Flinders Ranges to Coober Pedy

We used the camp oven on our fire for the first time on our last night at the Flinders Ranges – beautiful damper with pumpkin soup. The next morning we saw some more of the Flinders Ranges including Parachilna Gorge. 

Headed north into increasingly flat and dry country, through Leigh Creek and on to Maree. This is where the Oodnadatta track starts so at 4:30 pm we thought we would head up the track to a free stay (rest area) by the side of the road. 

The excitement begins at the beginning of the Oodnadatta Track

 Somehow we missed the first free-stay, which was a small concern as the sun was setting and we had little idea what the road ahead was like. As it turned out the road was very good (90 km/hr in some places) and we found the Lake Eyre south rest area after sunset at about 6 pm, but with a small amount of light in the sky to just see twilight over the lake (and set up camp).

The sun was about to set on the Oodnadatta Track and we had 40 km more to go. (Planehenge is in the background)

Sunset over Lake Eyre South at our campsite

 The next morning, Jim and Ned saw the sunrise over the lake, and later everybody explored the shores of the lake.

Sunrise over Lake Eyre South

Exploring the Shores of Lake Eyre

She always seems to be in front of the camera!

Elsie and Ned

After much anticipation, the birdlife consisted of one lone sea gull (and not a fish and chip shop in sight)

 Then we headed further along the track and discovered some amazing mound springs, which are natural springs from the Great Artesian Basin. After many years of water bubbling out, minerals from the water have deposited around the edge of the springs to form mounds around each spring, several metres high.  The Oodnadatta Track mostly follows the location of the mound springs. The old Ghan Railway also passed this way.

Walking up a mound spring

At the top of the mound spring

Coward Springs - we all ended up swimming in here.

 The fascination of the mound springs meant we only made it William Creek that night, so we all had a drink at the pub.

William Creek Hotel

 Next day we had a 166 km trip to Coober Pedy. It was a bit slower and pretty isolated (saw one other car all day). We stopped for some ball games in mid afternoon, so we could enjoy real isolation and “nothingness”.

Desert Cricket (with random rules), between William Creek and Coober Pedy

Ned

Got to Coober Pedy and did some noodling (=fossicking) late in the day, and thought we found opal!

Claire and Elsie noodling

 The next day we did a self guided tour of an underground mine and saw a family’s underground home. Did more noodling and found real (small) opals. The kids loved their noodling.

Opal seam.

Blower - it sucks up dirt and rocks from underground, and stores it in the round hopper. This one still works!