HEADING WEST FROM THE FLINDERS RANGES

en route to Coober Pedy

view from top lookout 

demonstration of a blower

a section of wall underground house

a few underground houses

another view approaching Coober

SUNDAY 11th  MAY. - Mothers Day

Leaving the Flinders Ranges National Park behind, we head north up the Oodnadatta Track thru Leigh Creek (which is a new town in place of the old one where there is an immense open cut coal mine now), Lyndhurst and Marree where we spent the night. A few stops on the way, one to have a yarn with Talc Alf (an eccentric old guy who sculpts and carves using blocks of local talc), anda detour to see the ochre cliffs. Quite a breathtaking sight, the colours were brilliant. The "track" is not too bad, although very corrugated at approach and leaving the flood ways. And there is tons of these flood ways. Marree is a basic little outback town, not much to see. There was a couple of old engines rusting away at Marree of the now defunct Ghana Rail, which follows the track from Leigh Creek to Alice.  Couple of other travellers asked us to join them for a drink, their origins Wyong and now living out at Norah Head. Small world ( for those who don't know these towns are in the area used to live and my daughter Therese is still in the area).  Nearly forgot another stop was to visit historic Farina, once a bustling outback town where a group of locals are gradually and partially restoring some of the buildings in the town. They have already restored the old underground bakery and use it in conjunction with a cafe/information tent.  Well worth the stop.

MONDAY 12th MAY

Last night we enjoyed a few drinks around a roaring fire (old rail sleepers make a terrific fire) and a chat with our neighbours. This morning its off again up the Track this time our destination William Creek. A 4.5hour drive to travel 204ks.  This section of the track has been very slow going, extremely corrugated in places making it very difficult to drive much more than 40-50ks an hour.  Stopped at a viewing area where the bottom of Lake Eyre South nearly touches the road. Just looking  at this you wonder just how vast the big lake must be.  Further along we marvelled at the salt pans and the beautiful red coloured sand dunes with their red coloured sand pans in between. It was the best part of today's trip.  Petrol is getting dearer, the last fill at $2.00 a litre and expect now in the red centre it will continue to increase.  The thing we both commented on is the lack of wild life (it's been non existent since leaving the Flinders) not many head of cattle either. The old Ghana rail continues to keep up with us, in places no rail lines or sleepers, they are used everywhere to build fences, toilet blocks and everything else you can think of. 

Oh! I forgot to mention the flies.  They try to cluster in your ears.
ARGGHHH.  I HATE THEM

  

DRIVING THRU PARACHILNA GORGE

Talc Alf's setup

/the Ochre Cliffs

Farina ruins and the bakery shed in the b ackground

Marree's cafe 

The Dog Fence

Old Ghan Rail 

Red sand dunes and sand flats

another red sand dune and basin, this time with water

Our first view of Coober Pedy

TUESDAY 13TH MAY

Wow, what a different section of the track today from William Creek  to Coober Pedy.  No  wild rough
floodways with heaps of corrugations.   It was a lovely drive.  Plenty of red sand dunes, the odd cow, no other wild life though.  We crossed the dingo fence again just before we  reached Coober,  I find this town very depressing, it has no visual appeal.  Lots of scrap metal in yards, half the shops are dirty and dingy or closed.  We took a self conducted tour of a Opal Mine and underground house this afternoon, did the whole tourist thing in one go.  Even the high lookout in town is closed.   Lost part of the fitting for our water tank today, lost all the water in it.  Don, the handyman was able to fix it, thank goodness. Probably take a drive out to Breakaway mtns in the morning before we leave, otherwise shall just  hit the road again, this time heading north towards Ulluru.  Oh by the way, here is a photo  taken of the  inside of van after travelling on the very bad section of the track.

after the bad section of the Track