Day 108 to Day 115

Day 108 November 15 Saturday
No word from the opal man. Left town after updating my blog and sending out a few emails. Headed south to Pimba again and stayed in the same place. Started raining lightly after noon and continued until about 7. Nice sunset.






Wedge tail eagle



Day 109 November 16 Sunday
Headed to Woomera, a once secret military town. It is in a 60 million acre protected area. It is the site where moon landings ,Mars probes, space station and space shuttle signals were and are captured and sent to the states, and where Iraq war missals were guided. Today it is still a place where secret Australian, British and American stuff occurs. I continued on to Roxy Downs which is a town associated with a big mine getting copper, gold, silver and uranium. It is a shaft mine and they want to make it into a pit mine. It will take 4 years at a million tons of overburden a year to get down to the ore. Whew. Could not get close to see the mine. Went 30 km further to Andamooka, an opal mining town. Being Sunday, most stuff was closed. All the mines were strictly off limits. Did find a few pieces of opal at a place where tailing are dumped. Place looked as bad as Coober Pedy. They were having a Christmas party for the kids because in a few weeks most of the people will be leaving for the summer. It gets hot here then. Saw lots of emus today. Spent the night in Pimba wayside park.
Day 110 November 17 Monday
Left Pimba and headed south to Port Augusta. There I got some food and petrol Cheapest so far here in OZ, at only A$1.29 per liter. Stopped at Hungry Bear fast food for a burger and fries. Headed north on B83 to Wilpena Pound in Flinders NP. The area is a valley surrounded on all sides by mountains. Like a crater. A powered site at the camp ground is only $15. Cloudy and possible thunderstorms tonight. Suppose to have gotten to 26 C today but sure did not feel like it.
Day 111 November 18 Tuesday
Rained some during the night. Hiked up Mt. Ohlssen Bagge, about a 7 km round trip. Windy and cool and a few rain drops on the way up, Very pretty views of the Pound. Made the 4 hour trip in 2.5 hours and glad I did because as soon as I got down it started raining fairly hard. After shower and shave took a 20 km dirt road to Sacred Canyon where aborigines made rock engravings. Started raining again and the road started to get muddy on the way out. Then I tried to drive to Bunyuroo Canyon but the road was already way too slippery. Headed on the paved road to Stokes Hil
Lookout. Who should I meet there in the middle of no where but “Billy Bob” whom I camped next to at Pimba, the first time. He had come the back way on dirt roads. He made some tea and we chatted for an hour. As we were about to leave, a kangaroo jumped up on the brass relief map of the Pound and began drinking water which had collected there. Funny. I decided to try to go to another canyon which was 35 km on a dirt road. The road was dry enough but when I got to the end to camp I decided that the 60% chance of rain may mean that I would be stuck for a day as the road was mostly clay and not very even. Headed back to Wilpena Pound to spend the night, stopping at Hucks Lookout on the way. Pretty much cleared up by dark.
Day 112 November 19 Wednesday
Woke up to heavy rain and water flowing down the camp roads and paths. Rats. Decided to head south again. Drove about 17 km from the campground and then one km off the pavement to go to an aboriginal art site. It was a three km hike and worth it. Two other cars came up the road making it muddy on the way out. Not slippery. Drove all the way back to highway A-1 an went easterly to the turnoff to Mount Remarkable National Park. Took space 14 in the Mambray Creek campground. No rain but flies. Went for a 6 km return hike up the river bed. Lots of birds I have seen before, kangaroos, wallabies and emus.






Day 113 November 20 Thursday
Hiked up to Black Range Lookout, 3.6 km return, but the views were very limited. Headed out of the park north and turned right off A1 onto B56 to Wilington when I headed south on B82. I took the Alligator Creek entrance into Mt. Remarkable NP. The road was steep and windy meaning first and second gear for a good part of the trip. But it was worth it. The Mambray Creek gorge was great. Red rock slot canyon just like Utah or Arizona. The round trip was only 2 km. Left the park and headed south again on B56 to B52 to Melrose. I spent the night at the Melrose Fairgrounds.

Day 114 November 21 Friday
Left Melrose and headed to Boolaroo Centre and then to Jamestown and onto B80 then B64 to Morgan. At Morgan there was a free ferry over the Murray River. Most of this area was covered with wheat fields. Just after the ferry took the road south to Blanchetown following the Murray R.. Continued south to Swan Reach which is also on the river. The van has been pulling to the right so in town I spotted a front wheel alignment shop and had it fixed for $65. Spent the night at Swan Reach caravan park, space 9. As I was eating dinner the neighbors invited me to the hotel for a beer. We spent a few hours talking and drinking.


Day 115 November 22 Saturday
Left Swan Reach and headed south on a bunch of roads to Murray Bridge. Stopped in town and got a few groceries and some ATM money. I have pretty much followed the Murray river from Morgan down to the Southern Ocean. Took hwy B1, called Princess Highway, out of Murray Bridge. Stopped at several places along the water. Not many birds, only a few shore birds and seagulls. It is very windy and there were high wind warnings. The van tracks a lot better after the alignment. Spending the night in Kingston SE in the caravan park, space 50. Took and nice shower and did my laundry.