24th/27th Feb - Port Augusta

Port Augusta is referred to as “the crossroads of Australia” because roads from Sydney to Perth and Adelaide to Darwin pass through here.  We had a “catch up” day on Friday and went out with Roseanne and Ken to the West Augusta Footy club for a cheapie dinner,  a few drinks and some laughs. Very popular Thurs/Fri night for dinner put on by volunteers, the place was packed.   We made sure we were home by curfew and there was no commotions tonight, thankfully.

View from our camp - Spencer Gulf, Rail, Flinders Ranges

We booked in for 3 nights here to Sunday.  Our neighbours promptly told us when we were setting up that we are in “flood” corner.  What’s the weather forecast?  Rain next week, all sweet we will be gone by then.   My Darl took the ute in to get a rattle fixed, he was gone all morning, that got me worried, on his return told me he had to book car in on Monday to get the radiator and engine mountings fixed, uh oh.  We extend our stay for another 2 nights.

View of Port Augusta from Watertank Tower

Sunday we decide to take the Suzi for a spin in the country, out to Quorn – Wilmington – Alligator Gorge – Hancock’s Lookout – Horrocks Pass back to Pt Augusta.   It’s going to be another stinker hot day, we travel through the Flinders Ranges – awesome scenery, but I find it a bit difficult taking photos along the way from the back of the bike.  I know it might sound a bit corny, but we found Quorn quite quaint!  The streets are lined with old stone cottages, all the shops look like the originals, built in late 1800’s/early 1900’s and there is 4 pubs in this small town.  You gotta wonder if they all make a good living.  

The Emporium included Men's Mercery and Ironmongery??? Today a cafe with old wares for sale

One of the four old pubs, we too early - open at 11am

Wilmington, now that was a different little town, one of those main street is the highway through town.  For such a small place they have 3 museums here, the Toy Museum, the Sansouci Puppet Museum and not sure what the other was it is only opened when the guy comes back from mining out at Roxby Downs.  We rang the bell of the run down looking Puppet Museum, I peered through the shop front, to see a guy coming out, in black t-shirt, track pants, unshaven and scruffy looking, I said to Darl could be interesting…..and it was.   He did kinda wreak of alcohol too.

Countryside between Quorn and Wilmington

Brian had these two doing the jive...

For a gold coin donation, (pommy) Brian showed us through his collection of some 1000+ puppets including marionettes and ventriloquist dummies.  Brian learnt his craft after a stroke, he helped a fellow patient in hospital with his puppet show to the sick children and he was hooked.   He also found it great therapy in his recovery.  It’s amazing how the puppets come to life with the right touch.  We had a little play with the puppets afterwards, we probably could have had a big play, but time was pressing.

Guess which one the dummy?!  The left, the left.....

A few familiar faces

Darl's favorites - the Devil and Popeye!

Next stop was Alligator Gorge – 28km round trip from Wilmington.    We are enjoying the ride, my Darl especially – the roads are windy but the road to the gorge is also very very hilly, I thought something was up when my Darl got head rattle and the old girl seemed to be struggling and she was….  No worries we got there okay and then take the 250 steps down into the gorge floor we did about 1.5 kms walk then had to walk back UP the steps…

It's been a while since we have done a gorge....

There was only one thing for it a cold drink back at the Wilmington pub.   The barmaid gave a funny look and a nervous like laugh, when we told her we had been to the puppet museum.    On the way back to Port Augusta via Hancock’s Lookout and Horrocks pass, I didn’t like the look of the weather, it was extremely windy – Darl had a time keeping the bike on the road, it looked hazy or rainy, couldn’t work it out.  Turns out it was a dust storm, there had been two willies through the park but our camp was okay.

Hancock's Lookout - Overlooking the gulf, Port Pirie and Port Augusta

The road here 7kms of rough dirt

We got back just as it started raining and we are in flood corner, what to do??  It was only a light shower but continual.  Old mate groundsman come over to let us know if it keeps up we will be sitting in about a foot of water….  My Darl said he wasn’t moving, I said we better not flood then, how about you go over and clean out the debris from the water drain…..  he did only to find a tyre! in there – that may contribute to the problem just a little.   The water was headed our way but thankfully the rain stopped, I only hope it doesn’t rain until after we leave on Tuesday.

Travelling through Horrocks Pass

Monday, my Darl goes to put the car into the garage – he’s gone a while, took the pushie to ride home so did the scenic thing around town.   He gets back and tells me how the guy at the garage asked if the ute had been driven over dirt roads, my Darl, I don’t know why he thought he could pull it off, but innocently says Nooo!   Come with me the guy says and proceeds to show Darl the nice sandblasted under side of the car which should be painted black, but it’s not…..  Then he couldn’t do naught but fess up.   And that probably happened on our trip to the Cape way back when.    NO MORE DIRT ROADS FOR THE UTE!!     We’re off to Wilpena Pound tomorrow, steering clear of Adelaide for a week while the Clipsal in on.   PS: Don't forget you can double click on pics for bigger view....

The Wilmington pub

23rd Feb - Coober to Port Augusta

The weather is starting to heat up again so we try to make an early start, we get away by 8am to hit the road.   Not really looking forward to this drive back.    We have seen several bicycle riders coming out and back along the Stuart Highway, they have to be mad, there is no other word for it.    We go have a look at Woomera – the largest land-based missile and rocket range in the western world.  In the 60’s the largest “Europa” rocket to be launched there was 32 metres high and 105 tonnes. 

Houston we have lift off!

All these toys and my Darl can't play, security survellience

It was just after lunch time when we called back into Spud’s roadhouse, we had lunch under our shelter and decided to cut for Port Augusta 170kms down the track.   Just watch the speed limit signs Darl as we head back into the big smoke!  We booked into Shoreline Top Tourist park by the Spencer Gulf waters.

We catch here up with our friends, Ken and Roseanne who helped us out back on the Nullarbor when we broke down.  This place is like a little fortress with 2 metre high fence with barbed wire and security gates locked at 9.30pm.    We find out there is good reason later that night when there is a raucous on the outside and someone’s out there banging on the fence, dogs are barking…….this could be a good stay.

Our little chateau.... all tucked in

21st - 22nd - Coober Pedy

We have a self contained unit and it’s great to have our own on site kitchen and bathroom.  I’ve picked up a bug last couple days and was hoping I’d be feeling better for our flight to Lake Eyre today, but I am worse and not feeling like sitting on a little plane for a few hours with stomach cramps so we cancel the flight and I go get some drugs from the nice doctor and nurse at the hospital.   So today turns out a quiet day and I get into the drugs in the hope of feeling better……

Old George Burford's "dugout" lived back in the 1920's

Did I mention the awesome sunsets here, from the top of our cave

At the peak of the mining boom there was 1000+ mining claims here.  Today there are about 40.  Opal workings extend for nearly 40kms around the town.  Coober Pedy, Andamooka and Mintabie once produced over 90% of the world’s opal.  Coober Pedy has approx 45 nationalities living here, one of the most ethnic communities in SA.   Opals aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I quite like them, they are colourful and original, no two opals are identical.  Price is influenced by colour, Base Colour, Dominant Colour and Colour Pattern.   There is a marked difference in price of cut and uncut opals also.

Happy little noodler!

The tricks of the trade

Wednesday and I am feeling so much better so we decide to take a drive out to the Breakaways, a landscape that has broken away from the Stuart Ranges, via the Dog Fence and the Moon Plain desert.   It’s about a 50km round trip, Nick said the road is dirt but not bad some corrugations (sorry wrong Nick, in the words of my Darl the road is F’n horrendous).   Anyway we persevered our way around, it was bad in patches other parts not so bad.    The Dog Fence is long!  The Moon Plain is bare!  The Breakaways, worth the drive!  

Dog Fence is 5,600kms long running from SE Qld to the Bight in WA

The ute is punished yet again......

A couple shots of the Breakaways - above is part of the Castle formation

Back into town we get to see a mining operation in full swing, the opal field landscape blows us away, looks like a heap of giant ant hills.

Hard at work

19th - 20th - To Coober Pedy

300+ kms to go to Coober Pedy and it was going to be another scorcher!  We got away reasonably early for us and at John’s tip off, stop off at Glendambo to top up and ask for the locals discount (fuel cheaper here than at Spud’s).   Another 252kms to go from here, we should hit Coober bout 12.30pm.   It was a long, boring, hot drive – that’s the first stretch of road on our trip we have both thought that. 

Long hot drive

Mullock heaps in background - Blower truck invented by a Kiwi in the 70's, still used today

As soon as we arrive we decide to treat ourselves and book into the Lookout Cave Underground motel and booked the Lake Eyre flight for Tuesday.    We are in heaven, the outside temp is 43 deg, inside the room is a comfy 23 deg, we unpack and do not step foot outside for the rest of the day.   There's a huge flat screen TV and we get Brisbane chanels 7 and 9 and find out that Qld is in for an election.  

The Lookout Cave Underground Motel

Cave Luxury!

This place is quite unique with a lot of buildings built underground, churches, motels, museums and houses (dugouts).  Whatever the temperature outside summer or winter, the underground temp year round is an average 23 deg.  The landscape is covered with piles of dirt (discarded mullock).  There are hundreds of thousands of abandoned mine shafts on the opal fields, with warning signs NEVER walk backwards, that could be tricky I do that a bit when taking photos.   

These signs are everywhere

Have pipes, have underground premises

Lucky for us a cool change come through on Monday.  We do a bit of sightseeing, check out Tom’s underground working mine and some churches, museum etc.   I’m looking forward to doing some noodling, but Nick our host says don’t go out to the mullock heaps, he has a stash of stones out back and let’s his guests noodle from buckets, sounds good to me…..I don't have to get my hands dirty.

Catacomb Church - featuring local mulga wood and an old miners winch

My Darl the miner, I crapped when the jack hammer started, Darl was happy doin his thing!

18th Feb - To Pimba

We were excited to be heading to Cooper Pedy the Opal capital of the world, but it was short lived when we headed out from Port Augusta, we were pulled over by the boys in khaki (not blue).  Actually it was a girl copper, my Darl was not happy Jan – 74 in a 60 zone, just unlucky, only about 100 metres from the 80 zone.  $300+ later and a few more expletives from Darl we were on our way again.  

Lake Hart on way to Pimba

Well, when we pulled up at Pimba – Spuds roadhouse, my Darl got some sympathy from big John Barrett, apparently the coppers are notorious for that spot.   Now Spud, dearly departed, built this roadhouse on the Stuart Highway back in 1968 and worked it for 21 years till retirement, helping out numerous stranded motorists and animals, not charging for anything but fuel on Christmas Day.  When first built the Stuart Highway was ALL dirt.

Enjoying a refresher with John

We tossed up whether to continue on up the road, go into Woomera (8km away) or stay at the roadhouse for a gold coin donation.  We decided to stay at Spuds and luckily as we were settling in, actually I was enjoying a cold drink watching my Darl unpack the rig and I noticed that one of the tyres on the “rig” looked a bit suss.   Yep it was knackered with wires showing, Darl did the job and changed the tyre and teed up a better 2^nd hand tyre from John (for a gold coin donation). 

We took over the shelter

It was extremely hot, the hottest weather for the trip (40+) so, we sat in the shade of the shelter, drank a few coldies and watched the steady flow of cars, rigs, trucks etc., come and go – seems a good little business.    A burger and coldie for dinner and a hot shower for $2 all good.

It says please shut the gate, but where's the fence?? Confuscious!

17th Feb - Whyalla

 Today turned out okay, it wasn't as windy in morning and a nice fine day.  Darl went off on a little explore on his pushie while I updated the blog in the morning.  We both got on our bikes and went for a sight see around town.  First stop was the Flinders and Freycinet Lookout.  Statues built to commemorate the bicentenary of the charting of the Spencer Gulf coastline in 1802.  Views from here over upper Spencer Gulf, Middleback Ranges and Southern Flinders Ranges.  These boys look like they need a good feed!

We had to negotiate a couple of hills to get to that lookout, so downhill and flat from here is in order.  We went via the cemetry, well the bike path goes past it and through the man made wetlands.    Quite a few birds around, ducks, gulls, cormorants and there is picnic facilities here also.   From here we did a cruise through the burbs and find that rose gardens are most popular here.   Darl did pick me a few this morning when he was out and about, but I didn't ask which garden he got them from, it's the thought that counts, right.

 Back over towards the One Steel facility, we notice a train loaded with iron ore, on way out to the port.  We hurry over to the bridge for a birds eye view, I was amazed that the train was going backwards, anyway I waited for the train to pass under the bridge, so I could get a good shot and also thought I'd give the train driver a big wave too!   But guess what, there was no train driver......  Seems trains are remotely controlled from somewhere too, who needs man/girl power anyway??  Shame.

 Another thing we notice about Whyalla, everything seems to be red.... Here is the cop shop, the fire brigade (far right) and the court house AND a red car.    We're heading to the Spencer Hotel and that also blends in, an orange and brown kinda colour scheme.   There does seem to be quite a bit to do and see in and around Whyalla.   The usual lookouts, tours, walking trails, museums.  It is also the Cuttlefish capital, each May to August, thousands of giant c'fish spawn not far from here, apparently one of the most spectacular natural events in Aust marine life.  Shame we missed that one.

At the Spencer we were quite amused when the barmaid disappeared down this hole behind the bar....what the?  No Darl you can't jump over the bar and go see where it leads.   He did ask the barmaid if it was a bomb shelter, but she was not too friendly or happy, I think he got a grunt in reply.     Back home 3 hours later, that was the day done.   We're heading off to the Opal capital of the world tomorrow via Port Augusta.

16th Feb - To Whyalla via Iron Knob!

Now, it was one of Darl's plans for the diversion to Iron Knob en route to Wyalla and I was wondering what would be there.  When I mentioned we were going to Iron Knob to a couple of ladies back in Kimba, they laughed - not much there and they were right.    It is something to be seen though, we spent a couple hours there - had a look at the tourist info/museum and had a drink and lunch at the pub.  There is only a couple of hundred residents live here now.

Everything in the town is old.  The houses are old, the cars are old, (70/80's panel vans etc.) the people are old.   The school was put to better use and is now the pub.  The servo has shut, just a Post Office with a few necessities and a camping ground in town.    Check the card, "Mobile service is not available in the outback".   Actually Iron Knob was the birthplace of the Australian steel industry, believe it or not.   After nearly 100 years, mining at Iron Knob ceased in 1998.  One Steel took over from BHP and iron is currently mined from Iron Duke, 50km south of Whyalla.

The old dears at the Info centre, told us the pub was good for a meal.   We enjoyed a drink and a $5 serve of chips, the biggest bag of chips.  Schnitzels are big here.   I think they like to keep things simple.  They had no UDL's, no CC and no dry.  I settled for a Jimmy and coke.   They have a vegie patch out the back, shallots are going great but the aphids(?) got the caulis and broccoli this year. 

Whyalla!  Is renowned as a steel and ship building hub.  The Maritime museum houses the HMAS Whyalla, the first modern warship built in SA in 1941, now standing high and dry some 2kms from the sea.   We had a bit of a look around and don't really see too much exciting.  The town centre has died, a lot of shops are closed down or closing down soon.  I guess the main shopping "centres" were to blame for the town centre demise, though there is a few different and interesting little shops still along the main street.

Today is a very windy day, we thought we would be over the wind by now, but no.  Our poor little camper is getting a battering, the park is on the beach front.   The beach is popular for kite surfers, ideal conditions for them.   There is seaweed on the beach, kinda wrecks it.   We see a lot of that over WA and here in SA, something I don't ever recall seeing on the east coast.  The seaweed comes in with the high tide and stays until the tide takes it out again, if it's a few days it starts to rot and stink (back at Dongara-Denison was rank).   One Steel operations, big, red and not so attractive on the skyline.