From Coast to Coast

Two days' journey.

In the morning, I arrive at Ceduna to refuel, wash my car, and shop for a new (less powerful) inverter – along with many, many spare gas bottles, of course. However, it looks like it's a little too late by now, because the more I look at the battery, the more it appears to be the source of the problem. It doesn't hold any charge at all, and drops to 11-odd volts almost as soon as I unplug the solar. Looks like it's time to ditch the sucker... but it's too difficult to find a decent deep cycle battery in these parts, so I need to drive further to try my luck elsewhere. In Adelaide, perhaps?

It's still very hot during the day, so for a camping spot I survey a few locations along the coast. Eventually I find a little place next to the Streaky Bay, which is nice, but the scenery is very lacking. The beach is too shallow and covered in seaweed, which makes for an only so-so sunset... but hey, at least it's free!

A sunset on the shallows.

The tide is rolling on.

The last rays.

I take off in the morning and stop near Kyancutta to work for a bit, which turns out to be a torture. It's extremely hot (slightly past 40), the battery is barely holding enough charge to power the fridge... in short, it's not going to work, even with the new inverter. Damn. I could shop for a new battery in Adelaide, of course; but it looks like there's no point in staying outdoors anymore, because it's just too damn hot if you're not near the beach. Might as well go back home at this point.

And so I resume my flight, and for the night I park at a beautiful spot near Melrose, slightly off the main road and close to someone's rural property. The heat is stifling, but the tall gums make for some beautiful foreground as the sun quickly sets behind the Flinders Ranges. The battery is so dead by now that even the fridge can't work properly, and its sad, underpowered whirring beneath my bed is making my heart bleed.

Near Horrock's Pass.

Some interesting clouds here!

Over at Melrose.

A natural frame.

Last rays.

The end of the day.