August 6^th

A beautiful red sunrise after the spectacular sunset.

I feel it is a special experience being able to follow a wandering track about the Nullarbor Plains. I loose my direction often and need to check our GPS tracker to see which way we are headed and to check on the track which comes out about 80 km from Ooldea. Yes, Daisy Bates lived here in a tent for about 30 years and wore a  cream dress most of her life. She helped the aborigines. What a strange life for a single lady.

 We lunched near the Transcontinental rail line. Just as I was about to cross it I noticed a truck travelling toward me. Yes a truck on the rails, going very slowly but with metal wheels to guide it on the rails. It was being used by workmen who were repairing the line.

Rosie Dock near the rail line at Ooldea

The grey appearance of the plains has a few trees near to track this morning also clumps of green vegetation. They must be growing in damp areas as most of the plains look dry. We saw a dusting of white daisies in many places..just like a dusting of snow. Rabbit warrens are evident but no sign of rabbits now. Historically they were in plague proportions out here.

Eventually we came to a bitumen road, then more very rough gravel and then onto a bitumen mining road, and eventually to the Eyre Highway. What an achievement, to travel safely all this way without a spare tyre. We were glad we had the support of Beth & John while we were travelling such remote and rocky roads.  At last we are on the way east and on bitumen and nearer to towns for assistance if necessary. 

Shortly before Colona, where we met the Eyre Highway, John was chatting on the radio to a road train driver. He was transporting mineral sands to the port at Ceduna. They were then taken to Geraldton for processing, However he found out that the truck had 62 tyres on it...a lot of tyres to repair!

We stopped west of Ceduna, not far from Colona, in the eucalypts by the road and made a warm campfire which will probably be our last camp fire together for Safari 2015.( I expect the huge log to burn until morning!)

 Tomorrow we hope to have tyres patched in Ceduna so we will have a spare to travel home with.

John & John put a log on the campfire