Adelaide - Tickera

Bloody, fu**ing flies. Next town I am getting a head net or what they call them. Sitting here at the beach in the Tickera camp site and got dozens of the things flying around annoying me. Even in the wind the things keep coming back.

So anyway, left Adelaide today and bought 50 litres of water, ready for the Outback, should I need it. Also two extra fuel tanks filled to the brim with cheap fuel from Adelaide. And then the driving started. Navigated through Adelaide first and got out of the other end after an hour or so. The amount of cars decreased rather a lot out there, especially once I got of the main main road (there are a few minor main roads as well). The cars decreased, the trucks increased. It also went from more Mediterranean landscape to desert looking. There are still trees, bushes and crop farms, but there is barren land coming out, too. Drove through a town called Dublin (wrong continent, weather is to good). Somewhere near to there I got a view of my first road train. REALLY long trucks, this one was only a small one if I understood things right. Three trailers behind it, all of them fuel tanks. Probably need them to drive itself. 

After driving through Port Wakefield I stuck the GoPro on to the roof and am atempting a time lapse of the journey to Tickera. Will see how that turns out. After leaving the minor main road I drove the rest of the way to Tickera, and just before the camp site got on to gravel road. Drove in to the camp site, set up my tent, took a picture of a lizard crawling past, all the while being chased by dozens of flies. Set up the camping stool right in the wind to ward them of. There are less, but still a good ten harassing me.

After a short while another couple of older people appeared in their car and camping trailer. Went up to them after they had set up and had a fun evening talking and laughing about different things. They even gave me a fly net for around the head for free, so now as many of them can come as they want to. Looks ridiculous, thought. Tried a bit of fishing when the tide had come a bit further in, but again no luck. 

Track of the trip at GPSies. 

Adelaide

Spent the last couple of days enjoying a mattress in Adelaide and meeting other backpackers. Germans where slowly taking over the dormitory were I was staying, an English guy left and a German one came.

All in all Adelaide has been my favourite city so far, it's not as large as Dubai, not as touristy as Sydney and the road system is way better than in Adelaide. The first day was spent with looking around the city and organising a kite boarding lesson. No luck with kite boarding as the wind was wrong and to strong, so to dangerous for first timers. I had a look around the Central Market, which is supposed to be the bigges indor market or something like that. Went and had a look at the kite boarding school, but it was closed (as expected) and then walked along the beach back to the hostel, which took a while. Back at the hostel I did a ton of updates which have been pending for quite some time, to all of my electronic devices. After that I went to a windscreen fixer in South Adelaide to get a crack in the windscreen fixed, before it gets bigger and more expensive. Cars are expensive to keep.

In the evening I then went out with the German couple and the Canadian to view a fire show.

Next day I got the windscreen fixed, as I had come a bit to late the day before. Also bought most of the stuff I had wanted to get in Adelaide, including an emergency GPS beacon if something should happen way of the track. Hope to not use it, as I'm sure no one wants to. In the meantime the kite boarding teacher had rung up and said that the wind surprisingly had got better and that if I want to still take part he will have a course in the afternoon. So after a small lunch I set out to the West Beach to meet up with him. Taking part in the course was another English guy who had just moved to Australia with his wife and child and the teacher turned out to be from Denmark and his wife from Holland. So all Europeans in the course. 

The course has to be taken in three lessons, so it is a rather costly thing. The first lesson you just learn control over the kite and that thing has a lot of power (seven meter kite). Just learning how to steer the thing took a good part of an hour. So standing on land we got the thing up eventually and kept it in an area of space called the “Neutral Zone” were it is up but has no power. After getting that moderately done we went in to the water without a board and just let the kite go in to the “Power Zone” and let it drag us through the water. Was a heap of fun, but I can understand that it takes ages to master. We hadn't even got a board on our feet yet and it was difficult concentrating on the kite and just walking. At the end of that day back to the hostel and some dinner for the last night.  

Coorong National Park - Adelaide

This night was really lovely compared to the others. Slept like a log with the sound of waves crashing just a few metres away from the car. Woke up in the morning because one of the cars was packing up and left early and then the other two and me started getting ready for leaving. The flies were and are a constant menace in Australia. They just don't give up, they have a whole new level of annoying. After packing and saying goodbye to the other guys I managed to get back to the camp site and put the pressure in my tires up again.

And then it was back to driving and driving and driving. From the Coorong National Park to Meningie along the ocean inlets filled with the smell of the sea. I noticed a stone had cracked my windscreen, so that'll be a repair I'll need doing before reaching the Outback. Had some breakfast at the bakers in Meningie and carried on along Lake Albert. Passed some pinkish salt lakes (or whatever they are) on the way to the city area of Adelaide and somehow got around to getting near to the city. Lots of driving involved and there is a fairly large mountain range to get over. I think going downhill the last 38km I could have just switched the motor off and rolled. They even had emergency brake strips for trucks and I saw one trudging up the other side. Coming in to the city I took Mum's Lonely Planet book aside for some reading on where to stay. After finding the first one fully booked I risked ringing up one which they said should normally be booked way in advance. The Glenelg Beach Hostel is right next to the sea, only a few minutes walk away and I got a dorm accommodation for cheap as compared to probably most other stuff here.

Then a wonderful shower, which was well needed after the last few days in a National Park. Sat down to write the first bit of the blog and met the rest of my room mates.

Currently in one room with two English guys (of which one has lived in Australia for eleven years), a German couple and a Canadian. Went out in the evening to have some dinner and then went to watch a fire with the German couple and the Canadian. Had a really good ice cream (haven't had one for months) and then went back to go to bed.

Some of the others got up at night to watch a Rugby match, but I slept right through.

Carpenter Rocks - Coorong National Park: AWD Learning

It was a dark and stormy night. The rain came down in torrents. And there were wolves on the mountain.

Naa, more along the line: It was a dark and stormy night. The condensation dripped from the bivi tent in torrents. And there were Roos on the hill.

The night was pretty chilly and windy, considering all things, and I woke up about five times just due to being cold. My sleeping bag is just a bit to short for me, so I'll see how I end up with it. After packing everything up I made a mental checklist of what I needed and continued on to the next large town with a supermarket. Being Australia that can be quiet a distance away. I drove through an area named the German Flat and wondered as to how that got it's name. Once I got there, I saw why. Dozens of windmills, all plastered along the coastline.

I reached a town called Millicent and did my shopping in Woolworths. Bought a heap of Baked Beans and other canned stuff. Also some fire lighters and an apple for breakfast.Got a road map of Australia, with a few off-road tracks shown in it, too. After re-fuelling I drove towards Beachport. On the way there I saw some indications that you can drive on the beaches, but only with 4WD. As my car has got power to all wheels I thought I'd just give it a go and a few moments later I was cruising along the beach instead of the main road. A few minutes later I was bogged in deep sand with the tide coming in just a few metres away. Shitshitshitshitshit.

Let down the tire pressure to about 20PSI and wouldn't come out. Dug out the wheels, wouldn't come free. At about that time a local surfer who had seen me came along and helped to get it out. In the end we dropped the pressure down to about 10PSI and dug out even more sand than before. Reversed out at high speed, did a U-turn and drove the surfer back to his car. If he hadn't had to go to a basketball game of his kid I would have brought him a beer. After saying many thanks and getting the tire pressure back up I carried on along the main road to Beachport and had a brilliant scenic drive along the coastline. Stopped at a rock called the Post Office Rock and had a climb around it. Carried on towards Robe after that and the temperatures were rising. Considering Robe is a beach resort town it was surprisingly empty on the roads getting there, even if it was the weekend. Hot and empty I was happy to have lots of water with me. In Robe I had lunch at a bakery and enjoyed a cool drink before heading of to Kingston SE. Once again empty road. Driving at 80km/h I only met a few people on the Princes highway. Went to a beach somewhere between vineyards and had a swim. Tons of cobwebs were coming in somewhere from out at sea with baby spiders on them, so I got back to the car as soon as I could. Carrying on along the highway it was the same as before: long, hot and empty. The Outback is even more desolate, thought. After checking in on a free camp site near some stones sticking out of the water called the Granites, and finding out it was all concrete so I couldn't pitch a tent I carried on to the next camp site in the Coorong National Park. The 32 mile camp site was no where to be found, not on the internet and not at the actual place it was supposed to be. Only a beach acces road which I had a go at and failed to get up the last ramp of sand. Getting there I met two emus, a stubby locking lizard and a deer hoped out five metres in front of the car. The deer surprised me, would have thought of kangaroos, but not deer. 

After getting back on the main highway I carried on to the next camp site, labelled 42 mile camp. After failing to book online and them not taking the phone to pay the fee I just went in and put up my tent. I am not going to be driving in the dark unless it is absolutely necessary. Walked 1,8km to the beach with the fishing gear on the back, hoping for some free dinner. The beach was filled with fishermen and a family of them (Grandad, Son, Grandson) invited me over for a beer. Had a good dinner, fun chat and some exitment when a massive something hooked up on one of the lines in the middle of the night (which broke the line in the end). In the end one of the guys drove me back and we packed up my stuff and I followed him back. It's different when you have someone with a 4WD and a tow rope with you than being on your own. Built up my camp near theirs and had a few more beers and a stingray on the line before heading of to bed with the ocean just a bit away.

Total Distance: 518km

Tahara - Carpenter Rocks

So today is the day I set of to meet mum in Alice Springs. The journey there will be aprox. 2000 km, varying from coastal climate to harsh central Australian desert. As I have been reading a bit about what is needed I hope to have a fairly good idea of what to expect, but then again, I have never been in a desert far from civilisation. Waking up I just laid in bed for a little longer to enjoy a mattress and heard Red go to do tractor work. After being able to get myself out of bed and eating some breakfast I started packing up my things. Doesn't take me long, as I don't have that much on me and most of my camping gear was already in the car. Electronics take up about half of my backpack, something people a few decades ago didn't really have to worry about. As lunch was getting closer whilst I was packing I cooked some lunch for Red, Jossie and me and had a last meal with them (for now). Then it was goodbye to Red as he had to get back to tractor work and shortly after bye to Jossie and the dogs.

Then I hit the road and drove the familiar route to Digby and then Dartmoor. The Lower Glenelg National Park starts somewhere around Dartmoor and I could have taken the route to Mt. Gambier and then to Carpenter Rocks, were I was planning to camp for the night. I got lost somewhere in the National Park, the only real important thing I can say is “Emus! Emus everywhere!” After driving through a sand pit (thank AWD) a wallaby hopped across my path and a few seconds later an Emu ran the other way, about ten metres in front of the car. Australia. Met a few people travelling around in real 4WD, a few with boats to go fishing on the Glenelg river. After passing through a lot of sand holes I reached Donovans and carried on to Port MacDonnell, where I hoped to get a map of Australia.

Ended up buying a can of backed beans for dinner instead, and they didn't have any maps in the town. Taking a few wrong turns and driving kilometres the wrong way (did get a few good pictures for it, thought) I reached Blackfellows Cave (yes, a town is called like that) and carried on to Carpenter Rocks where they have a camp site just under the light house. I thought it would be free, but due to it being in a national park there is a fee of 14$ for camping. Got that done over the internet and then went down to the beach to see if I could get some cheap dinner. Red has lent me one of his telescope fishing roods and a small pack of all the essentials to fish, so I might get a few free meals here and there. Fishing doesn't require a permit in SA, which is good for me. Didn't catch a thing, as it was also my first time fishing on my own, but I'll learn. Still have lots of coast to drive along. Came back to the car and set up my camping gear to sleep and wanted to cock my baked beans on a gas stove before I realised I hadn't any matches. THE most essential thing camping and I don't have it. Well, back to the shops tomorrow.

Got a picture of the lighthouse with my DSLR and then sat in the car to write this blog. Of to bed now to test the bivi tent in earnest.

Travel distance: 203km

GPS Fields & Roof Racks

Getting ready to leave Reds for a while now, to explore what the centre of Australia has to offer. Plans are to meet mum up at Alice Springs beginning of November to have a look at the stuff Australia is renown for.

Before setting of I have to get my car “Outback”-worthy first, as going unprepared has the potential to kill in the desert centre of Australia. As I don't just want to stick to the Stuart Highway going through the middle and see a bit of the desert my car needed some doing up. The timing belt was replaced so that won't cut out on me in the middle of no were. Installed a light bar on the front should I ever have the disaster of driving in the night (which will hopefully never happen out there). And last of all I got a roof rack that was intended to be put on a Land Rover Defender 110 and had to cut it down to size for the Forester.

As my skills with a welder, angle grinder, etc. are not up to scratch one of Reds mates Bucky said he would help me do it all. Looking back he probably curses himself now, as the job looked fairly simple but there where a lot of complications along the way that made the job arduous. Bucky also was fairly busy as he was lamb marking and had to cut hay at his farm, something which has happened one month to early due to the weather. So that wasn't planned.

As Bucky was using his skills I used mine for him, meaning digitalising his farm layout so he has a map to work with. Basically involved driving around the paddocks with a quad bike and a GPS in the hand to map the points and then using “ExpertGPS” to read out the information to calculate the acres. I would have used Google Earth Pro, but for some reason it didn't want to work out the acres as it should do. Google Earth Pro was used in the end anyway to make the basic picture with the acres written in the individual paddock. Reason to use Google Earth Pro was that most have it, it's free ware and nearly ever body can use it.

Driving around I found out I was still allergic to horses, as Bucky has two of them for his daughter. Means I had to have a few breaks in between tracking along the paddocks and let my eyes de-itch.

We both finished our jobs in the end. I have a roof rack for the journey and Bucky has a map of his farm.

Mt. Williams, Grampians

My car is currently getting some modifications, but the guy I'm doing it with (or more likely who is doing it for me) is currently hard at work himself. Bucky helped me with installing an LED light bar on my nudge bar on the front and is now working on a roof cage to store some stuff of mine on the long journeys. As he is currently knee deep in work himself (lamb marking) I went to Mt. Williams in the Grampians mountain range for a night. Red had told me that there is a car park close to the summit, so it would be possible for me to sleep in the back of the car without problems again.

Before leaving I got the back left tire fixed, as it had a slow leak in it and I didn't want to do long distances with it in that condition. Cost me 20$, so next to nothing, thankfully.

After getting that fixed it was of to the Grampians national park. A 125km drive to Mt. Williams in total I passed through Hamilton and got followed by a truck most of the way to Dunkeld, the town that lies on the outskirts of the Grampian national park. Luckily school holidays had been last week and most families were not taking a holiday now. The Grampians, so I have heard, are one of the major holiday destinations for city people from Melbourne. It shows with all the campsites out in the middle of the park. They seem to appear every two kilometres or so. I passed a few motor bikers, but they all seemed to be retired. So the only people in the park are retired people and backpackers. Driving through the park I was getting closer and closer to Halls Gap, a town situated in in the middle eastern part of the Grampians, and was getting a bit worried I had overshot my turn off. I just knew to head along the C216 to Halls Gap and Mt. Williams would be somewhere right. After braking for two kangaroos and slowing down for an ichidna, I found my turn and climbed up Mt. Williams. Dodged another ichidna on the way and reached the Mt. Williams car park with a bit of time to spare for the sun to set. To reach the top it was another 1,8km, but all was sealed road. That being due to a flight control mast at the top of the mountain. The wind was picking up walking to the top, but I got some steady pictures and didn't find any snakes (luckily). I don't know how far I was from the nearest civilisation, but being bitten by a snake because I trod on one is the last thing I want. Especially due to me being the only one on the mountain. The rest of the night was spent in the same manner. Reached the top and got some good sunset pictures before settling down behind a monument rock for protection from the wind. Watched the last rays of day disappear and the milky way come out. Got a few pictures and then packed up my bag and walked back to the car. On the way back I spotted two other smaller star clusters, similar to the milky way (I knew their name last night) but didn't get a picture. Going downhill I had as many lights out as I could. The tar was still warm and, as mentioned before, don't want to meet a snake. Reached the car, unrolled my sleeping bag and blow up mattress and settled in for a warmer knight than in Mt. Gambier. A owl in a near by tree scared the crap out of me, but they tend to do that. 

Woke up twice in the night, but that was to be expected. First time I was to warm and the second time I had dislocated my shoulder again. Getting extremely annoying, my shoulder.

Sprinted up in the morning again for a few sunrise pictures and then it was back to Reds for some breakfast. Met a wallaby and another ichidna on the way back, plus the few cars in the morning.

Back at Reds I was starving (I had actually taken a can of soup with me, but forgotten the cooker) and shoved down a breakfast before having a short nap. Red was out cutting hay and I picked him up for lunch. He asked me if I wanted to have a go and I thought “Why not? Big machine, should be fun.” So we changed a few times and in the evening it's of to Buckys again, to hopefully get the last few bits on the roof cage done.
Made a video of the Mt. William which can be found on YouTube.

Oh, before I forget. Saw a fu***ng Tiger Snake the other day. Damn they look vicious, near to one meter long, a head like a cobra, yellow and black... You get the picture. Luckily there was a car door between it and me.