From Heaven to Hell in 24 Hours - trapped in William Creek

It's amazing how in a period of less than 24 hours your whole life can turn up-side-down. Last night I was luxuriating in a small natural hot spring along with a couple of naked women and contemplating a star-strewn sky. Tonight Sandra and I are holed up in a cabin in Williams Creek with all our worldly possessions contained in two carrier bags and the rest of our goods and chattels stranded in the car with a smashed suspension on a muddy Oodnadatta Track 64k to the south with all roads closed and no chance of rescue for several days as we wait for the roads to dry out.

The Farina Brothel - alas long defunct

After Arkaroola I managed to buy a new battery for the Honda in Leigh Creek and Stretch managed to get a puncture repaired in the nearby town of Copley as well as buying a new jack and a new compressor. Fully kitted out again we set off north and spent a few days at a place for which Sandra and I have fond memories – Farina. We have been largely successful in avoiding visiting campsites we stayed at during our 2010 trip and Farina was the first one we have revisited. In 2010 we had a hellish trip down the flooded Oodnadatta Track and had slunk away to the Farina campsite to recuperate and for me to take a hammer and screwdriver to hack off as much of the dried Oodnadatta mud as possible.

Ditto the Post Office

Farina had once been a town with two hotels, shops, a bakery and “a house of ill repute” but all that remains are a few roofless stone buildings, a war memorial, campsite, an historic cemetery, a bird watching reserve and the sheep station. The campsite is a real oasis set in, literally, a desert. It has green, grassy sites, flushing toilets and hot showers (but only if you light a fire under the donkey – an old boiler) Johann was really taken with the birdlife and we really enjoyed our stay there, particularly arriving on ANZAC day when we stood under the Australian flag at the war memorial and watched a glorious sunset.

Pity the pub was closed!

Al Fresco bathing

With Stretch needing internet access and Johann needing to do a washing it was decided to spilt up for a day or so and, whilst Sandra and I headed up the track for a place called Coward Springs, Johann and Stretch decided to camp at the small town of Maree to do the necessary. When we arrived at Maree several hours before J and S were due to arrive we realised that, firstly there was no internet and secondly, the caravan park where they would have to stay to do their washing was less than attractive. We did a shopping in the local garage-cum-shop-cum-post office-cum Johnny Allthings – at enormous expense – and headed off to Coward Springs.


Not sure if this was a wind up - Maree is 90k from Lake Eyre

On the way we stopped at the amazing mounds springs – strange hills with natural springs forming pools in an otherwise flat and desert-like landscape. "Plane Henge" was another strange peculiararity worth a visit.

The Mound Springs

Sandra at Plane Henge

Coward Springs proved to be another oasis in the desert. Small, with a good camping surface, laid out campsites and plenty of shade, good showers (again with a donkey) and toilets. It was the site of an old railway siding for the long time defunct Ghan Railway. Consequently everything seemed to be constructed from old railway sleepers which had been filched from the railway line. The owners, Greg and Prue had bought the place in 1990 and had spent over two decades renovating the property and developing the campsite and nearby excellent museum housed in the engine drivers cottage but the highlight was the spa.

The Spa at Coward Springs

Sandra and Johann being pummelled by the natural spring

 

Many years ago a bore had been sunk to tap into the natural artesian basin which underlies much of this part of Australia. This was so successful, and the water came out under such pressure, that much of the area was flooded within hours. The water has now been tamed and a natural spa, again constructed mainly from railway sleepers, is available for those camping at the site. As is well known, Johann and Sandra only have to look at an enticing stretch of water and they throw of their clothes and jump in – and so it was at Coward Springs. After a full day doing nothing, following dinner and a few glasses of wine we all set off for the natural springs somewhere in the desert for a bit of star gazing.

After a couple of days there we set off initially to a small hamlet called William Creek, with the possibility of a trip out to see Lake Eyre, before heading up to Oodnadatta to spend the night – but we never got there! Sandra and I set off first as the others wanted to see the mound springs and would follow on an hour or so later. With a grey sky threatening rain we set off in the Honda and managed about 20k before disaster struck – a loud crack followed by a lurch and grating sound forced us to a grinding halt. With the rear off side of the car six inches lower than the rest of the vehicle, my instant diagnosis was a knackered axle or a buggered suspension – probably both – and we definitely weren't going anywhere under our own steam.

The rain, until then a mere drizzle, was starting to get heavier and our worries grew and not without good cause. On this very stretch of road four years previously we experienced what I, rather dramatically, titled “the hell of the Oodnadatta Track”. When 5mls of rain fall the road turns into a quagmire of “claggy” mud almost impossible to drive without a good 4WD – and the Honda certainly wasn't that – especially with a collapsed axle/suspension.

"Mouse" my rescuer - who went on to get bogged down himself

Out of the blue a truck appeared and out jumped a small, wiry man who introduced himself as “Mouse” - with no explanation. He confirmed a suspension problem and offered me a lift to William Creek from where I might be able to organise some sort of rescue. Leaving Sandra with the car, and hoping that Johann and Stretch would eventually find her, Mouse and I set off with the rain increasing and the road worsening by the minute. William Creek consists of a pub, a campsite and an airstrip and has a population of about 10 – I wasn't too hopeful about finding a mechanic, and I wasn't disappointed.

I phoned the NRMA – similar to the AA in the UK – and was told that the nearest garage that could help me was in Coober Pedy – a mere 166k from William Creek and 226k from where the car was abandoned. They would have sent out a recovery vehicle – however the road (dirt track) was closed. Sandra and J and S rolled in just in time to find that all roads north had been closed, as had all the roads south – we were trapped and had no option but to stay the night – or as it turned out, several nights. We put up Johann's trailer tent in the wind and pouring rain and I, whose spare clothes were 60k down the road in the Honda, got thoroughly cold and wet. Despite the offer of sharing the camper, Sandra and I opted to stay in one of the chalet-type tin huts for $150 per night – they were actually very good.

All tracks north - closed

All tracks south - closed

The following day Stretch and I managed to borrow a trailer from the pub and, when the road south finally opened at about 2pm [for 4WD's only], we were the first vehicle to tackle the road. It was still in pretty poor condition! After a slow but successful trip we returned to a heroes welcome.

The rescue party ready to rock and roll

Loading up the crippled Honda

The long road back to William Creek

That night an itinerant “bush mechanic” [there are a few around in this neck of the woods], by the light of a torch and assisted by Stretch, confirmed the suspension diagnosis but reckoned that a bit of welding would get us on the road again – I was not convinced! My preference was still to get to a proper garage with a ramp to get the repairs done.

The heroes return - end of stage one

The following day the roads gradually dried out, but not the one we needed to Coober Pedy. We were still trapped. However, on phoning the NRMA again I was told that they could have a recovery vehicle with us within an hour and a half! I was not convinced as I knew the road was still closed, but who was I to argue? All communication was via the one one phone line into the pub. Several hours later a message came via the barmaid – “Oops sorry – a new member of staff had made a mistake. Perhaps I could try phoning again tomorrow”

So, as I type (and hoping to pick up an internet connection) we have moved out of our en-suite tin hut, erected the tent and hope that the roads will be open tomorrow.

A DAY OR SO LATER.....

The road didn't re-open, after a number of false dawns Not to mention dusks) and rumours aplenty it stayed firmly shut. The four of us splashed out last night and ate in Dingo's Restaurant which is attached to the pub – we were the only diners – and enjoyed a meal cooked by the very affable Aiden and served by his Irish girlfriend Jenny. After the best part of the BYO cask of red wine and a few beers Sandra was inviting Aiden and Jenny to visit us in Edinburgh and exchanging email addresses. Then it was off to the pub proper where the Road Crew were holding court.

The pub at William Creek - there's nothing else!

The Road Crew are a motley bunch state employees who cover this area scraping, grading and repairing the dirt roads which the rains and stupid buggers (like me) had ruined. Joy of joys they were based in a camp 50 metres up from the pub.

Some of The Road Crew

The lady cook from the Road Crew was not someone to be messed with!

They are the ones who close and open roads. Valuable people to know.

My introduction to the roadies was, as I walked into the pub, being met with an open hand asking for an entrance fee – taking the hand I shook it and told him to “**** off”. This seemed to go down quite well with his mates – and we were in.



"Yes of course I will go out with you, you are just my type!!"

There then followed a very convivial session with the foreman, Stretch and I talking about dirt road driving and Sandra being obscenely chatted up by my friend from the door, who was drunkenly celebrating his 26^th birthday, and the rest of the Road Crew – drink is a terrible thing! There are probably worse things than being stuck in a place with a pub (and literally nothing else) for a week – although the drink is excruciatingly expensive. On exit, despite all Sandra's chatting up of significant road crew members they were not hopeful about the road to Coober Pedy opening.

Then eventually off to bed in our tent.

The following day Stretch and Johann abandoned us! There was no point in them hanging around for us to be rescued so they left for Oodnadatta and points north and eventually the Simpson desert. Before they left however fate smiled kindly upon us. Rations were becoming a bit short when I bumped into a lady giving away free cakes. She was the manager of a tour company whose tourists had arrived the same awful night that we did and had had an equally eventful experience of the Oodnadatta Track. However, instead of having to wait for the roads to re-open, they had been flown out (at great expense) to continue their tour – leaving all their food behind. Hearing of our predicament, and knowing there was nowhere to buy food, she donated all the tour group's left behind rations to a group of itinerant Scots and a New Zealander.

Inheriting food from the flown out tour party

Separation - abandoned in William Creek

Johann and Stretch hitting the long road north

Road to Coober Pedy still closed but there was a rainbow in the sky before the sun set. OK there was a howling gale, pelting rain and adjacent tent was flattened but tomorrow will bring better things and we now have fresh food. Onset of scurvy has been delayed. Don't you wish you were with us?

THE NEXT DAY........

Still no bloody tow truck – we've now been stuck here for FIVE days!

Contemplating walking home

"Where do they get these names?

Bush flies on Sandra's arm - a target rich environment!

AND THE NEXT DAY .....

We have to phone at 10am on Sunday morning to see if a tow truck can get through - SIX days!!

AND FINALLY.......

It has started to rain again and the road, which was briefly open, has been closed again.