And so it begins!
In typical Ballarat fashion, we were greeted in the early hours of Saturday morning with a slight drizzle and a temperature somewhere between arctic and @#&&$#@ cold. The alarm obediently sounded at 5am...then again at 10 past....
Once up, excitement filled us both as we threw the last of our bedding and other accoutrements into the van, gave the house a quick check to make sure all doors were locked and drove out and away.
The first leg of the journey was quiet, with very few travellers along the Sunraysia Highway. A few kangaroos helped jump start the heart rate and served as a good reminder to be travelling at well below the speed limit at that time of the morning. Ebony stayed awake and was only miserable for a few minutes...that was until the Wiggles made their way through the bluetooth. I think that I have all of their songs memorised now...and we're only just beginning. Remind me to sneak a couple of Metallica and Slipknot songs in there!
Before we knew it, it was time for a cuppa and a stretch of the legs. We found a nice little road stop in the town of Woomelang. The stop had power outlets for caravans and showers. We made a mental note of the place, as it would be perfect for an overnighter on the road. A nice cup of Nescafe's finest and a sensational slice of nutloaf, kindly donated to our cause by one of my work colleagues (thanks Heather!!!) later and we were back in the car headed for Burra.
A few hours passed and we both felt very relaxed with the reality of the next 9 weeks setting in. It wasn't long until we were backing the Expanda into its first stop; Burra Caravan Park. With the temperature forecast for 0 degrees, we thought it best to have the heater going. We had a brief chance to walk around part of Burra, which is quite a pretty town.
It was Ebony's second birthday and Sarah had done a great job in managing to bake a cake for us in amongst all the other preparation she had done for the trip. Ebony had already been given most of her presents, but we had organised a couple more for her actual birthday. She was a happy girl.
The following day, we woke at 5:00am unexpectedly refreshed. We must have slept very well. Even Ebony awoke with a very cheerful "Hello! Hi!" We had packed up and were away within half an hour. Gotta love the Expanda.
We drove to Port Augusta where we found a place to stock up on fruit and veg. Another cuppa and more slice later (thanks to Leanne this time!) and we were off again. This time the nose of the Prado veered north and we were headed for Coober Pedy.
Sarah and I have experienced driving through the Queensland and NSW outback, but we both marvelled at just how much the scenery changed as we drove here in South Australia. We weren't expecting the difference in colour, plant life and land gradient. It kept us interested and we certainly didn't find the drive boring. The sheer length of the road trains here is amazing too. I am sure that road trains cannot legally be driven anywhere in Victoria, so it is strange seeing a truck with four carriages behind it. Thank goodness we decided to purchase the UHF radio. A quick notification that we intend to pass and a "thanks mate" make passing these things a much safer operation.
We stopped and Glendambo for lunch and diesel as the prado was getting thirsty. It was great to stretch the legs and Ebony certainly appreciated a quick game of chasey. Once finished we were back on the road for the final leg to Coober Pedy.
We arrived here a little after 4:30, just as the sun was beginning to make its way to the horizon. Such an interesting landscape here and we will certainly enjoy exploring for the next few days.
Unfortunately for us we have already had one drama; a small crack in the windscreen that is slowly making its way across. There is a windscreen repair business here, which we will be visiting tomorrow morning to see if anything can be done. All part of the adventure I guess. Either way...we are off, adventuring and loving it!
More soon!
