Saturday, September 14, 2013
From Wilpena we took a scenic route through Bunyeroo Gorge to Blinman, where we cut across to Parachilna and then northwards to Marree. Along the way we enjoyed this part of South Australia, a place we have never been to before.
Marree is where the ‘Lake Eyre Yachtclub Clubhouse’ is. Being an associate member of the club (well Caroline is in regards to 7lows.com) we could have stayed on the grounds of the club, and we were offered to stay there by the Commodore, but that would have involved knowing the date in advance to organize the keys. Since we didn’t know when we’d be there that was not a possibility. Once in Marree we decided to push onto Coward Creek since the campground there gets a good write up.
Leaving Marree marked the start of the ‘Oodnadatta Track’, a road Stephen’s been wanting to do for a long time. The all-dirt track takes you 615km from Marree to Marla.
About 20kms prior to reaching Coward Springs we came across a viewpoint over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre South. Seeing that 4 other campers had set up for the night there, we decided to do the same. Great to be camping on the edge of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre South; we were planning to camp at Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre North the next night. But man did it blow a gale or what that night! During dinner and getting ready for bed all was well. However the wind picked up significantly shortly after, so much so that we decided to get up and pack away not only the side awning but also the back annex. To top it all off it started raining quite heavily again as well. The wind kept both of us awake for most of the night. But we camped at Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre South!
(*) In December 2012 Lake Eyre was officially re-named to Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. Kati Thanda was its original Aboriginal name. On May 24, 2013, a ceremony was held to celebrate the name change.
Beautiful night sky! Hope you didn't eat any of that camel meat… Awesome trip.