Coober Pedy

After fitting the spare wheel to the van and dumping the shattered remains of the old rim we continued on to the Stuart Highway and turned south. Fuel at Erldunda was $1.69 a litre - better than the $2.12 we paid at Curtin Springs.

We rolled on through to Marla where we bought food for the night and dumped the very few things that hadn't spoiled in the van fridge failure.

We stopped at a free spot just south of Marla and tucked into some lamb chops. The flies were awful so we stayed indoors and sweated in the 40 degree heat - the a/c only works on 240v so no cooling for us. 

Up late as we slept in with the cool morning but soon enough we were off down the road to the moonscape that is Coober Pedy, ready to book our flights over Lake Eyre.

We booked into the van park in CP as (just like Alice) the security needs to be up there and we found that they had a happy hour in the pizzeria/bar that night. N more needs to be said - we still have cold pizza to eat!

The next day we drove off down the Oodnadatta Track to William Creek and boarded our tiny light aircraft for a fantastic flight over Lake Eyre.

We left soon after dawn and found ourselves driving into the rising sun, but sunrise and sunset are always so beautiful you don't mind too much.

Not too many trees to block the view here is there? 

The obligatory photos of us with the plane we were setting off in.

It is an old Cessna 172 and the oldest and slowest plane in the fleet, but when you just want to sightsee a slow plane is the best.

Flying out early in the morning also meant that we'd avoid the majority of the thermals that get generated, and certainly the very worst of them.

For some reason they always put me in the front seat - something to do with experience and an unflappable nature? No? What do you mean it is because I am the heaviest! 

Anyway, Karen seemed happy in the back seat.

What a beautiful sight - the lake is only 25% full   but that means that we got to see the salt flats plus the water (at least in the deeper parts) turning pink and the birdlife up at the northern end of the lake. Simply magic stuff.

The following are a very few of the photos taken as we cruised out and over the lake.

The south is the place where the water lies, and this turns pink once the algae get a grip.

Further north is where the feeder creeks are and you see the channels of water feeding into the lake.

On the way back we came across a sad sight. A wild camel seems to have become lost on the salt flats and was wandering around. It's tracks were looping around as it searched for a way out and when we flew over it was just standing still. 

It probably died soon afterwards. 

See if you can spot the camel in the pic below.

Our landing was delayed by a minute or so to allow this beauty from the RFDS to get in ahead of us.

Nobody hurt - they were just flying in to conduct some surgeries.

And proof that we got to the William Creek Hotel.

Hint from the pic below - don't leave your camera in the car in 43 degree heat - it starts to lose some of the picture!

As we drove out there we came across a dingo pup sitting in the road, but it scooted off as soon as we got close to it. We spotted this skinny dingo running parallel to the road on the way back.

The drive back however ended up with me changing another damned tyre as a rock ripped a hole in the sidewall of one.

Not happy Jan! 

So, when we got back I went down to the local tyre guy and got a replacement tyre. We are booked in for the next day to get a replacement for the van too. I think I may be putting his kids through school.

Friday 20th Feb.

Yep, I am definitely putting this tyre guy's kids through school. When he pulled one of the van tyres off (to check the offset on the wheel so he could sell us the correct replacement for the knackered tyre and wheel from our trip back from Curtin Springs) he discovered that this tyre was stuffed too. It had a big chunk ripped off the tread and the steel belt wires were exposed.

Yep - that is now four tyres in a week.

On top of that, we walked up the road to a cafe (that sold didgeridoos) and they charged us $`15 for two coffees! Robbing bastards! 

On the other hand, the tyre guy was a diamond and his services are HIGHLY recommended.

He is probably the only good thing we have to say about Coober Pedy.