Repacked as best we could at Billabong Roadhouse ( amazing how a male and female differ as regards what stuff needs to be more “accessible” 😊 ), the compass was set due north for Shark Bay. Like Kalbarri, Shark Bay ( and its many attractions ) loomed large on our itinerary – the dolphins at Monkey Mia being the first stop. En route one passes remarkable Shell Beach, a beach formed entirely with shells – the beach setting is stunning itself, perfectly crescent shaped with the “sand” not being sand but in fact tiny shells simply adding to its unique character.
Resting up, Billabong Roadhouse, after a complete clean and “repack”.Arriving in the Shark Bay area. Our time spent mostly in Monkey Mia and Denham, we barely scratched the surface of what it has to offer.Close up of the “sand” at Shell beach.Shell Beach.Shell beach
At first appearance, very resort”ish” (and not our usual style), the RAC campground at Monkey Mia was a great attraction in itself. Right on the waterfront in the heart of Shark Bay, (and with emus walking freely all over the park), it had a very relaxed vibe with all features and services being first rate. The main attraction, the dolphins, did not disappoint and true to form turned up for their feeding at 7.45am just as the crowds formed. They would come again throughout the morning and some lingered, frolicking by the shore, well into the afternoon. Giant turtles could also be seen either from the jetty or when snorkeling, delighting adults and children alike. Lest folks be thinking it seems counter to conventional wildlife wisdom to “feed” dolphins, this is a very controlled experience – they are only given 10% of their daily needs to ensure they continue to hunt on their own. Indeed, the viewing experience itself was delayed while one dolphin aggressively chased a fish around the shallow waters until it was caught.
Sunset, Monkey Mia.Visitors at our campground !Ever wondered how an emu takes a bath ? Now you know !Green turtle, Monkey Mia.Green turtle, Monkey Mia.Waiting for the dolphins, Monkey Mia.Dolphin, right at our feet, Monkey Mia.Up close.And again.
From Shark Bay it’s is a fairly easy drive north via Carnarvon where we overnighted and stocked up with supplies for the longer drive north on to Exmouth and Ningaloo Reef. Not a place folks usually spend a lot of time but it does have a nice waterfront and some of the major stores we needed to access that we wouldn’t be able to in the coming weeks. Locals told us had we been here a month earlier we’d have had the best viewing of a full solar eclipse in the Southern Hemisphere ! You can’t win them all I suppose, but not sure I’d go too far out of my way to see that anyway !
Carnarvon waterfront.Downtown Carnarvon.Woolworths car park, Carnarvon. Just a small group of caravanners stocking up ahead of the long trek north. It is unbelievable how many are on the road up here.The sound of Australian galahs…deafening! Carnarvon campground.Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, just north of Carnarvon.
From dolphins and sea turtles at Shark Bay to whale sharks further north on the Ningaloo reef near Exmouth this week has literally been one marine extravaganza after another. Exmouth ( and nearby Coral Bay ) are renowned for the reliable appearance of giant whale sharks at this time of year. Feeding in the shallow, warm waters near the edge of Ningaloo reef, these marine leviathans lumber along just below the surface feeding mostly on shrimp and plankton. Despite their giant size and shark-like appearance, they are quite harmless. But, wow, are they big ! Technically the worlds biggest fish, a whole industry has been spawned ( if you’ll excuse the marine analogy ) taking snorkelers out to swim with the sharks. Probably the most popular attraction in the area, it’s not cheap ( $475/day ) but what an incredible experience it is . We were told not to miss it so stumped up our credit cards and went out for the day – very glad we did. An unforgettable experience to jump in the water, mask on, look down and see this enormous creature just slowly glide past you barely metres away. As the old MasterCard ad used to say – priceless!
Cat, our photographer and Leah, our guide, taking us out to the tour boat.Selfie time, on “Ningaloo Blue”, swimming with Whale sharks tour.Lunch on the boat.Lois, snorkeling, prepping for the Whale shark session.The view as soon as we jumped in the water. And then, a Whale shark – up close !Whale shark with some of the snorkelers from our group behind.Whale shark swimming with its mouth open, catching small marine creatures.Lois, at one point just a bit too close to the shark !Apologies for the poor quality on this, my first attempt with a GoPro. Tough to film and swim simultaneously!Credit where credit is due – this clip shot by Nicolas, a French guy on our boat. Better angle!
If swimming with Whale sharks was not enough, Exmouth is right beside Cape Range National Park, home to some of the most beautiful white sandy beaches and first class snorkeling sights in WA. With the water so warm we sampled several, Turquoise Bay being our favourite.
Stunning Turquoise Bay, Cape Range National Park, Exmouth.
Exmouth itself is actually a relatively “new” town. A base for certain military actions against the Japanese ( who then occupied Singapore and Indonesia ) during WW2, Exmouth really started to grow in the ‘60’s after the Americans set up a military base there – at one point over 2,800 active serviceman lived here. The VLF ( Very Low Frequency ) communications tower system, constructed back then is still actively used today, albeit with just a handful of US personnel and now mostly run by the Australian military.
The VLF tower system just outside Exmouth In front of a giant termite mound, near Exmouth. Thousands of them in that area.Some of the WW2 history of Exmouth is highlighted at this memorial just south of the town. A particularly interesting story is the amazing mission to Japanese-occupied Singapore of the MV “Krait” which sailed from Exmouth.
Coral Bay, just down the coast offers the same whale shark adventures and one of the most beautiful beach settings on the peninsula – I’ve never seen more caravans ( trailers ) crammed into a coastal caravan park than we did in Coral Bay. A prettier beach would be hard to find and we enjoyed wandering the coastline and swimming in its crystal clear warm waters.
Lois, Coral Bay.Jeff, Coral Bay.Coral Bay.Coastline just north of Coral Bay.
All good things must end, however ( as the saying goes )and our time on the coast with some amazing marine life would soon give way to other attractions inland – next week we’ll explore the canyons and gorges of one of Australia’s most amazing natural wonders – Karijini National Park.
Till then,
Close to 5 months since we left Canada, but just over 3 months in Oz. We’ve been tracking our progress on an app called PolarSteps ( from Melbourne anyway ) – handy to look back and see the route we’ve taken……
“You doing the full lap ?”, we’re often asked when folks see our vehicle and realize it was shipped over from Canada. I’d not heard the term before but it’s “Grey Nomad” slang for one whose travel plans involve a full circumnavigation of the Australian continent. Essentially, some variation of Highway 1 all the way around, starting and ending in the same city. I suppose the answer is a qualified “yes” since we do hope to do that eventually but with a multitude of diversions along the way. One with less time might satisfy themselves with a “half lap” ( either the western or eastern half of Oz ) !
Highway 1, right around the country. Known as a “full lap” !Our route this past week – starting the trek north.
Speaking of Grey Nomads we’ve been astounded by how many we see – and it’s not even high season on the Western Australia coast yet. Western Australia in general is “hot” ( as in, popular) right now, especially the northwest and we are certainly excited to begin exploring that region, but first the “Coral Coast” beckons – the bit that starts in Perth and ends near Exmouth.
When you have too many surfboards and not enough material for a fence ! Town of Lancelin.
Heading north from Perth we noted how much the city had sprawled north over the years, certainly seems to be the area getting developed. Rather than taking the more direct inland route (Highway 1), we chose the slower, but more scenic option known as Indian Ocean Drive, passing though many small coastal communities – Yanchep, Cervantes, and Jurien Bay, among them, before the roads join up again just south of Geraldton with Highway 1. Sandy Cape, just north of Jurien Bay was a firm favourite- hard to beat a beachside spot at one of the area’s most popular campgrounds. Swimmable water ( as in not too cold ), a long, white sandy beach and classic West coast sunsets kept us anchored there for several days. Delightful.
Beautiful sunset, Sandy CapeSandy Cape – our neighbours were 5 young Argentines on Working Holidays in Australia. Quite amazed that we had travelled extensively in their homeland ( and thrilled that we rated it the best part of South America ! ).Sandy Cape – enjoying Happy Hour with neighbours, Wayne and Michelle.Beach camping, Sandy Cape.Sandy Cape, sunset drink.Emus, sand dunes, Sandy Cape.Sandy Cape.Getting out of the sand dunes – one of the few times we’ve needed to use 4×4.
Geraldton is the last bigger city until Broome ( still a long way north ! ) so we explored its sights and nearby beaches – the HMAS Sydney memorial was especially moving, reminding us all of the gallant service of the young men who paid the ultimate price in defending the freedom we all enjoy today. Tragically 645 lives lost in the sinking of that famous ship back in 1941.
Geraldton’s downtown, city-provided, free camping area – all 9 spots are gone by the early hours of the morning. Snagged the last one ! A very “RV Friendly” city.Sydney II Memorial, Geraldton. In remembrance of the 645 brave sailors who paid the ultimate price, November, 1941. Both the Sydney and its adversary, the German raider, Kormoran, sunk after the battle, although there were no survivors from the Sydney II.Statue of a sailor’s mother , looking out to sea, for the son who would never return. We’ve seen many war memorials, this one was particularly poignant, commemorating the greatest single tragedy in Australian naval history.Coronation Beach, just north of Geraldton – a favoured location for kite surfers and wind surfers. It was windy !Sunset, Coronation Beach.Port Gregory. A quiet seaside village en route to Kalbarri whose main claim to fame was to have been shelled ( with no damage ) by a Japanese submarine in WW2…..and to have an unusual “Pink Lake” nearby. Pink Lake, Port Gregory.
As we planned out this trip around Oz, many place names were thrown around as “must do’s” – Kalbarri National Park, while not top of that list, was nonetheless one of those that came up often so we were keen to spend some time exploring the area. An impressive park for sure ( and very nice coastal town as well ), the hikes we did were inspiring but heavy rain cut short our final day preventing us doing the longer one ( note to self – don’t always “save the best for last” ! ). Rain, and – I should add – a moment of absolute panic when we briefly lost ALL power in the camper ( both AC and DC ). Seems one of those earlier corrugated roads had worked a major connection loose – fortunately the local Kalbarri auto electrician was able to identify and reconnect it ( sees the very same problem almost weekly, he said ).
Coastal cliffs, Kalbarri.Kalbarri cliffs.Coastal cliffs, Kalbarri.Marker, just outside Kalbarri, acknowledging the very first arrival of Europeans in Australia – 141 years before Captain Cook.Skywalk, Kalbarri.“Natures Window”, Kalbarri NP.Flies were brutal – a real challenge entering and exiting the van !Kalbarri NP – flies were brutal in places.Kalbarri NP.Kalbarri NP.Kalbarri N P.Emu, Kalbarri N P.Vegetation, Kalbarri N P.Tim, the only auto electrician we could find in Kalbarri, correctly identified our electrical issue – a bolt on our shunt had worked loose, taking out all power in the camper. Relieved the issue was simply fixed – thanks also to my Victron supplier for his tips !
Sadly, rain cut short our time in beautiful Kalbarri.
Our time in Kalbarri cut slightly short, it gave us an opportunity to pick up some time and do one of our periodic serious clean ups and “repacks” – the latter involving stacking the storage crates in the van garage so as to ensure we always had what we wanted at our finger tips while the rarely used stuff was pushed further forward. Pulled in early to the legendary Billabong Roadhouse to do same. Not so easy – seems we can never agree on what needs to be at our finger tips !
Famous Billabong Roadhouse, WA.
Next week we travel to beautiful Shark Bay and beyond.
It’s an easy 2 hour cruise from Norseman down to Esperance, the latter being one place we’d consistently heard about as we headed west. Named for a French ship ( “Esperance” ) that explored the south west in the 1700’s, this city is famous for the beauty of its beaches. And they are, indeed, spectacular !
Readers will no doubt notice that we got a bit, ah, carried away with beach pics and videos this blog – with good reason. We were absolutely dazzled by the city beaches, located on Esperance’s Great Ocean Drive – (not to be confused with Victoria’s Great Ocean Road ) but even more impressed with those at nearby Cape Le Grand National Park – Lucky Bay, Thistle Cove and Hellfire beach were all stunning ( the latter especially warm, too ) but our personal favourite was Wharton Bay, just outside the park. While it’s not possible on all WA beaches, a few of these allow you to drive right on the beach ( though not camp there ). We enjoyed quite a few occasions with the van on the beach, sliding door wide open just soaking up what was a postcard like vista – the sand pure white and the water a pristine turquoise. Easy to see why the place is so popular and the park campsites booked out months in advance. We’d heard lots of hype about this area but it absolutely lived up to every story we’d heard. Just magnificent – not to be missed if one comes this way !
West beach, Esperance.Selfie, Observatory Point, Esperance.Beautiful Twilight Bay beach, Esperance.Amazingly picturesque, Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park.First view of famous Lucky Bay beach, Cape Le Grand National Park.Thistle Cove, Cape Le Grand National Park.Lois, Hellfire Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park.Thistle Cove, Cape Le Grand NP.On select beaches 4wd vehicles are allowed.Our favourite, Wharton Beach, just outside Cape Le Grand NP. Morning tea “on” the beach.Morning tea, Wharton Beach.Time to stop looking and dive in. Still able to swim and it was almost May ( equates to October in Canada ! ).Bumped into this lovely German couple at Wharton Beach. They had rented this 2007 Toyota “Troopie” for 6 months for $25,000 AUD. A reliable, “go anywhere” vehicle ( it had 675,000 kms on it ). Renting is NOT cheap for a long stay in Oz. Six months may indeed be the point where shipping your own vehicle makes more sense ( we are telling ourselves that ! ).Reliable, and can go anywhere – but the toilet was rudimentary. Emergencies only……!Classic Aussie windmill, near Cape Le Grand NP.
Albany is almost 5 hours drive west of Esperance and was our next port of call, but not before a stop and hike in the Porongorups National Park ( scenic, but hard work, hikers are well-rewarded with a beautiful cantilevered glass skywalk at the top). Our expectations were measured for this historic city once famed for whaling, but it surprised us. There’s also some interesting history, a quaint downtown, and a spectacular “walk” suspended over the edge of a sheer precipice right on the ocean’s edge- known locally as “The Gap” – definitely not for the virtiginous !
A massive fire between Esperance and Albany. The smoke was everywhere and forced us to drive an extra 100kms to escape it while camping at night.Parked at the Porongurups National Park and this beautiful bird just landed right beside us !Balancing rock, Perongurups National ParkThe last part requires some scrambling !Porongurups NP, cantilevered skywalk. View went for miles. A pretty tiring hike to the top.Porongurups NP, skywalkThe Gap, Albany.Rock bridge at “The Gap”, AlbanyThe Gap, AlbanyThe Gap.The Gap, AlbanySilo art, Abany
During our last visit to WA in 2016 we’d just missed catching up with my cousin David so we were determined to connect this time. David and Vicky are lucky enough to call Margaret River home, an area famous for great wines, and great beaches among other things – and just 4 hours from Albany. It’s on a fairly convenient loop to Perth – not direct, but not too far out of the way and with the advantage of some beautiful national parks to travel through en route. The combination of giant Karri forests and rocky coastal foreshores made for an enjoyable drive, albeit with visibility at time hampered by some heavy rains. Denmark and Walpole were a couple of the prettier places en route. David and I spent time catching up on family news and what had gone on in each others lives in the 40 plus years since we’d seen each other – it was certainly great to get together again !
South west coastal scenery, near WalpoleOur run of perfect weather had ended, here wild camped with 3 others in wet conditions near WalpoleThe rain continued all the way to Margaret River, kaiboshing our sightseeing plans there 😞.Poured raining in Margaret River…..….but managed to catch up with my cousin, David, and his wife Vicky, this time. I’d not seen David in over 40 years.David with Lois, his house, Margaret River
Perth, WA’s capital, was just a few hours north now, so rather than take the direct freeway route we ambled up the more scenic ( but slower ) coastal route though Bunbury, Busselton and Mandura. Like many big sprawling cities you are suddenly “in” Perth before you realize it. Big, yes, but easy to navigate around and we really enjoyed our few days there. As the last city of any size before we would head north there was a lot of running around for us to do in Perth. Besides it’s obvious sights -nearby “Freo” ( Fremantle ) and it’s harbour and markets, the Swan River, and beautiful Kings Park, we needed some “van” matters attended to – a recall from Mercedes ( easily dealt with by MB Perth ) and a service matter with our fridge, also quickly and easily handled by the Vitrifrigo service agent near Fremantle. After the sights, some overdue shopping ( always fun in the big cities ! ), a couple of important items from Bunnings ( Australia’s equivalent to Home Depot ) and Costco and we felt we were now set for the long trek north – along with plenty of others we’d met who were all heading in the same direction !
Perth, finally. First stop, Mercedes Benz to have a recall completed on the vehicle. In extreme circumstances it could roll forward while in “Park”. Felt we should get that dealt with !Next stop, the Vitrifrigo service centre in Fremantle. The very helpful owner, John, confirmed our fridge was actually working just fine. Compressor fridges are not always “frost free” we learned !Fremantle ( “Freo” to locals ) is a beautiful port city near Perth with tons of history and beautifully redeveloped old buildings, some dating back to convict times…….….and which are often turned into boutique sidewalk cafe’sContemporary architecture/sculpture – “Surfer”, Cottesloe beach, PerthPerth skyline from Kings ParkDriving though Kings Park, PerthAll over Kings Park, touching memorials to Australia’s fallen servicemen and women. Some, not even in their twenties.
We continue to be astounded by the number of people on the road in WA – and all are headed the same way as us – north !
Our excursion to the “Red Centre” complete, the Stuart Highway was our chosen route south. We’d pass back through Marla, Coober Pedy ( and stop in for 2 days ), Pimba and on to Port Augusta before turning west towards Western Australia where the plan was to spend the next couple of months.
Some long roads travelled.
Coober Pedy was a first visit for me but a revisit for Lois. The town, famous for opal mining and the fact that ( due to extreme summer heat ) many residents live ( and some businesses operate ) at least partially underground. We thought this may have been a thing of the past but were reliably informed that approximately 60% of residents still live in this way – a visit to a nearby museum showed exactly how that was ( is ) done – fascinating stuff ! Beyond opal stores, mines and museums the town is the base for visits to the nearby “Breakaways Conservation Park”, an area of unique landscapes and unusual rock formations.
Motel, underground, Coober Pedy.Coober Pedy.Lois, Breakaways, Coober Pedy.Bumped into some Canadian tourists in Coober Pedy – all from BC and shocked to see a van with BC plates !Turns out they were from near Kelowna ! Small world……Breakaways rock formations.Museum, Coober Pedy.An old underground home, Coober Pedy.
From Coober Pedy south, only Pimba ( and nearby Woomera – famous for rocket testing ) stood between us and Port Augusta, a national crossroads of sorts. Whether by rail or by road, further south lies Adelaide, to the east, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, while to the west there’s really only one major city, Perth- the next place we were headed. There are, of course, many miles in between so rather than simply sit on the Eyre Highway we did a little exploring on the Eyre Peninsula. There was much more to see than we managed to but with a cold spell around there seemed little point exploring its famed southern beaches when we could not swim in them. Whyalla, Cowell, Lock, and Wudinna gave us a glimpse of the area before we meandered on to beautiful Streaky Bay and Ceduna.
Some Woomera trivia.Rocket park, Woomera.The “Ghan” railway line, runs from Adelaide to Darwin, here near Woomera. Lots of long straight sections, stretching for miles over the horizon ( like the roads ! ).The Eyre Peninsula has some famous beaches but it was not warm enough to try them. We stayed in the north.Whyalla’s unusual jetty.Silo Art, Cowell, South Australia.Classically restored Aussie pub, Cowell, South Australia.Pildappa Rock, Wudinna, South Australia.Ditto.The unusual rocks known as Murphy’s Haystacks.Jetty, Streaky Bay. The swimming area is netted ( wired ) on the left side of the jetty as sharks are common here ( the big ones ! ).
Once in Ceduna thoughts moved to the long drive west. It’s the last major town before Norseman, over 1200kms across Australia’s famous Nullarbor Plain ( so named for the lack of trees ) and a good place to “stock up” – food, water, and ( reasonably priced ) fuel are scarce after Ceduna. The Nullarbor can be long and tiring but we broke the journey up by sharing the driving – a solid tail wind helped us push the van a little harder to soak up the miles. A few sights along the way but the most memorable would certainly be Fowlers Bay and wild camping on the Bunda Cliffs, the latter offering stunning views along the sheer cliffs of the Great Australian Bight. The cliff side camping spots are popular and practically everyone ( with a camping vehicle ) makes an overnight stop there.
Fowlers Bay.The town, jetty, and sand dunes, Fowlers Bay.Bunda Cliffs, looking west.Sunrise, Bunda Cliffs.Bunda Cliffs
Beyond the Bunda Cliffs, one crosses the West Australian border, sets the clocks back an hour and a half and gives up most fresh fruit and vegetables at the quarantine station – fortunately we came prepared being well coached in advance (thanks Ian and Anne !). Relieved only of some remaining lettuce we were free to enter WA. It’s here that one travels on Australia’s longest straight road; no corners for 144.6kms !
They had a reputation for being thorough but were actually pretty relaxed. Very reasonable.That was the last we saw of the lettuce !We were surprised – despite many signs like this animals were actually scarce on the Nullarbor.Lois takes the helm !Cruise control territory !An “endless road” – on Australia’s longest straight road.
Norseman is the first town of any size in WA and it too, like Port Augusta, is a bit of a crossroads. Everyone, and I mean, EVERYONE heading west passes through it but then one decides whether to swing north ( via Coolgardie ) or south ( via Esperance ) on the way to Perth.
A hike to the mountain near our Norseman wild camp spot. The sun on the red rock was beautiful and the mountain was a great vantage point for the sunset that day.Sunset, wild camping just outside Norseman.
Esperance was our call, and a good one as it turned out, but more on that and our circuitous route to Perth next blog..!
Crossing just over the Northern Terrirory border bought us to the Kulgera roadhouse. If Oodnadatta billed itself ( probably somewhat generously ) as the hottest and driest place in Australia, Kulgera steals the crown as the most “central” community in Australia and proudly promotes itself as such – at least the Kulgera pub states it is the “closest pub to the geographic centre of the country” !
Initial destination, Alice Springs ( hereinafter, simply “Alice” ), 4 hours further up the Stuart Highway where we’d stock up on supplies and fuel for what would be a week or so travelling what’s become known as the Red Centre Way – a loop, west of Alice catching the sights of the West McDonnell Range, a dip south west on the ( very corrugated ) gravel Mereenie Loop to Kings Canyon, and then on to the rock star attraction of the area, Ayers Rock ( Uluru ) and the Olga’s ( Kata Tjuṯa) before returning to the Stuart Highway.
Most Central Australian tourism sites are in or around the Red Centre Way (see map below).The Red Centre Way
Given we’d both visited the “Rock” back in the early 80’s (when it was actually possible to climb it – seems almost sacrilegious to admit that these days ) we very nearly decided to skip it. How could it be better to just “see” it now than it was to actually climb it, we reasoned ? Wiser heads prevailed and considering the myriad attractions nearby the decision was made to add in a revisit – and are we ever glad we did !
But first, to Alice. Anyone in Australia would be aware of the recent social issues plaguing Alice and some went so far as to suggest skipping it altogether. We didn’t, and actually couldn’t, as we badly needed supplies, and Alice is THE ONLY spot to stock up out here. We found the town clean, quiet and never felt unsafe ( the issues had occured almost exclusively at night so we wisely did not stay in the city itself, spending our first night at nearby Standley Chasm ).
Leaving Alice Springs and heading west to the McDonnell Ranges. Unusually green.Standley Chasm.Standley ChasmStandley Chasm
The West McDonnell Ranges lived up to their billing and we stopped at most of the key sights – the area’s always natural beauty enhanced right now by a carpet of green vegetation, the result of late season (and unusually heavy) rains, a vibrant green not seen in the area for over 20 years according to reliable locals with whom we spoke. Suited us just fine ! One particular highlight was a stunning view of the desert night sky while wild camping near the end of the McDonnells.
The “Big Hole”, Ellery Creek, prettiest of the waterholes we saw and swam in.Swimming, Big Hole.Ormiston Pound, West McDonnell RangesOchre Cliffs, where local aboriginals traditionally sourced colors for painting.Hiked to the lookout at Ormiston Pound – water not as clear here.Glen Helen Gorge.Driving out of the West McDonnell Ranges.Gosse Bluff, formed after a meteorite landed here millions of years ago.Sunset at our wild camp location near Gosse Bluff. Clearest night for stargazing we’ve ever seen.
Between the western edge of the McDonnell Range and Kings Canyon was the Mereenie Loop, for some an attraction in its own right. Rough, remote, and very dusty this track ( it’s not a road ! ) passes through indigenous lands and requires a permit but saves one reversing direction and going to Kings Canyon the long way round. A worthwhile trip by all accounts we figured we‘d endure some more dust, more bumps and explore what would be to us, virgin territory. It lived up to its reputation for roughness and dust and it did save a lot of kms, but I wouldn’t say the scenery offered much we’d not seen before. The opportunity to assist some some very young German travellers stranded in the middle with a failed starter motor added to the excitement and assuaged our desire to do a good deed where we could.
The Mereenie Loop drive requires a permit – but includes some useful tips !Mereenie Loop – corrugated gravel road ahead, “air down” !A young German couple were broken down at a remote section of the Mereenie Loop. We, and then others, stopped to help them and we ended up driving them to Kings Canyon.Tried a jump start, to no avail.
Kings Canyon had been much hyped but not without justification – it truly is a very impressive attraction. Multiple great hike options- we did the short one and the rim walk ( worth the near vertical climb at the beginning ! ).
Speakers on…you can hear the rattling from the corrugations – Mereenie Loop. Excruciating.Hike options, Kings Canyon. Rim Walk was spectacular.Us, Kings Canyon.Start of the Rim Walk. Steep.At the top.Kings CanyonKings Canyon.
From Kings Canyon it was back on sealed roads and on to Ayer’s Rock. Visible from 50kms away ( and seems to grow as you get closer ) it’s still one of the greatest natural wonders we’ve seen. The highlight this visit was the great sunset – the change in its colors is amazing. The Olga’s- to my mind anyway, better up close, the Rock more impressive when viewed from afar ( and at sunrise and sunset ). On the second day there we went to view sunrise at the Olga’s which also gave a great perspective of the Rock silhouetted against a rising sun. Spectacular stuff ! Honestly we both agreed that that the sunrise/sunset viewings, a drive around the Rock and a walk to the more impressive areas of the Rock were more memorable than the climb itself over 40 years ago…..and I didn’t think I’d be saying that !
Often mistaken for Ayer’s Rock ( it’s on the way ), Mt Conner is still an impressive site, standing alone in the desert.Getting into, and around, Ayer’s Rock and the Olga’s is a slick operation now. A world of difference form our first visits.Distant view of Ayer’s RockApproaching Ayer’s Rock by road.View from one end as we drew near.Close up.Getting ready for the sunset viewing.Just prior to sunset.…..and the best colour, just as it set.Next morning, sunrise view of Ayer’s Rock from the Olga’s. Looking one way to the Rock, then turned the other to the Olga’s.The Olga’s, sunrise.Olga’s, close up.Olga’s hike, us.Later in the am we managed to do a partial walk around the Rock before it got too hot. By mid day the crowds had really thinned outClose up to a “gorge”, Ayer’s Rock.
While some folks following our journey asked if we were continuing north after the week’s soirée around Alice, the McDonnells, Kings Canyon, and Uluru, we are in fact heading back south – down the Stuart highway towards Port Augusta and then on to Western Australia. We’ll come back to the Northern Territory from the north – it provides better weather timing ( or should ) and gave us the opportunity to travel on both the Oodnadata Track and the Stuart highway, difficult if one just goes straight north up to Darwin.
Time will tell how it all plays out…!
Till next week …..
Young Canadians about to take on the Great Central Road – a very challenging Outback track !
There are many Australian “tracks” that attract those wanting a taste of the outback and one of the more well-known is the legendary “Oodnadatta Track”.
Eastern end of the Oodnadatta Track.
Drive north from Port Pirie/Port Augusta and the bitumen ends at Marree. It’s there that outback drivers face one of two options : north-east just over 500kms to Birdsville in Queensland, or just over 600kms north-west to Marla via Oodnadatta, on the Stuart Highway connecting to the Northern Territory. Severe flooding further north and east in Queensland had cut the roads to Birdsville from that side so a trip to the iconic outback town for us would have been up, AND back with the real risk of being stuck once we got there. Common sense prevailed, and while the Oodnadatta Track was longer we did not have to do it in duplicate – and it tied in better with our other plans. Birdsville would be worked in later in the trip.
Starting at Port Pirie in the south, the route to Marree, beginning of the Oodnadatta Track, and on to Marla at the end of the track. “A” is Marree, “B” is William Creek, “C” is Oodnadatta, and “D” is Marla.Queensland Road Conditions report on the roads into Birdsville – from/to Queensland all were closed. Birdsville is in the bottom left of the image, in the far south western corner of the state.
The track’s original function was to support the building of a telegraph line and later served to help build a railway ( the famous “Ghan” line ). Neither are used now ( the telegraph line and its stations redundant, and the Ghan line replaced with a new line further west less prone to flooding ) but remnants can be found at places along the route. It’s rugged, rough in places, and extremely remote but offers one great solitude and mile after mile of flat desert sands for as far as the eye can see.
While the route starts in Maree, the sealed road to Marree also offered some great scenery, passes through several very historic South Australian towns and more kangaroo and emu sightings than we would see on the Oodnadatta Track itself. A short detour via the Flinders Ranges provided yet more variation on the scenery than on the direct route to Marree so we tacked that on to our journey, albeit briefly.
Classic Aussie pub, Quorn.Old railway station, QuornRoad to the Flinders RangesFlinders Ranges.Flinders Ranges.Tracks in the Flinders RangesOur first sighting of an emu.
Two outback travel rules ( which we both know well ) were broken on the run to Marree – never pass a fuel bowser without filling up, and don’t drive after 4pm. The fuel bowser we relied on was faulty ( we made it, but with less margin than we like ), and we found there were WAY more animals on the road after 4pm ( nearly wiped out our first kangaroo ! ). Lesson learned.
Sun setting near Marree. As a rule we never drive this late in the day and almost hit a kangaroo in doing so.
That minor drama aside the next two days in Maree and on the Oodnadatta Track itself were amazing. Our stop in Maree gave us a chance to sample some memorable Aussie outback pub fare ( the chicken parmy was a special treat ). We camped in the parking area of the pub voted “Best Pub in Maree” ( yes, also the ONLY pub in Maree ) – and currently the only camping option in Maree. A few stories were shared with fellow travellers especially tips on the road ahead.The Maree Hotel also has a famous museum inside – the Tom Kruz museum- that pays homage to a famous local postman bearing almost the same name as his better known Hollywood namesake. Tom’s is an interesting story – spelled out in tales and pictures on the walls of a room dedicated in his honor.
The road to Maree – end of the black top.Best darn pub in Marree – Marree HotelTom Kruz Room ( Museum ) Marree HotelOld Ghan locomotive, MarreeTrack to nowhere, Marree.
If you like great expanses of almost nothing and long, endless roads then this track is your bag ! We would have liked to have done it with a few less corrugations but hey, that comes with the outback. Traffic was sparse ( as expected ) and the towns/settlements along the way ( really only William Creek and Oodnadatta itself ) offered interesting respite and some historical perspective on this legendary outback route.
Beginning of the Oodnadatta TrackTravelling along the Oodnadatta Track.William Creek Hotel, William Creek, Oodndatta TrackFuel’s expensive in the outback !Lake Eyre, Oodnadatta TrackLater on the track.Algebuckina Bridge ruins, Ghan line, Oodnadatta TrackRest stop by the Algebuckina Bridge.Oodnadatta – hottest and driest town in AustraliaOriginal old Oodnadatta station sign. The line via Oodndatta closed in 1980.Legendary “Pink Roadhouse”, OodnadattaNear the end- lots of wide open spaces.Oodnadatta Track complete, the road from Marla north to the SA/NT border was smooth blacktop, a welcome relief after over 600kms of ( at times ) bone crushing corrugations.Shortly after the end of the OodnadattabTrack ( at Marla), we crossed into the Northen Territory. Nice to be back on blacktop !
We are Lois and Jeff, of Kelowna, BC, Canada. Recently retired with a serious overlanding travel bug, we hit the road in our truck camper in May 2019, initially tackling the Pan American highway. The PanAm completed in April 2022, and truck camper sold, we plan to continue exploring again later in 2022 in our Sprinter 4×4!
