Day 1 - Adelaide to (just north of) Carrieton

(Kate)

After months of preparation and even longer dreaming about it, we departed home for our big adventure beyond the nest.   We left a cold and drizzly Adelaide at about 9:30am and drove off with great excitement, looking forward to some warmth as we get further north.  We have 2 minecraft mascots travelling on the dashboard - an enderman and a cow.  We don't have a name for the cow so they are called "Endy and Friendy"  because it rhymes and we like that :)

It was a nice drive through Roseworthy, Tarlee (where we failed to spot our good friend waving at us from the side of the road - sorry that we didn't see you Liz!), Burra, Peterborough, Orroroo and Carrieton.  We bought some online maps called ExploreOZ before we left, and Ben spent some time getting this to work with a GPS/bluetooth app.  There was muttering from Ben as this occurred.  LOTS of muttering.  This is a work in progress.

Near sunset, we were looking for a free camp that we have used before, when we were flagged down by someone just north of Carrieton.  They had planned to camp the night in a creek bed, but hadn't counted on their 2WD car getting bogged in the loose gravel and stones.  It was our first opportunity to use the winch, and it was an easy recovery using the winch cable as a tow rope from the back of the trailer, where the winch is stored.  We invited the couple to share our free campsite, which was on the same creek a little further up the road.  Keith the expert rememberer of geography, spotted the track leading to the camp, which the rest of us had missed.  We all had a great chat over dinner around the campfire, sharing our travel dreams and plans.  The couple hailed from Tassie, and were heading ultimately to Darwin, but planned to see the Ikara Flinders Ranges along the way.

The new drawers and pull-out fridge/freezer system in the back of the Delica, that Ben designed, and Ben and his dad built, are working really well.  They are so user friendly, and maximize use of the space. I have to say that having a freezer is a game-changer.  Usually we have fresh vegetables for the first few days, and then we're down to canned peas and corn, and dehydrated peas.  Being able to carry frozen meat and frozen veggies is a real treat.  "What about icecream?" says Keith.  Fair question!

It was cold enough overnight to wear jumpers to bed and pull our beanies down over our faces as we slept, but we don't mind.  One day and we're feeling more relaxed already.