Adelaide to Pimba

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We left Adelaide this morning and had thoroughly enjoyed our time there but once again we had to hit the road and make our way to our next job - in the Northern Territory. It is approximately in round figures 3000 km’s to our next destination and we intend to take 10 days to get there, this allows us time for some sightseeing along the way.

Now it was only last year that we made this very same trip so we can bypass some attractions that we have already visited but at the same time enjoy some of those that we are yet to see. The roads in the Australian Outback are at times very long and very straight, to some they may be considered boring but to me I see them as a challenge. I am always on the lookout for a special photo opportunity (while at the same time concentrating 100% on my driving of course – men are capable of doing more than one thing at once) or even a little something that gives you a “buzz/wow” if you catch my drift. By having a van in tow it is often very difficult if not impossible at times to pull over and grab a particularly nice shot so most of our snaps whilst motoring along the Highway are captured by Liz poking the camera out the window as we pass things at 90 kmh.

As is often the case particularly for our first day on the road we had made some sandwiches and topped up the lolly container, it is cheaper to make your lunch than buy it and it is usually healthier also. The lollies are primarily for two things firstly they are yummy and secondly the sugar is a good aid to help keep your mind on the job. A lot of people use coffee or those caffeine and sugar filled drinks to keep them on the ball, I don’t drink either and have not had a coffee since I was 15. We stopped a little North of Port Pirie at a roadside rest place gee the fly’s were incredibly friendly and eager to partake in our beautiful chicken sanga’s. The great Aussie salute was working overtime. A quick stopover at Port Augusta further on up the road for some supplies and it was off again.

We chose Pimba or did it choose us as our first stop for the night. For the previous couple of hours the dark clouds and rain had been slowly catching up with us and we knew it was only a matter of time before they reached us. As we had been on the road for 7 hours we decided it was time to stop and I am not joking but within 4 minutes of us parking the van there was a huge flash of lightning followed by a loud crash of thunder and then down came the rain.

While waiting for the rain to stop I was reading the information boards about things to do in the region though it did not suit us as we would be off again first thing in the morning. As I was doing this a bloke from Noosa came over for a chat, him and his wife were about 3 months in to a 12 month holiday break and were headed for Darwin. A small van of backpackers pulled up shortly thereafter and as the rain was starting to ease we all decided to cook dinner at the same time under the small shelters that were provided. There was a couple from Canada and two young women, one from Denmark and the other from Germany, they had been thoroughly enjoying their trip but were disappointed that their first day in the Outback was to be a wet one. They opted for pasta while we enjoyed some tender porterhouse – mmm, yummo.

The sites there were unpowered so Liz was disappointed we could not have the aircon on (I however was the opposite) as it was very warm and steamy. Apparently you get used to the hum of the air conditioner as it punches out its cool air though quite frankly I am yet to find that is the case. The rain eventually stopped and it was silence, aaah, for a while. Then it would be rattle rattle shhhh of the road trains air brakes as they pulled in and dropped u turns metres from the van for a few hours rest. The last thing you want when stopping in these roadside spots is a refrigeration truck, but sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad. This bloody thing made a racket for hours and by 5am I was unable to go back to sleep so it was just a matter of waiting for the sun to come up so we could be on our way. It is fraught with danger if you are on the road around dusk and dawn as this is the most common time to experience close encounters with some of our wildlife particularly kangaroos. These are not particularly bright animals and often jump in front of moving vehicles.

Travel safe take care and Remember it’s nice to be important but it’s important to be nice.

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