Woke up,snapped our heels together chanting ’there’s no place like home’ and found we were back from Oz and still standing. The wind died down around midnight, leaving the tent a bit skewiff but still in one piece – 3 cheers for solid construction!

By 8am we had Dora back in her box and were ready to go.

A relatively short drive today (about 120km) to Andamooka via Roxby Downs.

Both these towns are mining towns but couldn’t be more different. 

Roxby was founded in the late 80s by BHP Billiton when they built the Olympic Dam. It largely services miners and their families. It’s well supported with schools/amenities/shops with a central cafe (although coffee pretty unremarkable). All around is absolute desert.

Andamooka is a different cup of tea altogether- an opal mining town where miners have come to make their fortune. The lady in the post office come museum come gift shop told us that  opal mining is more an obsession than a lucrative pastime.

Highlights of the town are the original row of historic cottages – dugouts really, carved into the rock face and the bottle house constructed solely from used beer bottles.

Actually even the non historic homes are pretty rudimentary here- lots of corrugated iron dwellings set amongst the big white mounds of opal diggings.

Lots of old machinery etc lying around.

Pub is closed- nobody seemed to know why or til when, but the IGA had a stock of frozen foods including ice creams! So armed with the two staples in life- a Magnum each and Bundaberg ginger beer we felt pretty happy.

The camp ground here is a big red expanse – a park anywhere and pay by an honour box affair – at 4 bucks per person per night it’s the cheapest accomodation by far. Showers are hot and immaculately clean.

David learning to suppress his inner Kiwi and becoming (kind of) used to the 50 million flies that are buzzing around- but we haven’t eaten yet…..

Winds are picking up here so I think we are in for another big night, however in this park we have been able to angle the van to minimise resistance and so far so good- we have the awning  up and so far it’s holding but we have a plan for if we need to do a quick buckle down.

It’s a hot and dry 30 degrees here today, so at least the breeze is keeping us cool.

We had intended to spend 2 nights here but have pretty much seen all there is to see, so are going to pack up and head off tomorrow- haven’t yet decided where to.

Packed up and left Melrose Showgrounds round 9. It was actually a great place to stay- had a good, albeit a bit chilly nights sleep. But with threat of rain we skipped breaky and hot tailed it out of the camp ground. We couldn’t resist going into the ‘Bike Cafe’ for obvious reasons. And what a find- best toasties ever (all in the fresh made bread and home made chutney) and great coffee.

Fuelled up and set to go we did one more once around of this gorgeous little town and headed north west – to Woomera via Port  Augusta.

Another day of diverse and amazing scenery. Pretty much drove straight through only briefly stopping for fuel. Main stop was in Pimba- a one roadhouse town at the gateway to the outback.

Roadhouse was like Bourke St as it’s the last place you can get fuel. Then we pressed on to Woomera- a 1960s RAAF town previously used for testing rockets, missiles and a whole lot of things they probably don’t tell us about. The town still functions as a RAAF base and is quirky/interestingly 1960 ish.  Well appointed with amenities like pools/playgrounds/bowling club etc but no physical redeeming features. We did get the sense there’s a thriving community here though.

We rocked up to the Woomera travellers rest- the one and only camp ground (more like parking lot) come motel/cabin site within 200km. Rudimentary but scrupulously clean and lovely guy at the front desk.

We arrived at 3.30 and so did the winds…

We had a camper half unwound (just beyond the point of no return) and a gale descended on us. Lucky for us (very lucky actually) the campground goodwill prevailed and with the help of 4 men plus David and  I we managed to finish the tent assembly  and lash it down before it literally blew away. 

Spent the next couple of hours feeling like Dorothy being blown away to Oz. 

Gales are still howling and we’ve come up to the RSL for their famous pizza night to eat what are professed as ‘the best pizzas in South Australia’ and escape the roar of the 92km /hr gusts. BOM warning says they’ll finish round midnight so if we’re not in tatters (or in Oz) we’ll get some sleep then.  I’m personally going to sleep on my clothes and wear my ruby slippers just in case…..

After a rainy evening followed by a freezing night (we were warm and toasty inside) while we were dry the camper was covered in frost, so did our first ‘wet’ pack up hoping that all inside would stay dry for the journey.

Loxton is a really pretty town right on the banks of the Murray – actually on a bit of a lagoon. The houses are built up on the hill above the river and would have fabulous views. 

We and everyone else within coo-eee of Loxton had breakfast at the one and only bakery. Fabulous coffee and hearty eggs breaky kept us going most of the day.

Today we started our drive towards the Flinders  ranges with Melrose as our planned end point (about 480k). Covered some really diverse landscapes from dust bowl/desert territory to lush pasture – mostly sheep.

When through Jamieson, home to the ‘big battery’ and the longest line of wind turbines I’ve ever seen- I personally find them mesmerising to look at.

We decided not to take the Worlds End  highway just in case it was true to name- but would love to know what it led to,

Passed through some rally pretty historic towns, with gorgeous old original buildings lining the streets. Lots of businesses not open on Monday- I guess they do most of their trade on weekends – which might be just as well or  Dora might have gone over her weight limit.

Arrived in Melrose, at the foot of Mt Remarkable round 4pm in time to enjoy the last couple of hours of sunshine and get the canvas dry. We are staying at the Showgrounds – a few other campers here but very spaced out and private.

We are right next to a paddock containing dozens of sheep with new lambs- very cute but very noisy!

Now sitting by the fire having eating wonton soup cooked in the camp oven- totally clear sky and almost full moon, so we will be in for another cold one tonight I imagine.  Life is good on the road!