Just a one night stay at Crystal Brooke, we checked out a camp just out of town, lovely place but way to many gum trees. With the drought down here the gums are dropping branches and not just the small ones. We arrived and there was a branch on the ground thicker than me thigh and still had green leaves attached, a recent fall, so we took the next alternative a 24 hour free camp near the train line, again nice place with an easy walk into town. What we didn't realise it was one of the main lines and freight trains came through day and night. John was like a school boy every time a train went through he was out next to the tracks tacking pics and videos, you guys are lucky we can't put video on the blog.
Next day we hit Port Augusta and stayed at the Sports Club Grounds for $7.00 a night. No toilets but it did have fresh water available. Set up camp and went to the town of Quorn in its hay day it was the cross roads for rail travel whether that be people or freight. During WWII it was a vital service point for trains heading north to Alice Springs and carried over 1,000,000 troops heading to Darwin and on to Papua New Guinea. In 1973 a group of rail enthusiasts got together with the desire to preserve the unique bridges and stone work of the previous century that formed the railway through the Pichi Ritchi Pass. A steam train was found and renovated along with carriages and rolling stock, this is now a tourist attraction running between Quorn and Port Augusta.
Next day we hit Port Augusta and stayed at the Sports Club Grounds for $7.00 a night. No toilets but it did have fresh water available. Set up camp and went to the town of Quorn in its hay day it was the cross roads for rail travel whether that be people or freight. During WWII it was a vital service point for trains heading north to Alice Springs and carried over 1,000,000 troops heading to Darwin and on to Papua New Guinea. In 1973 a group of rail enthusiasts got together with the desire to preserve the unique bridges and stone work of the previous century that formed the railway through the Pichi Ritchi Pass. A steam train was found and renovated along with carriages and rolling stock, this is now a tourist attraction running between Quorn and Port Augusta.
On Friday we caught up with the washing again! After
the boring stuff I had made an appointment to get my hair cut, used the “if the place has people in it the place must be alright” approach and it paid off, a little
over an hour later I had the shortest hair I’ve ever had as an adult, still
getting use to it. To celebrate my brave act we made our way to the Pastoral
Hotel for a couple of beers then wandered back to the Sports Club for a great
feed.
Saturday followed Friday as it does and we went to
The Dutchman’s Stern Conservation Park, originally a sheep station. On our
arrival we encountered numerous Wallabies seeking shade under the trees, they
were quite comfy all over the road as well, still in the shade of the trees. As
we approached them in the cruiser they soon got the message and moved out of the
way. The temperature was up around 36 degrees so we took the easiest trail to
the Terrace Viewpoint Lookout Trail 2.5 kms return easy yes? The first one km
was then the track zigged and zagged at least six times all up a steep incline but
we made it to the top in a lather of sweat and yes it was worth it.
After the day before we choose the tame option and
visited the much flatter Australian Arid Lands Botanical Gardens, lots of
plants we had never heard off but still pretty. There is a lookout over to the
Flinders Ranges and you guessed it more Wallabies. This area was discovered by
Matthew Flinders and the Red Cliff Lookout is a sheer drop to the bottom, but
the view is spectacular.
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