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Relatively early start for Day 4. Left Port Augusta without fuel. Whoops my fuel map reading needs to improve somewhat!
Heading out to the Outback JD did a run down of the make, model and fuel consumption of each and every truck we pass, oh and road trains created great excitement and even the occasional need for photos!
"Awesome", says James, cheeky smile on his face, VHF walkie talkie in hand. (VHF -"Who ate Jeff?!"- Olivia)
Got fleeced at "Spuds road house" Pimba, by a very grumpy lady wearing a black balaclava, (probable descendant of Ned Kelly) needless to say I didn't dispute the highway robbery of $43 for coffees, hot chips and potato cakes, which Matilda immediately spued back up again!
Saw the Woomera detention centre from a distance! Unbelievable really, and so Sad. Long way to come as a refugee to the middle of nowhere!
Fuel stop in Gelendambo much better option than "spuds" for coffee/ break if anyone's following in our wake!
JD did a lot of wondering but Neither Google or I was much help as no service for much of our 520kms!
How much further?? Matilda asks intermittently from the back seat.
"So as far as MacDonalds to the third bridge?" "Oh you mean Tunbridge"
Strangely our longest and flattest drive yet but haven't heard "boring" yet!!
Vast horizons, changing landscapes and vegetation but "'All the same"' According to the kids. Lots of "Crunchy gravel" highly amused by the Advisory signs to watch out for livestock (unfenced roads) until we saw a dead cow road side.
Pushing into the wind kept our speed at just below 100kms , 523kms later we arrived Coober Pedy!
More intriguing road signage Do Not to Walk Backwards! so's not to fall down a mine shaft! (not so amused when you get up close and personal to a shaft!)
Coober Peby being a culture shock would be an understatement! Girls particularly interested in the locals, sitting and lying in the streets.
"It doesn't look like a normal town cause there are no houses cause they are all underground, no grass"
We checked into the Oasis camper van park. Whoops wasn't till we'd set up camp I remembered both the Edwards and Woods had recommended the Big 4!
Grace says- "We all got changed to go to the pool and we went to the pool but we couldn't get in the pool cause it was too cold and then we all got mad at you because you chose the bad hotel with the cold pool!"
So we had a stiff G&T and we walked into town to have dinner.
We went to "Barbecue Underground Restaurant", but they were a bit busy, " not prepared for the rush and ran out of meat!" Apart from a 500g Tbone which JD had,so I had a piece of chargrilled salmon which they forgot to chargrille, it was basically raw and hoped to God it was fresh!
JD made friends with some grey nomads who came a sat at our table when they finished their meal and shared their travel photos! Kids thought this was hilarious.
Needless to say the underground restaurant was underground! Absolutely fascinating how it was dug out, we had great discussion on our theory of how they did it, looking forward to a tour to find out more!
Girls were thought James wasn't fair that he didn't give an aboriginal man some "money for food" on our walk back to the park after dinner.
All enjoying the warmer temperatures!
- comments
Lou I love reading your blog Nicole - it sounds like an amazing experience.
Tim Agnew Nicole - who buys fresh fish in the desert - a bit rookie