ARMSTRONGS ADVENTURES: Cape Leveque to Oodnadatta

Called in to Koolijaman, Cape Leveque and had a coffee and to see the views , it was then back down the Cape Leveque road to Broome to fill up with fuel and top up on groceries before heading off towards Fitzroy Crossing for the night. We called into Wolfe Creek Creater , before attempting to get fuel at Bililuna, an Aboriginal community where the fuel is dispenced by fuel card brought at the store, so we ended up only getting $50 worth which gave us only enough fuel to just make it to the next community for fuel at the end of the Tanami Road. The road was not in too bad condition, still had to air down and drive with caution.
A welcome rest in Alice Springs to catch up on washing and to repair a failed viscous hub on the fan on the cruiser, it was then on the black top for a while. Reaching the oodnadatta Track with the weather still fantastic and the road surface in quite good condition we began to enjoy the many historical sights and ruins that the area has to offer. apart from being showered with rocks from a speeding driver and getting our solar panel smashed all is going well. An over night at the Pink roadhouse where fellow travellers got together around a nice camp fire and chatted about each others adventures.
We called in at the Peake Overland Telegraph station and copper smelter ruins. Built in 1872 and was one of 11 repeater stations located at around 300 kilometre intervals along the route between Adelaide and Darwin.
It closed in 1891 when telegraphic operations were transfered to nearby Oodnadatta on the newly constructed narrow gauge Ghan railway. The smelting of copper only lasted a short while due to the quality and quantity of the ore. Great camp at Coward Springs and a visit to mound springs then headed into Marree, we had another great camp and community campfire where the patrons cooked us all damper and told some quite funny stories.