20th – 22nd May

Our journey to Port Augusta started well travelling up through the peninsula but it ended in a bang.  30 klms short of our destination the caravan began to shudder as the passenger side tyre blew. We had always wondered what that experience would be like when it happened and now we knew.  It was safe though and we were able to quickly pull off the highway far enough to not obstruct traffic.  One may plan in our minds what to do but now we had opportunity to put it all to the test and thankfully we successfully made the necessary change.  It was interesting however as the van shook every time a large B Double flew past at full speed.

Prior to leaving home we knew that while our tyres looked in good condition they were over five years old and past the recommended life.  We had sought advice from the manufacturer and asked our tyre dealer to look over them and all had agreed we should be OK.  But now we thought we had better change the others before we headed to remote territory.  The spare on the car had never ever seen the bitumen but was even older than the van so it received the same treatment.

The car was also due for a major service and we had planned that a week prior.  To add to our challenges our refrigerator had again failed us and after  talking to all of the country service agents we had decided to return to Adelaide and have it attended to as this was the most expedient option – time and cost.  The visit to PA was becoming a maintenance challenge.

The sign at the entry of Port Augusta says “Crossroads of the Nation” and that is what we found is pretty much true.  The park in which we are staying is full of travellers heading for either Darwin, Perth, Broken Hill or Eyre Peninsula.  They all have a story of some kind and every state is represented here.  The town depends on the traveller tourist trade also as I was to find out from the Mitsubishi service agent.   In the two nights we spent here we were able to glean so much information of what lay ahead of us and tips of where to stay.  The town really is more of an industrial town and apart from some improvements along the beach side we did not find the vistit attractive.

Friday morning we set off for Adelaide and chose to take an alternative route parallel to the main route but through the Clare Valley.  As it happened a ferocious weather front was approaching the peninsula and Adelaide so going further inland was an added incentive.  The route took us through Horricks Gap in the Southern Flinders ranges.  We travelled from the flats surrounding the Spencer Gulf up 450 M in a very short distance and then over into some amazing grazing and broad acre flats type country.

 The ranges were covered sparsely with trees in contrast with the mountains we have in Queensland.  Thus every valley and spur was clearly visible.

We travelled through the small villages of Willmington, Melrose & Murray Town, all small in population but rich in history.  The old stone farmhouses were everywhere and in the towns the pubs in their old style were a real picture. 

At Laura we stopped for lunch at a park in the main street.  The park was really green which is something we are not seeing a lot of as fields are being readied for planting and vineyards are finished their harvest. It has been quite dry here so green is not common.

At Clare we stopped for two nights.  The Clare Valley is quite picturesque and scores of Cellar Doors have established quite a tourist industry – mostly from Adelaide area or vanners like us.  The caravan park was large and quite full of visitors.  We are blessed again in that the park is tucked in beside a high ridge.  The winds that we have been expecting are whistling through the tree tops above us.  We are sheltered however and the showers are only spasmodic.
We drove around the area checking out the lookouts etc and while the views were outstanding the cloudy windy weather made photos impossible.

 

 The old unused railway track has been converted into a hiking / riding trail and it travels for quite some klms through vineyards and countryside.  I really wish we had something like this in our home area.  

 Here the trail crosses the road via a replica of an old rail bridge.

It is Alice’s birthday on Sunday so we head to a hotel for dinner to celebrate.  As we were walking down the main street trying to decide where to eat we met another couple visiting from Adelaide area.  We chatted for several minutes as if we had known each other forever.   Then a local woman saw our rego plate and stopped to ask us how we had got on in the floods etc.  She told us all of her family in Queensland and what was to be seen in Clare.  She recommended a hotel for us to go to.  We continue to be pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the people we are meeting.  It really is great.

We chose the recommended hotel restaurant and it was a real family affair.  The atmosphere was quite friendly and it was great being in such a warm environment out of the cold.. During the meal out of the blue a couple come up to us and tell us that they had seen us during the day as we were looking around.  They had been biking along the trail as we had stopped to take photographs.  They had travelled up from Adelaide for the weekend and they told us how they cycled down the trail and visited the wineries.  I love cycling but not sure how I would go if I combined it with wine tasting.  The celebration was very enjoyable.

Sunday morning and we left for Adelaide.  By now the rain was starting and it was pretty cold.  In contrast to that however the wind was behind us for much of the trip.  At first the traffic was light but as we came closer to Adelaide it increased significantly as many people appeared to be out visiting markets etc.

We had chosen a park which we thought was close to the workshop to which we had to take the van for the repair.  As it turned out it also was located in a small reserve tucked in a small gorge.  We were sheltered from the wind again.  Aren’t we blessed?  For this trip to Adelaide it is mostly business so we did not really get much chance to take advantage of pleasant surroundings.

 Entry to Brown Hill Creek camp