18. I’ve lost track of the days

Leaving port Augusta at 8am, had a sleep-in! I think I had some deep sleep until I heard rain. 

Off to Renmark today, just a bit too far to go all the way home. 

A nice stop in Crystal Brook, fresh donut, stroll down the Main Street, looking at the shops, fossicking thru a secondhand store and setting off to Burra. 

Seeing all the green fields again , so different to NT, even the gum trees are a nice change. 

Stopped at a quarantine bin (fruit fly zone) and had to change into warmer clothes! 

Into Morgan for fuel and a look around, near the Murray River again, so can hear familiar birds. Quick lunch at the bakery and a very weak latte (so over bad coffee) 

Yay! Back in Victoria! Shame we’re back to winter weather though. On the bright side, I can wear jeans and hide all the damn insect bites on my legs 😩

Isn’t that a mongrel state sign, compared to SA/NT’s?

Got to Mildura approx 5pm, fuelled up and heading home, after McDonalds, in the van, parked in a parking lot. It started raining, but husband decided to head home, another 250+kms, but it’s taken us 3 hours to get home. Scary shit too.  

Narrow roads, raining heavily, oncoming traffic and crappy Toyota high beam lights 😵‍💫

Pulled into home only 10 minutes ago, ready for a cuppa! 

That’s it,folks! Over 7,400km round trip! 

Time to hit the road

Up early yet took 90 mins to get everything packed up. Fair enough we had the awning privacy screen and a big mat to fold up too, so not doing too bad. 

Almost 8am, going to get fuel as we head out. It’s been a nice caravan park, I recommend the G’Day parks, short or long stays. 

I’ve been watching the domestic flights heading off towards home, wishing I’d been on one though. I miss my cats snd Max, but thankfully, Nerolea has been sending me videos of them. 🥺

Ooh there goes a helicopter. I’ve never been in one of those. Maybe another time, just not too soon. 

It’s 21C, nice morning, so not looking forward to 2C mornings at home though 😩. Why can’t I have my cake and eat it too??

Coffee and toastie sat Katherine’s Black Russian caravan, walk down the street and now off to either Bitter Springs or Daly waters  roadhouse. 

Daly waters roadhouse it is. What a special place this is….after three hours on bumpy bitumen, I’m going’s sleep well tonight. 

17. No riches found, leaving this joint

Got the shit together quick today, leaving Coober Pedy at 7.15, heading to Port Augusta!   

First stop was to get some doll pics in a moonscape. The surface of the red dirt had a black tinge to it, but couldn’t find a stop near a big patch, so this had to do. 

Had a quick stop at Glendambo for  fuel and coffee and the worst donut I’ve ever eaten.. why I didn’t stop at the first bite I’ll never know. Living out this far, deliveries are once a week and everything is frozen, even the bread 🤦🏻‍♀️

On to Lake Hart, where I had a trek down the hill, stood near the train track and took photos of the massive salt lake, then up a bloody sand hill to get the bigger picture. It didn’t disappoint, but the attempt to walk down was an effort on my part. (My aching knees!)

On to Pimba, but we went to Woomera, only a few kms away, where we had lunch and a walk around the RAAF Rocket Park, very cool, until I heard another guy do the loudest public fart 🤢

On to Port Augusta, where we arrived at 4.30pm, a quick unhitch, set up and a drive around town, because Hysvsbc was based here a while ago, I think he wanted to reminisce🤷🏻‍♀️

So I’ve been to the top of Spencer Gulf, twice now, first time in almost 50 years. 

Back to camp for tea, shower, a game of Yahtzee then off to sleep (until I heard police and ambo sirens 🙇🏻‍♀️)

16. South Australia, we’re baaaack!

Sunrise over the ranges at Alice

On the road just after 7am.I’m wearing trackers and a sweater, we have the heater on! 

The Alice Springs Discovery Park is a much better experience this time, except for the loud bangs last night, which Husband said were fireworks, I reckon it was gunshots. 

We didn’t see any traffic for an hour out of AS, at 8am. We stopped at Eudunda, the turn off to Uluṟu. I needed a coffee and egg and bacon sandwich. Said hello to some emus, git coffee and sanga, then wished I hadn’t. I HATE RUNNY EGGS 🤢

Arrived at the border around 11.30, took photos for some guys, then of a Variety Bash car, then of the Welcone to SA side of the sign. 

 

On to Marla, for lunch and fuel abd we’ve made it back to Coober Pedy by 4.45. 15 mins before reception closed! 

Now waiting for an open plate lamb Yiros , a hot shower and bed, in that order.

15. Alice? Alice? Wtf Is Alice?

Everyone pretty well knows where Alice is, and she ain’t next door. She’s another 500+kms south of us, so that’s where we’re headed today. If we get there early enough, we’re going to take a look around town, before bedding down in the prison camp again 🤭

It’s a record! We’re leaving before 7! 

An hour later, we saw traffic, luckily no animals, then people at the Devils Marbles, I wanted a walk and got done nice morning photos 

Off we head to Ti Tree, for a coffee and fuel, @$2.60 p/L. I asked for double shot in my latte, could actually taste it! 

Next stop was at Aileron  where we saw camels and donkeys (neither wild 🙄) and some HUGE sculptures, called The Maiden and get Lover, by Mark Egan, with gorgeous parrots sitting on the child’s head. 

Arrived at Alice Springs just before 2pm, quick lunch, quick set up and off to the shops! 

I’d bought fabric online from a shop here, years, beautiful indigenous designs  so I had to stock up, purely to sew dolls clothing to sell. 

A visit to Woolworths  to get stuff for next few days, then off on a tour of town. 

We found Anzac Hill and wow, what views! Almost 360 degrees, except for the trees in the car park. Beautifully done  a real nice afternoon. 

We noticed large clouds over the MacDonnell ranges on our way, the lookout confirmed smoke, so our sunset was amazing, just wish  we could have been up there for it  and not eating dessert at the van park (but enjoyed the pavlova anyway. 

Todd River, bone dry, the regatta is held in a week, so missed out. 

On to either Marla or Coober Pedy tomorrow. 

14. Mixed Feelings Of Going Home

While I’ve enjoyed seeing new landscapes and towns, I’m missing home, probably too much. 

I know there’s lots of gardening to do, a garage sale to organise, cleaning the van , but it’s the cold weather I’m going to hate most. 

Whilst it’s been quite warm in NT, it’s the damn bug bites on my legs, which are itching me, that’s wanting me to get home ASAP. 

We’ll be missing Uluṟu, but plan to make it the destination for another trip, without the van. 

We’re up at 6.30  heading to Tennant Creek caravan park, as it was a nice place to stay when going north. We may have time to look around there later. 

Came out to pack things up and there’s these birds everywhere. They’ve turned up in last 10 minutes. 

Very quiet out on the road, around 8am, took a few hours before anyone overtook us. 

Got into TC around 1.30pm, settled the van at the Gday park, then went for a drive to lake Mary Ann, where it’s quite a pretty place to take the family.  Lots of playgrounds, parking, toilets, birdlife. The lake is more of a dam catchment. 

Back to have a look at the ‘Battery and Mining Museum, but drive thru the car park and thought better of it. Refuelled the ute, back to van,  where we’ve sat ever since. 

I had an early shower, but it felt like a walk of shame, going back to van, as all the old biddies are out on their folding chairs,  drinking, staring at me! WTF? 

I truly can’t wait to get home, cold or not.