14th August Laurie camp to Lake Hart

Thursday 14^th August

We didn’t get going until after 10am. We had sailor’s showers and got on the road to Port Augusta where we hoped to get coffee and information on what lay ahead to the Oodnadatta track. Also we needed fuel.

Greg drove and the wind pushed and buffeted Mr Gibson all over the place. I was so thankful that it wasn’t me driving – so I fed Greg bananas to keep his strength up. Greg’s not much of a fruit eater but in a car in the driver’s seat and with nothing else for breakfast he has no choice. What a dreadful wife I am.

We arrived at Port Augusta and found their tourist info centre, a map of the town and a place to have coffee. We needed a few things from the supermarket and then a few more things at what was supposed to be the be all and end all for all Camping needs – at the local Mitre 10. Didn’t exactly live up to expectations but the staff were very friendly.

On to Woomera – town of rockets and defense and all things secret. 130 odd kilometers away we pulled up and took photos of the displays of rockets and aircraft and broken aircraft experiments. Used the loo, stole some water to refill our van, went to Pimba and refilled with fuel – at last a place that is dearer than Canberra to fill up. Sad.  Pimba is only 5km away from Woomera. The whole time we were there we almost froze to death and got blown away. Normally I would have spent time looking and reading all the things there but it was the quick, whip the camera out, have a look and get back in the car to thaw out. I did contemplate surgically attaching my beanie to my head.

Greg had been told that Lake Hart was a good place to stop. If only the wind would bugger right off. We were sick of it.

Drove of up the road – it wasn’t that far from Woomera really.

Found the camp and decided to stay. It was quite early and there was another camp further down so we decided to have a look – then we were so close to the lake we looked at that too – then as I had the Coolpix camera and my phone I took some photos before deciding that being blown about in the wind for nearly 24 hours was enough for me so I retreated to the van. I had typing to do anyway. Greg did too but to get his heavy duty all professional camera gear. I offered (half heartedly) to go with him but he said I could if I wanted to. It took not even 2 seconds to decide to go inside and update my blog –(which is like an ongoing school assignment) and left him to it.

My sunset before it rained

Off he trundled with his gear back down to the salt lake and I started typing this out. The wind howled. I was glad I made Greg take his beanie – against his will of course. Then it started raining so I texted him. In the middle of this totally nowhere place we get excellent phone reception – go figure. I was concerned because not only would he be getting wet but his gear too. Relief and amusement – Greg had found shelter in a drainage tunnel which went under the railway line. It was only about 4 foot high so Greg had sheltered in there with all the camera gear until the rain subsided. The visual of that made me chuckle a bit. Like gnome hunched over against the nasty weather. Then the sun started to set and the rain went briefly away and I knew that he would not come back until it was dark as there was a break in the clouds and the sunset looked spectacular– unless it rained again. Briefly I wished I was there photographing with him – but then the wind howled and another rain shower and I was glad I wasn’t.

Lake hart - it looks like water but its all salt

Salt crystallised around a rock in Lake Hart

Eventually he came back, a little cold and wet – put the camera gear to bed in the car but not before getting the memory cards out of them and came inside to a just poured gin and tonic. (what a good wife). His photos are amazing. When he was sheltering in the pipe it started to vibrate. Finding it odd, he went outside, heard nothing, went back in the pipe, louder vibrations – there was a train coming. He waved to the train, who gave him a toot, took some good photos and hopped back in the shelter until the rain went away.

We were going to do a BBQ tonight but I think the wind will blow the Barbie out so I decided to cook the steaks indoors and have a few vegies. No junk for us on holidays. No No No! I managed to set the fire alarm off about a dozen times until Greg took it down and locked it in the bathroom. We played scrabble and finished a bottle of our nice skins red wine. Greg beat me at scrabble, so it was time for bed!

Hopefully the weather will improve tomorrow.