Adelaide to Maralinga (via Burra, Kimba and Ceduna) (29 Mar – 2 Apr)

After saying our good-byes to Max and Nanette over morning coffee, we left Adelaide for the multi-day drive to Maralinga where we would join a tour of the former U.K. atomic test site. We spent the first night in Burra, a former copper mining town, where Justin took pictures of the iconic house featured on Midnight Oil’s 1987 Diesel and Dust album. Albeit only a shell, the abandoned house has withstood the elements and the test of time to stand forlornly in the setting sun. We finished the day with dinner at the local hotel pub.

The following day, after another long and uneventful day of driving, we spent the second night at a roadhouse in Kimba. Despite spending many hours in the car, Millie has been remarkable on the trip thus far all thanks to Taylor Swift. As we continued our journey West along the Eyre Highway, we encountered many fellow caravan travellers who waved as we passed. There is a similar camaraderie among motorcyclists but sadly not among motorists.

Our third night was spent in Ceduna where our neighbour gave us useful walkie-talkie tips for communicating with the road train drivers when overtaking. That evening, we finished rigging up by displaying our UHF radio channels on the back of the caravan, getting the EPIRB ready and activating our Starlink account.

The next morning, we stocked up on provisions from the local supermarket before setting off for Maralinga where we would be off-grid for two nights. En route to Maralinga, we stopped at Lake MacDonnell (or the Pink Lake) where Justin took drone photographs for the first time. Long and dusty, the unsealed road to Maralinga left a blanket of thick red dirt on our vehicles. We were met at the Maralinga Village gates by our guide, Robin, who gave us a rundown of the tour. See Justin’s travel notes for details of the Maralinga Tour which covered an incredible period when Australian, British, world and Aboriginal histories intersected.