Thierings on Tour

Follow along our journey as our family of 5 from Sydney travel around Australia for 30 weeks.

recent posts

    • Day 200 – Yarrangobilly to Avonside

      It was a glorious morning and I enjoyed a moment of peace and quiet as the sun rose. There were little rabbits and kangaroos hopping everywhere and the serenity was perfect.

      We took our time getting up and moving, then headed off to Yarrangobilly caves to have a look. As we got there the fog came out and then it absolutely poured down… out came all the rain jackets we could find and luckily the fog cleared too. 

      It was a lovely walk through the forest and along the valley to get to the caves. Again there were more wallabies and you could see the river down at the bottom. The cave system itself looked beautiful!

      We opted for the self guided tour as it just makes life easier when the guides don’t have to worry about entertaining our kids. 

      It was very cold and very wet in these caves compared to all the other ones we have visited on the trip. There were many columns that had formed as a result of the stalagmites and stalagtites merging in the middle and the girls particularly loved all the sparkly crystals. 

      It was also handy that the cave tour ended in the car park so we were able to move on straight away. The plan was to go to the thermal pools after, but the weather as well as the prospect of having to walk down and up some very steep steps (and listen to whining) for 700m put everyone off. Next time!

      So we started the drive through the mountain ranges towards Jindabyne. I won’t lie, both Chris and I were still nervous about the tow-pro playing up, but at least the weather has cleared up by the time we got back to the van and packed up.

      We made a little stop at Adaminaby and enjoyed the bakery there. Of course we had to get a photo with the Big Trout before heading off to Avonside.

      We were welcomed with open arms as always by the lovely Pam & Bernie and it was great to catch up and share travel stories. The girls loved playing with all of (Lenny’s) toys and we even visited Maggie the pony, who was still poorly.

      To top off an already great afternoon the girls were Waldo reunited with their girl gang Daisy and Rita and loved playing and hanging together. Dusty also made an attempt to fit in with all the girls 🙂

      Kms travelled – 177

    • Day 199 – Hay to Yarrangobilly

      This morning Izzy was thrilled to find that the tooth fairy had once again found us on our travels and even left a new King Charles dollar as one of the coins. Lucky!

      It was day 3 of big driving days and whilst the girls didn’t mind, Chris and I had secret adult fears about the safety of the van brakes that we didn’t want to project onto the girls. So Chris took it easy and we set off towards the Snowy Mountains (not a great place to be heading when you are worried about brakes not working!).

      There was so much beautiful countryside as we drove for hundreds of kilometres past fields and pastures. At one stage there was a huge takeover of cattle on the road, we literally had to slow right down and drive through them and hope they had enough sense to move rather than ram us. All went well! The girls loved it though…

      From there we had a break at Narrandera, where we bought yet another roast chicken for wraps at the park. I’m sure I’ll miss it one day, but gosh I can’t wait to have a break from making chicken wraps! The park there was great though and everyone was ready for the next driving stint. There was singing, drawing and not too much fighting actually.

      Scarly fell asleep just before we got to Wagga Wagga, so we decided to continue on and only stop further outside of Tumut when we needed diesel and we also enjoyed some cherries for dessert. Yum! One of my favourite things about summer.

      I couldn’t go past the Tumut Big Mohawk, an impressive shrub with lots of character. The upkeep of that thing would surely be a very painstaking experience for the owner of the house?! But it made for a great photo!!

      Then it was onto the part of the day that we had been dreading – driving through Kosciuszko National Park with all its steep descents and ascents. It was not for the faint hearted, but Chris and the car/van handled it so well. 

      We stopped at a couple of lookouts along the way, both to give the car breaks a chance to cool down but also to admire the views. It was so stunning!

      Our camp for the night was Yarrangobilly, an absolutely magical spot close to the river and with picturesque views in every direction. It was also nice to be in nature and with space to roam again. It really is our favourite style of caravanning. 

      We cooked dinner, the girls ran around for hours whilst Chris and I soaked in the views and recovered from the stress of driving with limited brakes. Onwards and upwards tomorrow, let’s hope!

      Kms travelled – 429

    • Day 198 – 3 state day

      Today was another big driving day, so we were quick to pack up and head on out. Before we knew it we had crossed (briefly) into Victoria, it sprung up on us so quickly that I almost missed the sign… 

      Mildura was a quick stop to grab some food and a quick run around. The girls haven’t had as many long driving days, so I feel like we’ve had to retrain everyone to get back into the grove of it. 

      Then it was back on the road and heading further East, until we crossed into NSW for the first time in 6 months. Again, it was so badly signposted that I completely missed it and there was definitely nowhere to stop to mark the occasion! Then we saw our first sign for Sydney in ages and it really made it sink in that we weren’t far from home. What a strange thought after all this time!

      We made another quick stop in the afternoon to stretch, grab some water and burn off some of that “stuck in the car again” energy. Luckily for us it was a very nice park and it was actually warm and sunny for once. We could get used to this again…

      In other very important news – when we arrived, Izzy’s wobbly tooth finally decided to come out. Hurray!

      As we approached Hay the van brakes were feeling sluggish and funny again, plus the tow-pro mechanism didn’t seem to be flashing the way it should. So when we pulled up Chris got to work checking everything again and he wasn’t getting any power to the electric brakes this time…. So he took everything apart, cleaned connections and tried to rewire a few things. All the old blokes around us in the caravan park flocked to our site asking questions, giving suggestions and sharing potential contacts in the 500km radius around Hay. 

      This was a good opportunity to take the girls to the pool and so we did. Scarly only stayed on the step and after one unfortunately slip where she briefly went under before she could jump back up, she wanted out. So instead she stayed on the sidelines and eventually helping papa while the big girls splashed and bombed it into a freezing pool. At least it was hot enough to appreciate the cooling qualities this time!! 

      It was so late by the time Chris finished that we decided to have dinner at the pub across the road. The food was actually delicious, there were some games and much to the girls’ delight – a resident bearded dragon. The owner was very kind and offered for the girls to feed the little guy, but only Jazzy didn’t mind feeding him mealworms. Scarly tried it but didn’t want to anymore after one and Izzy knew from the start that she didn’t want anything to do with it. 

      It was a fun night and good way to finish up an otherwise long and slightly stressful day.

      Kms travelled – 431

    • Day 197 – Adelaide to Renmark

      Everyone was excited to welcome papa back from his Sydney Metallica getaway! But first – more scootering, the girls have been obsessed with their morning and afternoon scooter sessions while we’ve been staying here, which has been lovely. Scarly insisted on wearing her new tutu and helmet.

      Once papa was back we quickly finished packing and headed off to start our drive out of Adelaide. I had Renmark in mind for our stop, but we were also happy to see how far we would end up depending on traffic, energy levels etc 
      We’ve learnt to be adaptable on this trip, that’s for sure! 

      We made a couple of stops for lunch and a run-around, one being Waikerie, which had lovely river views along the Murray. The kids had 2 playgrounds to choose from, lucky ducks! There were also more cool mural silos, I love all the art around the country towns.

      Chris was pretty tired, so we decided not to push it much further. The park at Renmark was awesome and had it been a bit warmer the kids would have never wanted to leave… there was a water splash park, a pool & spa, an outdoor movie theatre, bouncy pillow, indoor and outdoor  playground as well as kart hire. No wonder people book in here for weeks! 

      The kids didn’t last long in the splash park, because it was so freezing, but loved the warm spa along the side of the pool. 
      While dinner was cooking they watched a bit of Raya and then it was back to the usual routine. A fairly quiet day of travel, so not much to report.

      Kms travelled – 265

    • Day 196 – Rainy, cold and windy Adelaide

      Scarly woke up confused as to why there was no mama next to her, but they all looked so cute together in our bed. There just wasn’t any room for me and I got a much better sleep once I eventually retreated to Jazzy’s bunk for the night. 

      The girls were keen to scooter again so we set off for a ride to the playground and onto the road safety track, which was very cool. The girls loved learning different road rules, stopping at traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. It’s such a good idea and we will have to go to the Sydney one when we get back.

      Next on the agenda was a trip to the movies to see the Christmas Paw Patrol movie (for Scarly), but the others certainly didn’t mind once they had their popcorn in hand. 

      Once we got out of the movies the weather was awful, so we planned to stay indoors a little longer and went to have a look around BigW and stumbled across a sushi train – of course the girls twisted my rubber arm…

      Then we headed out to some op shops. Jazzy was trying to convince me to buy her some animal print high heels, ha ha. They were beautiful but maybe not quite her size… Scarly was loving the handbag and dress ups everywhere!

      When we got back to camp the wild weather raged for hours and we just bunkered down and played games inside. Lucky we had an en-suite site (another strategic single parent weekend move) as the toilet block were pretty far and we never shower in our van. It was also great to use as our storage facility for all the things we normally keep outside when camped up.

      There was a brief rain intermission, which the girls used to get out and enjoy another scooter ride. I must say I was glad we had the chance to stretch our legs and burn some energy before bed.

      Today couldn’t have been more different from yesterday! It was so much colder, the wind was just crazy and the rain was relentless. The ocean was so rough. It was time to cut our losses and go to bed!

      Kms travelled – 27

    • Day 195 – Glorious Adelaide

      Everyone was up early (but happy) so we took off for a walk & scooter ride along the foreshore. Scarly is getting so proficient at riding and she loves it! The two older girls started jogging and covered a lot of ground running ahead and then coming back to us.

      We had a play at a playground and grabbed mama some caffeine fuel for the morning. By the time we came back from our “quick” walk everyone was starving, so we cooked egg wraps and planned our day.

      Just as we wanted to head out to Adelaide Markets the auto electrician called and said he could be out within half an hour. He changed the pin plug on the car and recommended we do the same on the trailer (he just didn’t have a spare with him) and all the pins were getting light and power to them. Phew! 

      By that stage it was time to go to our cookie decorating activity, one of the many organised activities at the campsite for the kids. The girls loved it and since it was the weekend they even got to eat them before lunch – mama is feeling frivolous.

      Driving to the markets was a bit of a pain as there were so many roadworks and diversions, plus parking in the city with a car that needs high clearance is always a challenge, but we got there and I was so excited to eat some yummy food. The girls were a magnet to the sushi, they also tried some delicious chicken wings and dumplings. Meanwhile I got some paella and of course it would have been rude not to have cake!

      There were some tired girls after this, but a quick rest in the car meant they were ready for the pool as soon as we got back. Not sure just how heated it’s meant to be, as it didn’t feel it to me… even the girls didn’t last too long to be honest, but they did make progress on their front flips into the pool.

      There was an outdoor screening of Paw Patrol, the bouncy pillow and they asked to go for an afternoon scooter ride. By the end of it, I was exhausted too from an action packed day…

      Back at camp we cooked tacos with a view and felt grateful for such a beautiful and fun day together! My bed and my heart were full.

      Kms travelled – 23

    • Day 194 – Hahndorf to Adelaide

      We had to pack up in the rain this morning, but hoped that the weather would change as predicted! On our way out we stopped in town again to have a look around, the girls loved the rose garden (which reminded them of grandma).

      Our first stop was the Beerenberg farm, but much to our sadness there was no patch fruit picking today. Booo! So we had a look around and learnt a few things about strawberries instead before heading to Hahndorf Farm Barn. This was such a great place for the kids! 

      They got to pat the indoor animals such as the baby goats, guinea pigs, rabbits and even some little lambs. The outdoor animals had a special interest in the snacks we got given, to the point where the deer were chasing Izzy for her bag of food, they were so cheeky!

      It was cool to see some donkeys, different goats, deer and a beautiful peacock roaming around. I love how happy all the animals looked. 

      Outside there were tractors to jump on, a cool playground and lots to see. One of the mums said that she would regularly drive her kids here from Adelaide for a fun day out.

      Later we got to watch and learn about milking cows and the girls all had a turn at squeezing out some milk from the udders. It was actually very fascinating to learn about all the processes and there is so much hard work that goes into dairy farming. A very interesting morning indeed!

      From here we headed towards Adelaide, which would be our base for 3 days while Chris flew back to Sydney for Metallica. The drive from Hahndorf turned very hairy very quickly as we felt that our breaks on the van were failing us down the very steep descent into Adelaide. At one stage the whole car was shaking because the car brakes were clearly doing all the work stopping the van too. It was horrendous and a very scary moment for Chris & I. Even the kids clocked on that something wasn’t right… we managed to pull over and sure enough the car brakes were absolutely boiling hot, while the van brakes were stone cold. 

      Chris checked the connections on the plug, cleaned everything as best as he could and we got to the caravan park, but it was something we needed to get fixed ASAP and with the weekend upon us I made lots of pleading phone calls. One guy said he should be able to come out and have a look Saturday morning… fingers crossed!

      We dropped Chris off at the airport and went about exploring the resort that is West Beach in Adelaide – I think THE best caravan park for kids entertainment so far on our trip. It was of course a strategic move to help with single parenting for 3 nights. 

      We checked out the park, the outdoor movie theatre and got the most gorgeous sunset just outside our site. How lucky!

      Kms travelled – 46

    • Day 193 – Innes NP to Hahndorf

      It was a beautiful morning so we decided to head out for a nice sunrise walk by the beach before we had to leave. It would have been lovely to stay another night, but the weather was meant to be turning and we were trying to get a little closer to Adelaide so that it would be a quick drive in on Friday.

      We set off and stopped for a quick coffee at Marion Bay, which was just a coffee machine in a home, which doubled as a gallery for local artist Jeff. He was so friendly and we had a good long chat about our travels, his art and surfing life. A few others popped in with their dogs and the girls loved playing with them. It’s lovely to pause and spend time chatting with the locals and I’d say that’s been a big highlight on this trip – not rushing around too busy to stop for a chat. 

      The drive today was pretty long and we broke it up where we could with playground stops and food breaks. We’re finally getting pretty good at reading cues when the kids are close to their tether and when we need to stop. 

      Chris was not happy about seeing so many traffic lights again as we drove through the outskirts of Adelaide to get to Hahndorf. The car was also really struggling and making weird chugging noises as we battled the hills… yikes!

      The campground at Hahndorf was awesome with so many activities and a playroom. If only it hadn’t been raining so much, the girls would have got so much more out of it. Jazzy won at air hockey and all the girls came first in their Mario cart races.


      We had a bit of a scare when I was showering Scarly and we discovered a huge tick in her shoulder. Luckily we removed it safely with the head still intact and the pharmacist assured us that with it still being alive and it being under 24 hours since it had burrowed she would be absolutely fine (but to monitor for symptoms just in case we were worried). Our brave little bubba!

      We went into town for a little look around to see some of the old buildings that were built in the early 1800s as the first German settlers arrived and of course the girls found the candy store, ha ha

      Dinner was at the German Arms as Chris had been dreaming about a big schnitzel again. The lady tried to convince me that the pork knuckle wouldn’t be big enough for myself and the 3 kids, but luckily we didn’t order much more as there was so much food. Chris also went a little overboard with the beer paddle and wine, even he looked a bit unsure whether he would get through it all. Where there is a will there is a way!

      Kms travelled – 322

    • Day 192 – Dhilba Guuranda – Innes National Park

      I love waking up surrounded by nature and there were only 2 other vans/cars that we could see nearby, so the serenity was real! (At least for us, maybe not for our neighbours with how loud we tend to be). 

      We had a relaxed morning, enjoyed the serenity and I had a couple more meetings in the morning.

      Then we started the grand tour of the park while the weather was finally a bit warmer for us (mind you the wind prediction was still wrong and it was a lot cooler with the wind than it should have been)… 

      Our first two stops were Shell Beach and Dolphin Beach, both gorgeous spots along the coast. We particularly liked Dolphin beach and Chris even had a swim there (yes, the water was freezing). Meanwhile Scarly was happy to dig in the sand with her bucket and the big girls and I explored some of the rocks to get a better view.

      Then it was onto Pandalowie Bay, where we saw two kangaroos just jumping through the shrubbery and it felt like such a typical Aussie scene. We explored the beach, soaked up the quiet, relaxed, looked for cool shells and of course, practiced headstands and cartwheels, as you do.

      West Cape Lookout was another favourite for today with incredible 360 degree views, stunning beaches all around and a nice coastal track to the lighthouse. Although the flies seemed to be loving Chris and I (I promise we shower as much, if not more than the kids). It was pretty bad, but we didn’t let it ruin our day. We saw another kangaroo just chilling with a pretty spectacular view and then there were the kangaroo statues, one of which really reminded us of Beefcake in Walpole.

      From there it was onto Ethel beach with the Ethel shipwreck from 1904. The long stairs down were worth the hike to explore the beach, the shipwreck and to enjoy yet another beach to ourselves. With the waves crashing onto the beach you can absolutely see why there is a shipwreck there…

      Of course the girls were all about the cartwheels on the beach again and they are getting better! 

      An action packed day followed by a quick and easy dinner before trying to get everyone to bed. I think Scarly was perhaps too wired from her late nap, as she was rather the challenge this bedtime… but once those cuties are asleep, you quickly forget all about it and wonder why you were ever frustrated at them in the first place. Ah parenthood!

      Kms travelled – 42

    • Day 191 – Port Pirie to Innes NP

      We set off in the morning to make our way down to Dhilba Guuranda Innes National Park. Yorke Peninsula is blessed with many a beautiful beach and coastal town and I believe you could easily spend weeks exploring it, especially in summer!

      Our first stop for the day was at Moonta Bay, which seemed to have it all – a playground, splash park, caravan park and cafe all on the beach. The girls kept asking to go to the splash park, but the arctic winds made us stay firm on our No.

      Instead we walked down to the tip of the really long jetty, it was incredibly windy but also had lovely views out. There were also a couple of cool birds circling around, not sure what they were, but they looked very majestic just gliding through the air.

      The stop definitely helped to burn some energy as we had a couple of sleepy heads after that. We stopped again in Minlaton for a quick lunch break and whilst I made wraps for everyone the girls made the most of an almost empty playground. Izzy and Jazzy have taught themselves how to do flips on parallel bars on this trip and are keen to try gymnastics when we get back.

      The town also had an old warplane called the Red Devil on display, which was flown by a Minlaton local. It has been very interesting to learn just how much involvement diggers from WA & SA played in the wars.

      From there it was onto the home stretch to the national park and we found a lovely spot at Stenhouse Bay, which seemed to be most protected from the wind.

      After some meetings, and a bit of homework for the girls we had a good look around Stenhouse beach, got out the hammock, played footy and the parents had a cheeky drink.

      It’s been getting dark a lot later, thanks daylight savings, so it’s always a struggle to get the kids to bed early. Instead we decided to go for a walk to the jetty after dinner to see what we could see.
      It was a lovely view over the water and Scarly added to her collection with another anchor photo.

      As we walked the jetty, Jazzy spotted a pod of dolphins and we watched them swim back and forth. We couldn’t quite make out how many there were, so instead we decided that it was a family of 5 to match ours as we explored the park. It was a lovely evening and a great view as the sun set.

      Kms travelled -286

    • Day 190 – Port Pirie

      With the weather predicted to be nicer in Port Pirie than our next destination we decided to base ourselves here for an extra night, which also meant one less pack down & set up – winning!

      While I had some morning meetings Chris took the girls to the park, but it sounded like Scarly had a big fall and some bad grazes 😦 poor darling!

      There was some of the usual boring activities thrown in like homework, washing, but we tried to balance it out with playground fun and walks later.

      We also noticed there was a sushi place in town and finally one that had raw salmon and avocado rolls, so we were onto a winner and had some happy snobs, I mean girls! It’s funny how we’ve stumbled across a few sushi places along the way, but they’ve only had smoked salmon or no salmon at all and so it’s been a no deal for our three.

      We went to check out the ANZAC museum, which was actually at the back of the local RSL club but had so much incredible memorabilia. There were personal letters, photos, artifacts and for our aviation geek – a decommissioned helicopter. Chris got plenty of ideas to pass on to work about possible mods, ha ha.

      We drove past at least three converted churches in town, my favourite being the Church of Fish & Chips.
      On our way back we grabbed the click & collect food order and I laughed out loud when I saw what size cereal box I had accidentally ordered 😂 I think we will be eating this until the end of the trip!

      Back at camp it was an easy dinner and early bed as we had a big day of driving tomorrow. The night sky over the port looked very nice.

      Kms travelled – 14

    • Day 189 – Alligator Gorge to Port Pirie

      Waking up in our secluded piece of paradise was wonderful and as we were having breakfast a mob of emus wondered past, which was so special for the kids to see. 

      I really didn’t want to leave it, but we will definitely visit again! 

      We got ready and Scarly has been doing so well with her independence – getting dressed by herself mostly, brushing her teeth when asked. It’s lovely to see her grow into a confident young lady.

      This morning we drove through Hawker and Quorn stopping for quick breaks to get fuel, supplies and lunch. One thing that we have enjoyed around this part of SA is lamb yiros – it has been delicious!

      Then it was time to dump the van before we headed to Mount Remarkable to see Alligator Gorge. There had clearly been some extreme fires through the area not too long ago and the vegetation hadn’t even started to recover yet… 

      We started our hike down, but stupidly all the runners were in the van that we had dumped before the giant ascent into the mountains, so Crocs and slides it was for the walk. 

      Poor Izzy made an unfortunate step and banged her head on one of the rocks, so we had to walk behind slowly after that. However our resilient big girl powered on and we enjoyed a gorgeous walk.

      The only problem was that on the way out it was so poorly signposted that we actually didn’t quite know which way to go. Luckily a friendly group of walkers who had driven to both the start and end of the walk pointed us in the right direction and then waited by our car to make sure we arrived safely. The girls all got a Tim-Tam to celebrate their amazing hiking efforts!

      Then it was coast bound through some more ranges. It was nice to see the ocean again, but the roadworks were next level and the roads was just a mess. Luckily it didn’t last long and we were in Port Pirie before we knew it…

      We were all exhausted, so pub dinner seemed like the best option to quickly feed the masses and get everyone to bed as quickly as possible. 

      Kms travelled – 290

    • Day 188 – Flinders Ranges

      It was a glorious and sunny start to the day and we decided that it would probably be best to move camps so that we could be closer to all the sites we wanted to visit today. So we packed up and headed into Blinman for a quick visit. Unfortunately the mine was closed as they don’t have the staff to run tours, so we settled for a quick coffee and a look around the tiny town. The girls loved the corrugated animal statues…

      Then we went to visit an Aboriginal art centre, Wadna, to also ask about their guided tours, but it turned out the owners were in Adelaide receiving a tourism award, how cool! So after having a look and a chat to the local lady who was holding fort, we headed back and south into the Flinders. 

      We were intrigued by the Tourist sign for “Great Wall of China” and it really was impressive! The rock formations very true to their name and towered over the Flinders. Chris shocked a few fellow drivers by driving the van up the hill towards them, but it really wasn’t that bad. Even the big girls looked up from their game of Barbies for once and gasped in amazement at the beauty of it.

      Our stop for the night was Willow Springs and they luckily let us drop the van early so that we could head out and explore in the car. It was a gorgeous camp spot and I couldn’t wait to get back to the serenity already.

      First stop was Wilpena Pound, where we had a nice walk in the forest. Jazzy was keen on trying to climb to the top of the mountain, but sadly we wouldn’t have enough time and it was getting too warm anyway! There was plenty to see around us and we found some cool trees with hollow trunks, similar to what we had seen in south WA. 

      From there it was back on the road to Razorback Lookout, an incredible viewing spot of the winding roads through the Flinders and every kind of mountain range you can imagine. It was stunning! 

      I honestly didn’t have any expectations for the Flinders, but it has been a very pleasant surprise. The road continued to undulate through the ranges with many a lookout and gorgeous spot. The best thing for the kids was that you could see so much without having to walk anywhere – you could either see the sites straight from the car or it was a case of hopping out and seeing it from the lookout. No trekking required! 

      My favourite spot for the day was the Yellow Rock Footed Wallaby Colony spot. A number of benches and lookouts where you are in the valley of the ranges, surrounded by nature and barely any other cars passing through with these cute wallabies jumping all around. 

      Earlier that day we learned that the yellow footed rock wallaby had disappeared from the area for over 120 years and that these days there are only 2 regions in Australia where you can spot the species in the wild. Very cool indeed!

      We enjoyed a drink & a chat before heading back to camp. We had grand plans to also visit another lookout nearby for sunset, but decided that our campsite was in fact all that we needed and so we stayed and enjoyed it. I think it was so serene and beautiful that it would have to be in my top 5 from the trip. Big call, I know!

      Kms travelled – 147

    • Day 187 – Lake Eyre to Alpana Station

      We all had a big sleep and took our time getting up this morning, eating brekkie and packing up for another day on the road. It seems that after a couple of days out of the van, the effort of packing up is always hardest.

      We set off and the road was so barren with only the occasional historical building popping up. What amazes me is how well these buildings were built – the brick structures are almost perfect and look like new, just missing the roof. It would have been a hard slog for anyone working on the train lines back here in the day – the hear without modern comforts would seem impossible. 

      When we got to Lake Eyre South it was hard to see any way water in it and we regretted not getting a flight over the northern part of the lake. But it was an opportunity to stretch legs and grab some photos, before we saw a scary looking bee and ran back in the car.
      After that it was a whole lot of barren road again. Our next stop was Marree, where Chris enquired about flights again, but was told that the conditions were too windy. This wind has honestly been hounding us for months… very annoying! 

      Anyway, Marree was a tiny town with some cool camel statues and an outdoor museum dedicated to the pioneers who travelled through it on horse and camel back. 

      Next we headed further along the Oodnadatta track past the Ochre cliffs, Leigh Creek and towards the Flinders. When the kids got grizzly and started squabbling we stopped for snacks. There’s always a lunchbox of fruit & veg in the car, but sometimes you need to bring out the biccies & dip to calm tempers! Whilst everyone snacked I read out some local history to them, I’m sure they were listening, ha.

      Then it was finally time to turn into the Flinders Ranges. There were only about 30kms left to the station site I had in mind, but the road was steep, winding and bumpy, which made Chris very uncomfortable. I won’t lie, the surrounding sites were gorgeous and I couldn’t wait to explore more tomorrow, but I was also prepared to turn around if Chris pulled the pin on this adventure. He persevered, but we had to go slow to keep the engine and transmission temperature reasonable and I was just hoping that there wouldn’t be much more of this tomorrow.

      We finally arrived at Alpana station and enjoyed a hot shower and some gorgeous views! There were sheep roaming the fields, a golden light at sunset and we ate our dinner at the outdoor camp kitchen feeling grateful that we had made it and we would be exploring this beautiful part of the world! The stars were also magical at night.

      Kms travelled – 351

    • Day 186 – Coober Pedy to Coward Springs

      It was time to say goodbye to our quirky stay in Coober Pedy and we all said that we really enjoyed it – the house, the sights and meeting so many interesting people! Highly recommend for an off-the-beaten track adventure. 

      As we left town we made a stop at the Serbian Orthodox dugout church, which is open 24/7 and is truly beautiful! The carvings in the dugout were extraordinary and the decorative windows made even more beautiful as they were the only source of natural light in the church. The girls have been curious about all the different branches of Christianity as we have explored different places of worship along our way, so it was a good opportunity to share a little more with them.

      Just before we headed out we got our token tourist photos with the Coober Pedy and Opal City signs. I just wished I could have gotten one with the Hollywood style sign on top of the hill too, for our collection.

      Then we hit the road, but Chris was unpleasantly surprised to find that it was dirt rather than bitumen and so we had to quickly stop and drop the PSI in all our tyres to make for a smoother drive. It was a very long and very rough road, we’ve probably forgotten what it’s like or maybe it’s that we’ve blocked those memories out of our minds?!? The only positive was seeing some incredible eagles and kites along the way!
      Much to Chris’ despair he found a massive crack in the bullbar at one of our stops and so began the frantic work of the bush mechanic to find a solution until we could have it welded. He managed to get a ratchet strap on it as a temporary solution. I could see the stress on Chris’ face and I really don’t envy him for the responsibility he feels to always get us everywhere safely…

      We made a stop at William Creek and decided to grab lunch there. Whilst waiting for lunch the girls found a book about Kidman, who had the world’s largest cattle station and did so with kindness and generosity. There was information about him everywhere, to be honest. 
      It was very hot and very windy in William Creek. Chris was hopeful to find out about flights over Lake Eyre, but by the time we got to the office it was closed so we continued along.

      Initially we planned to her as far as Lake Eyre South, but none of us had it in us to go any further when we reached Coward Springs, so we decided to stop there for the night and yet again Chris and I had a massive sense of Deja vu. We had actually visited this place 11 years ago.

      The campground was lovely and the girls finally got to enjoy a bit of relaxation (followed by fighting) in the hammock. We also checked out the natural spa, which was a lot colder than I remembered. Oh well, it least it gave everyone time to calm down and unwind from a long day of driving.

      It was a gorgeous sunset, but once the sun was gone the mozzies came out in force. I tried to enjoy the hammock once the girls were asleep but got eaten alive and decided to cut my losses and go to bed with them. Oh well! 

      Kms travelled – 245