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Snuuzu: the mattress made for sleeping in a Tesla
Sleeping in the back of a Tesla sounds simple. It isn't. With the rear seats folded, the floor pitches towards the boot, with a kink right where the seats hinge. Throw a foam pad on top and you'll wake up at 3 am, sliding into the tailgate, with your hips trying to escape. The Snuuzu is a mattress designed for exactly that geometry. It's a 20cm-thick inflatable, shaped to sit on the folded rear seats of a Tesla Model Y (or Model 3, or Model X). Out of its duffel bag it looks like a regular mattress. The clever bits are inside: layered foam over a pressurised base that Snuuzu call "surface-flattening" — patent pending. Honest verdict on the surface-flattening claim: it doesn't actually flatten the slope. The floor still slopes down towards the boot, so we either back the car up onto a small hill, or use plastic wheel ramps under the rear, or sit the mattress on top of our Teraglide platform. But the layered padding is thick enough that the kink at the seat hinge disappears under your…
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Our Teraglide Pro: how the back of our Tesla became a kitchen, drawer and bed
If you've tried to sleep in the back of a Tesla (or most cars), you'll know about the slope. With the rear seats folded, the floor pitches towards the boot, and there's a kink right where the seats hinge. We tried it years ago in our old Model 3 with cushions and ad-hoc blocks of wood. Terrible night's sleep. The hips suffered. The Teraglide is the fix. We installed a Teraglide Pro in our Model Y Juniper in July 2025. It's a modular plywood platform that drops into the boot, expands forward over the folded rear seats to make a perfectly flat floor, and packs in a retractable kitchen drawer and a slide-out bamboo bench underneath. Gas struts hold the rear lid up so the sub-trunk — where we keep our Kings fridge — stays accessible without dismantling the lot. No drilling, no permanent modifications, no goodbye to your boot. Teraglide is made in Auckland, New Zealand, with renewable energy. They quote 42 seconds for set-up. We didn't time ours, but the day-to-day transition from "drive"…
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Adding a second battery — Tesla finally makes it possible
When Lightning Energy installed our Powerwall 2 back in December 2023 it was great. Paired with our 13 kW Enphase/Jinko solar system and 10 kW inverter, it's been handling our fully electrified home in Emerald pretty well — five reverse-cycle ACs, heat pump hot water, EV charging, and grid outages lasting up to nine days. But as we've added more loads, I've been thinking about expanding battery storage. There was a problem, though. The Powerwall 2 is no longer CEC-approved for new installations in Australia. Tesla stopped taking orders for it in late 2024/early 2025, and as of January 2026 it's no longer on the Clean Energy Council approved list. So you can't add a second one. And until very recently, the Powerwall 3 — Tesla's current model — was completely incompatible with the Powerwall 2. They couldn't talk to each other. That meant anyone with a Powerwall 2 who wanted more storage faced a painful choice: rip out the existing battery and start fresh with new hardware. For me, that…
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Heat pump testing — how fast does it heat?
In my December post about our heat pump installation, I mentioned that one of the reasons I chose Emerald was the integrated app. It shows the tank capacity, water temperature, outdoor temperature, and lets me turn it on and off or activate Boost Mode remotely. I've since used it to answer a question: how long does it actually take to heat the water, and does outdoor temperature make a difference? Over the past couple of months, I've been taking semi-random screenshots of the Emerald app at intervals through the day, tracking the water temperature as it heats from "Low" (around 25–30°C) up to the 60°C target. I did this on 11 different days, with outdoor temperatures ranging from about 14°C to 32°C. I then used AI (Claude, by Anthropic) to read all 87 screenshots, extract the data, and plot it on a chart. The chart shows each day's heating curve overlaid, with the lines colour-coded by outdoor temperature — red for hot days, blue for cool days. We might expect to see the warmer days…
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A sandal saves the tailgate
High tech “sandal” to prevent the tailgate from hitting the wall. I typically reverse into car parks. But that often leaves not enough space to open the tailgate. I wasn’t sure whether it would clear the wall, so I wedged my sandal there, just in case. Lucky I did. I hadn’t planned to open it, but we had some leftovers from dinner out with friends, which I wanted to put in the fridge in our subtrunk before we went to the movies. It would be handy if the Tesla could accurately gauge if there’s room to open the hatch, or open it just short of hitting anything. Until then, I just have to use a shoe, or just move the car out and back in.
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Goodbye gas — disconnecting the ducted heating
Goodbye gas! I finally organised disconnecting the ducted gas heating at our home. If only we could see the burnt gas pouring into the air, all the time, and not just when the condensation highlights it (as in the photos). Pumping carcinogens and greenhouse gases into the air that we breathe. It’s nuts. It was costing us up to $528 per month to run the heating in winter. Our replacement air conditioning will be closer to free, thanks to our solar and battery. We recently also replaced our gas hot water with a heat pump. Our one remaining gas appliance is our stove top. Once that’s gone, we will save $35 per month just for the connection fee. And no more gas! We’re replacing the gas heating with some split air conditioners. For those who might say “what about in a blackout”? Note the power point connection on the old gas heating. Our old gas hot water heat pump had one too. They both needed electricity to run. In fact, in addition the gas consumed, the heating used about 1kW of…
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Putting the Teraglide shelf away (but keeping the fridge)
Finally unpacked the Teraglide shelf from the back of the Tesla. Only took about ten minutes. But I’m keeping the fridge in the subtrunk. Links:
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First Tesla service call: a new wheel
First service call for our Tesla Model Y. Replacing our loaner wheel with a new wheel. As you can see in our posts from a few weeks ago, we hit a pothole, damaging our left rear wheel. At the time, we only knew that we had a slow leak. We logged the problem in the Tesla app. They arranged for roadside assistance to come to us, in about an hour, to install a loaner wheel, and take ours away to diagnose. Today, Tesla replaced the loan wheel with a new wheel, costing a whopping $1319. I asked them to clean the damaged wheel and put it in the back of the car. In the photos, you can see the buckle and crack. I am wondering if it is fixable. When I booked this service in the app, I also asked them to fix the water in the light bar, and some issues with the steering wheel buttons. They replaced both. I’ll discuss the steering wheel buttons in a separate post. All covered under warranty. I had a bit of trouble figuring out where to leave the car. Several after me also mistakenly parked in…
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Bonang Road brought back my motorcycle days
Harkening back to my motorcycle days, enjoying the endless curves along the Bonang Road from Tubbut to Orbost, Victoria, leaving the Snowy Mountains. The Tesla handled the drive beautifully. FSD off, for some driving fun. I had to watch out for quite a few sharp dips, barely marked with crayon width paint on the road. This road has stopping spaces specifically for motorcycles (pictured). Yesterday, I grabbed some groceries in Bombala and noticed the "Welcomes Motorcyclists" sign. Before we bought our first EV in 2022, we did a lot of motorcycle road trips. As you can see from the photos from a decade ago, we haven't aged at all! 😉. I'd love to see some "Welcomes EVs" signs in regional places. My stay last night in Tubbut was thanks, in part, to the simple EV changer provided by Gippsland Climate Change Network. They are on to something!
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Misty drive from Tubbut to Orbost
Heading south, out of the Snowy Mountains, from my overnight camp near Tubbut, towards Orbost. Beautiful mist topped mountains, after last night’s rain. After about 20km of dirt road, I spotted tar, and another sign warning that there’s no petrol around here.
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Creekside car camping in the Snowy Mountains
Car camping in my Tesla, beside a creek, off the beaten track in the Snowy Mountains. It took me a while to find the site. Earlier, in my search, I pulled off onto two tracks that ended up in someone’s property. At least it gave some local kids an excuse to run outside to see what the UFO sound was I did a three point just outside their gate. I waved and grinned. A cup of tea and a snack from my Teraglide drawer, sitting in my camp chair, watching the bush life. Until the bush life started eating me (just a few bugs), signaling time for bed. I again wished I had remembered to pack a collapsible stool, to help climb into the back of the car. Followed by the commando crawl to get on top of the Snuuzu mattress and Teraglide platform. This is the highest sleeping option, which gives lots of storage space and a very comfortable bed. The only down side is requiring more effort getting in and out. Once I’m in, it’s great with plenty of room to move. Please forgive the “Tesla Tripping – after…
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The best rest stop in the middle of nowhere
Wow, possibly the best amenities for a road trip, at this spot in the middle of nowhere (in the Snowy Mountains). Seats and tables, beautiful location, playground, water, toilets, WiFi. Even has a shower and laundry tubs. Oh, and a pizza oven. Hard to beat! Gotta love the various signs on the amenities (see photos). Thanks to Gippsland Climate Change Network and Chargefox for the destination EV charger here. It’s probably the only public fuel source (of and kind) for over 100km. There are no shops or food outlets here. Fortunately, I grabbed some supplies when passing through Bombala and Cooma, over the past few days. Instant kitchen: pop the Tesla tailgate, pull out the Teraglide drawer and table, flip up the lid to reveal the fridge in the sub trunk. After a couple of hours to eat and chill, off to find a campsite for the night, nearby along the river. I’ll come back in the morning to use the shower.
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A creekside lunch in Delegate
Creekside stop in Delegate. Pop the tailgate, pull out the kitchen drawer and dining table, grab some sustenance from the fridge. Chilling in the shade, on my collapsible camp chair. Nice. Right next to a camp site, complete with amenities. I need to find a campsite for tonight, but I’ll go further south west.
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Across the high plains of the Snowy Mountains
Heading further across the high plains in the Snowy Mountains. Not a lot of trees around, but a few wind turbines and windmills, not bothering the livestock or mobs of kangaroos.
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No petrol in Dalgety, but plenty of power points
No petrol, no worries. The small town of Dalgety has no working petrol station. The last working bowser I passed yesterday was about 50km away in Cooma, along with the nearest fast EV charger. But Dalgety does have hundreds of power points, including the powered camp sites at Snowy River Holiday Park. I could have used any one of them to fill up my car. It’s a beautiful spot. I car camped there last night. This morning, I pushed the Teraglide kitchen drawer back in, pressed the Deflate button on my Snuuzu mattress, flipped back the top (pictured), and moved the drivers seat back into my preferred position by hitting the Restore button in the Tesla. Super quick transformation, ready to drive on to the next camp site today.
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A laundry line in the Tesla's frunk
DIY laundry line, in the Tesla’s “frunk”. After my morning shower, the sun started to blaze near the front of the car. Perfect opportunity to set up a laundry line. A couple of suction cups have been very versatile, for quick adaptations, like this. I also washed off the previous day’s bugs from the windscreen, using the small squeegee that lives in the subtrunk.
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I wish my Model Y had V2L
I wish my Tesla Model Y had a power point, where I could plug in my induction stove to make breakfast 😞. What I need is “V2L”, which stands for “vehicle to load”. Unfortunately, my Tesla Model Y RWD does not have it. This omission almost made us switch to BYD, Kia, Xpeng or one of the many other EV car brands that provide V2L. Tesla’s CyberTruck, new Model YL, and Model Y Performance all reportedly now provide V2L. The Cybertruck has built in power points. The other two require an adapter plugged into the charge port. I can only hope that in the near future Tesla offers some retrofit option for my car. In the mean time, I just have to find a power point, in order to cook. If I had booked a powered site at this location, that would work fine. This morning, I just used the camp kitchen. My car’s massive (by camping standards) 60kWh battery provided air conditioning all night, and has run my camp fridge non stop, via the 16V outlet. It powers other mod cons, such as the lights, wireless…
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Breakfast routine, Tesla-style
Good morning! Time for breakfast, after a great night’s sleep in the Tesla. “Siri, open Tesla boot”. The tailgate opens to reveal a beautiful day, beyond my bare feet. Breakfast mode: 1. Pull out the Teraglide drawer and table. 2. Flip open the Teraglide rear lid. It’s assisted by gas struts, so it’s easy to lift and stays up, even with bedding on top of it. 3. Open the fridge in the subtrunk to get brekky supplies. This morning, that’s eggs, butter and milk. 4. Use the kitchen drawer bits to crack and whisk the eggs, add milk, soak some bread, ready to make French toast. 5. Stroll over to the camp kitchen. Fry the toast and boil some water for my thermos. Return to the Tesla. Enjoy my French toast, with a cuppa tea, overlooking the Snowy River. Nice.
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Photo op in Bredbo, campsite hunt in Cooma
Photo op in Bredbo, before stopping in Cooma to figure out where to camp tonight. On the way, I used the Tesla’s navigation to search for “campground” and similar. One option was The NRMA park in Jindabyne. I tapped the phone icon, to make a call. Handy to do it all from the car’s controls. Unfortunately, all their powered and unpowered sites were booked for tonight. This looked like a job for WikiCamps. Since Tesla doesn’t support Apple CarPlay, I needed to pull over to use my phone. Whenever parking, I aim to charge, so I don’t lose any time. So, I pulled into the new-ish Tesla Superchargers in Cooma. This is the second site in Cooma, with more chargers and faster speed. But the only service nearby seemed to be KFC (again 🤔). No matter, I just wanted time to access my phone. Snowy River Holiday Park looks great. I rang them, gave them my ETA, entered it into the navigation, added Cooma Coles as the first destination, so I could grab some supplies. Cooma Coles also has Tesla…
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Sleeping in the Tesla — does it fit?
Sleeping in the Tesla, on a Snuuzu mattress, on a Teraglide platform. The obvious question: can I fit? Short answer: plenty of room to sleep, rollover, look at the sky, out the window, or my phone. I never banged into the glass or support arch. But, getting in is a bit tight. I had to shuffle through, like a recruit in a commando course. I also forgot to pack a collapsible stool, to step onto, high enough at the back to crawl in. The Snuuzu mattress is super comfortable. It has a few layers of foam, supported by an inflatable layer. With the back seats down, the Tesla floor slopes down towards the back, with a kink where the seats hinge. This makes sleeping uncomfortable, and slides the occupants slowly down to the boot. One way to rectify this is to add a slightly elevated floor, that is truly horizontal. That’s where the Teraglide platform comes in. Teraglide also has a basic model, without the drawer, that isn’t as high as ours. And there are car mattresses that aren’t as thick as…
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Dinner by the Snowy River
Dinner next to the Snowy River. I grabbed soup and butter from the fridge in the sub trunk. Heated the soup and toasted bread at the camp kitchen. Enjoyed the simple meal as the sun set, listening to the river. Happy place. My 35L Kings fridge is in the sub trunk. It’s powered by the car’s 16V supply, with an outlet available in the boot and driver’s console. The 16V in turn is powered by the car’s massive 60kWh battery. No need to run an engine, with noise and fumes, to keep it going.
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Setting up the Teraglide bed in the Model Y
Setting up the Teraglide platform and Snuuzu mattress in the Tesla Model Y. Steps: 1. Folded back seats down, using the buttons in the Tesla. 2. Slid the interleaved top of the Teraglide platform onto the folded down rear seats. 3. Moved the front seats forward. 4. Unfolded the top hinged bit of the Teraglide. 5. Clipped on the side supports of the Terglide, near the doors. 6. Placed the Snuuzu mattress bag on the Teraglide platform. 7. Unzipped the bag, unrolled the Snuuzu mattress. Unclipped the mattress and opened it up flat. 8. Pressed the `Inflate` button on the mattress. Waited a minute for it to finish, then turned it off. 9. Added bed linen, blanket and pillow. Gotchas: 1. Teraglide (the business) had warned me, after seeing earlier photos of my installation a few months ago, that I had neglected to strap down the front of the Teraglide. With this in mind, I brought along the supplied straps, but I hadn’t yet installed them. When I fully extended the kitchen drawer without…
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Just me, the Tesla, and brown snakes
Just me, the Tesla, and some brown snakes, along Lake George, near Canberra, on the way to The Snowy Mountains.
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A quick stop at Erina Fair
A quick shop at Erina Fair, on the NSW Central Coast, before heading south to The Snowy Mountains, where I will car camp tonight.
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A tea break on the Great North Road
Along the Great North Road to Wollombi, driving Mum home to Cessnock. Stopping for a cup of tea and a snack. Instant kitchen and dining, using the Teraglide.
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Packed and ready for 2000 km, with Mum
All packed for another 2000km, from Emerald Victoria to Cessnock NSW, and return. I’m driving Mum to NSW after spending Christmas in Victoria with us. Then I’m driving back home solo, car camping along the way. I’ve installed the Teraglide kitchen drawer and bed platform. The Snuuzu mattress is ready to unfurl.
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What to ask for in a battery installation
I suggest getting your installer to agree in writing that your battery installation will include: 1. Remote control via an app and/or website to monitor your battery and house power. 2. During a grid outage, the battery should provide backup for everything you need. 3. During a grid outage, solar continues to provide power. 4. The ability to curtail export of power to the grid when pricing is negative. 5. Compatibility with Amber Electric, if you might want to use them as your energy retailer. Let’s look at each in detail: 1. Using an app or website, you can: 1. Monitor power in and out of your battery, house and grid connection, instantaneous, daily and historical. 2. At any time, set your battery to a minimum charge percentage. 2. In the event of a grid outage: 1. The battery will switch over automatically. The installer should test it and show you. 2. The battery will power all of your home, up to the battery’s maximum power (which should be at least 5kW). 3. If you have three…
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Solar, battery and electrification — series intro
A few neighbours and friends have asked us lately for advice about solar panels, house battery, EVs etc. Here’s our real life experience, starting a series of posts on different topics. We installed solar and battery when we moved into our house (Emerald, Victoria) about two years ago. We already had an EV (electric car). This week, we finally got around to replacing our gas hot water with an electric heat pump. Next month we’re replacing our gas ducted heating with a multi head split air conditioning system. Overall, our solar and battery provide more electricity than we use. We’re also connected to the electricity grid so we can import when we need more, or export when we have a surplus. We aim to produce all the power that we need. On the rare times that we import electricity from the grid, our retailer bills us. More often, we export our surplus electricity to the grid, for which they give us a credit. Overall, we have more credit than debits, so we don’t have to pay anything. All…
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Heat pump installation
We finally got around to installing a hot water heat pump, to replace our gas hot water system. We were paying about $40 per month for our instant gas hot water (plus $40 connection fee). Now we’re paying nothing, because the heat pump is just using our excess solar power. Without solar, I estimate it would be costing us $8 per month to power it from the electricity grid. There are a few incentive schemes around to replace gas (or other old inefficient systems) with a heat pump. An installer will factor these into their quote. The subsidies can be significant. In our case, the total price was $4480, but it was reduced to $1650 for us to pay, after subsidies were subtracted. A hot water heat pump uses the same principle as an air conditioner (which is also a heat pump). It “pumps” heat from one side to the other. In this case, it pumps heat from the outside air into the tank of water. The basic physics is that when you compress air in a confined space, it gets hot, and when you expand…
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Silo art on the Mallee Highway home
August 10-11: We initially stumbled upon some silo art, then looked for more, on our way home from South Australia, starting along the Mallee Highway. Amazing.
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Last overnight stop, in Sea Lake
Part way through one of the Silo Art trails, yesterday, the sun was setting, so we booked a room at the next town, at the Sea Lake Motel. This is our final overnight stop before driving the remaining 450km to home, today. Last night, almost everything in this small town was closed. The motel stocks refrigerated meals in a vending machine, for people like us stopping in at the last minute. Great idea. We chose a curry, microwaved it in our room, but then realised that the used by date on the two packets was months ago, even though the used by date on the outer packet was fine. We decided not to risk it, and happily made a picnic tea out of our car travel food. We informed the host, just so they knew. It’s the fault of the food company, not the host.
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Bakery breakfast, and a coal-fed NRMA charger, in Wycheproof
Breakfast and coffee stop at this enticing bakery in Wycheproof. Nice place. The NRMA charger up the road conveys “welcome”. The banners on the fence next to it imply “as long as your electricity comes from coal or gas”, perhaps. Let’s Google it: https://www.google.com/search?q=wind+turbines+generate+intense+electromagnetic+radiation+true+or+false
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The world's smallest mountain?
I think I saw a sign on the way in: “The world’s smallest mountain”. It’s 42m above the surrounding terrain, and only 147m above see level. But, it still gives a good view of the surrounding countryside.
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The last Anzac slice, near Bendigo
Our last piece of Anzac slice lasted until the last day of our road trip. Range anxiety – averted. Just passed Bendigo, this view over the “valley of a thousand hills” seemed appropriate.
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Tesla to Uluru: an 8000 km recap
July 23 - August 11: We drove to the centre of Australia in an EV. Using the shortest range EV that Tesla currently builds. If you like a long drive, the scenery is spectacular and sprawling. Wandering the sand dunes and spiniphex plains is very peaceful. Sunsets and Uluru are otherworldly. The charging infrastructure in Australia is getting better, but the drive up the Stuart Highway isn’t quite there yet. Thanks to RAA / Chargefox and The NRMA for your work so far on chargers along the Stuart Highway. We need improved reliability. We luckily dodged a few outages. Pimba lost power for a couple of days that made the EV charger unusable, but it fortunately worked during our time there. Glendambo (between Pimba and Coober Pedy) has only a 7kW charger that runs off the town’s diesel generator, and would not initially start, both times we passed through. The NRMA charger at Eldunda Roadhouse, in Ghan, died a couple of days after we visited. But, there’s almost always a plan B for an EV.…
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From the Barossa to a Singapore chat in Tailem Bend
We plotted a rough course from the Barossa Valley towards home. First stop at Palmer Lookout, then Tailem Bend, home of a raceway and drag strip, I believe, for “the best coffee in Tailem Bend” from Revival Cafe. At the Tesla super chargers, a couple from Singapore chatted to us about travelling. They hired their Tesla Model Y in Melbourne, drove through South Australia, and are next headed to Sydney in NSW. They have previously hired an EV from Perth and driven down to around Esperance. I told them I’d post their photo to encourage Australians to road trip in EVs in their own country.
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Lunch at Demi's Kitchen in Pinnaroo
We took the Mallee Highway to exit South Australia, stopping in Pinnaroo for lunch. Country town, after 2pm, on a Sunday, not much was open. Typing “lunch” into the iPhone’s Maps app, and filtering for “Open Now”, showed Demi’s Kitchen, a few blocks from the center of town. Time for a wander, through the town green. Cute food truck style caravan in her front garden. We took our “super veggie fried rice” and “curry vegetable dumplings” down the road to the Pinnaroo Wetlands park, around the corner from the tractor dealership. All in all, a pretty nice town. Glad we had the chance to explore.
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A sixties throwback at the Lyndoch Motel
Our home for a couple of nights at The Lyndoch Motel, in the Barossa Valley. Super cute sixties retro theme. The plumbing might need an update, however. We hear the neighbour’s drain through our own. White sneakers from the frunk still have a shade of red earth from the outback.
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Lunch at Maggie Beer's Farm Shop
Lunch and a stroll at Maggie Beer’s Farm shop in The Barossa Valley.
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Numb Skulls at the Barossa Sculpture Park
We were exploring the Barossa Sculpture Park, when randomly the Variety Bash cars turned up, including the “Numb Skulls” with the skulls on the boot, whom we met a week ago in Glendambo, on our way to Uluru. Big country, small world.
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Topped up in Glendambo — return trip
Having topped up in Glendambo (see our previous post), we finally made it to Pimba. “Let’s check out Woomera first” – so we turned left and kept driving. The “Pimba” showcase sign featured a train crossing. Living up to the promise, we were immediately stopped at the rail crossing by a long freight train headed south along the Ghan line. At about this point we thought we maybe should have charged up before going exploring, but 10% seemed fine. We followed the GT to overtake the road train, and then turned off into Woomera. We did a lap of the town, with a stop by the rockets and relics of years gone by. This used to be an active RAAF base, with a mixed history of rocket testing and sadly affected lives from radiation exposure. We only saw about three people in the town. We headed back to Spud's Roadhouse in Pimba, plugged into the RAA/Chargefox fast charger, used the facilities, bought a chocolate bar, drank some tea, then decided to keep driving, to stay in Port Augusta tonight.
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Green lawns and EV chargers at Port Augusta
Leaving the outback behind, we stayed last night at the Standpipe Golf Motor Inn, in Port Augusta. This is the first green lawn we’ve seen in many days. Part of the reason we picked this place is because their online profile says it has EV chargers on site. In our booking comment, we mentioned that we’d want to use the EV charging, since that often helps a host allocate a nearby room. Shortly after, they rang us to say that the chargers were out of action. According to PlugShare, they’ve been offline for a long time. Please get them fixed or remove the listing from your booking profile. In the morning, we crossed the river to the esplanade to grab some breakfast supplies. While parked, we plugged into the RAA/Chargefox EV charger. Very convenient, next to the shops and foreshore, Moreso than the Tesla chargers up the road, which we used last time. We also gave a brief interview to Nick from Yahoo News Australia, about our recent EV charging experience in the outback. I hope the…
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Hatch-breakfast on the way to the Barossa
Port Augusta to Barossa Valley, stopping for a late breakfast from the hatch of the car. The fridge is conveniently located with butter for our croissants and milk for our cereal. The mountains to the west looked interesting, so we diverted off the main road through endless green fields. Such a contrast to the endless red earth from a few days ago.
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A late lunch at Monkey Nut Cafe
Late lunch at the Monkey Nut Cafe (Kies Winery) in the Barossa Valley. Kitchen had closed so we had to make do 😉 with a grazing board, coffee and scones, all to share. Very friendly staff. Beautiful place. The age old battle of cream first vs jam first, continues.
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Dinner at The Lord Lyndoch, in The Barossa Valley
Dinner at The Lord Lyndoch, in The Barossa Valley. Charging: Oh, look, they have EV chargers in the car park. Let’s plug in while we’re having dinner. What a great idea. Thank you RAA/Chargefox.
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Vineyards from the Monkey Nut Cafe
At Monkey Nut Cafe, in the Barossa Valley, with endless vineyards in the background.
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A wary dusk drive into Port Augusta
In today’s drive, from Coober Pedy, this was the final leg from Spud's Roadhouse, Pimba, south to Port Augusta. We normally avoid driving at dusk, due to animal activity on the roads. We spotted many sheep along the road from unfenced properties, and a couple of cows. Just as we were leaving Pimba, a kangaroo jumped out on the other side and stared at us. It was the only alive kangaroo we’ve seen out here this trip, probably because we don’t usually drive in the twilight hours. The sunset put on its usual glorious display, tempting me to stop to take photos, but we drove on. A police car pulled over a speeder heading north. Might have saved their life, or at least a wrecked car. We drove on slowly, far behind a road train. I wasn’t game to overtake into possible oncoming wildlife. We had the Tesla on Autopilot, so it drove while we watched for movement on the sides. The maximum follow distance setting is 7 (as in the photo), but that’s too close at speed, or behind a truck that can…
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Stuck in Glendambo with the local hero (Chris)
As you can probably tell by the first photo of the local hero (Chris) resetting the EV charger, we stayed a lot longer in Glendambo than we had planned. Similar problem, now on our way south from Coober Pedy, as we had a week ago during our trip north.
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Breakfast under Kata Tjuṯa
Kata Tjuṯa is even more huge than Uluṟu. You can tell from the relative size of each in the distance from each other. But, of course, Uluṟu is one whole rock. We set up breakfast out of our camp fridge and bags, at Kata Tjuṯa. We didn’t see any of the dingos, warned by the signs. Then a few short walks. One of the other visitors had just driven from WA, and asked where the next petrol station was. I laughed and told him that of all the people he could have asked, I was probably the least suitable, driving an electric car. But I happened to know that there is one back at Yulara, about 40km away. He seemed relieved that was less than the fuel range he had remaining. We discussed the high cost of fuel out here, at around $3 per litre. He asked about our electric car. I mentioned that I’d noticed that the toilet block in the car park had a power point, next to the hand dryer. In an emergency, I could probably use that, powered by the solar on the roof and I think backup diesel generator.…
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Walking the shaded trails of Uluṟu
August 2,3: Even though it’s fairly cool now, in winter, the sun can still pack a punch. This waterhole is understandably sacred to the traditional owners, being a water oasis in the desert. The walking trails are closed if the temperature hits 36°C. Most walking trails seem to have heat warnings, shaded seats and water supply near the entrances. While we were out walking, I set the Tesla to enable cabin overheat protection, and lowered the threshold to 30°, because I had some perishables in the car.
Formerly: Tesla Tripping
Come along on our EV road trips around Australia and Europe, and follow as we progressively electrify our home in Emerald, Victoria.
Join us on the road. We set off in late 2022 and drove eastern Australia in our Tesla Model 3 — Sydney, Dubbo, Armidale, Brisbane, Cape Tribulation, then down through Queensland and back. We've since upgraded to a Model Y.
We've kept exploring — Uluru, the Snowy Mountains and Gippsland, and a longer run through Europe in 2024. There's plenty more on the map, so come along for the next leg.
At home in Emerald, in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges, we're progressively electrifying everything: rooftop solar, a home battery, a hot water heat pump, air conditioned heating and cooling, and EV charging straight from the sun. We're going fully electric, off the gas.
Got questions, or insights of your own? We'd love to hear them — please drop a comment on any post.