Uluru to Port Lincoln

Leaving Uluru we headed east back to the Stuart Hwy again we rendered assistance to fellow travellers.

Just 4km short of the Erldunda Roadhouse we help a tour bus who had run short of fuel. The mini bus had a bunch of twenty something European backpackers and two 79-year-old German tourists. The Kiwi tour operator had very valid reasons for running out of fuel, NOT!

Anyway, crossing into South Australia we camped out that night in the outback in a very green central desert area near the dry Angels Creek. Next day travelling down the Stuart Hwy just 30km north of Coober Pedy we passed a dead emu further on tyre skid marks across the road then 50 metres further, on the opposite side of the road an unturned Ute. As we passed by I could smell burning engine oil. Realising this was very recent event we quickly found a safe place to turn around and started our investigation.

Getting back to the unturned ute I was right in suspecting it was a recent event as the rear brake-lights were on and electrical humming coming from the empty crushed cabin. Not finding any signs of occupants around the ute I then backtracked up the road in case they had been ejected from the vehicle. Not finding anyone I assumed that others must have found the accident first and taken the person to hospital.

Arriving in Coober Pedy I called into the local police stations, to my surprise they had no idea of the accident and before we pulled away from the police station ambulance and fire-engines were dispatched to the scene. Later in the day I called back down to check with the police, they informed me after a thorough search and check at the hospital, they could not locate or identify the driver of the vehicle. Later, Joanne and I spent a few hours in several underground churches in Coober Pedy praying for the driver of the ute, wherever he or she might be.

Our short stay in Coober Pedy was very interesting most of the locals were walking around the streets with beanie’s and heavy jackets. Being tough Canberra’s, we braved the cold and rode out bikes around town.

New Year’s Eve we travelled further down south, what better place to blast off 2018 than in Woomera, the home of Australia’s rocket range. We did find out after New Year’s Day that there were only 13 residents left in town.

Port Augusta a few days later we got some electrical works done on the caravan.

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