Camped at Lake Richardson

Well, yes, I arrived at Lake Richardson about an hour before dark after shopping for fresh veggies at Woomera. Ya gotta eat well!

Approaching Lake Richardson along the Arcoona Road, the lake in the distance.

Sure enough I found the area I wanted to camp, pretty much as I’d seen it on Google earth. I’m camped on a rough track about 200 metres off the station road that leads to Arcoona homestead and beyond to Bosworth station. On top of the hill or more properly, on the high country, I have two bars of Next G signal without the external aerial.

To the south west, maybe fifteen or twenty kilometres are the lights of Woomera. To the north west are some more lights that I reckon must be Purple Downs homestead. Away to the north, about 70 kilometres, I can see the glow in the sky from Olympic Dam mine, a 24/7 opperation.

From my camp on the brow of the hill I have lake views. Yes, I’m overlooking Lake Richardson about a kilometre away to the east. The moon has risen over the lake and was quite something for a short time as it poked out from behind the cloud and reflected in the shallow, salt water.

From my camp, I had a splendid view of the Moon rising over Lake Richardson.

It’s a bit rocky for the tent so I’ve put a tarp over the pipe racks of the ute and made up my bed under my temporary canopy.

Not a tree to the horizon, except a few along the dry creek beds in the distance, so no camp fire. Had a good feed cooked on the gas ring. I miss a chery campfire.

Now here’s something different:

Away to the west is the Woomere Prohibited Area where they do the weapons testing. I’m only five or ten kilometres from the boundary.

Several times I’ve seen this since it got dark. A flare went up and broke into three lights that soon faded as they fell, sort of like the fireworks. Soon after a red flashing light appeared, traveling north, then turned and headed back south a little before disappearing. They’re up to something. Sure hope they don’t mistake me for a terrorist training camp.