Travels into South Australia

Down the Stuart Highway to Coober Pedy, we decided to stay in an underground hotel, great place and so big inside.  Went down and got a Pizza and had beer on the "roof" at sunset (note the row of air vents).

After a great night's sleep we headed to Kingoonya, a pub in the book and located on the old highway at the junction of the rail line to Perth.  There was a sign for the pub at the turn from the new highway down the dirt track, but when we got there it was closed.

Nice looking pub, but a ghost town.  When we travelled back to the new Highway and stopped at the Glendambo roadhouse we learnt why.  The bar maid explained that one of the licensee's had recently past away and there was a funeral.  Glendambo was the new "Kingoonya" with the town being relocated to the new highway back in the 1980's, they moved the houses and anybody who wanted to go.

 

The Glendambo was a large waterhole for a pub, I didn't mind the place with exposed beams and a great fire place.  We enjoyed a couple of beers while playing pinball (Kevin wanted to see me show the same form I had with the washing machine in Alice).

After lunch we headed to Woomera and then on to Roxby Downs and Andamooka, we didn't check out any of the pubs as we wanted to get to the Oodnadatta track.  We camped on the banks of South Lake Ayre.  Early start and headed north following the the old Ghan line, it was easy to find rail spikes they were everywhere along the way.  Just south of Williams Creek was the turn off into Lake Ayre a rough 63 km track, but well worth the trip.  I doubt I will ever see that much water inland again.  On the way out we stopped for a look at a dingo and Kev got up close and personal.

Got to William Creek for lunch, very impressed with the look and feel. 

The publican is a funny bugger with some classic lines during phone call bookings and questions answered over the bar (German back packer comes in and asks do you have a toilet, barman said yes and continues reading.  German just stands there for a long period, we are all pissing our self's, finally the barman says, do you have another question? and he says can I use it?).  Kevin decided to pick on the Irish and retold the story of a guy running through King's Canyon, suggesting that he can only be Irish, not knowing that the barmaid is from Ireland.  I tried to recover but did not go over well.  After a few beers and a toasted cheese and beetroot sandwich, we headed for Maree. 

Got in around 4.00pm and just in time to sit down and have a few beers with some tourist group who thought we were local workers (probably because of the way we looked and dressed).  Nice pub and a great looking double story building, had a laugh and a few more beers, before we headed for a camp site at Leigh Creek.