Day 32-Day 37 Coober Pedy/Lake Eyre/Maree/Montecollina Bore/Noccundra/Cunnamulla

Day 32 – Day 37  COOPER PEDY – LAKE EYRE – MARREE – MONTECOLLENA BORE – NOCCUNDRA - CUNNAMULLA

Well hi to all of you trip followers, Col here, and have we got some stories to tell now!

First of all we had a birthday party at Cooper Pedy for Yvonne before we travelled via gravel to William Creek, the road was OK and William Creek now has a bitumen main street (Only one street in town), this town is now buzzing because of the water filling Lake Eyre, they now have a real caravan/camping area, flight booking buildings, public toilets, and roadworks depot as well as the original pub.

We had the customary drink in the pub, bought our pass to the Lake Eyre National Park, and travelled on the rather rough track into the Lake at Halligan’s Bay, WHAT A SIGHT, more than we expected, looks like a beachside landscape more than a desert and salt lake scene.

We set up camp before taking the mandatory sunset photos.

After dinner we were invaded by the hoards of field mice,

 even though we were warned, we were not prepared for this onslaught, finally we gave up and went to bed, only to find that these were circus mice, they climbed the tents and somersaulted their way back down all night.

After an almost sleepless night (And some people call this fun) packed up and headed out to William Creek again before heading further south towards Marree, on the way we stopped at many Old Ghan rail siding ruins.

. Further south we stopped at the South Lake Eyre lookout for more photos. We camped at Marree for the night for a good nights sleep (At last)!

Next day saw us travelling to Lyndhurst for fuel and turn left onto the Strzelecki Track which now has some sections of bitumen.

 We stopped at the Montecollena Bore

for the afternoon and night, big camp oven cooking night with campfire session after. Still a few mice around but were dazzled by the antics of the dozens of native ‘Dusky Hopping Mice’

 which kept us entertained all night, they were friendly to the point that you could scratch their back with a stick, and did not climb anything.

Next day saw us travelling further along the Strzelecki Track to a short cut to bypass Merti-Merti and get us to Cameron’s Corner a bit quicker, beer and pie lunch at the ‘Corner Store’

This is the border of Qld/NSW/SA

where we were informed that the road through Bullo Downs was still flooded and closed, so we headed along a desert track to Ormicron Homestead and then north along the very rough and very, very dusty road which goes between Tibooburra to Noccundra. Stayed at the Noccundra waterhole for the night with dinner at the pub. Still a few mice jumping on tents but mild compared to previous episodes.

Next day – up at dawn again and headed into Thargomindah for fuel and morning tea, while in town we visited the Tourism Information Centre, which is now in the old hospital building and also now has a historical display, did a town crawl to check out the other sites, is still a nice, neat town!

Further east we had lunch at the ‘Lake Bindigolly Nature Reserve’, this place is full of water birds and the lake is full.

The road between Noccundra and Cunnamulla is alive with emus and cattle, most of which seemed to like our section of the road and caused us to stop occasionally to give them ‘right of way’. Set up camp in the Cunnamulla Caravan Park for 2 nights as we reckon we deserve a rest and it is another friendly town.Had some beautiful roses growing in gardens around the town.

Cunnamulla Fella