Sunday 1st Sept

Arckaringa Station – Coober Pedy

We have been on the road 6 weeks and this morning the managers of the property have kindly taken us out to a great area he came across a few days before and really amazing.  We were on our way now as it is 11:00am and we still have a few hundred ks on dirt.  Into Coober Pedy at about 12:30 and decided to get a room at the Stuart Range Caravan park.  Had some lunch at Johns Pizza bar before walking around town looking at opals.  Just before sunset we made our way out to the breakaways for some pics.

Saturday 31st Aug

Old Andado – Arckaringa Station (Painted Desert)

On the way to Mt Dare Pete had some problems with his fuel so once in at Mt Dare he got a fuel filter and that fixed it.  Left Mt Dare about 11:00am on the way to Oodnadatta for a cold drink in the road house.  The road was not too bad a bit rocky we stopped into Eringa Ruins & Lindsay Creek which has good camping. Before getting to Arckaringa station stopped at the Painted Desert to take some photos could not stay long the flies, flies are still bad.

 

Friday 30th Aug

Chambers Pillars – Old Andado

Today we are on the old Ghan railway line and this time it has been graded and the road is good.  Pam & Jack left us at Bundooma Siding as they are very sick with the flu and could not continue with us.  We passed Engoordina Siding Ruins through Finke after Pete & John had a play on the race track.  Lunch after New Crown Homestead then onto Old Andado arrived there about 2:30pm we were the only ones there for sometime until some other campers turned up.  It was a very hot day and the flies nearly carried us away. Camped there the night and early morning had a bit of a storm with wind and a bit of lighting.

Thursday 29th Aug

Kings Canyon – Chambers Pillars

Pauls Birthday, Today was an early start as we will go via Earnest Giles road and not sure what it will be like.  Once on this road we had to let down tyres as it was a bit corrugated but not too bad.  We stopped in at Henbury Meteorite Created for morning tea and a look around the files are bad today.  We had to fuel at Stuart Wells before heading back 20ks to Hugh River stock route.  We had lunch under the rail line lots of gates on this track.  Arrived at Chambers Pillars at 3pm and the flies drove we mad as it was very hot.

Wednesday 28th Aug

Kings Canyon

Pete, Robin, Paul & I did the big walk so we set off around 7:00am, John came with us as he was going to do the short walk.  Pam & Jack decided they would do the short walk as Jack was not well, we took about 3 ½ hrs to do the walk and it was getting very hot.  We met the others at the Kings Canyon resort for a drink in the bar before heading back to camp.  We stopped off at some springs and some went for a short walk I went back with Jack to camp.  Sat by the pool for awhile be for the others returned.  We went and had a look around the station had an ice cream at the shop.

Tuesday 27th Aug

Ayres rock – Kings Canyon

Today the McKinley's & Bamforths left us for home and we continued on after hitting the shops to get some supplies.  We made it to Curtin springs for lunch which was good.  A nice drive to Kings Canyon which is all on tar.  The temp was climbing today and we arrived at Kings Creek camp about 3pm set up camp and looked around.

 

Monday 26th Aug

40ks before Olgers – Ayres rock

Today will be a big day as we have some walking to do the valley of the winds is the first on 7.6ks most of it in the sun very hot and took us 2 – 3hrs.  In the afternoon the boys climbed ulur which took them 2 ½ hrs it had been closed for the last 3 days and had just opened at 1:00 today.  Hung around for the sunset before heading into camp and setting up tents in the dark.