September 26........Today we travelled from Erldunda to Cadney Homestead from Erldunda passing through Kulgera onto to the border from  Northern Territory to the South Australian Border and onto Marla where we had lunch.

 

We travelled onto Cadney Homestead where we spent the night, an what an experience. We had a few spots of rain and than a dust storm, we weren't ready. We met Donna & Bonsey from Lake Argyle in WA and had a good night with them.

 

 

 

September 27  Today we travelled from Cadney Homestead to Coober Pedy via Pootnoura along to Stuart highway., The vegetation is very different to the Northern Territory and the road is very straight., We saw a monitor lizard along the roadside but it was too quick for a photo. Arriving at Coober Pedy

 

 

Underground Book shop.......Graeme needed some reading matter so we went to the underground bookshop, what an experience, it was great and Graeme was lucky finding two books. 

 

Old Timers Mine........... This    is an historic 1916 Opal Mine, it wasn't until 1968 that the hidden mine was accidentally revealed when an underground home extension broke through, revealing much precious opal. We were able to walk through the mine ourselves and go into an underground House(dugout) and we saw a comprehensive museum which gave us a ultimate underground experience.

 

 

After we went outside and watched  an interactive modern opal mining machine demonstration which showed us how opal mining is today, but not by all the miners in the area, we learn that later.

 

 

 

28th September

Faye's Underground Historic Home......... Faye Nayler and her 2 lady friends dug this dugout using a pick and shovel back in the early 1960's. The first mail truck in Coober Pedy was housed in what is now the dugout kitchen.  

 

 

 Faye herself lives in Queensland and will be 80years old soon. The best part of the house was the in ground pool area and entertainment area.

Josephine's Gallery, Kangaroo Orphanage.......... Josephine's Gallery had a wide selection of Opals and Aboriginal paintings etc. At 12 midday the owner feed some of the orphanage kangaroos who were brought there to  nursed back to health. Some will be able to go back into the wild other not because of their injuries. He also had a Joey which he feed milk to. This baby was rescued by the local police how had taken it from some Aboriginal children who were not treating it very well. It was good to think that there are people who care for these animals.

 

 

The Breakaways   The Breakaways are a striking & unique example of arid scenery. From the flat - topped mesas to the stony gibber desert, remnants of millions of years provide a wealth of geological interests and breathtaking views. Looking out over the breakaways it is hard to believe that over 70 million years ago, a vast inland sea covered the area. 

 

 

 

can you see the camel lying down              

 

 

 

Definitely one of Outback South Australia's best-kept secrets. While we were watching the magnificent sunset we were given tea, coffee and a muffin.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                           Sun set through a peice of gypsm

 

On our way home we stopped to view "The Dog Fence"........... The dog fence is the longest continual construction in the world. Stretching some 5,300km, it begins east of Surfer's Paradise in Queensland and ends up north of Ceduna in the Great Australian Bite. Originally built to protect the sheep country in the south from Dingo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29th September

Umoona Opal Mine and Museum....... We walked through the museum and saw the history of Aboriginal and European settlement in the area and step back into in the 1920's past and viewed fossil remains from Australia's vast inland sea..We were there for the 10.00am guided tour. Firstly we viewed a 20 minute award -winning documentary presented in an underground theatrette on three panoramic screens about "The Story of Opal" It was very interesting. Next we saw the underground home with contrasting examples of an early hand dug and modern machine 'dugout' home.

 

 

 

We had a cuppa and was joined by Tully a local miner who preceded to tell us what and how he mines for the opal. He only used pick, bobcat and modified extension pick. He was taking his daughter Katherine & boyfriend Alex out to the mine and asked if we would like to go. It was a wonderful experience. We actually drove into one of his mines and walked around the tunnels . It was very dark and very dusty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serbian underground church ......The design makes the most of the curved arches which were made by a tunneling machine when the underground church was constructed.

 

 

The Catacomb Church...........Developed from an old dugout and opened as an underground church in 1977, cut out of sandstone in the shape of a cross, this is an Anglican church, founded and supported by the Bush  Church Aid Society. Named after the Catacombs in Rome, where the early Christians buried their dead and met undisturbed in times of persecution. Just as here they escape the harsh climatic extremes and enjoy quiet, coolness and peace. Adorned in a simple and natural way befitting the outback  opal fields- cross, lectern and communion table fashioned from local mulga wood and an old miner's winch.

 

Saint Peter & Paul's Catholic Church.............The first underground church in Coober Pedy and possibly the world, therefore having the most historical value.Originally this church was used by all denominations of religion and was built in a true pioneering manner with everyone pitching in to help make the church a reality.

 

 

 

 

30th  September(Emma's 5th Birthday)

Today  is Emma's 5th Birthday, we spoke to her on skype, also Maddy & David. We watched as Emma opened her presents from us, which was  really great. We left Coober Pedy after filling the water tanks up at the caravan park and headed to Woomera stopping at Glendambo for lunch and onto Lake Hart for photos. Lake Hart is a popular stop over for travellers going Adelaide to Darwin and vice versa. It's a dry lake mostly Salt Flats and is surrounded by Bright Red Desert Sand Dunes. We walked to the lake through a tunnel under the railway track took photos and headed for Woomera.

 

                                                 And we were welcomed into Woomera by

 

17th September......Stuart's Well

Arrived at Stuart's Well around 10.30 am only 90kms from Alice Springs for an overnight stay and to visit Rainbow Valley that afternoon. Stuart's Well "Jim's Place" was established in 1990 by the Cotterill Family who pioneered the world famous Kings Canyon in 1960, it is also the home of "Dinky the Singing Dingo".

 

 

Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve.......... Another beautiful place to see. The sandstone cliffs at Rainbow Valley are glowing reds near the top of the cliff run down through a series of stunning yellows and whites which gave this area its name. The sandstone cliffs surround a large clay pan which fills with water in wetter years and has always provided a sacred meeting place for the ceremonies of the traditional custodians.  

 

 

And Mushroom Rock

 

 

18th September

 Today we headed for Watarrka National Park.......Kings Canyon travelling along the Stuart Highway stopping at the Memorial for the Cannonball Run in 1994 in which 4 people were killed.

 

 

 After setting up our van for a 3 day stay we relaxed for the afternoon. Graeme was able to take photos of the canyon from just behind our van at sunset, although it was a bit cloudy. During the night you could hear the dingo's howling all around the vans and campers, although I didn't see any.

 

19th September

The Kings Canyon Rim Walk. We drove out to the canyon around 6kms from the resort to start the walk. This was a 6.3 km loop and it took us 3hrs 37 minutes, but we were exhausted. We started at 8.00am The walk took us around the top of the canyon through weathered, "Garden of Eden" which we chose not to do. The views were spectacular but I was never so glad to see the car park in view again and to know we only had 1km left to walk. This was all downhill but still very rocky. The temperature was 35degrees.

 

20th September. We went out to Kings canyon again to do the short walk along the Kings River bed, the return journey was about 1 hour. We met up with a couple from Bribie Island in Queensland whom we had met earlier in our journey at Standley Chasm.

 

 

21st September
Today we travelled from Kings Canyon to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where we are spending our 40th Anniversary .We stopped for a break at the corner of Luritja Road & Lasseter Highway. A Emu Tours bus had pulled in and amongst the passengers was a French Bride who had married the tour guide the night before. We had photos taken with them.

 

 

22nd September

Today we went to Uluru to walk around the base of The Rock 10.6kms it took us 3hrs 30 minutes. It was amazing and very hard to describe how you feel knowing it a very Sacred place for the Anangu people the Traditional Owners

 

23rd September........Our 40th Wedding Anniversary. We had a very memorable starting to the day with an sunrise helicopter flight around Uluru and the Kata Tjuta lasting 36 minutes. The views were spectacular.

 

 

After breakfast we headed out to the rock again to have a picture taken at the base for our 40th. We had a self tour of the cultural centre which gave us some knowledge of the Anangu culture in a special cultural and natural environment.

On our way home to the van we had a Camel Ride.

    

 "Sounds of Silence Dinner". We were picked up and taken out into the desert. The atmosphere of the romance of the desert, the setting of the sun behind the domes of Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and the haunting sounds of a didgeridoo while wining and dining on a sumptuous Northern Territory Buffet feast of Barramundi, kangaroo, crocodile and bush salads and have a staff member explain some of the galaxy and be able to look through the telescope at the moon and others stars. We were given a dinner size plate with Happy Anniversary and surrounded by various chocolates and marshmallows on it. While on our journey out we met a couple who were also celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary Janelle & Stephen Whipp, we spent the night with them. there was honeymooners on our table from Spain, and an older couple from Western Sydney. It was a wonderful night and a great end to our special day.

 

 

 

24th September

Headed out early to Kata Tjuta....The Olgas, These beside the shape are different from Ayers Rock. We stopped at the viewing platform took many pictures then headed out to the Olgas to take only a short walk.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later in the afternoon we headed to the viewing platform near the rock to see the sunset over Uluru.