1960s Big Lap - Coober Pedy North

16,618 miles in an unbreakable 1962 EK Holden towing a 15' Viscount Van with Mum, Dad and three little ones on board. The trip was hampered by cyclones, extreme heat (no aircon in those days!) major floods and plenty of bull dust.

Past Kingoonya to the opal fields at Coober Pedy where we bought an opal and filled our water tanks from the solar still. North of Coober Pedy it is virtually no-man's land, if your car break down with serious issues here, you just have to leave it behind. An abondoned car body every 5-10 miles is warning enough to be careful.

Further up 'The Track' near the Northern Territory border we ran into muddy conditions once more and by the time we reached the tum-off to Ayers Rock, we had little alternative but to try our luck in that direction as both the Finke and Palmer Rivers had cut the road.

Photos M. S. Upton

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  1967-02-15 145 Curtin Springs Homestead

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  1967-02-14 143 The rains had taken their

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  1967-02-14 142 With the rains ahead of u

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  1967-02-13 141 Marlo Bore tank at 100 de

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  1967-02-12 136 The main street of Coober

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  1967-02-12 139 The entrance to Don Heath