Once again we were up before sunrise to ensure that we were on the road by 8:00am for our 376k drive to Coober Pedy.
Today was one of those days where we would stretch the limits of our fuel consumption with only one opportunity to refuel during the trip.
When we left Woomera it was still and there was not a cloud in the sky.
First stop was fuel at Pimba at “Spuds” roadhouse which is about 6k’s from Woomera on the Stuart Highway. Woomera is actually located just off the road that goes to Roxby Downs. In addition to being a great roadhouse, “Spuds” also offers free camping in a large yard in front of the roadhouse.
After leaving “Spuds” we noted that our fuel consumption had dropped to 14.2 litres per 100k’s. It was totally still.
We stopped at Lake Hart to take some pictures and also noted that this was a popular spot for free camp. One thing that we did notice at Lake Hart was a large Traveller “Sensation” caravan calmly discharging grey water onto the ground for the entire time that we were stopped. When you see this happening you can appreciate the rationale from some council for banning free camping. Surely this water could have been captured and disposed of elsewhere.
After Lake Hart we started to notice movement in trees and bushes adjacent to the road. We stopped at the Glendambo Roadhouse for morning tea and this was our last stop before Coober Pedy.
We started to watch an increase in fuel consumption as the wind intensity rose. We were travelling west north west and the wind was coming from the north. As the trip progressed, the need to add fuel before arriving at Coober Pedy was looking a possibility but the fuel burn stabilised at 17.5 litre per 100k’s and as each kilometre passed, the need to add fuel reduced. As we turned off the Stuart Highway at Coober Pedy, the low fuel warning alarm sounded with the computer estimating a further 50k’s in the tank which means we have an absolute endurance of 420k’s if driving into a moderate headwind. This is a concern as there are many part of Australia where you need fuel for more than for 420k’s.
We checked into the Stuart Ranges Caravan Park where we were given the option to choose a site of our choice. We chose a drive through site with little required to get the caravan level.
We don’t have water at this caravan park connected to the caravan as Coober Pedy has to have water shipped into town. Fortunately the water is relatively cheap with 40 litres costing 20 cents.
After lunch we stopped to say hello to some acquaintances who we met in 2007. We will be having dinner with them tomorrow evening.
After making a shop at an opal jeweller, we headed off to “The Breakaways” for sunset. The initial part of this trip was on the road that connects with the Oodnadatta Track and that was until we turned left just before the dingo fence. The desert is green and the afternoon sun on the features of “The Breakaways” gave us perfect conditions for photography. We eventually went to a lookout that gives the opportunity to see all of the components of “The Breakaways” from a single location but cloud cover ruined the effect of sunset. Nevertheless, the sunset that we saw made the trip worthwhile.
It didn’t take long to get back to the black tar of the Stuart Highway and our trip back to Coober Pedy was done at an easy 110kph with all lights on high beam and no traffic coming in the opposite direction.
The caravan park has a small pizza restaurant and that is where we had our evening meal. The “Meat lovers” pizza we had was excellent.
With a full day in Coober Pedy tomorrow and the forecast of rain, we were in no hurry to go to bed and we finally turned off the light at 11:30pm. It is very cold outside.
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