Flinders Ranges

Our first stop in the Ikara Flinders Ranges National park was at the Wilpena Pound information centre to get local up to date information about the roads and camping areas.  After a much enjoyed ice cream we made our way along the first of many dirt roads to our camping area in Brachina Gorge.  The roads were corrugated and pot holed with low areas washed out,  so it was quite an adventure.  

A storm with high wind and rain was predicted for the night,  so we chose the highest campsite we could,  well away from the dry creek bed. After setting up the camper trailer as securely as possible,  with extra heavy duty pegs,  Mats still ended up out in the rain and wind at 1am to chain the camper trailer to the car.  The flapping canvas can be a bit frightening,  so Freya and Stella shared the big bed with Mummy while Pappa got to try Freya's bottom bunk (apparently very comfortable and surprisingly roomy!)

The rain and wind gusts persisted all day so the children got into their toy boxes for some indoor fun.  After lunch it was raincoat bike riding and exploration of our surroundings.

The next day dawned sunny and still and without the low cloud,  we were finally able to see the spectacular scenery all around us.  A walk to the top of the hill immediately behind our campsite revealed awe inspiring views.  We then descended for a bush walk along the creek bed and found a small area of flowing water where the children could paddle.

We explored the geological formations,  and discussed the clearly marked layers in the rock.  We were also lucky enough to come across a daddy emu with his five stripey chicks.

The following day we drove through the Brachina Gorge,  as we had been camping at the eastern end of the gorge. The road was actually the mostly dry river bed,  so lots of bouncy sections and water crossings. With our tyre pressures lowered and a practiced eye for picking the smoothest path,  we've become much more confident with our off road driving. We explored a shallow cave in the gorge and admired the beautiful wildflowers.

The next morning we sadly departed from the Flinders Ranges after an unforgettable four nights and with some trepidation to the state of the road ahead of us on the famous Oodnadatta track.

Oodnadatta track

The Oodnadatta track is a famous outback highway which follows the route formerly taken by the Ghan railway. It is a dirt road which is open to all vehicles for the first section subject to dry weather. After rain it is often closed or 4WD only.  We had been reassured that it was currently in “fairly good condition” and we should have no difficulty as long as we were careful in sections where the rain had washed sections of the road out!

To add to the stress,  it's extremely remote, with hundreds of kilometres between the tiny dusty towns,  and seemingly endless desert plains in between. Not the kind of place you want to break down or damage your vehicle.

In spite of the harsh conditions,  there's a special beauty to the desert. Vibrant red/orange dirt,  grey-green scrubby bushes and the occasional pop of colour from the wildflowers.  Initially we saw dozens of emus and kangaroos  but after a while,  only the odd lizard.

The road is very flat and straight,  so driver fatigue can be a problem.  One community minded local has done his part to alleviate the sameness by creating a sculpture park alongside the road.  All of the sculptures are made from found or recycled materials.

Lake Eyre had very little water in it,  so we got a good look at the salt flats.

To describe the days drive as stressful is a huge understatement but we eventually limped wearily into the historic caravan park at Coward Springs.  

The natural hot spring has been attracting visitors since the late 1800’s. The tourists who used to come by train or camel must have been brave souls indeed!

The owners have restored the old railway buildings and have a small museum with artefacts and stories from long ago. It was absolutely fascinating and gave us an appreciation for the hardship of life in such a remote and inhospitable place..

The road improved somewhat the following day and we turned off the Oodnadatta track at William Creek,  heading towards Coober Pedy.

We drove along the southern boundary of Anna Creek station -  the largest privately owned property in the world,  which at approximately 6 million acres is larger than some European countries!

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Heading West

Our goal is to get across the southern states as quickly as possible to get to warmer weather. So we race across New South Wales and Victoria, and into South Australia.
Along the way we drive through dozens of sleepy little towns -  some picturesque, clearly proud of their home town  and  trying to attract the tourist dollar,  others tired and a little sad.
It's unbelievably lush and green,  thanks to the recent rain,  so much so that with the rolling hills and abundance of sheep,  you could easily think you were in New Zealand or Ireland - at least until you spotted a flock of emus or a kangaroo!
We enjoyed identifying the fields of crops - canola,  cotton,  then as we got into Victoria it was mostly citrus trees.
We stayed at Hay,  NSW  in a free council run campground where the kids enjoyed riding their bikes and we had a family of ducks adjacent to our site.  (According to our neighbours,  the ducklings were only 3 days old.)
Our border crossing from Victoria to South Australia involved an inspection by agents from the Dept of Primary Industries who were looking for fruit and vegetables which could transport fruit fly and other pests.  An inspection of our fridge meant emptying a knee high pile of goods from the back of the camper trailer to retrieve a punnet of blueberries which we had to eat immediately. All sorted and we were on our way again.
Our next overnight stop was on the shores of Lake Bonney,  in South Australia.  A very picturesque spot and the kids had a wonderful time making sand castles and digging holes in the sand.
The next day we were definitely heading into more remote areas and the landscape became flatter with small shrubs.  We stayed in a caravan park in the little historic town of Gladstone to catch up on washing and have showers.  The town was extraordinary - 90% of the buildings were beautifully preserved/restored stone cottages.  We had a look at the real estate and discovered that an idyllic 3 bedroom cottage would set you back $95-120k, while a sprawling 5 bedroom farm house with various sheds and 33 acres was $300k!
With our fuel and water tanks full,  all our clothes washed,  and fully stocked up with groceries,  it's time to head into the outback....

We're off!

The big day is finally here and we are on our way!
Everyone else who has done a similar trip warns that the last week is horrendous,  and they weren't wrong! The last rush to get everything organised and packed and the house clean was pretty stressful, so I am really looking forward to getting back to nature and relaxing.  It will also be very nice to let the children run around getting dirty without worrying about keeping the house clean.
Our first night was just outside Wagga Wagga.  Things didn't quite go to plan,  as the campground we planned to stay at was closed,  but we found a lovely grassy reserve on a riverbank which allowed overnight stays.  It was very cold,  but lovely,  with amazing starry night skies.

Introductions

Who are we?

Hello and welcome. We're the Henriksons -  Mats,  Melanie,  Luka (7yo), Freya (6yo) and Stella (soon turning 2).

We are currently living in Canberra,  after having previously lived in Christchurch,  NZ,  and Oxford,  England.

Our plan is to travel through Central Australia to Katherine,  NT and then around Western Australia,  before returning to Canberra in early January.

We're driving a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV which unfortunately will limit some of the places we can go.  We'll be living in our Cub Spacevan hard floor camper trailer,  which we've had some practice runs in and are very happy with. It will be interesting to see if we are just as pleased with it in five months!

Preparation

After months of planning,  researching,  hoping and dreaming,  we're in the final stages of preparation for our trip.  The children are in their fourth week of homeschooling and lately school work has become the preferred choice over packing and cleaning!  They've quickly learned that complaining about having nothing to do means Mum will give you a job :)
The majority of our things are in our storage unit and we are camping in the house while cleaning and sorting last minute details.
Mats project was extended,  so he's down to the wire,  with the final milestone due by close of business Friday.
All going to plan,  we have Saturday to pack the camper trailer,  finish household jobs,  then Sunday morning is our final inspection of our rental home.
We hope to head off early afternoon and get to Wagga Wagga.
The closer we get to departure,  the more my nervousness fades and I am becoming more impatient to get going.