last night and as such we figured the Rock Climb to be closed, and it was. Packed into the car and headed out to Kata Juta (aka The Olgas). Great facilities, only 1 lot of toilets though. Stopped  at a few viewing spots along the way and got some really nice pics. Headed back towards The Rock to catch the Culteral Centre again as Mandy didn’t come yesterday. Low and behold, there are people moving on the Rock. The Climb was open. Mandy went without seeing the cultural centre so the 3 boys could climb The Rock.

Part way up we stopped to help an American tourist who was scared out of his mind, coming down. Poor bloke looked terrified.He had slid down on his butt and torn the backside out of his pants! I was going to help him down, but a Spanish guy on his way down offered to go with him.

 

After all that…… We got to the top……..of the chain. We hadn’t really prepared to go all the way (didn’t have drinks with us) and frankly, I was scared one opf the boys was going to go tumbling down. Made it down, tried for more sunset pics but the light wasn’t there, so back to the tent for dinner and get ready to leave

Day 7 - Uluru continued

Day 7 – Uluru still

 

No significant driving

 

            After a quick run out to see the rock last night, missing the true sunset (weather was overcast and made for lousy photos anyway) we ventured back again today. This was the best I could manage

 

         

 

 

The boys had a great time. Max complained he hadn’t been fed recently enough, and was grumpy until this was rectified L

 

           The climb was closed due to rain the previous night, and Sam was in 2 minds about doing the climb due to the Local Aborigines requesting that you do not climb the rock for Cultural reasons. Despite this, the climb is still managed by the Parks service and many people still climb. We opted to walk part of the 10.6 km around the base. It was still awesome!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          Weather still rotten for decent pics. Tossing up whether to chance it and try sunrise photos at o’dark oclock

 

This is the "Kitchen Cave" the story is that this is a place where the women would make meals after having collected various foods. The boys are SURE that this was the Garbage Chute!

Day 6 - Erldunda to Uluru / Ayre's Rock

Day 6 

Km Travelled 246km Total 2332km

Erldunda to Uluru / Ayres Rock

Fuel at Erldunda $1.87 – Fuel at Yulara (Ayres Rock) $2.14!!!!!!!!

 

Lazy 1030 departure – the last ones left in the campground after a leisurely chat with a family next door who were doing a large trip in a Tent and decided after a few weeks to buy a Caravan …..a BIG caravan! Also rescued another neighbour after his jockey wheel dropped and he couldn’t hook up. I can see him trying to use his bottle jack…….it’s going to end in tears….. Out comes the Hi-Lift and saves the day!

 

Mt Connor with Monster 1 and Monster 2

One hundred and twenty odd km down the Lassiter Hwy is Mt Conor, most famous for making people think they’ve gotten to Ayres Rock. Personally, I don’t see the resemblance, but given all the safety  signs are in English, Japanese, German and Italian  as well as the local Aboriginal language, I can see how some of the tourists may get fooled.

 

Quick photo stop and leg stretch – on we go.

 

 

 

Another 45 minutes later, the real deal comes into view! Interestingly (I say this because it’s a useless fact I DIDN’T already know) Uluru is only 20m shorter than Mt Dandenong! Take that one to your next Trivia Night!

 

The boys saw some Indigenous cultural displays, including some Aboriginal blokes performing some dances to relate some of the History of their People.  Audience participation was on the cards, and after the group shamed a bunch of visiting year 9 school girls into dancing, it was the boys turn. Sam, literally, Hid behind a rock! Max couldn’t get up fast enough. The guys had demonstrated the dance first before asking people to join in, and essentially, it is was a story about family and hopw family look after each other. A Family of Kangaroos look out for each other to ensure they don’t end up as Dingo Bistro. This included the dancers replicating Kangaroo style movements including lounging around on the ground scratching yourself, which Max found hilarious and immediately had to emulate.

 

Let say he had a ball!

 

Afterwards, we ran into a family we had met (perhaps harassed is a better term) in January, in the Victorian high Country on a trip. They were on a 2 year around Australia trip, and as their bad luck would have it, we happen to be in same place as them, just 4000km from where we last met. What are the chances of that in such a massive country as Australia??? (there’s one for the Grade 4 students…….)

Tomorrow - The Rock!!!

Day 5 15/6/2013 - Coober Pedy to somewhere near the NT border

Day 5

 

Km travelled Today: 460km   Total 2086km

Coober Pedy to Kulgera……. Erldunda

Fuel $1.62 at Coober Pedy

 

Relaxing day leaving Coober Pedy, back to the bakery we found yesterday to get some really nice bread rolls to have for lunch later on. Interesting place Coober Pedy. Everything shuts around 1500-1530 except the pubs, servo and supermarket. Interesting place to visit; won’t be hurrying back. My second time in Coober Pedy (the last being 1997!!) and can’t say it grabs me.

 

On the road about 10am, and nose pointed North, aiming for the NT border, or actually a spot 20km north called Kulgara. Stopped at Marla for lunch. Had the aforementioned rolls prepared in the kitchen of the trailer and kids treated to some hot chips. Here’s where fuel starts getting expensive: $1.87 – that’s $270 to fill the tank. Luckily we were still well fuelled from Coober Pedy at $1.67!!

 

Did the obligatory picture in front of the “Welcome to the Northern Territory” with the family, and it was only 1530. We decided to power on the extra 76km to Erldunda.

 

Erldunda is really just a Roadhouse with a large campsite out the back. Quite well set up, tidy and very reasonably priced (Powered $35 2A/2C) Sites fairly close together, but enough room for a one nighter.

 

Fresh food we have will last another few days so we sook out and eat at the “Tavern”. Being a Friday night the footy was on (not like I cared!) but as we left around 1930, the locals started getting a little vocal out the front. Time to beat a hasty retreat with the clan to the sanctity of our Camper with the swarms of Grey Nomads to act as sentries should the locals continue to play up. Don’t imagine it will be too much of an issue.

 

PS - It wasn't. didn't hear a peep.

 

Day 4 - 14/6/2013 - Woomera to Coober Pedy

Day 4

 

Km Travelled today: 306 km total: 1626km

From Woomera to Coober Pedy

 

The drive from Woomera to Coober Pedy via the Stuart Hwy is probably not the most exciting piece of bitumen ever laid. Drama however when we were packing up, as something didn’t look right with the canvas  when we packed the trailer. The canvas is supported by internal bows which are made from tent pole material. To assist with opening, the outer bow has gas struts to help “push” it open. But when you pack up it has to compress. I’m not sure how, but I think the gas strut failed/jammed and as such, when I packed the tent instead of folding, the pole bent at a weak point where the lighter weight pole sleeves the larger pole at the pivot.

 

We found this as we packed up, and rather than un pack the whole tent we powered on to   Coober Pedy to assess the damage. The result was a severely bent (read unfixable) pole that holds the roof up! We could sleep under it, so long as it doesn’t rain!!!!  

An hour of contemplation, as well as a handy helping of child related aggravation, and a solution was found after a trip to colourful Coober Pedy Identity “Bull”. Bull unfortunately didn’t have any tube of a similar size or any tent poles. Luckily we were carrying spare tent poles. They weren’t the right diameter, but it allowed us to sacrifice one of our Tambo Poles which are the right size, and use a smaller diameter pole for the annex. Our neighbours at the Caravan park looked on, shocked, as I pulled the Cordless Drill, Vice Grips, Hacksaw (I NEARLY brought the Angle grinder ;) )Drill set and files and made a replacement pivot/slide bracket. Result: Problem solved! Looks just like the original but without the gas strut. I didn’t bring a Welder!

 

As a comment on the local “citizenry” the Caravan park is “No Vehicle Access after 10pm. Access arrangements to be made PRIOR to 8pm” Meaning: You are in lockdown after 2200 to keep the riff-raff out! Nice town!!  Further example of this is that the newest, most modern looking building in Coober Pedy was:…….. The Courthouse/Police Station/Department of Corrections Building. Enough Said!

 

Kids looked at some Opals, but none of the tours were running by the time we fixed the tent, and everything runs on Coober Pedy time!

Day 3 - 12/6/2013

Day 3

 

Km Travelled today: 476 Total 1320km

From Morgan, SA to Woomera SA

 

Max taking a picture of "Blue Stream"

 

 

           Off again at 0930 and heading for Woomera. We came to Woomera last year on our Lake Eyre/Innamincka trip and the highlight is clearly the rocket park! Last time we spent an hour or so looking at the various remnants of British and Australian weapons and space research from the 50’s and 60’s. The museum is also worth a look as well. This time we walked from the caravan park to the rocket park for a quick Visit. Max enjoyed having his own camera this time to take his own photos!

  We didn’t stay in Woomera last time, so the caravan park is a new experience for us. It has motel style accommodation which is the apparently the old Officers Quarters from the Defence installation that was built here in the 1950’s! Quaint metal power points fit the period. We took a site in the park and it was nice enough, Clean facilities, although busier than I would have expected, with lots of Victorian numerplates around!

 

Just to prove this place is straight from the 1950's, the Original Metal Power points

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2 11/6/2013

Day 2

 

Km Travelled today: 530 Total 844km

From Wycheproof, to Morgan, SA

Fuel (Port Augusta $1.43)

 

Depart Wycheproof and aiming for Renmark, but decide along the way to keep going and drop a few extra km’s on tomorrows drive. Glad we did. It POURED down with rain and we kept going, deciding to try the riverside township of Morgan in SA. This would allow us to skip staying in Port Augusta tomorrow and head to Woomera instead, making the trip to Coober Pedy shorter, allowing an earlier arrival. We had planned 2 nights in Coober Pedy, but this is now 1 to catch up.

 

 

Morgan Top Tourist Park is beautiful caravan park right on the Murray River and has really nice flat shady sites, although it had not long stopped raining and we didn’t see any sun!!!

Day 1 - Monday 10/6/2013

Day 1

 

Km travelled: 314     Total: 314km

From: Lilydale, To Wycheproof, Vic

 

After a slow start we got going and made is as far as Wycheproof in the Western District. Very nice council run camp ground, and crazy cheap rates of only $25 for a powered site. Bonus!!!!

 

All going well so far