Tjoritja National Park, Redbank Gorge – Woodland Campground

 4 – 7 May 2022

We set off from Kings Canyon along the Mereenie Loop road which was not in great condition this time. Last time it wasn’t too bad, but this time it was quite corrugated and there were quite a few small washouts as well as a couple of patches of bulldust. Nothing too drastic, but it did make for a slow and challenging drive. We stopped at the only designated rest area for a late morning tea then continued on. Instead of going into Alice Springs we took the turn that would take us into the West MacDonnell Ranges and our next destination – Redbank Gorge.

Before entering Tjoritja National Park we stopped and collected some firewood which we knew we would need with forecast lows of 6° overnight on two of the nights we would be there. We had booked our campsite in the Woodland Campground for three nights and arrived mid-afternoon.

In the morning we headed the few kilometres down the road to the gorge for the walk. It’s an out and back walk, rated Grade 3, with some walking on sand in the river bed, as well as some fairly serious rock hopping. We stopped for a while at a small waterhole before continuing to the large waterhole at the end of the walk. We returned to the carpark and made coffee at the picnic area before driving back to camp.

We returned to the gorge the following morning and again went for the walk then had coffee at the picnic area. We enjoyed some beautiful weather but the nights were very cold. We lit the fire and sat around enjoying the atmosphere with very few people around. Friday was my birthday so we cooked dinner over the fire and Mick made date scones in the camp oven. It was a lovely way to spend a birthday.

On Saturday morning we packed everything up, cleaned up the barbecue plate over the firepit and headed off to Ormiston Gorge. You cannot book camping sites there so we just hoped we would be there at the right time to get a spot.

Watarrka National Park - Kings Canyon

 1 – 4 May 2022

Rain drizzled down throughout our final night at Yulara – not heavy, but for long enough to wet the canvas. It was still raining when we started packing up but had stopped by the time we finished. We set off back the way we had come, along the Lasseter Highway and stopped at the dune view rest area to make a cup of coffee. We also stopped briefly at the Mount Conner view rest area before turning north onto Luritja Road which would take us all the way to Watarrka National Park and Kings Canyon.

We found another nice rest area – but again without toilets – to have lunch. Like many of the others we had stopped at, camping is permitted for 24 hours only. There were picnic tables and rubbish bins and lots of space for campers to spread out. If we were self-contained we would definitely take advantage and stay at some of these spots.

There is no camping in Watarrka National Park, so we stayed at the nearby caravan park. Our site had a lovely view of the ranges. Visitors are warned about the resident dingoes so we were careful not to leave food, scraps or shoes outside when we weren’t there. They don’t seem aggressive, but would certainly be opportunistic feeders.

We wanted to do the Rim Walk, so set the alarm to be able to make an early start. When we woke up and checked the weather forecast we saw that there was a chance it would be windy, but not so much the next day so we made a quick decision to put it off for one day, and went back to sleep.

Over breakfast we decided to drive down to the national park and walk the Kings Creek track. This is a very pleasant and easy short walk. The bonus was that there were heaps of birds about. Walking past the start of the Rim Walk, I realised that no matter how much I wanted to go on that walk, I was never going to be able to – I had a mild panic attack just thinking about it. The start is such a steep climb, with nothing to hang on to and a very long way up (and down). Because it is a loop trail, you can’t even turn back. I’m confident I could handle it physically but there was no way I was going to attempt it.

Late in the afternoon we drove down to Kathleen Gorge and completed the relatively short walk to the waterhole. The flies were dreadful but the walk was lovely – expecially as everything was so green. From there we went back to Kings Canyon to look for some birds again and finished the excursion with drinks at the sunset viewing picnic area. The sunset wasn’t great but being on our own in such as place definitely was.

We contemplated what to do about walking in the morning and decided that instead of the Rim Walk, we would go on the South Wall walk. This one is only 4.8km and rated 3, but the description indicates it is a strenuous climb. There had been some light rain overnight and it was still sprinkling when we climbed out of bed, so we took our time to see what the day would be like. Once we were ready and the rain had settled to a very light spit we set off for Kings Canyon.

Once we had all our gear – camera, water, snacks and hiking poles, we set off for the climb up to the south wall. This walk is actually the last section of the Rim Walk, and is an out and back walk. The start certainly was a strenuous climb but we both managed it relatively easily – with lots of stops to have a drink of water or take some photos. The views are stunning but the path is very uneven and rocky in most parts, with lots of steep stairs close to the edge so I found it necessary to watch where I was walking most of the time, and only really enjoyed the view when I was stationary, which was quite often. 

Late in the afternoon we walked up to the dune sunset viewing area – along with way too many other people. This is on the edge of the caravan park, and boasts a bar, but you can also BYO, which we did. The sunset wasn’t great but it was still a nice way to end the day.

In the morning we packed up and returned to reception to purchase our permit to drive back towards Alice Springs along the Mereenie Loop. Central Land Council permission is required to drive through Aboriginal Lands. The permit costs $6.50 and includes a small guide booklet and map. The road is recommended for high clearance 4WD vehicles only. The first 15 km from the resort and caravan park is bitumen, then the next 150 or kilometres is gravel road. There is one authorised rest area and camping along the Mereenie Loop is not permitted. We headed off around 10:30, bound for Tjoritja National Park. The road was in much poorer condition than last time we had driven it, possibly due to recent flooding rains which caused some wash-outs and deep ruts where vehicles had been driven on the wet road. We took it easy and reached the bitumen without incident.

Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, Yulara - Ayers Rock Campground

 27 April - 1 May 2022

We left Curtin Spings after a slightly early morning tea, to travel the 80 or so kilometres to Yulara. Along the way we pulled into a rest stop with a dune walk that provided great views. Camping is permitted at this rest area but there are no facilities.  We arrived at Yulara around 11:00am and were able to check in to our powered site in the camping area. We had requested a specific section at the base of a dune, where we had camped last time we visited. We settled onto site 22 and enjoyed not having any rear neighbours apart from the birds. Many people only stay a day or 2 but we booked for 4 nights this time. Last time we visited we went on most of the walks at both Uluru and Kata Tjuta but this time the one thing on our list was the base walk.

In the afternoon we headed into the national park and to the sunset viewing area. Park passes can be purchased online or at the entrance to the park. We took our chairs, drinks and snacks with us and set up at the far end of the carpark where we knew we would get the best views. Unfortunately the sky didn't oblige with the best cloud cover but we did get some nice photos anyway.

The following day was well over 30° so we decided that any serious walking was out of the question. Instead we occupied our time in and around the resort - tidying, washing, shopping and going for a swim. Late in the afternoon we walked to the Naninga Lookout at top of the dune behind us to check on the clouds but decided against a return visit to the sunset viewing area. We had another 2 nights and hoped we might still get a good one.

Looking at the weather forecast for our second full day, at 27° maximum and cloudy we decided that would be the perfect conditions for the base walk. We set the alarm for 5:45am and were at the start at the start of the walk at 7:15am. As suggested, we set off in a clockwise direction carrying snacks and plenty of water, and wearing hats and good walking shoes. The walk is quite easy, but is rated moderate probably because of the distance. It was so interesting to see the chaging shape and features as we walked. There are a number of seats along the way, the first being at about the 3.5km mark. There is also a toilet at about half way although it is not signposted - it is back up on the road, not far from a sheltered seating area.

The walk is about 10.8 kilometres and took us about 2½ hours with plenty of stops along the way. Signage explains some of the Dreaming associated with Uluru and also those sacred and sensitive places where photography is not permitted. We started the walk at the Mala Carpark and did the short detour to Mutitjulu Waterhole. It is hard not to be awed by the experience of being in this very special place.

After a quiet afternoon we again climbed the dune behind us and liked the look of the sky so we headed back to the sunset viewing spot and this time Mick did get some craker shots. When we went down there on Wednesday there was hardly anyone there, but on Friday there were heaps - all enjoying the mild temperatures and fabulous views. 

We did contemplate going out to one of the sunrise viewing spots for Saturday morning, but the  forecast wasn't great so we had a lazy morning at camp instead. We did go for a walk up to Imalung Lookout which is on a dune in the middle of the resort, before doing some grocery shopping and fuelling up ready for the next leg of our journey which would see us away from shops (and phone signal) for 9 days. 

Marla, Erldunda and Curtin Springs

Marla

23 - 24 April 2022

We had 4 nights to fill in between leaving Coober Pedy and our booking at Yulara (Ayers Rock Campground) so we set off with a bit of a plan - and the ability to be flexible. Driving north we stopped at Cadney Park Homestead (Roadhouse) and bought lunch. We'd seen the campground coming in and it didn't look too appealing so we decided to keep going. Rain was forecast but it didn't look like there would be much and it seemed that the chance lessened further north.

We pulled in to Marla and the campground looked nice so we decided that would do us nicely. Marla has only existed as a town since 1981, when the roadhouse was established. We checked in and were directed to the campground where we set up in the unpowered section. As with most places, unpowered was a bit of a free-for-all but we eventually settled on a nice spot beside some green grass. We went for a drive to have a look for birds out near the airstrip and returned home to find the weather forecast had been changed and that more rain was predicted to fall overnight.

We only heard a few light spots of rain overnight and weren't too concerned to see that the forecast now indicated thunderstorms. We couldn't see any rain on the BoM radar - even though it was raining when we climbed out of bed. Unfortunately we had left it too late and the promised thunderstorm was fast approaching. We quickly made a cup of tea and beat a hasty retreat into the car - there was lightening around so we didn't want to be sitting in the camper. Eventually the worst of the storm passed and we waited a while but had to pack up in the rain. It's not easy folding in all the canvas when it is wet - lucky we don't have to do it very often.

From Marla we continued north and the clouds cleared ahead of us, but it was very black to the south and east of us. We stopped to make a cup of coffee at The Marryat Creek Rest Area then contiued to SA/NT Border rest stop. Between the border rest area and Port Augusta there is only one rest area with toilets - Bon Bon. It's no wonder Bon Bon is so popular and the toilets in need of some maintenance. Surely it's not too much to expect a toilet stop (without having to be paying customer at a roadhouse) every few hundred kilometres?

From there we continued on to Erldunda Roadhouse at the turn-off to Yulara.

Erldunda

24 - 26 April 2022

We had planned two nights in Erldunda because there is a particularly birdy spot about 20km north. We arrived just on lunch time and checked in. You can choose your own site so we selected one with some nice shade. We settled in and enjoyed a relaxed afternoon while the canvas dried out. We walked up to the sunset lookout and saw lots of black clouds around. We hoped we wouldn't get rained on again.

We were up early the next morning to go chasing birds. We found the spot and Mick spend a couple of hours traipsing around with the camera in hand. Then it was back home for another restful day. Erldunda is a very popular overnight spot and we were one of only about three who were staying longer.

We still had one night to kill before our booking at Yulara so we headed off for Curtin Springs for another overnighter.

Curtin Springs

26 - 27 April 2022

We headed west from Erldunda towards Curtin Springs and made a couple of stops along the way. The first was a roadside rest area where we had a cup of coffee and a quick look around. The second was at the Mount Conner Lookout Rest Area. This one has toilets and a good view of Mount Conner. Walking up the dune across the road reveals a huge salt lake. Most travellers don't know that it's there. It's well worth the climb.

From there we continued on the short distance to Curtin Springs. This is a popular spot that offers free unpowered camping. Some people stay and do day trips in to see Uluru. There is a roadhouse, shop, bar and bistro. To stay all you need to do is check in at the shop, where a map and explanation of where you can camp is provided. We found a spot near a tree that provided some good shade through the afternoon.

Because we only had a short distance to travel to Yulara we had a lazy morning and didn't leave until mid-morning.

Coober Pedy

 19 - 23 April 2022

After a rainy night at Bon Bon Rest area Mick ventured out in the morning for some bird photos before we packed up and set off for Coober Pedy. The rain had cleared fortunately and it was shaping up to be a beautiful day. We stopped just south of our destinatoion for a quick look at a possible birdy spot with a view to returning in the late afternoon or early morning one day. We continued on and arrived at the caravan park we had chosen just on lunch time.

We set up and had lunch before a relaxing afternoon - Mick had hundreds of photos to go through so he was quite busy. In the morning we drove back down to the Hutchison Memorial to look for birds, but no luck with the desired Gibberbird. We'd have to try somewhere else. On returning to town we called in to the Visitor Information Centre to purchase a permit to go out to The Breakaways, and also to get some more ideas about what to do in and around Coober Pedy. The chap we spoke to gave Mick some information about more birdy spots - in particular the water treatment plant. 

We went back to the caravan park for morning tea then went down to find the water treatment plant and it looked like it would be a great spot. We had a quick look around town, including a drive up to the Big Winch 360 Lookout. In the late afternoon Mick returned to photograph birds around the water treatment plant. 

One of the "must do" activities when in Coober Pedy is to drive out to the Breakaways, so we did. We decided to try for sunrise but just missed it as the sun popped over the horizon while we were still on the highway. This loop drive travels through some geological marvels in the Kanku - Breakaways Conservation Park. The Conservation Park forms part of the traditional country of the Antakirinja Matuntjara Yankunytjatjara people. The landscape is truly amazing. There are a number of lookout points and some interpretative signage but no other facilities. 

The drive also travels along the famous "dog fence" - the longest fence in the world, constructed to keep dingoes out of grazing areas. It is an interesting juxtaposition to see the natural wonder along side this man-made one. We made lots of stops along the drive to photograph the landscape and look for birds. Heading back to town we stopped again near the water treatment plant, and returned home in time for morning tea. 

We treated ourselves to dinner at the on-site pizza "restaurant" on Thursday night. More like a licenced cafe, the pizza was good and service friendly. Pre-ordering in the afternoon was preferred and our pizza was ready just after we arrived. 

On Friday morning I set off to one of the tourist attractions - Old Timers' Mine. Mick gets very claustrophobic when underground so chose to stay home and edit some of his photos. I found the self-guided tour to be very interesting and great value for money. As with everywhere we had been in Coober Pedy, the staff were friendly and knowledgable. This tour takes in part of an original mine from 1916, as well as a home dug in the 1960's. There are lots of signs explaining the exhibits and stories of the original miners. After winding your way through the tunnels and caverns you emerge into the obligatory gift shop selling all kinds of opal jewellery and souvenirs.

On our last morning we packed up and picked up some supplies, then drove to the Wellbeing Labyrinth. This is fairly new and not well signposted but can be seen from the road into town if you know what to look for. I spent about 10 minutes quietly walking the labyrinth while Mick looked for birds - of course!

From Coober Pedy we headed north with Marla as our proposed stop for the night.

Roxby Downs and Bon Bon Rest Area (Wilgena)

17 – 19 April 2022

The next two stops would just be overnighters along the way to Coober Pedy. The first one was Roxby Downs where we also shopped and fuelled up. Once again it was the cheapest fuel around. The caravan park is set up with mostly accommodation for mine workers with only a few caravan sites – all on gravel and with barely enough room to put up an awning had we wanted to. The staff were friendly, the washing machines and driers were free and there was a terrific book and DVD exchange. We found it quite adequate for a night.

Once we left Roxby Downs we headed for the Stuart Highway at Pimba, where we turned north again. The forecast was for possible rain, but only small amounts so we weren’t too worried. We stopped at a couple of spots along the way to photograph the salt lakes. As we continued north the rain settled in and we decided on a burger at the roadhouse in Glendambo for lunch. While we were there I checked the forecast for Bon Bon Rest Area at Wilgena, and it looked like some rain until about 6:00pm. The radar showed it was clearing from the west so we pushed on.

As we drove we could see clearer skies and the rain had stopped by the time we arrived. We don’t usually overnight in rest areas, but this one was a known birdy spot, and also a popular overnighter so we joined the couple of caravans that were already there in the middle of the afternoon. There were still a few spits of rain and we were hopeful the forecast was correct – but it wasn’t. We watched black clouds roll in and made a quick decision on sandwiches for dinner and we rushed around bringing everything we would need into the tent.

The wind and rain continued for much of the night but in the early hours the rain stopped and eventually the wind died down too. By sunrise the sky had cleared and a gentle breeze was blowing. This combination would see the canvas drying in good time. We were in no hurry as Mick had some birds to find anyway.

 We had morning tea before packing up and setting off for Coober Pedy where we would spend the next few nights.

Coward Springs

 14 – 17 April 2022

After leaving Andamooka we returned to Roxby Downs then on through Olympic Dam and on to the Borefield Track which would take us to the Oodnadatta Track. There are no rest stops along this road so we just had to find a place to pull over to make a cuppa and to air down the tyres. The road itself was in fairly good condition so the drive was not too difficult, but was easier with a little less air.

We made it to the Oodnadatta Track and turned north. We stopped at Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre South lookout where we had some lunch while marvelling at the way the salt lake appeared to be full of water. We later realised it was actually full of water - floodwaters from Queensland had arrived and the level was now receding.  Unfortunately there are no facilities at this very popular spot – no toilets or picnic tables. There was an information board, but we decided to return one morning for sunrise and have a good look around then.

Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre is Australia's largest salt lake and is actually two lakes - Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre North and Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre South, joined by the Goyder Channel. At 15.2m below sea levek it is the lowest point on the Australian mainland.

We continued on and turned off the road at  Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Conservation Park. There are two springs to visit – Blanche Cup and “The Bubbler”. Both have boardwalks leading up to, and part way around, them. There is also good signage providing lots of information. The road in however, was a shocker.

We returned to the Oodnadatta Track and continued on to our next destination – Coward Springs. We had booked ahead so when we arrived my name was on the “Welcome” blackboard with the name of our designated campsite – Dingoes. We found it easily and set up. Although it looked a little small at first it turned out to be just perfect with the right mix of shade and sun with plenty of room to put the awning out and have the car easily accessible. There was also a fire drum and seat. Best of all was the view. We were facing the paddocks and open ground to the east so were able to see the great sunrises. It was a bit of a walk to the toilets but worth it not to be looking right at the neighbours.

We spent some time exploring the surrounds, including the wetland walk, and settling in while we decided on how we would spend the next few days. Mick had been given some information about potential bird sightings so he decided on an early morning drive along the road and back in time for morning tea. 

The weather was very hot, but we felt we had to sample the “natural spa” at least once so we headed down after a cuppa. The “spa” is just a very small pool, just big enough for 2 or 4 if you are together. Fortunately for us we chose the time when most overnight campers had left, and the next round hadn’t arrived. We enjoyed a bubble in the mineral springs which felt cool and comfortable. We handed over to a family after a relaxing 15 minutes or so. Everyone seems to respect the need to relinquish their turn after a reasonable period of time. 

On our second morning we were up at 5:00am as we had calculated we could be at Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre South for the sunrise, and we were spot on. We arrived just on 6:00am, as the sun was just peeking over the horizon. Unfortunately for us there was no cloud so the hoped for spectacular sunrise was rather ordinary, but still magical to be all alone in this wonderful spot. We made a cup of tea while watching the view and taking some photos. Mick then spent a good bit of time looking for a particular bird and was pleased with the result.

On our final morning Mick again went out north along the road, and returned to pack up and set off again. Travelling south the way we had come we made a few stops for photos and another session at the lookout. From there we continued south and back on to the Borefield Road to Roxby Downs for the night.