Our recent trip to Western Australia and the Northern Territory was in order to complete our Big Lap of Australia that we began in December of 2019. Due to the global pandemic, we missed out on travelling into the Pilbara, Kimberley, and Red Centre. So, this quick trip was to see those regions that we had missed.
Trip route December 2019 to May 2021
Winter is a busy time for people travelling to the northern parts of Australia and I initially booked our stay at Broome with this in mind. I was also aware of school holiday periods for those states. And it was busy. The days of the Grey Nomad are a thing of the past, and nowadays there are just as many families travelling, many fulltime. There were kids everywhere.
From my desk at home, I formed an itinerary using WikiCamps and booked into key locations such as El Questro, Katherine, Kings Canyon, and Yulara. And I am glad I did because everywhere we went it was full and often booked out. Especially at Kununurra due to the unseasonal rainfall that caused unforeseen road closures in the region.
It is really tricky doing this type of forward planning when travelling across such large distances in Australia. How do you know you will actually get to that destination by the right date?
The other problem with booking (or not booking) is that many places use online booking systems, so if you are in a remote area with no internet connection this is impossible. The online booking systems used by the states for their National and State Parks are awful, and often outbooked with people who actually don’t show up for their prebooking. Really this system needs to be rectified to allow people into these special places. Places like the coast along the Ningaloo Reef. Good luck trying to get a booking there when you want it.
We left home in Victoria and made a beeline to the west coast staying overnight at free camps roadside. After six days and 3,854 kilometres we had traversed the continent and looked out to a choppy Indian Ocean at Jurien Bay in Western Australia.
We stayed a couple of nights at Yardie Homestead near Exmouth and snorkeled at Turquoise Bay.
Mick at Turquoise Bay Western Australia
We arrived in Broome and were lucky to have been assigned a beachside campsite with gorgeous views across Roebuck Bay. We settled into Broometime and enjoyed the warm weather for nine days.
Staying at the large station campgrounds was easy, and walking to the absolutely awesome waterfalls and swimming in the waterholes was a real highlight of this trip. And although lots of people were out in this remote region doing the same thing, it was enjoyable.
Happy place – any old waterfall will do. Galvans Gorge, Gibb River Road, WA
Then the rain hit, and the road was closed trapping many travellers at locations along the Gibb River Road. The fine for not following this restriction was $1,000 per wheel! Luckily for us we were at the end of this road and could easily travel to the El Questro station. The rain continued, but we fitted in some more amazing walks and swims. The campground here was the most crowded and the campsites the narrowest we have experienced. We were all jammed in, and it was raining.
Zebedee Thermal Springs at El Questro
We were booked to stay at Purnululu (the Bungle Bungles) but the roads were closed here too, so we had to cancel that part of our trip. We drove north to Wyndham and the caravan park there was really lovely. The scenery here continued to be panoramic and interesting.
Bastion Lookout at Wyndham Northern Territory
I had booked the campsite in Kununurra luckily because with the rain, road closures, and school holidays, the caravan parks were all full. The showgrounds were absorbing the extras.
From Kununurra we left Western Australia and drove east into the Northern Territory. Here our Big Lap was completed as we stayed at a caravan park in Katherine that we had stayed at during our previous travels.
We didn’t go to Darwin or Kakadu as we had visited these places last time in 2020. Instead, we headed south to the Red Centre. We stayed in Alice Springs for two nights mainly so that we could get the car serviced. Then out to Watarrka (Kings Canyon) and Yulara and Uluru. We had visited these places 29 years ago with our children, and it was a real eye-opener to see how things have changed. Everyone has their hand out for something. It all costs and it is expensive. Commerciality is King. And with the huge numbers of people travelling out there it is like a conveyor belt and the providers don’t seem to care much about anyone. Good friendly customer service is rare. And the necessary amenities are in poor condition and overused.
Camped on a patch of red dirt in the overflow campground at Yulara Northern Territory
We left this region with a very negative opinion and don’t plan to go back there anytime soon.
From the Red Centre we made another beeline back home. We had had enough so we travelled 933 kilometres into South Australia and stayed at a roadside stop on the Stuart Highway. We did not hesitate when passing through the infamous breakdown spot on the Stuart Highway, or at Cooby Pedy where we had spent far too much time back in 2021. The next day we drove south through a lot of road works to Port Augusta, through Adelaide, and then east towards Victoria, 1,106 kms.
Sunset at Mulga Wells Stuart Highway South Australia
On our last night we stayed in a motel in Horsham because it was winter afterall. In the morning the closed Dingo and our car were covered in a layer of ice. It was a comfortable drive through Melbourne avoiding the peak hour traffic. We were glad to be home on the Mornington Peninsula.
As far as the comparison between travelling with a caravan compared to a camper trailer, all I can say is that there are advantages and disadvantages with both. We adapted quickly to life with the Dingo Camper Trailer, and would not have enjoyed travelling along the Gibb River Road with a caravan.
We spent 50 days and travelled 14,288 kilometres. Our biggest cost unsurprisingly was on fuel $3,723. We spent $2,633 on campsites.
It is Bastille Day and we are watching the sun set at Uluru with about 250 of our fellow tourists. I say “Bonne Journée” to the French tourists beside me and they appreciate that I acknowledge their National Day.
At my right elbow a nutty woman tries her hardest to get her head into my photos, bobbing about like a lunatic; not happy I’ve asked her politely if I could stand in the vacant space beside her.
Jimmy Barnes sings “Flame Trees” loudly from someone’s audio system and the lyrics and Aussie vibe are perfect for the glowing red of Uluru in sunset.
Uluru at sunset July 2023
Popular photo shots are: sideways mouth open eating the rock; squatting like a strong man holding up the rock with two hands; glamorous look at the camera, no too bright, look away then back, no still squinting; couples, families, families wearing sunglasses, friend groups; and the ever popular jump-in-the-air with hands and feet up.
Sue and Mick at Uluru at sunset
The sun set and we join the single queue of vehicles driving the twenty kilometres back to Yulara in the twilight.
Back in 1994 we visited Watarrka (Kings Canyon), Uluru (Ayers Rock), and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), with our three offspring then children. And a lot has changed in the 29 years since then. The roads are better. The walking trails are easier, some paved. The campgrounds have relocated and are bigger able to accommodate up to 1,000 campsites. There are far more people out here enjoying the authentic Australian outback experience.
However, we repeatedly note the absence of wildlife. Where are the kangaroos, emu, lizards, goannas? There is not even much roadkill. We do see a couple of dingos near Curtain Springs. Mostly we see wandering stock, mostly cattle. There isn’t even that many flocks of birds, and hardly any parrots. Why aren’t the environmentalists being loud and vocal about this?
Watarrka (Kings Canyon)
The Kings Creek walk is now an easy amble along a path beside the rocky dry creek bed between the canyon cliffs to a raised platform that designates the end of the trail. Back in 1994 we rock scrambled much further up the creek to room-sized boulders at the end of the gorge. With the danger of rock falls I understand the logic of creating this block.
Kings Creek walk at Watarrka National Park
The next day we are woken at the campground by a chorus of howling dingoes, a half moon hanging above the morning silhouette of Carmichael’s Crag in the distance.
Sunrise with silhouette of Carmichael’s Crag at King’s Canyon Campground
We make an early start for the three – four-hour difficult Rim Walk and are surprised to see the carpark full already and a stream of ants (people) making their way up the stone stairway of the steep ridge. Back in 1994 this section was no more than a slippery scree goat track.
Rim Walk at Watarrka July 2023 and July 1994
Already there are people standing up on the distant lookout calling “cooee”. Large groups are already ahead of us; schools, international tourists, grey nomad gangs, and family troupes. Key photo locations are slow as everyone aims to get their own special selfie, or large groups gather making sure everyone is in place.
Cycad palms at Watarrka July 1994 and July 2023
The walk itself is beautiful, the defined colours and shapes of the ancient cliffs, domes, and plateaus are a geologist’s paradise.
Looking over the cliffs at Watarrka 2023 and 1994
We take a break at the quiet waterhole in the Garden of Eden, even the large groups rest here in silence. It is a lovely walk and I’m glad we did it.
Mick at the waterhole in the Garden of Eden Watarrka
We enjoy our stay at Watarrka and are enthusiastic to move on to Yulara and Uluru.
Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)
What to say about Uluru? Back in 1994 Yulara consisted of a basic campground, one resort, and an outback hotel. Now there is a whole town with a supermarket, post office, café’s, restaurants, galleries, and more accommodation.
On top of Uluru back in July 1994
Back in 1994 I was 34 years of age when we climbed Uluru with our children. Now it is not allowed and when I look at the steep climb it makes sense. It is too dangerous, and people underestimate their abilities and the effort required. The chain hand hold is gone. I expect there would be no insurance company willing to back this public risk nowadays. I think it is a good decision.
Uluru July 1994 and July 2023
There is a freezing wind on the morning we decide to circumnavigate Uluru. It is eleven kilometres of flat clearly marked trail. I’ve always ascribed to the environmentalist’s notion of “take only photos and leave only footprints”. I think this philosophy shows the ultimate respect for a place. However, the local aboriginals do not want anyone to take photos of certain areas or features. Signs are up to state this fact saying these are sensitive areas with secrets that cannot be revealed to you or me. While I try to show blind respect, I also think this unique monolith is a scientific wonder with shapes and colours that excite my inner artist. I already have one oil painting hanging on my wall at home that I was inspired to create after our trip in 1994.
Uluru photo and painting by Sues 1994
A female grey nomad tells me off rudely for taking a photo where there was no sign. I am confused and feel bullied by this politically correct know-it-all. The confrontation quickly denigrates into a ridiculous scene as both husbands have their say. I come to Uluru with a pure and humble heart; now this negativity ensues. It is disappointing.
So unfortunately, that mystical aura I felt keenly 29 years ago when I visited Uluru, has now been tainted by random prohibitions, commerciality, too many confusing signs and instructions, white, black, and brown appropriation, possessive need, fairy tales, and wrongly assigned political significance.
It is a rock after all; one that deserves every superlative of grandeur, but not the silly tales devised by short-lived humans of any race. That’s just my humble opinion.
Many tourists sign up for the expensive Segway tours and these troupes burl around the trail dodging walkers, joggers, and cyclists. I am nearly bowled over by a bloke on a Segway in a narrow section of the trail. The trail itself is bumpy with deep footprints left after the recent unseasonal rains.
It is a drone-free zone and I also think the scenic tour helicopters must also have to keep a certain distance from the rock. We do see people launching drones.
We drive the fifty kilometres out to Kata Tjuta and the walk up the two-kilometre rocky trail to the cold windy cleft between two giant domes where there is a small waterhole. Once again, this trail has been made easier since 1994 with bridges and walkways. As we descend the rocks a large group from a tour bus make their way up.
Kata Tjuta July 1994 and July 2023
Entry to this National Park cost us $50 each, additional to our camp fees at Yulara. We are camped at the back of the overflow campground despite the fact that I booked a powered site. I made some sort of error using their online system. The reception lady is surly, distracted, and unhelpful.
Out back on a patch of red dirt we have no power or water and the constant noise from the huge industrial generators over the dune sound like 747’s about to take off at an airport. We decide to cut our stay short and leave early with bad feelings in our hearts. We won’t be back.
Ayers Rock Campground at Yulara at the back of the overflow section July 2023
The next day we drive into South Australia and head for home.
After our sprint across the continent, it didn’t take long to relax into ‘broometime’.
At the Discovery Parks Holiday Park we were lucky to be allocated a beachside campsite that offers uninterrupted views of Roebuck Bay. And it is an ever changing view as the tide gently flows in and then way out every day revealing sand flats.
Beachfront site at Discovery Parks Broome
The first day we drove out to look at the famous Cable Beach. It was Sunday and Little Nippers had just finished. The beach was full of activity, people enjoying the warm winter weather. The very next day the beach was closed due to a three metre saltwater crocodile seen cruising casually in the water heading north. It was only closed to swimmers for 24 hours.
Cable Beach
We felt unhurried about exploring, content to sit in our deck chairs watching the bay. Boats go back and forth, ships, and tenders servicing the moored boats. Jet skis, kayaks, and an Everglades craft whir past.
Close by is the airport and we see all kinds of aircraft, seaplanes, passenger jets small and medium, helicopters, and a military plane.
Mick is periodically tempted by the fish jumping in the shallows in front of us. He spent several days trying to catch one, until the unseen conditions changed and the fish went off the bite.
The pool at this caravan park is resort quality and we have spent some hours lounging, reading, and dipping.
Lazing by the pool at Discovery Parks
We drove north to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm and joined a tour which was well presented and interesting. The things I didn’t know about pearls! During the boat tour of the creek we saw a crocodile lazing on the banks. It slid into the water as we approached, disappearing into the chalky depths.
Willie Creek Pearl Farm tour
By chance some friends are travelling ahead of us in two caravans and we met up in Broome. A mutual friend, Scruff, urged us all to go to Matso’s Brewery to try the Mango Beer and Chilli Beer. Lunch with the group was great, the weird beers not so much. Mick and I went back on another night and had a hot Spicy Margarita.
Lunch with friends at Matso’s Brewery
We went to the town market twice, visited Chinatown, climbed around on the colourful rocks at Gantheaume Point, looked with scepticism at the dinosaur footprints, saw the sunset at Cable Beach, and walked beside the iconic camel train.
Exploring the rocks at Gantheaume Point
Broome has provided a welcome easy holiday in warm weather. I feel rested.
Dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point
The Gibb River Road beckons. Our friends have gone ahead already and we might catch up with them again somewhere.
Travellers arrive in the caravan park who have obviously just completed the 660 kilometre dirt road, as their vehicles are coated in red dust and their faces have an expression of jubilation and relief. Mick has spoken to a few and feels as prepared as he can be.
Camel train at Cable Beach
The Peninsula Development Road in Cape York of Far North Queensland looms large in our minds, a memory that is clear and holds residual anguish.
Still the rough road is before us, and if we want to experience the vistas, waterfalls, and waterholes of The Kimberley, this is the way.
We have changed our rig totally. We traded in the Triton for an Isuzu MUX that has more power. And we sold the Royal Flair Aussie Mate for a lighter rig: a Skamper Kamper Dingo. We are sacrificing the luxury and convenience of the caravan with a lighter tent top camper trailer. It will be interesting to see how we like this change.
New rig
We aim to visit the places we had initially planned to visit in 2020 but missed out on due to the pandemic which caused border closures and a forced change of plans. We are heading for the Northwest of Australia.
Once again, I am using the Wikicamps app to plot and log our trip. However, experience informs us that the best laid plans can often go astray.
Trip Plan Part Two
It took a whole year to finally get the repair work done on the caravan. We are not sure if this was because of supply issues during the pandemic, or slack attitude of the repairer, or lack of follow-up by the insurer. Or perhaps a mixture of all three. In the end the repair work did not cost much. We were happy to move the caravan on once the repair was completed and we had retrieved it. We hope the new owners enjoy the caravan as we did.
Royal Flair Aussie Mate
It also took a whole year to get delivery of our new car; supply and demand issues we hear. In the meantime, we enjoy precious time spent with our family, granddaughters and friends.
This trip will not be an extended lifestyle choice, but a winter escape and exploration of some beautiful and warmer parts of this country. And we go with experience and knowledge, rather than as newbies.
I plan to write blog posts about our travels here, however I am aware of the lack of internet access in some of these remote places, so some of the posts will be added after the events. And we can be followed on Instagram @mickandsues
Mick and I set out on our exploration of Australia in December 2019 and visited all states except for the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania. During this time when the pandemic caused havoc around the world, we hopped borders when we could. After seventeen months living in our caravan we were ready to head home.
The window of my new home office faces west. Above the street, treetops, and roofs, the clouds approach with grey, white, apricot, and raspberry hues. I am familiar with the weather patterns here at our home on the Mornington Peninsula.
Other skies enchanted us on our travels. We have seen sunrises and sunsets, star maps, and swirling clouds. Weather patterns unfamiliar to us; the strangeness reminding us that is not our home.
Meeting other travelers, they would proudly say they had been on the road for two years, or eight years, or were permanent travelers. This was not for us. We felt it in our hearts. We like a home, a base, being near to family and friends, being part of a community. Eighteen months was enough for us.
Mornington Peninsula VIC
When our caravan broke down in the desert, we had already decided on the end date for this trip, just one more month. So, we thought a quick drive up to Uluru and back would be a nice way to end. It was not to be. We have been to Uluru many years ago when our children were young, and I am glad I hold the memory of that visit in my heart.
What if our breakdown and required repairs had happened at the start of our trip, or in the middle? What do full time travelers do then? We are lucky we were at the end.
So, we unpacked all of our stuff from the storage unit, and happily moved into our townhouse. We love the walks to the beach every day. In my kitchen I have been cooking things I have not been able to do in the caravan. I have been practicing playing my piano. Mick has been fitting shelves and running and cycling. Like everyone else in Melbourne we are in lockdown but that is okay, and we have had our first vaccination.
Happy to be home after 18 months travelling
I plan to stop writing this blog now that our trip is over. Perhaps I will write just one future final instalment when our caravan is eventually repaired, and we can bring it home from South Australia.
Happy travels to all those exploring Australia in 2021 and beyond. My one bit of advice is to use the Wikicamps app as this has been the most help while on the road.
Our skin itched all night and we had both slept badly. Were there really bed bugs? I am sure a mouse crept around searching our bags for food; I could hear rustling sounds now and then. The room smelled bad, the old appliances were all on the blink, the refrigerator sounded like a truck, the electric kettle continued to run even though it was turned off, the TV sounded like it was underwater, and the shower was just a trickle.
Our previous accommodation at the Mud Hut Motel was fine but fully booked after we had already stayed for four nights. Now the insurance company had moved us to the Backpackers.
Coober Pedy South Australia
I made a chicken Thai green curry in the communal kitchen and we shared it with a French backpacker who was sorting through buckets of rocks searching for that elusive opal. We gave the rest of our food that was still okay, to the guy who ran the backpacker’s and he reacted like it was Christmas.
We could not stay another night. What do you do in Coober Pedy if you are not looking at rocks hoping to find opals? Drink! We had wine at the Desert Cave Hotel, wine at the Big Winch, Bourbon and cokes at another pub, and beer at the backpackers. I kept thinking about that Australian Classic book and movie “Wake in Fright”. Was there to be no escape? And of all the beautiful places we have visited in Australia, why did we have to break down here?
Coober Pedy South Australia
On May the Fourth, we took the force into our own hands and decided to leave this dry desert fly-blown town. We went out to the busy yard where our caravan was slumped sideways alongside the wrecks of cars, taking some essential personal belongings before it was to be moved to a repairer at Port Augusta.
Caravan in need of repairs at Coober Pedy SA
It is five hundred and forty kilometres of empty desert between Coober Pedy and Port Augusta. As we drove south along the Stuart Highway and the next day east towards Victoria, there was a constant stream of caravans heading west and north, many brand-new caravans. I think it will be over-crowded for caravanners in Australia this year and they will find it hard to get a campsite in caravan parks and in free campsites. We were never planning to keep going. This was always going to be the last month for our big trip, but it felt awful leaving our caravan behind.
Heading south down the Stuart Highway in South Australia
Arriving at Port Augusta in the dark we drove straight into a lovely motel, The Standpipe, where the aromatic smells of Indian curry at the restaurant tempted us. We checked in, enjoyed an Indian banquet, then settled into crisp clean white sheets on a lovely comfortable bed; bliss after our week of stress.
The next day, Mick spoke with the repairers in Port Augusta where our caravan will be taken to, assessed, and fixed. It could be weeks before it will be ready to take home. Then we drove further south to Adelaide, then to Hahndorf for another overnight stay.
It was cold in Hahndorf and the Autumn leaves had turned to burgundy, orange, red, and yellow. At the pub we sat by the log fire and enjoyed big glasses of cold dark German beer that tasted to me of toffee. The stay at the Manna Haus Motel was luxurious with a king-sized bed and clean new amenities.
Autumn in Hahndorf SA
The caravans continued to arrive as we crossed back into our home state of Victoria. Back at the relative’s farm, we are relaxed, safe, and happy to be at the end of our travels. We move into our townhouse at the end of this month. Hopefully in June we will be able to drive back to Port Augusta to pick up the repaired caravan.
The tyre exploded. There was a loud bang, blue smoke billowed, a sound of grinding metal, and the caravan listed sideways. Mick steadily brought the rig to a stop on the highway.
There was little verge and a two-metre embankment down to the endless desert plain. We were blocking the northward lane of the Stuart Highway in the South Australian outback about 185 kilometres north of Coober Pedy and about 50 kilometres south of the Marla Roadhouse. It was 10:15am on a beautiful clear warm Autumn day.
Stranded on the Stuart Highway in Outback South Australia
With the hazard lights flashing we got out to inspect the damage. The passenger side tyre of the caravan was shredded. Mick got out the jacks and began to change the wheel over with the spare. Traffic passed; caravans, RVs, and road trains, many slowing to ask if we needed help. At that point Mick was hopeful it was just a tyre blowout. He hoped it wasn’t a bearing.
Blown tyre on the Stuart Highway South Australia
Then his only 19-millimetre socket tore and was ruined. While he hunted through his tools hoping to find another to loosen the wheel nuts, I waved down a passing caravan and asked if they had one we could borrow.
So, with the tyre off and the spare bolted on, it was obvious there was another problem because the wheel was contacting the caravan chassis. Any move and the new tyre would go too. We had to get a flatbed tow truck.
Damaged caravan tyre in Outback South Australia
There was “no service” on our phones so I hitched a ride with another couple of travelers, Michael (Mick, a mechanic) and Karen. I would go to Marla and phone the RACV for Roadside Assist that we have for this trip. Mick had a CB radio in his vehicle and said the truckies had been talking about the caravan blocking the highway. So that was good that they were able to warn each other.
As soon as I got phone connection I phoned the RACV, answered by the RAA and I was on the phone for the whole journey explaining the urgency of the situation and giving our rig details. Their service was excellent, not leaving me, but keeping me on the line.
At Marla there were about twenty caravans and RVs getting fuel and food. Mick and Karen stayed around keeping me company and offering more help if needed. This helped with my stress levels.
With the tow truck eventually arranged, coming from Port Augusta about 700 kilometres away, I hitched a ride with another family, Helen and Michael (Mick another mechanic) and their two teenage sons.
Meanwhile my Mick had decided to try to move the rig off the highway onto the verge. But the car battery was flat. So, he turned off the hazard lights and switched the fridge over to gas (something we should have done at the beginning). After awhile he managed to start the car and roll onto the verge.
I was relieved to see he was off the road when I returned. At first Mick waved us on not realizing I was in the car. Mick the mechanic was curious to look at the problem and slid under the caravan to have a look.
It appears that the welds had torn, and the suspension failed and dropped, so the chassis hit the wheel blowing the tyre.
Mick has maintained our vehicles well during this trip getting services, new tyres, and changing bearings regularly and these were new tyres. We were lucky the caravan didn’t jack-knife or roll over when the tyre blew.
We settled down for a long wait sitting on our deck chairs in the shade of the caravan. We guessed 8pm or 9:30pm for when the truck might arrive.
And then, as I stepped out of the caravan I almost stood on the skinny brown tail of a snake disappearing into the dry grass. I told Mick and we stomped around hoping to scare it away, not sure where it was hiding.
We sat drenched in Aerogard and wearing face nets protecting our faces from the hordes of small black flies. Then we saw the two-metre brown snake casually sliding away across the red dirt. So lucky not to get bitten.
When the sun set we sat inside the car. It wasn’t cold at all. As vehicles approached from either direction Mick started the car and switched on the park lights for visibility. The passing traffic dwindled. All the caravans and RVs off the road for the night, now just the long road trains and single vehicles passing occasionally.
Waiting for the tow truck in Outback South Australia
Outside standing on the empty highway it was silent and above the Milky Way appeared in high definition giving me vertigo as I looked up and sideways across our galaxy.
The flatbed truck arrived at 10:15pm, so twelve hours after we came to a sudden stop. It took another hour to maneuver the caravan up onto the truck. Then we headed back south to Coober Pedy.
Caravan loaded onto the tow truck Stuart Highway South Australia
We were low on fuel because we had intended to fill up at Marla, so Mick drafted behind a couple of road trains loaded with cattle trying to conserve our fuel. Running on empty we drove into the service station at Coober Pedy at 1:45am. The RACV Roadside Assist had arranged accommodation so we had a room for the night.
Mud Hut Motel Coober Pedy South Australia
The next morning we went to the mechanics yard where the caravan was delivered to, and emptied the refrigerator, picked up some clothes and other essentials, while Mick talked to the mechanic there.
The caravan needs some significant repairs, and the parts need to be delivered from Adelaide, so we are stranded here for a while.
As well as the elements of luck that we counted in this experience, the other thing we noted was how we reacted to the events. Despite feeling stressed and annoyed, neither one of us swore out loud, or vented to the other. I felt like crying but didn’t. I’m sure Mick felt like swearing but he didn’t. We were both practically minded and just did what needed to be done with calm.
Big thanks to the people who helped us; the first guy (didn’t get his name), Mick and Karen, Mick and Helen and their two sons, the people at the RAA and RACV, the tow truck guy, and the people at the Mud Hut Motel who made us feel welcome.
The branches of the shrubs shook. Growls and grunts disturbed the usually quiet Australian bush. Scuffling of feet on the rocky surface ran towards where we stood on the trail. More commotion. We did not know what it was. We guessed feral goats. Wild pigs? Koalas? Emu? Dingoes? Something more sinister? There are feral goats in the Ikara Flinders Ranges National Park, but this was no bleating. And although koalas can make very scary noises, I wasn’t sure if they inhabited this area. Emu make more of a drum sound. We didn’t stay around to see what wild animal appeared from the bushes.
Ikara – Flinders Ranges South Australia
Another day while we were descending from Mount Ohlssen – Bagge in the same National Park we were surprised by another totally different and unidentifiable sound. Mick thought it sounded like a door slamming, but up on the side of this mountain there were no buildings, structures, or roads. I thought perhaps goats jumping hard onto a rock or butting a tree with its horns. Maybe it was rocks falling or being thrown from above. It was the sound of a hard blow onto rocks one at a time and spaced with imperfect regularity. We paused on the trail. What was that strange out-of-place sound? We did not linger or go any closer to the sound to investigate.
Ikara Flinders Ranges South Australia
The Ikara Flinders Ranges National Park is in an ancient landscape and a geologist’s dream. Striped mountains reveal various rock formations and illustrate the story of how this land was formed. Atop one mountain ridge is a natural wall of rock battlements. Wilpena Pound is a great campground with walks and hikes of varying standards and challenge. The walk to the rim of the Wilpena Pound crater is a lovely stroll beside the dry creek-bed beneath the huge old white-trunked gums. At the rim is the old homestead where early settlers came and tried to farm sheep and wheat within the sheltered crater. Droughts drove them away eventually and the natural flora and fauna has recovered thankfully. The lookout shows the saw-tooth ridges of the crater walls and a lush valley.
Exploring South Australia
We drive further north to Blinmin where we have coffee and pies at the pub. We take a dirt side road to a dry gorge where the remains of dislodged trees are stacked high after recent heavy rains. Back at the camp it is busy due to ANZAC Day and a long weekend. People are up before sunrise to pay their respects to soldiers, one lone bugler hitting the notes perfectly.
South Australia has a lot to offer tourists, as there is so much variety. We drove across the border with rain falling steadily to the relief of the farmers and locals. We avoid driving to Adelaide and head north along the Murray River finding a free camp on the banks at Walker Flat. It’s cold but this does not dissuade the water skiers who are happy behind ski boats as the sun sets weaving around the houseboats that putter up and down the river.
Murray River at Walker Flat South Australia
Then inland further we head towards the winemaking region of the Clare Valley. The towns are small but delightful with stone houses and stone buildings in the main streets. It is very picturesque. We camp at the caravan park in Clare. It is still cold and raining. We taste some local wine at the Kilikanoon Winery.
Clare South Australia
We drive out to Martindale Hall at nearby Mintaro. It is an old stone mansion, a sheep station of yesteryear, now in the hands of the National Trust. It was used as one of the buildings for the film Picnic at Hanging Rock. Inside the opulence is on show with decorative touches on every surface. It welcomes visitors into a lovely internal space with a grand staircase. Each room is decorated with unique pieces on display. The smoking room has a unique and interesting collection of souvenirs from around the world. At the old pub in Mintaro we stop for a local wine under the verandah.
Martindale Hall Mintaro South Australia
Martindale Hall Mintaro South Australia
Martindale Hall Mintaro South Australia
To take care of some personal documentation we visit the local library in Clare where I can do printing and scanning. The staff are typically helpful as all library staff tend to be, and the library is tidy and well organised, a lovely local place located just behind the main street.
We drive further north towards the Flinders Ranges. This landscape is like something from Mars. We close a loop of our travels from the previous year when we scurried “home” for the first lockdown.
After enjoying the remoteness of the Flinders Ranges, we have to drive south back to Port Augusta before we go north once again towards Coober Pedy and the Northern Territory. This is the Australian Outback and there is nothing out here. Just flat plains, sparse mulga, red dirt, and blue sky forever. We see a couple of emus, lots of kangaroo roadkill, and huge eagles feasting on the fresh meat. We camp overnight at the Mulga Well Rest Area. There is no one else at this camp and it is a bit unnerving, but worth it for the colourful sunset and sunrise. During the night, a big bright moon lights the landscape, but we see no movement.
Outback South Australia
The next day we reach Coober Pedy. We have been here before about twenty-five years ago, and the town has grown. After a quick drive up and down the main street we decide to stay at the caravan park on the outskirts of town. It has an underground campground for those with tents and swags. We are above ground but under the shade of a garage.
Coober Pedy South Australia
We take the guided tour of the mine and the underground house at the caravan park. It is interesting to learn about opal-mining and the different techniques and costs involved. We drive out to the place outside the town perimeter where daily mining is underway, seeing the machinery and the piles of dirt extracted from underground. Then we watch an old timer cut and polish an opal while he describes what he is doing and what he is looking for. Then we try our luck noodling on the piles of stones placed there for the tourists. Mick goes back for a third try the next day.
South Australia
From here we will go north into the Northern Territory and out to Uluru and Kings Canyon.
Mick & Sue's Aussie Adventure 