COOLGARDIE TO PORT AUGUSTA

Have had a few technical issues.....
I will upload photos shortly...
From Coolgardie on Monday we drove through to Kalgoorlie where we stayed overnight after having a look around their town including  the Super Pitt

and the Red Light area - the town main CBD is suffering with shops closed everywhere...we stayed overnight at a free stay on the outskirts of town called Lake Douglas - heaps of vans and some included long stayers who have packed up and hit the road permanently - the Council takes cut wood out every Monday for the use of the campers and empties the bins and cleans the toilets at least twice a week - they must see the economical benefits of providing these facilities to people who aren't paying to stay but spending money on fuel, food and other purchases.
Don had a chat over the campfire with a fellow named Daniel -

he has a window cleaning business in Kalgoorlie but prefers to camp out under the stars in lieu of paying big rent in town - another couple there had been on the road for around 8.5 years and had everything that turned on and off - the lady of the house goes home to Perth 2 - 3 times per year and the man of the house goes home once a year to see his Doctor - they were all happy.
And then there was Ian..................well......!  Don't get me started..............
From Kalgoorlie we headed off towards the Nullabor again and spent two nights free camping

We actually did see ONE Camel!

- it has been amazing watching the change in the landscape over the past 3 - 4 weeks - it was green when we came over but it is now lush - green and towards Ceduna crops have been planted and it is looking amazing - the Nullabor experience was so different to what I imagined - far tooooooo long though!
Like all places we have visited in our travels this trip has been no different , it has been the people we have met along the way that have made it all so interesting.  At Eucla on our way back we met the most delightful young lady with the most stunning blue eyes serving us hot food from the take away food counter - she had always worked in Post Offices but wanted a change - I'D SAY SHE GOT IT - she was being paid $21 per hour - she worked 7 days a week - she paid $70 per week for her accommodation and she loved the place.  Then there was the young woman I saw booking into the caravan park at Eucla - I started to chat and asked if she was travelling by herself - turned out she had packed up her bags in Sydney 8 years ago and had been applying and getting work with outback indigenous communities nursing since then - her contract had just run out at Karratha and she was travelling through to South Australia to try her luck there - it's the first time in 8 years she has been out of work.
Then last night at Poochera http://www.nullarbornet.com.au/towns/poochera.html
 we stayed at a "caravan park" attached to the hotel

and went into the pub for a drink - another camper was there amongst the interesting patrons - he and his wife have packed up from Windsor and are heading to Leonora, about 230 klms north of Kalgoorlie to spend 3 years there panning for gold - they had their MINELAB (available through Cowra Phototronics) and were chasing a dream...and the young lady who served us behind the bar?  Well she was a qualified "sparky" who did her apprentice with another lady from the town and studied through Adelaide TAFE  - she travels 6 hours to Roxby to do maintenance work in the mines when they are "shut down".
And on from Poochera we have arrived at Port Augusta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Augusta,_South_Australia

to do some household chores including a basket of washing and drying -we are in a caravan park at the foothills of the Flinders Ranges - the town has approximately 20,000 according to the locals and we have driven around after the washing  was dried and had a little look around - the visitors centre was humming and the Port Augusta Cup is on tomorrow - the park is packed tonight with people like ourselves going to or coming from places.


We're heading towards Gawler tomorrow but not sure where to from there - I will upload some photos-it's a matter of getting to them....

Cheers