Left 8.45am washing on wash. Flat land green but little growth, crossed south end of Lake Eyre, no water – met Bicentennial Camel Train walking to Byron Bay Leigh discovered he had lost the trailer ball nut. I travelled in Morris’s car while Morris and Keddy had a drive of the Land Cruiser and vice versa. Saw a few road trains and a couple of vehicles that were with us at Marree. Stopped at William Creek smallest town in Australia. Walls jammed with Rotary student cards, funny posters, newspaper articles, etc. Wonderful concrete tank toilets, indestructible and very clean. Old model jaloppie in station yard. Turned off planned route to Cooper Pedy. Very barren landscape often lake beds and occassional creek beds marked by a line of trees. Sand dunes sometimes otherwise flat, flat gibber. Come to mining sites about 4pm. Drove into a tourist town, people everywhere. Mines all around. Ostentatious hotel desert cave a’la American style. Had pizzas at Johns across the road. Man came in doing a whip around for someone sick. Lady not interested he owed them $500. Went to see underground home joined the end of the queue which wound through a mine very unexciting then viewed an underground house with a tartar of a lady. Mines just everywhere. Caravan park very poor. Moved on into darkness to spend the night at Cadney Park. Expected a homestead but only a roadhouse. Had a fire and a light meal.
