Woomera to Coober Pedy

10th September 2023

Distance: 380 Km

This is Dry Country

Forgot that SA time is half an hour behind my watch so packed up early and arrived at Pimba before 9am. Katie and Geoff had arrived about 7pm last night so the entire family convoy was together. Andrew had a flat battery again so Geoff separated the older battery from the new one and we jump started his car.

Set off, Katie and Geoff to explore Woomera the rest off us travelling north toward Cooper Pedy with a planned stop again at Glendambo for fuel – Dale’s car only travels about 260 km on a tank of fuel so he needs to top up at every opportunity.

We travelled through various types of desert vegetation and past many salt lakes glistening in the sun.

Made one further stop at Bon Bon Rest Area where we boiled a kettle for coffee, Milo and had a toilet break. I am very pleased with my Coleman Petrol Stove, once you have got the right technique for lighting it it is so much better than a butane stove especially in cold weather. I definitely need to buy a longer nozzle lighter for it, lighting it with an ordinary cigarette lighter is quite terrifying.

Continued on to the destination of Coober Pedy – made a compulsory stop at the town’s road sign near the turn off.

Then it was on to find the caravan park while Dale and Andrew bought fuel and looked around town. They decided to stay at the Big 4 Caravan Park because it has a swimming pool!

Katie and Geoff arrived a little while later an took over a site next to ours, they were small sites but very handy for the facilities.

That evening we all met up for a few drinks in the Opal Inn bar where we spent a pleasant couple of hours before returning to the camp site for dinner.

Burra to Woomera

9th September 2023

Distance: 404 Km

Fuel: 43 Litres

In the Woomera Prohibited Zone

Had a slight problem leaving this morning, Andrew’s car wouldn’t start, the battery was only showing 10 volts, jumper leads solved the problem but hopefully it won’t be an ongoing problem.

Drove steadily to Port Augusta in convoy, Andrew went through a car wash to remove the mud caking his vehicle, a leftover from four wheel driving. Then a quick visit to Coles for supplies followed by a coffee bought from a nearby tourist information bureau before setting off for the rest of the journey to Woomera.

Checked into the Woomera Caravan Park before having a look at the town with its history as a rocket range.

It is still in the centre of the Woomera Prohibited Area where vehicles are not allowed to leave the highway.

Dale and Andrew are staying at a free camp site at Pimba about 6 km away at the turn off to Woomera township from the Stuart Highway. Not a bad facility with showers on a time payment basis and toilets – no power or water. Roadhouse and fuel stop for the town – I filled up for tomorrow’s drive.

It looks like Katie and Geoff will be joining them later this evening after an epic trip from Canberra in only two days.

Wentworth to Burra

8th September 2023

Distance: 373 Km

Fuel: 49 Litres

NSW, Victoria and South Australia in One Day

It was still windy early this morning which made it feel much colder than it was. We had decided to leave a bit earlier than usual so we could meet Andrew at a rest area on the way, we first crossed the Murray River into Victoria.

Andrew sent a Google location of a rest area – to cut along story short Google’s idea of the location and Tom Tom’s differed greatly and it was only after a phone call that we finally met up. We were in contact over the UHF radio much earlier surprisingly while still 15 km apart however reception at this distance is a bit sketchy.

We travelled in convoy until the South Australian quarantine post at Yamba where, as a caravan we were delayed by a search for fruit and veg. Andrew decided to carry on to the kennels where he was dropping off Ollie, his dog, for a fortnight. While we were delayed anyway it seemed a good time to fill up with fuel and have a toilet break. We met up with Andrew again at the turn off to Morgan and Burra immediately after he left his dog at the kennels.

There was not much traffic most of the way. (Dashcam – sorry about the reflections)

Eventually arrived at the Burra Caravan Park at about 1.30pm but South Australia is half an hour behind NSW so it would have been 2pm for us.

We had an unpowered site so Andrew got one for $10 next to ours – to be honest I think the owner thought Andrew was in our car. I drove into the town for fuel and some bread

A few hours later we were joined by Dale who had driven from Narrandera in one stint in his Jimney.

That evening Andrew cooked us Chicken Sausages which was very nice of him.

Hay to Wentworth

7th September 2023

Distance: 349 Km

Fuel: 36 Litres

On the Banks of the Murray River

I don’t know why I chose the caravan park at Wentworth, if anything it is a bit out of our way but I haven’t stayed there before and it cost no more than the others in the region, so there you go.

As usual set off at about 9.30 am. This is not an exciting ride, we are crossing the Hay Plain, it exactly that, plain and featureless, why the road even has bends in it I don’t know, it could have been driven straight across the plain. You can see trucks coming from miles away.

We only made one one stop on the way when it started to rain, I put my new rain protection plan into play (don’t ask).

At Mildura filled up with fuel because the skies looked black ahead, turned out to be a good move because shortly it poured with rain and didn’t stop until we have been at the caravan park for over an hour.

The Fort Courage Caravan Park is owned by the local fishing club and is right on the banks of the Murray River. Unfortunately the La Nina foods has taken a toll of their fishing infrastructure.

But it was still a lovely place to stay

Andrew contacted me during the afternoon to say he was on his way to Mildura too, we have made arrangements to meet at a rest area on the Sturt Highway in Victoria in the morning. He will stay at a free camp place similarly right on the banks of the Murray

After the rain disappeared it gave way to a sunny afternoon, unfortunately it was also still quite windy and therefore quite chilly but the caravan park and the river side is a nice place to wander about.

Cootamundra to Hay

6th September 2023

Distance: 332 Km

Fuel: 36.7 Litres

A Cold Morning!

Woke to a very cold morning in Cootamundra, the dew had frozen on everything. You can see it here on the table.

After a quick shower, a coffee to warm me up and some cereal, settled down in my warmest clothes soaking up the morning sun. Once the ice had melted took the opportunity to clean the bugs off the windscreen, make sandwiches and prepare to leave, there was no rush – it was 9.30 before we got away.

An easy journey the first part on country roads with little traffic before joining the Sturt highway where there was more traffic including B Doubles, Semis and the occasional road train but nothing you’d call heavy traffic. The wind is having an effect on fuel economy, am probably using just over 11 litres per 100 km.

Because it was a relatively short journey only stopped after midday for a chance to stretch the legs and have a bite to eat at a quite well appointed rest area, some local councils/shires create very nice facilities for motorists often in the middle of “nowhere”. Not a great fan of long drop (composting) toilets but what else can they do?

Arrived at the caravan park at about half past one and immediately after setting up drove a couple of km down the road for fuel. It wasn’t anything like as cold as yesterday.

The only complaint about this caravan park is that it is right next to the highway so there is a fair bit of traffic noise but personally I didn’t find that a problem and it is very well run.

Red Centre Trip – 2023

5th September 2023

Distance: 358 Km

Fuel: 39 litres

Why and Where?

Am setting out on a trip most of which I have done before. There is one notable exception, on a previous visit to Uluru (Ayres Rock), over a decade ago, I missed out on a trip to Kings Canyon due to time constraints. This trip is partly to rectify that omission BUT, more importantly, to share my kids’ first visit to the red centre of Australia. After the success of our trip together to Camerons Corner this trip is something I am looking forward to very much.

Setting out.

The car and camper were packed on the weekend so there was little to do on this first morning apart from load in the milk, lunch and other perishables.

Left home at about 9.40am to avoid the morning crawl on the F6 leaving the city via Mount Ousley and Picton Road before heading south on the Hume Highway.

Apart from being very windy it was an uneventful drive, only moderate traffic with no hold ups – stopped just after the Canberra turn off at the Mundanoon Rest Area for a cheese, tomato and pickle roll and a toilet break.

Came off the Hume Highway at Jugiong and meandered along the back roads to Cootamundra where we booked into the caravan park and set up for the night.

It took a while as I haven’t used the camper for over year but eventually got things reasonably well organised.

Went for a stroll to the Cricket Captains Walk in Jubilee Park, adjacent to the caravan park, a collection of bronze busts of Australian Cricket Captain’s set beside an oval walk. It celebrates the fact that Don Bradman, the most famous of all Australian cricketers, was born in Cootamundra.

Once the sun set it was a cold night in Coota with temperatures hovering about freezing just before dawn.