Coonalpyn to Stawell - 333km

Well, after 6 1/2 months and 18,585 km, my journey is about to come to an end.  This will be my last post because tomorrow is the big day when I return home.

I have 281km to travel tomorrow and hopefully I will reach home early in the afternoon.

It will be wonderful to catch up with all the family tomorrow.  I have never been away from home for such a long time before, and even though I enjoyed every minute of my journey, after about three months I began to miss my family a lot.

I plan on many more trips, but apart from a couple of months during winter when I will probably head north to the warmer weather, I will limit my trips to just a few weeks rather than months at a time.

Writing a daily blog has been a new experience for me, and I am amazed at the number of people from all over the world who have been following my journey.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the ride, and although it is over for now I will definitely be on the road again one day soon.

Barossa Valley to Coonalpyn - 185km

 I had a really good day today.  When I left the caravan park this morning I didn’t have a clue which way to head so I set the GPS for the shortest way home and just followed instructions.

It took me for a beautiful drive along country lanes and roads, past vineyards, and vast fields of emerald green (lucerne I think) as well as vast stretches of yellow canola fields.  The Barossa Valley is so pretty.  I would like to return one day and have a good look around.

I had a great experience that took me back about 50 years.  As I was heading along the highway I missed a freeway turnoff that I was supposed to take, but the GPS quickly reprogrammed and so I continued on my way through more beautiful countryside.  After about twenty kilometres I arrived at the edge of the Murray river at Coorang and had to board an old ferry to get across to the other side.  

The ferry is operated by long steel cables that stretch across the river and pull it across from one side of the river to the other.  So surprising in this day and age that this mode of transport still exists close to a major city, but such a lot of fun.  

Ferry across the Murray River.

Port Germein to Jacobs Creek - 265km

After a very pleasant overnight stay at Port Germein I set off along the highway for Adelaide.  I have well and truly left the outback and the feeling of isolation behind.  The highway to Adelaide is very busy with lots of trucks and cars and there are signs of life everywhere with farm houses and little towns along the way.

I decided to deviate from my planned route and drove along some very pretty country roads in the Barossa Valley and ended up at Jacobs Creek last night.  The scenery is beautiful with emerald green fields and bright yellow canola crops covering vast areas along the way.

For the first time in many months I opened the door this morning and stepped out onto wet grass.  Dew!  Hmmm.... I'm definitely not liking this.  Back to the real world and cold weather.  Winter clothes feel so restrictive after wearing shorts and t-shirts for so long.  Oh well, I can put up with the cool weather to see my family.  Can't wait  - two more sleeps as my grandchildren would say.

High tide at Port Germein.  Would be a great place to stay for a couple of weeks in the summer.

Canola crops brighten up the countryside.

Roxby Downs to Port Germain - 335km

Roxby Downs to Spuds Roadhouse  -  95km
Spuds Roadhouse to Port Germain  -  245km

Yesterday after leaving Roxby Downs I travelled back down Olympic Way and stayed over night in the yard of Spuds Roadhouse which is at the intersection of Sturt Highway and Olympic Way.  On the way back I drove to the town of Woomera.   The town has been open to the general public since 1982 and is inhabited by Australian defence force staff who work at the nearby base.

Today I reached Port Augusta at lunch time and found a nice place by the water to eat my lunch.  Later in the afternoon I drove to the little town of Port Germein which is about 35km east of Port Augusta and found a little caravan park to stay for the night.  It is right next to the water and I took Oscar for a walk along the pier which is one and half kilometres long  -  the longest wooden pier in the southern hemisphere.  Apparently in days gone by Port Germein was the main grain port in Australia.

Some exhibits from Woomera Rocket Range.

Lunch time by the water in Port Augusta.  It looks cold but it was actually 27 degrees.

Views of Port Germein.

Roxby Downs - 145km

I headed off from Lake Hart this morning with the intention of heading for Port August, but 40km down the road I saw the turnoff and decided on the spur of the moment to head for Roxby Downs.  What a surprise.  Who would have thought such a lovely modern,  tidy town with green lawns and trees exists here in the middle of the desert.  It was well worth the drive.

Being a large mining community I knew of Roxby Downs by reading and hearing about it in the media, so it was interesting to visit and see what it is actually like.  A lot of money has been spent on facilities in the town, which I presume is subsidised by the large mining companies.

I won't be staying here tonight, but as soon as I finish my lunch I will head 95km back to the Sturt Highway and look for somewhere to stop for the night.

I retrieved my winter clothes out from under the seat a few days ago, but so far I haven't needed them.  Although the mornings and nights are now cool, temperatures throughout the day have been in the low to mid 20s.   Great for travelling.

Main street Roxby Downs.

Local swimming centre.

Coober Pedy to Lake Hart - 332km

Coober Pedy to Bon Bon rest area  -  173
Bon Bon to Lake Hart rest area  -  159km

After a leisurely drive this morning I arrived at Lake Hart at lunch time.

This is a lovely place to stop for the night.  I am parked on the hillside overlooking the lake which just glistens in the sunlight.  Looking out over the lake it is hard to believe I am in the outback.  Looks can be deceiving though, because it is a salt lake - definitely no good for drinking.

When I was stopped at Glendambo the driver of a road train parked nearby came over for a chat.  He was very interested in my van and was asking me all sorts of questions.  He wants to continue travelling around Australia when he retires in a few years and my van really appealed to him.   He was an interesting fellow to chat to because he carries explosives and visits the various mines throughout North Queensland and WA and he had a lot of interesting tales to tell.  Like other truckies have told me before, he loves the countryside and considers truck driving more of a lifestyle than a job.  I know exactly how he feels, as do a lot of other nomads travelling the countryside.  I will never get sick of wandering around this beautiful land - it is so addictive.

On the outskirts of Coober Pedy.

Sign at Bon Bon rest area.

Filled up with fuel at Glendambo.

Went for a walk at Glendambo and saw a stunning patch of Sturt Desert Pea flowers.

Lake Hart  -  Shore lined with thick layer of crystalised salt.

Parked on hillside overlooking lake.

Marla to Coober Pedy - 260km

Marla to Mathesons Bore – 114km

Mathesons Bore to Coober Pedy  -  146km

In my last post I wrote that I had travelled 345km when in fact I should have written 505km.  I also forgot to mention that I had crossed the border into South Australia.  I feel like I am really getting closer to home now.

Tues 20th August. 

I have absolutely no sense of direction, but didn’t bother to turn my GPS on when I pulled out of Marlo rest stop this morning because it was a straight run down the highway to Coober Pedy.   I drove about 300 metres down the highway when the bitumen changed to gravel and I was confronted by a large sign  “Oodnadatta Track” – all vehicles should be 4wd and carry shovel, winch, etc.   Hmmm…….. a lesson learnt – set GPS before leaving each morning.

With 180 degree views of the horizon as you drive along and very few cars on the highway, there is a real sense of isolation as you travel in this part of the country.  In the distance you can see the North/South rail line which runs more or less parallel to the highway, but apart from that there is just mile after mile of scrubby grassland for as far as the eye can see.  The soil has also changed from the rich orange red colour to a paler orange.

I’m perplexed at the number of old burnt out car wrecks I have seen along the highway.  In the 114km stretch I have travelled today I counted ten wrecks altogether.   As the closest town is Coober Pedy I assume they have originated from there and maybe have been stolen or maybe just old cars people don’t want any more.  Some of the cars didn’t appear to be that old, so I’m guessing that maybe they were taken for joy rides.  I must remember to ask one of the locals when I reach Coober Pedy tomorrow.

I’m amazed at the number of cattle stations in the outback and how isolated they are.  It intrigues me when I see a sign pointing to a station and I try to imagine the homestead and the family living there.  One station I passed recently had a sign pointing to the homestead - 87 km in from the front gate.  It’s so amazing how vast the distances are.  I remember staying at my uncles dairy farm when I was a teenager and riding the horse about a kilometre up to the front gate every day to get the mail. I used to think that was such a long way.

Wed 21st August.

Reached Coober Pedy at lunch time and booked into Opal Inn Caravan Park.  The scenery is amazing as you get closer to town.  There are hundreds of small piles of white dirt everywhere with "Danger" signs dotted along both sides of the highway.  Everywhere you look in the town there are rusty old bits of machinery and junk everywhere.  The town looks very run down, not helped I suppose by the lack of water.  It is a scarce commodity in this part of the country and there is not a blade of grass to be seen anywhere.  Just dirt and stones and weeds plus some straggly trees.  Most of the houses are run down but I notice a few new ones being built.  There are a couple of country style supermarkets in the main street as well as a few restaurants and backpackers accommodation and lots of places selling opals.  Together with emeralds, opals have always been my favourite gem, and some of the stones on display are absolutely stunning.   I have always wanted an opal ring, but unfortunately the rings I have seen here in Coober Pedy are well out of my price range.  

I asked one of the locals about all the burnt out cars, and apparently they are left there by the aborigines when they are too clapped out to drive any more.   They drive them out along the highway, remove the tyres and anything of value then usually roll them over and set fire to them.

Thurs 22nd August.    

I caught up with some washing this morning and then drove around town to see the sights.   A lot of the attractions seem to cater for the overseas tourists so I was quite happy to just wander around and explore by myself.  Walking around with Oscar I saw lots of interesting sights.  

Marla Roadhouse - I camped around the back.

The piles of dirt as you near Coober Pedy.

Some of the old rusty junk around town.

Old Timers Mine tourist attraction.

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View over Coober Pedy town

View over Coober Pedy town.

Front of underground house.

Front of new underground house being built.

Weird looking house I saw whilst wandering around.

Entrance of new house.

View of large working mine in the distance.

  

Yulara to Marlo - 345km

Yulara to Kernot Range Rest Area  -  151km
Kernot Range Rest Area to Kulgera Pub  -  174km
Kulgera Pub to Marla  180km

I left Yulara late Saturday morning and headed for Kernot Range rest area which is about 100km West of the Stuart Highway.  Since leaving Alice Springs the flies have hit with such a vengeance it is too unpleasant to sit outside.   I seem to remember reading once that the flies are very bad in Central Australia.   I even resorted to buying a fly net to wear over my face for when I am walking Oscar.

One thing that does surprise me is that I have hardly seen a kangaroo, emu or camel.  If you believe the media, the Australian outback is supposedly over run with hundreds of thousands of kangaroos, camels and emus, yet apart from dozens of wild goats and pigs and wandering cattle, since I have been on the road I have only seen about 5 kangaroos, 2 emus and 3 dingos.  On Saturday I had to slow down for a herd of about 20 wild horses trotting across the highway.

Yesterday (Sunday) I stayed overnight at the Kulgera Pub camp ground.  When booking in I noticed their special for the night - roast lamb!  It was too hard to resist so I came back later and had the roast for my dinner with a nice glass of wine.  They gave me such a huge plate full that I couldn't eat it all, so I took what I couldn't eat back to the van and Oscar enjoyed some roast lamb as well.

Even though it is still Winter, the wild flowers are slowly starting to come to life.  After leaving Kulgera there were vast patches of white, yellow, pink and red flowers blooming along the highway.  In another month it should look spectacular.

Oscar's new identical friend at Yulara  -  a miniature chocolate brown poodle called Chester.

Kernot Range Rest Area.

Shoe tree at Kulgera Pub.

Paper daisies along the highway as far as the eye could see.

These colourful wildflowers were growing in clumps everywhere.

Uluru

I have been a bit disappointed with my stay here at Yulara (Uluru) because of the strict laws restricting dogs in national parks.  Oscar has free run at the resort but I can't take him any closer to the rock so  I have to be content looking at it from a distance, and even from a distance it looks amazing.   I would love to return one day and do a proper tour as well as visit the Olgas which also look amazing from a distance.   I would probably have to leave Oscar in a kennel at Alice Springs.

I am really looking forward to seeing my family in two weeks and I am struggling to stay motivated.  There is still such a lot to see but after six months on the road all I can focus on is getting home.

I will definitely be doing this trip again, but will try to limit future trips away to no more than three months at a time.

Shopping Centre at Yulara.

Various views of Uluru from Yulara resort.