Day 8. Met our friends at the Oodnadatta Pink Hotel as they detoured overnight to Coober Pedy. What a sight is the Pink Hotel! Great pies and coffee for lunch, not much else here but the many 4WD vehicles all kitted up for Simpson Desert crossing. Up the track several hundred kilometres we turned east onto the dreaded Pedirka Track (72km) which was very rough across the stony Pedirka Desert and sandy in the dry water courses. Crossed some areas of extreme mud af...

Day 7. Early onto the Oodnadatta Track which was in pretty good condition despite recent rains. Stopped at quaint old rail siding of Curdimurka, the lowest elevation at 3 metres below sea level, of any past settlement in Australia. Onto William Creek for lunch at the classic old outback pub miles from anywhere. Our final destination today was a camp on the sometimes mighty Neales River at Algebuckina Waterhole. Here still stands the 400 metre old iron railway bri...

Day 6. Lazed around Marree in the morning enjoying the history of the old Ghan cameleers and railway. Visited the old cemetery, lots of Ghan plots. Refuelled diesel at $1.94 per litre, our most expensive yet! On the road again heading north, stopped to walk on the vast salt pan of Lake Eyre South. Onto to Coward Springs for a nice campsite and to wait for our friends who stayed an extra night at Arkaroola. Scenery flat but beautiful with mobs of emus and red kan...

Day 5. Left Arkaroola early to cross the beautiful Gammon Ranges to Copley for coffee and pasties. Road pretty good with some waterways to cross but made good progress through Lyndhurst sighting the huge open cut coal mines at Leigh Creek. Stopped for lunch at old stone building ghost town of Farina. Very interesting historic town where the old Ghan cameleers once were based, as well as head of line for the Old Ghan Railway. Visited the old cemetery and noticed t...

Days 3 & 4. Long drive today from Broken Hill to Arkaroola about 500km. Poured rain in BH on Saturday night so the roads ahead could be challenging. Visited the sculptures in the living desert and then onto the road. Lousy coffee at Mannahill then turned north at Junta for 300km of long sections of mud. Vehicles finding traction difficult on bad spots and picked up lots of sticky brown mud which changed the vehicles colour to reddy brown. But we pushed throug...