As is obvious, I haven't updated this every day as there has been nothing too exciting happening, apart from the odd drama.
Day 1 - We couldn't get the interior lights in the van to operate for about half an hour - though the power was operating everything else.
Day 2 - When it became dark, we couldn't get the lights going at all, so ate in the camp kitchen and read, etc using lantern light. Organised an electrician for 7am next morning.
Day 3 - Electric problem diagnosed after some time - problem is probably a broken wire between the van roof and it's ceiling.  Can't be fixed without the roof of the van being removed, so electrician did a patch up, substitute fix.  He was with us for about an hour.  We now have lights.  Later that day, went to get some of the meat I had cryovacked out for tea when I noticed that the cryovac machine hadn't worked properly, so I had to throw out about ten meals of meat.
Day 4 - Cooking a pasta dish in the microwave for tea, and when I went to take it out of the microwave, the plastic handle attached to the saucepan broke, the pot hit the floor and the pasta flew everywhere and redecorated the van.


So now to today's news.

Monday 16 July – Yeeha!  Our first day without a drama.  Up at about 7.30 and left the park a bit before 9.30, (in tshirt and long shorts) ever onwards towards Coober Pedy.  Today we travelled under a perfect blue sky with not a cloud to be seen from dawn to dark, though there was a coolish breeze.  But it was the weather we have been hoping to find.  About 113 km north from Woomera we stopped at Glendambo (population 30), passing by a couple of very big lakes along the way – Lake Hart and Island Lagoon, and filled up with petrol.  Saw a few specimens of wildlife today – all emus except for a few (dead) kangaroos.

We had lunch at a roadside stop where many other travellers seem to have a break, and again came across three young fellows driving a very colourful and distinctive bongo van with some most interesting illustrations and writing all over it – the main features being two gingerbread type figures in some most interesting positions, complete with long and detailed written descriptions.  We had first seen them mid-morning at a photo opportunity stop.

Our ‘home’ for two nights  here at Coober Pedy is the Stuart Ranges Caravan Park and is very nice – big sites, clean facilities, but not much shade.  They run half day tours of the area here, so we have booked to go tomorrow afternoon.  We’ve heard reports from other travellers that the tour is very good, so we’ll be able to give our opinion on that tomorrow.

Grant did his good deed for the day today.  We were sitting outside our van, enjoying the sun and a cuppa and reading – as well as having long chats to anyone who was passing by, when along came Bob, who we’d met last night asking whether Grant happened to have a 13mm spanner in his tool box.  He’d had some sort of car trouble, and needed to tighten a few connections.  Anyway, Grant was able to oblige, so the job was done and Bob was very pleased.

Today’s highlight – no dramas!

P.S. Grant is sitting here opposite me at the van table with his headlight strapped to his head reading a map.  It’s a good look.