Day 60 (19 Jun) – Wirrulla to Peterborough

Last night we heard lots of trucks on the highway even though we were in the town and a good few hundred metres from the highway. Interesting how the previous night we were open to the highway and heard very little road noise.  And last night was the coldest we have encountered on this trip.  There was frost on the car this morning and the temp gauge when we left just after daylight said it was 2 degrees.  We had some problems with our little fan heater (until I discovered it was the extension cord) so we froze in the van.  I went outside in the cold and dark and took the cap off the LPG heater vent so we could get some heat going.

The scenery today was a bit better as we head further east.  We stopped at Kimba for fuel and to look for a coffee place that was recommended to us.  Nothing open.  It was 11.30 and the town was deserted except for the fuel station.  But we did see their silo art.

The last few days across the Nullarbor distance wise were:

Perth to Widgiemooltha – 631km

Widgiemooltha to Mundrabilla – 732km

Mundrabilla to Wirrulla – 649km

Wirrulla to Peterborough – 506km

So today was a relatively easy day.  The next few days will be roughly the same distance until we get home on Tuesday.  Coming towards Port Augusta the mountains appeared.  With the broken clouds this was very pretty.

After we left Port Augusta, we headed into the southern Flinders Ranges on our way to Peterborough.  Stunning scenery.

We had an interesting episode as we were heading up the range and on the steep narrow road when we were confronted with an oncoming road train loaded with hay on its way down and taking up half of our side of the road as well.  Pucker factor!!

On the other side the scenery flattened out and we had a good view of the valley.

We arrived at Peterborough about 3.00pm.  This place is also known as Steamtown as in the early 20^th century it was the terminus for trains heading east/west and north/south.  They have a museum and a light show at night.  Last time we were here in 2018 we stayed and did the tourist things here.

Just the one night here and off to Wilcannia tomorrow (482km).

Day 61 (20 Jun) – Peterborough to Wilcannia

This was our view as we awoke this morning and went to get in the car.  Sunrise across the foggy paddocks.  Stunning.  Spectacular.  Gorgeous.  Beautiful.

The morning was really calm with patchy fog about.  These hill tops in the distance stuck up through the fog.

We stopped for breakfast at a deserted town on the east/west rail line called Manna Hill.  It just had an old railway station and a pub.  Even the Police Station was closed.

The road along the Barrier Highway is atrocious.  It’s bumpy, rough and dipped.  It also goes from widish stretches to barely wide enough to pass each other.  We met a road train on a bridge, and it was a bit hairy.  Seems the NSW Government is hell bent of building new freeways, bypass roads and tunnels in Sydney and doing nothing about our major interstate highways.  Enough whinging.

We are now in Wilcannia at a nice caravan park we have stayed at twice before – Warrawong on the Darling.  But this time it’s very much busier than previous stays.  Seems it’s got a reputation.  The one in town is dreadful and not very safe from thieves.  This one is a bit out of town.  Tomorrow we’ll see how far we get towards home.  Depends on how far I can drive in a day.  It’s about 800 odd kilometres.

Complaint of the day

Michael – “Why is it that cars and caravans driving through KMs of nothingness don’t arm themselves with a CB for safety and communication with the road trains etc?”