6/15/2000: Slept in a bit, showered and had breakfast in the camper.  Got on the road about 9:30.  Another sunny day.  Today we are headed for Coober Pedy (321 km to go).  The ground is now red… looks like clay soil but is really more sandy, not as many trees in this northern territory, many shrubs, and saltbush (looks like sage).  Winds came up, saw many young kangaroo road kill—they must be on the move in the evening hours.  Stopped at the pull-out to take some pictures of the land.   Saw a large emu in the wild off of the road.  Not much for trees now.  Stopped and had a pastry for a snack-gassed up at Pimba.  About 2 PM we saw about a dozen emu in the wild, tried to take pictures but they really blend into the landscape.  Also have been seeing their eagles (dark colored bird, not as large as the bald or golden of home—wedgetailed eagle).  We stopped in Glendambo for fuel, asked about the kangaroos…clerk smiled and said they had a few penned up with some emus if we wanted a close up view…we did….fed them and took their pictures.  (2 young roos, 3 emus, and a mama roo with a joey in her pouch, and a big daddy roo).  Kangaroo fur is soft like a rabbits.  They ate from our hands.

Discovered how good orange/mango juice is, sassparillas (rootbeer, licorice cross drink), and Magnum ice cream bars.   They have huge calamari here.

Into Coober Pedy around supper time-checked into a caravan park- a space between 2 others under a canopy on the gravel.  Hookups for electrical, no water available.  Have to fill up the campervan at the water treatment plant.  Must pay for showers in the A.M.  They have water here, but using reverse osmosis for purification, it is very expensive.  Walked to supper at “Tom and Mary’s Greek Taverna”.   Back to bed in the camper.