NORTHING DAY 30 - FRIDAY 29 JUNE 2018

BACK TO LAURA

Really nearing home now. What a joy this country is. What memories we have of it from back when the highway was an unsealed road and we were driving our old XP Falcon to Amata in the dust and heat. The road has changed but not the country.

Dawn at Coober Pedy.

 A freight train passing under the highway.

 Sandhill country near Glendambo.

 Lake Hart.

Nearing Port Augusta

Redbanks at Port Augusta.

 

Where we lived at Port Augusta in Cole Crescent.

Over the range

Back to Laura.

Hey! That's it ... until next time. Two days at Laura followed for unpacking and cleaning up then back to Lightsview and putting the  July edition of the Village News together.

 

NORTHING DAY 29 - THURSDAY 28 JUNE 2018

ALICE SPRINGS TO COOBER PEDY

Perhaps it was the early morning light, but the colour of the country south of Alice Springs seemed better than usual.

Although headed for home, we were committed to catching up with some new things and revisiting some old "friends". Henbury Meteorite Craters was our first stop - a place we have driven past for years but never visited. They are fascinating and well set up with a camping area and walking trail  with interpretative signs.

Refuelling at Kulgera ...

we paused by the old turn-off to Mulga Park and Amata.

before crossing the border back into South Australia.

Brief pauses were made to photograph the Old Mail Road entry to the APY Lands

and Tarcoonyinna Creek

Some of us wonder whether Tarcoonyinna is actually an anglicisation of "tarka nyinanyi"- "where bones are sitting"- maybe an unacknowledged massacre site.

We visited  "Iwantja Arts"at Indulkana - Iwantja (and the school briefly) - noting that there is now a sealed road in from the highway.

A creative use of roadside wrecks caught our attention, both here and further south.

G4 accessibility just outside Indulkana enabled a call to the Mud Hut Motel at Coober Pedy. We were lucky - a cancellation only an hour or so beforehand became our accommodation for the nightr.

NORTHING DAY 28 - WEDNESDAY 27 JUNE 2018

CAMOOWEAL TO ALICE SPRINGS

An early start for a big day travelling the full length of the Sandover Highway to Alice Springs. Most of the drive was through cattle station country with refuelling only at a couple of community stores along the way.

 Plenty Highway junction. We had another flat tyre just before reaching the Plenty.

 Northern railway crossing.

Evening arrival in Alice Springs and another motel overnight.

NORTHING DAY 27 - TUESDAY 26 JUNE 2018

BORROLOOLA TO CAMOOWEAL

We awoke to a misty morning over the McArthur River valley.

The fully sealed road between the McArthur River Mine and its loading facility at Bing Bong runs past Borroloola.

A bustard by the road.

Refuelling at Cape Crawford, last fuel for almost 400 kms. (Why Cape Crawford for a town some distance from the coast? The cape is formed by a bend in the McArthur River. Crawford was the name of the early pastoralist who discovered the Southern Lost City.)

 

We chose to use the Ranken Stock Route to reach Camooweal in preference to the longer sealed road past Barkly Homestead roadhouse. It  seemed more adventurous and provided an interesting drive. Road condition was mostly but not entirely good.

The occurence of mound springs interested us, particularly being used as watering points for stock.

Eventually we reached the sealed Barkly Highway for a sunset arrival in Camooweal and a room at the hotel rather than making camp.