2008-10-10 Yulara Victory Downs
In the morning I struggled unsuccessfully with Internet to upload photos and arranged further permits to travel the Ann Beadell HWY. Using the fax in the post office, this was a fast process, within the hour I had the missing permit.
I then headed east, refueled at a roadhouse/station where fuel was cheaper than in Yulara and took a dirt road that will bring me to Stuart HWY. I made camp some 80 km before reaching Stuart HWY so that I do not have to camp along that ‘busy’ highway. Victory Downs is a station close to the Stuart Highway.
The dirt road, Mulga park Road, is a good one and mainly passing through mulga forest.
No photos this day.
2008-10-11 Mulga Park Road Oodnadatta Track
During the night I had again some very light rain, not enough to get the ground wet. The morning was bright and clear. It was a pleasure to have a lazy breakfast.
It traveled for nearly an hour on the Mulga Park Road to get to Stuart Highway where I turned south. This is all bitumen, a very easy ride indeed. I turned left at Chandler on a track past two stations and then joining the Oodnadatta Track. Near the second station the track had been changed, which took me to a few kilometers away from Marla on the Stuart Highway, where the Oodnadatta track begins. Some 30 km from Stuart Highway the Mulga Forrest gives way to the Painted Desert: red mud with small rocks, low hills and the occasional dry creek.
Around four o’clock I turned into a hardly used side track and after a few kilometers I found a place with some bushes, giving the illusion of shade and protection, where I made camp and had still enough sunshine left to warm up the bush shower.
The weather remains great, clear sky and comfortably warm and because of the desert cooling off during the night. There are a few flies around, they buss around a bit but are no nuisance. I guess this is a luxury not to be under estimated.
2008-10-13 Painted Desert Coober Pedy
I went back to the Painted Desert for some early morning photos. Therefore I did not only visit the lookout point by the side of the road but also did the hill top walk some two kilometers further on.
From there I proceeded to Coober Pedy, a trip entirely through rocky desert where nothing grows higher than a few millimeters except in the dry creek beds. There is a section of about 30 km with soft red dry mud and rocks scattered all over. This part is called the Moon Plain. On this whole section there is only one dead tree. When walking around you find the remains of trees at many places.
I arrived in Coober Pedy late in the morning, arranged for the last permit I needed for the Anne Beadell HWY and went to a service station for the regular maintenance of the Troopy so that I can rely on it again for the coming 1200 km bush track through the Great Victoria Desert.
I am reading two books about the Outback at this time. One book is about John Flynn who dedicated his life to ‘civilizing’ the Outback by introducing amongst others the Flying Doctor Service, School of the Air (school by radio). The other book is written by Len Beadell, a famous surveyor responsible for building the first roads through the center of Australia. Both man worked in the 20-th century, less than a hundred years ago.
Both books are about Outback places I have been already or will visit sometime during this journey. These places are now still considered Outback but it is no comparison with the situation as described in these books. Roads were a lot worse in those times, if there were roads at all. Journeys which now take less than a day took three or four weeks in those times. It is good to read these stories and reflect on the achievements when I am in the middle of the Outback, hundreds of kilometers away from the next station or settlement, with a reliable vehicle, a fridge and a satellite telephone to call for help when needed.
