6 days, 1,470 kilometers to cover…..hope that bus is comfortable!! We left Adelaide and drove to the Flinders Ranges where we went for about an hour walk through Alligator Gorge. They don’t even have alligators in Australia, so the name makes perfect sense. We also made a stop at Hancock’s Lookout, but most of our day was spent driving. We spent the night at a hostel in Quorn where we made dinner, had drinks and got to know each other a little.

On day 2 we were off to an early start, which would become a theme on this tour. Today we made our way to Coober Pedy. Along the way, we stopped at Woomera, the largest weapons testing range in the Western world. Apparently, the middle of nowhere in the Outback is a good place to practice blowing shit up.

When we got to Coober Pedy, we went on a tour of the original opal mine. We learned about the opal mining process and the history of mining in the area. There is no mining allowed in the “central business district” (I use that term lightly) of Coober Pedy anymore, only in the mining fields outside of town. There are also no mining companies in town. All mining operations are individual undertakings.

After the tour we had some time to explore Coober Pedy before dinner. It took about 10 minutes. There isn’t much to see. We visited the underground church and there was nobody around so I rang the church bell. I did leave a donation though, so I think I earned that privilege. Next we went to the bottle shop to stock up for our 3 days of camping.

It wasn’t enough!

After dinner, we went to Josephine’s Kangaroo Orphanage. We got to attempt to play didgeridoos. It’s not easy! We also got to meet a 6 month old joey named Ralph. He was adorable!

From there, we went to the underground bar for a couple drinks. Yes, we had just stocked up on alcohol, but you go to an underground bar when you have the chance!! A couple quick beers and then it was back to our underground hostel.

My own personal man cave!! The closest I have been to sleeping alone in 2 months.

Much of Coober Pedy is actually underground. When mining first began, the miners would dig into the side of a hill after creating the mine shafts. Because of a lack of lumber, they decided that the openings of the mine would make a good shelter. It was also a good escape from the heat and the flies!!! The tradition has lived on and most of the residents of Coober Pedy live in underground homes called “dugouts.”

Day 3 was our longest driving day, which was good because I only slept for about an hour and a half. It took some help from the Dutch to wake me up.

Believe it or not, I’m gonna miss them when they’re gone.

They think they are sooooo funny.

We made a quick stop at the border between South Australia and the Northern Territory and I stood in 2 different states and time zones at once. That pretty much makes me a time traveler.

Left foot in the NT an hour behind my right foot in SA.

We continued on to Kings Creek Station, which is where we would camp for the night. Once we arrived, Didi, Katja, Mark and I went for a 1 hour quad ride around the property, out past the campgrounds and to the airstrip!! It was a blast and no matter what Didi says, she ate my dust almost the whole way until she broke the rules and passed me at the very end. DO NOT TRUST, DIDI!! I can’t stress that enough and yes, I hope you are reading this. 😘.

After dinner, we started a campfire and our tour guide, Andy, introduced us to our swags. A swag is basically an oversized sleeping bag with a thin mattress inside. They would be our beds for the next 3 nights!! Finally it was time to sleep under the Outback stars. Andy called it “our million star hotel.” He wasn’t wrong.

Campfire, beers, and swags!