Goodness CG, Hope you are ok. Look after yourself and stay rested in Mt Isa for a while. Doesn't hurt to rest a little longer than intended. All the best.

Yeah, I know "HappyW". I'm just happy to be travelling, after health slowed me down a "bit". I am taking it easy, and that's why I have 3 night stop-overs. If I feel I need more I'll do it. I've been having these "little episodes" for years, but this was only the second since the adrenal gland went in the bin last Christmas. I thought I'd lost them, but apparently not. It's all under control, and I'd be the last to take a stupid risk out there on the highways. It's just one of those little mysteries of life. I don't mean to worry anyone. Sorry.

Don't be sorry CG, we are all here for each other, to give each other support and a lift up when down.

Glad you are ok Chris, might be natures way of giving your over active mind a little rest mate.

Sounds like you are soaking up every second of being back on the road again, good on you.

Made it to Barkly Homestead with ease today. After thunderstorms most of last night at Isa, and a little rain I drove through a couple of heavy showers, and just skirted thunderstorms to the north all day. The lightning was specky against the black sky, mid-afternoon. There was quite a bit of water lying alongside the road, and in the yard here at the Homestead. Fuel, diesel 177.9c per litre. I only loaded 50 litres to get me to Tennant Creek where it's much cheaper. I will be avoiding 3 Ways Roadhouse for fuel. Probably camp at Wycliffe tomorrow (Wed) night. The new road is great across the Barkly. In 2006 when I did this trip they were rebuilding it and some was unsealed and better than the billy goat bitumen single lane. There is no more billy goat bitumen between Mt. Isa and the Qld/NT border. It's a bit rough in small stretches, but generally good.

Tell us a bit more about Barkly Homestead CG. Is it a private residence or a roadhouse. Just love the name and know there has to be a story behind it.

Here is a picture of the homestead coming off the highway. The van park is out the back of here. Gives you a feel for the place.

That looks a lovely spot, thank you firefly.

No worries mate, and this is a picture of the bowser and the price of fuel, we had a petrol Triton back then, 2006. Fuel has dropped some since then though.

Barkley Homstead had diesel for 184.9 when we were there a couple of months ago.

That would have been about the same time as us mate, we didn't look this time.

Diesel was 177.5 a few days ago. It was 154.9 at Tennant Creek, "just around the corner", in Australian distance terms. Barkly is a nice little spot to rest up. I parked out the back, with power, and there's plenty of room, and a pool. They also have motel units and budget cabins. I didn't eat there or buy a beer, so I can't compare prices there. Barrow Creek was an eye-opener. It's been run down to a sad degree. I couldn't do another Km yesterday, so that's where I camped. $7.50 for powered site, showers and toilets. The meal was good, the beer was cold @ $5.50 per stubby. My budget was a little bit stretched, but the locals were fun to chat with. Some staff from the nearby cattle station called in, and of course I chatted "fluent cattle station" to the boys. One had worked in the Kimberley and knew a mustering chopper pilot we used. It still is a small world. I'm in Alice now, after a beautiful drive through waving grasses of golden green, silver and pink, wattle, grevillea and other wild flowers of yellow, purple and white. The acacia trees and bushes, the sheoaks and gum trees all presented a colour range from greens and greys to silver. Just beautiful under the blue sky.

Sounds like you are doing well CG and having a great time. Never been to Alice, hope I will one day. Have a great time there, how long will you stay?? Do you watch Keepin' up with the Jones, channel 10 Thursday nights. Its a doco thingee about a family and all their stuff on a cattle station somewhere way outback.

Yes I've watched the Joneses. It's pretty realistic as to how it happens out there. Everyone works hard and plays hard, and the kids grow up fast working with the family and communicating with the staff from all walks of life. I met some people from a station near Barrow Creek including a young boy. No "language" barrier there. The kid didn't swear but everyone else did, and he didn't bat an eyelid, nor did his mum. That's just life, real life. I stayed in Alice for 3 nights, and checked out the West McDonnell Ranges. Absolutely fabulous and that's just the drive out to Simpsons Gap. I'd flown into Alice a few times from and to Broome, so it was good to get a close-up look from the ground. Everywhere the country is just looking fantastic. The grasses are so green and tall, waving in the breezes. The colourful wildflowers make gardening look like a stupid idea. So many types of wattle and tea tree flowering as well. Just beautiful! Then I passed through a huge thunderstorm yesterday on my way to Marla. Squally winds and downpours slowed my progress to 60 KPH, and looking out for flash floods. A couple of spots had water gushing over the road, but not dangerously deep. In the rear vision mirror it looked like midnight. It was almost dark in the heart of the storm. Some idiots were driving dark cars without lights on. Really dangerous! Heading to Coober Pedy today the grass is finally taller than the stones of the Gibber Plain, or Great Stony Desert. Not as many other trees and shrubs, but it's lookin' good out here.

Did you go into Simpson's Gap Chris.   It's such a beautiful place..........sort of magic.

Loved it.

Coober Pedy, now that is somewhere very different. Only see it on Tv, a very interesting place.

Not overly fond of Coober Pedy myself.  But then that's just my opinion.  I know of quite a few people who find the place fascinating.

I'm not one of them Ma.

We had the most horrid day there a few years back.

Simpsons Gap was magical. Sort of eerie and beautiful. Very peaceful, serene. There was bird calling in the bushes nearby, sounding like a flute. I thought it might have been a mung been sitting on a log in the scrub playing a flute, but I was wrong. I think it was a dove of some kind. The tour driver I spoke to agreed, but we didn't see it. There's a small shrike in there which sits on the rocky ledges above the water hold and whistles up a beautiful song. It echoed in the Gap to make it even more enjoyable. Coober Pedy didn't do much for me either. While I was intrigued with the landscape and how they do it there, it wasn't my favourite place. I stayed at the Oasis Van park in town centre almost - $30per site without water and $2 for 4 minute shower. Drop the coin in the slot in the shower cubicle. The Stuart Van Park charged $2 for 3 minutes in the shower, sort of like a long-distance phone call used to be, "Three minutes, are you extending?" All part of the Australian way of doing things out there. Woomera is almost a ghost town, but a mining company has leased a large section of housing for their staff. It's still very active in developing defence mechanisms, and other countries lease it for their weapons research. There was no sign of any defence personnel, and most operations are undertaken by private contractors. Then the experts come in, explode their bombs or launch their rockets, analyse the outcome, and go home again. They pay for the use of the facility and Australia benefits. It was in Woomera I literally bumped into fellow GN "Gunnado". Now Gunnado is doin' it. He's been on the road across the Simpson and inland tracts, and I was surprised he identified me during the course of our conversation. He hadn't seen the car or van yet. We shared travel tales, as you do. From there south the country didn't change much until closer to Pt. Augusta. I was amazed at the altitude of the country out there. Some of the salt lakes have water in them, and the salt bush and blue bush never changes. It's all green and fresh, but nothing lush about it. It was great to see the Flinders Ranges in the distance. I knew I was getting closer to Pt. Augusta. The grain crops south of Pt. Germain are looking great, and the harvest is in full swing. I hope it continues to stay fine until the harvest is finished. It would be heartbreaking to have rain or a strong storm now. Diesel in Pt. Augusta is 126.9 cents, the same as Cairns when I left. Pimba was 161.9 but I only put about 40 litres in to get me to PA. Isn't this fun?

OK, CG, 2 more days gone by. Where are you now? Very interesting read in that last post, and great catching up with Gunnado.

Beautifully written CG. Give you 12 our of 10 for your essay.

PS: our avatar was taken in the Flinders Ranges on Christmas Day

-- Edited by Dunmowin on Friday 19th of November 2010 10:24:00 PM

I think Coober Pedy is well worth a "one off" visit. Water is a valuable commodity in C. P. so I don't begrudge them limiting its use. However once you've been there you can put it in the "been there, done that" box. (unless you have a specific interest in opals and gems generally)

We mightnt hear from Granny for a while now shes home with family. Goodonya Chris... enjoy!!!!

Oops, didn't realise she had reached home. Knew she was close but hadn't gone back to the beginning to check where home was. CG enjoy your time with the family and if I get my camper soon?? will make a trip over as a practice run to say hello.

Hi folks. I've made it to SA, which I guess is "home". I decided to return to SA to be closer to family as we're all getting older. It doesn't mean I won't be travelling, but I'll be based here for a while. The climate will decide some of that. I miss the humidity of the tropics, and the warmth of the winter. The job will hopefully provide the travel, with pay, without the caravan. I made a blooper - the showers in Coober Pedy are 20cents. I don't know how the $2 got in there. Sorry if I mislead you. All the same, water is more valuable than those opals. It is an interesting place, to see how they settled there, lived underground where it's coolest, and how they survived in a place with no water supply. Just dust, flies and opals. All part of this country's history and modern-day culture. Interesting in its own right, but I wouldn't want to live there. The stony desert is also very stony, as one would expect, but it intrigued me. The saltbush and blue bush was taller than the stones. All part of the ancient inland sea. I'm visiting my daughter on the Yorke Peninsula before I get to Adelaide and settle in to a new location. I'll keep in touch.