Weird and Wonderful

• Immediately after World War 2, England felt the need to identify a location where it could develop and test new technology of weapons, including missiles and rockets. Outback Australia was chosen for its operations – Woomera to be precise, in South Australia. An army base quickly formed and hundreds of prefabricated homes were brought into the site while, for many years, researching & testing of bombs (non-nuclear charged), missiles, non-piloted aircraft, and even space transportation were the focus of attention. Now, the area and its population are scaled back, although it is still used by the army to conduct the odd rocket launch (and any manner of secret missions we are not privy to). Some of the former streets can still be recognised; now bulldozed over in red dust, and bordered off from the main road with elongated slabs of concrete. Square blocks of brick units have replaced most of the pre fabs, but many of these lie vacant in the dust. You can’t help but get the feeling that the area has been stripped; detached somehow from civilisation by more than just roads. Woomera is a ghost town without tumbleweeds.


• The central area of town, which still contains lines of army-issued housing, is eerily devoid of sound and person. Rows of identical letterboxes are placed regimentally along the nature strips, of which comprise little more than dirt with some pine bark tossed over the top. No one here owns a lawn mower – there is no grass in sight. Even the trees, with sunburnt leaves, are bent over, perhaps feeling less inclined to prosper where there are no animals or people to enjoy them.


• Woomera is the ghost of a planned community, a scene out of the X-files, where the fear of Cold War can still be smelled in the air. There is a sparse supermarket, with lanes four shopping trolleys wide (not that you would need a shopping trolley). Adjoining the supermarket is a large empty shop whose windows have not been papered over – evidently this space has not been used for some time.


• However gloomy this picture may look, there have been some positive additions to the town in the last few years to accommodate curious minds, and we enjoyed walking through its rather impressive museum, complete with a small room in which to observe a graphic introduction to Woomera’s purpose, and exhibits of original wreckage, salvaged apparatus, scale models of rockets, and even original clothing of the day. All this, coupled with many “push button” television exhibits featuring 60-second films of Woomera’s successes and heyday, make for an interesting journey, and well worth a visit.


• Just don’t peek in the bushes. There might be Martians or Commies hiding!

Woomera Caravan Park. Not a blade of grass in sight! But the loos were pristine, the park being owned and run by an ex-military man who also relished in helping all his patrons park their vans, whether they wanted his help or not.

Outdoor museum. Very cool stuff to look at.

The museum located in the Heritage Centre is a must if you are passing through, and at $6 a piece, it's terrific value.

One of Woomera's many closed streets. Modernised concrete/brick blocks of units house military staff these days, as many of the old pre-fabs have long since gone. Our stop for lunch - a pub in Glendambo.

A couple of of nights ago we stayed here, at the carpark of Spud's Roadhouse, in Pimba, near Woomera. Happy hour (half price Coopers) put a smile on our faces! The cook announced to nearby patrons that the night's special was "Buttered Chicken, but not proper stuff, just crap out of a jar. I didn;t have time to buy the real stuff, y'know carda-something" and whatnot. We declined... (and she meant to say 'cardamon seeds').

The view of our campspot from the highway. Nice and close to a gazzillion passing road trains all nightlong (note to the Barber's and the Leggas' - the road trains here are unbelievable - huge semi trailers carrying not one long load but three or more!! So impressive!!! - I'll ry to get photos...) Oh, just a quick photo of the pizza we baked using the Weeber. Bloody beautiful!