Hitchhiking Australia - Coober Pedy to Alice Springs
Me and Lewi, in a moment that could only be described as misguided optimism, decided to hitchhike from Coober Pedy to Alice Springs. 427 miles / 688 kilometers across some of the most empty land you could imagine. Greyhound wanted $265 AUD ($177USD) per ticket. Quantas was north of $1,000. Which left us with two options: pedal or hitch. I was optimistic about our chances; Lewi, more sensibly, was not. In the end neither of us could have predicted what it takes for two men, to hitchhike with their bikes, in Australia.
For various reasons, I ended up spending a full seven days in Coober Pedy, which is approximately five days too many. One day, maybe two, is sufficient to experience this little town. But even in a couple days you’ll discover why it’s one of the most interesting places in Australia.
The heat gets extreme in summer. The hottest temperatures reach an oven-like 126 degrees (52 degrees Celsius). Due to this oppressive heat, and the gypsum-rich sandstone which strengthens the rock, locals have been living underground since the early 1900s. They’ve created subterranean homes, churches, restaurants, and even swimming pools, all nestled safely below the surface.
Day 71, Monday 7/15 - Our stay extended into a small epic of its own. We visited and made a short video of the Serbian Orthodox Church. On our way back, we passed the Croatian sports club. For reasons unknown, the Balkans seem to have a particular draw to Coober Pedy. After visiting the Serbs, we toured the Umoona Opal Mine, wandering through hand-dug homes and getting eyes on the “Opal’s by Steed” private collection. It’s worth a watch, the video below is a newsletter exclusive.
Day 72, Tuesday 7/16 - Me and Lewi both rotated our tires. My tires—1.6 inch hybrid—will last 6,000 miles, while Lewi will be lucky to get 1,200 miles out of his—2.4 inch mountain bike. Tread life is an underrated consideration when choosing a bike-packing bike.
Day 73, Wednesday, 7/17 - 5th day in Coober Pedy. Scrolling through Booking.com to find our own underground dugout. I called about 10 places, “Want to collaborate? Social media marketing in exchange for a night's stay.” There was interest but no space. Eventually we secured a spot at Ali’s Underground Studio. We made a short video about it, helped her with some furniture moving, and she got new photos for her listing. A fair trade, all things considered.
Day 74, Thursday, 7/18 - 6th day in Coober Pedy. We attempted to hitchhike to Alice Springs with total failure. By noon, I sought advice from Jan, a man who once scootered and hitchhiked across Africa. His tips were practical and invaluable: be visible, be interesting, find a spot where drivers are slow, avoid downhill stretches, use gas stations, and, if possible, target truck drivers (though this is sometimes illegal).
Day 75, Friday, 7/19 - Another attempt, adjusting our approach to be more engaging. We spent the morning tag-teaming, hamming it up on the side of the road. Finally, after ten grueling hours, Toby stopped for us. Jan had mentioned anything over six hours is tough, and he wasn’t wrong. The grey nomads (retired Australians traveling in caravans) were particularly unhelpful, waving cheerfully but never stopping, even with empty bike racks.
Young stallion and helicopter pilot Toby was moving up to the Northern Territory to start a new job: overseer of a cattle farm. He shared stories of how he musters cattle from the sky, his days riding broncos in the rodeo, and what it takes to manage people on a farmstead. Me and Lewi reciprocated with our adventures from Africa. Toby didn’t have space for two bikes or two additional bodies. But he helped anyways. A legend as far as I’m concerned.
Day 76, Saturday, 7/20 - Alice Springs. Gateway into Uluru and the NT. Has been in the news lately for aboriginal youth crime. Many people have warned us about Alice. We take note of where we go at what time of day and so far it seems safe.
Day 77, Sunday, 7/21 - Visited two beloved Australian institutions: Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Bunnings Sausage Sizzle. The RFDS provides medical care anywhere in Australia at no charge, while the Bunnings Sausage Sizzle is a national treasure, with every Australian kid remembering the joy of a greasy, delicious sausage on weekends. The key is to find a Bunnings that hasn’t cleaned their barbecue in weeks, allowing layers of greasy goodness to build up, enhancing the flavor of your sausage.
The google map with nightly campsites is linked here.
From Alice Springs, our journey takes us westward, through King’s Canyon before arriving at the iconic Uluru (Ayer’s Rock)—a significant milestone. Once we get eyes on Uluru, we’ll make our way back to Alice Springs to relocate a motorhome from Alice to Darwin (1,000 mile journey). Darwin is Lewi’s final destination, a tropical contrast to the arid interior that we’ve been navigating. From Darwin I’ll attempt another motorhome relocation by myself from Darwin back to Port Augusta (1,700 miles this time). It is an ambitious plan so wish us luck.
Onwards,
Ian