Go west young man ... no way ...

I'll bet you have never heard of Thevenard! Well ... it is near Ceduna (on the Eyre Peninsula in S Aust) ... it is a tiny hamlet with a population of 563 people and boasts a harbour that handles bulk gypsum (used in plasterboard), salt and zircon.  Apparently, it is the largest export point for gypsum in Australia!  It receives 3 large bulk trains of gypsum daily with a total of about 3.5m tonnes a year!   

Anyway ... the weather ... we have had huge winds for the past two days in Ceduna.  We stayed in the caravan park (which was a very positive experience) except that on our last night the wind reached gusts of 80kmph from late in the day and all night. You could hear loose items being blown around during the night.  At 4.30am we took down the batwing, had a Committee Meeting and decided that we were outta there (the weather apps said strong winds for the next 4 days and we were heading into them!).   Instead of following our original plans to head west and start the Nullarbor Highway we would double back and head north and go to Coober Pedy!  Reverse the order of our trip (actually back to the very first incarnation of this trip).  Google maps said it was 589kms.  Job done.  Let's book somewhere where we can get a quiet night's sleep with no wind.  How about an underground hotel in Coober Pedy?  Great idea ... booked ... done! 

Packed up and on the road by 7.45am.  Follow the directions ... looking good ... oh dear ... a dirt road ... signs advising that it was open ... no reception on our phones ... no idea what the road was going to be like ... both tired from lack of sleep and unprepared for this unsealed road so we followed the signs to Port Augusta ... well there is another way to Coober Pedy via Port Augusta ... it is just a little bit longer – 411 kms longer!  After exactly 1003km and 11 hours (there were a few photo stops) we arrived at our underground hotel in Coober Pedy.  

Now a meal ... the hotel suggested the pub down the road - 5 minute walk ... as we were driving into Coober Pedy we had watched an awesome electrical storm nearby ... then it was above us ... we got soaked in about 300m ... we walked into the pub as patrons laughed at how wet we were and incredulous that it had rained.  By the time we left 45 minutes later there was no evidence of any rain whatsoever... before we went to bed we replanned the entire trip, contacted all of our bookings and rescheduled them ... 

We had the best night's sleep and woke up to clear blue skies and no wind! 

Now ... the reschedule is massive because it now premised on another trip next year to pick up some of the travels that we had planned to do but can no longer logistically fit in this trip ... but we are likely to head to Port Hedland on this trip once we cross the Great Central Road which we will start tomorrow.  From Port Hedland we will work our way along the coast back to Steep Point where we leave for Dirk Hartog Island and eventually to southern WA then home via the Nullarbor; Broken Hill; Innamincka; Charlottle Plains...  

Tonight, we are free camping about 100km from Uluru.  There is only 1 other van here. Clear skies ... no wind ... no bugs ... today was 34 degrees ... the sun is setting and casting a magnificent orange glow on the horizon ... great decision!

Talia Beach 100km N Ceduna

Talia Beach 100km N Ceduna

Lake Gairdner dry salt lake