DAY 7 – Saturday 9 June 2012 Coober Pedy (exploring)

Trip Meter Reading Start – 1033            Trip Meter Reading Finish - 1120

Total Km Travelled – 87 km

Fuel Costs & Consumption

Fill up Coober Pedy

LPG @ $1.05; 65.38 litres $67.95
Petrol @ $1.66; 65.13 litres $110.00

Comments -  Luke Baker

We went into Coober Pedy for a look around.  We went to Fayes underground house to see how people live underground.  It is 20 – 24 degrees all year round under the ground.  I went ‘noodling’ which is looking for opals on the surface, where I found some.  We went down the Oonadatta track through to the Breakaways.  There were lots of different coloured hills.
Comments – Mum and Dad
After catching up with our washing and internet commitments, today we set off at around 11am to explore the town of Coober Pedy. 
First stop was Fayes underground house.  Fay today is 89 years of age and lives in Brisbane.  Fay came to Coober Pedy and was one of 8 women.  She dug out her home by hand in her spare time in between starting up a cafe and working in the mines.  She was a pioneer who kicked off tourism in the area.  It took her up to 20 years to dig out her house; she wired all the electrical cables herself and with the help of two other women they dug out her bedroom and walk in robe.....what a woman!!! The home is complete with an underground wine cellar and swimming pool.  This place is a must to see and not for the faint hearted; it gets up to 50 degrees in summer, hence the reason people in this community live under the ground; only the local aboriginal community and the ‘Greeks’ live above ground for cultural and religious reasons. 
For lunch we dined at the famous Italian restaurant Johns Pizza.  A large pizza would feed a family of 6 and beats Dominos and Eagle Boys down pat. We had enough left over for dinner, which makes eating out cheap!
Visited the Desert Cave Hotel which is an upmarket hotel, however it is free for anyone to visit the gallery and underground museum.  Unfortunately I walked into the jewellery shop and found a beautiful doublet opal set ring in silver.  Had to have it; and drove back the next morning to pick it up.
Headed out to the Breakaways, just north / east along the Oonadatta track; along the way was the ‘Dog Fence’  which was built to keep the dingos and sheep separated.  It runs all the way east to the Gold Coast approx 2-3000 kilometres (now that’s a long fence)....; through the mica fields toward the breakaways there were 2 lookouts for viewing of rock formations such as ‘The Castle’.

Friday 8 June 2012 - Port Augusta to Coober Pedy

Trip Meter Reading Start – 550             Trip Meter Reading Finish - 1023
Total Km Travelled – 533 km

Fuel Costs & Consumption

Fill up Glendamba
LPG @ $1.10; 37.46 litres $41.21 (trip meter 783.4)

Comments -  Luke Baker
We walked on a giant salt lake.  We stayed at a Opal Mine in Coober Pedy.  After that at 7pm we did a underground Opal tour.   I learnt how to use the devining rods which you use to find water.

Comments – Mum and Dad
Took a walk to Lake Hart from rest area approx 90km south of Glendamba; the lake is a dried salt lake and amazingly white against a big blue sky

Booked into Riba’s Underground Tent Camping and Tourist Park for 2 nights.  Our first night was 50% off and included a mining tour.  The boys did that while I attended to some internet banking and emails.   There are approximately 3000 open mine shafts in the area, so the advice is not to let you kids go wandering or you lose them forever (mmmm.....) The campground for tents is underground as the temperature here gets up to 50 degrees in the summer; the area also has underground motel rooms and a Thunder Dunny (Toilet) which is open 24 hours.

Thursday 7 June 2012 - Silverton to Port Augusta

Trip Meter Reading Start – 90   Trip Meter Reading Finish - 550
Total Km Travelled – 460 km

Fuel Costs & Consumption
Fill up Yunta
LPG @ $74.0; 63 litres $46.06
Trip meter reading – 282
Fill up Port Augusta

LPG @ $0.808; 59.39 litres $47.98

Trip meter reading – 494.1

Comments -  Luke Baker

First of all we went to the Silverton cemetery where we saw 200 year old graves.  After that we went to the Pro Hart Gallery. His favourite thing to paint we think was dragonflys.  At night we sat around the campfire (free camp) and toasted marshmallows.



Mount Remarkable / Alligator Gorge

Comments – Mum and Dad

Visited the Pro Hart Gallery today; not only was this amazing Australian an accomplished  artist and sculpture but he was a miner for 20 years, motivated body builder, car and motor bike enthusiast and most important devoted father to his 5 children; he donated alot of his paintings to help families in his community.

Travelled a long flat straights, then through Alligator Gorge and Mount Remarkable into Port Augusta.  Hit road A87 to our free camp 50 km north; this is the start of our journey into the Red Centre. 

Wednesday 6 June 2012 - Silverton (home of Mad Max - exploring)

Km’s Travelled Today – 108 kms
Trip meter reset to 0

Car from Mad Max Film

Fuel Costs & Consumption
Fill up Broken Hill
Petrol @ $1.63; 34.86 litres $53.19
LPG @ $84.7; 63.82 litres $54.06

Comments -  Luke Baker

Today I went to an underground silver mine.  We went down 130 feet.  Afterwards we at jam and cream scones.  We also went to the Silverton pub for lunch.  This is where Mad Max was filmed.  At this afternoon we watched the sun go down past all of the sculptures.  This was held in the living desert.  Plus I saw Jack the Corella, he was a very good dancer.  Also I saw Sarah Jane the horse she had heaps of plats in her hair.  Last of all I met a very friendly sheep.

Most importantly an astronomer from Coonabarabran let us look through his telescope to see Venus go past the sun.  How lucky were we as this event will not occur until another 105 years from now.

Comments -  Nicole and Mark (Mum and Dad)
Today we saw just how beautiful the outback can be.  It is truly amazing how a whole lot of space with red dirt, dry creeks full of bright pink galahs and blue skies can be. Kevin was our guide today at the Day Dream Underground mine.  He was a true character and described Dick Smith as Australia’s only possible saviour.  The Cornish he described were small people who discovered iron ore seams in Silverton;  here as young as 8 (yes children I say) did not live long as the air they breathed and lead they inhaled would eventually kill them.  Miners were paid an extra pound per week than Stockman, however lived 20 years less than them.

Chardy at sunset at Living Desert Sanctuary

After our tea and home-made scones, we made our way into the township of Silverton.  Absolutely beautiful, including the weather.  The first time the sun has been out all day.  The pub was delightful and we found ourselves talking with complete strangers including the guy we met at the tourist office.   We met Andy Jenkins (a 1949 model) at his Coin Carvery; he cuts Australian pennies and coats them in 24ct gold making them into stunning jewellery; unfortunately for Andy we are not baby boomers or grey nomads so there were no 1969 or 1970 pennies for him to cut - $180 a pop mind you, but his work is amazing and worth every penny...lol.

Didn’t go into the Mad Max museum, however we did head back into Broken Hill (25 km drive) to visit the Sculptures and living Desert Sanctuary an hour before sunset. There are 12 rock sculptures at the top of a lookout with 360 degree views.  The hillside is an artwork of international standing and the views were incredible, even better with a glass of Chardy J

Tuesday 5 June 2012 - Broken Hill Exploring

DAY 3 – Tuesday 5 June 2012
Broken Hill (exploring)

Me and my Dad - Broken Hill Memorial Hill

Fuel Costs & Consumption
No filling up today

Comments -  Luke Baker

I saw the biggest canvas painting of the local area (see mum and dad’s comments below).  I also bought chocolate from the Arts Centre that looked like fake rocks.  At the tourist place there were fossils and lots of beautiful polished rocks.  If I was a millionaire I would have bought all of them.

Comments – Nicole & Mark Baker (Mum and Dad)

Went to the Silver City Arts Centre and City Mint which is home of the mighty acrylic canvas by Peter Anderson who has painted ‘The Big Picture’.  It is the world’s largest painting on canvas and is 100 metres long and over 12 metres high and painted with nine tonne of paint.  It is held in place by hydraulics, pulleys and counter weights.  The painting features natural and man-made landmarks within 300 km of Broken Hill, including the Pinnacles, Flinders Ranges, Mundi Mundi Plains, Menindee Lakes etc.  It took the artist 2 years (day and night) to complete.

We then explored the Line of Lode Miners Memorial.  The site looks over Broken Hill and has a cafe built into the hillside.  The memorial pays tribute to those young men who have lost their lives mining over the last 150 years.

Al & Mark at campground Penrose Park just short of Silverton

We decided to head to Silverton to camp the night, this time at a powered site with lots of hot showers; Penrose Park which is on 76 acres for $20 buckeroos a night for 2 adults and 2 children (Happy days!).  Unfortunately no tv reception to watch ‘Revenge’ tonight (pathetic I know); Alison Tarplee (“Tarps”) my bridesmaid decided instead to shared some ‘Coolabah’ I picked up on special ($8) at some weird Red Neck Roadhouse 76 km out of Broken Hill.  A couple of drinks later, who needs TV; we are the entertainment. 

Monday 4 June 2012 - Warren to Broken Hill

DAY 2 – Monday 4 June 2012
Warren to Broken Hill –  695 km (about that)
(via Warren / Cobar / Wilcannia)

Fuel Costs & Consumption
Filled up Warren @ 96.9c per litre
$60.80 LPG (62.80)
Filled up Cobar $99.9c per litre; 1.63 per litre
$62.70 LPG (62.76 litres)
$63.00 Petrol (38.45 litres)
Filled up Wilcannia @ 97.9c per litre
$63.25 LPG (64.61 litres)

Comments -  Luke Baker

I saw lots and lots of emus, hawks looking for prey and goats, in the middle of the road mind you.  We camped on the side of the road again, this time at a place called Round Hill (sort of just a truck stop).  We had another fire.  It was really freezing cold (about 4 degrees) and the wind was blowing between 37 and 45 km per hour.  It rocked our caravan all night.
Comments – Nicole & Mark Baker (Mum and Dad)
This was a really cold and windy night.  Glad I had my thermals on.  The boys have not had a bath since we left, however, I had a bath when cooking dinner as it kept the inside of the van  warm.  I was turning sausages while washing my face; that is multi skilling for you.  Looking forward to going into Broken Hill tomorrow and hopefully looking to stay approx 2 nights to catch up with homework and laundry; oh, and more important, having a shower.

Sunday 3 June 2012 - Coffs Harbour to Warren

DAY 1 – Sunday 3 June 2012
Coffs Harbour to Warren – 715 km
(via Armidale / Tamworth / Gunnedah / Coonabarabran)

Fuel Costs & ConsumptionFilled up Coffs
$33.60 LPG (63 litres)
$85.00 Petrol (60 litres)
Filled up Coonabarabran $1.66 per litre
$110.00 Petrol (65.91 litres)

Comments -  Luke Baker

On this leg of our trip out western NSW I saw lots and lots of cotton.  When we got to camp there were 2 dead pig carcasses nearby that stunk.  They were full of maggots.  Jake, me and Erin rode our bikes around until dark.  Then we sat and ate our dinner by the fire.

Me and Jake at our free camp

Comments – Nicole & Mark Baker (Mum and Dad)
Left Karangi, Coffs Harbour at 7.30pm in our Ford Territory and 18 ft something Westport Caravan.  With the Tarplee family leading the way (Scott, Alison & kids Jake & Erin) we headed south and then west up and over the Dorrigo Mountain to Armidale. It was our mission to get our longest mileage completed by Day 3.  All in all the roads were pretty long and straight and it rained the entire way until we arrived at our free camp which was just 5km before the township of Warren.