Day 30
Filled up on something called Opal fuel, which is a replacement for unleaded used in Aboriginal reserves. This was introduced so as to stop the locals sniffing leaded or unleaded fuels as it lacks the chemical that they become addicted to. It certainly wasn't any cheaper than unleaded as we hit the $2 per litre mark for the first time.
As we have been driving along, we would sometimes see a stick, part of a blown out tyre or an old fan belt along the side of the road and one of us would say, "was that a snake"? Which would be followed by a U turn to go back for a better look only to find the inanimate object. Today however, we both said "that was definately a snake". After the obligatory U turn we watched it disappear over the opposite bank at the side of the road and think it was a Yellow-Bellied Black Snake. Upon further study, aparently only the females are venomous although neither of us were prepared to venture from the safety of the car to determine the sex!
Also saw quite a few wild camels on the road which was reading are becoming an ever-increasing destructive force on the vegetation. Originally brought over with their Afghan handlers and used to build the Indian Pacific and 'Ghan' railway lines the camels were released into the wild and now their numbers are now estimated at 900,000. Talking to some people in the campsite tonight who are working of upgrading the runways of remote towns (used by the Royal Flying Doctors) and part of this is erecting camel fences.
The Aboriginal reserve we are staying in we just found out is an alcohol free zone, oops, let's how they don't check our coolbox!
About halfway through out drive today we fuelled up at a place called Warburton. When we arrived at roadhouse we are staying at tonight, were told that it was all kicking off at Warburton with aboriginals fighting each other! That explains the police cars we met on the road, aparently a helicopter sent from Kalgoorlie as well, almost 900km away. Lucky we didn't stay there tonight.
Quite a hard road to drive on, lots of ruts and build up of sand and gravel as well as a few shallow water crossings and corrugations. It has only just opened to trucks and we passed a few bogged in a wet patch.
Passed through the Gibson Desert and the Central Ranges.
Overnight: Warakurna Roadhouse
Distance: 570km