Hi Everyone,
Here is the first update from the Noones Adventure.
Day 1 – we left on time – ok almost on time. Had to run back for the side mirrors (small oversight) and then again for the van and car rego stickers (they run out while we are away) – all strategically planned as we were sitting in the car for the next 8 hours or so and every bit of exercise helps. Trip was fairly uneventful. We headed to Ballarat first – petrol and some bits and pieces from Rays Outdoors – very helpful if ever you are passing through and need some camping things. Not long after we left Ballarat came the first call (from Matthew) of are we nearly there! Kids really very good as they found the Supernatural series I had purchased and put them in the DVD. Apart from the occasional scream, jump and calls of “that is so wrong” we hardly heard from them again for the rest of the day – Bubba did occassionally look white we presume from the movie not the motion of the car! We had lunch in Horsham and then headed towards Adelaide. We made it as far as Coonalbyn, about an hour before Adelaide, where we set up camp in an empty council run caravan park. The caretaker came around at 5pm to collect our fee and 1 other van pulled in and that was it! At about 8 we noticed a car had pulled in and they slept in the car – reminded me of our honeymoon! We were all tired so we packed it in.
Day 2 – began like a scene from Wolfe Creek – not a good thing considering the kids had been watching scary shows all the day before. Pitch black, slight rain, 6 people sleeping soundly and then … tap tap tap on the side of the fold out bed area where we were sleeping. Andy and I just looked at each other. Tap tap tap, “Help, I need Help!” – Andy and I were both thinking
“is this for real?” but I pushed him out anyway. Then I went to go out and Matthew told me I was not to leave the van and to lock the door. It seemed like forever before we knew whether Andy was dead or alive – we all lay in our beds just staring at the door. Eventually he came back. Turns out the only other van in the whole place was two old guys on the way to a truck convention in Alice Springs and one of them had a diabetes attack. Andy said when he got to the door of their van he still wasn’t sure if it was a set up so he hung outside to make sure it was just the 2 guys and no-one waiting to hit him over the head! One guy was raving and frothing at the mouth so he figured he was safe. Half a cherry ripe later the man was lucid and ok and then the abmulance arrived to check him out and all was ok. Due to our early wake up call we were packed up and out of there by 6.30am – a record for us and probably one that will never be broken. We drove through Adelaide at peak hour (which Andrew assured me didn’t exist) and got stuck for 30 mins on the freeway due to an accident. We had brunch at Port Wakefield – where Matthew decided that cereal in the van looked like the best option and then drove to Port Augusta for some supplies and petrol before camping the night at Glendambo. The road from Port Augusta is in great condition and the drive is easy. Lots of wide open spaces, red earth and every other rock on the horizon causes the cry from the back “Is that Ayers Rock?” Have decided the real one must be huge as there are some good replicas along the way. Great views out over inland salt water lakes with red island mountains coming out of them. They had an inch of rain the day before so everything looks clean and fresh. Downside is that on arrival at the van park rain and red dust means very thick red mud – yuck. Hot showers, food, more supernatural and everyone revived for another night in the van. Lights out and you wouldn’t believe it – tap, tap, tap…. Andy yells out Yes and the boys disolve into fits of laughter – gotcha!
Day 3 – Glendambo to Marla via Coober Pedy. Left Glendambo at the civilised hour of 8.30am. No reception except at truckstops or towns so lost signal as we pulled on to Stuart Highway. Headed to Coober Pedy to see some mines and underground houses. Arrived around 11.30am due to Andy’s new conservation approach – more on that later, 2 hours driving according to new plan gave me plenty of time to mount my argument! One mine, opal shop, lookout and main street later Chris decided he had seen enough and preferred the look of the footy oval – only green thing we saw. Lots of dust and red dirt hills, not much too see. Underground buildings are interesting but think you could end up with Vitamin D deficiency and depression if you lived and worked underground for too long. Also saw the Dog Fence which is twice as long as the Great Wall of China and keeps the dingos away from the sheep down South, cattle up North have to fend for themselves! We headed off to Marla with me driving at my new husband imposed speed limit of 80km/h – I can see Sandra growning already – when he fell asleep I upped crusie control to 90km/h and spent the next 2hrs and 20mins (at minimum 20mins longer than should have taken) formulating my argument on why his speed limit is ridiculous. Am happy for people to debate this with me so that when I present to Andrew I am fully practised as intend to win. Speed limit is 110knm/hr. Have driven car with van at this speed from Port Wakefield to Port Augusta no problems, Prado handles like a dream only problem is makes it a little hungry on the petrol. Travelling at 110km/h v 80km/h you lose 30km every hour but save 1km/l. Now a litre of petrol varies from $1.18 to $1.30 so far. At the reduced rate of 80km/h we can travel 90km further on a tank of petrol but it takes us about 4 ½ hours to drive those 360kms v 3hrs 20 min at 110km/h. Therefore, we save around $110 but lose over an hour of our lives on some boring expanse of highway that looks the same 4 ½ hrs into the drive that it looked at the start. I would prefer to spend the $110 (with 6 of us that is only $18.33 each for 1hr and 20mins) and get further towards the goal (probably save on food and accomodation as well to further my argument!) but apparently that is the equivalent of flogging a horse too early in the race – Al help me out here. Anyway, upshot is due to conservation approach we are now in Marla SA (more red mud) overnight rather than Kulgera NT. Other that the 200kms we haven’t travelled there probably isn’t much difference is the caravan parks, flies or mosquitos. Maybe we can spend the $110 we saved on dinner out instead of me cooking? Have looked in the “Travellers Rest Restaurant” and think we would have been better off flooring it! Did I forget to mention we are having fun. Hope you are all well. Love Kate and the gang.
