Now Andamooka is not your ordinary town. Its reason for being is opals. It has nothing else but the local community committee is trying to give it something extra – like somewhere to park up for nearly free. A site has been levelled, a toilet and kids playground installed and showers are being completed to provide the traveller a reason to stay in Andamooka for minimal cost. It is a great initiative but will it be enough to get the grey nomads to spend in town. There’s nothing but opals and I’m not sure that the savings on accommodation are sufficient to warrant buying up big on the pretty stones. But, ya gotta commend the attempt. As you can see, the landscape is not the most inviting…….
( don’t forget – double click on any photo to see it in real life size [ well nearly]) Andamooka is just past Roxby Downs which in turn is just past Woomera – you really are in outback Oz and this is just SA. It’s a one way street – get to Andamooka and ya gotta do a U-ey. Back to Pimba and on to the Stuart Highway.
OK next – more opals. Coober Pedy is the worlds largest opal provider. They tell us better than 80% of the worlds opals come from here but today we’ve learnt that there are only about 50 miners still working the fields. Its a cottage industry. But before I get onto Coober Pedy I must recount our recent adventure out of town to William Creek and Oodnadatta. Now way back in 2000 Keith Layton and I set about exploring the Oodnadatta Track only to manage a couple of punctures south of William Creek resulting in a curtailment of the journey through to Oodnadatta and a limp across to Coober Pedy for repairs. So it was with some trepidation that I started preparing the Suzy for the trip. As I was polishing the tyres on Saturday, what ho, a screw imbedded itself in the tread of one. It was only a little screw thought I, so with my trusty little Leatherman I pulled it out. Ah! no sounds of escaping air. I’ve avoided the bullet! All packed, off we go on Sunday morning. Get into town, pull up at the bank and lo and behold no air in the back tyre. Yet again thwarted by the dreaded tyre flatter bug. A look around found a tyre repair shop which for the tidy sum of $50.00 would come out on Sunday to suitably chasten the dick head would be trail blazer. For another $25.00 the tyre got fixed so 2 hours after the planned departure time we actually set off with a full complement of tyres and air.
Well the roads are as I remember – bad. However we made it into William Creek with no further mishaps, set up camp (yes – CAMP) for the night and then set off for Lake Eyre in the afternoon…..
Back in 2000 this was wet. Today its mud or a massive salt plain. Soft underneath, treacherous to walk on and not recommended for driving over. Apparently some daredevil fly boy landed out there a few weeks ago and the plane is still there.
Back to Willy creek for the night and unlike the 2000 experience, no snake tails. Dinner in the dining room of the Hotel, made from the sleepers of the old Ghan railway line, interesting conversation with a couple of cross country motor bikers and ho hum ready for bed. Well we did a little better this time with a new tent and STRETCHERS so we weren’t on the ground. It was almost civilised. Still no ensuite though….
Next morning up bright and early. Now I can boast that I’ve never seen a sunrise before this but somehow the camping out thing has upset the system and bugger me, I got to see a sunrise. Now Jude tells me they are wonderful sights but so is the inside of my eyelids at this time of day normally but lo and behold heres a bloody sunrise……
It was almost worth the effort, but I had to make the long walk to the offsuite anyway.
Well we were up. So you gotta make the most of it. Pack the kit and off we go. But its funny how things never quite go back the same way they came out. Can’t see out the back window now. Onwards to ill-fated Oodnadatta following the route of the old Ghan railway. What a fascinating piece of our history. Laid out in 1871/2 the Ghan (Northern Australian Railway) originally ran from Port Augusta to Oodnadatta and followed settlement of the tracts of land in between. It is still a monument to the efforts of our pioneers even though it is now derelict. (The new “Ghan” follows a track further to the west). Part of the old rail supports a tourist train from Pt Augusta to Quorn but thereafter it is virtually non-existent. The rail mound and lots of old sleepers and quite a few bridges still bear testament to the incredible work the old timers carried out and there are quite a few ruins along the way………
About half way between Willy Ck and Oody doody is a sign posted turnoff to Peake Telegraph Station. Well, lets have a look. Its only 22 km. An hour each way wasn’t what the sign post said. This is not a road, nor could it really qualify as a goat track but Suzy made it. And it was worth it. A virtual township albeit in ruins but a further testament to the fortitude, courage and sheer doggedness of the pioneers…….
We were hanging on for dear life over this track but those photos we took photos don’t illustrate the worst track conditions, but as you can see from the above landscape its pretty rugged.
Ever closer to oody doody but now that’s for yet another day cos I’m tired and if I ever want to see another sunrise (unlikely) I’ll have to hit the sack now. Good night Dick!
One Response
Awesome photos!
Regards,
g@z.