Red Centre 2003                               

Introduction  

I was the first one up at 7.30am this morning. I was worrying that I would have to go out and buy a roof rack as it did not look like everything would fit into the truck. but after finally squeezing everything in, and taking the family photo, we departed Rowville at 10:15 am. The drive to Yea was uneventful, though we did get stuck behind a semi trailer up through Toolangi. We arrived at Dad's place at 11.45am before heading into Yea for lunch. Sat around at Dad's for the rest of the afternoon. At 7:00 pm, the power went out and stayed out for four hours. We had to cook by candlelight on the camp stove, but all was OK. We are all looking forward to tomorrow.

Day Two Sunday 14th September 2003 – Yea to Griffith:  

Departed Yea at 9:00 am in wet and windy conditions and headed towards Griffith. The drive was uneventful and it was the first chance to really utilise the cruise control. It operated farely well, but I am not convinced that it is working as it really should. I filled up at Seymour, paying 26.9 cpl for LPG - cheaper than Melbourne. We stopped at the bakery in Tocumwal for lunch, where the wind was biting cold, before continuing on to Griffith. Here I paid 53.5 cpl for LPG, but I was astounded to find that my usage was an all time record of 14.98L/100km - was this due to the cruise control? I will certainly be taking note.

We booked into the caravan park and headed into town to pick up some supplies before having a drive around town. Not really much to see, especially late on a Sunday afternoon. We dined on steak and veg, and fish fingers and veg for the kids. Dessert was a berry strudel with double cream before bed. 

Day Three Monday 15th September 2003 – Griffith to Bourke:  

The alarm went off at 7:00 am and it was nice and cold. I didn't have the best of sleep as James' doona kept falling off his bunk and onto me, so I had to keep putting it back on. Breakfast and packing was completed and we departed at 8:15 am. The Kidman Way is bitumen the entire journey now, so it was an easy drive. I had made some adjustments to the cruise control last night and it still didn't function as I would have liked. The drive is not very exciting. the black top makes it this way I think. We played I spy for a while, followed by Buzz. We stopped for a snack at 11:00 am at one of the roadside stops before continuing onto Cobar. Filled up the LPG, paying 66.9 cpl. The fuel consumption was 20.97 L/100km - this is more realistic. I am not sure what it was, but as soon as we left Cobar, the cruise control worked exactly as anticipated - woohoo!

We stopped on the side of the road for a sandwich lunch before continuing on. We arrived in Bourke just after 3:00 pm. The Visitor Centre was very helpful in advising us on accommodation and where to eat tonight. We checked into the Mitchell Caravan Park and after unpacking a minimum from the truck, we headed out to the Old Wharf on the Darling River, the Cemetery (to see Fred Hollows grave) and the Old Bourke Bridge. The Darling River is suffering from blue green algae and the water levels are still very low.

We had dinner in the Chinese Restaurant at the Bowling Club before hitting the sack. All the kilometers were starting to get to me.

Day Four Tuesday 16th September 2003 – Bourke to Charleville:  

We arose at 7:00 am and hit the road at 8:15am. We followed the Mitchell Highway and stopped for morning tea at the side of the road. At Cunnamulla we had a quick look around and stopped to buy another fridge magnet. I decided not to replenish the LPG and continued on towards Charleville. After travelling 404kms the LPG ran out and I switched to petrol. Not bad mileage, and the cruise control was working perfectly. When we arrived at Charleville at 2:15pm, we first stopped in at the Visitors Centre to get some advice on accommodation, but the lady was too busy taking a personal call to help us. We drove into the Bailey Bar Caravan Park and booked into a cabin before heading into town for a look. We stopped at the historical Corones Hotel for a couple of cold ones before heading out to the Cosmos Centre for the interactive tour. At 6:00pm we headed back to the cabin for tacos, before again heading out to the Cosmos Centre at 7:30pm to view the stars. A great place to visit, and only $35 for a family. Had a great look at Uranus and Mars and learnt a lot about the stars before heading back to the cabin at 9:15pm, and straight to bed.

Day Five Wednesday 17th September 2003 – Charleville to Longreach:  

We were again up at 7:00am and left Charleville at 8:30am. We joined the Landsborough Highway just before Augathella, where we stopped for some refreshments. The temperature was starting to rise, and just prior to Tambo we came across the Afghani camel driver who has almost completed his journey around Australia. His set up was fantastic with 7 camels there to share the load of pulling the open gypsy wagon, complete with fridge, stereo, UHF and HF radios. In Tambo we stopped for the toilet, ice creams and a look at the Tambo Teddy Shop. The Teddies were well out of our price range though, so we didn't buy one. We continued onto Blackall, where the highway signs promised lots, but delivered little. We decided to continue onto Barcaldine for some lunch. We stopped at the Shakespeare Hotel for a counter meal and Bingo certainly tendered to our needs with great gusto and humour. Only 108kms from Longreach, we continued on, although I was now getting sick of driving. We had a quick beer at the Wellstop Hotel in Ilfracombe before continuing onto Longreach. We settled into the Gunnadoo Caravan Park, setting up the tent for the first time. Dinner consisted of ravioli with a tomato based sauce, before we settled in to watch Rusty and his dogs performing some magic - I am sure this is the same bloke I saw at the Stockman's Hall of Fame 10 years ago. After the show, we hit the sack on a very warm night. I was awoken from my snoring by the Royal Flying Doctor plane, as it headed out to an emergency.

Day Six Thursday 18th September 2003 – Longreach:  

We awoke to another hot day. This morning we visited the School of the Air and the Pastoral College. The School of the Air gave us an insight into how children of the Outback receive their education. The HF radio is now being phased out and replaced by two way type telephones. This should ease the way the children and teachers communicate. The Pastoral College tour was, unfortunately too long. In the heat is was very difficult to walk around and listen to the number of stories the tour guide had to tell. It certainly would have been a better tour with cooler conditions, and with more students about (it was a holiday break). We escaped the tour (according to James) and headed into town to have some lunch and do some shopping. We then drove out to the Thompson River to see what little water was left in it. The temperature turned out to be 35 degrees, so we were not surprised that we were suffering. Back at the Caravan Park, we went for a swim. Dinner was BBQ chicken with salad. I updated the journal before we all sat down and watched Shrek on the computer. After the movie it was time to hit the sack on another warm night.

Day Seven Friday 19th September 2003 – Longreach:  

It was a very difficult nights sleep in the heat. In the morning we visited the Stockman's Hall of Fame and spent 3 great hours viewing all the exhibits. It was again a very hot day and after having lunch under the trees by the pool in the Caravan Park, we spent a long time in the IGA Supermarket stocking up for the next leg to Alice Springs. the others went for a spa, while I settled down in the shade with a few cold ones. We had our first BBQ for dinner and then suffered through another hot night. It is expected to be 37 degrees tomorrow - very hot on the road!

Day Eight Saturday 20th September 2003 – Longreach to Boulia:

It was extremely muggy this morning, even at 6:30 when I went and had a shower. I was sweating severely by the time we had finished packing, but we got away at 8:00am, which was very good for us. I took a photo of where the Tropic of Capricorn runs through the middle of Longreach. The heat grew as we passed 6 army vehicles on their way to Darwin. We reached Winton in good time and refilled the LPG tank as well as our stomachs before we continued on. The Cruiser was switched to petrol as I also decided to switch on the air conditioner as the heat was now unbearable. The views were fantastic as we travelled along the Min Min Way towards Boulia. The colors were amazing, something a photo will never do justice to. After 170 km from Winton, I was ready for a beer and the Middleton Hotel came upon us just in time. The two elderly folk looking after the pub were typical outback people. After a couple of cold ones, and one semi cold one were consumed, a shirt and magnet purchased, and the photo taken, we again hit the road. Stupidly, I had locked the truck! A lookout was reached and a few pictures were captured before we continued on. After 545 kms, we finally reached Boulia. We had scored a motel room at the pub, BUT....the pub was closing at 6:00pm due to a do on at the show grounds, the room only had two single beds and it was as hot as hell! Oh well, luckily the roadhouse serve up fabulous meals, as the cafe was closed. After a warm shower (no hot water on!) we headed to the roadhouse for a really great meal. With drinks and ice creams for dessert, it only came to $30 - bargain! Back to the finally chilled motel room, it was nice to sleep in a cool room for a change.

Day Nine Sunday 21st September 2003 – Boulia to Jervois:

It was very hot again when I arose. I packed the truck as much as I could without having to wake anyone else up. Mind you I was up and showered by 6:30am. We went and did the Min Min Encounter tour at the Boulia Visitors Centre. It cost $30 per family and lasted 45 minutes. It was a great tour, as it tried to shed some light on the Min Min lights phenomenon. The cafe was open by the time we finished the tour, and toasted sandwiches were the order of the day. I went and filled up with unleaded while the sandwiches were being cooked. The price was $1.35 per litre for unleaded.

We finally left Boulia at 10:30am and headed out to the Donahue Highway. This dirt road becomes the Plenty Highway at the Queensland/Northern Territory border. The air conditioner was working overtime trying to keep us all cool. The track was quite rough in places, enough for the cable tie keeping the cruise control magnets attached to snap and the magnets fall of - there goes the cruise control. This was FUBAR number 1. We stopped at Tobermorey Station, just over the Northern Territory border at 12:30 to buys some cold drinks, before continuing along the Plenty Highway. This dirt track was rougher than the Donahue, and at 3:30pm, FUBAR number 2 occurred - a punctured tyre. I struggled to replace it in the heat, but finally I did. I am definitely going to buy an exhaust jack for conditions like this. The truck was hot, the road was hot, the air was hot, the sun was hot - too much in one combination. 

We arrived at Jervois Station just after 5:00pm, and paid for a shower and camping for the night. Luckily there was someone on hand to fix my tyre - $25 cash. We set up the campsite in the red sand before heading off for much needed showers. As it became dark, dinner was cooked and eaten. A couple from Naracoorte were also camping here, and so they strolled over and had a chat for an hour or so. The bugs were horrendous with the lights on, so we decided to move into the tent to get away from them. Unfortunately, this only brought more bugs, that got caught in between the fly and the tent and so made a racket all night trying to escape. It was also terribly hot and difficult to sleep.

Day Ten Monday 22nd September 2003 –  to (Plenty Hwy):

With the half hour time difference, it was 6:00am when we got up this morning. It was sweaty work packing everything up, but we got away by 7:30am. I had noticed a rattling noise under the truck late yesterday, and had a look this morning. I couldn't find anything loose though. We crossed the Marshall River, followed by the Plenty River, and continued on our rough trek. The Harts Range came into view, and just before Arltunga, the Palm Pilot dash mount snapped - FUBAR number three. We continued on, and finally reached the safety of bitumen just before Gemtree. We stopped for some fuel and souvenirs, when suddenly James started vomiting. There was nothing left in the poor little guys stomach, so we continued on to Alice Springs. James had the washing up bowl on his lap, but he didn't need to use it. 

It took us a while, but we finally found the Caravan Park. The site was grassy and green with a little bit of shade, but it was still hot as I set up camp. James was still vomiting, and couldn't keep down any liquids. Before we headed into town, I noticed something hanging down from underneath the truck - FUBAR number four! The stabiliser arm had snapped from the chassis!

Into town we went, and visited the chemist to buy some gastrolight for James. The chemist told us a few little ones were suffering from the heat, and that if he continued vomiting, we would need to take him to the hospital. We grabbed some sandwiches for lunch, while James sipped on his gastrolight. We topped up the beer, wine and LPG and headed back to camp. James had a little sleep, and felt a lot better as the night wore on. FUBAR number five occurred when one of the handles on my storage drawers snapped off. FUBAR number six happened when the camp light fell of the truck and broke the lens. It was still hot and we had a sprinkling of rain before a hot desert wind picked up around midnight. Another difficult nights sleep.  

Day Eleven Tuesday 23rd September 2003 –  Alice Springs:

Woke up at 6:30am and went and had a cold shower. The others all arose a short time later and had breakfast while I cleaned up the inside of the truck. I then headed into town to try and find someone to fix the stabiliser arm. The first place said they could fix it on Friday, the second place said they could fix it in two weeks, but the third place said bring it back at 11:00am. I returned to camp and the kids went for a swim while I caught up on this diary. Took the truck back at 11:00 and Dave fixed the problem for only $30 - bargain. We went into town for lunch and to have a good look around and to do some shopping before heading back to the caravan park for some relaxation time. It was a bit cooler tonight, so it was much easier to sleep.

Day Twelve Wednesday 24th September 2003 – Alice Springs:

This morning we decided to visit the East MacDonnell Ranges, with the first stop being  Emily Gap, followed shortly after by Jesse Gap. We then drove out to Trephina Gorge where we walked up the sandy creek bed for 1200 metres to find the renowned water hole dry - disappointed. The weather was hot and I was feeling dry, so I thought we could go and have lunch at the pub at Arltunga. We were very extremely annoyed to find the pub was no longer operating, so we had a quick look around the Arltunga Historical Reserve before travelling back to Alice Springs. It would have also been nice to be able to stop in at the old Ross River Homestead, but apparently Troy Dann has purchased the property and has closed it to the public so that he can make a film - again disappointing. 

Lunch was eaten and the kids went and had a swim. It was too hot to do anything else, so we sat around the camp site in the shade and had some cooling refreshments. A BBQ dinner filled the stomachs as we had only had a light lunch, before we attempted to sleep in the oppressive heat.

Day Thirteen Thursday 25th September 2003 – Alice Springs:

It was again a hot start to the day, so we decided to only visit a couple of the gorges. We drove out towards Standley Chasm, stopping to view Flynn's Grave, the great man who pioneered the Royal Flying Doctor Service. We reached Standley Chasm well before midday, and paid the entrance fee before walking the 1500 metres into the chasm. The cloud cover increased the humidity, and also prevented the chasm from looking as spectacular as it should and the sun reached the yard arm at 12:00 noon. We slowly walked back to the car and headed to Simpsons Gap.  We had lunch in the picnic area before trekking the short distance to the Gap. There was a little bit of brackish water preventing us from walking all the way through the Gap, but it was nice as it was the first we had seen so far. We were keeping a sharp look out for the elusive black footed wallaby, but alas, we saw none.

The afternoon was spent purchasing some board shorts for me, before we headed back to the caravan park for a swim to cool down. Another BBQ for dinner and a difficult nights sleep due to the never ending heat.

Day Fourteen Friday 26th September 2003 – Alice Springs:

It was another hot morning as we headed out towards the West MacDonnell Ranges. The first gorge we visited was the furthest away, Redbank Gorge. We hiked down the creek bed for 1.2 kms to find the wickedly cold waterhole that fills the end of the gorge. We were not game to hop in, but a couple of young Germans were. Their screams proved to us that we had made a wise decision. We were all hot and thirsty by the time we made it back to the truck, and it was only a short drive back to the next gorge, Glen Helen Gorge. This gorge had a beautiful waterhole, and it was only a short walk from the carpark. We ate lunch before heading down to the water, and James had a swim whilst I just wet my feet. We had a look around the "resort" and were glad that we had decided not to stay here. The next stop was Ormiston Gorge, where we saw our first black footed wallabies. It was a quick visit to the Ochre Pits, before we headed onto the Ellery Creek Big Hole where James and I had a swim. The water was refreshing, but bloody cold, so we didn't stay too long.

On our return to Alice Springs, dinner was a BBQ before an early night was had by all.

Day Fifteen Saturday 27th September 2003 – Alice Springs:

This morning we awoke to another hot day. It was decided that we would not go to Palm Valley today, but instead visit the Old Telegraph Station in the morning and then watch the Grand Final at the pub around the corner. The Old Telegraph Station was quite interesting, and we made it in time to follow the tour given by Alec, a half cast Aboriginal who was raised at the Telegraph Station when it had been turned into an orphanage for half casts. His recollections were fantastic, and it appeared that he had thoroughly enjoyed his time spent here as a child. The Old Telegraph Station is right on the Todd River, where the Alice Spring is. 

After the tour we headed up to Anzac Hill to take a photo of the town. It has certainly grown since 1975, the last time I stood here. Next stop was the Heavetree Gap Hotel, where we watched, to James' delight, Brisbane defeat Collingwood to win their third AFL Premiership in a row. The hotel provided a BBQ lunch at half time, and auctions were held throughout the afternoon. It turned out to be an enjoyable day. I was a bit intoxicated by the time we left, and the walk back to the Caravan Park didn't help much. I attempted to have a nap, but couldn't due to the heat, so I just suffered in silence during dinner. A potential headache was prevented by a couple of Strongbow's before I headed of to bed.

Day Sixteen Sunday 28th September 2003 – Alice Springs:

I awoke with a mild hangover, and enjoyed the Pancake Breakfast put on by the Caravan Park. After breakfast we headed out to Hermannsburg. Albert Namajirra was raised by the Jesuit Monks and he and other Aboriginals were taught and developed their natural artist skills here in the later years. It must have been a hard life for the original inhabitants in this desolate area. Sure they built the township on the Finke River, but this did not guarantee permanent water, and so bores had to be sunk to provide the necessity of life. We had lunch in the cafe and enjoyed the mammoth scones with jam and cream.

Next stop was a drive out to Palm Valley. The road out was fairly rough and closer to the Valley, some rock hopping was required. I was worried about the work out on the shocker, so I took it very easy. Upon reaching Palm Valley, we followed the walking trail into the valley, that was filled with different types of Palm trees. It is amazing how this ecosystem can survive in such harsh conditions. The walk took us back up to the rim of the valley and it was very hot in the open sun, and so we were happy to finally reach the car and fill up on ice cold drinks from the fridge. 

By the time we left Palm Valley and reached Hermannsburg, it was getting too late to reach Boggy Hole. I was also wary about what further damage could be inflicted upon my shocker. We headed back to Alice Springs and arrived just before dark. Dinner was pasta and salad, a welcome change before an early night as we have to be up early tomorrow for our balloon flight.

Day Seventeen Monday 29th September 2003 – Alice Springs:

I was up at 4:00am and had a quick shower before waking everyone up before Gunter and Mary (fellow ExplorOz patrons) rang to say the bus had arrived. No time for coffee and a cigarette as we headed out near the airport. A couple of helium balloons were let loose to gauge the wind speed and direction, before the unloading and inflating of  the hot air balloon.

It wasn't long before we were up, up and away, floating over the outskirts of Alice Springs. Over the airport we flew, as the sun began to poke its head over the horizon. Pine Gap came into view through the mountains, as we flew over the start and finish line of the Annual Finke Desert Race and the Old South Road. The prison was next, and the 30 minutes in the air was almost up. Suddenly there was a change in the wind speed and direction, and we again began floating further from Alice Springs. The pilot was searching for a place to land and finally settled on a patch known to him as "Bulldust Paddock".  Closer to the ground, it became obvious that there were a lot of small dead trees in our landing path. Luckily we missed them all, and landed rather gently, however we couldn't produce a vertical landing, and we all ended up on our backs as the basket tipped on its side. Photos were taken, before we all hopped out of the basket. More photos were taken before we assisted in packing up the balloon.  It took a while for the chase vehicle to actually find us, as we were on private property, but finally he arrived and the balloon and basket were loaded on board. We were driven to our breakfast spot and feasted on chicken, croissants and muffins whilst sipping champagne and coffee. 

Everyone was tired, and it was only 9:00am. The rest of the day was spent wandering around the Alice Spring shops before heading back to the Caravan Park to get ready for dinner.  Tonight we are going out with Gunter, Mary and their two sons. We dined at the Blue Grass cafe, on a very balmy evening. The meals were huge, and after such a long day and a couple of bottles of wine, it was time to head back to camp as we were heading off to Kings Creek Station tomorrow.

Day Eighteen Tuesday 30th September 2003 – Alice Springs to Kings Creek Station:

We awoke to rain in Alice. Packed the truck in record time and after a quick stop at Safeway, we hit the road towards Kings Creek Station. The sky looked menacing and so I decided to skip Rainbow Valley as I did not want to get caught on the Ernest Giles Road in the rain. We reached the turn off at a good time, and as I deflated the tyres, the sun appeared, although only briefly. We drove out to the Henbury Meteorite Craters, but again the weather was not looking good, and the walk was a 40 minute return, so we continued on. 

The road was not as bad as I had been told, and we averaged 70 kmh as we wound our way through creek beds and sand dunes. The was evidence of previous rains, and it was slippery at times in the clay and sand, but I didn't have to engage 4WD. With 20 kms to go to reach the bitumen, I could see two rain fronts on either side of us. I put the foot down and raced along the final stages of the track, to reach the black top as the rain pelted down. I couldn't even re-inflate my tyres, so I drove slowly on towards our destination. 

The winds and rain were solid as we continued on, and so by the time we reached Kings Creek Station, we had decided to forget about erecting a tent, and try and get a couple of the on site safari tents that Kings Creek Station have available. We were in luck, but the price gave us a bit of a shock - $164.60 per night for two safari tents with two children and two adults. The wind and rain continued, and we had to wait until after 2:30 pm to check in, so we drove the additional 36km to Kings Canyon Resort for a look. The bar didn't open until 3:00 pm, so we had to wait a few minutes. By the time I got a beer and washed out the dust from my throat, I wasn't concerned about the $5.00 price of a VB stubby. What did amaze me was the $22.00 for a six pack of VB cans, take away! I am glad I bought a slab in Alice. 

We drove back to the Station and settled into our safari tents - we are all looking forward to sleeping in a bed tonight. A free BBQ is available to those staying in the tents, and so we shared the hot plate with a bus group and another family, as the rain and wind continued. It was a great group of people in camp, and a good night was had by all.

Day Nineteen Wednesday 1st October 2003 – Kings Creek Station:

Breakfast was included in the cost of the safari tents, so we feasted on bacon and eggs, toast and cereal to start the day off. We headed out to Kings Canyon Resort for some expensive lunch, before driving out to Kings Canyon to do the Kings Creek walk. This short walk follows  Kings Creek out to a raised lookout platform. It was getting quite hot, so we drove onto Kathleen Springs and completed the short walk out to the natural spring water hole, before heading back to Kings Creek Station. One of the other people staying here had locked the keys in  his hire car, so between him, a station hand and I, we spent the next couple of hours trying to get in. We finally succeeded, and so it was time for a beer. 

Dinner was another BBQ, before the fire was lit by a Yank family who wanted to cook marshmallows. All the children had fun cooking and eating their marshmallows. The only problem was, the Yanks kept throwing long logs of wood onto the fire, that didn't even fit into the fire pit, and soon it was unbearably hot.

Day Twenty Thursday 2nd October 2003 – Kings Creek Station:

Breakfast was again joyfully consumed, before we went back out the Kings Canyon to do the 6 km Kings Canyon Rim Walk. The start is extremely exhausting as you climb 100 metres straight up to reach the rim. The views were spectacular, and we continued onto the 'Garden of Eden', a majestic water hole confined in the depths of the canyon. The rich colors of the rocks, the views and the walk were fantastic, and I was surprised when we reached the car park only 2 hours and 15 minutes after we had started. This is a great walk that I can highly recommend. It could not be done by anyone who has trouble walking, but there were numerous children of all ages who were doing the walk. James loved it, and had no difficulties at all on any of the ascents or descents. I had some trouble with the first part of the climb, being unfit and a smoker, but James reached the top hardly puffing.

We went and filled up on LPG and purchased some supplies for lunch and dinner at the Mobil in the Resort, before heading back to Kings Creek Station for lunch and some more R & R. We decided not to take a helicopter flight, as we timed the flights and they were not very long. After the unexpected cost of the accommodation, I did not want to waste any money.

Day Twenty One Friday 3rd October 2003 – Kings Creek Station to Curtin Springs:

We slept in a bit this morning, as we were in no rush. The only thing we had to do was get to breakfast before 8:30am, which we did, just. Repacking the truck took only 15 minutes, as there was not much to put in. James returned the keys, and we set off back down the Luritja Drive towards the Lasseter Highway. Fifty kilometers before Curtin Springs, the majestic Mount Conner came into view, and we stopped to take a couple of snaps from the lookout. Curtin Springs was busy when we arrived, and as it was only 11:20am, and our room would not be ready until 2:00pm, we had a look at the camels. There was a three month old male camel named Brutus, who had been found wandering on the station recently. It had been in poor condition, but the camel driver had nursed him back to health. He currently consumes 6 litres of milk per day plus hay, leaves and any other food he can snatch from peoples hands. He is very friendly, enjoying a pat from everyone.

We had lunch at 12:00pm under the old bough shed, consisting of hamburgers and chicken and corn broth. After lunch we relaxed in the shade, and I opened our account with a couple of cold VB's. The clock ticked slowly as 2:00pm finally arrived, and we checked into our ensuite room with four single beds, an air conditioner and kettle. James and I returned to the bar to enquire about a washing machine, as we had not washed any clothes since leaving Alice, and we were running low on clean clothes. Unfortunately, there is no washing machine available to customers so we used one of our tubs to hand wash, the bathroom sink to rinse, and then hung up on the crudely constructed clothesline I had erected throughout the two room cabin. Only essentials made it through the first batch, as we ran out of room and motivation. I headed to the truck to get a nice cold one, and started talking to a bloke who had just covered the Gunbarrel Highway. He found it horrendous, with corrugations "big enough to swallow a road train" - something to keep in mind in the future.

We headed to the "Beer and Bullshit Corner" to have a friendly drink with Peter, the owner of Curtin Springs, his son, and other travellers who had the same desire to drink and talk bullshit as we did. We had dinner and a couple more quiet beverages and I was feeling tired, so we all headed off to bed. Tomorrow is a trip out to Ayers Rock and the Olgas, so we are all pretty excited as none of us have been there before.  

Day Twenty Two Saturday 4th October 2003 – Curtin Springs:

We awoke at the leisurely time of 8:00am, and headed of to Yulara by 9:00am. The sun was strong today, and so we were not too convinced that any long walks or climbs would be performed today. Arriving at Yulara, I filled up the LPG tank and then, with great confusion, found the shopping centre. At IGA we stocked up on some more supplies, topped up the cash from the ANZ ATM, purchased the latest magazines at the Newsagent, before headed out to the Rock. We had a look around the Cultural Centre, before circumnavigating Ayers Rock in the truck. We stopped at the climbing point to find it extremely hot and windy, and so decided against attempting any such climb to the summit. James climbed up a short way just for a photo opportunity, before we headed out to the Olgas. Lunch was consumed in the picnic area before the family vote decided against any walks. We had stupidly forgotten to purchase enough water, so we were not going to risk anything in the heat.

We returned to Yulara and sat in the Gecko Cafe for an hour or so before we headed back out to the Rock to watch the sun set. Unfortunately it was very cloudy, so the color changes of Ayers Rock were not that spectacular. We still had mobile reception, so SMS messages and phone calls were made from this spectacular spot. We packed up and hopped in the truck as soon as the sun had disappeared over the horizon, as we had a 100km trip back to Curtin Springs. Dinners finish at 8:30pm, and it was 6:45pm so we quickly left Yulara. Dad gave us a call as we were leaving, so it was good to finally catch up with him after his trip to the Philippines.  The drive back was cautious, as we were on the lookout for kangaroos and cattle. Five kilometers out of Curtin Springs, the black shapes loomed in front of us and quick and evasive action was taken to avoid the dozen or so cows sauntering across the highway.

We had made it back in time for dinner, and again we headed to bed after dinner. It was a hot night, so the air conditioner ran all night.

Day Twenty Three Sunday 5th October 2003 – Curtin Springs:

Edditing from hereWith nothing planned today, a sleep in was allowed. It also allowed time to do some more clothes washing, and for me to catch up on the journal. We had lunch in the Bough Shed before I headed to the bar for a few relaxing ales. The preliminary games were on before the NRL Final started, so I watched them. We are supposed to go on the sunset camel ride tonight, but the ominous weather had closed in and it was raining off and on. At 4:45pm the camel leader came in and told us that he had another group that were keen to go on the ride, so we quickly changed into the required clothing of long pants and jackets and headed off to the camel yard. James and I were on a camel named "Lazy Daisy", an ex camel racer. The ride took us out into the property dunes where we learnt the names of all the camels, how they received their names, and more about camels in general. We had light rain, and a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. Unfortunately, Mount Connor was covered in rain, so we could not see it. The sun was setting nicely though, and so a group photo was taken before we headed back before the storm front reached us. We made it just in time, and so we headed back to the bar so I could watch the NRL Final. Dinner was consumed shortly afterwards, and a few games were played with the staff before we headed back to our room to play cards before bed. It was still very humid, so the air conditioner ran all night.

Day Twenty Four Monday 6th October 2003 – Curtin Springs to Coober Pedy:

We awoke later than I had hoped, and after filling up the petrol tank, we headed off towards Kulgera. By the time we had reached Erldunda Roadhouse on the intersection of the Lasseter Highway and the Stuart Highway, the clouds were still brewing and looked full of water, ready to burst. I made the decision to skip staying at Kulgera, and heading straight to Coober Pedy. I rang ahead and changed our accommodation booking before filling up on LPG. We had lunch at Kulgera, glad that we weren't staying, as there wasn't much there. We continued onto to Marla and bought ice creams and a BBQ pack for dinner before continuing on. Five kilometers out of Marla, the truck lost power. I did a quick check of fuses and battery connections, before I notice the volt meter was only on half way - an obvious issue with the alternator. We continued onto Cagney Homestead for a toilet stop, while I again rechecked fuses. I had stopped the vehicle this time, and of course, could not restart it as the battery was lacking power. Out came the battery pack, and the truck started, thankfully. I put the peddle to the floor and roared towards Coober Pedy. I watched the battery level drop as we got closer and closer to Coober Pedy. The switch from LPG to petrol was made on the move, without stalling and we continued on. The stress levels increased as I watched the battery power level reach the last bar and we were still 50 kms from Coober Pedy.

As we reached the town centre, the truck began to spit and stutter, so I eased her down to Bulls Auto Repairs. I kept the truck running as I explained my problem to the mechanic. He was too busy to look at it over the next few days, but recommended I take to another Auto Electrician the next morning. We then drove into the Caravan Park and grabbed the key to our cabin. Just as I pulled in to the parking space, the truck died. There was nothing else I could do tonight, as it was now after 6:00 pm, so we headed up to the supermarket for some potatoes and the pub for a bottle of wine. We walked back to the cabin and cooked dinner before we all hit the sack early.

Day Twenty Five Tuesday 7th October 2003 – Coober Pedy:

I awoke before the alarm, and quickly showered before heading off down the road to find the Auto Electrician. John arrived to open up just as I arrived, and after I explained my dilemma, he leant me his battery charger and told me to bring the truck in after I had charged the battery enough to start it. A couple of hours later, I was back. John quickly removed the alternator and pulled it apart to find the brushes were worn out. These were quickly replaced and the alternator re-installed, and after paying John $40 for the job and a $10 tip, I drove out of his workshop.

I returned to the cabin and picked up the rest of the crew before: filling up the LPG, buying food for dinner, checking our bank balances and having lunch, before James and I went and completed the Old Miner's Tour. Afterwards we had ice creams under the Big Winch, before heading back for a swim. The water in the pool was the coldest I have ever encountered and so James and I didn't last too long. After warming up, we headed up the road to the Desert Cave Hotel for a beer or two. Dinner was pasta bolognaise before another early night.   

Day Twenty Six Wednesday 8th October 2003 – Coober Pedy to Port Augusta:

The drive to Port Augusta was uneventful. It is quite a boring trip and we only stopped once for fuel and lunch at Glendambo. We arrived in Port Augusta and settled into our cabin before heading out for the traditional indulgence of McDonalds and KFC for dinner. A reasonably early night was had by all except me, who stayed up too late reading.

The data relating to distances, travel times and speeds for the final days was lost due to a computer error.

Day Twenty Seven Thursday 9th October 2003 – Port Augusta to Mildura:

We left Port Augusta at 9:00am and left the highway at Crystal Brook. Lunch was from the bakery at Burra and we stopped at the Overland Corner Historical Hotel for an amber ale and a stretch. The fuel was extremely low, so I refilled before checking into the Caravan Park. We dined at one of the Chinese Restaurants in town, before watching "Kath and Kim" on television. It was a rather late night for us, and we were all eager to get home tomorrow.

Day Twenty Eight Friday 10th October 2003 – Mildura to Rowville:

We were all up early at departed Mildura at 8:00am. Breakfast was takeaway from Ouyen, and no lunch was had as we refueled at Charlton. The bad weather hit us just outside of Wedderburn and the windy conditions made it difficult to drive at times. We finally made it home at 3:30pm with much relief.

Our journey had taken us 8006 kms. Much of it had been on bitumen, which was disappointing, but it just shows how much the outback has been opened up to more Aussie's and foreigners. It was a memorable journey, most good, some bad, but we all enjoyed it. 

Until the next time.......