Day 3 Port Augusta, SA to Coober Pedy, SA

Port Augusta is, as the name suggests, a Port lying at the northern tip of the Spencer Gulf and it is one of the outlets for the minerals mined in nearby central Australia. It is also the home of the biggest power station in South Australia. For travelers it marks the beginning of the Stuart Highway so it is the unofficial setting off point for those making the trip up the middle of the country. Wadlata museum is located in the centre of town and provides an excellent overview of the geology and geography of the area as well as an excellent history of the exploration of the middle of this desolate land. Jas is concerned by the many snakes, spiders and other ‘stingy’ things exhibited but we press on. An early morning bike ride by Sarah and the kids is rewarded with a fairly close encounter with a mother dolphin and her baby at the water’s edge. We set off about 10 and are greeted by a lovely view of the Remarkables Mountain range stretching into the distance. Craggy peaks as well as numerous hills with peaks long flattened by erosion, reinforce the geology lesson from the museum. Eventually, the mountain range gives way to endless plains as we approach Woomera. Woomera is the home of the famous rocket range and was the launch pad for numerous rocket launches in the 1950s and ‘60s. Currently it is playing host to a Japanese consortium, teaming with the University of South Australia, developing Scram-jet technology which may one day propel passenger aircraft at supersonic speeds. Sadly, the museum is staffed by one disinterested soul and contains only the barest of details about the history of the place. We briefly browse through the make shift museum, have lunch and then continue the long drive. We arrive in Coober Pedy at 5:00 and quickly set up. We are meeting friends from Torquay who are on the way home after 5 weeks in the North. Dinner, drinks and many stories are shared. Tomorrow we explore the self-named ‘Opal Capital of the World’!