Trip 20, post 1 – 3rd day blues :-(

You might ask why we’re feeling blue….

Is it because something has gone wrong?  No.

Is it because we’re travelling with Rod?  No.

Is it because we’re missing the girls?  No.

Nah, it’s because we’ve seen nothing but clear blue skies for three days straight and we’re loving it! ?

 

As I write this, we’re camped at Curtin Springs, north east of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and so far, we’re travelling to plan, despite the MUCH rougher than usual road conditions on the Great Central Road, which takes you from Laverton, WA, straight across to Uluru.

A cold and very foggy start on day 1 saw us do a 10hr drive, from Perth to Malcom Dam Nature Reserve, just out of Leonora (north of Kalgoorlie) where we spent our first night free camping.  A small camp fire, some wine and star gazing ensued before we retired to the warmth of the van, with Rod retiring to his ‘coffin’, basically a swag stuck to a camp stretcher.

<< Photo credit: Jules – Gary (our Prado) and Goldy (our van) camped up at Malcom Dam Nature Reserve, just out of Leonora  >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Our camp at Malcom Dam Nature Reserve, just out of Leonora  >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Rod’s loving his new telephoto lens, and has become an avid bird and butterfly photographer (stay tuned for lots of fauna pics from Rod…), a Spoonbill at Malcom Dam Nature Reserve, just out of Leonora  >> 

<< Photo credit: Jules – Sunset at Malcom Dam Nature Reserve, just out of Leonora  >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Sunset at Malcom Dam Nature Reserve, just out of Leonora  >> 

Day 2 started early again with a short run to Laverton where unfortunately we had to wait 40mins for the servo to open so we could refuel.  Rod bought 20 litres of diesel and 30 litres of froth, so he spent the next few hours whinging on the UHF about how he was ripped off with dodgy fuel and how he’s now getting poor fuel economy.  We then hit the Great Central Road (GCR) which started ok, with the odd rough and rocky section.  Taking on more fuel at Tjukayirla, paired with an awesome burger, and we were off again for our day 2 stop, free camping on the GCR at Yarla Kutjarra.  Picture ‘middle of nowhere’ and you’ve got the idea.  It was another 10hr drive today, only 750kms compared to the 840km we did yesterday, but day2 was pretty much all gravel and it takes heaps more concentration to drive it safely.  Upon arriving Rod sent his drone up for a spin, we collected some firewood for the campfire and settled in for the night.  Rod and I attempted some astro photography, with poor results we might say, as a lone dingo wandered through the campsite.

<< Photo credit: Jules – Starting to head ‘across the middle’  >> 

<< Photo credit: Jules – On the Great Central Road >> 

<< Photo credit: Jules – Our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Rod sent his drone up from our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Rod sent his drone up from our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Rod’s drone looking West (where we’ve come from) from our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Rod’s drone looking East (where we’re going) from our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – At our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – Sunset at our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – A million star view at our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – A million star view at our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – Pre-sunrise colour at our campsite at Yarla Kutjarra, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

 

Day 3 and we’re making our last 550km run to Curtin Springs, of which the first 450km was gravel, and was some of the roughest and worst road we’ve ever done.  Coming into Warrakurna, the road was absolute shite, rolling deep corrugations, small bulldust patches and lots of exposed rock.  Not a pleasant drive.  Rod’s car battery box became detached and his car developed a squeal which we think was a rock stuck in a wheel somewhere (eventually ground/fell out), we lost our UHF antenna (snapped at the base) and the electric brakes on the van went again.  But we finally made it to Curtin Springs where I’ve managed to fix the van brakes and Rod has cable tied his battery box back down.  Bushmans DIY work at its best.

<< Photo credit: Rod – Snappy Gum against a range (can’t remember the name of the range) on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Rod had pulled over to get out of our dust trail and saw a dingo which he snapped on his new lens, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Rod had pulled over to get out of our dust trail and saw a dingo which he snapped on his new lens, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – Jules excited to be crossing into the NT, on the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Jules – No grog or dope in the communities along the Great Central Road, aka middle of nowhere >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – Mount Conner in the morning sun, after leaving Curtin Springs Roadhouse >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Coming into Uluru Rod sent his drone back up, here’s our cars on the end of the Great Central Road >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Rod’s drone pic looking at the end of the Great Central Road to Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Rod’s selfie with Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) >> 

<< Photo credit: Rod – Jules posing whilst I do all the bloody work, re-inflating the tyres after 1000kms of dirt on the Great Central Road >> 

<< Photo credit: Jules – The cars and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) >> 

<< Photo credit: Jules – A quick snap of Uluru (Ayers Rock) from the car as we drove past, we didn’t stop at the rock this trip >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – Red sand and leave abstract whilst waiting for Rod to fly his drone out near Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – Shadows on sand whilst waiting for Rod to fly his drone out near Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – Crows on roadkill where we’d stopped to photograph a Wedge Tail Eagle for Rod >> 

<< Photo credit: Tony – Abstract of damaged paint on a door at the Coles in Alice Springs >> 

 

Tomorrow we’re off to Gemtree via Alice Springs, meeting up with BJ en-route.