Hello everyone,
Matt here, well it has been over a week since our last blog, so here it goes...
After making our way up the Eyre Peninsular and into the outback again to Woomera and Coober Pedy via port Port Augusta, we are currently in Port Pirie - soaking up the lovely sun where we are camped up for the night at the local boat ramp (they are great places to stay in towns without paying to stay in a caravan park) - then off tomorrow down the Yorke Peninsula.
This blog is mainly about Woomera and Coober Pedy, and we will endeavour to get our next blog out very soon after this one to follow up to keep you all up to date with our journeys.
Woomera: Well, the view on the drive out from Port Augusta was very sparse and made you realise just how big this beautiful country of ours really is, there was nothing (no trees) as far as the eye could see for 500km, and I even think this was a better drive than the Nullabor.
As you can see in the pics, we passed many a great salt lake/s and the sheer size of them just left your jaw dropping to the ground.
Woomera was a most fascinating place in a sense that you could almost feel the place buzzing from when it was full of workers and its families during the 50's and 60's. I would like to know what will happen to all the old buildings now that they are not used. For those who do not know, this was the place the Brits stuffed up the desert here, especially at Maralinga doing A Bomb tests in the 1950s. The place is of course off limits but the highway runs through part of the area; go figure...
The canteen, where we had a cup of tea, had all these old photos of the days when the place was chockers with people, they even had photos of beauty pageants being held and the social scene of the old days which gave you a real feel for the place and what it use to be like.
It would make make a great place for all the grey nomads to retire to. (you read it here first...)
Coober Pedy, well, three words spring to mind about this place, IT'S A HOLE!
We were really disappointed with how the place was going and that was one direction, backwards....
Everything was run down, even the super market had hardly any food on the shelves, it appeared to be a real struggle town, a shadow of probably what it use to be like. After driving 500km and 2 days later, we only ended up looking around for a couple of hours and GOT THE HELL OUTTA THERE!!!
Unfortunately, I can not say anything else about Coober Pedy except, we felt we had to visit the place being quite famous and all.
Hope everyone is doing really well.
Lots of hugs and kisses
Matt xoxoxox
(Stony Point just outside of Whyalla)
Lovely rest area, our van was just down the road on the side of the water. It was quite windy and there was not a great deal in Whyalla to report on. But the photo looks nice!
(On the way out toWoomera and Coober Pedy)
The journey was a 1000km journey (500km each way) just to get to Coober Pedi and this basically what we saw the whole way, but nevertheless it was a spectacular of absolutely nothing. I guess it is one of those experiences where you have to be there to really know what it feels like (photo does it no justice)
(Woomera Rocket park)
A really facinating place to visit and strange at the same time. It is where the Brits tested loads of warfare rockets from 1950s - 1960s, the place had loads of accommodation blocks and houses and was like driving onto a millitary base.
It reminded me of my old RAAF days.
The place was like a ghost town and was quite creepy, you could almost feel the prescence of the 1960s when the place would have been buzzing with families and workers.
Up until 1982 it was shut to the public and the road to Woomera/Coober Pedy was only sealed in 1987 from Port Augusta where we left to make this journey.
Louise with one of many a rocket that was developed here.
Boys and their toys!
I had to get a photo with this big daddy!
(Lake Hart)
One of many salt lakes along the way, this object somehow made its way way out onto the lake. (railway nearby??)
The lake lake nearby (Lake Gairdner) was used on a number of occasions to break the land speed record.
(Lake Hart)
Another wheel stuck on the salt lake and an old one at that...
(Lake Hart)
We had to put our names in the salty sand!
(Lake Hart)
In the middle of nowhere....
(Lake Hart)
Louise with a chunk of salt left over from what we think was a disused salt mine?
(Coober Pedy)
They had the same truck set up in Lightning ridge if I remember correctly?
(Coober Pedy main drag)
Well what can I say....
That is Coober Pedy!
Not much to say about the place really, except its urban structure was faling apart, loads of shops were vacant and for lease, it just did impress us after driving 500km and two days to get there.
White Cliffs get my vote for first place then Lightning Ridge and followed way at the back by Coober Pedy. (all opal mining towns...)
However, at least we can say we have been there and I think it is a place you have to visit when you are travelling around Australia.
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