Day 5, Friday 1/7/2016, Coober Pedy to Uluru

Alarms were set for 0600hrs, with cars packed, breakfast eaten, dishes done and toilet stop,  all leaving together at 0657hrs. Three minutes before the planned time. It was a luxury to not have to pack tents up. Watching the sun rise across the desert through fog while driving out of Coober Pedy! Fog! Crazy desert!

We stopped at Marla at 0930hrs. Half an hour for fuel, toilet, coffee, hot chocolate and hot chips for the littlies. Then heading along the Stuart Highway there were some lovely mesas and rocky hills, then small, dark red sand dunes that were covered with grass and shrubs as we crossed into the Northern Territory.

Lunch at Erldunda was just sandwiches in the carpark but we had fun visiting the emus, and Amara and Eliza were excited to hold a 'baby' emu egg. Then we were driving through green scenery and rain! It's not your typical desert these days. The red sand dunes get to a decent size past Mt. Connor, with desert oaks in the swales.

About 5 to 10km before Yulara we turned left, following a small sandy track through the sand dunes to our planned bush camp "Uluru By Sunrise" on Wikicamps. It was everything I had hoped for with beautiful red dunes and a view to both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. (This site has since been banned, so don't go here now). Leah's rain goddess title was in play again with us arriving there in the rain. Col and I chatted to some friendly Canadian campers Robert and Alison for a bit and Col set up the dunny with a view of the rock!

We had a bit of a fire that we occasionally stood by, but not wanting to sit in the drizzly rain. After tea the Parkes clan taught Siân how to play Euka in the kid's set up under the Foxwing Awning. I fell asleep to some didgeridoo music mixed with a synthesiser. There's a group having a loud concert across the dunes to the east.

Day 4, Thursday 30/6/2016, Coober Pedy, day trip to "The Breakaways"

It still felt like night when we woke at 0730hrs with it being pitch black underground. Eliza and Amara were having a great time playing on the 'roof'. Watch out for the vent shafts! After breakfast Siân and Jack started the clothes washing. Jordan did the dishes and then helped with the clothes, while Col and I went grocery shopping. Col then needed a nap as he has a mild flu. Siân gave him some drugs, so I didn't even have to get my trusty 1st aid kit down. Leah was about to go and do some sightseeing without us. I thought it might be fun to spend some quality time together and asked if she could do her grocery shopping now while Gary was doing the washing, so that we could all do something together later (gosh I'm bossy).

After lunch I took everyone to Umoona 1st as it has a good museum and opal display, then Morgan's took us to Faye's house for a tour of a house that 3 women dug by hand over a 10 year period.

Next I wanted to see the "Breakaways" which is about 20km north of town on a dirt road. 

Bugger! We got almost there, but the 2nd dirt road was closed. I was so keen to get there that I decided to try from the other direction which is up the Stuart Highway and then in. The others followed which made me happy. The roads were open from the other direction, yay!!

Wow! It blew us away. It was an amazing vista of colourful mesas. Everyone managed to shift a few of those driving cobwebs. Jack ran straight down to the valley floor, Gary went across to an 'island', Eliza and Amara found some caves and Leah got to play with her camera, with Peter quite taken with her work. Jordan and Siân were my models, with Jordan and Siân then pretending to fall off a cliff. Siân had her first drive of a manual (on a dirt road). I just love rocks!

On getting back to Riba's we realised we had forgotten to top up our water so Col and Gary ducked back into town. We got the clothes off the line with everyone then grabbing their own to fold and pack away. Then an early dinner so we'd be on time for the mine tour.

Leah wasn't so fussed on it but I thought it was great. Very real and factual. Not over commercialised.  He talked us through each stage of getting your claim: counsel applications, license, staking it out and lodgement. How to find, dig and blast a slip, and most interesting, the science behind it all. 

We all had a chance to use the divining rod, and having gone in sceptical found that I had the power! My rods would go crazy everytime I passed the slip! I've had a wonderful day.

Day 3, Wednesday 29/6/2016, Olary Creek to Coober Pedy

Olary Creek did not disappoint with -5 degrees C this morning. There is ice on everything! Up at 0630hrs for a huge day of driving. It was lovely being up for sunrise. Jack and Siân got the pack up speed award today. They were done before the sun rose and before Jordan even emerged from her swag! Poor Jordan, she has a headache today.

Jack now has the Fawlty Towers award and may well lose the packup award as he leant his weight on the kitchen bench which collapsed. A billy of boiling water fell (lucky Siân had moved). All of the pots, mugs and other dishes fell into the newly made red mud from the billy water. Col wiped the mud off things while I washed everything in hot soapy water and Jack dried. It put our camp packup back by 20 minutes, but still done on time.

Eliza and Amara were bugging their quite tense parents and each other so I took Amara for a walk up the railway track which she loved as she's not allowed up there. Then I took the two of them for a short walk up the creek bed. We chucked a left and found Col packing up the dunny. The girls and I planted some seeds over the spot where we left our fertilizer. We planted a poop tree!

Leah and Gary again want us to go ahead of them saying they'll only be 20 minutes behind us and will meet us at Peterborough. I'm reluctant to split up again as it's best to all stick together, but again, with their faster car, not yet desert and the pressure being taken off them we decided to go ahead.

It's $164 per couple for two nights accommodation and a mine tour at Riba's in Coober Pedy. I'm wondering if we'll be able to get to it as the couple from last night told us that William Creek Road was closed. We waited at Peterborough for the others. They took about an hour longer than we hoped. I don't think we'll get there before 7pm.

Jack enjoyed driving over the Flinders Ranges with the fun curves. We took the usual photo at the lookout being the 4th one that we've done.

After filling our fuel tanks in Port Augusta we had to push on as we are running so late. Leah is upset that she couldn't get some groceries at Port Augusta and says she has nothing for tea.

We had a quick sandwich stop on the Stuart Highway. There are police everywhere doing alcohol and drug testing. While pulled over a whole convoy of police cars, bikes and horses went past. Apparently they're expecting a rowdy demonstration at Roxby Downs in the next few days against the dumping of nuclear waste.

We pulled over at another lookout with the best views along the Stuart Highway of a salt pan (currently more a lake) for a quick photo. Morgans/Davies didn't stop so we've lost them again. I'm not sure what they're planning or how we'll find them. I think they know where the accommodation is. It's on the itinerary, but it's a bit tricky as it's out of town in a working mine.

Yay, we ended up finding them 60km south of our destination. They had gone to a roadhouse at the Woomera turnoff. We've only seen galahs, sheep and emus today.

Arriving at Riba's Underground Camping and Rooms, 15 minutes late for our booked and paid for mine tour, plan B was required. Swapping tonight's tour with tomorrow's John's Pizza night is perfect as it covers Leah's lack of food and the fact that we're too tired to cook or go on a tour. So as it turns out, we are back having pizza in the same place exactly 4 years later, to the day! Happy birthday Fiona!

Amara felt sick at dinner and there were a few long faces after such a long couple of days. I'm sure they're thinking "when does this get fun?" Just with our time limits it's worth working hard to get to the middle quick to have more time at the highlights. Sorry guys. Gary ordered the "Coat of Arms" pizza and Jack and Siân had kangaroo on their pizzas.

After our showers we went to bed in our rooms underground and I certainly didn't read for long tonight.

Day 2, Tuesday 28/6/2016, Meadowglen (near Cobar) to Olary Creek (near Peterborough)

Our alarms were set for 0630hrs. I woke at 0100hrs and didn't get back to sleep until 0500hrs. Night duty has ruined me. Thank goodness for my kindle! We made our planned pack up time of 0800hrs but Morgan /Davies crew still had tents up and breakfast underway. They asked that we head off and they'll catch us later in the day. We agreed this time as we had planned to go to Wilcania school for Jordan to look around, they drive faster than us, we're not yet in the desert and they were getting stressed and needed the pressure taken off them. We'll spend a bit of time at the school and hanging around the Darling River, so hopefully they will easily catch up.

Saw a fox, 3 emus, herds of goats, sheep, kangaroos, cows and crows. Before crossing the bridge over the Darling River into Wilcania we turned to the left to visit St Theresa Catholic Infant School. Jordan might be coming here in November for a 1 month prac. She got a private tour of the school. It's gorgeous and so are the kids. I said hello to Lisa's friend. Apparently I didn't need to let her know we're sisters.

Did our usual fuel top up at Wilcania 132L $168 at the BP that was recommended by locals. 12L/100 is our current fuel economy. We did a photo shoot by the Darling River. Jordan and Siân came for a walk with me to check out the art gallery in a little sandstone building. Very cute. The café near the park is doing a thriving business. Still no Davies/Morgans and not answering on the CB. They're probably ahead by now. There is no OPTUS reception in Wilcania. Jordan will struggle if she stays here!

Had lunch at the roadside before Broken Hill. Finished the avocado. No fruit to chuck out. The kids will need petrol at Broken Hill. Saw some more emus and a kite. The kid's fuel consumption is down to 15.2L/100km (down from 17) with the air conditioner now off. We finally heard from the others. Just as we were leaving Broken Hill they were arriving, so we pulled over to wait and everyone did lots of catching up on messenger.

There is a plethora of emus past Broken Hill and the South Australian border. It is flat, treeless and shrubless land all the way to the Flinders off in the distance to the west. Saw some cockatoos. I'm soooo tired. We'll get there 1615hrs NSW time (1545hrs SA time). 8hrs in total today.

Olary Creek is as pretty as ever. The kids and I always have fun exploring the creek bed and old railway pillars. We found a horse, then Jordan, Jack and Siân played 'Stand by Me' on the railway bridge! Col set the dunny up for the first time and we all enjoyed the creek, train track, pillars, trees and starry sky views from the throne. Siân is so desperate to not do the dishes that she and Jack plan to cook tea tonight. Sausages on the Biji BBQ with veggies and mashed potato (in which Siân added parmesan, yum).

Another couple joined us at our fire and contributed to the firewood, along with some that we brought from home, and we had a wonderful warm fire. The stars in the ink black sky were again amazing. So many!! With Col and I doing the dishes and me being so exhausted I skipped the night photography and just snuggled by the fire for a bit.

Morgans/Davies are a bit frazzled having taken 2.5hrs to pack up camp this morning. They're changing their tactics and putting up smaller, quicker tents tonight.

Everyone is relaxed and happy now, tummies full and having a drink by the fire.

Day 1, Monday 27/6/2016, Lake Macquarie to Cobar

Alarms set for 0400hrs, but I was awake at 0300hrs waiting. Breakfast, last bags in the car, coffees in the thermos and house locked up. We left at 0445hrs, drove in the dark and rain and arrived at Dunedoo at 0630hrs to a very dull sunrise.

Drove past the split rock and caught the Morgans at a cafe in Trangie at 1100hrs. There are very swampy paddocks and very full flowing rivers around Nyngan and Cobar. We'll have to just keep driving if it's a swamp at our designated spot.

The kids have given us codenames. Col is Shrek of course, I'm Donkey!?, Siân Dragon, Jack Puss, and Jordan Ginger Bread Man. Interesting! They topped up their fuel at Nyngan. 90L. They're getting 17L/100km.

Gary had been waiting on the corner for us back at Trangie. Eliza and Amara were going paparazzi crazy with their cameras. They got a charming photo of me stuffing my face with a sausage roll. Lucky Leah and Gary changed their original plan of going through Warren as it was flooded and the main road closed.

We've seen the usual suspects: cows, sheep, pigs, goats, rabbit, fox, alpacas, kangaroos, emus, crows, galahs, cockatoos, kites and eagles.

We had a lovely lunch stop together in a park at Cobar. Delicious sandwiches then a bit of soccer juggle to get the blood flowing.

Poor Peter is stressed about getting red dirt in the car already. Hehehehe, he's got Buckley's.
Heading west we cleared the black clouds and rain just past Cobar to arrive at Meadowglen in sunshine and blue skies at 1515hrs (10.5hrs).

There's more green than I've ever seen out here, but still patches of deep red dirt that contrast nicely with it. It was a pretty quick and uneventful setup while Eliza and Amara collected kindling. Then we explored the dry creek beds, climbed trees and played soccer before happy hour at a raging fire. Just had to warm up the pre-cooked dinner.

As our chairs kept creeping closer to the fire, we decided to call it a night and went to bed to read and sleep. It only got down to 1 degree C. Toasty warm in bed.