Our Adventures along The Stuart Highway
No time for a Shake Down trip in our brand new Crusader Excalibur Serenity as we speed up the middle of Australia, on the Stuart Highway bound for Darwin.
17/05/2023
With a fishing trip booked a year ago, at Dhipirri Barra and Sportfishing lodge in Arnemland on the 3rd of June, boys trip, we had no time to test the caravan first. We hit the road a little late today, with our Brand New Crusader Excalibur Serenity’s first adventure! With our trusty WikiCamps App, I found a free camp at Beaufort RV Park – Audas Lane to chill for the night.
18/05/2023
After a very chilly night, a sleepless one for Peter with asthma, we got back on the road early! A very foggy, cold morning at that!
Not a great start driving as Peters Asthma was not great, our stops along the way for fuel at Ararat, a nap just before Nhil, then Nhil for lunch.
Arrived In Adelaide at our favourite Big 4 West Beach caravan park, around five o’clock! A quick set up and lazy two minute noodle dinner.
19/05/2023
Peter struggled badly during the night, with breathing difficulties, resulting to the two of us being pretty tired this morning.
Lucky for us, our real estate agent called this morning. Alex suffers from Asthma, so while talking to us, texted some photos of things we needed to buy from the chemist to relieve Peters Asthma. Such as a nebuliser, humidifier and oxygen counter. When Helen and Paul picked us up this morning, we called into a chemist and bought. In hindsight now, Alex I think really saved Peters life. If we had not had the nebuliser or the oxygen reader, Peter would definitely been in trouble. I phoned Peters Gp for a script for the nebuliser medication in the morning, lucky he phoned back late in the day with the scripts, very much needed.
The plan today was to catch up with Helen and Paul, for a winery tour of the Adelaide hills. This was not to be for Peter, as his oxygen levels where a tad low,so we decided to drop him off at The Royal Adelaide hospital emergency department, to be checked out. Bad wife that I am, continued on the wine tour! Helen booked lunch at Golding Wines, here my cousin Erin had her wedding. It is a really pretty winery, I can only imagine how beautiful the wedding would of been. Helen and Paul showed me around and explained where they had parts of the wedding day. Big Fomo moment as we where away and missed the wedding. Here today we had a delicious lunch by the fire, Paul loved stoking!
Onwards for a quick stop off at a cheese tasting and Melba’s Chocolate factory fix. Calling into “Apple Fields” Orchard Shop, here I bought a Apple and Blueberry crumble, we shared at Helen and Paul’s the next evening! We picked Peter up from the Emergency Department at the Adelaide Hospital after being monitored for the day, on the way home.
20/05/2023
Quite Recovery Day today, getting the little improvements done. Such as the clothes line and stoppers to the tool boxes.
Dinner with The Kelly’s family home, ah a lovely home cooked meal by Helen – Delicious!!!!
21/05/2023
Sunday morning, moving on towards Darwin. We made it to Port Augusta with a couple of stops along the way, staying at The Shoreline Caravan Park. We stayed here last time we came through Port Augusta, we like this caravan park as it is off the Highway, Clean and feels safe.
22/05/2023
Some days are just better than others, while travelling!
After yet another night of Peter coughing and sputtering, we got on our way from Port Augusta to Coober Pedy. But not without a couple of challenges along the way! First stop for fuel, no diesel, and one flat tyre. A quick search for the nearest tyre centre, to prove that the tyre was completely stuffed! So no new ones in stock, a quick shuffle with the spare tyre and a hope and prayer we don’t get another flat for a while! Onwards for the lunch at Spuds roadside stop, for a shared schnitzel roll for lunch.
We arrived around 5:30pm into Coober Pedy, of course you cannot drive past the mining truck and sign without the obligatory tourist picture!
I called Des from the Tom Cat Hill caravan park, just before coming into town. What a nice guy, squeezed us in as the space was quite full. Driving into Tom Cat Hill, via all the back roads we where not thinking it would be much! But wow where we surprised driving up the hill, to an amazing sunset view towards the Breakaways, with an open fire burning. Driving in here finally lifted my mood, and bought me into the holiday mode finally! You cannot beat an amazing sunset to lift your soul! If you ever pass this way, stay here true Coober Pedy feels!!!!
Quickly set up and dinner cooked, we headed out to the fire and meet a few characters from Young, and a young mum travelling with a four year old, on her own Emma.
23/05/2023
Waking up to Stunning views towards The Breakaways, with a cup of tea! Moments of Living the Dream!
This morning as we just had a temporary site, due to the caravan park being full. We where in prime position for views towards The Breakaways for a morning cup of tea! Ahhhhh the serenity!
Moved the van into a site and did the chores, washing sorted ect! We ventured down the Coober Pedy Main Street to our favourite little bakery, famous for being on Backroads, running into our new friend Emma and her little boy Vann, excited with his pink donut with sprinkles!
We decided on going out to the Breakaways for the afternoon, and back to town along the long dog fence. Coming into the back of town, our very unique caravan park was in the distance.
The Tom Cat Hill Caravan park happy hour sunset was super fun tonight, meeting up with Emma again teaching us oldies a few tricks on our iPhone camera. We spent an hour or two by the fire again comparing travel notes, with the other campers. The couple with the Zone caravan, a Plumber from Adelaide and his wife. Here this caravan park only hold ten vans, so it’s quite a friendly place to stay. I loved it here, as it’s quirky and picturesque, top Wiki Camp pick!
24/05/2023
Cooper Pedy to Agnes Creek Free Camp. Travelling along the highway listening to the podcast Salt of the Peninsula, on Kenny Riemers. An old Flinders friend, bringing back old memories of fun times in our youth. Our stop for the day was Cadney Roadhouse stop, for a home style cooked lunch. Finding a curled up snake in a tank, just what you want to see at a Petrol station bar. Love the quirky stuff at these outback Roadhouse’s, for some unknown reason!
Pulling into Agnes Creek around mid afternoon, we found a nice quiet spot for the night via the trusty Wikicamp App, such a nice secluded top camp spot. No socialising as Peter was really struggling with his asthma again. Early night in our van tonight.
25/05/2023
Agnes Creek free camp to Alice Spring’s
Today we made the drive fun, by stopping along the way at the crazy Roadside petrol stations, just to break the time up. Our first stop Kulgera just over the boarder into the Northern Territory for a very expensive fuel stop. Peter parked the car and wandered off to the bathroom. On his way back admired some guys setup, unbeknown to me waiting in the car. His new mate showed him all the bits to his setup, Peter very impressed with it too! He came back to the car with a stubbie holder and sticker, and a new friend on Instagram! Who just happens to own a boat and heading the same direction to us! Then the lady we had met at Coober Pedy married to another plumber from Adelaide, in a Zone caravan came over to say hi. It’s so funny in just a couple of days on the road, the interesting nice people you meet, soon become friends. I really think this is why I love travelling like this so much!
Our stop for lunch today was at Stuart’s Well, for a shared steak sandwich. Todays quirky Smurf collection and another snake in a tank! What is it about these petrol stations and snakes out here?????
Arriving in Alice Springs around 2pm, a quick set up and off down the street for a Grocery Shop in Cole’s!
We popped into the Alice Springs Brewing Co, just near our caravan park.Really good fun Brewery-well worth a sip or two! We had a very quick drink, before Peter had another terrible coughing fit. So back to the caravan for a nebuliser hit of asthma medication for him. Of course Peter was quick to meet the neighbour’s, and they joined us for happy hour, shortened again by another Asthma attack. This evening turned into a really bad night for him, many hours spent on the nebuliser, so a really bad night!
26/05/2023
Straight to Alice Springs Emergency for Peter this morning. Many tests taken here today, resulting in Peter staying in hospital for a week to find out what is causing his oxygen levels to be so low. Emillie Thomasz luckily lives here in Alice Springs and picked me up this afternoon to visit Peter in the Emergency department of a very thorough hospital. Emillie and I then ventured down town Alice Springs Kmart, and dinner at a local authentic Thai cafe, which was very nice. Emillie dropped me back to the caravan and came in for a cup of tea, and laugh at my journal of thirty five years.
27/05/2023
Saturday in Alice Springs with Peter in hospital, I spent the morning washing all the bed linen, wondering if that was causing an allergy, affecting Peter. Then ordered a taxi to the hospital and back. That was the extent of the day, thinking Peter seemed to be improving. Of course I took him in his favourite lollies, as everyone he travels with knows!
28/05/2023
Sunday in Alice Springs, picked up again by Emillie and Shane for brunch in down town Alice. Again Emillie knows the best places around town, a really cool cafe down a laneway, called Page 27 Cafe, my favourite in town. We then did a few galleries in Todd Street Mall, which was really nice. In the Mall today was a group of people gathered. Learning African drumming, which was pretty cool too. I also bought myself an Acubra hat at the local Australian store.
Then we went into the hospital to see how Peter was doing, which unfortunately is not great. Last night he got a new mate beside him in his room. And today while we where there, his very smelly family came in. Peter has an incredible nose, and could not contain himself! We had to get him out of the room for a walk before Peter opened his mouth!!! A quick stop by Emillie and Shane’s place to meet her two cats and beautiful black rabbit. Then back to the confinement of our caravan to binge watch Bridgeton, until the wifi ran out! And that was Sunday!
29/05/2023 Another Day in Alice Springs West ward for Peter
Monday in Alice Springs for me was spent with Shane, Emillie’s partner, showing me the ropes in town. Followed by a visit to the hospital, with coffee, muffin and magazines to keep Peter going for the day!
Shane kindly walked me down town Alice, to his favourite, the Yubu Napa Art Gallery and introduced me to the owner. We had a super interesting visit, with me learning about the artists from Shane about the different Aboriginal styles of paintings and meanings. This is a not to be missed Gallery if you happen to be in Alice Springs.
Our next stop on Shane’s tour of his home town was Emily Gap
30/05/2023 Tuesday was spent in Hospital with an appointment with the Respiratory Nurse Who went beyond to help Peter recover enough to go on the fishing trip.
31/05/2023 Wednesday was Get out of Hospital Day, at last! We could not be happier with the care Peter was given in the Alice Springs Hospital, after being at two other hospitals along the way with this Pheumonia Bacterial infection, this was the only hospital that took the amount of care to recover. Five Star Hospital – who knew you would have to be in the middle of the Australia to get this amount of care! We cannot thank the doctors and nurses here enough.
01/05/2023 Best nights Sleep since we left home, decide to high tail it to Alice Springs for The Fishing Trip! Stopped in at the Barrow Creek Hotel for a quick sip along the way. Stayed at Banka Banka for the night.
02/03/2023 One like long day on the road to Darwin
03/05/2023 Let the fun begin, off to Dhiprri fishing in Arnhem Land
04/05/2023 Lazy day in Darwin
Springs!!!!
