PAINTED DESERT– Tuesday 7th June

As we left Oodnadatta it was drizzling slightly so instead of dust we had mud splattered over the car and van.

We will turn off the Coober Pedy road and head for Arkaringa Homestead, we pass the Arckaringa Hills on the way. We took lots of photos of the Painted Desert even though it was spitting slightly.

Camped at Aarckaringa Homestead looking out at the hills in the distance, hopefully it will clear up enough to get some sunny shots tomorrow. Amusing ourselves watching and taking photos of the local wildlife.

6ml of rain overnight but you would think they had hd inches, there is mud everywhere you walk and you gain several inches in height in just a few meteres.

We are basically rained in and will have to wait for it to dry out before we can move on and we have been told if there is any more rain the road will be closed off. However we have had a lovely treat an eagle came and landed nearby and we managed to get a few shots before the crows chased him away.

Here at Arckaringa they run 1 cow for every 1 ½ sq kms and they have 2100 head, thye own other properties and run a total of 18000 head, although I must say if we see a cow it is a majpr event.

We went for a walk and took a few phototos of a hawk in a tree but couldn’t convince him to fly off so we could have some pictures of him in flight.

It is finally starting to clear and hopefulullyu in the morning we wil have a sunrise we can see.

Got up in time to see the sun risde over the Arckaringa Hills and took the 1km walk into the hills and took lots and lots and lots of photos.

Decided it was dry enough to attempt getting out.

Phew! We have finally got back on to the Coober Pedy road, which I might add is still gravel,  Getting out wasn’t too bad, there were quite a few awkward spots once when coming over a cattle grid and no choice of where to go but through the mud and water we had filthy water thrown up over the windscreen so we couldn’t see in front of us at all, and there was water over the road in a lot of places, but Ian being the brilliant driver he is got us out safe and sound.

So here we are heading for Coober Pedy and civilization again, hopefully with non salty water to bathe in. The car and the caravan are absolutely covered in mud and gravel and will take some cleaning down, whilst the inside cupboards and coated with dust. But what an adventure Hey?