Bertha’s fridge was still playing up and I located a 12volt fridge specialist in Adelaide. He was pretty busy and even after spending five nights with family in Adelaide I had almost a week to fill before meeting up with him. How better to spend it than learning more about the lower reaches of the River Murray?
Night 223 - McLaren Vale Lakeside Caravan Park (1A).Followed by an exploration of the southern Adelaide Hills (1B) and a visit to Victor Harbor (1C), which rather reminded me of The Entrance in NSW. Nights 224 & 225 - Little Bosa, near Port Elliot (1D). Eccentric caravan heaven in a big back yard. From nearby Goolwa (just before 1E) I took a day cruise of the Coorong, the huge lagoon at the mouth of the River Murray. Here is my video "Cruising the Coorong". Night 226 - Hindmarsh Island Caravan Park (1E). This enabled me to drive around the island and explore Goolwa before driving east around Lake Alexandrina through prime wine-growing country. Here is a video of before Langhorne Creek. Night 227 - in the Frank Potts Reserve at Langhorne Creek (1F). Here is a video after Langhorne Creek. I then continued driving around the lake, crossed the Murray on the Wellington Ferry (1G), had fish and chips in Meningie, proceeded around Lake Albert and took the Narrung Ferry (1&2) across the channel between the two lakes before heading north along the east bank of the Murray. Night 228 - Tailem Bend Football Club (2A). The next day I continued up the river, crossing from east to west at Murray Bridge (2B), passing through Mannum (2C), crossing from west to east by the ferry at Walker Flat (2D) and passing through Swan Reach (E). Night 229 - in the car park outside the Blanchetown Caravan Park at Paisley (2F). I walked along the river, looking at the remains of earlier bridges and ferrys, then crossed by the modern bridge and turned back towards the city. I was disappointed not to get right up to Morgan where I abandoned the river on my drive west.
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Ceduna (A) marked the end of the. Nullarbor crossing and - having been held up there so long in May - I sped through. In fact, because I had set Google Maps for the next town I inadvertently tracked around the South Australian quarantine post! Video “After Ceduna”. I needed to follow the route I had taken in May but a 26-hour detour through the Gawler Ranges (picture above) was wonderful. The local information volunteer said the road was fine. This was lucky as afterwards I saw that the website says it is four wheel drive only. It was certainly a punishing drive for Bertha. Here’s a video of a family of emus I found myself herding! Iron Knob (F) is a dying town beside an abandoned iron mine, the first place iron was mined in Australia. The next night at Hummocks Station (G) couldn’t have been a bigger contrast. It was one of the first sheep runs in South Australia and has developed two lines of sheep, one for wool and one for meat; it has made a genetic contribution to 50% of the sheep in Chile. Port Wakefield (H) is a functional town with many carefully preserved buildings in the old centre. When I left there I drove to a suburban supermarket and stocked up with supplies to go and spend a few days with family beside the beach in Adelaide. Night 218 - Wirrulla Caravan Park. I was happy in Wirrulla (B), a sleepy farming centre. The park is maintained by the local community. Night 219 - Waganny Campground (D). Gawler Ranges National Park. Night 220 - Iron Knob Caravan Park, Iron Knob (F). This park is also maintained by the local community. Night 221 - Hummocks Station (G). near Snowtown. This is a historic station and a lovely place to visit. Night 222 - Port Wakefield Caravan Park (H), Port Wakefield. This park had many fishers staying with their vans lined up along the waterway. I made it a point to visit different places and I took the return more slowly, with one more driving day and two more rest days.
YouTube video: Second Nullarbor Crossing. Departure - Norseman. See previous post. Night 208 - Afghan Rock Rest Stop, just east of Balladonia. Night 209 - outside a property gate opposite Caiguna Roadhouse, where two injured wedge tailed eagles are housed. (I used two tokens I lost and found repeatedly on the way west to have a hot shower.) Night 210 - Nuytsland Nature Reserve lookout above Eyre Bird Observatory. Night 211 - Nullarbor National Park, back from the picnic table at the Ten Kilometre Peg. Night 212 - Head of Bight visitors’ carpark. It was too late in the season to see lots of whales, but I did get a long view of one mother and calf. Nights 213-216 - Fowlers Bay Caravan Park. Three days resting, and Keith and Lucy from Wagstaffe were there one night! The earlier parts of this once important port are being overwhelmed by encroaching sand dunes. Night 217 - Point Sinclair: I admired Cactus Beach and chatted with a surfer, and then I spent the night quietly beside the jetty at Port Le Hunte, the best night of the journey! Arrival - Ceduna. Again! |
AuthorIn mid 2018 I started recording each night I sleep in Bertha: sometimes just for myself, sometimes to share with friends and other travellers. Archives
February 2024
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