2 Geckos Travelling Australia: June 2024

7am 12 degrees, overcast and windy. There is a distinct cloud band over us.

Jon is heading back to work today and has to drive a truck back up to Alice Springs. We might catch up with him as he comes through.

I got lots of comments back about our visit to Snowtown regarding the Bodies in the Barrels Murders that happened between 1992 and 1999. Only one of the 12 victims were killed in Snowtown but the murderers had put the bodies in a bank vault here. The three men were convicted and serving lengthy sentences which was good but two are nearly ready to be released. Sad for the town to have that stigma and to feel the need to think about changing the town’s name. There was a movie made about it.

Still very cold when we headed off leaving the cloud behind us and blue sky ahead.

Not sure what this rock-lined hole is about but it looks well done.

A lot more wedgies and crows about on 3 separate roadkills. Spotted some cattle and watched a roo bound across the flat ground off to our right.

Back to Pimba and stopped for a cuppa and topped up the diesel again. Into the camper as it was so windy and cold outside. We hadn’t realised as it was a tail wind and there are no trees to indicate wind.

Back onto the Stuart Highway and northward again. Same open tree-less country.

Pulled over to view Island Lagoon from the other end.

Better view as we continued on. We are travelling on a ridge at 210m elevation.

The trucks are blasting us with wind as they are pushing into the strong wind now.

Dropped down off the ridge into trees and red sandy soil country as we enter Wirraminna Station (150m elevation) - love the big signs as the start of each station.

Across a wide dry salt flat that had a couple of puddles here and there.

Stopped at Rest Area at Lake Hart. Lots of info but nothing about this salt lake - only Lake Gairdner which is further to the west - not on the other side of the road. Must be the old sign from when they relocated the road. People go to Lake Gairdner in March to do land speed racing on the flat salt lake. This year it was cancelled due to rain.

Walked down the ‘road’ now just the walking path. Climbed up the red sand dune to view the lake and realised the Trans Australia Railway (Sydney to Perth via Adelaide) line ran along the side of it. There is water in the lake at the moment - not a mirage, we can see it rippling in the wind.

Back onto the highway and heading into a band of cloud so our nice blue sky has disappeared.

A few sheep and cattle near the homestead area which also provides accommodation and camping.

Back to the low ground cover and no trees as we go into Coondambo Station. Lots of 4WDs and more towing vans heading south.

A sign says 500km to Marla. Across the rail line.

Stopped for lunch at Glendambo Roadhouse picnic area. They have a caravan park, hotel etc and two fuel depots. Sadly I had missed these when searching my fuel app as it is only $2.06 and $2.07 here. Luckily it wasn’t a big fill up at Pimba. We topped up here of course.

Checked out the info in the little hut. Very interesting history though a few of the ‘pages’ are missing. Some photos but the signs underneath need fixing up.

The windmill behind the hut in the flood photo.

Outside were the newer signs. The original Stuart Highway went through Kingoonya which is further west but after the road was realigned in 1982 they had to move the servos etc here.

There was a sign as we came in about the population - people, sheep and flies - they weren’t kidding about the flies.

Decided to drive out to Kingoonya to see the old Stuart Highway and try and find where they hold the land speed racing on Lake Gairdner as we are at the north end of the lake. Turned west onto Tarcoola Road which was gravel.

I dug up some info on Tarcoola - Gold was discovered in Tarcoola in 1893 but little development till 1900. The town was proclaimed in 1901 and named after the Melbourne Cup winner of 1893. The gold mining heyday period was till 1918 and continued on till 1954 producing about 77,000 oz, mostly from the Tarcoola Blocks Mine. The Trans-Australian Railway was built through the township in 1915 and in 1980 it became the junction station when the Adelaide to Darwin railway diverged from Tarcoola to Alice Springs. The town is completely deserted now except for some railway staff but there has been some exploration work in the past few years and in 2017 and open pit mine was started.

The sky is clearer out this way though still very dark to the north. Lots of black-faced sheep hanging around the water point.

Low shrubs etc all the way out. We spotted the trail line and ran parallel with it for a while before crossing over it as we neared Kingoonya. No Indian Pacific today.

There are still a few people living here, a caravan park and this hotel.

Looking at the map the old Stuart Highway headed up from here but can’t see any old road signs etc. There is a platform and power lines across the other side. On the map it shows where it joins back up to the new road in the north but not where the road went south.

There is also a Community Campground - donation. It is lovely and neat so we might stop here for the night. We had a cuppa and Steve checked out the book exchange in an old fridge. Found one so he left one that we had both read.

As it was still early we headed down the Gawler Ranges Road to try and see the lake. Mum & Dad Emu are trotting along below Kingoonya Hill which has a survey marker on top of it.

There is another salt lake on the other side of the road - first one is Harris and then another big one south of that called Everard. I can see where they are on the map but there is only salt bush etc - no salt pans. We drove on for a while to where we were closest to Lake Gairdner but no roads in so we must have the wrong end of the lake. Funny how the sign at Lake Hart talked about the races but it is actually a long way south.

Back to the campground and set up.

There are two other travellers here. We chatted with the couple beside us. They are from Clare (forgot to get their names) and doing a 3 month trip up and across to WA coast.

A freight train came by heading east so I gave the driver a wave and he gave me a toot. Found this map showing the Indian Pacific and The Ghan rail lines.

Steve got a fire going as there are pits and firewood provided near the picnic tables.

Another traveller pulled in but parked on the far side. A truck slowly bounced its way in from Tarcoola - slow and steady on the dirt road.

Three horses wandered in and decided the other travellers’ van needed investigating.

We chatted away with the chap for a while then his wife joined us too. As the wind had stopped it was quite pleasant so sat outside till 6.30pm - a first for us in this cold climate.

Headed inside for dinner then a few sprinkles of rain fell. Looked outside and the sky was all overcast now.

6.2 degrees, clear sky and all quiet.

I worked on my blog while we waited for the outside to warm up like it is in the camper.

Didn’t work but we put on our coats and walked into town as we need some exercise too. A row of old machinery is on display with a bit of information.

Nice park made from the local stones as the cemetery was the same.

This one needs a bit of fixing up.

A lot of the opal shops are closed - I suppose Covid and maybe they are now online shops. Fancy driving this bus up here. Bits of potch and opal in the pathway and on rocks on a platform.

Here’s a nice little cottage.

Someone has gone to a lot of work here.

Further along we found the first of the historical cottages which are semi-dugouts. They were either very short or the houses have sunk.

Walked up the side and checked out the other rooms as it went up the hillside. Big thick walls.

Tiny sleepout with a ‘night toilet’ and the outhouse further along.

Looking back over the house.

Steve tried the winch.

A huge matrix opal was mined by Otto Zuna - he found it on Tea Tree Flat. We couldn’t see anything on the rock, just the bits around the base.

The info board about the cottages. So great the locals have preserved them.

Onto the next ones.

Fancy climbing up and down these ladders all day.

These two were close together.

Hard to imagine anyone living like this now.

Maybe the laundry or just a storage place.

The last house in the row.

Looking back along the houses.

Another sad shop with lovely stone work.

Across the road is the Post Office with a bottle ‘room’ out the front.

We went into the Post Office which is above the museum. Lots of beautiful opals pieces and jewellery for sale too. Too many to chose from so I didn’t get anything!! Want to find my own. The lady showed us an untreated matrix opal - looked like a rock, just like the big one we saw outside. Once they treat it with hot water and then sulphuric acid the colours appear. Wow.

We went down the ramp into the museum (donation) - fabulous aerial photo.

The wall down was lined with photos of locals and different stories. Sadly a lot of the characters are no longer around. There was a chap who had the Ettamogah Pub out on one of the fields and it was the place to go but it is closed now he has passed.

This dress has opals all over it.