25/04/2012
G'day Guys,
I'm now in Coober Pedy. I cover two camps in this post as they were both short stays.
I travelled from Victor Harbor on Tuesday 17/04/12 to The Flinders Ranges and camped at the Brachina Campsite in The Brachina Gorge area. I travelled via Strathalbyn, Mt Barker, Gawler, Burra, Peterborough, Hawker and Wilpena, about 550 k's for the day with a counter lunch at Peterborough.
I stayed at The Flinders until Saturday 21/04/12 and then travelled to Coward Springs via Leigh Creek, Marree and on the Oonandatta track to Coward Springs. About 450k's on the day.
Fuel prices at Hawker were $1.72/l, at Wilpena $1.77, at Marree $1.95 and at William Creek $2.30/l. Now at Coober Pedy it is "down" to $1.64. I bought at Hawker and I am yet to top up, so the long range tank installed just before leaving Canberra is paying for itself. It is also interesting to note other guys with diesels I have spoken to with similar loads are getting similar "mileage" as I am with the petrol Hi-Lux.
K's to date are 7,200.
The Oonadatta track is not really a track nowadays, more like a gravel highway, cruise control on and go. But the gravel and stones have peppered the underside if the camper and damaged the electric brake wiring, repaired by moi and rerouted as Jayco should have done in the first place. Didnt really need brakes on the Oonadatta track anyway :) My approach is, if it breaks I will fix it so it wont break again. But overall the camper travels well, and excepting the weight of it, one wouldnt know it was there..I have been fiddling with tyre pressures and it turns gutters and corregations into carpet....well nearly.
The pics below are out of sequence, I didnt have time to right it .
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| At Tetowie....tin men |
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| The name of a town, as opposed to Oorroo, |
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| All go.. |
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| Oonadatta Track, it actually follows the natural springs in the area. |
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| Blanche Cup, one of those springs, these springs built up mounds of minerals over the millions of years.. |
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| ...like this dry one. |
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| "The Bubbler", the bubbling water once broke the surface, until white man decreased the underground pressure of The Great Artesian Basin with bores. |
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| At William Creek. |
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| Once a spring at ground level, the owner capped the flow and rerouted the water via two pipes to form a "natural" spa. The water flows out into the original wetlands behind me. |
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| Restored "Engine Drivers Cabin" |
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| This guy is clever, these are his showers |
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| His toilets...he has been working on the site for 20 yrs to develop it, he lives on Kangaroo Island during the hot 5 months of the year. |
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| William Creek Pub...opens at 8am |
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| No thanks...luckily |
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| The road in to the Flinders camp |
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| 1/4' steel plate...rusted |
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| Typical of our great River Gums |
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| Outdoor shower :) |
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| The road out |
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| The terrain goes from mountainous to flat in minutes |
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| These guys were at a creek road crossing near Lyndhurst...look closely.. |
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| ...not sure what fish they are, but they were trying to go against the current to get to the other side of the road |
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| None made it, they would swim madly for about 1.5m before being swept back.. |
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| Farina...whats left |
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| Poor Feng Shui, I've been told. |
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| A still workable underground bakery/oven |
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| Lake Eyre South..lousy pic |
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| Yep, another sunset |
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| Flinders |
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| Heysen ranges...Flinders |
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| ABC ranges, I think, Brachina Gorge |
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| Sacred Canyon |
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| Old man emu |
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| Feral goats |
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| Domestic goat |
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| The walk to Arkaroo Rock Paintings |
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| Arkaroo Rock, most of these sites now have vandal proof barriers. |
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| This is worth a read ! |
Folks I leave ya's again, leaving Coober Pedy tomorrow, will be in NT tomorrow night :) Catch ya's soon.
Oorroo
Bill(y)
