13th July Coober Pedy

 Kms today 535                   Kms to date 4044

It was another "big"day on the road with over 500kms ridden.  I left Port Augusta at 9:15 after a chat with an elderly gent in Ozzies Coffee about the motorcycles he once owned.

Headed up the Stuart Hwy to the first fuel stop at Pimba  near Woomera.  I hit roadworks 10km south of Pimba and struggled through loose gravel, hard pack clay and soft spray seal.  That slowed me down a lot as I could only manage 30-40 kph. I was dismayed to find only 91ULP available at Pimba and was told that was all that was available until Coober Pedy.  I filled up and added some Octane Booster and hoped for the best.  The bike seemed to run OK but fuel consumption went up so I slowed down a bit.

I refueled  again Glendambo and found the Pimba cashier had mislead me as there was a BP there with 98 ULP.  This apparently was a ruse to get you to fill up at Pimba. The BP cashier advised me to use an App called PetrolSpy to find out what fuel was available on the trip.  Later on my return from Darwin, I was dudded by a Hotel in Woomera which charged me for a booking I never used, claiming that they didn't receive my cancellation.  Things must be tough in Pimba/Woomera if they have to screw the tourists.

I could see dark clouds ahead and the rain started so I pulled into a free camping area to put on my wet weather gear.  There were a few grey nomads parked up for the night and one couple from Narre  Warren offered me a cup of coffee, warmly accepted.  They didn't seem bothered about me tramping into their immaculate caravan in my motorcycle gear.

This is how the real grey nomads live  - not like Morag!

It rained off and on for the next 200kms to Coober  Pedy and I had to switch on my heated gloves.  This day was testing my stamina as I had a lot to deal with, not least the spray thrown up by the road trains and a strong sidewind.

I arrived in Coober Pedy at 4:30, filled up at a BP and found my "underground" motel next door.  I had dinner at the Ampol garage across the road.  It was run by a couple of Indian men from Hyderabad.  I spent a year in Hyderabad in 1996 and have many happy memories. The Beef Vindaloo was excellent.  While I ate I chatted to a local who had been in Coober Pedy since 1973 chasing Opals.  He had a few good stories to tell!

TV on the wall of the Underground Motel in Coober Pedy

Tomorrow will be 100kms longer than today so I'll be leaving earlier and making longer stops. The weather is supposed to improve.