Thursday, July 28, 2005
Day 12 - 28/07/05 Oodnadata Track – Peake Telegraph Repeater Station to Oodnadata and Arkaringa Homestead.
The morning was pleasant and the ruins were glowing in the morning sun. The drive back to the track seemed less difficult and less intimidating than the drive to the ruins yesterday. After the rough drive to get to the track, the track itself seemed so smooth and easy. it felt like we were floating over it.
Our next stop was at Algebuckina Bridge.
This is the longest steel bridge in South Australia. It was built for the old Ghan to cross the Neales river. From the map we could see that the Neales river drains quite a large area, but never makes its way to the sea. Instead its journey ends at Lake Eyre. There was some water in the river. At the bottom of the bridge was the wreck of an old car. A board nearby related the story. The car belonged to Fred, who tried to cross the river on the bridge when the river was in full flow during a flood and the road was under water. He put railway sleepers in front of the car and drove over them. Then stopped, climbed over the car and retrieved the sleepers at the back to lay them out in front. But while he was toiling away a train came and threw his car off the track onto where it lies rusting today.
The information signs in this area are put up by Adam and Lynnie of the famous Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta. This one also had a poetry box. We had a peep inside and read the few short verses there. Some where in praise of Adam and Lynnie and the Oodnadatta track. One was a clever verse about Fred and his car. It inspired me to sit down and contribute to the literary wealth of this country!
We chatted with another couple who had camped the night at the bridge. They were an older couple travelling with their dog. The man fossicked for gold. He told us about his son who used to work for the railway company for 20 years. Once when they were working on a stretch one of his mates went away to take a leak and found a nugget of gold just sitting there! That's the kind of country this place is. If you keep your eyes open, you never know what you can find.
Our next stop was Oodnadatta itself. It isn't a big town, but there are more people living there. While we were there the mail run tour came through. This is a tour that can be taken out of Coober Pedy, joining the person who twice a week takes mail to the remote stations in the area.
We didn't spend a lot of time in Oodnadatta but went on to Arkaringa. There were fewer people on this road,which led to the Arkaringa homestead, via the Painted Desert.
The Painted desert was a beautiful spot. There were hills with smooth gravel slopes, with colours running over them, like they were some watercolour painting. We parked and walked through the hills. It was steep and because of the gravel quite slippery. At the homestead we met the lady that lived there, who chatted a while with us. Got an idea of life on a cattle station. Theirs was about 2200 sq. km. in area and had about 2400 heads of cattle.
Later as we had dinner by the fire we chatted with another group that were going to go across the Simpson Desert.
We had noticed a rattle under the car and a sound like static on a radio, when the engine revs went up. Couldn't quite figure it out. Had a look under the car and also in the engine bay. Sounded like air was escaping from somewhere. Opened and checked the air filter and other places we could think of, but couldn't find the cause. Hoped it would go away the next day, but it had we worried.
The morning was pleasant and the ruins were glowing in the morning sun. The drive back to the track seemed less difficult and less intimidating than the drive to the ruins yesterday. After the rough drive to get to the track, the track itself seemed so smooth and easy. it felt like we were floating over it.
Our next stop was at Algebuckina Bridge.
This is the longest steel bridge in South Australia. It was built for the old Ghan to cross the Neales river. From the map we could see that the Neales river drains quite a large area, but never makes its way to the sea. Instead its journey ends at Lake Eyre. There was some water in the river. At the bottom of the bridge was the wreck of an old car. A board nearby related the story. The car belonged to Fred, who tried to cross the river on the bridge when the river was in full flow during a flood and the road was under water. He put railway sleepers in front of the car and drove over them. Then stopped, climbed over the car and retrieved the sleepers at the back to lay them out in front. But while he was toiling away a train came and threw his car off the track onto where it lies rusting today.The information signs in this area are put up by Adam and Lynnie of the famous Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta. This one also had a poetry box. We had a peep inside and read the few short verses there. Some where in praise of Adam and Lynnie and the Oodnadatta track. One was a clever verse about Fred and his car. It inspired me to sit down and contribute to the literary wealth of this country!
We chatted with another couple who had camped the night at the bridge. They were an older couple travelling with their dog. The man fossicked for gold. He told us about his son who used to work for the railway company for 20 years. Once when they were working on a stretch one of his mates went away to take a leak and found a nugget of gold just sitting there! That's the kind of country this place is. If you keep your eyes open, you never know what you can find.
Our next stop was Oodnadatta itself. It isn't a big town, but there are more people living there. While we were there the mail run tour came through. This is a tour that can be taken out of Coober Pedy, joining the person who twice a week takes mail to the remote stations in the area.
We didn't spend a lot of time in Oodnadatta but went on to Arkaringa. There were fewer people on this road,which led to the Arkaringa homestead, via the Painted Desert.
The Painted desert was a beautiful spot. There were hills with smooth gravel slopes, with colours running over them, like they were some watercolour painting. We parked and walked through the hills. It was steep and because of the gravel quite slippery. At the homestead we met the lady that lived there, who chatted a while with us. Got an idea of life on a cattle station. Theirs was about 2200 sq. km. in area and had about 2400 heads of cattle.
Later as we had dinner by the fire we chatted with another group that were going to go across the Simpson Desert.
We had noticed a rattle under the car and a sound like static on a radio, when the engine revs went up. Couldn't quite figure it out. Had a look under the car and also in the engine bay. Sounded like air was escaping from somewhere. Opened and checked the air filter and other places we could think of, but couldn't find the cause. Hoped it would go away the next day, but it had we worried.
