Seeing this place in the daylight, is believing its vastness. We stopped at William Creek for lunch where a few of us put a business card or old drivers licence on the pub wall. The group also signed a Foxtrot Papa T-Shirt and hung it on the wall. Not too long after leaving William Creek we came upon Dennis, Leanne and Robyn who had left earlier due to a problem with the vehicle overheating. After rigging up a towbar to Andrew’s vehicle, the 4-Runner was towed to Coober Pedy. Some of our group went on a pre-arranged tour of Coober Pedy, organised by Karl. Our first stop was at Crocodile Harry’s amazing mine/house. He can make use of just about any old bits and pieces. We then went to one of the opal mine fields to see some mine shafts and there were heaps of them. On our way back to Coober Pedy, we drove past the local golf course, which has Blacks not Greens. The tour finished off at an underground hotel and a church where Pam, Carolyn and Barbara attended a service.
Left the homestead with bacon and egg toasties, a quick swill of coffee, sunrise snaps and back on the track to stop a few kilometres down the road at The Bubble and Blaches Cup springs to enjoy a little piece of oasis in the desert. Lunch was at William Creek Hotel – another fantastic “pub in the middle of nowhere”. The race is on for the blown tyres – Wayne and Bob on their trailers to The Bubbler, Blanches Cup Springs and Stu’s 20 Kilometres out of Coober Pedy. About 60 kms out of Coober Pedy, the boys rigged up a towing bar for Dennis’s truck with Andrew towing. A piece of water pipe from the homestead camp, some chain and shackles, some expertise from the boys, with a bit of luck thrown in as well and we were back on the wallaby track cruising in to Coober Pedy. Pulling into the caravan park, a chorus of welcome sighs of relief rang through the Foxtrot Papa group – it has been 3 days since our last shower and we were keen to peel off the crusty threads and wash the dust off the travel weary bodies. Fed the worms with steak and snag sambos and tucked in for an early night. Before tea tonight, some of the group did a sight seeing tour through the mines, an underground home and a church and finished off with a wander through an opal shop.
