8. A FEW DAYS IN THE RANGES

Decided that we wanted to spend some more time exploring the Flinders Ranges so we booked into a station stay.  Quite an impressive roadside sign greeted us at the entrance to the property.

They must have an affinity with the wedge tailed eagle as this sculpture was just outside near our campsite

Most of the places that we stay have a camp kitchen, mainly to cater for tent people and people like us without full kitchen facilities.  We carry everything we need but a good camp kitchen is quite welcome now and again, especially if it is very hot or there are lots of flies outside! This was a pretty good one. Not only all the usual stuff inside but there were tables outside as well as bbq and fire pit.

We went for a few tours round the ranges from there, through the gorges and checked out Wilpena Pound. Discovered another interesting ruin along the way

I am falling in love with the floors in these ruins.  All the slate here was of course used to construct these buildings and the old slate floors have really stood the test of time. They still look really good today. I would love to have a house with floors like these!

The wildlife was a bit thin on the ground through the ranges, probably because it was pretty warm, and they have lots of places to hide, but I did manage to just get a quick picture of this little black faced wallaby.

Just near our Station camp was a hill called Stokes Lookout. We went up there to watch the sunset one night and found ourselves among several others with the same idea.....you can see why.

and as it got later, the view got even better

and later...

and i will sign off this episode with the dyeing embers..................

7. FLINDERS RANGES SA

After finally returning from that extensive walk along the jetty we started heading Northwards to the Flinder Ranges.  Our first camp was in a National Park at a place called Warren Gorge.  It was a beautiful spot and we set up camp not far from the waterhole, where there was actually a small amount of water.  This gave us the perfect spot to get a look at all the animals coming for a drink, although as soon as I tried to take a picture they would disappear so I soon gave up and just enjoyed the view.  Dave however was a little luckier.

This is a Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby, we saw a few of these at this camp site and they were really funny.

Are you looking at me???

Now take my sad eye look!!!!

Somt of the locals were not as shy and I fellin love with the little Apostle birds, they have no fear!!

They would come right up to us for something then fight each other at our feet.

One morning we decided to take a walk up the gorge to see what was written on a plaque we could see through the binnoculars.  I didnt realise how steep the climb would be or how high - I stopped on the way back to look down on the camp.

It doesn't look as steep inthe photo, and yes - it was cold!

After we left Warren Gorge we headed into the Flinders Ranges and found the ruins of the olk Kanyaka Homestead and Woolshed.

All through SA so far we have seen lots of really old buildings, many of which are still in use and a lot of ruins, especially in the countryside. Sometimes a proposed town that was going to be the heart of Australia, only to become forgotten as time passed by - eg Simmonston!!  It is great that there is signage on so many of these ruins that tells the story behind the remains!!!

This place was like a rabbit warren with a vast array of buildings and rooms

And these pretty substantial walls have weathered the years well.

The cobblestone pathways were great - this one led to the toilet!!

Down over the hill we drove to the Woolshed and shearers quarters, expecting a small  building or two but were suprised to see a building to rival the homestead and still in pretty good repair considering

All those small openings are for the sheep to leave by after they were shorn.

Over the back were the shearers quarters and they must have been men of large appetites. 

Check out the shearers cooks oven.....

Where I am standing is beside the oven, not the kitchen, its like a huge pizza oven and given a roof, I imagine it would still work perfectly well today.

We stayed in Hawker at another nice camp.  There is a great artists galley in Hawker with a panorama painting of the Flinders Ranges.....Do yourselves a favour if you ever go there and check it out!!

The campgrounds are pretty nice too.

We must have taken hundreds of photos while we have travelled through the ranges but none of them really does justice to the views...the colours as they change throughout the day, the different rock formations and just the feeling of the place......you should just check them out for yourselves!!

Check you later...

6. A LAST LOOK AT THE SEA

As we are going to be land locked for the next month or so, we decided to take a last look at the water and took a little detour to Pt Germain.

A very dry and dusty little seaside town with a huge claim to fame.  (we will come to that later) But when we got there we saw this strange contraption - a clock???

I was still puzzling over it when Dave suggested it could be a Tide Clock - ?? How doeshe know this stuff???  He was quite correct.  A bit further on we found some information regarding the history of this one.
Then as we usually do if we see a jetty, we have to go for a walk along it.  Good -here's a jetty!!

It is a long jetty.

This is becoming a strange and interesting place.... I always thought the boat should be in the water - not the trailer and the weird looking tractor pulling it.

This one was so far from the shore!  But you can see that it was still pretty shallow!  Just hope they get back to it before the tide comes in.......meanwhile back on the jetty!!

We can finally see the end!!!   The claim to fame is that it is the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere!!!!  I don't doubt it!  It was a bloody long walk!!!!

If we ever make it back!!!!!!!!

5. AND WE'RE BOUND FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Hi again! Here we are at Wentworth on the Murray.  Its lovely to be relaxing on grassy banks after the dust of the outback and we've found some great walking trails.

and back at camp we always have the locals dropping by for a feed!!

soon enough though it was time to get going, and again leave new friends.  One of the best things we enjoy about our travells are the people we meet.  This trip has been the same and we have shared some great times with some wonderful people who we will hopefully see again.  Not that we socialise every night but sometimes you just have to have the odd social glass of wine - you know how it goes!

Not everything runs smoothly though and we did have to detour through Mildura to get some running repairs on the truck.  Dave nothiced some suspension issues which resulted in new airbags and bushes, and thanks go to Rob at Mildura 4WD for getting the job done straight away!!

As we travelled from Mildura to the SA border we crossed a few bridges but this one on the Murray was pretty interesting

Finally made the SA border and decided that our first camp in that state would be Lake Bonney.  It was a free camp and right on the edge of the lake. The day had been pretty warm so after we set up camp we decided to have a swim....... BRrrrrrrr!  It was VERY refreshing!  Later that day Dave noticed literally hundreds of birds decending on the lake!

We ended up staying here for 3 nights, The second day was cold and bleak though and drizzled most of the day so we set up the choofer, and using a peice of steel mesh we found earlier we were cooking up a storm!

Admittedly doesn't look that tasty like this but look under the lid!!!!

Mmmmmmmm  Moroccan Meatballs!!   and the next day I had a go at a Date Loaf  drizzled with Maple Syrup...Unfortunately Dave couldn't wait till I took a photo!!

On the banks of Lake Bonney are the ruins of an old Pub.  It was a popular place in its day but there is not much left now and its a shame that so many people just have to leave their mark behind!!

this was the store and bakehouse I believe and the pub was nearer the road.

Think I could be waiting a long time for service here!!

But all things must come to an end and it was soon time to say goodbye to our campsite at Lake Bonney

and head for the greener pastures of wine country.  We try to travel on the leser used roads and steer away from the highways and so come across things like the Cadell Ferry to transport us across the Murray.  Here we are waiting!

An interesting way to cross - it was a cable ferry!

and so the road goes on...

We called in to a town called Morgan and checked out the old jetty and railway line...the history in these places is amazing and we are learning so much that we never knew!!!!

There were some lovely boats -this one in particular took our fancy.

Then I went in to have a look at the local craft store and book shop..... not sure where Dave disappeared to but guess he will be hanging out somewhere nearby.

4. And On To The Murray

And so our journey continues alongside the Darling River.  We are travelling along dirt roads and there have been some strange things.  Yesterday we could see something up ahead - it was a willy willy!  Getting bigger as we got nearer. We passed right alongside of it and at that stage it would have been about a 20' diameter and you could see the sand and leaves spinning round and round in the air. There was not a breath of wind, so that made it even more eerie!!

The nights are begining to get colder and we really appreciatethe 'choofer' for the warmth!

which means there is still work to be done.  Sometimes we wonder if we should have brought the chainsaw with us!!!

Some of the campsites provide showers and they can be pretty good, and pretty cheap for the time.

I decided to have a wander after we set up at this camp and found that we were camped on the edge of a golf course!

Very strange looking golf course, but right beside it was a rustic seat and even a ball washer!!! And in the distance -------

There's the green!!  You just have to navigate all the dust and sand in between!  Needless to say we didn't see many golfers!!

Meanwhile back at our rustic bush camp -

Dinner is served!  Barramundi even!!  Straight from the -----------freezer!!   

After a great dinner and a few Red's it was time to sit back and watch the show.

Who needs television??

We set off again from Pooncarrie, but not till after the Magpie that thad befriended us stole my weetbix!   Heading ever onwards to the Murray but seeing more strange things on the way..

In the middle of nowhere - a BRA tree???

And of course you you have to follow that up with a SHOE Tree??   

But finally we were back on the bitumen.

Eventually we thought we must be getting closer - There was more water in the river!

And paddleboats are synonymous with the Murray! 

Look!! - there, through the trees ----

Looks very much like another river over there!

Yep here we are at last - the two greatest rivers in Australia come together. 

I'll grant you, not the most riveting photo ever but the historical journeys and the significance in the history of the country have been great to cover as we have travelled to this spot.

We might just have to suffer for a while at this terrible camp spot, recharge our batteries and get ready for the next leg of the journey...........what next??