While we were shopping Larry and Mick fixed their spare tire, which had gone flat in the Strzelecki Desert.
Leaving Coober Pedy following the Oodnadatta Track we once again came across the dog fence. Next we stopped at another famous outback pub, William Creek Hotel in William Creek, South Australia’s smallest town. Built in 1887 to service the Ghan railway line that travelled between Alice Springs and Adelaide.Greg like many tourist before him made sure to leave his mark. Writing Dearden, Canada ’07 on the pool table felt.
Continuing on we stopped part of the Anna Creek Cattle station. The station covers 24,000 square km. It is bigger than Belgium and almost half the size of England.
Stopping next at Wabma Kadarbu Conservation Park, we viewed The Bubbler an excellent examples of natural artesian spring.
Travelling on we stopped next at Lake Eyre South. Lake Eyre is the world's largest salt lake. Lake Eyre South, which is 40 miles long and about 15 miles (24 km) in width.
Looking to find a place to sleep for the night Larry came across an old railway station part of the Farina Ruins. Until 1884 Farina was the last stop on the Great Northern Railway Line. Sleeping in a old station in the middle of nowhere once again was quite an experience.
The Nulla Nulla is one of the most deadly weapons, whether used at close quarters or thrown. The shape may vary between tribes but is usually between half to one metre in length and can be used as a club or throwing stick. The handle tapers to a sharp point near the handgrip, towards the other end the handle widens into a bulb. Like the Boomerang, a Nulla Nulla could light a fire using the same method of spinning it quickly with downward pressure in the surface crack of a dry log and a spark was made.
The Wild Dog Barrier Fence (previously called the Dingo Barrier Fence) was first proposed in the late 1940s to protect sheep from being attacked by wild dogs. Erection, however, was not completed until the late 1950s.
In 1982, a $3.6 million state government program commenced to rebuild almost half of the original barrier fence (2500 km of the original 5600 km). The program also realigned a large section of the fence to exclude previously protected areas in central-western and north-western Queensland. This meant the barrier fence would only provide protection from wild dogs in central-southern Queensland. The current Wild Dog Barrier Fence is the result of that program.
Today, the Wild Dog Barrier Fence is administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Water. It is about 2500 km long and protects 26.5 million hectares of sheep and cattle grazing country. There is your history lesson for the day.
Watch out for people crossing and planes landing.
William Creek Hotel (pub). We stopped and had a Coopers and rest before moving on.
Can you see Dearden Canada '07. We only had a pen, oh well.
This is part of the Anna Creek Cattle station. Mick decided to test his fear of heights.
Then we all did.
Oh the children will play.
Like father, like son.
Both are nuts.
Check out the parakeet watching over the old station homestead.
The Bubbler is a good example of a natural artesian spring. The water is only luke warm. At least on the surface. Looks hotter.
Looking at Lake Eyre
At 12 metres below sea level this is the lowest point in Australia.
Natalie and Mick almost got bogged. Of course Natalie's window was open. Ha!
A dry salt lake, on the rare occasions it does fill.
Never mind the famous Art Galleries of Melbourne, outback farmers are artistic too. If you look close the head of this dog is a old truck.
What about the hover-bus? We've heard it is the best way to travel Australia's outback.
The Hilton... I mean an old railway station that was part of the Farina Ruins.
Check out our bedroom.
The wonderful kitchen/dinning room.
Would you eat food from this cook? Natalie says no. Mick actually cooked one of the best meals on the trip, T-Bone steaks. We washed it down with red wine from theThe Barking Dog wine company.
Once again we are in the middle of nowhere.
We decided to burn the trees in an odd ceremony complete with Barking Dog wine, ochre painted faces and stories from the Dreamtime. Ok, we are not sure why this photo came up like it did, but hey it looks cool.
Another wonderful sunset. Missed most of it for photos but photos wouldn't have done it justice anyway.
Australia's #1 free accomodation.
Hear no evil, speak no evil, Natalie see pure evil. Three times over.
Campfire for the night. Larry and Mick actually put on a fire in the old station as well.
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