The trip from Port Augusta to Quorn was very pretty as we followed the Pichi Richi railway line then from Hawker we love seeing the magestic Flinders Ranges as the backdrop. We wouldn't have minded popping in there again but that's another trip too!! It's evident there has been recent rains up here as the dams are full, there's a pick of green grass and some roads have deep ruts where they've been transversed whilst wet. We left the bitumen just out of Lyndhurst and won't see it again until Alice Springs. Our rigs will not be nice and clean by then!! Our dust suppression unit seemed to do the job so that's good. We passed one van like Dennis & Tops - the first one we've seen on the road. It's a pity he was flying along in a cloud of dust and didn't stop to chat.
Tomorrow our expedition actually begins as up till now we've been in familiar territory but it will all be new from here on. We doubt we'll get much phone service after Marree so we'll be out of touch for a while. Won't our phones be busy once we get to civilisation??
This wedge tailed eagle just sat and let us photograph him. You can see the scenery is very interesting 😏. There are stretches of bitumen along the way to Marree which makes a change from rough gravel roads. There is very little traffic so we must be beating the rush.
We were wrong again - we imagined having phone service at Marree but no - nothing! Marree is a funny town - typical of outback centres where 2 x 2 litres of milk and 2 x small bottles of water cost $18 and the fuel was $1.70/litre!!
This is an old mosque dedicated to the pioneer Muslim settlers.
Luckily all roads are open - and the area is quite green but no evidence of water along the road.
The Marree pub - which houses memorabilia for Tom Kruse the mailman.
We started the Oodnadatta track at Marree.
Luckily all roads are open - and the area is quite green but no evidence of water along the road. Just out of Marree we stopped for morning tea at these ruins alongside the Ghan line - we set up a table and once again enjoyed the flies 😁😁 We also had our first bit of trouble - Dennis's Anderson plug had worked off so luckily spares were in the tool kit so running repairs were possible.
Just as well we weren't too complacent about incidents like this as just as we arrived at William Creek, over the roughest 1 km of road we've ever traversed, we hear over the two way that a Lifestyle Camper is dragging a lead - Darryl & I said "oh no, not another problem for Dennis" - but no - when we stopped, we found it was our lead — our 7 pin plug was gone - that meant we had no electrical connection to the van!! After much scratching around with no success, Tops suggested they compare our connections to Dennis's, and bingo, that worked and we now are ready to go.
Prior to this, along the track we saw Lake Eyre South - just a brilliant white salt lane - quite visible from the road.
Lake Eyre South. 
We also stopped along the way at Coward Springs where we had lunch, fighting the flies - then had a look around at the mineral springs, a very pleasant camp ground and restored station siding which houses a very interesting museum.
Here at William Creek - which is half way between Oodnadatta and Marree - we more or less had to stop, so we are here at the caravan park - and Tops and I have done a bit of washing and we actually dined out at the William Creek hotel - quite a unique outback pub and quite a nice meal.
The interior of the William Creek hotel.
Tomorrow we set off towards Oodnadatta - another adventure awaits us!!
I'll only be able to post this when we get service so who knows when that will be!! We trust that all our readers are well and be assured, we are living the dream.
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Ps it's actually raining here at WilliamnCreek - hope we don't get stuck here 😢
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