23/3 Port Pirie

 

    Leaving Peterborough , we head to Port Pirie , so we can get the ute serviced before we cross the Nullarbor . We managed to get a service done on Monday at KJ Automotive , Kelli was a standout , she knows her stuff and is an experienced mechanic . Not only that , she is a great person and offers great service , dropping me back at the van after I left the ute with her , and picking me up afterwards as well . If you're in Port Pirie and need your car serviced , definitely look her up , and it was well priced !!

   We stayed at the CMCA RV Camp , which is beside the Port Football Club and ground . We are CMCA members , so could stay for $7 a night . It's also beside a shopping centre , which is handy . Shame about the semi trailers arriving at early hours though - can't have it all .

   Having a short drive around town later that day was interesting , we found the Church of Fish & Chips 

Downtown Port Pirie 

Port Pirie Railway Station

This is the Port area

Southern Flinders Ranges isn't far away .

A mural in town , presumably one of the towns fishermen .

And just for a change , here's a video of the port area , wheat silos etc .

   We filled the ute with diesel again while we had the opportunity - we are continuing to fill it when we can , it's not getting cheaper any time soon ! So far we've had no trouble getting fuel , which is reassuring for the next leg of our quick trip back to WA . The price was $3.09.9 - only going to get worse .

   That was our short stay in Port Pirie - seems to be the way we are going at the moment , short stays and get some kilometres up while diesel is available , so we can get back to WA and prepare for other ventures. Here's a map link :- https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1x0BmpWZxk8hCVlX2udWlAvP8JFVy-7U&usp=sharing

21/3 Peterborough

 

    From Burra , we make the drive up to Peterborough to stay with our friends there . It was an interesting drive , through fog & rain almost all the way , only breaking as we approach Peterborough . It was Thursday night , so that means going down to the RSL for dinner . We said hello to several people we've met before and enjoyed a $10 meal of chicken strips & wedges - very nice indeed! Leaving the RSL , we came out to this sunset .

    Next day we did some maintenance and assisted Frank with some repairs to the blinds in his van , before heading to the RSL again - it was hamburger night , and wow they were really good - like a hamburger used to taste . Back home again and another sunset from the verandah , with a couple of drinks.

     The bike came of the ute and I headed out for a spin around town to check out some of the buildings and whatever else took my fancy . This is the house across the road .

    Down to the main street and some more of the businesses

Peterborough Hotel is one of the great old pubs .

Not much room between these two - must have been the predecessor to todays small blocks .

Out on the edge of town was a transformation - things are green , we haven't seen it like this before .

And this definitely doesn't happen very often - water under the bridge 

    In reality , it was a large puddle in front of the welcome to Peterborough sign 😉 

 Peterborough has a strong railway heritage , and this was the main line into town .

     And finally some of the many roses that grow here - that's one thing SA does well - roses .

     That's another wrap , here's a map link :- https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1AXgBurMsSH6-RfW0wVXRxqbk60RMWwQ&usp=sharing

18/3 Burra

 

    

    Leaving Lake Bonney , it was overcast but no rain , which was good . The drive was interesting , we've always said we'd like to see this area when it's green , but it's always been dry and parched when we've come through previously . The countryside was turning green , large open spaces were green , there was water laying around in places and all the vegetation looked like it wanted to be here , just what we've wanted to see . Arriving in Burra , we made our way to the showgrounds to stay for a couple of nights . You can see how much rain they've had here , water still lying around and mud from previous vehicles . 

   Next day I got the bike out to get some exercise . Burra is a funny town , seemingly split into 2 sections . I rode around , checking out the beautiful old stone buildings and pubs .  

    The stonework in these buildings is quite impressive .

    A lot of these buildings were for the copper mine that was just over the hill in this photo .

Another great example of the stonework .

  Here's one of the old smoke stacks from the mine .

    The mine looked to be an interesting place , so I rode up the hill and into the old mine precinct . Some parts have been preserved , others , well not so much .

    This is the section of Burra we are in .

   And this is the other side of town , where most of the shops are .

    This preserved building - Morphetts Engine House - is also a museum , you can get a passport at the visitor information centre , that gives you a key to access inside here as well as other places around town - I had forgotten about that , and it was a bit late to go and get one - I just rode around the old mine site instead . The engine house has been rebuilt , as a fire did a lot of damage to the old one .

The stone work is still intact , the timbers are slowly disappearing .

Powder magazines are always interesting , the lengths they had to go to to make sure the were no sparks , and limited access was amazing . The stonework here impeccable still !

These are some of the old building remains perched on the side of the open pit .

    This is the side of the museum building that the key gives you access to , through the locked gate and door.

                                     Beside this building is an old smelter flue tunnel 

    Another view of the Powder Magazine on top of the hill and various levels of buildings beside the pit .  

   The weather looked like closing in again , so I did a tactical retreat back to the van , another day down in our trek back west . Here's a map link :- https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1oW2oaa5Y0yXbuMp642FGKYIKZkG6VQA&usp=sharing

16/3 Lake Bonney

 

    Leaving Mildura , we continue on our drive west . Having consumed what needed consuming or cooking , we went through the quarantine stop just east of Renmark in SA and had no problems , they were very thorough and pleasant as they checked everything . From there we found our way to the Woolworths in Renmark to shop and restock the van - WOW were we totally underwhelmed . The fruit & vegetables were average to say the least , which was a surprise especially for the amount of fresh produce that's grown in this area ! That made us think where we were ending up today , so we continued on to Barmera and Lake Bonney . The weather wasn't being friendly either with rain and showers to drive through - we don't like driving in the rain . We stopped at North Lake Caravan Park on the shore of the lake , it's in need of some TLC I'm afraid , but the owner just said park where you like , we don't have many bookings , so we did , parking with a view of the lake  - not quite as close as this though . The shoreline is sandy and the water was clear - nothing like the Murray River to which it is attached . Plenty of dead trees along the edges made for interesting photos .

   We stayed for 2 nights before heading off again . Here's map link :- https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1MkrS5Obyv3w8UmoiDLRD2066dfm5gT0&usp=sharing

14/15/3 To Mildura

 

  Did I mention things were changing , been a hell of a month , doctors appointments , scans , more scans , specialist appointments and more scans . One angiogram in Sydney later , and I'm good to go - got a better report than 1st thought , just have to get cholesterol & blood pressure down . 

   So after that little hiccup , we're off - did I mention the little invasion happening as well - diesel prices climbing , just as we go to drive 4,000 kilometres !! Topping up with fuel before we leave Moss Vale , we made it to Yass before we topped up again - figured we'd keep the tank as full as we could . Anyway we stopped for a couple of days at Wagga Showgrounds - time for some food shopping , oh yeah , the now obligatory visit to the chemist to pick up some drugs - prescription variety of course 😉 and to top up with fuel again . Saw a cheaper service station to fill up at and thought we'll do that tomorrow - hmmm price went up 10c a litre overnight to $2.29 - lesson learnt !! The chemist also suggested I have a shingles vaccination , and booked me in for that . Certainly wasn't my favourite , feeling like crap for the next 24hours or so . 

   Leaving Wagga , we stop for fuel again at Narrandera & Hay , before having a night at a free camp at Balranald . Still plenty of trucks and caravans on the road . Next day we headed to Mildura for a couple of days to use up food before going through Quarantine at Renmark . Time to unhitch the van and have a little look around Mildura . The Murray River figures highly here , for irrigation and house boats . Here's a few of the latter .

    The river is flanked by thousands of Red Gums 

    There's also a few paddle steamers going up & down the river doing tourist runs .

This is an old pump station building with murals of the river 

This old red gum is only dead on one half , still living on the other - the trunk is about 2m wide .

    Seems the main crop around here is grapes , both table and wine varieties and there are 1,000's of acres of them . Talking to the caravan park owner , and she said the recent rains had caused a lot of the grapes to split , and the watermelons were ruined as well on her brothers property , so goodness knows how many other farmers had the same problems with the storms .

   Next day we went down to Red Cliffs , beside the Murray River , on the way we stopped at Bruces Bend to check out campsites and also a house boat hire & storage area .

The hull and some timber are all that remains of an old barge or paddle steamer nearby .

    The campsites would be good , but equally bad if you got caught up in the rain , the ground is just fine river bank silt and turns to crap with the addition of some water . A camper I talked to had been here for 8 weeks , and relayed some stories of how people were getting bogged all over the place - he chose to stick it out , not sure why , but he did .

   Further down the road & river , we found Red Cliffs - an area beside the river with reddish cliffs and also a raised lookout .

    Houseboats were chugging up & down , with the odd fishing boat as well .

   The drone leapt out of the bag and took off for an elevated view . The lookout is just right of the middle of the photo , but didn't give a nice a view as this .

   I mentioned grapes before , here's some of them .

     Some of the river traffic .

    And some more grapes going off into the horizon .

 And there you have it , more to come . Here's a map link :- https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1BVNZ0segK1VW8lS8Fqm8YBxuiL4X76g&usp=sharing