Coober Pedy to Yulara Via Arckaringa and Oodnadatta.
We spent a lovely couple of days in one of the most quirky, yet likeable towns you will ever visit. Will you? Well, you should! Australia's largest deposit and production of white opal lies here in Coober Pedy and everywhere you go there is an opal shop..."Guaranteed lowest prices!" Urgent attention was needed. I promptly ensured the confiscation of Sarah's credit card and applied every form of distraction that I could while walking the streets with her and Ebony, although those who have visited this iconic town will know that there isn't a lot to see on the streets themselves.
We visited a couple of local mines and had mine tours. The Old Timers Mine was a self guided tour that took us through a mine in its original form. I have a new found respect for the miners of the early 1900s. They certainly did it tough. Not for the faint of heart or claustrophobic, thats for sure.
A visit to the most dingy auto repairs shop that I have ever been to in order to get our windscreen replaced was unsettling at first, but all proved well in the end. We were fortunate enough that the Indian guy running the shop had a matching front windscreen in stock. Yay us!!! No windscreen cover clause on our car insurance...Boo us!!!! We have now committed to windscreen cover...
There was one opal in the rough, so to speak, about getting out windscreen done. The Indian gentleman had a helper in his workshop; an elderly miner. Picture this...a fella of unascertainable age, long beard, had fewer teeth than Ebony, wore a pair of old reading glasses with one broken arm who was bent over a pile of opals that he had dug. His name was Steve and he lived in a dugout on the opal fields out of town...no water or power there, just shelter. We got talking when I came to pick up the prado. We talked for about half an hour and he told me a lot about his time on the fields. Steve used to live on 30-50 dollars a week and used an old dentists drill to extract and carve his opal into different shapes. He had been living on the fields for 25 years and according to him, he will be there for 25 more. Through a small haze of cigarette smoke, he showed me some of his better opals. They were the best ones I had seen the whole time in Coober, museums included.
That evening, a chance meet with our friend Adam and his lovely family had us having a quick and quiet drink on the second night. Adam is headed for the Pilbara and down the west coast of Australia; a trip Sarah and I have talked about doing one day in the future. It was great to catch up mate, all the best for your trip!
The next evening we pruchased a permit and drove out to The Breakaways; an absolute must do if you are out this way. The sunset was beautiful and we hadn't experienced scenery like this before. By the end of the second day at Coober though, we were well and truly ready for the next leg of our adventure. I think that three nights was enough...no more.
The morning of the 1st of July saw us waking early and packing the van. A quick cuppa and weet bix for Eb later, we were on the road headed for Arckaringa station and the Painted Desert. I took a right turn onto Kempe Road and we soon left the black stuff. A quick air down of the tyres and a couple of sunrise photos were taken. I hoped and prayed that the dust proofing that I had done over the past few weeks would be enough to protect the van from disaster.
Now there is something magical about the Australian Outback. Many are drawn to its natural beauty, and it is just that...beautiful. But...there is something extra special about travelling down an outback dirt road. No hint of civilisation, no phone reception, no running water, no power no...nothing. Yet, we had the most amazing couple of days driving and camping out there.
We dropped the van at Arckaringa station and drove through the Painted Desert (amazing!) to the iconic Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta (Been there, done than now...). Despite recent flooding, the road conditions were pretty good and we had no mechanical issues...not even a cracked windscreen. Lots of dirt! Thankfully there was next to none that entered the van.
We returned to Arckaringa mid afternoon for a quick cuppa and some downtime before heading to back to the Painted Desert for an absolutely amazing evening of entertainment provided by mother nature. The sunset photos just don't do it justice. A BBQ and fire under the outback full moon sky topped off a great day.
Today's itinerary saw us up and early again for the drive to the iconic Uluru. Neither of us had ever been and we were both excited. Another hour and a half drive through the picturesque Copper Hills saw us return to the bitumen of Stuart Highway just out of Cadney Park. A quick stop at the service station to air up the tyres and we were off again. Dozens upon dozens of caravans and road trains shared the journey with us again. Sarah and I both talked about the sombre nature of leaving the dirt. I know, right?! Strange? Surely we aren't the only ones...
We are now camped in the resort township of Yulara, just outside Uluru. As we were driving in to the 100th repeat of our Ebony's Wiggles album, it was easy to see why many people mistake Mt Conner for Uluru as it holds its own in terms of majesty. There was no mistaking the actual rock when we saw it, however. The Olgas were also visible in the distance.
The caravan park here has very spacious sites and excellent amenities. I must say that I am in desperate need of a shower to wash all this dirt away. ( I am sure that Sarah will appreciate me having a wash too...) We have four nights here and are looking forward to tackling some of the walks in both Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
More soon!
The area is really quite spectacular. Sounds like you have had taste of the real 'Outback!' Mum xx
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