The Roaming 5: June 6-7 (Day 395-396) - Alice Springs (NT) to Oodnadatta (SA)

We enjoyed the Memorial Meeting on Sunday with Nat and his family in Alice Springs, along with a Sis Lisa who joined us for the day. We tuned into Cumberland's meeting where Bro Trevor Gore exhorted on the lessons we can learn from the rebuilding work of the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah. After that we enjoyed a roast lamb lunch (thanks Nat!) and packed up.

Our camp in Alice Springs!

Lunchtime - Nat, Lisa, Keelan, Bek, Roha, Jude, Elora, Ollie, Matt, Mim, Greg

After some sundry chores in Alice Springs (fuel and a bit of shopping), we started the journey south down the Stuart Highway for the last time. Our goal was the NT/SA border, which was 289km, and with the accompaniment of 'Psmith, Journalist' and a brief toilet stop at Erldunda Roadhouse (the junction out to Ayers Rock), we made it to the border just after dark. We set up camp for the night just over the SA border in some scrub back a bit from the highway.

The kids at Erldunda Roadhouse

Our camp at the NT/SA border

This morning we set off about 10:30am after Matt whipped up some pancakes for breakfast (his favourite).

Homeward bound!

Did our Joshua / Judges reading on the way down, with our course set towards Marla, which we reached about lunchtime. This was intended to be a quick fuel stop and making some lunch, but a little surprise awaited me when I came out of the service station. While I was in paying, a fellow motorist said our van had been making some horrible noises as we pulled in, and on closer inspection Matt found we had lost 5 out of 6 wheel nuts on one caravan wheel, and three of the studs had broken!

Eek! Where's them wheel nuts gone??!

After a quick assessment I jacked the van up and took a single wheel nut off two other wheels each, so the wheel could be secured with three nuts on the three remaining studs, instead of just the one which was there at the time. It probably wouldn't have been too long until that last one snapped and then the wheel would have gone off on its own and the van probably damaged! Fortunately there was a mechanic in town, but "Errol" from "Errol's Repairs, Marla" wasn't sure if he had the right studs and wouldn't know until it was all apart. So we checked the van into the caravan park behind the Marla service station for the night, and the others set up camp while I pulled off the wheel, wheel bearing and was able to take the outer brake drum with the three remaining wheel studs back to Errol for assessment.

Pulling it all to bits at the Marla Caravan Park. Thank goodness for a decent tool set!

Three studs missing! :(

Errol's workshop

Errol's workshop was indeed an official workshop, but inside it looked like a bloke's back shed. It was messy, with a few machines around the edge, and a few solid steel benches covered with tools and assorted clutter. With a bit of a shove he cleared a space and took a look. Fortunately he was able to find some studs the right size which only needed a bit of grinding of the back part of the stud in order to have it fit the same and stay clear of the brake magnet.

Errol is a man of few words - well I should say he's a man of no words unless spoken to! He said nothing at all the whole time he was doing the job unless I asked something - not even a comment of satisfaction to himself when he found the right studs.

Errol putting some beef into it - knocking in the new studs

Nonetheless he was very effective. About an hour and $70 later we had three new studs and some new wheel nuts to replace the lost ones. I returned to the caravan park, reassembled the wheel and we decided to pack up and move on since it was only about 3:30. The proprietor even (reluctantly) refunded us the $29 we'd paid to stay the night!

We were very thankful to God the problem was spotted at Marla, and not further down the road, especially as we'd been considering the Oodnadatta Track! I am guessing they worked their way loose on the Tanami Rd, and despite the thought occurring to me a few times at inopportune moments, ultimately I neglected to recheck them once we were in Alice Springs, although oddly I checked various other things and found them all in order.

Back in business and starting the Oodnadatta Track

After a bit of vacillation and discussion we decided we'd take the Oodnadatta Track back to Adelaide rather than stick to the Stuart Highway, so we returned to the Marla service station, filled up the other two jerry cans, and hit the road.

Start of the Oodnadatta Track at Marla

The Oodnadatta Track runs from Marla (on the Stuart Highway) down to Maree (in the lower Flinders Ranges), which is also where the Birdsville Track terminates. We covered the southern end of the Oodnadatta Track last year on a day trip out from Maree after completing the Birdsville Track. It is apparently in good condition. We found it was pretty good although there were still more corrugations than we'd expected for a track in reputedly such good nick. Still, it was nice to see a different part of the country, and a gorgeous purple / pink light in the east at the sun set in the west.