Alice Springs & onswarg

Hello from Alice Springs,
Well we were in Alice Springs for a week & after an easy 380 km drive we arrived in Wycliffe Wells, which has been the scene of the most UFO sightings in the world. The camp at Wycliffe Wells has been set up with Alien & Super Hero Statues & is good for a halfway stop before The Barkley Highway.
Our time in “The Alice” has been relaxing, we have been able to stock up with supplies for next couple of weeks. We had a Pancake breakfast at the camp “Very Nice”. The camp puts on activities every night including a didgeridoo entertainer, another night was a talk on the stars, also a talk on 4WD driving & safety. This is a great camp that caters for all ages.
Sunday we watched the Ghan pull out for Adelaide through the Gap. Although only a small one of 22 carriages, we have seen up to 47. We have pictures of the dry Todd River, scene of Henley on Todd where people race along a dry river in cardboard or ply cut out boats. It was cancelled a few years ago when the river had water. Ironic, a regatta run on dry sand cancelled owing to water.
We are here a week too early as next weekend is the Finke Desert Race. This is a desert race for trail bikes, buggies & modified 4WDs. One competitor was clocked at 234 Kms/hour & hopes to better it this year, can you imagine it that speed on a dirt road.
The Stuart highway which is the main road between Adelaide & Darwin took us past Ti Tree & Barrow Creek roadhouses. Barrow Creek is notorious for the murder of the British Backpacker & attempted abduction
Our next correspondence will be from Mt Isa in a week or so ‘til then take care, travel safe & be kind to one another THE FOSSILS, BROWNY & SHORTY

painted desert

More pics of Painted Desert, Erldundra &Alice springsw Camp

painted desert

Well Sami Sahara was happy we took her off the black bitumen & on to a dirt road out to the Painted Desert. The road was reasonable having been graded only 2 weeks before so only small sections of corrugations.
Our stay at Cadney Homestead was good with good staff & Browney checked out the showers to find one to suit. That is trouble with being a short “A”. So we stayed 3 days to use as a base.
Now about the Painted Desert, it was great: the colours , the cliffs, & the gullies just combined for a great experience.
The pictures don’t do it justice but we would recommend it as a side trip from the Oodnadatta track.
Standing alone in the middle of a gibber plain is a lonely grave the burial place of the son of an early settler. A poignant reminder of an early lifetime.
We are now in Alice Springs & the weather is great, hot days but nights are cold, we have had to get a new heater as old one started arcing.
We will be doing the tourist thing this weekend although having been here before we have done most of the main attractions. We may just relax for a couple of days :}}}}

Moving on

a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOddwL5vQwT4OUCTOX46AGJWPWANE-uIDx6g1W4qJe_vBrVdHCpSC6lqmys-Kis5chcDlE2SJMzPwxaLLHjSJHgkSTKf5DoqSfQUT5YuoTEmJLQ1KriSoprIWVFcfYJkUYY8EwN99aWdY/s1600-h/Desert+Tracks.jpg">








<












































OK the trip on the mail run with a great guide “Peter” who kept us informed & entertained for most of the 13 hours of the trip ( I think he could talk under wet cement!!). But seriously his knowledge of the history, geology & the legends of the area were amazing.
We went on the Oodnadatta road out to Of Course Oodnadatta, calling at Mt. Barry cattle station to deliver their mail. It was then on to the “pink” {everything was PINK, buildings & all including a ‘pink’ Volvo!! } roadhouse for lunch. Peter had radioed ahead with the lunch orders. Most went for an Oodnerburger, which is an old fashioned burger. Proper rissole & the trimmings on a proper bread roll. Not the cardboard like Maccas!
After lunch & a trip around town (not a contender for a tidy town award ), it was down the Oodnadatta track to finish the mail deliveries at more cattle stations including Anna Creek station which is the size of Belgium. We did a detour to see the longest rail bridge in South Australia; this is on the old Ghan line.
The old Ghan line originally stopped at Oodnadatta & passengers & freight went on to Alice Springs by camel train, this was 9 days on the back of a camel, the thought of it makes my backside sore :}}. This was after a 3 day train trip from Adelaide.
Then it was on to have dinner at the Williams Creek Pub. After dinner it was a 2 hour trip back to Coober Pedy. All in all a great day.
To travel over the ground we had flown over on Sunday & see close up how dry it is makes you wonder how the cattle survive let alone be in the condition they were.

Further North

Well after a couple of days in Port Augusta where we took pics & did a bit of shopping we headed up the Stuart H’way to an overnight stop at Glendambo before heading to Coober Pedy The opal capital of the world.
Part one of the trip to Glendambo was through typically outback country of Australia, the red soil, the salt bush & clay pans. One lake had water but most had evaporated & left a skin of salt. Not as much road kill as we have seen in previous trips.
Glendambo camp was OK for an overnighter but not more, prices in the hotel were over then moon $6.50 for a schooner of beer, a chap at our table paid $10.30 for a glass of red wine. The hot water in the showers lasted about 2 minutes but required a packed lunch to get to the ablution block from the site.
Coober Pedy, we have settled in with a good site although access was tight but a fellow traveler put it on for Browny after 3 attempts, which ended with us coming in from a different direction. We went & paid for our trip up the Oodnadatta track with the mailman, a 12 hour trip delivering mail to the stations along the way (watch for next installment). We also booked a flight over Williams Creek & Lake Eyre, which has water after the monsoon rains up north. The flight was quoted originally at $600 each but as we were prepared to share with 2 others it was dropped to $400 about the same as a flight from William Creek but that would have needed a 370 Km return drive along a gravel road.

The Pics are Approaching Lake Eyre,Glendambo Camp,Coober Pedy Sunset, Coober Pedy Gallery, Coober Pedy Church Pulpit, Coober Pedy Church, Mountain Range, Lake Hart., Lake hart foreground Coober Pedy Camp

lake eyre pics

We took a flight over Lake Eyre which was great. Flying out at 500 feet over country that is so unhabitable but so beautiful, To see Lake Eyre with water was also fantastic.Too long ago to know last time it had water. The place was swarming with Pelicans( our pilot told us he hads never seen so many) Landing at William Creek Australias smallest town, population 6. 1 pub .!!!!!!!!! Then to pass overAnna Creek Station, as big as the country of Belgium is an eye opener & makes you realise how big Australia is. So far we have some great Video but unfortunately too much to put on a blog.

PICS ARE:

1} Approaching Lake Eyre 2] William Creek inside 3] Lake Eyre Island 4} Landscape Coober Pedy to Lake Eyre 5]Landscape Ditto 6] Landscape Ditto 7]Mullock Heaps 8]Coober Pedy mines 9} Dry river bed 10} Opal Air plane {Cessna}