From a gravel pit 32 km south of Moomba gas plant to the new KJM desert hotel motel was a straight forward ride.

Moomba gas plant was plonked in the desert like a set from a Mad Max movie. The environmental management of the gas field is very good. Very little is visible from the road with only small, well maintained tracks disappearing over the dunes (the dunes run north-south and the road basically tracks between them) to the wells, compressor stations and so on.

The next surprise was the KJM hotel – a 180 bed donga (demountable hut) hotel/motel with camp mess, huge bar, truck and machinery parks and etc all hidden behind a sand dune 30 km south of Innamincka. The plan apparently is to expand to 540 beds in time for the next gas and oil boom of which the first glimmers are starting to show now.

When I turned up there were 3 hotel workers (cook, cleaner, bar manager) and 6 workers there.

The lure was too much; I laid down my $120 for a single bed en suite room, free laundry, dinner, lunch and breakfast all you can eat. Great.