The beauty of the the Flinders

Day 1 - Friday 22 July

I was awake before the alarm went off at 4am this morning.  You know how it is when you know you’ve got to be up early for something - sleep doesn’t come easily? But it made it easier to get up when it did go off.

We were all ready to go, so all that had to be done was a bite of breakfast and a coffee and we were on the road.  The weather wasn’t good to us.  It was pitch dark (well, it is at 4.45am in winter) and it was raining hard and blowing a gale.  But the traffic was good, so that was in our favour.  We were through the city in record time and soon heading up the Calder Highway towards Bendigo.  

Daylight came about 7.30am which made the atrocious weather easier to deal with and the radar showed it clearing up as we got further north.  We stopped for morning tea in Sea Lake and then continued up the road.  Doug was keen to do as many kilometres today as we could.

We seemed to reach Mildura early in the day; about 12pm, but then we had been on the road for seven hours by that time.  We turned off at Mildura and pointed the car west, heading for the South Australian border.  Right about then we turned into a headwind, which was to stay with us all the way to camp that night.  It made for ridiculous fuel economy when you’re towing a “house” behind you.

Lunch was had on the shores of Lake Cullulleraine, between Mildura and the border.  The wind was still blowing and the lake was very choppy, but it was a nice spot to take a break and eat a lovely hot pie from the little oven we have in the car.

On the road again, we crossed into South Australia, and before long we stopped in the reasonable-sized town of Renmark to stock up.  

Quarantine station at the SA border

We followed the wonderful Murray River along from Renmark, still fighting with the headwind, until we turned north at the little town of Morgan.  We had been going to stop for the night somewhere along the Murray, but Burra Gorge was only another 130km away, and we’d gained a half hour when we crossed into the SA time zone at the border, so we decided to make for there for the night.  It was make it a very big day, but would leave us free for a very easy day the next.

We arrived at World’s End Reserve outside Burra just about 4.30pm and just as the heavens opened and the wind really picked up.   We found as sheltered spot as we could, and disappeared inside the van.  I have never been as pleased with moving to a van from the camper trailer as I was tonight.  There was no set up - didn’t even put the jockey wheel or legs down - just got in.  It was a bad storm - lots of wind and rain - but we were safely tucked up in the van, dinner was had, heater was on and we sat a read with a glass of red.  It was a good night!!!

Day 2 - Saturday 23 July

The wind had died and the rain had cleared by the time we woke in the morning and it was a watery sunny sky overhead.  After a lovely breakfast of bacon rolls we didn’t have much to do before we were ready to head off.  Burra Gorge is a really lovely camp ground and one we’d recommend to anyone.  Clean, drop toilets, rubbish bins, fire rings and all free!

Watery sky at Burra Gorge

We drove the 20 or so kilometres into Burra and parked up by 9.15am.  It was still cold, but a walk around the beautiful historic mining town soon warmed us up.  As we were taking a look at the creek and feeding the ducks we chanced a look over in the caravan park and saw a familiar vehicle.  Ian and Sue, two friends from the Club were busy packing up the last of their things after camping there for the night.  They were also joining us on the Flinders Trip but had left Melbourne the weekend prior - enjoying a slow meander up to Peterborough.

We picked up a few supplies and enjoyed a chat with some locals, then filled up with fuel and made a move to travel the short drive northwards to Peterborough.  We were taking our time, as the plan was to meet the rest of the trip participants there at lunchtime.

Some of the old buildings in Burra

We got there around 12pm and met up with a few who’d arrived earlier and then heard that the rest of them weren't going to be arriving till 3.30pm.  I don’t know if you’ve been in small, country towns on a Saturday afternoon, but everything closes!  But we managed to fill in the time - we went and had a nice lunch at the pub, we walked up and down the main street, we chatted to the nice lady who’s garden I raided for some rosemary and we sat in the van and had a cuppa.  Soon the others arrived and we got organised to make our way out to camp.  We were 13 vehicles in total - 21 people - and we were staying out at a bush property outside Peterborough - Willangi Bush Camp.  It was a great spot; a wide open area with lovely drop toilet (really, it was lovely!!!).  We all got busy setting up and settled in for a night beside the fire.  The wind had got up again, and the rain wasn’t far away, and after two long days travelling, no one was late in bed that night.

Day 3 - Sunday 24 July

Sunday saw the first of our day drives on the Willangi property.  It was a cold day, with lots of wind and the occasional shower of rain.  We were in the cars early and took off across the tracks, snaking our way up and around the hills on the property.  The views from the top were wonderful and everyone was enjoying the morning.  

One of the tracks on the property

We finished the first loop by lunchtime, headed back to camp for a bite to eat and then headed out in the afternoon to travel the tracks on the other half of the property.  It was different terrain in the afternoon, with the “fat” 200 series having to inch through some of the gaps in the trees and lots of rock crawling up and down hill sides.

We were back at camp by late afternoon and after showers and dinners, we had a good fire going again that evening.  The weather still wasn’t playing fair and we again had lots of wind through the night.  But safely tucked up in the van, we didn’t really feel much of it.  Lucky for some eh?

Day 4 - Monday 25 July

Today was moving on day and everyone was up and about early (ish).  We enjoyed a coffee by the fire after breakfast and had everything ready to leave by 9am.  All 13 vehicles were on the move again heading out the track, back to the road and making for Peterborough.  Ian and Tracey had to return the key to the property owners, so while they did that, we all took advantage of the small window of time to attend to pressing jobs like filling water tanks, emptying loos, filling gas cylinders, and getting the all important take away coffees.

Perky, one of our number, had a loose wheel bearing after the previous days’ driving, so we all enjoyed a slightly longer-than-planned break while it was attended to.  By about 10.30am, we were ready and all on the road north.

It didn’t take long to reach the town of Hawker, where we stopped for a while so Murray could get a new tyre fitted.  He’d staked the side wall the day before on a particularly sharp rock and it was beyond repair.  We took the opportunity to top up with fuel and have morning tea.  

How many men does it take to change a tyre?

With a new tyre on Murray’s truck we all started off again, making for a lunch stop at the famous Parachilna Hotel.  Some decided on a pub-lunch while others had their picnics in the car park.  Parachilna Pub is famous for its “feral food” with a mixed grill plate of emu, kangaroo and camel and other wondrous roadkill delights.  We enjoyed a drink while the others had their meal, and then it was back on the road for the last part of our journey.

We were heading for the Warraweena Conservation Reserve in the northern Flinders Ranges and turned off the bitumen at Beltana and made the 34km trip on the rough track into the reserve, arriving at our camp beside the old mine ruins just in time for sundown drinks.  It was a beautiful spot right beside Sliding Rock Creek, which when in full flow would be wide and fast, but right now it was dry.  

Camps were set up and fire wood collected and we soon had a huge fire going and everyone was enjoying the fact that the wind had gone away.  Let’s hope it was good for the duration of the holiday now, as we think we’ve had our fair share.

Day 5 - Tuesday 26 July

Everyone was up and about early this morning, as our Fearless Leader had called for an 8.30am departure time.  The weather wasn’t as cold as we’d had it at Willangi, and everyone welcomed the milder temperatures and less wind.    We were pretty much bang on time when we left.  We all drove up to the homestead as we had to sign all the paperwork before heading off on our drive.  

Back in the cars, we headed out for one of the loop drives that are available on Warraweena.  Today we were doing the Mt Gill loop.  Although the tracks appeared on the various GPS screens that were available, it was really just following the creek beds along and through the gorges, clambering over rocks and dodging trees.

Heading for Mt Gill

We stopped for morning tea at Cockatoo Hut, which was a pretty well set-up campsite - even had it’s own shower enclosure.  There was plenty to see while stopped too - and lots of treasure to be found.  We were watching the clouds hanging over the tops of the hills and hoping that they’d blow away before we got up there.

We were back on our way again, and drove further along the rocky creek beds before turning off and starting the climb to the top of Mt Gill.  The going was fairly good; still rocky, but the views made it all worthwhile.  Mt Gill stands at 919m high, and you can get panoramic views in all directions from the top.  

View from the top.

It was a bit blowy up there and the wind was going through you rather than round you.  There was a few stones added to the cairn on the way also.

The drive back down from the top of Mt Gill saw us retrace our steps for a while, and we took advantage of a little gully to stop for lunch.  We managed to fit all the vehicles in the shelter of the gully and enjoyed lunch out of the back of the cars.  The sun even came out.

After lunch we took a sharp right turn and headed off to complete the loop we started.  It was a really lovely drive with beautiful views all round.  We took a detour up to the top of Lookout Hill.  With only room for two vehicles at a time at the top, we had to take it in shifts.  After that we drove on a bit further and decided to explore the nearby Natiburra Springs.  We drove in as far as we could, then parked the cars up and headed off up the creek bed on foot.  The group spread out as some were faster walkers than others.  A couple of intrepid explorers attempted to find the springs at the end of the creek, but after a lot of walking, came back unsuccessful.  

Chasing the head of Natiburra Springs

By this time, it was getting later in the afternoon, and the shadows were falling over the tracks and we all headed back to camp to get the fire lit for what was going to be another cold night.

Day 6 - Wednesday 27 July

Today was our official “rest” day and everybody had plans to do their own thing.  We thought that we would take the opportunity to re-visit the old ruins at Farina while we were up this far.  It was only about 130km up the road.  We headed off around 10am and drove back out the track, heading for the main road, but decided to take the back road up to Leigh Creek to see what it was like.  Our Fearless Leader was planning on taking that road on the day we move on from Warraweena, so we thought we’d see if it was ok for the van, and we decided it would be if we took our time.

We called in to Leigh Creek on the way up to Farina to get a coffee for morning tea.  It had been a while since we’d had a frothy coffee, but the only place to buy one was the servo and I’ve had better!  It’s sad to see the slow demise of the town of Leigh Creek.  Once a thriving mining town of over 5000 people, since the mine is in its’ death throws, the town has shrunk to only 500 people in just over a year.  Everywhere you see empty houses and shops.  The school only had about 12 kids in the playground and it had a strange, eery quiet about the place.

After coffees were had, we headed up the last 75km or so to Farina, most of it on well-made dirt roads.  We found Farina 7 years ago when we travelled up this way.  It was once a bustling railway town, on the Ghan line to Alice Springs.  There were houses, shops and businesses.  All that’s left now are the stone ruins and lots of rusty relics of machinery.  But Farina now has an active restoration society, and every year teams of volunteers spend the cooler winter months living there, lovingly restoring the old buildings - or at least stopping them deteriorating any further.  The old underground bakery has been restored and is now a working concern during those months, with loaves of bread being made and sold every day.  The volunteers had packed up and left for the year only the Saturday before our visit, so we were out of luck if we had wanted bread, but we enjoyed spending a couple of hours wandering around the town, reading all the stories of those who’d lived there and seeing the work that had been done since our last visit.

Old buildings at Farina

We drove the 130km back down to Warraweena, and arrived back at camp in the late afternoon, in time to shower and find out what everyone else had been up to that day. Tonight was party night - Wild West style.  Everyone got their finery on and got together for a long-table dinner.  There was some really great costumes and dinner was accompanied by the best country and western music.  It was a great night.

Day 7 - Thursday 28 July

It was time to pack up and move on to our next camp.  Everyone was up and about early and getting all their respective jobs done.  We were all packed up and heading off down the track, with the plan to regroup at Beltana.  Fuel and supplies were bought and water replenished in Leigh Creek and before too long, we were heading northwards, before turning east on the dirt towards Arkaroola.  

We spent the morning driving through the Gammon Ranges National Park, just blown away with how beautiful it was.  The road was in pretty good repair and the car and van were travelling really well.  We were last in the convoy of 13 vehicles, and were more than happy to hang back and stay out of everyone’s dust.  By late morning, we had made good time and passed through the indigenous community of Neppabunna.

We stopped for lunch at the campground at Italowie Gap.  What a beautiful spot!  Soaring red cliffs on one side and a lush, tree-lined creek bed on the other.  The campground was well appointed.  Neat, enclosed separate areas, clean drop toilets and plenty of shade trees.  The sky was a brilliant blue and the sun shone - what more could you ask for?  Well, I guess we were about to find out.

After lunch we started on the road again, turning south at Balcooloona and making our way back around the loop road down towards Blinman.  The road was not in a good condition - it had been closed by rain the previous week and was very cut up.  Going was slower than the morning, and drivers had to concentrate more.  Again, we travelled up the back of the group, and although we were probably travelling faster than we wanted to with the van, we were still falling quite far behind.  We could still make out directions on the radio, but had to listen hard.

By late afternoon, we had made it to the bitumen at Blinman and the speed could increase now.  We had about 50km or so to go to reach Willow Springs, our base for the next two days.  Doug was tired after the long drive and just wanted to get there.  Although the road was good now, we had the added obstacles of wildlife - emus and kangaroos were everywhere at the sides of the road and we just hoped they stayed there, cause there was no stopping!!!

We pulled into camp just as the sun was going down and thanked the caravan gods again for our quick set up.  We were sitting with a well-earned drink in 5 minutes.  After 300 or more kilometres on rough dirt today we were very pleased with how the van went - there was no dust inside and no apparent issues with anything outside - thanks Sunland!

Wood was quickly gathered from the nearby creek bed and a big fire was soon warming everyone.  The night sky was spectacular - stars going on forever, but it was going to be a cold one.

Day 8 - Friday 29 July

It was Skytrek today - an 80km 4WD track around the best of the Willow Springs property.  After a frosty-white start to the day, we left camp and moved up to the homestead at 8.30am, had our drivers briefing and were all on the move onto the start of the track by 9am.  Skytrek took us through creeks lined with river gums, in and around stands of native pines and black oaks, over blue bush plains, through rugged mountain valleys and finished with challenging climbs to the top of mountain ranges to be blown away the views.  

We stopped to view aboriginal etchings on rocks, and we had morning tea at an old workers hut.  The sun was out and it was a beautiful day and everyone was enjoying the drive.  The owners of Willow Springs, Brendan and Carmel, have put a lot of work into making the trek one of the best in the Flinders.  There’s plenty to see along the way and great, detailed track notes to refer to.  

Lunch in a dry creek bed

Aboriginal ochre pits

As this was going to be our last night together as a group, Tracey had arranged with Carmel for dinner to be provided up at the homestead; a sort of farewell meal.  It was nice to be able to spend our last night together this way. 

Another cold night was ahead and another great fire was lit, but as those returning home the next day had a very early start, nobody was very late in bed.  We had the luxury of another week ahead of us!

Day 9 - Saturday 30 July

There was noises happening in camp from first light and those who were leaving were up getting the last of the packing up done.  It wasn’t quite as cold as the previous morning, but it was pretty close.  We got a small fire going to keep us warm while we watched as campers were folded, tents stowed away and engines warmed up.  They were aiming to be away by 8am, but in fact were ready and off by 7.45am.  It was sad to say goodbye to them all and we wished them safe travels for their two day journey back to Melbourne.

Our plans were to do very little today, as we’d had a pretty “full-on” week.  We were going to slowly get organised and make the “long” journey, 20km down the road to Wilpena Pound, where we were going to spend a couple of days.  

We were ready quite quickly and decided to take a walk down to the ruins that Pete had found the day before.  We didn’t even know they were there, but only a couple of kilometres walk over the paddocks brought us to the ruins of the Appealina Station.  Along the banks of a tree-lined creek were a series of stone buildings with the story of the Wills family who lived and worked there.  It was a fascinating story filled with corruption and intrigue and the buildings gave you a real understanding of what life would have been like for Joseph Wills and his wife Sarah as they tried to make a living farming here while fighting the ruthless mining companies who were determined to take his land.  For me, this was one of the highlights of the trip.

Part of the extensive Appelina ruins

Back at camp, we hitched up and headed back up the track for the road, turned right and made the short drive down to Wilpena.  Today was going to be a down day - we settled into our site, and I got to work doing some washing (love the little machine in the van) and then we went for a walk and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the sun catching up with reading and blogging.  We even walked up to the bar for a drink later in the afternoon.  Might as well since we were back in civilisation.

Sue and Ian had decided to spend a few days there too, so it was nice to have a quiet night by a little campfire, before turning in.  Gee it’s hard work doing not very much!

Day 10 - Sunday 31 July

It was a slow breakfast as we got moving today - we were heading off for a drive through some of the beautiful gorges of the central Flinders.  We left around 9am and headed out back to the main road, turning left and driving north for a short distance and then turning left again onto the Bunyeroo Gorge trail - this road traverses the Heysen Range and heads in the direction of Lake Torrens.  It was beautiful scenery that met us as we followed along through the Bunyeroo Valley, stopping to look at lookouts along the way.  There was plenty to look at, believe me, as we were greeted with spectacular views of the Pound Range.   While we drove, we also took mental notes as we passed campsites, as we knew we’d be back this way again.

Bunyeroo Valley

Bunyeroo Gorge itself was beautiful; the road was shady and treed as we drove through the creek bed.  It was the most water we’d seen flowing all trip.  Before too long we came to a T intersection at the end of the road and turned onto the Brachina Gorge trail.  This is truly a fantastic sight and completely different terrain from that we’d just driven through.  The ‘Corridors through Time’ Geological Trail has been established through this Gorge which gives details of the geological history of the area. 

Bunyeroo Gorge

We travelled west until we reached the edge of the national park, then turned around and headed back through Brachina Gorge again because it was so wonderful we wanted to do see it again.  Well, it was fantastic, and we stopped many times to try and do justice with photographs, but we also wanted to include the side road through the Aroona Valley in our day out.

The beautiful Brachina Gorge

The Aroona Valley drives along the creek, beside the wonderful ABC Range with its spectacular peaks on our left and we soon travelled the 6km to reach the end of the valley where the ruins of the old Aroona Homestead, built in the 1850”s, serves as a reminder of the difficult early years of European settlement.  It was a lovely spot to stop for lunch, which we enjoyed on a picnic table in the sun.  There’s a nice quiet campground here too, so that went into the memory bank too.

The view from the hut at Aroona

After lunch we drove back to the Brachina Gorge road, and then completed the rest of the loop drive to arrive back at camp by 3pm.  

We still wanted to walk out to the Wills homestead inside Wilpena Pound and had seen the weather forecast for the next day, so decided to do the walk in the afternoon after we got back.  We grabbed our gear, making sure we had water and wet weather gear in our back pack and were soon on our way out the track into the centre of the Pound.  It was an easy walk, but it was late in the day, and the sky was getting greyer, so we stepped it out and covered the distance in a reasonably quick time.  It probably took us an hour each way.

There’s really good interpretive signs at the homestead which give an informative history of the homestead and the family that built it and tried so hard to make a life there.  They were certainly at the mercy of the weather, both droughts and floods and in the end, it all proved too hard.  We climbed up to the lookout above the homestead to get a great view of the inside of the Pound, over the tree tops.  You get an idea of the sheer size and scale of this wonderful, natural landmark from up here.  

Wills homestead inside Wilpena Pound

The sky looked ominous and we felt a few splashes of rain, so we thought it would be a good idea of make a start back to camp.  Staying at the caravan park in Wilpena Pound meant that we were able to take advantage of the on-site bar, so we stopped in there for a drink on our way back to the van.  By the time we got back, Ian and Sue had got the fire going so another quiet night was spent chatting about the days’ activities, before we headed off for an early night.

Inside the Pound

Day 11 - Monday 1 August

We were packed up and on our way today.  The weather forecast wasn’t great so we decided it would be a good day to spend in the car travelling.  We pulled out of Wilpena Pound just after 9.30am, just as a few spots of rain hit the windscreen.  

Hawker was our first stop for the day, as we decided to take a quick look around town.  We took in the gallery and had a walk around the old streets, but the rain had set in in earnest now so we jumped back in the car and kept going.

We reached Quorn and had a walk around the town, but it was done by sheltering from the weather in awnings and shop doorways.  We found the supermarket and took the opportunity to stock up on supplies before treating ourselves to a lovely lunch from a nice organic cafe.

It was still raining after lunch as we got back in the car and headed down to the highway that runs along the Spencer Gulf from Port Augusta.  We were heading for the small town of Crystal Brook where we thought we’d spend the night.  It was a case of looking at the map and thinking “Hmm, we haven’t been that way before.”  Crystal Brook is a lovely little town with a bustling main street.  The weather had cleared up a bit and we turned our thoughts to finding somewhere to camp and out came Wikicamps and quite by accident we stumbled on Bowman Park, just 5km out of town.

Bowman Park is a reserve run by a local town committee and is offering free camping with good facilities in a lovely garden setting with old historic buildings and great walking trails.  There was wonderful birdlife and a resident peacock who came by to say hello.  We were surprised to find that there was only one other van in the camping area and quickly set up and relaxed after a day on the road.

After dinner we decided to use the TV in the van (not something we do very often) and settled in to watch a DVD with the heater on - a bit of luxury, I can tell you.  

Day 12 - Tuesday 2 August

The morning was sunny and bright after all the rain the day before.  We took our time over breakfast and then decided to take a walk along one of the walking trails and a look around the walled garden.  It had been a lovely homestead once, and then had had several re-births as different business over the years, including a school camp, and now was a bit sad and run down, but still a great place to spend the night.

Bowman Park

It was a minimal pack up, as we hadn’t unhooked the van the night before, so it was just a matter of heading back to town and then continuing on our adventure-drive back to Melbourne.  We took another look at the map and decided to head down through the Clare Valley to the Murray River.  We stopped in Clare and then drove slowly down to Morgan where we stopped in to the tourist information centre to chat to the lovely ladies there about finding some camping along the river.

That was where our plans changed - apparently South Australia had had a big dump of rain the day before and all the access tracks in to the river had turned to sticky river mud - so camping along the banks of the Murray for a few days was no longer an option.  So, back to the maps and after a bit of deliberation, we decided to take the ferry across the Murray at Morgan.

Boarding the ferry

Crossing the Murray at Morgan

We decided to head for the town of Berri where we pulled into probably the cleanest, tidiest, neatest caravan park we have ever seen.  After our time in the bush in the Flinders, we now had lush green grass under our feet.

The weather was not the greatest, but I’d also seen it a lot worse, so we unrolled the awning and settled in for a sunset drink on the banks of the Murray at Berri.  Not exactly what we had in mind, but we were on holidays - what did it matter?

Day 13 - Wednesday 3 August

We decided this was going to be a down-day.  One of those days where we did very little and caught our breath.  The problem with a two-week touring holiday is that you’re on the go fairly constantly.  After a second cup of coffee, we decided to take a wander into town to see what was on offer.  

Berri is a lovely little town with a good range of shops and services.  We got a few supplies at the local supermarket and then took a walk up to the watertower lookout on the top of the hill.  It really put the riverland into perspective to see the Murray snaking its way as far as you could see.  What a fabulous area this is?

After walking back down the hill, we decided to grab a bite of lunch at the cafe on the riverbank.  We ordered and our meal was delivered by a big, burly, red-headed Scotsman from Dundee.  He was a chatty man and we spent a pleasant hour or so with him and his wife before heading back to the van to sit in the afternoon sun and read.  We took this opportunity, as we had lots of time, to slow-cook at piece of saltbush lamb we’d bought in Burra the week before.  This was enjoyed for dinner with a nice bottle of red before we settled in with a DVD.  Ah, this is the camping life!!!

Day 14 - Thursday 4 August

Today we decided to go exploring in the area.  There’s so much to see and do that we easily filled a day.  After another late start, we headed back west towards Barmera, and we stopped in to visit Aggie’s fruit and veg stand, just outside town.  What a place!  The stand was absolutely laden with oranges, all sorts of other citrus, pumpkins and avocados.  And Aggie, the farmer, likes a bit of a chat.  We heard all about the farm, and her family and farming in the area in general and left with arms full of bags of fruit and veg.  I hope it all keeps, cause we’ve got lots!!!

Aggie's stall

We then kept heading west and reached the enormous concern that is Berri Estates winery.  It is renowned to be the largest winery in the southern hemisphere, with row upon row of huge stainless steel vats and miles of pipework traveling around the vats and over the road.  We stopped in to their cellar door (well, it was almost morning tea time!!) to try some of their wares.  Inside, as well as the Berri Estate label, were rows of bottles with labels we recognised and many we’d had before.  We just didn’t realise that they  were all made here.  It is a huge operation and although the wines are very nice, you don’t get the great feeling you get when visiting a little, family winery.  This multinational mammoth was only after profit.

The huge Berri Estates

So to balance that, we then went to the complete other end of the scale and visited a very small, back-block winery called 919.  It is run by a husband and wife team who run the tiny organic vineyard themselves and we were shown around and spent a lovely hour of so discussing the virtues of their very nice shiraz.

919 Cellar Door

We continued west and retraced our steps of earlier days, to take in the Wetlands Centre at Banrock Station, at Kingston on the Murray.  As well as great food and wine at the cellar door, Banrock Station have a commitment to the environment and their centre was granted Ramsar status in 2002, recognising the work it does to protect endangered and migratory birdlife.  We had lunch while taking in the views, and then spent a few hours walking the trails through the wetlands.  Not a lot of birdlife to be seen, but the trails were beautiful. 

Banrock Station Wetlands

We capped off the day visiting a couple of the locks on the Murray on the way home to see how this mighty river is controlled and held back to suit the needs of the rural and agricultural communities.

Day 15 - Friday 5 August

It was moving-on day, so we were up and organised fairly quickly and were soon on the road, heading in a vague direction towards Melbourne.  After referring to our trusty maps, we decided on a road we hadn’t taken before, and headed down through Loxton to Pinnaroo.  We stopped for morning tea in this sleepy little town and tried to decide where to head next.  

We had another night on the road before we were to be home, so an old faithful favourite campsite beckoned, and we headed for the banks of the lake at Hopetoun.  We arrived mid-afternoon, and set up in a lovely sunny spot.  

By the lake at Hopetoun

We’ve visited Hopetoun many times over the years, and always enjoyed the hospitality the little town shows us.  There’s a good supermarket and a few specialty shops, where you can get most things you’re looking for.  There used to be two pubs, but the older one closed down a few years back and now there’s only the one.  It was always good for a counter-meal, but this time, we felt let down.  The meal we had was served in the main bar, not the dining room as it used to be, and we just felt they had stopped trying.  Sad to say, but we won’t be back.

The lake is a different thing though.  The camping there is lovely, with toilets and showers on one side, together with a few powered sites (for a fee).  But you can camp anywhere around the perimeter of the lake for free.  We got back to camp after dinner and lit a little fire and settled in for our last night on the road for now.

Day 16 - Saturday 6 August

There’s not much to say about this day.  That’s because we were going home.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and my home, but I’m always sad to be ending a journey.  We did however, stop on the way to take in the new silo art that had been painted on the grain silos at the little town of Brim.  They're just beautiful, and I believe there's more planned for other areas.

Silo art at Brim

Then onwards towards home and back to reality.  Some day there’ll be a time when the journey won’t end, but for now, we started the car and headed for Belgrave.