Jun 07, 2009

Yesterdays PS:
Norm had great fun on his climb yesterday. A couple of examples of that would be comments to a number of climbers heading down near the top of the climb of 'sorry I can't stop and talk I want to beat my walk time from this morning' to which he had a huge variety of responses from suitable laughter to incredulous responses. There are a lot of gullible people about let me tell you. ...or perhaps it's oxygen deprivation. Then to finish as he stepped down off the rock from his climb he realised he'd stepped into a camera shot a tourist had set up. He said 'now that photo will be worth a lot of money'. When asked he responded 'you caught a real live fossil coming out of the rock!'

Today:
We started out a little later but the temperature from start to finish was uncomfortably cold. I'd already donned the long johns under the draggin jeans and waterproofs and the legs were more or less comfortable but the rest of me was freezing. The heated hand grip warmers were on high and not feeling like it. You've no doubt heard the saying that the lights are on but nobody was home, well today the sun was out but someone definitely forgot to pay the heating bill!



Road trains at Cadney Park Homestead (think that's what it's called and the map is under the cover outside and not looking now) a really nice WARM and welcoming place.

About 90 kms north of Marla despite many valiant position changes and stretching exercises my right hip started to threaten that it would likely go 'twang' and end up in a very painful position not consistent with being seated on a motorbike. At the same time I started catching Norm quickly and realised he had his left hand indicator on and we thankfully turned into a pretty rudimentary wayside stop. We got off the bikes, had a drink and a creaky walk, and complained about the cold. I climbed a hill of gravel to get a bit of perspective to take a couple of pics then we both walked down the other side out of the wind and lay down on the stones which were warmer than us and told each other we were soaking up the sun. I don't know if it was warmer than we had been or just less cold or if that's even a difference. We stayed for a bit then decided we'd better suck it up and get on with it. Norm actually folded up one of his T shirts to stuff down the front of my jacket to hopefully warm me up a bit more. He is my hero! When we fuelled up and got a hot coffee at the Marla Road House which gave the appearance of being caravan central, I also had a hunt in their store and found a polar fleece top which I bought and have been wearing since. It may well have to be surgically removed when I get home! Suffice to say the rest of the trip has been much more comfortable though the hand grip warmers stayed on high for the rest of the day so seriously nastily icy. As we got closer to Coober Pedy the cloud cover increased and the temperature wasn't so low but still needed the high setting for the hand grip heaters.

Having travelled a bit though remote Australia over the years I'm always amazed by people saying all the scenery is the same and despite the cold today I still enjoyed the ever changing countryside and vegetation and the myriad of combinations which were possible. The rolling desert like plains vary from light creamy pink to rich ochre red sandy soil occasionally becoming more gravely and stony. The plains change now and again to gently rolling hills with jumbles of rocky out crops and more substantial ranges. The vegetation cover can vary from none at all to a gossamer thin veil of grasses and low growing salt bush and scrubby bushes. Tree cover varies from none at all to a sporadic scattered number to dense collections usually around watercourses. These ones are usually also the largest which is hardly surprising. I'd just get used to what seemed like a new mix of the above and think okay this must be what it is now and the next couple of kilometres would see another change. So, ever changing and always beautiful in spite of the cold.



About as close to nothing in any direction for as far as you can see approximately 50 kms north of Coober Pedy.

Around 50 kms north of Coober Pedy we came into the gibber (stony) desert lands. Very little vegetation and what is there is low growing. When we got to around 35 kms out I realised that the last two times I'd been through Coober Pedy which was on our way to and from the National Road Transport Hall of Fame Reunion in Alice Springs 4 or 5 years ago was in the night time because I was gob smacked by the lumps, bumps, hills and mountains of mine tailings from all the opal mining in the area. What a mess!

The town has certainly grown since our visit in 72. Then the road was unsealed even through the main street and we booked a room in the ONLY motel in the town which was new. The rooms were okay but not a window in the whole room to combat the incessant red dust. The only hotel had recently burnt down amid a scandal of opal theft and a big argument between the hotel owner and another local. Such intrigue! There wasn't any restaurant at the motel but we got directions to the fish'n'chip shop around the corner. We stood for a bit looking at the building wondering how we could get in when the aluminium window to our side slid open and we were asked for our order which we gave. Next thing the window slid shut and a car drove past and then as we coughed and choked in the dust we understood the reasoning.

Well things today are nowhere as rudimentary with a lot of accommodation options and supermarkets and restaurants and oodles of opal sale points, just about every second shop, as well as all sorts of tour options. The road is sealed right through and even some curb and channelling and footpaths amongst the red dirt. The underground Catholic Church instead of being on the outskirts of town is now in about the middle and has been extended somewhat. Very quirky place.



Nola outside the underground Catholic Church at Coober Pedy in the faithful polar fleece. (That's literally underground not a fanatical fringe element) I have a photo of me and Danny and Michael in 72 and there wasn't a tree in sight then to throw shade anywhere!

We've fuelled up and filled the jerry can as the next fuel stop is 270 kms away and with the head and cross winds we've had today we want to have our bases covered. Have only seen a small number of road trains again but have continued to see the never ending march of caravans and the like towards the sun. Interestingly NO large road kill today and only a couple of small wallabies and a small handful of eagles. All of this is a direct opposite to our trip to the Hall of Fame when we were blown away at both. Hardly surprising really, quite a smorgasbord for the eagles and no doubt accounting for the progressive increase in numbers at that time. Wonder how they're managing now with the change of so much freight to the rail.

Talk to you tomorrow.

PS: The feedback seems to be that yesterday’s iconic shot of Ayers Rock is the crowd favourite (ours also) and unlikely to be outdone I suspect.