Final leg of Loveday’s Wild Adventure…..Dubbo to home.

We drove through increasingly green farmland with plentiful water supply…obviously there had been plenty of rain……lots of livestock……orchards and wineries….…TRAFFIC!!….hills and dips…..

And finally turned into Old Quarry Circuit to find the house still standing, lawns mowed, clean and tidy..thanks to our boys!

Branch was glad we got home in one piece but the van and car need a thorough de-red dusting  

To our companions along the way at various times – Gordon and Kerry, Dave and Rose, Leanne and Joe, Andrew, Ruth and Stephie – thank you for sharing the journey with us…for all the fellowship, laughs and fun times…the trip would not have been the same without you….lets start planning the next one!!

We thank God for a wonderful safe trip around a beautiful unique country. The amazing natural wonders we have seen stand as a testament to our awesome Creator.

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse”

As we had a big day of driving ahead (750k +) we left Broken Hill early ….we would have loved to spend some time here but as we are both back to work on Monday we need to get home….maybe next trip we do….

Driving out we passed one of the mines that seemed to dwarf the town…We passed the turnoff to White Cliffs, another opal mining area….visit next time ??

Morning tea at Wilcannia at a great little cottage cafe Miss Barretts ….fantastic coffee and homemade goodies  (again!).

Along the road since before Broken Hill we had seen numerous wild goats…they were in plague proportions and had lots of kids! We stopped at a rest stop after Cobar….and it was full of goats enjoying the facilities….makes you think twice about using picnic tables when you see what wild things do with them!!

Our next stop was a slight detour to the town of Warren where I started school and Dad was the minister at the Presbyterian church. Our old house was still there, as was the church and school though the school is now the community college as they had built a larger primary school in 1980.

The farming areas looked really well watered and we drove past the large cotton company with a huge harvest obviously just rolled and ready to ship.

The sun was going down so we hightailed it to Dubbo and got in just after dark to the caravan park.

We awoke early to a frosty morning for pack up! After lashing out on a buffet brekkie at the resort for our last meal together we were on the road aiming for Peterborough and a bakery stop before we went our separate ways….As we drove out it was still only 0 degrees….Branch was frozen,,,,,

Of course our last moments together could not be missed by Branch who noted with Andrew’s help that our canvas was sticking out the back..no doubt due to the fact that it was frozen when we put it down . Branch could not resist one last early morning ritual…THE DUMP POINT VISIT…..Branch was in his element….sunlight streaming through his hair and the green liquid flowing 

Just when Branch thought his day had been made….Andrew’s car wouldn’t start….it was a luxury car problem….flat battery in the key!!

Arriving in Peterborough we scoped out the cafes and settled on the Take a Break cafe….fantastic choice…..all homemade goodies….Trev had the best caramel banana tart ever!! We said our final farewells to Ruth Andrew and Stephie and drove on to Broken Hill

The countryside was arid again, roads straight, and we finally reached the SA/NSW border….back in our home state and only 80kms away from where we were on Day 3…There were hundreds of feral goats including little kids roaming the highway into Broken Hill which made driving tricky!

We arrived at Broken Hill and checked in to the Broken Hill Caravan Park, and set up..Trev hoping to watch the State of Origin tonight

First location visited today was the Sacred Canyon which had a few aboriginal rock carvings, and was a small but beautiful gorge.

Stoke’s Lookout provided a great vista back toward Wilpena and a bronze topographical model identified all the surrounding landscape features.

A drive through Brachina gorge with its geological trail was really interesting and informative. Amongst the features were some fossilized stromatolites ….same as the living ones we saw at Hamelin Pool.

The lines on the surrounding hills are known as Trezona – interbedded siltstone with harder reddish limestone…a feature we had seen in a few locations on our trip. The Brachina formations were also very distinctive….Trev decided to try some bush tucker….bad move!! The creek ran through the gorge and majestic gums were dotted along the banks.

The gorge was full of varied and interesting rocky formations.

We returned home via Bunnyroo Gorge for our last night with the Coopers as tomorrow we begin our journey home…..

After a salubrious buffet breakfast we set out on the walk to the Hills Homestead and Wangara lookout in Wilpena Pound.

The walk into the Pound was along a picturesque creek surrounded by huge gums and was the only way in to this natural enclosure surrounded by mountains.The area inside the Pound had been used in the 1800s by the Hills family to graze sheep and later grew wheat. Their small homestead was still standing and had been restored.

The view from Wangara lookout across the Pound was very impressive with the majestic circle of mountains surrounding us. Trev felt the need for a nap at the summit…

After lunch we drove out to the Great Wall of China- a sandstone ridge along the top of the hills remarkably like it’s namesake. A short distance away was Huck’s lookout with a great view back toward the Pound…. and beautiful grass trees growing on the hillside.

After our Sunday podcast service we walked across the river on Parachilna Gorge and up along a ridge to the top of a hill overlooking the gorge and surrounding area – you could see all the way to Parachilna…very scenic.

We returned to the cars and drove back out to Parachilna to have lunch at the Prairie Pub there which is renowned for its feral menu….. kangaroo, emu, camel, goat and various other bushtucker items.

Trev  hopped into a kangaroo burger, Andrew pecked at an emu burger while Ruth and I chowed down on a feral antipasto plate of kangaroo pastrami, camel salami, goat cheese, and emu pate with olives, sundried tomatoes, quondong  chutney etc… Stephie was the only one who was not feral, opting for the safety of hot chips.

After lunch we drove back along unsealed road through Parachilna Gorge to Blinman and then south to Wilpena Pound. The road was quite good and was sealed from Blinman to the pound. The landscape was really scenic with craggy mountains, rolling hills and pine trees amongst the gums.

As soon as we arrived at Wilpena Pound, Andrew had a leak issue….Trev tried to diagnose the issue ….Branch had been very bored over the last few days but now was on fire!! It seemed that a stone from the unsealed road had flicked up and punctured the water pipe feeding the external tap….

We set up camp and planned our itinerary for the next 2 days.

Up early to continue our journey on the Oodnadatta track but before leaving Coward Springs Trev had to take some photos of the amenities….they were really well kept and ingeniously made from railway sleepers….very rustic and suited the surroundings!

Along the track the land was again very arid and vast areas of flat nothingness…until we came across a river crossing in the desert!!

Our first stop was the “Bubbler”, an artesian spring that bubbles and flows constantly…the water was really warm. This area had a few mound springs as they are called….the mound develops around the spring as mud and sand build up as they are deposited as the water flows. Around the spring was green vegetation but the landscape in general was salt pans and desert…..amazing contrasts. These springs are the lifeblood for the plants and animals living in the harsh desert environment…..the aboriginals would follow the springs as they moved from one location to the other….and the chain of springs was used by the early settlers and Afghan cameleers as they travelled from south to north. Blanche Mound was another spring on our way….….again the area around was just arid desert….but beautiful in its own way.

More ruins  at Margaret Siding – a reminder of the important part the old Ghan railway played in this area’s history….sad to see so many ruins…Along the way a group of emus played chicken with Andrew…and then came to Trev when he stopped and whistled at them….very cheeky birds!

We stopped at Curdimerka which had been a larger siding and fettler location for the old Ghan…Lake Eyre came into sight….a spectacular inland sea that more often than not is just a dry salt lake. We walked down onto the lake surface which was crystallised salt….

Underneath was extremely sticky clay mud….which, the further out you walked, made the ground softer underfoot with the crusty salt the only barrier between you and disaster! We walked out only as far as the salt held…no one wanted to return home with clay shoes ….or be stuck out there permanently!It was a long dry trudge through the salt “desert” back to the cars ….

Back along the Oodnadatta track on the road to nowhere (or so it felt) when randomly out of nowhere came these weird metal sculptures…there are some strange characters outback 

We arrived at Marree for a food and toilet stop….a nice small town with a yacht club….hahaha….no water in sight….unless Lake Eyre fills!!This was the end of the Oodnadatta track…..we survived with no issues despite passing someone who got a flat tyre…

We had been heading for Leigh Creek to stay the night there but as we were making great time we decided to push on to Parachilna Gorge and free camp there. The countryside had changed to farming land with hills and green vegetation….and lots of sheep all over the place.The road into Parachilna Gorge was unsealed but the drive in was worth it! We found a great free camp site in the gorge by the river reminiscent of Tiger Eye Pool….

Andrew seemed to have caught the Rosie disease…he had to sweep the red dust off his van the minute we arrived!!

After setting up we lit a campfire….and cooked damper…..

Ruth’s first attempt at campfire damper was delicious although she did break the knife when cutting it up

We had really enjoyed Coober Pedy and were sad to leave…the Oasis caravan park had great amenities and was located close to everything….but it was time to hit the road again!

As we were driving all unsealed roads today, taping up vents was a must….Ruth was really enthusiastic with the tape….and Stephie thought she’d try out driving the Prado!

Farewell mines of Coober Pedy …on to William Creek Road on the way to the Oodnadatta track and Coward Springs….but not after letting down the tyres.

The road to William Creek went past more opal mines, some very desolate country, the dog fence and Woomera army area….

We had lunch at William Creek where there was a pub and not much else….just some random artifacts….Then along the Oodnadatta track which was in surprisingly good condition….no road we have been on has been nearly as bad as the Quobba/ Gnaraloo road – that took the cake!!

We passed the ruins of Beresford, one of the many sidings for the old Ghan railway….and marvelled at how people survived out in such a harsh environment in the 1800’s…The arid landscape was broken up by the occasional mesa and salt pan…

At Coward Springs we set up our camp for the night and then had a dip in the natural spa which was warm and great for a foot or back massage! We explored the restored engine drivers house and read about the history of the area which once was a holiday destination for people from Marree…and was a siding for the Old Ghan train route. We had happy hour around the fire and watched an amazing sunset

The day started out with a drive out to the Breakaways – an area about 20ks from Coober Pedy which was more like a lunar or Martian landscape than earth!Along the way we passed many mine claims and houses built into the hills.

Erosion had left peaks, mesas and hills of all different colours and sizes. Films such as Mad Max beyond Thunderdome and Red Planet were filmed in this area- it was easy to see why!Trev nearly vanished..the photo is like a “Where’s Wally” picture…There were 2 dome like hills called the 2 dogs..or the castles….The colours of the rocks were amazing…Despite being a desert where temperatures can soar into the 50s there was some beautiful desert flowers in bloom….

Out beyond the Breakaways was the dog fence – the longest fence in the world (it is longer than the great wall of China) built to keep dingoes out of the farming areas.

We then drove past the part of the desert area that looks exactly like the Mars landscape.

Back to Coober Pedy for lunch then we visited the Catacomb Church – an underground Anglican church. We met John, a BCA nomad who showed us around the church and told us about the ministry there and the work he does with the BCA Nomads.The church was really unique and has a good ministry to the people of Coober Pedy. The 2 large airvents provided an unusual photo op that apparently is a bit of a tradition with visitors according to John.

We left the church, did some shopping and saw some more random sights…. …..then toured the underground hotel and pub.

Dinner that night was at the famous Johns Pizza Bar and Restaurant much to Trev and Andrew’s delight!

First stop the info centre to get some advice as to what to see in Coober Pedy…..so much choice! The town is really interesting  with its opal mines everywhere and underground shops pubs and houses.

We went to the museum  and discovered much of the history ot the area including the geology, discovery of opal and developemnt of the opal industry. Anyone can apply for a mining permit and you can self sekect a claim of 50 x 50 square metres to mine. Previously mining was all done by hand but now tunnelling ,achines are used to drill core samples and shafts…once opal is seen in the diggings, machinery is stopped and opal is dug out by hand. Rudi an 80yr old miner shared some of his stories from the old days…seems the town ran on cash, opals and the beer economy and opal mining has proven very lucrative to quite a number of people…We saw some beautiful opals samples and jewellery….and decided to come back for the mine tour at 2pm.

Morning tea was waffles, pancakes and coffee at the local coffee shop run by Jimmy an old Scottish engineer who had been mining in Coober Pedy for more than 36 yrs and had more interesting tales and photos…..

On to Kate’s underground house for a tour…this house was hand dug by 3 women in the 1970’s and included an indoor swimming pool! The underground houses are the preferred accommodation in Coober Pedy as the temperature underground is a consistent 22–25 degrees all year round ….outside the range can be from -4 to 45….highest recorded temp 55 degrees! The swimming pool is not used much as the temperature of the water is a consistent 20 degrees…too cold for some! Ventilation shafts are dug for airflow….the pipes coming out of the hills all around Coober Pedy indicate airshafts going into the houses and underground shops.

At the Big Winch lookout we had a great 360 degree view over the town which gave a real picture of exactly what Coober  Pedy looks like…..some things come here to stay and never leave!!

Back for the mine tour…really fascinating the way the mines were dug by hand in the early days….the mine was a maze of tunnels.

After the tour we decided to try our hand at noodling….the only way to search for opals without a mining license. There was a public noodling area in town where hills of old mine rock was located….you can fossick amongst the piles and keep any opal you find. After an hour or so we had found quite a lot of quartz crystals and other interesting rocks. I found a couple of small pieces of rock with seams of opal in them….nothing big or impressive but opal nevertheless!

Dinner that night at the Outback Bar and Grill…. $12 schnitzel night!!