You just never know what's going to happen

So dear reader on Friday right on schedule we cruised into William Creek, landed impressively on a dirt strip, after a nice taxi and a quick turn, we'll be good. BUT no one told us about 'bull dust', soft clay that sucks up everything in sight and yes you guessed it as we turned, Jabi's beautiful front and one side wheel got bogged. So here we are bogged. Between some shoves and radio calls we moved Jabi a bit BUT THEN the William Creek cavalry arrived and gave us a big shove, we parked the Jabi and went straight to the pub for drink. (Sadly, no photos as the official tour photographer decided now might not be the best time to be clicking.) William Creek - the place in the middle of nowhere - was awash with people.
The Oodnadatta Track had been closed for a few days because of rain and when the sun shone William Creek was the place to be for a shower, sleep, meal and beer.   

Saturday after breakfast at the pub - note to Nabateans - don't ask the William Creek guys for a skinny coffee or adjust the set menu in ANY WAY, we took off to Coober Pedy. Nice flight BUT airport was not right in the town as advised by one of the trusty William Creek boys. We are stranded. BUT THEN an angel appears in the form of Jan, a South African guy, who offered us a lift into town and kindly offered to show us his dug out home and when we were ready to go to call him and he would give us a lift back to the airport. Nice guy! We walked around Coober Pedy for quite some time, now that is a place with some interesting locals and of course opals and flew back to William Creek.

With a lots of enthusiasm the next day, Sunday, in beautiful weather we took off for Rawnsley Park. Lake Eyre south was magnificent, we said hello to Marree from the air and the weather held up almost to Leigh Creek. Then things got tricky.....the trusty pilot and navigator tried to find a path through the mist but things got worse rather than better and the pilot made a call "We'll stay the night in Leigh Creek".  Leigh Creek on a Sunday is not the place to be stranded, and with no Coober Pedy angel in sight we walked into Leigh Creek.

Stay tuned for our night in Leigh Creek and an exciting departure in the next post. The pilot has the b-b-q happening at our cottage in Broken Hill and food awaits.

The Flying Nabateans
PS photos coming....