Rocketman

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20120620 2230 ZULU Woomera

Awoke this morning at the backpackers in Woomera.  Continued the morning ritual by waking, getting dressed and packing the car.

Headed into the centre of the townsite and begun wandering around the various heritage exhibits.   My mission for the trip out to Woomera was to find out what the place was like and to try and find out some history about the time my maternal grandfather spent out at the facility.  I didn’t find out much on that front, but have a few ideas how to find out more.

It was a strange place to visit.  The townsite hasn’t remained static from the heydays of its earlier activities, but neither has it reflected the orginal promise of the facility – that is, to continue to do excellent rocket and space research.   Geography got the better of the site for space purposes (not good for satellites) and perhaps a different location should have been chosen.   Rocketry now seems to be a mostly known field (at least for Australia and its allies)

Like Cook, the townsite is a creation of necessity and is not majorly dissimilar to other parts of South Australia.

Left just after 11am and headed back on the long drive to Adelaide.  Arrived a bit worse for wear with a head cold  *sniffle*

Animals seen today:  Sheep
UFOs seen today:  One

Mark

Into the desert.

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On the fourth day of the trip, the road led me into the known unknown.

Trekked out to Woomera from Adelaide via Port Augusta.   I’m visiting to find out more about the place and to establish some context around what I had heard of my maternal grandfathers time out here many years ago.

I arrived just before sunset (less than an hour) and have not seen much of the town yet.   What I have seen so far, is an interesting trip into a place of the past that is still an active facility but not as it once was.  Anachronisms abound.

Animals sighted on drive: Kangaroo, Emu and Cattle

I’m looking forward to tomorrows adventure into the unknown past and seeing what I can find out.

Enough gibber gabbering, good night!

Mark

On the Nullarbor

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Day Two.  Still no signs of civilisation east of Perth.   This should change tomorrow by some accounts.

Looking out the window as we cross the Nullarbor Plain is quite mesmerising and strangely relaxing.  Watching fixed objects on the horizon dance around as the train moves is a strange optical illusion.

# of camels spotted: 3

Have suprisingly had more connectivity to the outside world than I would otherwise expect with Telstra NextG signals picked up at the Forrest siding and at Cook.  (Coverage in more places!)

Did my telecommunications geek thing and found the Nextgen fibre that crosses the Nullabor follwing the route of the train line.  I have enormous respect to the indviduals that cross similar paths almost a century ago to run telegraph and train lines.

Currently somewhere in South Australia (Tarcoola?) looking out of the window at the scrub.  I’ve enjoyed travelling on the Indian Pacific so far, less frantic than flying and with comfier seats.  I would recommend doing the journey.

73s, Mark