Tuesday:
Today we awoke to an overcast day. After breakfast we put tarps over the still wet washing in a hope that it might dry during the day whilst we were out driving. It looked like a day for driving rather than walking.
Up to reception to let them know that we were going out driving (a safety precaution up here) and off we headed towards the Nooldoonooldoona Waterhole but not before paying $6 a loaf for bread that had been in the freezer since Sept 2012.
First stop on our drive was The Pinnacles, no sooner had we climbed to the top of the hill and the heavens opened up, so a very quick but careful descent down the hill to the car again. We all got a little bit wet, but was better than coming down the hill on our backsides.
We then continued on the track until we got to the Bolla Bolland Copper Smelter, but due to the fact that it was bucketing down, we opted to stay in the car and view from withing, and take photos very carefully from the car. Would have been a very interesting place to explore in the dry.
Next stop was the Nooldoonooldoona Waterhole, James even had to put it in to low range 1st. We got out the car and walked to the waterhole (dry) and the rumbling from above was getting stronger and louder and we decided to make a quick dash back to the car (I even ran for the first time in a long time) but we all got wet as the heavens had opened up.
We did a quick backtrack and headed back to Arkaroola station, but James had to do some very careful driving in some places.
Once back at Arkaroola we checked back in and got Rena her ice cream before going down and having a look at "Ark" hedge. Mum would just love it here, a geologist dream.
Back at camp the tarps were now full of water, and the clothes were no where near dry and by the time we got the water out of the tarps, there were now even wetter.
Time to cook a cake as Rena was hanging for something sweet to eat. Whilst cooking the cake we could see the clouds closing in again and the storm was getting closer to camp, so we all moved inside and put on a movie for Rena to watch whilst the cake finished cooking in the dream pot.
Whilst we were humped up inside we hear a car pull up and a knock knock on the side of the camper, it was the owners telling us that it was advisable for us to move, as if the creek did flood there would be a 2 meter wall of water coming down it. Told us to move and move now to higher ground.
So you guessed it, pouring rain and we decide that if the owner is telling us to move we should, even though we were along way from the creek, we started to move, put Rena in the car and started the pack up process. It is amazing how fast you can pack up when you really need to.
We moved to higher ground, James put Renas swag in my seat and I walked up that way the swag didnt get wet. All set up and well the rain had stopped and it looked to be clearing up. (And no the creek didnt even get water in it)
We put the kettle on, I iced the cake and we had lamington cake and tea, I then cooked dinner whilst James lit a campfire. I was too cold and tired to sit around the campfire tonight so I went to bed, and it wasnt to long before James joined me. It has been an interesting day today.
(I would have to say that the one bad thing today was the manner in which we were told to move, we were not given any options of where safe ground was, or where we could move to, just to move and move now. The map that they provide you here is absolutely crap, and well the whole place is a bit run down, which is such a shame as it is really a beautiful/awesome spot that has so much potential. What was good 20 years ago is not good now if it hasnt been maintained.)
Wednesday:
Today was again overcast so we packed up and left the camper whilst we went and did the Spriggina Lookout drive. This was a awesome lookout and the geo site of the Spriggina Flounder was really great, it would have taken alot to get that to scale.
Back to the camp and hook up the camper, up to reception and booked out (got my Ark Up shirt) and we hit the road again.
The road from Balcanoona to Copley was interesting, the further west we got the more rain we got and the wetter the road got.
By the time we got to Copley the cruiser and camper were caked in mud. We tried to find the bakery to have a famous quondong pie, but we couldnt find it. So back on the road and headed for Leigh Creek.
We got to Leigh Creek and booked in to the Caravan Park (which is run by the community). What a lovely find, and the caretaker is a bit of a card too. Very friendly. The park is very well set up too.
Got the clothes washed and dried by 6pm (something wrong not up until the late hours of the night washing).
After dinner James and I sat outside and enjoyed a hot chocolate. Was time to reconnect with the world with being out of both phone and net coverage.
When we come out to do the Simpson we are going to do a side trek and revisit Arkaroola and do some of the awesome 4wd tracks out there that we couldnt do this time due to the bad weather. Some of those 4wd tracked deserve more time spent on them. As James said "Next time". :)
Beautiful caravan park, great caretaker, great country feel. Definitely come back to this park when traveling through this way again.
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