Alice Springs & West MacDonnell Ranges

We finally reached Alice Springs on Sunday 26 July after another overnight stay at Erldunda on the way from Kings Canyon. After a very cold night Monday dawned sunny and clear with a chill wind so we set about discovering the delights of Alice Springs. We were soon drooling over the large number of art galleries specialising in quality Aboriginal art and had picked out at least three paintings we could seriously be interested in. There were also another couple we particularly liked but the price tag was unfortunately way over our budget. We also visited The Residency, built in 1927 as the residence for the first Government Resident of the southern section of the Northern Territory, which is now a museum. As well as displays and photos of the history of European settlement in Central Australia there were records and photos of the first Royal visit by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh followed some years later by Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Obviously they were very important occasions in the history of this isolated but important Central Australian town.

After lunch we visited the Old Telegraph Station which was constructed in the early 1870s to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide and helped establish fast and direct communication between Britain and Australian for the first time. The Overland Telegraph Line which ran for 3,200kms from Port Augusta and Darwin took two years to complete, cost approx half a million dollars and required work teams to cut and erect 36,000 timber poles – a remarkable feat of engineering and human endurance! The five buildings on the site were constructed of local stone and the Station Master’s residence had shady verandahs facing north and south which together with the very thick walls helped to keep out the summer heat. The Telegraph Station was established next to a waterhole on the Todd River which was the ‘original’ Alice Springs and to support itself, the Station was also a grazing property with its own blacksmith, butchery and post office.




The buildings were later used as a home and school for aboriginal children including the late Charlie Perkins, the well-known Aboriginal activist. Charlie’s mother was the cook there however it didn’t prevent him being taken away and sent to Adelaide as part of the scheme responsible for the Stolen Generation. The Station tour guide had known Charlie Perkins and being part of the Stolen Generation himself he had a few stories to tell but in his case they were mostly happy ones. During World War II the buildings were used to house the military forces in the area.

On Tuesday we headed west to begin our discovery of the West MacDonnell Ranges. Our first stop was just out of town where we visited the grave of the Rev. John Flynn who established the Royal Flying Doctor Service. After driving west along Larapinta Drive and then Namatjira Drive for approx 150kms we reached the turn off to Redbank Gorge, which was another 5km along a corrugated dirt road – our first real 4WD experience this trip! A 20 minute walk along the creek bed, mostly clambering over rocks, brought us to a narrow gorge where red rock walls soared above a small waterhole.




Retracing our drive 33kms to the east on Namatjira Drive we reached Glen Helen Gorge which was created when the Finke River, the oldest original watercourse in the world, broke through on its way to the Simpson Desert. The Gorge shelters one of only 9 permanent waterholes along the length of this important inland river.

Driving another few kms down the road we made the turn off to Ormiston Gorge and Pound where we decided to take the 7km Ormiston Pound Walk. This walk took us on a full circuit of the area from the car park, across slopes, through small pretty valleys climbing, climbing until we reached a lookout with the most spectacular views of the Pound – absolutely breathtaking! We continued along the track which eventually dropped down onto the floor of the Pound where we made two crossings of Ormiston Creek (read plenty of boulders to clamber over). The track followed the length of the Gorge with its towering, red walls above a base comprised of layers of multi-coloured rock until it reached the main waterhole. Unfortunately we had to clamber over what seemed like hundreds more boulders along the route of the creek to get there! Shortly after reaching the waterhole we sighted another wild dingo coming down to the pool to have a drink – better photos this time. The walk took us 2.5hours to complete which was better than the estimated 3-4 hours but we were quite weary at the finish.




On the 135kms drive back to Alice Springs we made a very short stop to see the Ochre Pits which have been mined by the desert Aboriginal people for generations. This natural mineral is found here in a range of earthy colours and is used for paintings and ceremonial body decoration. After our busy day we treated ourselves to a pizza meal at a nearby restaurant this evening.

Kings Canyon

We left the Ayers Rock Resort the following morning retracing our steps eastwards on the Lasseter Highway before turning north onto Luritja Road approx 50km east of the Curtin Springs roadhouse – our destination being Kings Canyon. The fully sealed road into Kings Canyon was in better condition than we expected and we arrived at the Kings Canyon Resort campground around lunchtime. The campground has good views towards the George Gill Range where Kings Canyon is located and we enjoyed a lovely view of the mountains reflecting the colours of the sunset in the early evening. We also had our first sighting of dingoes this evening roaming the campground looking for food – something we hadn’t experienced at Uluru despite the warning signs displayed there.





On Thursday 22 July we started our exploration of Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park at 8.45am by climbing a steep upwards path (15 min climb) for the 6km loop walk around the Canyon rim. This 3.5hr walk had a little bit of everything – spectacular views from the top of, as well as across to, 270m high sandstone Canyon walls, walking through a maze of weathered domes (the Lost City) and a sunken valley with permanent waterholes and lush vegetation including ancient cycads (the Garden of Eden), wooden bridges and staircases, wildflowers and stunted trees growing in small cracks in the rock. The photos again tell the story more accurately.

We finished off our stay at Kings Canyon Resort with another two short walks. The first walk led us to the spring-fed waterhole known as Kathleen Springs at the head of Kathleen Gorge, approx 30km from Kings Canyon. It was a very easy walk along a sealed track and the waterhole was a very peaceful spot to enjoy the natural surrounds. The second walk followed the route of Kings Creek at the base of Kings Canyon which gave views upwards of the Canyon walls this time. However we were glad we’d done the more comprehensive Canyon Rim walk the previous day and discovered the in-depth secrets of this beautiful spot.

Uluru & Kata Tjuta

On Friday 17 July we left Coober Pedy, SA for Erldunda, NT which is located at the junction of the Stuart and Lasseter Highways — a journey of 485kms making it our longest drive yet on this trip. It was a fairly uneventful drive apart from the strong westerly winds and the large number of wedge-tailed eagles which were feasting on road kill by the side of the highway. We also saw a few flocks of white corellas and galahs and a few emus.

Leaving Erldunda the following morning we headed west to Yulara stopping at Curtin Springs roadhouse for morning tea where the majestic Mt Conner could be seen quite clearly in the distance. Mt Conner is a 700 million year old sand and rock table-top mountain or mesa which is actually three times the size of Uluru but not as well known nor as well publicised. We continued on to Yulara arriving around lunchtime at the Ayers Rock Resort which has been purpose built to serve Uluru approx 10km further down the road. The resort is spread over a large area and contains four hotels, a prestigious resort (read extremely expensive!), two campgrounds (one for coach groups only), a group of apartments and a small shopping centre and petrol station. After a quiet afternoon checking out our surrounds we climbed a small hill within the campground for our first sunset view of Uluru. Despite the distance it was still quite impressive.





On Sunday we started our exploration of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park with a half hour helicopter flight over Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Richard was in the co-pilot’s seat so was able to capture the natural beauty of this World Heritage area by taking lots of photos. After the flight we drove out to Uluru where we browsed through the Cultural Centre before driving the recommended anti-clockwise route around Uluru for our first good look at the Rock from ground level and it was HUGE!

The following day we made a very early start in order to view Uluru at sunrise. We reached the park entrance shortly after 6.00am only to find it didn’t open until 6.30am but as we were only the 3rd car to enter the Park that day we were able to find a good vantage point to view the changing colours of Uluru at sunrise. Lots more photos!





After breakfast back at the caravan we drove out to Kata Tjuta (formerly The Olgas). We stopped briefly for our first close-up view of Kata Tjuta from ground level before continuing to the western side to walk the Valley of the Winds. This 7.4km circuit walk took 2.5 hours and was quite challenging in parts but really breathtaking at the same time and well worth the effort. We were surprised by the geology of Kata Tjuta which is made up of 36 steep-sided smooth domes, the tallest being more than 200 metres higher than Uluru. The domes of Kata Tjuta are actually comprised of millions of rocks moulded together by molten rock and then eroded to a smooth finish by wind and rain. We also took the opportunity to take another walk after lunch – this time the 2.6km return walk into Walpa Gorge. This much easier walk took us into a narrow shaded gorge created by the massive walls of the two highest domes at Kata Tjuta. A small creek running through the gorge was lined with flourishing vegetation and once we reached the head of the gorge there was a great view back to the western plains.

That evening we treated ourselves to a buffet dinner at the Bough Restaurant at the Outback Pioneer Hotel where, amongst other foods, we sampled smoked kangaroo, emu sausage and crocodile salad as part of the entrée selection followed by roast kangaroo and barramundi for the main course. We followed this up with tiramisu, panacotta and cheesecake for dessert all washed down with a tasty shiraz. Needless to say we could hardly move afterwards!

Tuesday 21 July dawned clear and sunny for our 9.4km base walk around Uluru, starting out at Mala carpark which is also the starting point for the rock climb. The rock climb had been closed much of the previous few days due to high winds at the summit but this morning there were quite a few people climbing and descending the rock holding on tight to the chain handrail, their only support on the steep smooth slope. Uluru is a sandstone monolith standing 348 metres high but, like an iceberg, at least two thirds of its bulk lies below the surface.

Shortly after starting our walk we checked out a couple of small caves decorated with some faded Aboriginal rock art before taking a small diversion into Kantju Gorge where its smooth rock walls soared hundreds of metres above us. In the wet season the gorge is obviously a collection point for water pouring down the sides of the Rock which was indicated by the tide mark at the base of the rock walls. We continued our long walk around the base of the Rock checking out various rock features along the way. When we reached the three quarter mark in our base walk another short diversion took us to Mutitjulu Waterhole. This waterhole is apparently one of the more dependable waterholes and very rarely dries out probably due to its location on the southern side of the Rock and therefore protected from direct sunshine. Although the base walk was through flat terrain we still found the 2.5hour walk quite tiring especially on top of our Kata Tjuta walks yesterday.

Woomera to Coober Pedy

Leaving Hawker on Sunday 12 July we headed southwest to Port Augusta before turning north on the Stuart Highway to Woomera. The countryside between Port Augusta and Woomera was very arid and featureless. While in Woomera we checked out the excellent Heritage Museum which used a range of audio-visual displays to outline its technological history. A walk around the Woomera Missile Park with its open air display of rockets, bombs and aircraft was also mandatory. While staying in Woomera we took the opportunity to visit the nearby township of Roxby Downs where the majority of its 4,000 people are employed at the nearby Olympic Dam Mine. This BHP Billiton mine has the world’s fourth largest remaining copper deposit, fifth largest gold deposit and the largest known uranium deposit in the world. It also contains significant quantities of silver and is Australia’s largest underground mine. We had hoped to view the above ground workings however security was tight and entry is only allowed as part of an organised bus tour.

We arrived in Coober Pedy the following Tuesday after a long drive through arid desert country where the only sign of life were a few emus and some wedge tailed eagles feeding on roadkill by the side of the highway. On our first morning in Coober Pedy we took a guided tour run by a 74 yr old former opal miner who has lived and worked in Coober Pedy since 1972. After pointing out various services and points of interest in town he drove us to some mullock heaps where we had a brief “noodle” (or fossick) for any stray opals – no luck of course! We viewed the Golf Course where there is not a blade of grass on the fairways and the greens are oiled sand – quite unique, and also visited the underground Serbian Orthodox Church with its rounded vaulted ceilings and leadlight panels. There are another three underground churches in town servicing its population of approx 4,000 representing over 45 nationalities. “Dugouts” or underground buildings are very popular in Coober Pedy with their relatively constant 22-25 degree temperatures which are a blessing during the extreme summers where temperatures often reach 40-50 degrees Celsius. Our final stop was at a former opal mine with attached “dugout” where we viewed a short feature film on the history of opal mining both in Australia and overseas.

That afternoon we drove approx 15kms out of town towards Oodnadatta along a dirt road before turning off towards the Breakaways. We drove for a few kms alongside the Dog Fence which at a height of 2m runs for over 5,300kms through three States. This fence was erected and continues to be maintained in order to keep dingoes out of the sheep country down south. Our drive continued through desert-like moonscape areas before we reached the Breakaways which are colourful low hills that have broken away from the Stuart Range. With their surreal colouring and shape it is a popular area for filming movies and commercials. On our drive back to Coober Pedy we passed more opal mining fields with their distinctive low mullock hills.

On Thursday morning we checked out the Old Timers Mine which dates back to 1916 making it the oldest mine in Coober Pedy. The mine had been filled in and forgotten until 1968 when it was accidentally discovered during an underground home extension. The mine and adjacent two underground homes have now been turned into one of the better tourist attractions in town.

That afternoon we boarded another small six seater plane for a flight to Lake Eyre. Firstly we flew north over the Breakaways to the Painted Desert and the Painted Hills which have been created by erosion and leaching of minerals from the soil over millions of years to create truly magical and spectacular scenery. Turning east we followed part of the Oodnadatta Track until we reached the old iron Algebuckina Bridge which was part of the Old Ghan railway. We continued east until we reached Warburton Creek at the northern end of Lake Eyre where we saw small flocks of pelicans and other birds as well as a few stray camels on the shore. We were told that this normally arid salt lake had been flooded to 60% of its capacity over recent months but half of that has already evaporated leaving vast expanses of wet, rapidly drying sand. The Lake covers an enormous area and would be truly awesome if it was ever completely flooded. The plane then turned west to land at William Creek for refuelling where we were able to stretch our legs and quench our thirst at the quaint Outback Pub, which is literally in the middle of nowhere on the Oodnadatta Track. On our return journey to Coober Pedy we flew over Anna Creek Station which is the largest cattle station in the world and supposedly bigger in area than Belgium. We also flew over Lake Cadibarrawirracanna which has Australia’s longest place name.

Flinders Ranges

Leaving Burra we continued our journey northwest through green valleys and small country towns such as Terowrie, Peterborough and Orroroo with the South Flinders Ranges gradually rising majestically ahead until we reached Hawker, our base for the next few days. The following day we drove to Wilpena Pound where we boarded a small 6 seater Cessna for a 30min scenic flight over Wilpena Pound, Arkaba Station, the dry Lake Torrens, Bunyeroo and Brachina Gorges, St Mary’s Peak, the Elder Range, the ABC Range and the Heysen Range which make up the South Flinders Ranges. WOW! is the best way to describe the aerial view of this world- renowned National Park. The young female pilot was excellent and executed a very smooth take-off and landing on the dirt runway.

To gain a good insight into the history and geology of the Flinders Ranges NP we also joined a whole day tour run by Derek’s 4WD Tours. We travelled in the “Enamel Camel” (specially fitted out 4WD vehicle) north to Wilpena Pound, passing the Elder Range and Chace Range before entering the Flinders Ranges National Park. We continued driving through an area of natural pine forests before turning off onto a dirt road through the ABC Range towards Bunyeroo Valley. We soon had beautiful views of the outside walls of Wilpena Pound and down over the Valley of Bunyeroo Gorge. Stopping for morning tea at Razorback Lookout our guide gave us our first lesson on the geology of the area which helped us understand how these mountains were formed.

Continuing down into Bunyeroo Gorge we began to appreciate the beauty of the Flinders Ranges and saw our first emus and kangaroos as well as wedge tailed eagles hunting for prey. We travelled through the Bunyeroo Valley and along the dry creek beds of Brachina Gorge lined with magnificent River Red Gums. This area lay between the Heysen and ABC Ranges which are often referred to as "The Backbone of the Flinders Ranges". Here there was further evidence of the sedimentary layering and uplifting from the period between 520 and 640 million years ago as well as meteorite debris from 480 million years ago, stromatolites which are some of the earliest algae formed in the world and fossilised remains of plant and animal life. Stopping for lunch in Brachina Gorge we managed to spot a few rare and endangered yellow footed rock wallabies - as well as a couple of rabbits. We continued on a leisurely drive through Brachina Gorge, with lots of photo stops along the way, before a final lookout view back towards Wilpena Pound. Another great travel experience! We finished off a long but enjoyable day with another satisfying Outback meal (read very generous helpings!) at the Old Ghan Restaurant which is located in the lovely old stone buildings which were once Hawker Railway Station.

Trip to Central Australia 2009 - Wollongong to Burra

We left Wollongong late afternoon Wednesday 24 June for our journey west to Central Australia. After two days with family in Canberra we continued on to Wagga Wagga arriving mid afternoon Friday at about the same time as the rain. We enjoyed a meal at the RSL that evening and hoped the rain would clear overnight. With rain forecast for the next couple of days we resigned ourselves to mostly indoor activities over the weekend.

We started our tour of Wagga Wagga by visiting the Regional Art Gallery, the National Art Glass Gallery and the Museum of the Riverina, the first two located within the very modern Civic Centre together with the Council offices and Town Library. The Art Gallery had an exhibition of aboriginal art from the Roper River area but we weren’t particularly impressed by the very bright colours and mostly childlike drawings. The multi-coloured glass coolamons were the exception. The Art Glass Gallery had a collection of glass objects d’art and there were a couple of items which were outstanding. The Museum was situated in the old Council Chambers building and had an exhibition of photos by Max Dupain. We had previously seen an exhibition of his work in Canberra and were fascinated by the way he chronicled Australia at work and at play from the 1940s through to 1980s.

On Sunday we drove approx 10kms north-west of the city to the Charles Sturt University campus which is situated on the surrounding hills with picturesque views over Wagga Wagga and the rural countryside. The modern campus buildings are well spread out around the campus with more under construction. It was relatively quiet being the university holiday period but we took the opportunity to sample some wines and cheeses produced at the University Wine & Cheese Centre for which they’ve won quite a few prizes in national competitions.

We departed Wagga Wagga the following morning headed west to Balranald however after many hours of fairly boring driving through flat farming country we decided to stop overnight in Hay instead. With the afternoon still ahead of us we checked out some of the tourism attractions in town the first being the old Anglican Bishop’s Lodge which was built in 1888-89 by Bishop Linton, the first Anglican Bishop of the Riverina. The house was designed by John Sulman who became a well respected architect & artist in Sydney (viz annual Sulman Art Prize). It was a very revolutionary design for its time – the single level U-shape house of 115 squares was sited to take advantage of the prevailing cooling winds in summer with wide verandahs giving shelter from the extremes of weather; built up on stumps so that air could flow under the house; external and internal wall cavities as well as ceilings were hard packed with Cyprus pine sawdust for insulation; 14 ft high ceilings with vents at the roof level to allow hot air to escape; exterior walls of corrugated iron with zinc coated tin plate on most of the interior walls which were very fire resistant; house frames constructed of Cyprus pine to stop termite attack; the kitchen and laundry housed in a separate building adjacent to the main house to lessen the incidence of fire and to help keep the house cooler in summer. The 9 foot wide verandahs had also successfully protected the paintwork on the external walls which is only now starting to deteriorate 120 years after its first application – not a bad recommendation for whatever brand of paint was used! Most of the rooms were hugely proportioned by today’s standards and in its early days as a Bishop’s House they were well used (the first two Bishops each had 6 children) and saw plenty of visitors. It was also used as a Boys Home for some years. The house had extensive gardens, although now a bit neglected, which included a large variety of roses some of which were originally brought out from England by the first Bishop.

Our next stop was to the Shear Outback Museum depicting the history of sheep shearing in both the local area and throughout Australia. This relatively new and very interesting museum highlights the conditions under which the shearers have worked over the years together with examples of their work tools and how they have evolved over the years. The exhibits were very well presented with accompanying audio visual narratives of the various aspects of a shearer’s way of life including the support team which makes up a shearing gang; with many photos of old shearing sheds and equipment used since early colonial days.

We soon revised our initial intention of staying only one night in Hay and the following morning we set out for a walk around the historic precinct of the town which has some lovely old buildings dating from the late 1800s-mid 1900s. These buildings included the Courthouse, Post Office, Fire Station, banks and churches. In one of these old buildings we came across the Chris McClelland Gallery. McClelland was a station manager near Hay for most of his life but about 10 years ago - he’s now 66 years of age - he visited Zaire in Africa with his wife. He had recently started to sketch as a hobby and while in Africa he started sketching local tribesmen, various animals etc. despite having no formal training as an artist. His obvious talent has ultimately led to a new career as a wildlife artist with many subsequent trips to Africa. His artwork, which often takes 200-300 hours to complete, is very finely detailed using black and/or coloured pencils which have won him multiple prizes and awards. A very unexpected find in a small country town which left us feeling like we had spent an hour on safari in Africa – his sketches were so lifelike and his descriptions so vivid.

Our next stop was the old Railway Station which although beautifully restored is no longer in use since the railway line closed down however the building is used for various community purposes. We were interested in an exhibition housed in two old railway carriages parked permanently at the station which outline the history of the nearby POW Camp in Hay during WWII. This was a fascinating insight into a small remote country town suddenly being thrust into the role of host to a POW camp and having its population doubled almost overnight to 4,000 increasing to 6,000 at its peak. History boards throughout the carriages told the story of both the locals and the POWs over this period. The majority of the prisoners were in fact European refugees fleeing from the Nazis who were inadvertently classed as POWs and secretly transported from England to Australia in a ship called the “Dunmera”. The prisoners became known as the Dunmera Boys. They were later joined by other Australian residents of Italian, German or Japanese extraction who the authorities feared could be spies because of their supposed allegiances to their country of birth.

That afternoon we also visited the former Hay Gaol which was built in 1878 and has been used as a gaol, a maternity hospital, an insane asylum, a POW detention centre, an institute for wayward girls and now a museum. The history of the goal was told by information boards and memorabilia in each of the cells and throughout the building which included various artefacts from Hay’s early history.

On Wednesday 1 July we continued our journey crossing the seemingly barren Hay Plains with hardly a tree in sight although the paddocks were green amongst the mallee bush and there was plenty of water lying in depressions near the road. We were also kept entertained for a while by a yellow crop dusting plane flying extremely low over vast irrigated fields climbing and diving between his runs. We stopped briefly in Balralnald before arriving at a lovely park on the edge of the Murrumbidgee River in Euston for lunch. Euston is situated near the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers. We reached Mildura early that afternoon booking into a caravan park located along the banks of the Murray River about 3km out of town. It was a lovely quiet spot and we watched the paddle steamers pass by on their twice daily tours along the river.

The following day we walked along the river bank towards town, admiring the native birds and the PS Melbourne on its afternoon tourist run until we reached the Old Mildura Homestead complex. As well as being the homestead for the original pastoral lease it also became the home of two Canadian brothers, George & William Chaffey, who were convinced by Alfred Deakin of the huge development potential of the area if they adopted the irrigation methods they had used successfully in California. The Chaffeys developed a series of steam-driven pumps to lift the water from the Murray River which was then used to irrigate large areas to grow grapes and citrus fruits. George Chaffey ultimately returned to California while William Chaffey remained and built a grand home “Rio Vista” (River View) on the banks of the Murray not far from the Old Mildura Homestead. The present road bridge over the Murray River between NSW and Vic was named after George Chaffey.

On Friday we headed north as part of a guided tour to Mungo National Park. The NP is at the centre of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area and evidence of human occupation has been dated back to well over 60,000 years. We explored the ancient sandhills which were formed over thousands of years by the action of wind and water from Mungo Lake which dried up at least 20,000 years ago. As the sands have moved they have unearthed ancient fireplaces, burial sites, stone tools and animal fossils. The sandhills are known as the Walls of China and look quite impressive from a distance although they only rise approx 9 metres above the ancient lake bed at their highest point. We enjoyed a picnic lunch inside the 140 year old Mungo Woolshed which was constructed by Chinese labourers for the local grazier using rough hewn local timber, fencing wire and hand made nails. Over 40,000 sheep were shorn each year by approx 36 shearers at a time – quite an impressive undertaking and the shed itself is a fitting memorial to the area’s pastoral history.

Our next excursion was to explore the historic port town of Wentworth approximately 30km west of Mildura. Our drive took us through small communities growing oranges, mandarins and sultana grapes and we noted the heavily laden bushes with fruit rotting on and beneath the trees and vines. Apparently this is due to the farmers being unable to compete with overseas imports. Something appears to be very wrong if this is the case!

Wentworth is located at the delta of the Murray and Darling Rivers and was once touted as the future National Capital of Australia. Armed with information from the local Visitor Information Centre we drove a further few kms west until we reached Perry’s Sandhills which have a similar history to Mungo NP. Over the years much of the flora has been buried or almost buried by red sand as evidenced by one particular Murray River Red Gum, estimated to be approx 500 years old, the trunk of which has been buried beneath tons of sand resulting in its spreading upper branches now being at ground level. The sand dunes have also been used in many international and Australian movie scenes including “Man from Snowy River II”, “Burke & Wills”, “Flying Doctors” and “Boney”.

Driving back into town we visited the Old Wentworth Gaol built in 1879-1881 designed by colonial architect James Barnett who went on to design many Government buildings, particularly in Sydney, and many of the State’s gaols eg Hay, Dubbo and many others which are still standing today. There were a number of other beautiful old buildings around town dating back to the late 1800s including the Post Office, Customs House, Town Hall, hotels and churches. We also visited Lock 10 & Weir which is located just below the junction of the Murray & Darling Rivers.

On our return to Mildura we visited the Mildura Arts Centre which incorporates “Rio Vista”, the former home of William Chaffey (see previous note) where William’s wife lived until her death in 1950. The house has retained many of its original features such as furniture, fireplaces, wood panelling, wallpaper etc. which was of interest but the Arts Centre was a big disappointment as far as its current exhibitions were concerned.

Sunday 5 July saw us on the road again for the relatively short 2 hour drive from Mildura to Renmark where we checked into another riverside caravan park only a 10min walk from town. After lunch we drove the short distance into town and boarded the PS Industry which is a steam powered paddlewheeler built in 1911 as a workboat pulling snags out of the river and assisting to build the weirs and locks. After being abandoned for some years it has now been restored to its former glory by a dedicated team of volunteers. We were fortunate to have timed our arrival on the first Sunday of the month as this is the only day each month when it takes passengers on a 90min cruise up and down the River. It was a leisurely way to explore this section of the River and Richard especially enjoyed checking out the huge boiler and pistons which turned the paddlewheels on both sides of the boat. The home made scones were also enjoyable!

We walked back into town the following day for lunch at the Renmark Club. This institution was originally a “gentlemen’s club” open only to male membership however times have changed and it now welcomes everyone. Although not large, the Club is housed in a relatively new modern building built right on the riverbank. It would be a lovely spot to sit outside overlooking the river in the warmer weather but at this time of year we enjoyed an excellent view from inside and we especially enjoyed the large tender steaks which were one of the lunch specials that day.

On Tuesday 7 July we left Renmark driving north-west to Burra making a stop for morning tea at Morgan which was once a bustling river port during the mid 1800s – mid 1900s with paddle steamers ferrying goods and passengers along the Murray River to Morgan where they were met by the railway for their onward journeys. At that time it was the second largest port in South Australia after Port Adelaide. There are still some lovely old buildings in town as a testament to its past but the paddlewheelers have been replaced by dozens of leisure houseboats. There is also a ferry which operates on demand to carry cars the short distance across the river. As we drove across country we continued to glimpse the river winding its way south in the distance. Nearing Burra the North Mount Lofty Ranges rose ahead of us in the distance beyond the plains covered in a carpet of fresh green pastures which indicated some welcome recent rainfall. Burra is a small picturesque, quaint township which appears to be much as we remembered it from our last visit three years ago.