South of Coober Pedy begins the Woomera Prohibited Area (the WPA). This area has been used by Australia and its allies since the 1950s for space exploration, rocket launches and the odd bombing, including the Maralinga nuclear testing in the far West of the exclusion zone. It’s only fair enough then that the land is uninvitingly flat and bare.
Just outside the eastern border of this area lies Lake Hart, a small salt lake with a nice rest stop well known to free-campers.
It might look on the photo as if Austin can walk on water, but this salt pan has very little water and a 2 cm thick salt crust. Like with all desert salt pans, the surface is full of minerals and salt, and water evaporates faster than is replenished.
On a sunny day the surface reflection of the salt pan is said to be blinding, but that afternoon a storm front with dark clouds was rolling in. By night time the wind increased to gusts of up to 80 kms. Everyone was huddled inside. The caravans rocked around like on a roller coaster and the sky lit up with lightening. It was really quite frightening and in the early morning hours everyone took stock: there were some torn awnings and chocks scattered around, but otherwise we were all ok..
Having had only little sleep, we set off to the town Woomera. Woomera is still under the Australian Defence and RAA management but accessible to the public. The Rocket Park bears witness to former military activity. What is still going on in the area today is a mystery. But, I guess, that is the nature of national defence.
It is now 5 weeks that we have been at the Gulf of Carpentaria in the far North and yesterday we arrived at the Spencer Gulf at Port Augusta. After all the dryness of the red centre it was nice to see the sea again! And yet, the arid dry interior is only a few kilometres from this coastline.
The town even has an “Arid Land Botanic Garden” with all the rare desert plants and wildlife. From the dunes of the park we could see the Southern Flinders Ranges where we will head to tomorrow.
At Lake Hart - before the storm hit