Around the South West

So from leaving Adelaide we headed back up to Port Augusta, it was a horrible journey as the heat was unbearable and when your in a city it always feels a lot worse. We didn't want to stay at Port Augusta again so we turned left and started our long trip to Perth. We only got a short distance when we came across the Nuttbush Retreat campsite with a small pool. Very basic but ok for the night, it was part of a working sheep station so quite rough and ready.
The Eyre Highway (A1) is the only road that heads west so it's very remote and you have to rely on roadhouses for supplies, accommodation and fuel. On route we came to the town Kimba which has a look out at White Knob and a sculpture of Eyre the chap that crossed the Nullarbor and paved the way for the rest of us.
Next stop is Wudinna which is another small town with a roadhouse but it has a giant granite Farmers Sculpture which off course you have to stop for a photo.
When we reached Poochera we had some lunch and decided that we would head to the coast and stay at Streaky Bay for the night. Streaky Bay is a lovely place, right on the beach and has a sea pool. Once we checked in we headed for the sea pool which is a deep enclosed area along side the jetty, basically it's protection from sharks and rays. One of the worlds biggest sharks at 5m was caught just off shore here and a local guy told us that the local seal that lived in the bay was eaten by a shark only last week. Once we had packed up to leave the next morning we headed to the blow holes and the whistling rocks, they were about 20km out of town and to be honest not worth the trip. We noticed that these big fat lizards with no tails just sit in the road and move slowly daring you to run them over, we found out later that they are called Bobtail Lizards.
We decided we didn't want to drive very far today so we stopped at Smokey Bay for some lunch, and swim in their sea pool and a bit of sun bathing. Late afternoon we then drove to Ceduna where we stayed at a really nice site called Shelley Beach, very friendly place and had a nice walk along the beach. We put the tent up but wished we hadn't as another storm was brewing but luckily it didn't come to anything.
Next stop was Head of Bight which is a marine national park due to the fact that every year hundreds of Southern Right Whales come there to give birth and nurse their young. Unfortunately we were about 5 weeks to late to witness this but the area is well worth a look. Staying at the Nullarbor Roadhouse tonight, it's a bit of a dump but we didn't want to drive another 200km to the border as it was getting late. When you cross from south to west you have to go through a quarantine border control where they check for fruit, vegetables, honey, plants and all kind of stuff.
Back on the road and heading for the border, we knew we had some veg and a bottle of honey they would take from us so we got it already for them and then hopefully they wouldn't strip the car down looking. No hassle at the border they just looked around and took the couple of bits we had. We stayed at a free bush camp after driving 536km with lots of other campers, it was a very cold night so we stayed in our van and that morning saw some dingo's walking around. Once you cross the border into west you gain 2.30hrs which throws you a bit. The drive across the Nullarbor is very much the same but we did see some emus and a wedge tail Eagle on the road with its road kill kangaroo. On the Nullarbor it has a straight stretch of road that lasts for 146.6km the longest in Australia, there is also a museum in one of the roadhouses on the NASA Skylab that landed in that area. Also surprisingly the RFDS have 3 landing strips on the Nullarbor where the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs only has 1
Finally arrived in Norseman and was due to head south to Esperance but due to the bush fires still out of control we decided to head north to Kalgoorlie the gold mining town. We booked into a camp site for 2 nights as there was quite a lot we wanted to do here and we also wanted a rest from driving.
Kalgoorlie is a fascinating town full of history and character, its roots are in gold when it was first discovered. An area of the town got named the "Golden Mile" due to gold just laying on the ground but that has all gone now so the big mining companies have moved in with their huge pit. The pit tour takes you around the edge and a bit inside the massive hole, the guide knew everything there is too know being a miner himself. The town has a museum with all the history of the town and how it grew to what it is today. On display are some gold nuggets that had been found around the town and a replica of the "Golden Eagle" nugget. Due to the thousands of lonely miners in the towns hay day lots of brothels started up. At one point there were 18 all located in Hay Street but now only 2 remain, the oldest and still in the original building and frontage is the Questa Casa Brothel. The madam of this 100 year old brothel gives daily tours of her house to boost income due to the lack of demand in the town now.
We also got our car serviced at a local garage and they did it there and then, all ok but had to buy a brake light bulb as ours had blown. Brought some new flip flops as mine had spilt and now useless, food shopping also done before we leave town and head for Menzies and Lake Ballard.
That afternoon as we left town a huge storm hit town with bolt lightening and thunder so we're glad to leave but unfortunately it followed us all the way for 180km. Saw our first flooded road, it was like a river flowing through it but we managed to slowly cross it.
Once we got to Menzies we then had 50 km of unsealed road which at first was ok but after an hour of going just 20km an hour got really boring. We finally got to the lake just as it was getting dark but the storm was still ragging all around us. I was glad to see some other campers already there, safety in numbers so they say. Any how we cooked some dinner just as the heavens opened and we hid in the van while the storm raged all around us. Finally it stopped to reveal a clear sky and a full moon, I was happy it was over.
That morning where the salt lake should be white it was a deep red color and we knew it was going to be very wet and muddy. We came prepared with some plastic bags to go over our boots but they soon spilt and we got caked in mud. The lake has 51 steel sculptures by Antony Gormley standing on the salt lake, they consist of men, woman and children. They look impressive but would have been better if the lake was white from the salt instead of red mud. On leaving the lake we came across 2 kangaroos and their Joey, first live ones we had seen for ages.
We had to retrace our tracks back down to Kalgoorlie and then to Norseman as we are now heading down to the coast and Esperance but as we left quite late we decided to camp at Kambalda. This is a free camp site in the town by the sports center which for $2.50 could get a nice long hot shower. It was really quite with only one other camper there. After the morning shower we drove to the Red Hill Lookout which has fantastic views of the whole area and even more salt lakes. Breakfast done and now for the 300km to Esperance and the seaside.

Adelaide

So finally we get to Adelaide where Leah, Phil and Gribbs are waiting for us with the kettle on and ginger nuts in the biscuit barrel. It was really good to see them again and nice of them to open their home up to us for the week. Spent the rest of the day chatting and just chilling in the garden, we had a lovely chicken dinner that evening, perfect Sunday lunch.
Monday was another chill day, we emptied the van out and gave it a good clean as the inside had a coating of red sand. Leah booked for us all to go to Moana Beach for a 2 hour surf lesson on the Tuesday and kayaking on the following Sunday, living the Aussie dream.
I love surfing, still can't stand up but I nearly made it, the waves last so long and the speed they bring you in is amazing if not a little scary. Only Phil managed a semi stand up but we all had great fun and that's what it's all about.
All the time we have been here in Australia we finally found an Ikea store as we were in need of some cooking bits and they are cheap in Ikea and I wanted a meatball lunch. Here they have some amazing camping stores and I'm like a kid in a sweet shop, I just have to go in and browse. So far I have brought a self inflating pillow, a camping table and a new tee shirt to replace my stolen one.
We managed to book a Haigh's chocolate factory tour for that afternoon, it's a free 20 minute tour of the oldest chocolate factory in Australia. Lots of free samples while we watched the ladies hand make and wrap all their chocolates, they even hand wrap their Easter eggs in foil.
5 minute walk from Leah's home is an 50m open air pool so Sally and I made use of the local amenities a couple of mornings. Leah took us on a guided tour of Adelaide where we watched the
Remembrance service as it was 11am November 11th. We then went to the Botanic Gardens where they have fruit bats living in their trees, strange things to watch. The city library was impressive but we have seen better while we have been here but the museum was impressive and for once I actually enjoyed walking around. The beaches all along are the best we have seen so far, the water is cold but they are great for walking along and ending up in a happy hour pub.
Adelaide Gaol is a infamous prison which only closed in the 80's, it's a small prison with lots of history. The last woman ever hung in Australia was hung and buried there along with other inmates that met their faith within this prison.
Saturday was a weird day as we got up early for the Christmas Parade that lasted a couple of hours which is not right watching this in 30 degree heat. That night we were back in town for the Gay Pride Match which only lasted about 30 minutes, not quite as big as the British parades.
Finally we had a bbq with kangaroo steaks cooked by Phil but as the bbq caught on fire they had to be finished off in the kitchen. Kangaroo steak is a very rich and tender meat and I'm not sure I will have again but at least I've tried it now.
We had a great morning kayaking in Port Adelaide, went into the mangroves and paddled around a couple of ship wrecks. The biggest thrill of the day was seeing some Dolphins just swimming around and not at all worried about us being there. Afterwards Leah took us to a pancake shop where the pancakes are to die for, I think the best I've ever had. Our time is running out in Adelaide so our final day we went to Harbour Town outlet shopping center and then onto Mt Lofty.
Now Mt Lofty was a climb and a half, although it was only 700m it was extremely steep and it wore me out. Once at the top the views were amazing and once I had finished my ice lolly I was ready for the walk down which was just as hard on the knees as going up.
So Tuesday morning it time to say our goodbye's to Leah, Phil and Gribbs, we had such a great time and enjoyed all the home comforts we had in their home.

The Red Centre

So here we go, off into the unknown outback along the Stuart Highway which is the longest road without any traffic lights or stops in the world. We have a full tank of petrol, tons of water, fridge full of meat and a box full of food. First stop is the sign just outside town pointing us in the right direction and how many kilometers we have to do. The traffic starts to thins out the further you drive and at every rest stop you meet the same people all heading to the same place as you. There are lots of salt lakes on route, the biggest being Lake Hart where they attempt speed records and in the past rocket launches.
Our first big stop was Pimba where there is just a roadhouse, petrol, toilets and showers, but 6km to the right is Woomera which is an Army base but in the past was used for rocket launches by the British. So in the town center they have lots of rockets and other military hardware.
It's starting to get really hot and the air con like most other things in this car doesn't really work and the left side wing mirror has decided to fall out so its held in with tie clips.
We drive onto another small town called Glendambo where we fill up at $1.56 so it's getting more expensive the further in we go. We made a sandwich and had a drink and because the town wasn't up too much we drove onto Coober Pedy which is another staging post. We roll into the Big 5 site about 4.30 and headed for a shower to cool off and we have to pay for it 20c for 2 minutes, but it was a good 2 minutes. They have a great lounge cook area so it's nice for cooking a meal and then relaxing. For dinner tonight it's steak and jackets with cake for pudding washed down with a Beck's, well earned after driving 340 miles.
Both of us are feeling the effects of the heat and constance driving but there is nothing we can do about it but keep going. We had decided not to do as much this day and just head over the Northern Territory border to Kulgera but when we arrived at the Kulgera roadhouse we both weren't  happy about staying there. It was only another 60 miles to Erldunda so we pushed on and so glad we did cos for another $2 we got a great camp with a lovely pool and wifi. On the road to there we past an accident that involved an army truck that had turned over so a little hold up. We decided to put the tent up in the belief that it will be cooler than the van. That night we had a thunder storm with heavy rain and but we survived in our tent, but yet again a restless sleep. So after 304 miles and a very hot day I'm desperate for a good sleep.
So on the third day and 167 miles and fuel costing $1.81 we make it to Yulara camp site, nothing special but it's home for the next 3 days. Once the tent is put up we decide to drive to Ayers Rock to see what it's all about. It had been overcast all day but still very hot so when we arrived at the Rock we decided to do the base walk which is 10.6km and it took us 3hrs. Ulura (Ayers Rock) is a special and an amazing place, you do feel a sense of peace there. It's amazingly quite there, even with other people it's still quite. The climb is currently closed as the chain needs replacing, this then doesn't give us the dilemma of whether to climb or not.
Once the walk was finished we drove to the sunset viewing area and waited, not impressed and not sure what all the fuss is about.
So in the tent with wild dingos around for our neighbors and it rained in the night for a couple of hours, so no sleep also I woke up feeling dizzy and sick. Think I'm getting to old for this type of traveling, so up at 5am feeling like crap but we head for the sunrise viewing area with hundreds of others. And again not sure what all the fuss is about, the Rock looks no different from the sunset. We sat in the carpark with Ayers Rock in front of us and had our cup of tea and bowl of cereals, good start and I'm starting to feel better.
From here we head the 50km to Kata Tjuta to do a couple of the walks, arriving there around 9 it was getting really hot, but we did see a camel in the scrub. Started the Valley of the Winds walk ok but we soon got lost and couldn't find the track at all so we retraced our tracks back and after 3 hours we were back at the car both feeling tired and hot. The other walk we wanted to do there was the Walpa Gorge Walk which is an hour long. I'm feeling really rough and not at all well but I make it there and back in one piece. Once back at the camp site I headed for a cold shower to try and bring my temperature down and it worked as I started to feel better. We are allowed to use the facilities at the hotels and the Sails hotel was recommended as having the best pool. The pool is really big and not at all busy so getting two beds in the shade I was set for a snooze. After a gentle swim, a lot of water drank and a sleep I was feeling much better, just need a decent nights kip now.
The weather is not being kind to me as tonight we have another thunder storm with heavy rain and hail stones to follow but it has cooled it down a bit. Looking forward to doing nothing tomorrow before we start driving again to Kings Canyon. Up with the raising sun and I slept pretty well and no storms. After breakfast we drove into the park for another walk around the Rock as its a beautiful blue sky and we hadn't seen it in that light. It's mega hot today so I'm making sure to drink more as I don't want to feel ill again. A quick trip to the supermarket for some drinks and then spending the rest of the day lazing by the pool. Really nice time at the pool and now back at site cooking dinner and sharing our bench tonight apart from the mice, flies, moths we now have a lizard.
Awake really early so went to the camp view point to see the sun rise in our pjs and already the temperature was rising quickly. Shower and some breakfast and we were on the road to Kings Canyon. The road was pretty much the same as the last 1000km we had done and the heat was again unrelenting. We arrived at the camp site at 2pm and headed straight for the pool, not the best pool but it was ok. Run into a couple from the pervious camp and then met some Aussies and we chatted for about an hour, while we talked a dingo just walked past us without a care in the world. Pretty chilled afternoon and a nice dinner with no flys around to hassle us just the odd dingo walking past. Alarm set for 5am as we wanted to be starting the rim walk early mainly to avoid the crowds and the heat. That night it was extremely windy and we wondered if the Rangers would close the walk but it was still open and at 6.10am we started the climb up. Once we were at the top the views were amazing and so was the wind, at times you felt as if you were going to be blown over the edge. The walk took us 3.10hrs and we were both very hot and tired by the time we got back to the car. Sally was feeling very unwell so I drove for that day, I think the heat had got to her even through we had both drank a lot of water on route.
Right after we had finished the trek we started our drive back to the Stuart Highway where we were going to stay at Erldunda, the main junction and staging post for Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon and Alice Springs. From there it was another 200km to Alice Springs so after some lunch we decided to make the drive to Alice. Arrived quite late but there was still time for a quick dip in the pool to cool down, the site was really nice and the guys who run it were very helpful. G'day Mate site was 6km outside of town and a bit concerned when they said the site it all locked up at night. That night we had the worst thunder and lightening storm I have ever experienced and it lasted 4hrs. In the morning the site was a mess and our washing was all over the place. While there a family that had finished their trip gave us a ice box full of food and some noddles for playing in the water. As it was so nice at the site we decided to stay an extra night so before going into town we did some washing and dried it in the dryers as it was still raining a little. All our domestic chores done we headed into town and now I know why they lock the site down. The Aboriginal presence is very clear with groups of men, woman and children hanging around in group on grass verges, street corners and anywhere they can sit. I felt uneasy walking around Alice maybe also because Alice does have that bad reputation. Called in at the tourist center for some local maps and off we went exploring. There is Anzac Hill with memorials to those that had fallen in all the conflicts over the years. Driving around we came across the Telegraph Station within the Larapinta Trail and the start of the West MacDonnell National Park. Walking around we came across rock wallabies and some kangaroos, we walked along the river bed to where they had dammed the river. As it was a really hot day we went back to the camp site to relax by the pool for the rest of the day. Before we left for the West Macs we paid a visit to the Flying Doctors museum, which gives you the history of the service and how they help people from all over Australia not just the outback. On the way out of town we stopped at John Flynn memorial and grave, he was the Australian that started the flying doctors service.
We decided to go to the furthest point possible with our vehicle along the West Macs which is Glen Helen. Not much there but nice helpful people in the office as there is a camp site there. We walked to the gorge and sat by the pool, this is a lovely place where you can swim in clear water.
1km further on was Mt Sonder, a look out right across the ranges, so beautiful that we had lunch there and stayed quite awhile. The next gorge is Ormiston Gorge and it was so nice that we decided to camp there, once we paid and picked our spot we headed for the pool with our noddles in hand. Floating around with our noddles between two huge mountains is magical, it was so peaceful. They have a look out on the top of one side which we walked too, the colors the sun casts on the gorge just can't be captured by a camera. That night apart from the ants we had the dingo's wandering around but they were more scared of us than we are of them. The next morning awake at 5.30 so we watched the sun rise which was more magical that sunset. Was sorry to leave this place and hoping the other gorges are just as great. The next stop isn't a gorge but the Ochre Pits, this is where the Aboriginals cut away at the rock face to get the colored paint for their arts.
The next gorge is Serpentine Gorge but it was down an unsealed road and we tried but it shock the van too much so we gave up and headed for Ellery Creek Big Hole. This is a lovely place with a great pool to swim in and a nice gorge walk which we did even through it was extremely hot. We had an hours drive onto the next gorge which is just outside Alice, Simpsons Gap is the most spectacular gorge but you are not allowed to swim in the pool due to the Rock wallabies being protected in that area. There is some lovely walks in this area but a couple were far too long for us to do that day. Well I think we have now seen what we wanted to see in our unexpected trip to Alice Springs and now it's time for the dreaded trip back through the center of Australia. Before we left we had to have a Mac latte to see us on our way and our last bit of wifi for a few days. We decided that we would only go as far as Erldunda as the next stop after that is Coober Pedy and that's too far in one day. Once there we were straight into the pool to cool down as temperatures were still high, had a lovely sunset there, a decent meal and good sleep. I was up and drinking my morning cuppa when the sun rose and before all the other campers were up. We hit the road quite early as we wanted to visit the town of Coober Pedy as it has a lot of history with its Opal mines and underground living. We stayed in a different site this time as this one had water in its pool even through it was tiny and freezing but we still went in. While there we paid Faye's underground house a visit which took her 10 years to dig out and for $5 you get to walk around her 3 bed home. The town also has 2 underground churches and they say that 80% of the town lives underground due to the heat. Australia is the biggest supplier of the worlds Opals with Coober Pedy being the biggest.
The next morning before leaving we drove out to the Breakaways which is 20km out of town across unsealed road, this area you find the worlds longest dog fence which is suppose to keep the dingo's from heading south. This area is where lots of films are made like Mad Max so lots of  memorabilia around town.
So leaving Coober Pedy we are now heading to Port Augusta and the same site we stayed at on the way north but this time the site was really empty compared with before. On route down we stopped at the salt lakes again as this time due to the rain fall they actually had water in them. I have never walked on a salt plain before, very strange. We a couple of girls on route who had a kitten that was only a couple of weeks old that they got from a local who was selling him for gambling cash, they paid 70 cent for the kitten. They were heading to Adelaide and we're going to take the kitten to a cat shelter as they couldn't look after him, I gave them $5 to buy some kitten milk for him. We left Port Augusta for our final leg to Adelaide and our friends Leah and Phil but we had to stop at Port Wakefield for a pie and coffee first.