LESS THAN A WEEK INTO OUR OUTBACK adventure and we’ve already driven 700 miles, suffered a windscreen chip and had a puncture. We are settled into the “Historic Marree Hotel” on the edge of the Outback. We’re not really “in” the hotel but have half of a storage shed cum room—air-conditioned with a fridge (but no microwave) and you can’t drink the water.
"Historic" doesn't mean much in Australia
No Stars . . . But Air-Con
We gave up on downloading maps of Oz to our GPS and have joined the millions who navigate with their phones—we’re calling our iPhone “Izzy” and so far, so good—the Outback Highway is the only road from Port Augusta to Marree, where the pavement ends and some of Connie’s target birds are said to hang out.
Oriental Plover, our first new species of the trip
We looked for birds along the way and were rewarded with a small flock of Oriental Plovers, our first new species of the trip. At lunchtime we pulled over for a roadside picnic at Lake Bumbunda where the local attraction is their version of the Lock Ness monster in the middle of a salt lake, dry as a bone today. Hey, you have to improvise when you’ve got nothing—and South Australia has plenty of nothing.
Making the Best of Things
Not quite Nessie
When we finally reached Marree, Connie was pleased to see that the Birdville Track was open. We should have read the small print—the part about high-clearance FWD, extra spare tires, gallons of water and assorted survival gear, even though we were planning on going only to Mungerannie.
Open, yes—but is it Safe?
We should have read the Fine Print
We made it 40 miles before the front right tire blew!
I put on the spare and we limped back to “town,” tail between our legs. Marree boasts a population of about 50 so we were not expecting a Firestone or Goodyear dealer. Warren, the mechanic/short-order cook at the cafe/general store/bakery/auto repair place didn’t have a tire our size (Surprise!) but arranged to have one delivered on Friday to a shop in Copley about 70-miles south of us. S-o-o-o….
