2-up passing on the Sturt Highway

You've never had an adrenaline rush until you've tried to overtake a 3-up land train. The boys just keep rolling and don't stop for anything unless it's a big big breakfast! 6 rashers, 6 sangers, 6 eggs, loaf of bread and 3 cans of beans - These boys like their big feeds. Taken on my Blackberry.

Oodnadatta Track

One of my favourite outback tracks. Have been on it four times and have driven it ourselves three times. It was taken on my Blackberry. Would love to have done it with a proper video recorder.

Outback Track to Lake Torrens from Andamooka

Tom made some videos on this trip. They were made from his mobile phone so are none too crash hot on quality. They do however give a flavour of some of the places we travelled to.

Outback track to Lake Torrens from Andamooka, South Australia

Adelaide to Darwin

Coffee Project

Whilst we were travelling around Australia we were working on a project for our local coffee shop in Eastbourne, Urban Ground.

We called this project "Urban Ground Gets Around" and posted the images from this to Facebook. It is a Public Album so you should be able to see these by following this link: -

Urban Ground Gets Around Album

We had fun doing this and we hope you enjoy the album.

Alice Springs to Adelaide

To Chambers Pillar via the Maryvale Road

Chambers Pillar: -

Back to South Australia

Off- road to the Painted Desert

On the way to the Painted Desert

The Painted Desert: -

Wedge Tail Eagle

On the way to Oodnadatta

Oodnadatta

On the Oodnadatta track: -

On the way to the Flinders Ranges

Giant Red Gum

Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Circumference - 10.89 metres at 0.61 metres above ground

Age - estimated in excess of 500 years

Brachina Gorge in the Flinders Ranges

In the Flinders Ranges

On the way to Clare Valley

Back on the South Australian country road

Stuarts Well

We went to the Roadhouse at Stuarts Well on the way to Alice Springs and stayed there overnight on the way from Alice to Adelaide.

The Roadhouse is famous for a very special Dingo called Dinky, who Jim has raised from a pup when his Mother was killed by poisoned bait. However this is not something you will be able to see in the future as 'Jim's Place' has been on the market and the contracts for sale to the next door camel farm should have gone through at the end of last month.

Here are a few pictures take of Dinky giving a performance for a coach-load of tourists who were on their way to the Red Centre.

I have found a clip on You Tube courtesy of an upload by danielpurser to give you an idea of what the Dinky Dingo performance is like!

Adelaide to Alice

In many areas of the outback it was not possible to get a strong enough signal for the internet on the netbook and so posting our images at that time was not possible.  We left that to do once home again.

We hope you enjoy our images taken on our trip between Adelaide and Alice: -

Our preferred vehicle for our outback trip is the 4 WD Kea Toyota Landcruiser, Turbo Diesel, 5 speed manual, power steering with 2 x 90 litre fuel tanks. It also holds 90 litres of fresh water and we usually have a minimum of a further 10 litres of fresh water on board as well.

In addition to this we always ensure we have an EPIRB on board. This is an emergency distress beacon and is only to be used in extreme emergency situations. If let off in a non emergency situation it will cost you dearly!

Here's a pic of the Kea that we hired taken at the salt lake, Lake Torrens, outside Andamooka.

Take a look around the inside courtesy of Kea

Woomera - Aboriginal word for spear launcher - is an interesting place to visit. This used to be a weapons research facility and there are still vast areas here which remain prohibited.

And so on to Andamooka an Opal mining town. Unfortunately most of the town was shut as it was the height of the summer. we did not find Andamooka as interesting as Coober Pedy and so moved on to the mining town of Roxby Downs. 

 The next two images are of the properties of early settlers to Andamooka.

At the salt lake - Lake Torrens

On route back from Lake Torrens

Camp site at Roxby Downs

Road sign warning about remote areas ahead

Road sign giving safety tips for the Northern Territory

Section of the Stuart Highway - Main route into Alice Springs

3-up road trains are quite common in the Northern Territory. The speed limit here is the highest in Australia - 130 km ph. Imagine this hurtling up behind you or even coming towards you!

Arriving at Alice Springs