I suspected it when I first saw him in the distance.  Then he slipped on his super-cool aviator sunnies* and I knew it for sure. Our pilot and tour guide for the flight over Lake Eyre was a dead ringer** for Freddie Mercury!

Of course looking like the Queen ex-frontman didn’t guarantee anything.  But a top priority—not just for Freddie lookalikes but for ANY pilot—would be to keep yourself alive, wouldn’t it?

Good to know when you’re a nervous flyer waiting for the hammer to fall. Because during the four-hour tour, we’d fly over some of the most remote and inhospitable outback countryside in Australia!

The booking form had a field for total weight including the clothes you’d be wearing on the flight. I was tempted to lie, but figured I’d be outed as a fat-bottomed girl just by turning up. And besides, before Freddie (not his real name!) could make the 13-seater plane spread its wings and fly, he’d need to work a kind of magic and ensure it was properly balanced.

Easier said than done with a range of 13 different body sizes, shapes and weights to fit into super-narrow seats with super-constricting seat belts from which I knew I’d want to break free.

But even under pressure Freddie managed to play the game.  He matched people to seats, made sure our headphones were fully operational, and hurtled down the runway before we could say “God save the Queen”.

Leaving Coober Pedy

After leaving opal mining town Coober Pedy’s distinctive moonscape of mullock heaps*** behind, the first leg of the flight north-east to Lake Eyre North covered some spectacularly arid scenery. That was unsurprising given that the town’s rainfall for the year to date before this mid-June flight had totalled just 19.8 mm (0.8 inches).

Rolling rocky ranges in the rich outback colour palette of ochres, reds and greens unfolded far beneath, and massive dry riverbeds cut feathery patterns into the sand and rock far below.  Trees cast long shadows in the early morning light, and straight roads bisected the dry country below where occasional vehicles seemingly heading into oblivion traversed the endless landscape trailing powdery plumes. Out here in the harsh desert environment, being prepared could determine if another one bites the dust or not.

Although 1974 was the last time its area of 9,500 km² (3668 mi²) was filled to capacity, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is Australia’s largest salt lake, and one of the largest in the world.

It also has Australia’s lowest natural point at 15 metres (49 ft) below sea level.  If flying over the lake wasn’t considered cheating, I could tick two more Aussie records off my list.

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre

After two days experiencing Coober Pedy’s arid conditions and 90 minutes of flying over the dry and dusty desert we were completely unprepared for a volume of water so massive it merged with the horizon.  Larger than life–just like Freddie’s namesake–but really to be expected out here where huge distances, huge landscapes and huge skies are just the norm. As my shutter-button finger went into overdrive, I felt this crazy little thing called love for the outback and its magnificent, but ever-changing panoramas.

From Lake Eyre North, we flew south along the lake’s western edge where flocks of birds could occasionally be seen below. The salt-encrusted lake’s edge contrasted with the colours of the water in a breathtaking array of coloured lines and patterns and tiny vehicles came and went from the Halligan Bay Point camping area.

William Creek

A short time later we were touching down in William Creek for morning tea at Australia’s most remote pub while the plane was being refuelled.  The smallest town in Oz, closest town to Lake Eyre, and home of Wrightsair (our tour operator), its permanent population of three**** was outnumbered by the planes on the runway. Now that water from heavy rains in the northern catchment a few weeks earlier was flowing into Lake Eyre North, Wrightsair scenic tours, especially the flight over Lake Eyre were in hot demand and pilots from all over were working around the clock.

But the show must go on, so Freddie herded us back to the plane for the return flight west to Coober Pedy. Now nearly noon, the day was warming up and the flight over the little-known Anna Creek Painted Hills promised to be the ‘we will rock you’ leg. But who wants to live forever anyway?! The bumpy flight combined with the amount of morning tea some passengers had eaten was a killer combination. But no matter, Freddie had pointed out the on-board barf bags, which ensured it was heaven for everyone!

Anna Creek Station, 34 km (21 mi) from William Creek and 160 km (99 mi) east of Coober Pedy, is the largest working cattle station in the world and at 23,667 km² (9,142 mi²) in area, just a little bigger than Israel or El Salvador or Belize. Station land completely surrounds William Creek, and the property is also over seven times bigger than King Ranch in Texas, often cited as one of the largest in the world.

Anna Creek Painted Hills

The Anna Creek Painted Hills unfolded below in a symphony of colours and shapes.  Only accessible by air and on a guided tour, I could see a lucky tour group exploring the area below and was consumed by jealousy. Was it so wrong to want it all?  A few hundred (give or take) photos later, we left the hills behind—but I knew I was born to love them.

Then in a flash we were flying over the bohemian rhapsody that makes up the distinctive landscape of Coober Pedy’s mullock heaps***, mines, accommodation and rock formations again. With so many hazards on the ground, it was no bicycle race down there. Freddie’s flight radio was going ga-ga as we touched down. But as the plane taxied down the runway, I wanted to scream ‘don’t stop me now’, and turn around to do it all again. It’s a hard life.

Yes, the tour really is that good. Tie your mother down if that’ll get you on a Lake Eyre flight—although I can’t guarantee you’ll be piloted by fab Freddie, who, by the way, obligingly posed for photos once we’d disembarked.

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Flight Fast Facts:

Where to find it: Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is 647 km (402 mi) north-east of Adelaide, and is part of the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park.

How to get there: Fly or drive to Coober Pedy, 850 km (528 mi) north-west of Adelaide.  From Coober Pedy, it’s a further 166 km (103 mi) to William Creek. The lake is also accessible from Marree at the start of the Oodnadatta Track 655 km (407 mi) north of Adelaide.

Things to do:  Experience the lake from above by taking a flight.  We flew with Wrightsair, based in William Creek and flew from Coober Pedy with a stopover in William Creek.  Flights are also available from Port Augusta, Marree, William Creek, Rawnsley Park (Flinders Ranges) and Parachilna (and some further afield) all of which offer accommodation, although availability should be checked before arrival.

On the ground, drive to the lake via the Oodnadatta Track from Coober Pedy/William Creek or Marree. Campgrounds are available in the National Park, and a Desert Parks Pass is required for access. Extreme care must be taken when travelling in the remote outback (see below for link).

When to go: Although it rarely fills to capacity, Lake Eyre has some water most years, but is most spectacular when flooded by outback rains.  The Australian winter months of June to August are the most comfortable for outback travel.

Want MORE?

• Coober Pedy and William Creek, South Australia
• WrightsAir Scenic Flights
• Photos of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and Anna Creek Painted Hills
• Guide to Australian Outback Travel

*  Sunnies = Australian for sunglasses
** Dead Ringer = Aussie slang for lookalike
*** Mullock Heap = a cone-shaped mound of loose stone left over from mining operations
**** According to the Wrightsair website

Pin for Later!

The post Freddie and the Flight over Lake Eyre! Coober Pedy, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

So what are Australia’s best activities?  A simple state by state word association test will more than likely give you results like these:

Northern Territory = Uluru.

Queensland = Barrier Reef.

New South Wales = Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Tasmania = Cradle Mountain.

Victoria = The Great Ocean Road.

Western Australia = Wildflowers.

Australian Capital Territory = Parliament House! And all those wonderful politicians …

But South Australia = ? Well … WHAT??

OK, so you think South Australia doesn’t have a main attraction?  Well, I say who needs just one, when South Australia is chock-a-block with things to do! Whether you’re looking for a fun family holiday, a swag of adventure activities, some cool country towns to visit, fabulous natural attractions, or just a romantic weekend away South Australia is the place to be!

So just check out this list of the best activities to do in South Australia you can choose from with confidence because they’re hand-picked by a local – me – and they’re some of my faves!

You’re welcome!

1 Ridge Top Tour, Arkaroola

Getting to Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, Australia’s premier eco-tourism destination, by car is half the fun – and a tour of some of the most spectacular South Australian Outback scenery to boot. The Sanctuary Village is set amidst a stunning landscape of fantastic rock formations, low ranges, multi-coloured minerals and a massive sky. So how do you top that? Take the Sanctuary’s signature Ridge-top Tour – a rugged 4 hour return 4WD adventure through the (almost) trackless wilderness to Sillers Lookout.

I’m calling it the best lookout AND one of the best adventures in OZ!  But don’t take my word for it – here’s where you’ll find even MORE About Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary!!

2 Lions at Naracoorte Caves

It’s just as well that Thylacoleo carnifex is extinct. It’s scary enough seeing a ghostly skeleton silhouette deep underground in the Naracoorte Cave system when you know it’s long dead. But imagine meeting a real live one face to face above the ground? These days, the scariest wildlife (not counting snakes) above the ground along the Limestone coast are the bats – and the wombats!

The Naracoorte Caves complex (South Australia’s only World Heritage listed site) is an awesome blend of fascinating Pleistocene megafauna fossils, stunning limestone formations and intriguing pre-history.  And the Bat Cave.  Don’t forget the Bat Cave!

MORE About Naracoorte Caves National Park

3 Whale Watching at Head of Bight

I’m not sure if the LOOOOONG drive across the Nullarbor Plain just above the LOOOOONG curve of the Great Australian Bight stretching for thousands of kilometres along the southern coastline and the LOOOOONGest unbroken line of sea cliffs in the world means the Head of Bight whale-watching experience qualifies as EXTREME whale-watching!

In season, from May to October, Head of Bight becomes a whale nursery with 40 or more whales and calves cavorting below the cliffs.

But you won’t come across it by chance – it’s over 800 km west of Adelaide so it’s best experienced as part of a Nullarbor crossing en route to Perth (or Adelaide if you’re heading east).

And that’s a pretty cool road-trip adventure in itself!

MORE About Whale Watching at Head of Bight

4 Wilpena Pound and the Flinders Ranges

Unless you’re planning a lengthy stay in the magnificent Flinders Ranges, it’s way too big to see it all in just one visit. So get started by exploring its iconic centrepiece, the spectacular Wilpena Pound, a massive 8 x 17 km natural rock amphitheatre once used by early pastoralists as a grazing ground!

If Wangara Lookout near the old Homestead doesn’t give good enough view; or a sighting from atop St Mary’s Peak is too challenging; or a flight over the Pound too expensive, take the up close and personal (and fewer people) option and walk across it! The Bridle Gap trail (also part of the Heysen trail – see below) crosses Wilpena Pound and climbs its southwestern edge for spectacular views back across the Pound and out across the layers of ranges beyond.

Once you’ve seen the Pound for yourself, why not stay a while longer and check out Sacred Canyon, Mt Ohlssen Bagge, St Mary’s Peak, the Cazneaux Tree and lots of other hot spots.

Not sure where to start?  There’s a LOT more in my beginners guide to exploring the Flinders Ranges HERE!

5 Troubridge Island

Troubridge Island is about 2000 km too far south to make it into the tropics. But if you were washed ashore on a fine day, you’d think you really WERE on a deserted tropical island. Luckily, a Troubridge Island escape means you can stay on this tiny island, deserted but for the Little Penguins and Cormorants for whom this is a breeding ground AND whoever else you brought with you to share the solitude!! But snorkelling the clear waters surrounding the island, hauling in a fish or two for the BBQ, wandering the beaches and staying in a renovated lighthouse-keeper’s cottage about 6 km offshore from Edithburgh on the Yorke Peninsula is a mighty fine deserted-tropical-island substitute.

MORE About Troubridge Island

6 Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island

The odd-shaped wind and sand-blasted granite Rocks aren’t the only remarkable thing about the third largest of Australia’s 8222 islands! Vivonne Bay regularly makes the lists of the top 10 eco-friendly beaches in Australia, if not the world. Because of its relative isolation it’s got the purest strain of Ligurian bees in the world – just one of the reasons that foodies flock here. And if you like the smell of fish, get up close to the permanent seal colony! BUT … head back to Flinders Chase National Park to see why these rocks ROCK!

MORE About Kangaroo Island

7 Going Underground at Coober Pedy

Just between us, you don’t actually have to go underground to find your very own piece of Australia’s national gem, the Opal! I found a piece in Coober Pedy’s main street without too much effort at all – although it WAS in a shop attached to a rather attractive ring with a price tag of just $600

Mostly underground, tiny outback opal mining town Coober Pedy is classic South Australian Outback with a harsh climate, distinctive mining town moonscape, the only underground campground in the world, the BIG Winch and just up the road, the longest man-made structure on earth – the Dog Fence!

It’s not short of natural attractions either, with the stunning natural landscape of the Breakaways a few kilometres down the road.

MORE About Coober Pedy and Opal Mining

8 The Cockle Train

It’s not just South Australia’s first railway line AND first public line laid with iron rails in Australia; this coastal railway line running from Goolwa to Victor Harbor is also unbelievably scenic.

Break your journey and explore the stunning coastline at Middleton and Port Elliot; then take a stopover in Victor Harbor and take the horse-drawn carriage to Granite Island.

Back in Goolwa, there’s the Murray Mouth and Coorong – end of Australia’s longest river system (see top photo), and the chance to explore the wonderful coastline visible from the train.

MORE about Goolwa and the Cockle Train

9 Farina Bakery

7 hours north of Adelaide, the driest part of the driest state of the driest continent on earth isn’t the most logical place to set up a town to service a fledgling wheat-growing industry. Maybe that’s why Farina is now a ghost town – except for a few weeks in May, June and July when the Farina Restoration Group move on-site. But historic site restoration isn’t the only attraction on offer at Farina – one of the first buildings to be restored was the smokin’ HOT Farina Bakery! All the better for being so unexpected, the Bakery’s volunteer bakers turn out an extraordinary amount of perfectly baked goods in the middle of the Outback!

In 2020, the Farina Bakery is open from 23rd May to 19th July!  Don’t miss it!!

MORE about Farina Bakery

10 The Heysen Trail

One of Australia’s Great Walks, the 1200 km Heysen Trail is a great way to see the best of South Australia. And if you haven’t got a spare 60 days to do the whole walk, then use the route map as a guide, choose a few sections in areas like the Barossa Valley, Mount Lofty Ranges, the Mid North and Flinders Ranges and see the highlights on foot. There’s something for everyone on this trek!  Starting in Parachilna Gorge and ending at Fleurieu Peninsula coastal town Jervis Bay, the walk is named for legendary artist Sir Hans Heysen, whose works showcase the beauty and diversity of South Australia.

MORE about the Heysen Trail

Of course there are plenty more RED HOT South Australian experiences to be had, but you’ve got to start somewhere, right?  And if you’re ready for a South Australian adventure, take a look at the best flights and get started!

Have YOU been to South Australia? Do share YOUR favourite things to do in South Australia in the comments below!!

PSSST!  MORE South Australia Photos on Flickr!

The post Red’s BEST Activities in South Australia! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Australian Opal

I didn’t understand all the fuss about SiO₂.nH₂O until 2004.

That’s when I first visited Coober Pedy.  It’s slap bang in the middle of absolutely freakin’ nowhere in the South Australian Outback.  And it’s where I first found a piece of SiO₂.nH₂O I wanted to take home with me.

You might know SiO₂.nH₂O better as Hydrous Silica. Or maybe Opal!  Down here, diamonds AREN’T a girl’s best friend. 95% of the world’s opal is sourced from downunder, so Australia comes by its national gemstone honestly!  Australian Opal Rules!

Back in Coober Pedy, there was only one thing standing between me and my Opal. A small matter of $AUD800+. A bit much for my wallet, even if it was already a tasteful ring that actually fitted me.

But then I had a scathingly brilliant idea!  Why not find my OWN piece of opal and make my OWN jewellery? It couldn’t be THAT hard, could it?

So over the next few years I disregarded the legendary BAD luck attached to precious opal. My quest took me to five Aussie opal towns, also slap bang in the middle of nowhere. That’s because the ideal climatic and geological factors in which cryptocrystalline hydrous silica (yep, that’s yet another way of saying OPAL!) forms seem to occur in the harshest, most desolate and inhospitable land on earth.

Where else but the Australian Outback!

Was my quest successful? Well … here’s a set of random adventures from each Australian Opal town!

1. Coober Pedy, SA – Australian Opal’s capital

I awoke in perfect pitch blackness and waited for my eyes to adjust to the light.

They didn’t.

That’s what happens in a windowless room hewn from the solid rock under Coober Pedy in the middle of the night. But for the absence of shackles we could have been in a dungeon. Although the locals who’d built underground to beat the heat were probably used to it.

Meanwhile, the noise from above that had woken me – a pinging sound like pebbles on an iron roof – continued.

I put aside thoughts of poison pills, ventilator shafts and being buried alive. If anyone wanted to do me in, it’d be simpler to dump me in a disused mine-shaft!

Most of South Australia’s 80% contribution to the world opal market is mined in Coober Pedy.  It’s a pock-marked paradise where the golf course (‘blacks’ instead of ‘greens’) enjoys reciprocal rights with St Andrews of Scotland.

This isolated town has what I believe to the world’s only underground campground.  The Big Winch also has the distinction of being first place in the world where we successfully demonstrated a complete lack of opal-finding expertise.

And the noise?? Rain, of course!

2. Yowah, QLD – Australian Opal Exclusive

From our vantage point high above on the Bluff, the small town was almost lost in an endless sprawl of vegetation.  It promised total disorientation if you left the main road in.

Below us was the only place in the world where Yowah Nuts – small rocky nuggets of opal – are found.

Stay in Yowah for a full-on Outback experience to go with your Yowah Nuts.  This town is SO remote it’s visited by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.  The only fuel in town at the caravan park is only available to their paying guests!

I didn’t expect to meet an ex-legionnaire, whose anecdotes about life in the Foreign Legion, including the true meaning of ‘decimate’, kept us entertained over lunch at the town’s only cafe!

After that, getting a fossickers license seemed a bit anti-climactic.

Luckily for inept unlucky opal-mining tragics like me, opal can be purchased locally.

SO … I was forced to descend into true tourist behaviour.  After passing up several fiendishly expensive cuts, I bought my first ever piece of opal.

A multi-coloured shard of Yowah Nut cunningly carved into a pendant.

Although I have to stand right for the sun to illuminate its colours, at only $AU25, it’s a reminder of what awaits our return to Yowah.

3. Lightning Ridge, NSW

As we left the Lightning Ridge Visitor Information Centre, I was asked the dumbest question in living memory.

‘D’ya reckon we’ll like it here, love?’ the the most inebriated of a clutch of beer-swigging Grey Nomads asked.  He drunkenly staggered against the door as he held it open for me.

Say what?

But Lightning Ridge is memorable for a whole lot of other reasons. We followed the ‘Car Door’ self drive tours to the Corcoran Opal fields – the richest stretch of black-opal-bearing soil on earth.  We also saw enough quirky attractions to make us wonder exactly what was in the super-heated bore water bubbling up from the Great Artesian Basin way below into the hot baths full of tourists exhausted after a day in the diggings.

Quirky Lightning Ridge

Think Flying Combi, the Chambers of the Black Hand, the Black Queen Experience and Amigo’s Castle! AND it’s home of the self-proclaimed ONLY black-opal-mining Cactus Farmers in the WORLD!! Black opal requires a tonne of equipment to reach the depths at which it is found.  So our short stay was spent exploring the place where legendary and prolific Aussie author, Ion Idriess worked and wrote ‘Lightning Ridge’ over 100 years ago.

Ironic, though, that any one of his books is now worth more than all the Australian opal Pilchard and I have EVER scavenged put together!!

4. White Cliffs, NSW

Call me a coward, but I can’t face the overhang of a LOOONG ladder tilting backwards into oblivion with nothing between me and the bottom of the mine shaft.  That’s why I did my ‘research’ on the surface while brave boy Pilchard went below for a mine tour.

The good news is there’s almost as much opal on the surface these days.  It’s hidden in the cast-offs surrounding the deserted mine-shafts scattered over the surface, if you don’t mind worthless smaller pieces! Tragically, the collection of ‘colour’ Pilchard and I found after a hard day digging won’t even make jewellery, let alone our fortune.  But I finally got the thrill of the quest and why people keep coming back for more.

Besides, White Cliffs is the only place on earth with unique Australian Opal Pineapples!

As a special treat, the owners of the Red Earth Opal Showroom and Cafe who’d shown Pilchard through their mine, threw in an above-ground mine-shaft tour for free for me.

A real bargain considering it normally costs 50c!

And what’s NOT to love about the place I spent 7½ minutes in paradise?

5. Quilpie, QLD

A bakery run by a gun shearer who still holds the world record for the most sheep shorn in one day is one of many distractions from Quilpie’s main business of mining boulder opal. Hell, with its own HOT Artesian Bore baths and in-season entertainment, you don’t even have to leave the Caravan Park to find yourself a good time!

It’s also not far from Eromanga – arguably furthest spot from the ocean in any direction in Australia.  With attractions like these, you could stay in Quilpie for a week without even thinking about Opal.

The ‘Deuces Wild’ Opal Mine is SO remote a rescue party is sent out (at your expense) if you’re not back by 5:00pm. The distraction of Bourkes Parrot, a lifer for twitcher Pilchard, was almost enough excitement without hunting for the elusive opal.

On the claim, our ever-growing opal-mining ‘expertise’ resulted in some seams of ‘colour’ running through the rock. But while they look nice in the sun, I’m not sure how they’ll become my Opal Ring …

The Quest for Australian Opal Continues

To date, the unkind could successfully argue my quest for my own piece of SiO₂.nH₂O jewelry has been a fools errand! But in the process, I’ve discovered an intriguing sub-culture out on the edge which I’m not yet done exploring.

SO … watch this space – and maybe next time I’ll hit the Australian Opal jackpot!

Want MORE?

• Opal according to Wikipedia
• Coober Pedy, South Australia
• Yowah, Queensland
• Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
• White Cliffs, New South Wales
• Quilpie, Queensland
• MORE Aussie ABC!

The post Aussie ABC: O is for Opal! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Does it REALLY take 7 days to drive the ~3000 km from Adelaide to Darwin?

Only if you want to see a few sights along the way on a REAL adventure! Driving yourself is the best option (try Car hire if your vehicle isn’t up to scratch) to experience a cross-section of Australia’s unique countryside from the dry south, through the Red Centre deserts to the lush tropical north!

AND come to terms with the vast distances that road-tripping in Australia demands!

So follow my rough guide from Adelaide to Darwin via Uluru – with LOADS of optional extras! BUT … be warned! It might just mean your epic trek takes a few extra days!!

Day 1: Adelaide to Woomera

Distance: 487 km

Driving Time: 5½ – 6 hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Varied. After leaving Adelaide, drive through the scenic Clare Valley wine region; then along the edge of the Flinders Ranges to Pt Augusta. At this point, you’re still on the Adelaide Geosyncline (yes, I’m showing off!)(Dad, are you reading this??) landform.

It’s all Outback from Pt Augusta, and the drive along the Stuart Shelf, an extension of the Adelaide Geosyncline, is unremarkable but for some unexpectedly spectacular land formations.

Points of Interest:

• Salt Lakes and Claypans, including Pernatty Lagoon and Lake Windabout
• Island Lagoon Lookout (above) and Nurrungar – now closed, this joint US/OZ facility was the site of several protests, most notably by current Senator Peter Garrett, one-time front man for Aussie rock band Midnight Oil
• Woomera Heritage Centre & Missile Park within the western world’s largest land-based missile and rocket range

Enter the Woomera Prohibited Area (well … it gave ME a thrill!) 7 km off the highway from Pimba. The outdoor missile park’s unusual collection of relics from rocket range days is all the more bizarre for its location.

The Heritage Centre’s excellent displays show the fascinating heritage of this little town on the edge of nowhere that has variously included the Rocket Range, NASA Deep Space Tracking Station and a controversial Asylum Seeker detention centre.

READ: More about Woomera

Options:

• Spend an extra day exploring Woomera and nearby Roxby Downs, built in 1988 to support Olympic Dam – Australia’s largest underground silver and copper mine
• Combine Days 1 & 2 (be warned – that’s a LONG day) and save Woomera for another visit

Day 2: Woomera to Coober Pedy

Distance: 365 km

Driving Time: 4 hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Central Tablelands, with mesas, low hills and salt lakes before reaching the Stuart Range near Coober Pedy, where the landscape is dominated by mullock heaps.

Points of Interest:

• Lake Hart – either a saltpan so white it’ll hurt your eyes; or an oasis in the outback full of water!
• Glendambo Roadhouse complex and service centre – only place for fuel and food this leg of the trip
• Coober Pedy Mullock Heaps; Underground buildings and accommodation; and opal!

While passing Glendambo, spare a thought for Pilchard & I as we inched towards Glendambo after car trouble struck heading south just over half way from Coober Pedy in 2004.

The most compelling argument I can think of for a) carrying water and b) having paid up Road Assistance membership, with a blown head-gasket, the car was, as the mechanic put it in technical terms, ‘stuffed’.

Although he used a different word.

Road Assist paid for a) a motel unit; b) bus fares to Adelaide; c) trucking the car to Adelaide for repair; and d) general expenses. I still shudder to think how much we’d have been out of pocket – so DON’T leave home without it!

Staying in Coober Pedy’s underground accommodation isn’t for the claustrophobic – but IS something to experience at least once!  It’s even got the world’s only underground campground (or so I’ve been told). And looking for Opal, either in the tourist ‘noodling’ area OR ‘finding’ it at the nearest opal showroom can be very rewarding!!

Options: Stay another night and tour the nearby Breakaways and Painted Desert; the underground churches; and a working opal mine. Then take a round of golf at the Coober Pedy Golf Course. It DOES offer reciprocal rights to world famous St Andrews in Scotland after all!!

READ: More about Coober Pedy

Day 3: Coober Pedy to Uluru

Distance: 750 km

Driving Time: 8 – 8½ hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Varied. Once past the mullock heaps, red sandy soil and vegetation cover low hills, then the Indulkana range past Marla. Across the border, granite outcrops before entering the Amadeus basin, a former seabed.

Points of Interest:

• The Dog Fence – longest man-made structure in the world!
• Cadney Park and Marla Roadhouses
• South Australia/Northern Territory Border
• Sturt’s Desert Peas, depending on time of year
• Kulgera Roadhouse
• Erldunda Roadhouse – a giant, caged echidna near the car park was once a prop for Expo
• Mt Connor, sometimes mistaken for Uluru
• Uluru and Kata Tjuta

Start early for a long day because – trust me on this – you DON’T want to drive at night! There’ll be enough opportunities to hit stray wildlife during the day, when at least you can (mostly) see it coming!

Turn off to Uluru at the Erldunda Roadhouse. Mt Connor, at Curtin Springs station, is often mistaken for Uluru and is a tourist attraction in its own right. But there’s no mistaking the vast bulk of the world’s biggest monolith as it glows in the setting sun.

READ: More about Uluru and Central Australia

Options:

• Stay an extra night to explore Uluru and Kata Tjuta more thoroughly.
• Alternatively, take a detour to the remarkable Kings Canyon, and relive one of the more memorable scenes from cult Australian movie ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’!

Day 4: Uluru to Alice Springs

Distance: 465 km

Driving Time: 5 – 5½ hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Central Desert and ranges.

Points of Interest:

• Uluru and Kata Tjuta
• Henbury Meterorite Craters
• Rainbow Valley (detour)

Spend the morning exploring the amazing Uluru and Kata Tjuta formations before returning to Erldunda and heading north to the Stuarts Well Roadhouse for a bizarre, uniquely Australian experience!

Doesn’t EVERYONE want to see a singing, piano playing Dingo? STOP PRESS:  Tragically, Dinky has now retired.

But this means extra time to take the short detour to Rainbow Valley, right?!  Check road conditions at the Stuarts Well Roadhouse – the turnoff is 14 km north; then it’s another 23 km along a dirt road to Rainbow Valley.

READ: More about Stuarts Well; More about Rainbow Valley; More about Alice Springs

Options:

• Stay overnight at the Rainbow Valley campground!
• Factor in extra time to explore Alice Springs – it’ll take a LOT more than an overnight stay to see the sights!

Day 5: Alice Springs to Tennant Creek

Scenery: Spectacular ranges around Alice Springs, which flatten out into the grassy plains and rocky outcrops of the Barkly Tablelands.

Points of Interest:

• Alice Springs
• Aileron Roadhouse
• Wycliffe Well Roadhouse complex, once proclaimed Australia’s UFO capital
• Wauchope Hotel
• Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles)

Wycliffe Well Roadhouse’s unusual murals, strange otherworldly figurines and Elvis campsite are worth a look. Just up the road past the Wauchope Hotel are the Devils Marbles. While they’re at their best at sunrise or sunset, they’re worth stopping for any time!

Then it’s another hour or so up the road to gold mining town Tennant Creek.

READ: More about Wycliffe Well; More about Devils Marbles; More about Tennant Creek

Options:

• Stay overnight at Wycliffe Well, Wauchope or the Devils Marbles campground for sunset/sunrise shots of the Devils Marbles. Tennant Creek is 106 km north.

Day 6: Tennant Creek to Katherine

Distance: 673 km

Driving Time: 7 – 7½ hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Barkly Tablelands grasslands and cattle station country continue to Newcastle Waters. Tropical vegetation hides many relics from World War II, before the lush tropics of Mataranka and its thermal pools.

Points of Interest:

• Kunjarra (The Pebbles), a smaller version of the Devils Marbles
• Cattle Stations, Roadhouses and small towns including Banka Banka, Renner Springs, Elliott, Dunmarra, Larrimah
• Daly Waters Pub – a popular traveller stopover with meals and entertainment
• World War 2 Memorabilia and outposts
• Mataranka and Bitter Springs Thermal Pools – once part of Elsey Station, where the events of Mrs Aeneas Gunn’s classic Australian memoir ‘We of the Never Never’ took place.

Busy Katherine, on the edge of Nitmiluk National Park (also known as Katherine Gorge), is a crossroads and stocking-up point for travellers heading west to Kununurra or east to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The thermal pools just out of town are a popular gathering point at the end of a long day on the road.

 

READ: More about Katherine

Options: Stay 100 km south of Katherine at Bitter Springs, and soak in its famous thermal pools. Who could resist seeing the world’s biggest man-made termite mound in Mataranka’s main street? It even TALKS!

Day 7: Katherine to Darwin

Distance: 316 km

Driving Time: 3½ – 4 hours (allow extra time for rest, food and sightseeing stops)

Scenery: Tropical

Points of Interest:

• Cutta Cutta Caves
• Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge)
• Historic Pine Creek
• Adelaide River’s Historic Railway and War Cemetery
• Batchelor – Gateway to Litchfield National Park

Take a morning tour to Katherine Gorge or nearby Cutta Cutta Caves before completing the drive to Darwin. Although there’s lots to tempt the inquisitive along the way!

READ: More about Darwin & the Top End

Options:

• Stay an extra day to explore the Katherine Region more thoroughly, including the Gorge, and the marvellous Edith Falls just north of Katherine, for swimming and bushwalking.
• Take the scenic route through Kakadu National Park to, with its distinctive landmarks, walks, tours and scenic attractions to Jabiru, then via Mary River and Humpty Doo to Darwin.
• Stay an extra day in Batchelor and explore the natural wonders of Litchfield National Park!

Darwin is an adventure in itself so you might want to consider an open-ended car rental arrangement.  But of course it all depends on how much time you’ve got.

It’d be easy to spend a further week exploring this Top End wonderland – check out my TOP 10 Things to Do in Darwin HERE!

But if Darwin’s the end of the line, all you’ve got to do is fly or drive somewhere else!

Like continuing your road trip – try my 7 Days from Darwin to Broome itinerary!

The post 7 Days … from Adelaide to Darwin! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

South Australian traveller ‘Rest’ stops are a perfect amalgam of political correctness, public safety and parsimony.  Endless signs lining outback highways encourage drivers to stop, take a break and revive – and to facilitate the traveller take-up rate, rest stops like this one are provided!  Just the inducement needed to pull over and break ones journey, don’t you think???

BUT … hunger and fatigue overcame our reluctance at this rest stop just north of Coober Pedy, and we pulled in for lunch…

… and a short while later, this road train emeged from a cloud of dust to park alongside us – and inadvertently provide this great outback shot!!  And far better to meet it here than on a one-lane bitumen road with knee-deep bulldust on each side and outback protocol (and safety) dictating we pull over to let it past …

By Australian standards, this is a pretty big rig.  But not the biggest by a long way!  The current world road train record was set in 2006, when a Mack Truck towed 112 semitrailers – a total length of over 1,474 metres (4,836 feet) – for 100 metres (328 feet) in Clifton, Queensland!

As it turned out, we’re parked in a truckies rest stop – although it wasn’t marked as such on our map.  Now, I’m sure you’ll agree that with enticements like these, truckies will be begging to take more regular breaks – and our outback roads will be so much safer!!

The post Only in OZ #12 – Driver Reviver Rest Stop, Coober Pedy, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Big Winch, Coober Pedy, South Australia

Like a giant sword of Damocles, Coober Pedy’s Big Winch looms over the head of a hapless tourist. Well … actually, it’s Pilchard, sacrificing himself for the photgraphic greater good – so you can see just how big the ‘Big Winch’ actually is! Luckily for him, the perspective is an optical illusion – and he’s in no danger at all.

The Big Winch clearly supports Coober Pedy’s claim as ‘Opal Capital of the World’ – its presence would immediately overwhelm any pretenders to the title!!

This remote frontier mining town, just ‘up the road’ from the Woomera turnoff, deep in the South Australian outback, has much of its accommodation underground to beat the heat – an odd experience we just had to have on our first visit (2004, when these photos were taken).

Great for the non-claustrophobic – the absence of windows can be disconcerting – we awoke in the dead blackness of night to a pinging sound from the air vent above. A sandstorm? Metal contracting in the cold night air?? Friday-night-post-pub night revellers flicking gravel at the vent (as one does)??? No, it was raining!  Yes, RAINING!!  Arid? Desert?? Yeah … right!

Underground at Coober Pedy, South Australia

The paranoid may reflect on the ease with which terrorists could use the vents to decimate the town with poison gas, but can probably rest assured that Coober Pedy isn’t a strategic or politically viable target.  Unless there’s something I don’t know …

Who’d destroy a town with such a unique landmark, anyway? Loud and proud about its heritage, the ‘Big Winch’ at the Visitor Information Centre leaves the tourist in no doubt as to the town’s main industry. Nor does the moonscape of mullock heaps stretching to infinity over the horizon – the visitor’s heap is said to yield treasures the miners have missed …

Getting lucky at Coober Pedy

Although it’s my sad duty to tell you that the experience of finding a valuable gem on a tourist mullock heap CAN be faked!
 

That’s what’ll keep you coming back!!

The post Only in OZ #11 – The Big Winch, Coober Pedy, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.