Coober Pedy Cup 2

THE LADIES PAVILLION

Kaz, some German tourists we met & local girl enjoying the sophistication of the Ladies pavilion.

 

THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE

Its, dusty, its hot, & should you fall, the earth is hard; these guys race with little personal protection & go flat chat. It was a real privilege to watch them strut their stuff.

EGG & SPOON RACE

No spoons here though; you start about two metres opposite your playing partner & throw the egg. Those that are successful (ie, don’t drop it) move back another pace, & so on. The finalists ended up about 20m apart.

Kaz & Dane are pictured closest to the rail.

  COOBER PEDY ARTS CENTRE

Matt seen with some tapping sticks. The art here was authentic & was very nice.

Coober Pedy Cup

CALCUTTA

As the Cup is not a registered horse race you are unable to punt, however they run a Calcutta whereby one may bid for a particular horse. Each horse is offered via an auction , the highest bidder then owns that horse (just for the race). The winner collects 50% of the purse, second place 20%, third place 10% & the remaining 10% goes to charity. As Matt is a keen punter we thought we might be able to buy a horse for twenty or thirty bucks; but crickey, these locals were really pumped up for the big day of their year and were buying horses for up to $2500.0......... “sorry Matt”

 

LOCALS

The locals really turn up a get into the activities of the Cup weekend

 

BARREL RACES

We asked the event manager if we could get up close as the cowboys went about their work in the barrel races. It was a real treat & the boys could really feel & hear the beat of the hooves, the cry from the jockey urging his or her mount & the crack of the whips.

These guys race real hard & at one point there was not a second between seven riders.

Coober Pedy

COOBER PEDY

What a unique town this.  On the outskirts we ran out of fuel (nearly made it). Whilst i was topping up with the reserve cans a voice yelled “hey, com up here”. We got talking to an old German guy whom had decided to go for a look around 36 years ago & explore a bit of Oz. He’s still here at Coober Pedy today. That’s the type of people that make up Coober. The people here are friendly & seem to take life in their stride & don’t take much to seriously.

 

LIVING UNDERGROUND

Almost all inhabitants of Coober live underground. The temperature in summer so we were told will be 46 – 50 degrees for two or three weeks straight. The underground homes, churches, opal shops & motels keep an average temp of 23 degrees throughout this hot period.

Coober Pedy is dominated by the Opal industry. These beautiful stones were formed & continue to be formed as the water reaches an impervious level of the rock stratum and over time solidifies to form the opal.

 

THE COOBER PEDY CUP

Kaz had noticed that the Coober Pedy Races were upcoming when we were in the Flinders, so we thought we might try to see if we could make this coincide with our travels.

This cowgirl pictured with the boys turned out to be a real competitor & whilst she might not have taken home the cup in the big one she did manage to take out the blue ribbon in the barrel races. She was clearly a woman with real spirit & a genuine love of her horses.

 

 

Lake Dadi Sunset - William Ck Rd

ALPHA CENTAURI

We were blessed to enjoy a really fine sunset over the Lake. If you can pick it you can see the Evening Star.

 

WILLIAM CREEK Rd.

By now Kaz was starting to appreciate what we both refer to as “Nothin”. The land out here is barren, it is stark, it is arid; it is also beautiful & spectacular.

Lake Caddiburrawirracunna

LAKE CADDIBURRAWIRRACUNNA

Not far north of William Creek & after passing the largest cattle station on Earth we make a diversion. The Oodnadatta is remote, the diversion we take is the William Creek Rd. This will eventually take us to Coober Pedy & it is remote but we find another track, barely signposted that leads us to a lake that I had seen on our map.

Along the way we pull the car over to climb a small desert dune to observe our location. Whilst here we stopped talking (as long as you can with the Cartwrights’) & observed the silence. It was remarkable; absolute silence, almost deafening in some strange way. I will never forget that complete silence.

Dano with some firewood collected at Lake Cadi

 LAKE CADI FIRE

Lake Cadi is located along a dead end bumpy track off the William Creek Rd. We had the whole place to ourselves & enjoyed a great night in the desert alone.

  SAND SLIDING

Matty having a great time sliding on a piece of cardboard.

William Creek

SHINGLEBACK

It is starting to warm up & it isn’t long before we encounter our first reptile. Because our rig is quite large & that we have time on our side we cruise along at a moderate pace. On the blacktop we cruise at 78 – 80kms whereas on the dirt it could be anywhere from 10kms to 60kms. One advantage of moving a little slower is that you do see more wildlife. I remember that when we were in the Flinders Ranges, a bloke went flying past,  only to go straight past some really unique wildlife. It’s a long way to go, so why not slow down a little & enjoy the sights.

We found this mature shingleback crossing the track. These reptiles are solitary & will only have one mate for life.

 WILLIAM CREEK

What a great spot. This is the smallest town in OZ (as far as population goes), with an official population of 3. The three are the two publicans & the owner of the local air service company.

It is a very remote town however the touring nomads all pull in for the night, refuel, take on supplies & wash down the dust with a few cool ones.

 WILLIAM CREEK HOTEL

Poms, Germans, Bikers; you name it, you will find them all at the William Creek Hotel. Everyone is in good spirits & there is talk of where you come from, the condition of the tracks etc. Once again the Local pub really throws support to the RFDS & in this place you pay a gold coin donation to put a business card, a hat or some paper money from your country of origin onto the wall or ceiling. The entire bar area is almost completely covered.

Matt is seen here talking with some guys from South Oz

Oodnadatta - Lake Eyre-1

THE OODNADATTA TRACK

We are both exited & a little terrified as we take on 720kms of the famed track. It would be of minimal risk to embark on this journey with an off - road trailer, but given that the loaded weight of our van is around 2.7 tonne & that the track has just been re-openened we are a little apprehensive. The weather looks great, we have taken all the necessary precautions such as spare wheels, bearings, fan-belts, hoses, correct tyre pressures, sufficient water & fuel & fully charged DVD players for the boys, so off we go.

DOG FENCE

The dog fence was built to prevent the Dingo from entering grazing property in NSW, SA & Queensland. It is the longest fence in the world & runs from the coastline of western SA to the gulf in Qld.

FACT: The dog fence is longer than The Great Wall of China

LAKE EYRE

After the rains Lake Ayre was as full as it has been in over 40 years. Many tourists, environmentalists & nature loving bird watchers were honing in on the lake to witness this rare occurrence.

FACT: Lake Eyre is Australia’s lowest point at 12m below sea level

 

 

The Great Wall - Start of Track

AUSTRALIA’S GREAT WALL

As we prepare to  leave the Flinders Ranges, we have one last drive and enjoy some fantastic scenery. Although we have not seen a lot of SA, it seems that this could be a real jewel in the crown. We have met some lovely people here, experienced some real wild beauty & as I leave I thank Mother Nature for such a beautiful place.

THE OODNADATTA TRACK

We had originally decided to depart the Flinders Ranges, track south to Port Augusta then head north via the blacktop up to Alice via Woomera & Coober Pedy. Following the rains the tracks to the north had been closed. The day prior to our departure, the famous Oodnadatta had re-opened to 4WD with trailers, so in true “sheel be right” fashion we agreed to take it on.

Our last stop for fuel before we hit the true “off-road” was at Lyndhurst.

 

FARINA RUINS

We had only just started the track & didn’t want to get caught in the middle of nowhere on our first night. The proprietors at BP Lyndhurst were really helpful & told us about the Farina Ruins. As it turned out, this was a great tip. We set up camp with the onset of the night providing a spectacular backdrop for our first night in the desert. Farina was another boom town built around the old rail line up to Alice. It was sheep country. It is not until one reads the names of those that served in the wars that you realise just how big a place it used to be. To give you an idea of how many people served from the bush, contemplate this; prior to WW2, three trains per week travelled this route, by 1942 there were 47.

Flinders Ranges Part 2

BUNYERROO GORGE

We pulled up for a BBQ in this beautiful gorge. The stone here has been dated at 530 million years old. After rains this gorge would be filled with water from the surrounding ranges. Debris in the trees show that the Landcruiser would be totally covered following these rains. You have to pay attention to local weather reports, as although it may be fine here cooking the barby, there could be a deluge 30kms away resulting in a flash flood that could end the trip real quick.

BRACHINA GORGE

This area is home to the very rare; “ yellow footed rock wallaby”. We were fortunate to see these Marsupials in their natural habitat, “a real treat.”

EMU PARADE

There are plenty of Emu in the park. The local rangers had told me to look out for parents with chicks as this was the right time of year. We spotted this group crossing a dry river bed. It is the male that plays guardian until the chicks reach maturity, & this bloke was doing a fine job.

Emus really can run & we had a lot of fun driving alongside of these guys. They will actually see you coming & run with you, darting in front of the car to cross the other side, then leaving puffs of dust as they pound the earth with each step. During one chase a pair was doing about 55k’s per hour.

 

 

Flinders Ranges Part 1

WILPENA POUND

Matt & I seen on the outside of Wilpena Pound.

THE POUND CLIMB

This proved to be a tough yet rewarding climb. The climb begins as a relatively flat bush walk through streams, rivergums & wattles. On this particular day the wind was quite strong  but we plugged along. The climb is the most accessible to view the Pound, but is still a vertical climb of 600m. The boys did really well.

Wipena Pound was formed by uplifting millions of years ago. The result is that there is a crater like formation. The surrounding mountains are to me like a colosseum or grandstand with the SCG in the middle.

RAZORBACK RANGE

There are several trails to explore. We left the van in the National Park camp area & took to the off road tracks.

 

 

SA - Peterborough, Flinders Ranges

SOUTH OZ

Finally we moved into SA. Our first port of call was the Central Hotel, Peterborough. Real friendly locals, & absolutely top notch tucker washed down with a few West Ends.

ONE HOT LOCO

Peterborough’s history a local pride is their trains.

FLINDERS RANGES

Although vast, mainly flat & extremely beautiful it was a pleasant change to see some undulating terrain. The road to the Flinders Ranges begins along the RM Williams Rd, up to Hawker then through the Excel Ranges. The Flinders make up the highest landforms in SA.

 

 

Silverton Part 2

TAMING THE WILD

Just out of Silverton we came across some wild Brumby. These beasts were grazing along the old rail line. We were quite surprised how inquisitive they were. This mare approached Matt with great care. There was a large black stallion in this herd. It was real good to see these as it was something that Dane had often spoken of prior to our departure; he wanted to see the desert & some wild brumbies: ” What a hoot !”

STURT DESERT PEAS

Prior to our arrival Central Australia had received its greatest rainfall in many, many years. Yeah, some of the tracks might have been washed out, but the other result is the almost immediate bloom of grasses & wildflowers. 

We met a local couple whom had decided to come up to this location to have a look at the peas. It was the first time in 16 years that they had seen them. They are a very distinct flower & were surprisingly delicate. As it was to turn out we only saw these flowers in one other location; the arid Red Centre.

 

Silverton Part 1

SILVERTON

Silverton is located approx 25kms north of Broken Hill. It is has been the location of several movies & ads. Probably the best known of these would be Mad Max.

 The boys are seen here on the original Mad Max Falcon

SILVERTON GAOL

In its heyday Silverton was a bustling mining town, caught in the grip of Gold Fever. At one point in the1800’s there were 20 pubs; today the second one built remains & tenders mainly to the wants of the tourist.

The original Gaol remains pretty much as original & has been converted to a museum; well worth a look.

FORDS RULE

The original Falcon 500

 

 

Broken Hill - The Living Desert

THE PROTECTOR

On the outskirts of Broken Hill is a place known as Monument Hill. In recent times some sculptors were commissioned to creat these monuments from local stone. Each has a story. 

 Dane is seen here at sunset with “The Protector”

RAINBOW SEREPENT

The Rainbow Serpent is revered by the Aboriginal people. Dreaming stories state that the Serpent created many things & that she is the protector or in some cases has appointed a protector to look over & protect these sites

 

Tilpa Station Part 4

TILPA HOTEL

If you get barred from this Pub you really are in trouble because if you’re thirst the next watering hole is ride in a Cessna. All the pubs in the country support the Royal Flying Doctor Service & all have their unique way of doing this.

At Tilpa you donate $2.00 & for that you write your name on the wall. They have already had to repaint the interior walls.

SHEEP RACES

As each sheep is shawn they are slid down a slippery dip into a temporary holding pen. This way the foreman can keep count for the individual shearer.

 

SEAFOOD FETISH

This friend absolutely loved the yabbies & would return several times throughout the evening for a feed. The whole area is rich in wildlife. This night we also had the privilege of viewing a family of Echidna moving along tracks that they must often frequent.