I left Port Lincoln at 5 am that morning to fly back to Adelaide. Port Lincoln’s airport is so tiny that there are only two gates and no security. After getting into Adelaide, I grabbed breakfast and was forced to take a $40 taxi ride into the city to pick up the camper van from Wicked Campers. Wicked Campers is known for their spray pained designs on their car and mine was no exception. It was a teal car, but on the passenger’s side it had an image of an egg fucking a chicken with a question asking, “whocame first?”, On the driver’s side was a skull smoking weed with the words “puff puff pass” running across the side and onto the hood. On the trunk was a brilliant quote “some days you’re a statue, and some days you’re a pigeon”. The car was 4 doors, but the back seats were taken out and the back was transformed so it could accommodate the bed. All you had to do was clear the stuff, slide the seats up, and take out the mattress that was stored on top of the car. You could also tell from the inside of the car that it was old and dinged-up, but it would do. After getting the car sorted out, Sarah finally arrived, and we began our first trip. First, however, we had to swing by the Fitzgerald’s to pick up my bag, and then go to Cole’s for groceries. At around 11, we finally left Adelaide and began our road trip.
Staying Classy
Our first stop was Port Augusta, a town where the two gulfs and the York Peninsula intersect. It would actually be better if you just looked on a map because I don’t know how to describe it. I can say though that it is close to Flinders Range, a famous mountain range in SA that was named after one of Australia’s most famous explorers: Mathew Flinders. Port Augusta is also known as the “Gateway to the Outback” and is where Stuart’s highway (the main highway that we will be using) begins.
The drive from Adelaide wasn’t long at all (only 3 hours) and we arrived at Port Augusta around 2. After grabbing lunch at Maccas we headed to the Wadlata Outback Center. The Outback Center is basically the only thing to do there, but for $20 it’s a very cool and thorough museum covering the entire history of the Outback. We then grabbed some camping essentials from Big W (like Walmart) and made our way into the Outback. For those of you who don’t know, the Outback is the vast and sprawling desert that lies in the heart of Australia. Its not filled with sand dunes like the Sahara, instead it is similar to the Mojave and is home to a delicate yet extensive ecosystem.
Our view for the night from Range View
We left at about 5pm and drove for 30 minutes until we got to Range View Rest Area. The Rest Area is a nice place for people with campers to camp for the night for free. Sarah made us ‘roo burgers while I set up the bed and went for a run. After dinner, I did the dishes while she put the food away. We quickly learned that this would become our nightly routine, with us alternating between the tasks. By the time we finished, it was 8pm. Unless you’re in a town, there is no service in the Outback. So, I read my book and promptly went to bed. I will say this though: because we were away from everything, the stars were beautiful that night.
