Day 314 -317 Uluru Part 1

We moved on up the middle then hung a left and headed for Uluru. It was a huge drive and we were wizzing along trying to get to a free camp, or a half decent camp before the sun went down. I think we were both so please to see Uluru that we did not think that it was not the real thing!!!! The shape was a bit wrong but hey, have you ever heard of Mount Connor? Three times the size, flat on top, no way to climb and no road to the base!!!!
While at Wipeno Pound we had the good fortune to met Julie and Kevin (Handbrake and Handlebars, but that's another story), they were on their way to start jobs at Yalara. We caught up with them on the first day and they had not been out to the rock for a sunset so we all went together. Now, you know we have been surprised on more than one occasion with coincidences but this one took the cake! H & H had left the Pound in the morning and we were joined by Di & Bill (kangaroo fame) in the afternoon on the other side of the van. In our conversations with H & H, we mentioned Bill's MGB's and a few other facts...Julie commented that it could not be!!!! Well, guess what, it was, Bill & Di's daughter was Julie's best friend at school, and they missed each other by hours....so Di, you now know how we know about the Seven Serviettes!!!(That's another story!!!)
Uluru did us proud with the famous red in all it's glory.
Terrific, outstanding, moving, etc.etc..... what can I say!

Day 312 -313 Coober Pedy Breakaways

The Breakaways, are an area North East of Coober Pedy and comprise of an array of hills in different colours with flat plains in between. 
This stark scenery has been used in  many film including Mad Max.
No, you are not seeing things , there really are four different coloured hills in this picture. The white one looks like an Ice Berg in real life...very strange....
Well worth a read. To enlarge this image double click on it..

Day 312 -313 Coober Pedy

I had always wanted to go to this outback opal center, and we felt that with what we wanted to see it was best to go on one of the tours....I suppose we are still tourist even after 10 months on the road. We visited this impressive underground church..
standing room only in here, very cool, with great use of sculpture and lights for a very calming effect.
Yes this is the golf course...be great for us as we play mostly divots....
We went through a dug out home and also viewed some of the mining tunnels and how they operated....not for me!!!!
Too orientated for the tourist for us but fascinating none the less.....we had done some noodling, seen some opals, checked out the homes, seen the mining area covered in holes....so this left the Breakaways...that's the next blog.

Day 312 0n the road again!

The incredible Wedge Tail Eagle  seen all over the place in the Center...Stephen had been waiting to catch some of them at the road kill and also at a spot that was easy for us to stop...

Proud looking fellow, love the trousers on them... you looking at me because I'm looking at you!

Day 309 - 311 Woomera

Woomera, the secret desert base, for rocket, missiles etc to be tested and launched. Now open to the public with displays on most corners. Could not resist this one as it brought the Singapore days back when my father used to fly the mighty Meteor...still remember the lightning strike on the tail Dad...(that was so the rest of the squadron knew were he was!!!!)
The display of rockets on the main street was incredible....
This lot is what was collected from the desert years after a test, and brought back to the Compound.
Land to sea, air to sea, sea to sea, air  to air, all combinations of the different types of missiles that were tested here. They still do some testing, with the Japanese, English and Americans still using the facilities.
The main museum was full of all the interesting things, including the only Satellite that Australia put into orbit...and much much more.....worth a look if you are passing.

Day 309 on our way to Woomera

The Old Ghan Railway Line traverses this area, this salt lake has one of the old bridges going across, the old Jarrah sleepers and tracks have been removed, but as with the old stations that we have seen there are still things left to stir the imagination of years gone by. 
And then there are other things to stir the imagination...I have to say that it always intrigues me how people come up with these ideas, then get a name for themselves and us Grey Nomads all pull over to have a look..... The one above is actually a water tank, reminded me of K9 for all those Doctor Who fans.
Another version of 3CPO..... well you can see what I mean!
Now that's a sense of humour!!!!!

Day 309 Maree Lake Eyre Flight Part 2

We passed over areas were the water had come down from Queensland, and also parts were the rains of a few weeks ago were still in evidence.
The colours in the distances were fantastic...well worth the trip, we had a ball.
This area is actually part of the South Lake Eyre and the ridges are the coast line from the last time that the lake had filled, many moons ago!
Not the best shot but then it was taken by a pilot (Tom), thank goodness he was a better pilot than a photographer....
We were intrigued by this notice that was in the centre of Maree...makes you wonder if they don't have a point!! 

Day 309 Maree Lake Eyre Flight Part 1

Having been told about Lake Eyre filling with water, (which only happens once in a while) we had headed to Maree as a taking off point. (The other one being William Creek, but that was a little further off and Stephen wanted to head back to Woomera.) The North Lake Eyre was the only one with water in it and really the northern part of that was were all the large flocks of birds were, so you could not drive out, it really needed a flight. We had had a fabulous night the night before and met all the gang involved in the caravan park and the flights...thanks guys, if you are looking in, for all your hospitality, it was great! Above a shot of the town of Maree.. then on to the Lakes.
First sign of water, this is only centimeters deep, but it goes on for miles and miles.
The time was about 10a.m. so we still got some really good light effects.
And we did manage to find Pelicans, but not in the numbers that we had appreciated from the reports...they were further north and much too long a flight for us to get to from this side..the suggestion was to fly from Birdsville.

Always a good shot...the plane shadow on the red earth of the Centre.

Day 308 on our way to Maree

We went out on the dirt road across to Copley, and turned north towards Maree. We had a mission and that was to find a character that we had seen on the Great Outdoors, quite a while back, a guy by the name of Talc Alf. To say this guy has an unusual outlook on life would be an understatement... and he does art in and on Talc rock.
It's almost like he has set up his own state, with a new flag and everything...
Alf had told us about the Ochre area further up the road....it was huge, with dug out areas all around.
And this time we actual got to see what each of the colours were used for and when..very interesting.

Day 304 - 307 Arkaroola Part 2

We spent a couple a lovely days at this isolated spot (look it up, it's way out there), and we did a few trips around and even a night sky watch. The shot above is of the Ochre Wall, this wall is used be the aborigines for there art and body art. We did find another much larger further along the trip but that did not have the intensity of this one.
These are the Paralana Hot Springs, silly me thought we had got to somewhere for a hot dip in the waters.... It's hot alright but all mainly slime....and if you read the inscription below you can see not that good for your health either!!!!

But the night sky was incredible, just the occasional jet flying in to the mines nearby.

Day 304 - 307 Arkaroola

Arkaroola was another of the places that Stephen wanted to revisit and show me around. We arrived coming from Wilpena Pound, via Blinman (were I sent a Mothers Day card..never thinking it would get there in time...it arrived in 4 days having been hand collected and taken to Parachilna, then by train to Port Augusta were it joins the normal post..not bad hey... considering we have had 10 day delivery from Perth to Mandurah!!). Not bad pies either at the Cafe. 

Unfortunately, we got our first flat, on the way up but all was good in the end, expensive but good. Stephen had wanted to do the Ridge Top Tour and in conversations I realised that it was not going to be the thing for me...it did mean that I got to clean the van without Stephen about for a few hours....having said that it was great to see his face on his return... he had a ball and took some fantastic pics.

You travel up to the ridge and along to the top point in this beauty...it is all very rugged and would  have bounced me around to much...let alone the height and the sheer drops on either side.

Just a small video of the scenery, and another thing ticked off the list.

Day 299-303 Flinders Ranges Part 6

There is a short walk from Wilpeno Pound up to the old Homestead. I know that things have to be renovated but this one seemed to have gone to far and had lost it's old feeling, to my mind. A few others have said something along the same lines...... makes you wonder as to were that fine line is!
Stephen did the walk to the lookouts and took a couple of shots...
This was to be the start of him having to do some more walks on his own... the hip has been real bad of late...but I'm not complaining as the journey is still to good to miss!!!