Showers still hanging around keep the day cool (again) but travelling in the car is quite pleasant when the sun does show through the clouds. There is plenty of traffic heading north so there is no problem of being abandoned along the highway as help is not far away. Our first stop (for the necessary cuppa) at a rest stop finds a fellow caravan traveller with the wheel off the van’s passenger side and someone changing the bearing. Chatting to them we find that when they pulled in for their break there was smoke coming from the wheel and the 3 chaps on motorcycles also at the rest stop noticed it and told them. One of the ‘bikies’ is a diesel mechanic and he was the one with the dirty hands doing all the work. Fortunately the owner was carrying a spare set of bearings for the van so he did not have to travel into Port Augusta first. Soon after leaving Pt Augusta we had seen the remains of a van that looked as though it had rolled recently and wondered what might have happened in that scenario. All reminders of what can happen along the road.
Our first overnight stop is at Woomera and we decided to stay a couple of nights so that we can take a drive out to Roxby Downs the next day. Woomera is now a small township that until 1982 was closed to the general public due to the nearby rocket range activity.
They have established a display detailing the happenings there at Woomera over the years from its beginnings in 1947. During our drive out to Roxby Downs we saw a total of 24 emus close to the road. There were two large family groups and another smaller group around a waterhole. Roxby Downs was quite a surprise as we expected the usual small mining town however instead there was quite a comprehensive shopping centre. Woolworths, Mitre 10, Auto Pro, jeweller, newsagent, 2 banks, post office, clothing stores etc along with a modern school and hospital were all there for the convenience of the mining families and workers employed by BHP Billiton at the nearby Olympic Mine. There are tours conducted of the mine however they only run on certain days and were booked out so we were not able to take advantage of the offer. The mine produces uranium and copper amongst other things.
Driving on we headed out 30km to Andamooka where opal is mined. As opposed to Coober Pedy the houses here are mainly above ground and a heritage home display has been preserved in the middle of town.
early miner's cottage
The information boards tell that Andamooka Station lease was taken up in the 1870’s and opal was discovered by two stockmen in 1930. Buyers used to travel to the area from the eastern states for a week at a time and the miners would bring the opal they had for sale to them and haggle their reward. The opal field has been quite rewarding however as the sign says the evidence of this is not to be found in Andamooka. Many of the mining folk spend the hot summer months in the cities and travel out to mine in the cooler part of the year. It was an interesting place to drive around and to view much of the ‘old’ machinery that is now past the use by date.
washing time?
No comments:
Post a Comment