Our car had signal, our phones didn't
Show 0 more photos Show 6 more photos Hide additional photos
On the Stuart Highway between Coober Pedy and the Northern Territory border, we stopped for a bite to eat, and to charge, at <a href="https://www.marla.com.au/">;Marla Travellers Rest Roadhouse</a>.
We checked our phones to catch up on communications. No signal. But our Tesla’s internet connection worked fine, showing the next stop in Kulgera on the <a href="https://www.plugshare.com/location/124922">;PlugShare website</a>. Our phones use Belong, which is owned by Telstra and uses the Telstra network, so we had assumed that meant all of it. It does not. Belong runs on Telstra Wholesale, about 1.4 million square kilometres of coverage against Telstra's own 2.14 million, and the difference is exactly this sort of country.
Marla Travellers Rest has a bistro menu, such as burgers and chips. There's a bar menu of steaks and schnitzels in the evening, which we'll check out on our way back south in a few days.
Then north, with the border and Kulgera ahead.
Charging
We used three brands on the charger: the unit itself says <a href="https://www.raa.com.au/motor/motoring-services/ev-chargin…;RAA Charge</a>, I tapped my Evie card, and the Chargefox app showed the progress. The Evie card's RFID is linked to my ChargeFox account.
I could not use the Chargefox app to start the charge, because my phone had no internet here. So it was either walk into the bistro to use the wifi, or tap on with the Evie card. I could have ordered a Chargefox card as well, but one card to rule them all is simpler.
The destination charger gave us 7kW, much slower than a fast charger, but nearly three times a standard power point. When we arrived at 39%, the Tesla estimated we'd (not) arrive at our next stop, Kulgera, with -7%. Yes, negative. While we ate burgers, this destination charger slowly increased that prediction to 11%, which is at least a positive.
Related Posts
- Earlier that day, the fast charger in Coober Pedy: From Perth, on petrol and electrons 31 Jul 2025
- That night, almost at Uluru, at Kulgera: Almost there… to Uluru 31 Jul 2025
- The whole trip, end to end: In a Tesla to Uluru and back: a 5500 km recap 11 Aug 2025
- Sharing the Stuart Highway with a solar-powered prototype 31 Jul 2025
- Road trains and a rainbow 31 Jul 2025
Report
Report
Report
Report