DAY 17 OODNADATTA-COOBER PEDY

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Onto Coober Pedy from Oodnadatta but not before we detoured from the Kempe Road to the Painted Desert, 150km north of Coober Pedy. I love physical geography so visiting this area today did fill me with joy and wonderment. Painted Desert is a superb example of the forces of nature weathering and eroding the desert landscape. PD is also known as the Arckaringa Hills. This was such an experience for us. It is spellbindingly beautiful. The rocky outcrops and small hills emerge suddenly out of the flat desert landscape and are made up of varied colours with orange, yellow and reddish brown and white dominating. Erosion has been at work on the landscape for millions of years. Weathering has resulted in the ground being soft and fragile. We spent considerable time walking the landscape.

The track through Painted Desert from Kempe Road to Stuart Highway was one of the best outback drives we have ever done. Being the only ones on the track for about 80kms after leaving the hills of Painted Desert contributed to our joy. We were on a single track at times hemmed in by vegetation or sitting low with the shoulders of the track at above door height, numerous dry creek crossings, bird and stock life and a unique cloud coverage. The crests, narrow stock grids, dips and turns all added to the experience.

Having only read about Coober Pedy we were surprised to come across the opal mine cone shaped tailings 35kms out from Coober Pedy. For kilometres both sides of the Stuart Highway the mounds dominated. We will check a few out tomorrow. Setting up camp for the night had its complications which added to our tiredness. We ate well. Now to sleep well.

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