Day 23 Saturday 31st of July 2010

Dawn at Peterborough


Ice dendrites


More ice dendrites

Hello from Antarctica sorry Peterborough. I know it is not Antarctica because there are no penguins. The good news is the wind has moderated from hurricane force to gale force however it appears to still be able to penetrate every layer of clothing. Some interesting ice shots on the camper cover this morning.
The majority of today was spent repacking the gear to enable us to be more efficient in our split camping modes of either "on the move" with the swag or "stay put" for a few days in the camper trailer. The idea being that we will convince people that we are organised and efficient and not the travellers equivalent of Laurel and Hardy.
We also had a good exercise session chasing items from the kit across the camp ground.
I had a senior moment or three today. Decided to cycle down, after repairing a puncture, to the hardware store, to buy a replacement bolt for the car rear tail light. The hardware store i noted on entering closed at 1230 and glancing at my watch indicating 1215 I thought well there is a lucky break. This thought lasted until the checkout. My wallet was back at camp. Ha i thought its only 1222 now. I reckon I can get back in time so I peddled furiously up hill into the breeze back to the park and got back to camp at 1232 somewhat knackered. I decided to return to the shop hoping maybe they will stay open a few minutes later. My heart rose back at the shop at 1237 they were still open and i bought my bits. After toodling around the main street for a while i returned to camp and explained my good fortune. I then checked my watch and the time was 1215. It is a worry.
The rest of the day was uneventful chatting with fellow travellers in the camp kitchen. A Gent from Western Australia was lamenting that that he had to have a replacement engine fitted to his Toyota Coaster bus (converted to a camper and towing a trailer with a Suzuki 4WD on it). Cost him $7000 so they had to turn around and return to WA since they had no holiday money left.
Peterborough is a funny place. Many empty shops in the main street. The hardware is not open Sunday and only till 1230 Saturday. However the Foody is open till 7 pm, 7 days a week. There are at least 4 pubs in the main street. The main road runs through the not overly wide main street which means there is a constant stream of B-Double semis which is a bit scary.
Tomorrow we will do the tourist thing and visit the local sights such as the Steam Town Museum. Apparently Peterborough is the only place in the world apart from Gladstone where there are three rail gauges. This is a measure of the competence that occurs when you have both different state & federal governments building railways :-).

cheers Simon

Day 22 Friday 30th July 2010

Hello from the great camp kitchen at Peterborough caravan park. Another day where the best laid plans were sabotaged by the weather. We were all packed up last night and were sleeping in the swag for a quick getaway this morning albeit not up the closed Strezlecki but back down to Peterborough and up the Barrier Highway to Broken Hill. About 530am we were awakened by a light pitter patter of rain that stopped. Then at 6 o'clock more serious rain. We dragged the swag under the hastily erected awning on the car but too late the damage was done, wet canvas and a bit of a water on the mattress. We staggered over to the kitchen area fired up the lappys and had an early morning coffee. The weather radar showed the rain would clear. Decision - go to the Quandong Cafe for breakfast which we did after the sun came out and we had hung wet items to dry.
I am a bit dismayed about the attitude of some fellow holidaymakers such as those overheard complaining this morning. Here we are on the edge of the outback in a tiny town (Copley) that has a great caravan park, a pub that does great bargain special meal nights, a bakery that bakes fresh pies each day, an excellent mechanic and a hardware/camping/general store/post office/takeaway open 5 days ohh and a blacksmith! and all people do is whinge! Anyway I am not going to whinge :-).
The trip down here was uneventful and after a quick food shop we set up the swag. Peterborough looks to have a bit to hold our interest so we might dally a couple of days. It is jolly cold though!
Cheers all
Simon

Day 21 Thursday 29th of July 2010

Looking out on a grey day


Fog and Drizzle looking west from the park

Hi Folks,
A day of contrasts today. We awoke to a grey cool morning with a drizzle heavy enough to produce a stream of drips off the awning. We trudged around in the gloom trying not to tread too much mud into the tent. Susan returned to bed to read her novel whilst i provided breakfast in bed for her. A rare occurence!
However the cloud started to lift and by 12 we were under a cloudless sky and it was getting warm!
Executive decision.. enough warmth and breeze to dry the canvas so we will pack and sleep here tonight in the swag. Packing proceeded but a clash of priorities arose between having everything in its place (Susan) and getting the canvas packed in time to dry the pvc floor sheet and before the dew started to descend(Simon). Fortunately packing was completed by 630 and peace talks were held at the Leigh Creek Hotel which as previously mentioned is located in Copley. It was Schnitzel night a bargain at $10 and Susan consumed the best part of a bottle of Annies Lane Sauvignon Blanc. Being a responsible person i restricted myself to a couple of pints and a glass of wine so i could guide Susan back to the park :-).
Tomorrow we back track south to Peterborough to take the Barrier Highway to Broken Hill. Whether we get there in the day remains to be seen but we are on the move again!
If you get the chance to call in to Copley it is worth a visit and stay at the caravan park. The hosts Shirley and David are terrific. One unique thing is they light a campfire every night. Copley Caravan Park
cheers Simon

Day 20 Wednesday 28th July 2010

Hello,
today is decision day with respect to our travel route. We decided to tidy up and see what the weather brings. The Strezlecki is still closed and any more rain in the north east will rule it out completely. Rain is forecast here later today so we will wait and see how much. If the canvas is only damp tomorrow we will pack and go. Unlikely the track will be open so we will back track to Peterborough and go up the Barrier Highway through Broken Hill. Will be disappointed to miss Innamincka and Cooper Creek but we are marking time and need to get moving.
Susan spent this morning finishing her spreadsheet and taking care of the washing and drying while i made cables to use our 240V to 12V dc fridge power supply as a battery charger. I left the inverter on overnight so the camper battery was a bit low this morning and there was no sun to charge it. I didn't fancy hooking it up to the car and driving so decided to add some flexibility to power arrangements. Susan decided to give our host's scone recipe a bash which meant an emergency trip to the fireplace for me to get some coals before the rain came. The scone was cooked just in time. It was delicious sliced up with jam and cream.
Then there was the rain for a couple of hours quite steady from about 4. Once again the canvas kept us dry although there was some splashing under the verandah.
The usual influx of new campers including another with a malfunctioning Pajero. Traction control fault probably a broken wheel sensor bashed by a rock on the track.
Cheers from a very damp and cool Copley.
Keep smiling everyone!

Day 19 Tuesday 27th of July 2010

Hi All,
A nice sunny day today with a moderated wind. We leisurely persued our own projects today. Susan working on a spreadsheet for our hosts and me completing the E-tax form. A break for lunch and coffee at the Quandong Cafe followed by a trip to Leigh Creek to fill out our police check forms. After completing the paper work casual conversation revealed that the Strezlecki track is once again closed after 12mm of rain at Moomba. The forecast is for more rain over the next few days so our plan to pack and head off tomorrow is on hold again! After digesting this news we headed to the supermarket to restock our fresh food supplies. Included was a 1.7kg leg of lamb which was cooked in the camp oven on the campfire coals from several old Ghan sleepers. The verdict magnificent! Washed down with a couple of glasses of shiraz. Time is still on our side but the sand is slowly slipping through the hourglass :-)

cheers

On the Road video extra 26/07/10

Here are a couple of videos shot where the temporary ferry crosses Cooper Creek. The ferry last ran 20 years ago.Water depth is around 4 metres and flow 3000 gigalitres per day.

Day 18 Monday 26th of July 2010 & postscript

A new half shaft

A quiet day at Copley today. Took the car down to the garage and the half shaft exchange job was done by midday with the usual efficiency. Let's hope that this is "the" fix. The new slightly larger circlip is shown with the clunky arrow in the picture. Only time on the road with the trailer will be the proof. Susan spent some hours helping out at the bakery and is now producing a spreadsheet for the caravan park, while i wrestled with trying to produce a viewable video of our flight. My task was interupted as Telstra finally got around to posting my internet bill online 9 days after it was due. Of course it was wrong again this month by $20 in their favour. That took about 15 minutes on the phone to fix whereupon i spent 30 mins talking to the sub continent trying to find out why the online data useage has not worked for the past 3 weeks. The bottom line is it's buggared and i don't think Telstra have any idea what my useage and many others has been. My bill only shows connected time with no data measure per previous accounts. A quick visit to the mobile internet discussion forum at www.whirlpool.net confirmed many others in the same boat.
We will spend probably one more day here tidying up a few loose ends before heading up the Strezlecki to Innamincka. Also if some one could turn of the piercing south easterly wind that would be a bonus too! :-)
Tea tonight was at the Leigh Creek Hotel which is in Copley :-) Bargain $10 for a tuna bake with roast vegetables.

......POSTSCRIPT

Yes the old workaholic spirit is still lurking..... Having had a holiday officially longer than any other since 1986 it was actually nice to do some “work” today. Figure that with many a WWOOFing experience to come it might be interesting to try my hand as it were. I enjoyed the work at the bakery cleaning and scrubbing, and of course I always enjoy any opportunity to develop a spreadsheet....tragic really.

Susan

Day 17 Sunday the 25th July 2010 & postscript

Morning scene from wetlands camp site Cooper Creek

Hello from Copley.
We arose around 730 to be greeted by the sun and a fairly fresh penetrating south easterly wind. I was a little disappointed we didn't get the rubber boat in the water but given the strength of the wind and the snaggy shallow nature of the wetland i wasn't prepared to sacrifice it just yet. Besides we should be able to get it in the Cooper at Innamincka. The wind was so strong that we could not cook toast or boil water on the gas stove. We packed, chatted to passing neighbours and toodled with out incident back through Maree to Copley. Pausing along the way for samples and pictures of flowers that were sighted along the road. A pleasant surprise on returning to the camper van at Copley (besides the fact it was still there and intact) was that the Pajero parts ordered on Thursday had been delivered on Friday so we should be fully functional early this week. Looking forward to the Strezlecki Track!
Another flood of new neighbours tonight with some huge caravans!
I have been reviewing video I shot on the weekend. Might be a couple of days before I can post it. It is very amateurish and will require editing and perhaps a miracle to make it presentable!

Cheers Simon

......POSTSCRIPT



Walking along the creek bed last evening provided the opportunity to look for wild flowers, the photo attached is of a small collection found within a few minutes. The banks of the creek are covered with gibbers (one used for the flower display) no historical boards here to explain why so many have perfect circular holes, I have collected a few to add to my collection of stuff collected at our stops.


Cooper Creek Flowers


Roadside Flowers (1)


Roadside Flowers (2)

With my now attuned eyes I was easily able to spot masses of wildflowers on the roadside on the “homeward” journey to Copley, imploring Simon every so often to pull over so that I could get a closer look and a photo.... of course this is not a simple manoeuvre at 110 kms an hour. It is most interesting to observe the variation and vibrance of colour really as magnificent as the colours of the land.


Susan

Day 16 Saturday 24th July 2010

Stilt in Cooper Creek wetland


Cooper Creek ferry


Dude where's my hair?


Susan!

Greetings from the banks of the Cooper Creek wetland adjacent to where the Cooper Creek has rendered the Birdsville track unnavigable. It is 704pm tea has been cooked, dishes done and we are sitting in front of a small but efficient fire from wood gathered in the swamp.
The day started early at 630 with the alarm from one of the three phones that we set. 2 failed to work for various reasons. We got dressed and headed to the airport at Maree and boarded our scenic flight. The flight took us up the Birdsville Track to the Cooper Creek crossing where we buzzed the ferry and then headed back along Cooper creek to the point where it entered Lake Eyre. The scale of the flooding on normally dry landscape is amazing. Cooper Creek is flowing into Lake Eyre at around 3 gigalitres per day down from its peak of 6 gigalitres but with negligible drop in the water level. Everywhere you look from the plane there are birds. Makes you wonder where they all come from. As we sit here after dark you can hear the banded stilts and the moorhens squawking away.
When the flight finished we followed the plane route in the car up the Birdsville track fording Frome Creek which was around 400mm deep. Our first real water in the Pajero. Even managed to get a bow wave! The land is pretty flat and we travelled without incident apart from a few muddy patches until we reached the ferry at Cooper Creek. The ferry carries one car at a time and quite a few were queued many from the Port Power outback bash. Length limit is 7.8metres so most camper trailers attached to vehicles won’t fit. However one enterprising local with a tray top truck was loading them from a dirt ramp and carrying then across presumably for $50 a go. Water depth at the ferry was about 4 metres. After a look at the ferry we returned and travelled along the Birdsville Track to the flooded section and found ourselves a campsite adjacent the swamp. An early night after tea for restful slumber in the swag. Tomorrow back down the track and probably back to Copley to see whether today’s forceful south easterlies have demolished the camper!

Day 15 Friday 23rd of July 2010

Sunset at Maree


Maree Hotel


Functional and free!


Hello from Maree. This is actually being typed before it can be published since we have fallen into the 2% of the population not serviced by the Telstra mobile network. We packed and tidied steadily this morning and managed thanks to Susan’s excellent packing to fit in all the gear needed for a trip up the Birdsville track to Cooper Creek. The trip was uneventful and the road reasonable with only one very shallow water crossing. We arrived at Maree around 2 and set about finding a scenic flight for tomorrow. That achieved with a 730 am flight time we wandered to the general store and bumped into Andrew again as he had cycled the 112km from Copley since yesterday. We set up camp in the grounds of the Maree Hotel. Accomodation was free with a $2 donation for the shower. The Hotel is rapidly expanding its accommodation and our area is under construction with 2 loads of dirt being dumped in front of where we have pitched the swag under a shelter shed. Tea was cooked and the dishes done with a bit of juggling since we only bought one table which was a bit of a booboo. After tea we wandered to the pub for a glass of port and a stickybeak. Plan for tomorrow is rise at 630 and get to the airport for 715. On return we will finish packing and travel to Cooper Creek and spend the night in the flooded campsite adjacent the road.

Cheers Simon

Day 14 Thursday 22nd July 2010

Oven loaded and ready to start


Oven with lid on


Oven covered in coals and cooking


Campground from the fire place


Hi Folks,
Another sunny day in the north. We just pottered. Susan did the washing. We toodled down to the Quandong bakery for coffee and treats. Talked to Andrew and bade him farewell as he started cycling towards Maree. No doubt we will see him up the track tomorrow.
Then suddenly this afternoon....a phone call from Australian Motors. Replacement half shafts have arrived ordered by another customer who is away for 2 weeks. Seeing as we are stuck would we like them? I replied with my credit card details and a hectic flurry of emails/phone calls to arrange transport. They have been collected by Pack and Send (excellent service) at OSB and will commence their journey tomorrow. We will also be journeying tomorrow to Maree and Lake Eyre with swag and rubber dingy in tow leaving the camper set up at Copley. Will be no comms so blog and Facebook/email will be quiet for a couple of days.
The highlight of the day is pictured above. We did a beef roast in the camp oven. Bloody excellent although was some minor charring of the spuds and carrots. Nothing like sitting around the campfire at dusk eating great food from the oven and having some nice Shiraz. It is a tough life but someone has to do it. The last picture is looking back towards the camping area from the fireplace. Can just see the pajero in the background.
The campground managers light the fire every day around 530. There are plenty of old Ghan sleepers to be burned. Every afternoon seens an influx of fresh tenants so there is always someone new to BS to around the fire.
Our first theft occurred. Someone souvenired a pair of Susans black lacy knickers (and the peg) from the washing line.
However a great day where we barely left the campground.
Cya in a couple of days

cheers Simon

Day 13 Wednesday 21st July 2010 & postscript

A quiet day today. Organised some more Mitsubishi Cash orders and ordered the parts for the Pajero. Toodled around and took a drive down to Beltana Historic town. Paj shafts stood up ok to the corrugations so confidence is high we can tackle most things without the camper. Spot of shopping in Leigh Creek and some time spent downloading Andrews photos from his camera to CD. Also worked out that the length of cable from my solar panel to the battery was causing short charging so another problem solved. Looks like a few days sun so Marree and Lake Eyre here we come.
:-) cheers Simon

......POSTSCRIPT


Beltana is quite an interesting town with 4 permenant residents, as there are quite a number of historic buildings in various states of restoration this must mean each resident owns 2 or 3 properties!


Labrynth

We had a look at the gallery the most impressive piece was the labrynth (I kept calling it a maze and was corrected by the gallery owner). The labrynth's creator is the artist granddaughter of the gallery owner; Marion, who was the main collector of rocks from the creek.

The work was completed over a period of 18 months when the artist was in town. Apparently the origins are tibetan - one should meditate inwardly on the way in and outwardly on the way out..... Not cut corners and jump over rows Simon!! On consulting the WWOOF book on return to Copley we found that the gallery is listed as a host, cant say I was able to see much of the sustainable garden mentioned, there were some pumpkins on the outhouse roof though.

Day 12 Tuesday 20th July 2010

Hi Folks,
The mechanic tapped the shaft back in on the pajero and added 0.5 litres of oil to the diff (full capacity is 1.6l). So we lost about a third of the fluid however the diff seems fine. Although things seem ok will be no towing until the modified half shafts arrive and are fitted. A long conversation with MMAL help line today elicted the fact there are 30 sets of parts in Sydney with 44 orders. Which i guess is Mitsubishi speak for nil in stock and 14 orders waiting, 15 when mine hits the deck tomorrow. However we can still swag it to Lake Eyre and surrounds and leave the camper set up here.
We rode to Leigh Creek and did some shopping while the car was in dock along the old road which mostly resembled a creek bed with resulting damage to my rear end. The return trip was on the highway on a slight downhill grade with the wind behind us. The road was smooth and it was no great effort to cruise at >30kmh. Spotted another bike rider behind us who later came to the caravan park to stay. It was Andrew our friend from Wilpena who had decided that riding back to Adelaide would only take a week so had decided to head North. He had tea with us and swapped stories around the obligatory campfire. Another horde of people moved into the campground tonight. Hard to believe there are so many out on the road. Many are heading for flights over Lake Eyre as we will soon. Ring around the moon which probably means more rain fingers crossed that the roads are not awash again. Blogs are short on pictures the last few days will try and add some tomorrow.
Bye for now Simon and Susan

Day 11 Monday 19th July 2010

Hi eager readers (grins). Well today was a fairly significant one in determining our movements over the next few weeks. Firstly lets start with the good news. The sky was clear for most of the day for the first time in several days allowing the solar panel to belt out up to 5 amps into the camper battery. So tonight I don't have to huddle in the laundry to use the laptop.
Now the not so good news. The best date I have been able to get for the replacement parts for the car is August 16th. Thanks for that Mr better built, better backed Mitsubishi. There are some rays of hope that we may be able to source parts from elsewhere i.e. held at a dealer so they don't show up in the MMAL system but i think that is rather slim. We have decided after some contemplation and considering various options including those available from the RAA premium plus cover to stay here until the parts arrive and keep ourselves amused. Tomorrow the mechanic here at Copley will relocate the shaft and top the diff up with oil. Confidence is high this will allow us to drive around no problems but NOT towing the camper trailer. RAA cover pays for 5 nights accomodation plus 5 days car hire up to $110 per day for each. We should be able to do a bit of local sightseeing up to Maree, Lake Eyre and Cooper Creek. More news tomorrow!
Cheers S & S

Day 10 Sunday 18th July 2010

Hi Folks,
We had a great quick pack up of the swag and awning this morning and made a relatively quick getaway from Parachilna. Cruised into Leigh Creek which was totally closed apart from the servo because it was Sunday and they don't need the money so i was told. I was looking for an LPG fitting to convert from a POL to 3/8" fitting .. i.e. big to small. I did buy one before we left but felt it would be easier to buy another (before going to the real bush) rather than emptying the trailer to confirm it. Called in at Copley and Lyndhurst but no joy. Interesting discount Diesel at Lyndhurst 1.33 a litre about 20c cheaper than everywhere else. The mob doing it have the fuel in a shipping container presumably lined with a tank and a couple of bowsers out the front. Have about 15 sites mainly in Queensland.
Here is their webpage After refuelling called into the Lyndhurst store and smelt the unmistakeable smell of diff oil. A quick look confirmed my fear a leak from the rear diff. A well known Pajero design fault that i thought i would not suffer from after having the car for 5 years. Under heavy loads and rough roads the half shafts can pop from the diff and the oil leaks. Fix is new half shafts with deeper ring grooves and bigger circlips. Decision was made to travel slowly back to Copley which looks to have a decent mechanical repair shop. We are now set up in the park and will await for parts to be ordered arrive and be fitted. Hopefully in stock in Adelaide. Small consolation is RAA premium plus allows me to claim accomodation and hire car up to certain limits so will follow that up tomorrow after wading through the finer details. Sounds like rain on the roof again so hopefully the canvas will continue to keep us dry. Cheers Simon

Day 9 Saturday 17th July 2010

First up we were both firmly convinced that today was Friday. Does this mean we have started to escape the treadmill? It wasn't until we were in the Pub for tea that the reality of Saturdays Advertiser corrected this impression. Although we were up relatively early at 730am we didn't start packing until 900am. After 4 hours of packing we finally left Wilpena at around 2pm and travelled the sealed road to Blinman before branching off the bitumen through Parachilna Gorge exiting the western rim of the Wilpena geosyncline to Parachilna. We threw the swag down in the basic but adequate camping park ($7.50 pp/night)and then proceeded to the Prairie Hotel which has feral food as it's theme. Meal was excellent as was the wine. Susan had beef cheeks (that was her meal not a facial affliction) whilst i had a mixed grill of camel sausage,emu mignon and kangaroo fillet. We are looking forward to several days on the road. Hopefully the weather will hold and the roads remain open!
Cheers Simon and Susan

Day 8 Friday 16th July 2010

Today two old timers spent the day recuperating from yesterdays walk. Ahh Nurofen what a wonder drug. We also did the laundry turning the laundromat into an internet cafe. Seeing as the sun was once again absent we used the laundry powerpoints to fuel the laptops and catch up on Farmville :-) A quiet day with some preliminary preparations for departure.

Day 7 Thursday 15th July 2010 & postscript

Hi everybody,
Yesterday was spent on 8.5 hours of torture walking to and from St Marys peak. Last time we were here several years ago I decided when we were at Tandarra Saddle which is about halfway up the really steep stuff to not go to the peak and have a leisurely 12km return walk along the flat pound floor. This time we were determined to get there Susan was hindered by her knees so it was a real struggle. As you scroll through the videos you will hear the cheery narrators voice being replaced by that of someone approaching exhaustion. While we walked up we were passed by all the other walkers on the trail. Halfway up from the flat section to Tanderra saddle who should we bump into but Monty Luke who had the misfortune to be my manager at Amdel. We stopped and chatted for a while and continued on. We weren't feeling to bad at tanderra and decided to push on. The terrain did not become any easier. Nearly to the peak maybe 80 metres short horizontally and vertically Susan was pretty buggared and after looking at a couple of the boulders she would have to clamber over decided she should stop and rest while i went the rest of the way. I clambered up as fast as i could due to the time marching on (it was 2 o'clock) and knowing that Susans descent would be slow with her knees. Very little time to savour the view before we made our way slowly down arriving just after dark at 6. Luckily i packed an LED head torch which allowed us to avoid tripping over rocks on the trail.
After tea Monty and his boys came around to sit at the campfire while the adults imbibed red wine and chatted. We have decided not to move on tomorrow since we will need a nurofen aided recovery to face the joy of packing.

Cheers Simon

......POSTSCRIPT

Thinking back over the past few days and reflecting particularly on the historical information at Hills Homestead I am wondering if what we are embarking on could be in anyway compared with out pioneering forefathers. The picture boards tell the story from Jessie Hill’s perspective; who as a 12 year old (in 1899) joined her father and older brothers to keep house for them. The luxuries this young girl speaks of are the planting of fruit trees (they would have taken years to mature) a long way from all the “necessities” of life today.


Hills Homestead


The house/homestead (now restored) comprised of two rooms each with a fire place and window adjoined by a central passage. No kitchen, no bathroom, how would a 12 year old have the skills to keep house?

Farming in the pound proved to be an arduous and unsustainable and was abandoned in 1914 after heavy rains destroyed the access road. Interestingly the clearings originally planted for wheat are still visible today!

Susan

Day 6 Wednesday 14th July 2010

Grey windy drizzly start to the day.. makes it hard to charge the battery from the solar panel. Yesterdays drive to Port Augusta had the camper battery charging from the car. By the time we returned it was fully charged. When I did the solar panel calculation I didn't factor in the power hungry laptops so we will have to be a bit more careful using them. Once in sunnier climes the problem may resolve.
Went for a 14km bike ride which was difficult when heading into the wind. Susan cooked an A+ bread and butter pudding on the campfire at tea time. Tomorrow St Marys peak walk as long as the weather is fair. Roads to the north are still closed...
Cheers Simon

Day 5 Tuesday 13 July 2010

Had some strong winds overnight and rain in the early hours, camper stood up very well with only a few small leaks. The serenity of the bush..... quite deafening at times. Simon was checking the weather reports early and was well dressed for the occassion. With weather prospects looking dim for a walk up to St Marys Peak we went to "town" for a few provisions just a 5 hour round trip.

Susan

Day 4 Monday 12 July 2010

Day started with morning coffee with Andrew who we met Sunday night. This intrepid traveller has amazed us with his commitment to walking the Heysen Trail. Andrew is from Perth and walked from Adelaide to Cape Jervois to start the walk. He had been walking for 3 months when we met him at Wilpena. Once he reaches the end of the walk at Parachilna Gorge he is going to ride the Mawson Trail back to Adelaide. Well done Andrew hope all goes well with you.

We took a leisurely walk up to Wangara lookout about 10kms and 3 hours.I tried my hand at scones again savoury this time I am liking this camp cooking in another 360ish days I should be proficient!

Susan

Day 3 Sunday 11 July 2010 & postscript

Awoke to a glorious sunny day, cold but with hardly a hint of dew. Final set up of the camp was done. It looks pretty good. The solar panel is charging away at 5 amps and another miracle the laptop charger has come back to life! We took the chainsaw down to a creek out of the park and cut some wood. Fire is a necessity on these cold nights and Susan has built great little fire. Soon the hot coals will be shovelled into the firepit as she has a go at cooking scones! I took the opportunity to cycle round the camp ground this afternoon and check out other camp sites Some nice equipment out there but for a nice price too! It has been a good day just on dusk now smoke circling lazily off the fire and a beer just drunk. This is living ;-)

Cheers Simon

......POSTSCRIPT

Simon blogs and Susan cooks.... tried some scones from Viv and Ron Moons camp cooking book, having watched Masterchef last week I know scones are not the easiest of things to cook, and not made any easier when one tries the camp oven for the first time! Simon gave me a "C" for the first batch and a "B" for the second batch, reckon at this rate I'll get an "A" by Wednesday.

Susan

Day 2 Saturday 10 July 2010

Hi Folks,
Day 2 was not one of the most joyous days. I managed to slip over on the wet deck on the front of our motel unit and tweak a muscle on top of my right thigh. Driving up the highway into a roaring hurricane the wind caught the cloth rod bag and neatly snapped about 40 cm from the end of the fishing rod inside. The day brightened when we got to Quorn and managed to just catch the Pichi Richi locomomotive heading to the shed. Here is their web page for more info Pichi Richi Railway.
We decided to head to Wilpena arriving at around 4. Followed by the "fun" of setting up camp. We managed to be half set up and have some tea cooked by 830. Settling down for some relaxation it appeared my laptop charger was stuffed. Great the third thing to go wrong. We were freezing in bed but ended up warm enough. I think we will stay here more than a few days as the thought of packing up is a bit daunting "grins"
cheers Simon

Day 1 Friday 9 July 2010 & postscript

Hi Folks ,, after a frosty start to the day (see picture) we are finally on the road. Left at about 2pm, called in to see my dad since it was his birthday. An uneventful trip up Port Wakefield Road and Route 1. Darkness fell and we decided that we would stop at Port Pirie. Since it was our first night on the road and we had a long day we decided to stay at the John Pirie motel and had an excellent meal at a local restaurant called the Foxhat as in where's the fox hat? lol.
The camper.. trailer and Pajero are chockers. God knows what it weighs. Bit nervous since we had to leave the trailer seperate near reception since parking is a bit tight. However the locks and such should be sufficient .. i hope. It's windy as buggery here and forecast is for rain so could be an interesting few days. Leisurely travel to the Flinders tomorrow.
cheers Simon

......POSTSCRIPT

Interesting that when there is no time restraint (like going to work) how easy it has been to slip into a different rhythm.

The last week at work I was touting we would be gone in two days little did I realise what would be involved in “shutting up house”. On reflection when I moved into no 75 I didn’t have much, further reflection and it dawned on me I did lump boxes of paper into the little house. I have done a good job to shred 5 years of tertiary life and assorted work papers into 6 large plastic bags that are now providing bedding for 2 families of chooks.

Clothes and bric-a-brac donated to Salvos...check, space bag remaining clothes and store under bed...check, clean out pantry...check, wash windows....check, clean and polish all internal surfaces ....check. “Geez the house looks like a resort” says Simon “Why are we leaving? We could stay here”.

Finally a day late (4 weeks longer than the work tout) I cast an eye around, and feel quite emotional about leaving my little house, but excited too at the prospects ahead. Modern day explorers!

Susan

Preparation

Hi Folks,

The departure day for our trip to the Gulf country draws nearer and the preparation panic is increasing. As each day arrives new subjects previously not thought of seem to pop up. I guess the bottom line is there is always going to be stuff we forget let's just hope it's all minor. Last weeks big purchase was the new bike rack, stumbled upon on the web by accident when searching for ideas for covers for the bikes while travelling. The rack works equally well on the Pajero or the camper, the bikes are rock solid and take about 30 seconds to load or unload.

More info at http://www.isi-carriers.com/

Semi firm departure date is Thursday 8th of July fingers crossed.