This morning we retraced yesterday afternoons route to the Bolla Bollana Smelter ruins and there after a series of 4wd tracks south through part of the Gammon Ranges National Park. Again this was a nostalga exercise reliving past adventures. It was also the first time on this journey where there was any substantial need for 4wd low range as there were some steep rock climbs and descents. The descent to the abandoned Idninha out station building was probably the most demanding.

The first photo below shows the campground at Arkaroola. One would not describe it as picturesque.

After our 4wd experience we headed west along Gammon National Park Road to the two towns of Copley and Leigh Creek. Leight Creek was, until late 2015, the company town for a large (actually mammoth) open cut coal mine a little way north of both towns. At the time the population of the town was about 1500 and the town had infrastructure consistent with its role. Supermarket, nice shopping center, lots of nice houses on tree lined streets. Today the population is about 150 and I guess the future of the town is in some doubt.

Nearby Copley (5 km away) looks like it was the poor cousin during the mining days; but maybe in the long run it will be the one that survives as a tourist stop.

We stayed the night at Leigh Creek Caravan Park. Like the town it had facilities that outstripped the towns current population. Even the shared camp kitchen was air conditioned.

After setting up camp I noticed the the right rear tire was flat, so set about the task of changing my first flat of the trip. Proved to be no problem, particularly with some timely help from other campers with the chore of putting the flat tire back on the tire carrier.