Perth to Coober Pedy Day 8 - 20km east of Emu to Coober Pedy

Day 8 - Monday 10/6/02
Start - 20km east of Emu
Stop - Coober Pedy
Trip Odometer - 239.9km
Stopped time - 1:03 hrs
Moving average - 56.8km/hr
Moving time - 4:13 hrs
Max speed - 96.4km/hr


This will be our last day on the Anne Beadell, so its been a 7 day trip although we only travelled a short distance on the first 2 days with the late start out of Laverton and the full day stop at Yeo Homestead.

Between our camp and Tallaringa Well we passed a number of marker towers up ontop of sandhills. We found various small markers along the track stamped with the markings O.I.M.N and each had a unique 3 digit number preceded by the letter K. Each marker lined up with the towers up on the nearest sandhill.
David walked up to one and found great views from the highest vantage point in the area. Still not sure exactly what they are other than survey markers. Let us know if you know more than this.

We found the track in this area corrugated but travelling was fast over flat terrain. Arriving at Tallaringa Well was a bit of a mystery with the GPS point for the well in our notes to be incorrect! The correct mark will be put into our trek notes when we update them once this journal is completed, but it is simply by the edge of the road under a grove of trees on the opposite side to the Len Beadell marker. Just behind the marker are some camp sites.

On the final approach towards Mabel Creek station, with the track still corrugated Leah decided our lunch stop with another car sick episode. She was given dry biscuits.

The Anne Beadell track hits the Vermin Fence where there is no opening. The track veers south and you follow the fence line for 3km before passing through a gate and then backtracking the 3km back before swinging east again. This is the entrance to Mabel Creek Station and its all just easy travelling from here. There is no camping allowed on the station so plan to make your way all the way through to Coober Pedy.

It's a distance of 1289km from Laverton to Mabel Creek Station and another 41km to Coober Pedy on hard formed graded gravel road. The final 5km into Coober Pedy is bitumen.

Contrary to what you may have read in other resources about planning an Anne Beadell trip, you are no longer requested to seek permission from Mabel Creek station to pass through their property. In fact, a huge information board has been erected at the station entrance asking people not to phone them.

On entering Coober Pedy we decided Leah needed a good bath and we needed to resort and repack our supplies for the next major leg of this journey across the Simpson Desert to Birdsville. We checked into a very nice cabin at the Caravan Park for $75 and had power, tv, bath, shower, 2 bedrooms, heater and access to a washing machine and dryer. Overnight we did 4 loads of washing (many of our clothes didn't escape from Leah's carsickness).

We ate out at Tony's Pizza and had a few drinks at the local pub. Tomorrow we would be stocking up on food and other supplies before heading out through Oodnadatta and further north up to Dalhousie Springs on the western end of the Simpson Desert.

Final fuel usage figures for the Anne Beadell from Laverton to Coober Pedy was 225.5L (6 cyl diesel). We met another traveller driving the petrol model and he was carrying 385L and expected to use it all, having done the trip on previous occasions.

Another newsletter will be issued to advise when Part 2 of our trip diary is published and also when the Anne Beadell Trek Note file has been updated.