Graham and Julie’s Camping Adventure - Part 3

Thursday, we awoke to rumbling skies and intermittent showers, my thoughts flickered to our "Beer Box" vent cover, but Graham had assured me there was enough duct tape on it to withstand anything. We had a quick group chat with Callan and Melinda about the weather forecast of rain and the real threat of flash floods if we had heavy rain here. Flash flooding could potentially stop travel, and as lovely as it was in Arkaroola, with our jury-rigged vent cover, we decided on a quick departure. After all, we'd seen enough dry creek beds with giant gums to see how deep and wide the creeks could become. Admittedly, the thought of damp roads offering a dust-free drive was also rather irresistible.

Mindful that this would still be a bumpy, dusty road, I was careful in packing up, snugging up cupboards with cushions and wrapping many things in bags, hopeful I'd keep the dust clean-up at the end of the trip to a minimum.

We didn't get to a few planned hikes, but we consoled ourselves; they could be the impetus for another trip here. We'd chosen to drive out via Leigh Creek. The appeal for us? It only had 130 km of dirt road, a definite bonus in our minds. So, agreeing to meet there for a coffee, we all set off.

We left under broody skies and relaxed into the relatively dust-free drive the damp roads offered. Soon enough, it was clear that the rains hadn't fallen over the entire route, as we met with dry, dusty roads again. However, the drive was pleasant enough, with few vehicles coming towards us to envelop us in dust.

We passed several stations (that's ranch, to you North Americans), stopped at a couple of little information viewpoints to check the views, and Graham humoured my request to pull over so I could hug a huge old gum tree. (I get the tree-hugging from my brother Craig, as well as soothing for the soul; it makes me smile and think of him when I do it.) We passed through an interesting little town called Nepabunna, but oddly, it was spookily empty, so we carried on.

You may recall how excited I was to see emus; well, it was equally cool when we saw brumbies (wild horses) on the side of the road. They looked healthy and were clearly not worried about us.

A row of mountains grew before us as we approached Leigh Creek, a beautiful sight which captured my imagination as I watched them change and grow with every change in aspect as we followed the winds in the road to get there.

I struggled to catch the magic of the view with my photos, so you'll just have to check the link for a better image. The town itself seemed lush and green, a welcome change to the dusty roads we'd been on. Callan and Melinda pulled in shortly after us, we exchanged stories about our trip, happy that there were no dramas reported. We all seemed to have "the itch" to keep going, so after a quick pit stop, we topped up the fuel and carried on.

These "outback" roads periodically have lengthy areas with spotty or no phone/internet coverage, so contacting Callan and Melinda was tricky. They were ahead of us, so, often when they had coverage, by the time we did, they'd be out of it. So, our conversation and text messages were spotty at best. We soon stopped the pleasantries as we didn't know when we'd get cut off.

"Hello, how's your drive been?" quickly became

"Did you get through to the... Damn! we lost them."

"Just text them," Graham suggested.

I'd type a txt message and sit watching the phone like a cat watching a mouse hole, the only thing missing was my tail flicking... I'd hold the phone up, hoping to get better coverage...

"Stop watching the phone, relax. Just call them when you get coverage." Gah! I had to watch the phone to see when we had coverage, too.

However, we finally connected long enough to decide to stop in Jamestown. Did you know this is the birthplace of R.M. Williams, the famous outback clothing manufacturer? Who doesn't yearn for a pair of beautiful R.M. Williams boots or one of his oil skin coats?

Callan called ahead and booked us all into The Park, which was a great place to stay. It was a short 10-minute stroll over the creek to the town centre, across the road from Foodland and the beginning of several short walks.

It had cabins, powered and non-powered camping sites, and very nice facilities at a good price. I recommend it. The communal kitchen had a huge fridge/freezer, a large TV, several cooking options, a kettle, lots of hot water for dishes, a long bench to work on, and long tables if you chose to eat there. Beside it was an outdoor area with tables and chairs, and for your enjoyment at night, fairy lights and a fire pit. BYO People and marshmallows.

The toilet/laundry blocks were modern and spotless. Ali, the manager, was hard-working, pleasant, and thoughtful enough to provide one bathmat per camper per day for the shower, as it could be dusty or muddy due to some work being done on the property. Not a paper one, a towel bathmat. How nice was that?!

We pulled in, unhooked, and opened the door to our little Geist. I was happy to see that there were no sand dunes with tiny camels. However, it was still plenty dusty, and more things had rattled their way to the floor. Including the mirrored vanity door. Yikes! So.... out came the dust pan and hand broom I'd bought in Wilpena, and the bucket and cloths, while Graham got his toolbox out, and we got to work. Callan and Melinda again offered to help with the bucket brigade when they were done with their VW, and soon Graham had re-attached and tightened what was required; the caravan was mostly dust-free, and it was time to slather on industrial-strength hand cream and head out for dinner.

We set off, unwinding as we strolled to the Commercial Hotel for dinner. Another place on my recommendation list. The energy was high and it was packed, which surprised us for a Thursday night. People were milling around, chatting and laughing in front of the bar; we slipped into a gap and with wide eyes, I asked hopefully,

"Wow, it's sure packed for a Thursday night. Did we have to book, or can you fit us in?"

The bar manager raised his eyebrows, smiled and made a show of scanning the room.

"You should ALWAYS book. How many are you?" He looked at our little group and, with a smile, sighed.

"Give me a minute". He winked and scurried away.

He found a table for us in the comparative quiet of one of the back rooms amongst a couple of large family groups. So, after a stop at the bar to pick up drinks and menus, we retired to the table and relaxed. The prices were reasonable, and the food that was carried past us looked fabulous.

Melinda and I went to the bar to order, and kibitzed with the locals while we were in line.

"Isn't it time to introduce those shoes to some polish?" A voice called out. I looked down at my very dusty shoes.

"This is Arkaroola dust. We just got in." I turned to see who the voice belonged to and saw it was a fellow sitting by the wall under a painting of himself. His face lit up hearing Arkaroola. The banter continued,

"Look at you, sitting there, under a painting of yourself. You look like you're the King surveying your kingdom." I said. Well, in fact, he sort of was!

"My name is Tim, and I am the owner of this establishment." He introduced himself formally.

We enjoyed a lively conversation with Tim and the locals around us as we waited in line to order. The energy in the place was friendly and lively, the service was great, and the hotel was filled with interesting people, art pieces and doo-dads. Soon, the food arrived and we tucked in. It was just as good as it looked. The wander home was a nice wind down to a big day.

Refreshed from a good night's sleep, Graham and I left Callan and Melinda to themselves and walked along the Belalie Creek path to stretch our legs on the way to the bakery for an early coffee.

We'd decided to take the day off and take a day trip to the town of Burra. We'd heard of Burra from our neighbour Kristy, who'd told us how they'd gotten a "key to the city" for 48 hours when they were there, which let them into "special" attractions, like going into tunnels under an old winery.

How could we resist?

It was a pretty drive past rolling fields and wind farms as far as the eye could see. Hence, it wasn't too surprising to find we were close to the Hornsdale Power Reserve, the home of the world's first big battery. However, we were keen to get to Burra, so we didn't take the side trip.

And what a picturesque little town Burra is, and well worth a visit. It's a tourist town and was bustling with people. We parked on a side street and strolled into the town centre to wander. After sticking our heads in a few shops, Graham zeroed in on the Waters Burra Bakery.

"Lunch time?" He asked as he crossed the street and walked through the door, with the three of us following behind like little ducklings. While we considered the delights displayed, Graham stepped to the till and quickly put in his order. Hmmm, that should have been a tip-off. His order? A pasty, of course, and the LAST cream horn. A doughnut wound into a horn shape, filled with real cream, and then sprinkled with sugar. After we'd finished our lunch, our eyes were riveted on him as he slowly unwound the first ring of the horn ensuring it was lathered in cream, closed his eyes and slowly put it into his mouth. I think I heard a small groan of ecstasy. He sat for a minute and said

"This is the best cream horn I've ever eaten." And offered everyone a piece. Callan and Melinda declined, but not me. It really was OMG fabulous! This set off a discussion on the different types of cream horns and other delicacies we'd all enjoyed in the different countries we'd been to. I love the lively and interesting food discussions we have with them.

We were pleasantly surprised that the shops in Burra were reasonably priced, so we decided to pick up a few things for The Geist from the hardware store before we looked into the Burra Heritage Passport tour.

The Visitor Centre provides the tickets, $30 each for adults, $25 for oldies and the key, yours to use for 48 hours, for a $50 deposit, which is refunded upon return of the key. You are presented with your key, a booklet, a map, and instructions. I take my hat off to Burra, which has so many active volunteers. I suspect their huge hands-on effort is what keeps this town vibrantly alive. It really would take two days to go to all the interesting places both locked and open to all, but we enjoyed what we saw in the time we had.

The key lets you into 11 locked sites. Several of these sites have volunteers giving talks, and available to answer questions or sell souvenirs. There was a lot of ground to cover. If you took advantage of the two days you had the key, you could walk everywhere, but as we needed to return the key at the end of the day, we drove to the farthest away sites and then walked around the sites in town. We stopped at views, historic sites, old businesses, and residences.

Using the key to open a door to a building or a compound was fun. Jumping out of the vehicle and unlocking a gate became a comical race, where the gate opener was timed, sometimes with Graham adding a challenge to slow them down. Tsk… Such a competitive group.

At the Burra Mine Historical site, we gazed over the open cut, checked out the powder magazine, the Engine House and Dressing Tower and looked at the outside displays.

At the Bon Accord Mine Complex, we were welcomed by a volunteer in period costume with a little talk before she sent us off to explore the blacksmith forge, carpentry shop and mine tunnel on display. There were motion detectors, which prompted the recording of characters from history telling you their stories, and then a light would turn on to pull your gaze to a specific area of a display or direct you to the next exhibit. Very clever and used at several sites.

"My Grandpa always had a box of Bex with him", Graham remembered when he saw this display. It's interesting to see what memories are sparked when visiting historic sites. I'm fascinated to see how people of years gone by lived, and the age of owning few items, what they ate and wore, and especially what they thought was healthy or healing in those times. It makes me wonder what the people of tomorrow will think of displays of our lives today. Hmm.

We went into a police lockup and stable, an old village site and a large gaol, which was a real eye-opener. They had rooms set up as they were in their heyday, showing menus and examples of what they were allowed to eat, the doctor's comments on the ailments, and treatments of the occupants. The occupant's names, dates of internment, and their crimes were on a board covering an entire room's wall. Interesting reading and handy for those looking for relatives. It amused me to think that this site is available to rent for events! Another Hmmm moment. Another bit of trivia, the movie Breaker Morant was filmed here.

We went underground at the old Unicorn Brewery and watched a short information film before wandering through a labyrinth of tunnels. Then we strolled around town, stopping inside old shops and homes, displayed as they would have been back in the day.

The Burra Railway Station has been restored by volunteers. It has a model train running, loads of railway memorabilia, a couple of racks of vintage clothing for you to put on for selfies (I couldn't get anyone to dress up), and a Megafauna Fossil Display. It's another spot available for hire for functions. They've also restored an old dinner car called 'Edie' which prompted Callan to regale us with stories of his time spent working as a chef on the Ghan.

Sites run by volunteers either had an entry fee (the rate was reduced if you had the key) or donation boxes.

We saw almost all of the key sites, the gallery, gardens, and lots more, just managing to return the key before closing. We felt satisfied that we'd had a very full and informative day, well worth the trip.

We were quiet on our return to Jamestown, pooped after so much mental stimulation and fun. Graham was keen to finish his jobs and put the new purchases from the hardware to use. Job one, attach the new hose from The Geist to the water tap. Tick. Next job, the grey water hose, tick. Everything was going well until I cocked my head and said

"I hear water running." We listened.

"It's coming from under the seat." We lifted the cushion and seat cover, and GAH! It seems the hot water pipes had jiggled themselves loose on the last trip, and suddenly, the dining area of the Geist had gone from hosting little camels on sand dunes to dolphins frolicking under our dinette! Luckily Melinda was walking by, and Graham called out

"Quick, Melinda, turn the water OFF!! " while I was thinking

"Clean up in aisle 3."

Later, Melinda told us that it was with a heavy heart, she slipped over to tell Callan of the latest development. He shot out of the VW, eyes wide, just in time to see water gushing out of the back of the Geist like a waterfall.

"Nooooo" he said quietly as he watches the water slow to a trickle.

Resigned to yet another round of cleaning, I got to work while Graham carried on with his planned chores, and all was well again. Tsk. It was just another "adrenalin rush" moment on this trip.

"All towels on deck!!" Melinda called to lighten the mood. Now it was my turn for "the look". Ouch, and touché. I'll take that on the chin for the spare tyre. (You little minx.)

Once the Geist was dry and Graham had finished his repairs, we had a combined use-up-what-we-have-left dinner. This was the last night of Callan and Melinda's trip with us. Between us, we put together a cheese plate, followed by Callan's soup and our bread rolls, toasted in the air fryer. Which I must add was a great item to include in the Geist; we used it a lot. We ended the evening sitting around a roaring campfire under the ferry lights in the entertainment area, and we had lots of fun reliving the highlights of our adventures. I have to say, Jamestown was WAY colder than Wilpena and Arkaroola. The mornings were brisk and did warm up, but the nights were very cold.

Sunday morning, we had a bit of excitement when a big truck clipped a power line a block or two away from The Park. It was a good time to be away while they sorted it out, so we all took The Diggers Walk along the creek, stopping at the bakery for breakfast. Our mood was a bit subdued, knowing soon it was time for them to leave.

Melinda laughed when I told her I realised I'd forgotten my towel in the shower that morning and how grateful I was to have my "daily allotted bathmat" to use, careful, of course, to only use the side my feet had been on.

"Seems fitting for your last day" She chuckled. My eyes popped open wide.

"Oh No! It's not my last day." We looked at each other, then burst out laughing as we considered what may be ahead for me.

Well, that was the wind-down of the big trip, but we were happy that Callan and Melinda were already planning where we'd all go next year.

After they'd left, we got to work on the caravan, giving it a deep clean. Graham started at one end and worked to the other, going through our "bits box" and fixing things. With another stroll to a hardware store, we were done in time for a well-deserved snooze before Graham got his camera ready for the evening and our plan to see the Aurora after dinner. We found a dark side road and set the camera up and settled in to gaze at the sky.

As our eyes adjusted, we could see the red haze, with a bit of green at times. That is until the footy club closed, and we found ourselves illuminated by the car lights of locals going home. We thought it prudent to move, so headed to the other side of town by the golf course for a time. As always, an Aurora is a fabulous thing to experience, as you can see from Graham's shots.

Sunday, we completed our "getting ready to leave chores" and then drove to the Bundaleer Reservoir Reserve to stretch our legs. The trail took us past grass trees beside the lake, where we watched a couple of fellows fishing. It stopped suddenly at the water's edge, which we took as a sign we were supposed to walk around the reservoir's edge, noting deer tracks in the mud along the way. Clearly, we were treading new ground as there was no clear way to get back to the path. Even the kangaroos watched our progress as we tromped through grasses, following their trails as we wound our way back to the path on the other side.

We wound our way home via some small tourist towns, then packed the caravan ready for an early departure. We treated ourselves to tasty Pizza at the Railway Hotel, another recommendation.

On our last day, I took my "personal bathmat" into the shower and smiled, knowing I had remembered my towel and all the shower things I needed.

"Hah! Take that, Melinda. I'm sooo prepared." I chuckled to myself. However, the universe had the last laugh. Back at the caravan, I asked Graham

"Was the water in the men's shower a bit cool this morning?"

"Not cool, it was stone cold."

"Ours was cold, too. It reminded me of a cold morning wash when old-fashioned camping. That'll make Melinda laugh. Although I'll bet she hadn't thought that you'd be included in her prophecy of my last-day disaster."

It was time to head back to the big city. We had a long "to-do list," including our previously arranged installation of a new awning and the additional request for new vents for The Geist, and I was scheduled for cortisone shots in both thumbs. Although the camping trip was over, as we headed along the waterfront to Christie's Beach, we were treated to a wonderful sunset. Just want we needed to take the sting out of our holiday being over. Now, for two days of running around, and then blissfully, we'd head home.

All in all, it was a great trip. We enjoyed Callan and Melinda's company, the Geist was comfortable, and it was great to have adventures again. I think our feet might be getting slightly itchy again. Hmmm. Perhaps the Adventures of Phase III will continue but with a different mode of travel.

So, how did the Geist hold up over the maiden trip?

Graham's temporary vent cover

On the whole, our little Geist was great. However, one expects a few things to go wrong on a maiden trip with an older vehicle. And in my opinion, I think this was not your average camping trip.

When we got up the first morning at Wilpena Pound, Graham noticed the vent lid over our bed was gone. We suspect it blew off as we passed one of the huge road trains the night before.

I'd thought it was a bit fresh when we woken up, and this also explained the chalky dust and perished plastic bits on the blanket, the remnants of its demise. We called the Roadmaster Caravans folks to ask if they could install two new vents when we dropped off The Geist for the new awning we'd planned for our return. That wasn't so bad.

Having been slide-on camper folks all of our camping lives, we didn't anticipate the need for rock guards, so on the trip to and from Arkaroola – the front fenders of the Geist had little bits broken off at the bottom, and we had a bit of pitting on the front panel. The TV fell off of the holder; the vanity mirrored door fell off; the pull-down Screen door fittings broke; the fire extinguisher jumped out of its holder, and one window's curtains jumped out of their rails, the kitchen window screen/blackout blind unit had come away from the wall and was on the floor so there were a few things to pick up after each trip.

The window screen unit

Window with the fly screen/blinds unit missing.
The screws shaken right out - note the screw holes

As I went through the cupboards, I saw some of the latches had broken and some screws needed tightening or replacing. Several screws and doo-dads were scattered throughout the floor and in cupboards. Thank goodness, at the last moment, I'd put our big wooden salt and pepper grinders into a bag as the lids had come off. We found dominos from under the bed, to the front of the caravan for a couple of days. After the drive out, it was a bit dusty when we arrived in Jamestown; the mirror door to the vanity was on the floor, as was the flyscreen/blind unit over the kitchen window.

Graham went through from the front to the back, tightening screws and replacing latches. Let's just say our little Geist won't be making another trip over dirt roads of those magnitudes again, and Graham has a few new projects for over the winter.