Pulling into the West Beach Big 4 on the holiday strip of Adelaide, Glenelg, we were struck by two things almost immediately. #1 was what a massive and very well equipped holiday park it was and #2 yes you do get what you pay for, and in this case it was lots! Our most expensive park stay yet ( not by a lot) although when you consider all the extras on offer for old and young alike it buys a lot of relaxed time for all, which is what we all look for when on our holidays. Being part of a massive holiday park which also includes a resort style motel, cabin stays as well as a full competition golf course and sports club the whole thing runs for nearly 2km's along the beachfront! Our site was once again opposite the kid's area with jumping pillows and playgrounds as well TV rooms and games room. Very well looked after amenities and friendly staff rounded out a very well run show.

With the weather struggling to break free of it first real cold snap of the winter we found ourselves planning the exit from Adelaide more than our tour of the City of Churches. While here we needed a couple of parts to repair our toilet cassette in the van (oh yeah it's not all beer and skittles on the road let me tell you!?) apparently the flapper had been flapped to death as it flew to bits one cold night! Now driving across Adelaide to the biggest caravan shop I have seen, think Bunning's for caravans, we found ourselves well and truly amongst it! The worst thing seems to be the apparent SA love for intersections? It seemed to be you could only go a 100m and you were at a redlight! Not overly hectic but it just seemed to take forever to go the smallest distance. Fortunately for us the airport was only up the road from where we were staying and it also is home to a huge shopping centre. Alas after only a couple of rushed shopping trips and the standard quarterly donation to ARB store (still waiting for my invite to the Christmas party!) we decided we would leave a bit earlier than planned and head north.

Before leaving we met two more families who are travelling this sunburnt country for extended lengths of time. Both couples had young kids in tow and had both sold up and left. One had been on the road for nearly two years and the other for a bit less than us. Turned out both lads were chippies and one had just done his first job on the road while the other bloke had been working his way around quite a bit. It was good to see and yarn to em for a while as we all had very similar experiences of travelling with kids while it is also interesting to hear how everyone handles things differently. Like I have grown fond of saying to people "it don't really matter how you are doing it, as long as you are doing it".

Leaving Adelaide and getting out onto the A1 heading north the country opens up to flat farming land as far as the eye can see. Huge tractors with 40", 50", 60" implements seemed to be on every new paddock, I suppose as farmers hurry to take advantage of our better than average season. Having decided on a big day in the car, we were planning a 400km push to get us north of Port Augusta, Kylz took a stint behind the controls of the silver bullet and to her credit punched out over half that on her own. Now never being one to complain, I was glad to get the wheel back after a few hours of passing sandwiches, changing DVD's and general kid control I was knackered!

After fuelling up in Port Augusta we were happily peeling north onto the Stuart Highway when we both heard a very loud bang. Now as all of you will know, a bang is not what you want to hear while moving in a car especially when towing a caravan! We both had one thought though and that was of our friends Jim and Deb, fellow travellers, who told us the story of how they heard a bang from their van and pulled over to find their fridge door wide open and a big mess to clean up! (ala the Gall boys hey Owensy?!) Now at the time Kylz and I were both suss on the story as we thought there is no way you would hear that happen from inside the van!? However, after pulling over as soon as we straightened up from our turn, Kylz was out and into the van while I made sure I had strapped the jerry can down which I had also just filled up. Hearing Kylz laugh I soon found that yes it had come from inside the van. Fortunately for us we had no mess to clean up though. Our fridge door was still shut as the sound had come from tin cans and bottles falling from one of our overhead cupboards that had come open! Amazingly nothing had broken and the tins were merely dented out of shape. We have been on a lot, lot rougher roads and never had that happen before. All sorted and on the road we were both looking forward to a stop and a beer.

After checking some of the closer stops we made it 100 clicks north when we found a roadside stop that appealed to us. We pulled in at the same time as a couple from Adelaide and soon found ourselves set up and enjoying a couple of cans and getting the obligatory campfire going together. Now Granton and Denise were off on holidays to Broome and Granton had only knocked off work the day before, so being their first official day of holidays we had an occasion to celebrate! (Saves making one up!!?)

Saying good-bye to Granton and Denise in the morning we had planned to be in Coober-Pedy that night, but there was still plenty to see before then. Fuelling up at Spuds roadhouse Pimba at a buck sixty-nine was only a small taste of things to come for us in relation to fuel prices!? Heading into Woomera found Kylz and I both really wondering what to expect. We found a very informative display and museum that chronicles a massive amount of this very active townships history both indigenous and its military and government importance. Taking the usual tourist snaps and looking through the few local shops saw us back on the road and heading north into the most frustrating headwinds of our trip. Its ability to ruin normally reasonable fuel economy had to be seen to be believed!

Glendambo pub loomed large and after struggling along stopping for a beer and a look around sounded like a good idea to both of us. After Kylz came to terms with the hardships of outback life ie; the pub had run out of rum and the beer truck was not due til the next day, we both made short work of a couple of beers while looking around the massive old pub. Being in the heartland of the wool country a lot of the place is dominated by old farming memorabilia.

Back in the car and a few miles up the road we got another demonstration of the headwinds effects on fuel economy. While stopped at a rest area for a pit stop we found a pair of couples travelling with small vans pulled by a couple of common w****s ( commodores for those wondering ). After enquiring about the puzzled looks on their faces it became apparent that one of the cars would not have enough fuel to make it to Coober Pedy as not noticing the excess consumption they had not filled up at Glendambo and were stuck in the middle as they were about 50km's short either way they went. Upon hearing this we offered our assistance straight away and let them know that we had a jerry of unleaded and were planning to stop only another 40km's up the road for the night anyway. After that, what we thought had happened was that they would also stop there for the night and fuel up to get them through. Now after nearing the turn in for our stay we watched in amazement as the lead car slowed to pull in, the car needing fuel simply pulled around and kept on trucking up the road. After exchanging glances with the other car we had no choice but to follow on. After this time pulling up at the next rest area and once again seeing the car in need disappear into the distance we stopped and asked the question of the other car as to WTF was going on. After unsuccessfully trying to call them on the UHF (poor reception on small handhelds!) we had no choice but to follow on again. This time not too far though. As we rounded a bend we came across the car and van pulled to the side of the road with the hazards brightly flashing. After some questioning it became apparent that the car in question thought they had to get to 40km's south of Coober Pedy! Poor communication by all I pose!? After fuelling them up and setting up camp a mere 50km south of CP we were all able to have a laugh about it. Turns out it was that ladies first trip out of NSW and that she had holidayed at the same caravan park for the last 46 years of her life. Now that's sheltered!!

After a few beers and an early cold night hit hard by the mozzies we gave it away in anticipation of an early entry to the Opal capital of Australia and the World!