Sunday 7 August 2022 – Painted Desert Road
We wanted to make a reasonably early start so instead of coffee in bed we drove around to the roadhouse, topped up the fuel in the cars and ordered coffee and hot chocolate there instead. It was very nice and even though we back on the gravel after only a few kilometres we didn’t manage to spill any on ourselves. The first stretch of the Painted Desert Road was through cattle country and we passed a very tidy looking station called Copper Hills where I might even be convinced to live for the couple of months of the year when the weather is actually bearable.
As we drove further east the landscape became more and more desolate and the cattle more sparse as it is unlikely they can subsist on rocks. It got so flat and featureless that you could almost see the curvature of the earth. Larry put the drone up at one stage and we slowly drove along to get some footage of our progress through the barren landscape. It was a bit of a painstaking process as Larry kept losing the drone in the morning sun and then it would zoom back at us like a Japanese fighter pilot when he pressed to ‘come home’ command. Before too long we were heading towards some rolling hills which are multicoloured with different rock and sand hence giving the road its name. We parked up in front of a particularly striking rock formation and got a couple of money shots of the two cars and vans to post on the MDC XT page. Then we did the walk up through the hills where Miranda and Jen decided to the base of the steep climb was sufficientlyfar and headed back to the vans to have morning tea whilst the boys climbed to the high point and waved from afar. Yes, that’s the reason I turned back – so I could get the shot of Larry at the top from down at the bottom!
We drove on to the next lookout point over Mt Batterbee and we were able to get the vans up to the top with a turn around area there after all (Jenny was a bit worried we wouldn’t be able to as in all of the You Tubes etc we have watched we have never seen a van up there. All good and Larry sent the drone as far out across the plain towards Mt Batterbee as he would (probably about 2km) and once we had completely lost sight and sound of it, once again used the ‘Come home’ button to good effect.
It was getting on for 12.30pm so a light early lunch was had before we pressed on to Oodnadatta for a second lunch of a famous Oodnaburger and hot chips at the famous Pink Roadhouse. Also tried a yummy peach and passionfruit juice and we supported the local economy by purchasing a souvenir stubby holder and an extremely pink tea towel.
Back in the car and now we are on the Oodnadatta Track proper for a 60km trip south to Algebuckina Bridge. The waterhole campsite on one side of the road is currently closed so we found a great campsite on the other side with a fabulous view of the bridge. Having done a bit of setting up and meal preparation, we walked up to the bridge, around the bridge and under the bridge and therefore got photos of it from every angle. Larry even sent the drone up and took photos of it and our campsite from above.
Back to our L-shaped camp and Hendrik got a good fire going so that we could cook up apricot chicken in the campfire. H&M had bought a bag of firewood in Oodnadatta which had cost $30 and we quickly decided that it was probably $20 for the wood and $10 for the bag which is extremely well made and even comes with handles. L has decided he will buy a bag if we see it again just for the bag. The wood itself was from a type of tree we couldn’t pick but wrist jarringly tough to get an axe through to the point where we even had to try sharpening the axe to see if we could make a dent in it! Luckily the boys have had a bit of practice at wood chopping over the last few weeks so they managed to chop it sufficiently to get it on our fire.
Yummy dinner followed by toasted marshmallows over the long enduring coals before the cold once again drove us to bed.
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