"Roughing It"

There is no mobile phone reception along most of the Stuart Highway, except at towns, so I wasn't able to access the internet last night.  Here's a double report to make up!
 Driving along the highway from Coober Pedy the landscape seems to be the same, kilometre after kilometre- but in fact there are subtle changes happening all the time.


See the eagle?

Yesterday we drove as far as Agnes Creek, where there was a free camping area by the side of a dry creek bed. We have been using these free camps as much as possible along the way in order to stretch our budget as far as possible.  We've found some to be rather unappealing- no more than a gravel area with some bins and a picnic table- but others are in lovely locations.  Agnes Creek was one of the nice ones!
When we went for a walk I really felt as though this was the "Red Centre"- the land of Albert Namatjira's paintings. Clear blue sky, bright red sand and stark white ghost gums.  It was only 22 degrees, but you could feel the heat of the sun reflected off the sand, and could only imagine how hot it would get in summer! 

We gathered some wood and made a little camp fire so the kids could toast marshmallows.  Esther amused herself by making a fairy garden, with a campfire "just as neat as the one Dad built", while Arthur found a stalk of grass to chew and galloped around on an imaginary horse.  With his hat on I think he feels quite the stockman, and I was amused to watch him striking poses for no-one's benefit but his own- clearly getting into the role!

The pictures make it look as though we were the only caravan there, but we have found that you need to get set up before four o'clock if you want to find a place at one of these sites.  By the time it was dark there were about a dozen caravans parked for the night.  There's a friendly community atmosphere about it all.  One lady came and gave us some onions and potatoes because she was heading south and would have had to hand them in at the check point, and our neighbours (a couple from Benalla) joined us for a chat when we had the fire going.
At sundown the temperature dropped dramatically, and we had an overnight low of 2 degrees- just above freezing! The sky is so full of stars out here, and they really do seem closer and bigger than in the city!
It was cold when we got up this morning! We were on the road early and crossed the Northern Territory border at about 10 am.

It was amazing to see how the landscape changed again, with dramatic rock formations and taller trees- mostly she-oaks and the occasional gum.  There is a carpet of tall grass covering the red soil almost everywhere.

The distances here are incredible. The map shows a turnoff to Yulara at the town of Erldunda, and when we turned onto the Lasseter Highway we started to say "Nearly there now"... but it was another two hours' drive to Yulara!  When we saw Mount Connor in the distance we were glad that we had just read about it, and unlike most tourists, weren't tricked into thinking we'd seen Uluru!

Then suddenly, Esther called out, "I see the biggest rock in the world!" She had, too.  Her excitement woke Arthur, and they started to bounce and squeal every time we rounded a bend that brought the Rock into view.  They told us excitedly how they knew "all about" Uluru, because Mrs Joannidis (their kinder teacher) had told them.  Before long the Olgas were visible, too.

We arrived at Yulara nice and early, but have decided to relax for the afternoon and "do" Uluru tomorrow. So, while the kids play with red mud (trust them to find a leaking pipe!!), we're sitting outside the caravan, enjoying the balmy weather and the peace.  We'd expected it to be really busy here- we even wondered if we'd get a spot as we had read that we should book well in advance, but it is surprisingly quiet.  Just now a magpie came and sat on the back of one of the kids' chairs and sang a sweet little serenade- clearly asking if I had any food to offer.  We've also been watching a little green honeyeater in the tree beside our site.  If we feel like it, we might climb the hill a bit later, from where there is said to be a great view of Uluru... but first my camera battery needs to charge!