Fun Fact #3 Border

We always thought South Australia’s border was straight, like we all draw it.......

But it has a kink in it ........

Abc.net.au

The border is part of a 70 year battle south of the Murray. It was supposed to run a long the 141st meridian line of longitude. But longitude is measured on GMT and watches were not that great in the 1800s.  The result was a 3.6 km gap where the borders were meant to have met. Longitude was determined for Fort Macquarie, in Sydney hence a 2 minute discrepancy  compared to Victorias calculations.

Our 3rd night on the Murray R

The photo speaks for itself, Plushs Bend near Renmark, very secluded camp spots and not another Van in sight.

The Murray, Whyalla’s only hope.

The Murray is a green oasis meandering through a very dry and harsh landscape. Select parts have been cultivated and irrigated for orange and grape growing, but the majority of the land is high, parched and overlooks the river as it flows through the gorges.

The Murray is piped 357km to Whyalla and the northern Eyre Peninsula.  I found the No1 pump station in Morgan which was built along with the pipeline in the 1940s, this is the start of the line supplying Whyalla’s life blood. The second line was completed in 1967.

Mannum on the Murray R

Our view this morning after a day yesterday exploring Murray Bridge and Mannum, our first stop on the Murray back to Finley. Grand olde Paddle Steamers come by all day.

Murray Bridge

Adelaide Highlights

We loved Adelaide. It felt like a huge country town not a bustling city. It has a great coastline of beaches, and the CBD is surrounded by parkland on all sides. Easy to get around and no problems towing the van.  We had a lovely 3 nights on the beach at West Parks Holiday Park.

It was a favourite holiday spot of Michelle’s family in the 60s, so a bike ride to Glenelg and a visit to Semaphore..Georges Flats (now a private residence) were a must, as well as a day exploring the city.  Many of the city residential suburbs have fabulous turn of the century stone homes, and leafy streets. Very pretty.

Georges Flats, now and then

Taking Time Out

We are learning that it is okay if we don’t see everything, and it’s about finding a balance.

Whilst back in Strathalbyn we were hoping to do a lot of sightseeing in the Adelaide Hills as our pets are use to being home alone each day during working hours, and it is in my nature to make sure we see and experience as much as we can.  In particular I wanted to see Heysen’s homestead in Hahndorf not far from us. But we had the caravan trailer serviced, got back into our routine of morning jogs, gave the van a spring clean, caught up on washing and spent time walking with and chilling with the pets, Cobi, Jessie and Jasper. There is still a fruit cake and a few dinners to make for our next week and do some planning for the next 3 months.

So today instead of Handorf and Mt Lofty Lookout at Crafers we went to Mt Barker and watched the Avengers Endgame movie - totally have loved the series, and sat up on Mt Barker Summit and ate KFC, and felt gratitude for all we do get to see.  It was like giving ourselves permission to just be everyday people and not travellers for a week.  Having said that, we are keen to start packing the van back up on Friday, ready to say goodbye to our pets and follow the Murry R east over the next week.

Dr Who in Strathalbyn!

We are back in Strathalbyn for 8 nights on a house sitting assignment.  Whilst out walking these 2 adorable dogs we found this great front garden. Being Dr Who fans we couldn’t resist a photo with the teacup and saucer Dalek, as well as the old boot dragon, teapot arch.... great mosaic work.

Our sit is in a grand historic 1920s home, which had been the residence of 2 past Town Mayors, we are enjoying the last of the warm days and sunshine, whilst watching autumn coming. We are surely blessed to have such great experiences. 

Great use of an old Breville coffee maker...

Seriously? #17

It’s a small world.....

We met Julian and Jan from Adelaide on Kangaroo Island and camped with them for 2 nights and enjoyed a great bush walk and BBQ and then bumped into Julian in Strathalbyn when we were house sitting, outside of a bakery in the Main Street.  He had ridden his motor bike down from Adelaide to scout a possible club run. 

An Eden van owner from Sunshine Coast was parked 2 up from us in Victor Harbour Cvan Pk, we had an hour long chat just as we were leaving. He spotted us in Wallaroo Cvan Pk, just as we were packing to leave again,  another great catch up.

Carol, travelling on her own from near Canberra  had a great chat with me whilst we were camping at Point Lowly.  She was also parked adjacent to us at Hawker Cvan Pk, another couple of good days chatting together.

Our home owners in Strathalbyn for our house sit were from Whyalla, with Bridget being born there, and they lived there all the years I lived there.  They were great to reminisce with, and it gave us a very warm connection.

We just found out that one of our dearest friends now living in Darwin was visiting Adelaide this week, and as we are just outside of Adelaide they drove over to Strathalbyn today for a catch up. 

It blows us away how people come into your life, leave, and pop right back in again.

A Fence of Teddys

This amazing 1 km of fence along the highway near Paskerville was started with 3 Teddys a year ago, now there is over 700. We love these unexpected treats, they bring us joy, we have a giggle, take a photo, and express gratitude for being able to enjoy this amazing country.

Postcard from Wallaroo SA

We had a few days up our sleeve so decided to stay for 3 days near a beach again, to shake off the dust from being bush, and chose Wallaroo on the York Peninsula. We make it a plan to not travel on Sundays, and give ourselves a weekend to be off the roads, catch up with family, relax, and plan the week ahead.

Hoping to catch some more whiting, we were soon informed about Dodge tides (a SA term for a tide that bearly comes in or goes out) unique to this part of the world, and that this was a bad week for this occurance. We decided to just walk the beaches, do some geocaching, and ride into town for the day.

Wallaroo is part of the Copper Coast, a very historic centre for copper mining and Cornish settlement, and the copper smelter.

We stayed right on the beach at North Beach Tourist Park, and again the tide goes out for miles, but this time it forgot to come back in.

The House on the Rocks that Stood Firm...... built in the 1950s, obviously wouldn’t get approval these days. A local told us it goes under at king tides!

The beach front in the town had much better sea access, a housing estate on a waterway and new marina, but I love seeing the history shine through

The old smelter, being turned into a housing estate.

Exploring Flinders Ranges

As you can see below, the Flinders Ranges is huge, diverse, and divided into 3 regions, and all of the side roads and north of Blinman are dirt roads.

 We wanted a taste of each region and initally planned to spend 10 days, but after leaving Port Augusta where we had issues keeping the gas in our fridge, (we thought it was the strong windy night blowing it out), we headed firstly to Hawker where we had some 240v power issues, so tried to bush camp in Parachina Gorge for 3 nights on gas with fingers crossed, but only lasted a day and a half, so limped into Wilpena Pound to go on electricity which worked for 2 nights, and scooted back to Port Augusta for a visit with a Thetford Fridge technician. It was an easy fix (thank goodness, it was our “gratitude” moment for the day), he fixed the thermocouple on the gas, and also the flame indicator, so we hung around Port Augusta for one more night to test it, before heading for the Southern Flinders, yay all seems to be working well now. 

So,  we got to do a few things, and see some amazing scenery.... even though they say it is better after the winter rains and the spring flowers are in bloom.

Visit old ruins of homesteads and villages of the regions glory days, abandoned long ago...so fascinating 

Wilson Stationmasters residence

Kanyaka Homestead




Walk to Castle Rock just outside of Hawker, just before sunset, one of my better photos!

Spend a great day and evening all alone except for a herd of mountain goats, under a great stary night, get up at sunrise..second time in one week,  to climb a ridge and watch the sun light up Parachilna Gorge

Drive into the gorge and our camp site

Walk some of the Heysen Trail before breakfast. No one is sure whether this section is the start or finish....it would give the Camino De Santiago trail a run for its money.

Sunrise from the top of this ridge

The picturesque but dry gorge

Wilpena Pound arial shot from google

Climb/hike Mt Ohlssen-Bagge on the rim of Wilpena Pound....all rock, lots of scrambling too, for a great view into the Pound.

Helping Derek pack up to leave....who me

Leaving the Pound

Walk the Alligator Gorge in the southern Flinders Ranges

We couldn’t capture it all, it was sooooo high up


The top in 3 parts

Together in Eden

Pulled in to Port Augusta RV campground and made friends with another Eden owner neighbour. We were the first Eden van they had seen on the road in over 2 1/2 years that they have owned their van, they were quite excited.

Why Whyalla?

It has been 49 years since we (Michelle’s family) left Whyalla SA as a family and moved to Sandgate Brisbane Qld.  We immigrated to SA in 1966 from England through BHP, lived in BHP supplied housing and had 4 1/2 truley memorable years roaming the streets, going bush, following iron ore trains, climbing hills and just generally hanging out in the streets and back allies with all the other neighbourhood immigrant kids, as long as we were home for tea.

City outskirts....Morgan Whyalla Pipeline still supplies the city’s water.....I use to walk along this as a kid and it seemed much higher. My old house and street too below, and where we played in the bush and on the railway tracks at the foot of Mt Laura. Loving the landscape, semi arid, and the grey salt bush and red dirt, it was hard to describe it to Derek, but now he has experienced it first hand,....it really is unique, just like the electricity poles found throughout SA! They are called Stobie poles.....way different from the wooden tree poles in Queensland.

I remember it as if it were yesterday, and have enjoyed this week walking my neighbourhood streets, back to my school, up Mt Laura, climbed up Hummock Hill, drove out to Eight Mile Creek Beach, and did a tour of the steel works and shipyard...2 areas which are now closed to the public, but were where we enjoyed many a fishing outing on the breakwater in Whyalla Basin where we watched the ships being built and launched and tug boats operating.

It was a culture shock for most Europeans, but these are a few of the things of Whyalla that has stuck with me and places I remember most.

View from Mt Laura above, and Hummock Hill behind Derek

Steel works and old shipyard below

We are spending a week here, Derek is finally getting to see this part of my family history which has helped mould me into the outdoorsy person I am today. Whyalla had the climate, we had the freedom and dad and mum gave us tons of experiences such as camping and fishing.

Dad use to make us dig for blood worms in the sea weed.  Dolphins now follow the boats in daily.

Dad and mum taught us all to fish, couldn’t resist fishing this morning, 6am high tide,  todays catch...

Now we will need to you-tube how to fillet whiting.

I loved our stay, it was how I remembered it, nothing much had changed, we had a fabulous relaxing week, but now on to Point Lowly, another fishing spot of Dads, and then we move further north into Outback South Australia.

We worked it out and did get a photo of dinner