Coober Pedy to Kulgera Roadhouse

12th September 2023

Distance: 423Km

Fuel: 51 Litre

Leaving SA

Up early and showered in order to be at the IGA when it opened to get bread and milk to last for a few days.

We all set off at about 10am with the first stop the Cadney Homestead for fuel and coffee. Fuel economy is very poor because of head winds (as it has been for most of the trip to date).

Stopped again at Marla for fuel and a toilet break. Fuel will only get more expensive as we travel north.

After about 410 km crossed the border into the Northern Territory where we stopped briefly at the sign.

The kids stayed at the border to free camp but we drove on to the Kulgera Roadhouse where there was a campsite with facilities. The cost of diesel there was $2.90 a litre

Around Coober Pedy

11th September 2023

Distance: 61 Km

Fuel: 48 Litres

Opal City

We had booked 2 nights in Coober Pedy so today was the first “rest” day of the trip. The boys had booked us a 10 am tour of Tom’s Opal Mine just outside town so that was our first event.

It was quite a different mine to the one we experienced in White Cliffs last year. The Coober Pedy mines are in sandstone so the tunnels can be larger with less danger of collapse. The guide had 40 years of opal mining experience to draw on and told the tale in a very entertaining way.

Afterwards we visited the Big Winch on a hill in the middle of town followed by a trip to the Catacomb Church.

This was followed by a quick visit to the IGA store in the middle of town to replenish the food supplies before visiting some opal stores.

A drive to visit the Dog Fence (also called the Dingo Fence) was next – this is part of the 5600 km fence that stretches from eastern Queensland to the Nullarbor plain in an attempt to keep pests out of the fertile south eastern Australia.

I first tried to visit the fence some years ago but was forced to abandon it due to a very boggy road. Now most the of the road to the fence is bitumen, so for me the trip was a bit of an anti climax.

That evening we all visited the “Outback Burger and Grill” for a meal before returning to our respective accommodations.

Tomorrow we should be in the Northern Territory.

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.