Left Port August on Sunday - a long staight and slightly rising drive to Coober Pedy through vast areas of scrub, some patches of trees, and salt lakes. Why try to farm this land I often wonder - but then plenty of Saltbush and I gather it is nutritious. My niece works on a station in from Glendambo but is in NZ atm.

Stopped overnight at 2 free camps on the way - Lake Hart and Ingomar, and several long stops as well as I found driving quite tiring. Excellent roads though - not dodging potholes etc. so very easy to get lulled into lack of concentration I have decided - beware!

I must be in the 'outback' - no phone, internet or radio coverage for most of yesterday. Was quite relieved to see a sign  this morning saying Telstra coverage for 50km = 25 km either side of Cooper Pedy.

Amazing seeing the green desert around here. They had rain recently. Could see a few showers yesterday - you can see for such a long way in this countryside. I decided the clouds were more interesting than the landscape for a while

Have booked to do a tour tomorrow. Very strange looking place with all the mounds of dirt and mines so looking forward to exploring it. Am in a CP with power - have to pay to fill van tanks, but then only 20c for a shower so might save my water. Looks like a long stretch to the border form here.

Happy hour last night with  2 couples - has to be after sunset when the flies have disappeared. Beautiful warm evening under the stars with the Milky Way very obvious.

 

My tanks are full atm but will top up a couple of bottles while here I think.
Fireheart - I wish 'God' would get rid of his flies!!!!! We were trying to decide what they live on out here - other than our faces!!!!!! Have decided that they follow us from stop to stop in the slipstream and pounce for a feed the minute we stop anywhere!!!!
Mind you - happy hour after dinner under the stars is quite delightful!