Woomera, Andamooka, and Mulgaria track.

 

Heading east from Kingoonya, we ambled our way towards the highway. Once on the bitumen, our pace quickened and soon we were at the turnoff to Woomera.

Woomera, a military town established to house personnel involved in the nearby rocket range tests including the detonation of a nuclear bomb in the desert in the early fifty's by the Australian and British governments.

Displays of the equipment, aircraft, and rockets used in its heyday are on display around town. Interesting to wander around and see this history.

 We found an old stone ruins just out of town and pulled off the road and around the back for a camp for the night.

We were passing through here on our way to Andamooka, an opal mining town a little northeast. Small claims are still operating out there and we spent a day exploring the town.

One of the interesting things around town is the bottle house, made out of beer bottles. Just a room really, built by an early resident. Good recycling.

The preserved early houses, built into the hillside are also worth inspecting.

 

 From Andamooka we were heading north and then east to Farina by way of the Mulgaria Road, a station track traversing the top of Lake Torrens going through rough and isolated country, our type of roads.

A lady at the local gem shop and post office in Andamooka told us that it was a seldom traveled track and couldn’t be sure of it’s condition. We assured her if it got too difficult we would turn back as we have done at times before.

 The stony track wound it’s way through the mounds of spoils from the opal mines dotted through the landscape surrounding Andermooka. Slowly it changed into sandy wheel tracks negotiating sand hills, some low and others steep. Ned, with his new shoes on, strolled through the terrain effortlessly.

After a couple of days of leisurely travel, we came to the top of Lake Torrens, a Salt Lake we had traveled along the eastern side of some years before with Deb and the camels.

The vast, desolate scenery surrounded us, with the tip of the Salt Lake and the road skirting it to our right.

 Next day, and some ks down the track we crested a hill close to the homestead of Mulgaria, but not in sight of it. This, we decided would be a good camp for the night. The views afforded from here were spectacular so, we parked up and drank them in.

After we passed through the deserted homestead a couple of days later it was only a few hours drive to the highway and the old Ghan town of Farina. We stopped at the campground there, lit the donkey hot water system there, had a welcomed hot shower and contemplated our next adventure.

Lake Gairdner Road

 

leaving Ceduna, we wanted to head North again. Briefly toying with the idea of driving back up Googs track, we decided to leave a north bound trip up the track to a later date. Instead we would travel the Gawler ranges road, which we had done part of before. This time we would skirt Lake Gairdner and end up at Kingoonya.

Leaving the highway at Wirrulla, the gravel roads beckoned. There had been some rain in the preceding days and the road soon became muddy and slippery. Not until some 50k down did it start to dry out, it was getting late and so we found a roadside camp and mud-soaked Ned, and we, could rest.

Turning off the main road at Hitilba nature reserve, the road grew smaller. Sturts desert pea were flowering by the roadside and other wildflowers were starting to bloom. Thankfully the track was now dry and blue sky greeted us each day. At the toe of lake Gairdner we took a station track thus cutting the corner and some 8k off the journey. Again, the track grew smaller, now just a couple of wheel tracks. These we find, turn up the most treasures, as in spectacular views and unexpected finds, like the old hut and water tank we came across.

Camping just up the road from the hut we woke to a foggy morning, giving the place a mystical feeling.

As the fog cleared, a mob of inquisitive Emus strided up to the truck. Not being put off, they paraded about looking at this strange thing in their back yard. Feeling satisfied we wernt that interesting, they kept on their way.

Also, we had camped beside a cluster of wombat holes, one of many in this country. You could see fresh diggings and some footprints but, as we are usually in bed when they are about, we saw no animals.

Reaching Lake Gairdner, we pulled up at the campground, no one in sight. After a couple of days looking about and generally relaxing, we moved on.

Skull Tanks Camp on the corner as you come back onto the Gawler Ranges Road was our next camp. We found the spot we had camped at some years before and set up again. Another few days spent taking in the beauty of our surroundings and cooking up a roast amongst other things, then it was time to keep going.

Some way down the road, an old wooden wagon lay beside the road, inviting us to look it over and wonder at its past, and what stories it could tell, if only it could talk.

Just before Kingoonya, Kingyoona hill looms from the otherwise flat landscape, on top was a cairn like rock structure. Too tempting to leave, we crawled the rocky track up the hill.

At the top there was a BBQ, complete with a wood supply and table and chairs surrounding the rock pile with a weathervane protruding from the top. A metal box contained a visitor book, which we signed. Another of those unexpected bits we come across.