Wind, rain and shipwrecks.

In my "do not throw out box of stuff" is a glass ashtray with a photograph of Loch Ard Gorge - why my mother had it when there were no smokers in the house always puzzled me but perhaps it was for visitors who smoked. The black and white picture always fascinated me so when I left Port Campbell this morning it was high on my agenda to visit. The story of the Loch Ard is a sad one but just one of many such tales of ships foundering along this coast line.

 

 

On the night of May31, 1878 there was a party going on onboard the clipper ship Loch Ard as the passengers and crew celebrated the final leg of their three month journey from Gravesend England to Melbourne. The next day they would enter Port Phillip heads. 

After the passengers retired the Master, George Gibbs remained on deck all night. There was a thick sea mist obscuring the light of the Cape Otway lighthouse. Gibbs was uneasy and concerned about the safety of his ship in these hazardous waters.

The mist lifted around 4 in the morning and the lookout cried "Breakers ahead!"  Gibbs ordered on full sail but but the waves and currents drove the ship shore ward. He ordered the anchors to be dropped. They dragged on the ocean floor and in desperation were cut free.

Then the Loch Ard slowly began to make way. She turned but her bow hit a reef and stuck fast. Water flooded the cabins and with each ocean swell the ship was battered against the cliffs. 

Screaming in terror the passengers clung to whatever they could but the ship slipped into the depths taking all but 2 souls with her.

I can't begin to imagine how terrifying this must have been - the sketches on the interpretive signage paint a picture of utter terror and panic. In all, 52 people died!

The story of the survivors is quite extraordinary! The next morning a seaman apprentice, Tom Pearce, floated ashore. As he sat shivering on the beach he heard the cries of 18 year old Eva Carmichael who was clinging to a spar. He swam out and bought her to land where they sheltered in a cave.

Then, he scaled the huge cliffs above the gorge and set off in search of help. As luck would have it, and surely a bit of luck was due, he met two stockmen from a nearby station and Eva was rescued.

 

 

 Only four bodies were ever found and these are buried in a tiny cemetery on the cliff top above what is now call Loch Ard Gorge. Time and wind have almost obliterated the names on the tombstone but a plaque lists everyone. 

What hopes and dreams must they have had to sail so far around the world for a new life!

 

 

Tom became a National hero, awarded the Gold Medal from the Humane Society before a crowd of thousands in Melbourne.  Romantic sentiment at the time was hopeful that Eva would marry her saviour but three months later she returned to Ireland and they never saw each other again. 

Once it was possible to go down into the gorge via a set of steep steps but land slips have made this too dangerous now. It is hard to imagine how Tom actually made the climb to get help.

 

 

There's a huge amount of maintenance and earth works going on around the 12 Apostles viewing area and many tracks are closed due to instability and land slips near the cliff face. Wonderful walking tracks lead to lookouts and places of interest: all are pram and wheelchair friendly, with good interpretive signage. Presenting the area is very important for tourism.

Today was more than windy: it was blowing a gale. The temperature was 9 degrees but seemed much colder with the wind chill.  Despite it being winter the car park at the visitor centre was full with busloads of Japanese and Chinese visitors who looked pretty frozen, poor things. It was a very expensive VIC - my coffee cost $7.50! 

The coast line presents one view after another - I took 34 photos! I didn't take the path to the viewing platform for the 12 Apostles but went to the Blowhole and the Gibson Steps.  These also once gave access to the beach but are now closed permanently I would think.

 

 This structure represents the whales which are frequent visitors to this coastline - it overlooks the Blowhole and is part of the Indigenous story.

 

 Surprisingly on this very windy day the Blowhole was not blowing!

 

Looking toward Cape Otway from the Gibson Steps Lookout.

Today the road was not a pleasant drive: strong winds buffeted the car and debris was falling from trees overhead. 

The Cape Otway Light Station is  a fabulous place to visit but it was closed - temporarily - although no date of re-opening was given. Nevertheless I drove in hoping to see koalas on the way but no luck. There are a lot of good short walks around here but the rain began and the temperature dropped to 7 degrees!

The rain grew heavier and by Apollo Bay had set in for the afternoon and possible the week. I drove on to Point Lonsdale considering my options. The road from Apollo Bay to Lorne and beyond is slow at the best of times but was hard driving today with torrential often horizontal rain and a slick, shiny road surface. It hugs the cliff face which is covered with iron netting to prevent rocks falling onto the road. The speed limit for most of the Great Ocean Road is 80k but I averaged around 50k because of road conditions.

As I drove I could see the lighthouse at Split Point, tall and white like a beacon, through the rain and gloom. I felt a bit like a ships Captain looking for a light in the darkness! 

It was dark when I finally arrived at Point Lonsdale and booked into my guesthouse and I was very grateful to stop.

Tomorrow I will see what the weather is like but I think my trip may almost be over! 

 

 

 

 

Port;amd, Port fairy and onto the Great Ocean Road.

 I have booked into quite budget motels on my trip - nothing over $140 - and had nothing but good experiences. Clean, comfortable and safe even though some were very vintage: think pink or yellow basins, tiles etc. Last night was the exception! Clean and fairly comfortable but brown! With a noisy fridge and grumpy heating! I woke early and checked out.

I am sure Portland is a lovely city and tourists enjoy it but I didn't appreciate it. I had breakfast out -Eggs Benny - first time I haven't had my own porridge and headed for Port Fairy.

It has changed in the years since I was last there but is still a really wonderful example of a well preserved historical port. Many of the buildings are of bluestone (basalt I think) which is quarried close by. Some of the cottages have bluestone facades and brick or weatherboard making up the rest of the building - cost saving in the 1800s. Others are weatherboard, often with elaborate ironwork or barge boards. Very elegant and stylish.

I walked down to the wharf area which is sheltered from the ocean by a long breakwater. Commercial fishing has been a long tradition here although the number of boats is very reduced, One boat which serves as the shop as well as the fishing vessel had just tied up and was being unloaded - with crayfish! Ten minutes out of the ocean! Can't get any fresher!

 

 

The fisherman said he sells only to the local market - restaurants and seafood outlets in nearby towns. "Don't like the Chinese! Won't sell to them", he informed me. He has a quota of 300 per year! I didn't ask the cost per crayfish but other fish he was selling seemed well priced.

 

There were a couple of big trawlers tied up but most of the boats were pleasure craft or sailing boats. A few were offering trips along the coast or up the river. 

Just by chance after leaving the wharf area I noticed a sign to Griffiths Island and found a great little walk to the lighthouse and a Shearwater Sanctsuary.  Griffiths Island is connected by a causeway and the walking track goes to a lighthouse (it is the ship wreck coast) before looping back to the start - a distance of 3k. 

 

The Shearwaters (Mutton Birds) return each year to Griffiths Island in September with the breeding birds (between 4 - 8 years of age) going to the same burrow they occupied the year before. They generally remain in the same partnership for their breeding life. They breed in November and the female lays one white oval egg which hatches in mid-January. Both parents share the incubation duties and share feeding once the chick hatches. The go to sea and return in the evening feeding the chick by regurgitating food from their stomach. The adults leave in mid-April leaving the young one behind. Hunger soon convinces it to move and it sets off to sea on it's own!

 

Many volunteers assist in research and care of the colony.

The lighthouse on the point was built in 1859, which seems to have been a good year for lighthouse building: lighthouses were build at Port Albert, Cape Schank, Warrnambool and Portland as well as Port Fairy. 

 Did I mention it was blowing a gale today? The wind was incredibly strong but fortunately it doesn't blow like this every day according to the coffee shop staff.

My stop in Warrnambool was nostalgic! My mother was born here in 1910 and lived here until she married and left with my father. I visited here when I was about 7 and again later as an adult so I wanted to retrace a little of what I remembered. 

Warnambool has developed into a huge town and there wasn't a lot that I recalled. My grandfather's house had long gone, my uncles dairy farm seemed to be part of the golf course and the sandy dunes of Thunder Point where my cousins and I played, have been tamed with paved lookouts. The little weatherboard  church I attended has disappeared too.

 

 The view from Thunder Point.

Warrnambool is obviously a thriving holiday destination now and vying for this year's best tourist town. I probably will have no occasion to visit again - time moves on and things change. I know my mother always thought of it as home because her family lived here but almost all of them are gone now.

Fletcher Jones was a huge feature of Warnambool with a large factory manufacturing really quality clothing - their motto was the garment would last forever. And I think they did - my kilt certainly never wore out. There were Fletcher Jones shops all around Australia - even one in Canberra on the corner in London Circuit.

The factory was famous not just for the quality of their garments but for the beautiful gardens which surrounded it. My mother said that my grandfather had helped to establish these and although not as beautiful as they once were they are still laid out and cared for. 

 

The factory now houses an antique market - there are so many stalls selling everything from clothes to china, records to furniture and anything you might want - vintage, retro, antique, modern! A vintage car museum occupies part of the building which in it's heyday took up the whole block.

When Fletcher Jones himself died, his son continued on but apparently he made some errors of judgement and eventually the business closed - the end of an era.  

From Warrnambool I travelled on through dairy country to the start of the Great Ocean Road. I am here in Port Campbell at the very comfortable and stylish Portside Motel. I went to the local pub and had Bangers and Mash sitting at a communal table with a young Scot and older Souh African who are here working on the gas pipeline. Both interesting guys, who have worked around the world on various projects and both of whom were keen hikers, so we had a really varied and interesting conversation ranging over many topics.

 

Martyr's Bay - beginning the Great Ocean Road.

 

PS - Victorian roads are quite awful! They are patched, sunken and very rough, hardly any passing lanes and not at all smooth to drive on. Fill and repair seems to be the go because there are roadwork signs everywhere but not actually appearing to do anything! 

Maybe I was spoiled by the wonderful South Australian roads!
 

Limestone Coast

Robe is an affluent town seamlessly blending old with new: many old stone cottages have had substantial face-lifts and renovations to make them suitable for modern living without sacrificing their charm. 

The main street is full of eateries and some shops selling very high-end fashion with the mundane such as a supermarket is discretely tucked back. It has a population of around 3000 but this is considerably boosted during the summer season where it attracts visitors from Victoria and SA. The Marina is full of expensive sailing and motor vessels and there is pride taken in the history and culture of the town.

 

 

Robe has an interesting history: once one of the busiest ports on Australia's southern coastline, over a ten year period from 1856 wool valued at more than one million pounds was exported from here to London and thousands of immigrants landed on these shores including over 16,000 Chinese on their way to the Victorian goldfields. By landing here they avoided the 10 pound tax per head which was imposed on Chinese landing inn Victoria. So to avoid this they walked approximately 400k to reach the goldfields!

Flinders and Baudin were obviously busy along this southern coast around 1802 as there is a really lovely acknowledgement of them in Robe - two heads cast in bronze on a plinth in the area known as "The Royal Circus". It served as a roundabout guiding the flow of wagons as they delivered and collected supplies. It was the heart of the town's administrative life. The Customs house, police station, courthouse, government residence, telegraph station and post office were all nearby.

 Along this coastline there are numerous ship wrecks and looking at the rocky shoreline one is not surprised. Light stations and a light house were quickly erected to aid shipping. Two walking tracks along the seafront enable visitors to explore the coast and the town.

 

 Along the way you can explore the remnants of the Robe Gaol. There's not much left of it but it was important as part of the criminal justice system and it was the region's first purpose-built gaol. It was commissioned in 1859, opened in 1861 and closed in 1881 as Robe began to decline as an administrative and commercial centre. It included a substantial stone building with four holding cells, a receiving yard and a keeper's residence.

 

Once the gaol was closed it rapidly fell into disrepair and it's walls and stones were pilfered for road works and other buildings. Only in recent times has it been appreciated as a remnant of Robe's history and  stabilised and sign-posted. It's covered in scrawled names, symbols and some crude messages!

 Robe began to come alive as I drove out - shops were opened, coffee lovers were filling the indoor spaces (it was too cold to sit outside) dogs were out walking with their friends! Despite the sunshine it was cold with a very brisk wind coming directly off the ocean.

I had toyed with the idea of backtracking to Naracoote but decide against this and headed for Mt Gambier. There were many more glimpses of the sea as I drove onwards but soon the coast gave way to pastures full of cattle and some sheep. Close to Mt Gambier the road is bordered by plantations, mostly of pine but a few of eucalypts - SA Forests manage kilometre after kilometre of them, beautifully pruned and clean. 

Who would expect to see emus in pine forest? Four of them ambled quietly along the roadside!

Lakes, sinkholes and caves are the main attractions of Mt Gambier. The Blue Lake was blue! Blue Lake is Mt Gambier's water supply and is an exposure of the regional groundwater system.

 

The Umpherston Sinkhole is a truly stunning piece of gardening architecture. James Umpherston settled on land in Mt Gambier in 1880 and his land included a sink hole. He made extensive improvements to the property including a grand Victorian mansion and gardens. It was named "The Caves". James began to develop the sinkhole as a pleasant retreat from the summer heat. He had a footpath cut from it's highest point to the bottom of the hole and terraces and rock walkways were constructed and planted with ferns, shrubs and trees. At one stage the bottom of the hole was covered in water and a boat was used to show visitors around. James died in 1900 and gradually the sinkhole fell into disuse and disrepair .

Subsequent owners did little to repair the garden but in 1976 the Woods and Forest Department Social Club began restoration of the grounds and sinkhole.  Many thousands of hours of volunteer labour replaced the stairs, cleaned up the sinkhole and replanted. Truly a labour of love and determination. 

The City of Mt Gambier obtained the site in 1994 and is responsible for all maintenance and future development. Umpherston's original vision as an attractive and popular recreational area was once more a reality!

 

 Back to the coast at Port MacDonnell! This is yet another interesting and historic port which claims the title of the Rock Lobster Fishing Capital. There's a rich history of fishing and maritime activity here and of course, a ship wreck trail and lighthouse discovery story. 

The lighthouse was erected on Cape Northumberland in 1859 with one, Ben Germein as the lighthouse keeper. Ben also surveyed for a port to serve Mt Gambier and he selected the present site of Port MacDonnell.

The most famous ship wreck is that of the SS Admella who wrecked in 1859 resulting in the loss of 89 lives: one of the worst maritime disasters in Australia's history. The Admella was sailing from Adelaide to Melbourne when she struck Carpenters Reef and within 15 minutes the ship broke up leaving passengers and crew cling to wreckage a mile from shore. They clung to the wreckage and it was not until the third day, when two sailors managed to swim ashore, that people were alerted to the disaster.  

Several rescue attempts were made but mountainous seas and storms drove the rescuers back. Survivors lashed themselves to rigging, suffering lack of water and food, some were driven mad by drinking salt water and others quietly slipped away into the surf. On the eighth day a lifeboat managed to get through the surf and three people were taken ashore. Shortly after, the lifeboat Portland, rescued the remaining nineteen survivors.

Ben Germein was the hero receiving the Gold medal of the Royal Humane Society for his efforts in the rescue. Ben and his crew were instrumental in a number of rescues. In one rescue of the brig John Ormerod, Ben lost several of his fingers, crushed between his boat and the brig. 

It's no wonder that later in life Ben became somewhat confused and melancholic, often disappearing for long periods of time in his boat. He disappeared from his home in July, 1893 and nothing was heard of him again.  Sadly his decomposed body was found on 18th September. A very sad passing for a man who served so well in the shipping history of South Australia. 

 

No wonder this tragedy remains indelible in the history of this coast!

 So Port MacDonnell remembers and celebrates it's citizens and heroes, as do many of the small towns along the coast.

 In memory of the Rock Lobster fishermen.

 Calm today!

 On to Portland for the night. Had fantastic garlic prawns at the local pub! Yum! 

Leaving the Fleurieu

 Yesterday I had a quiet day - did a bit of washing, wandered along the beach at Normanville and visited Mypongo Reservoir. It had a number of walks around the area but many tracks were closed for maintenance but I managed to cobble together around 5k. It was very dry and the water had receded almost a k from the entry to the reserve.

 

The old jetty at Normanville once part of an active port.

Today I left early and traveled on to Strathalbyn, centre of vineyards and pastoral holdings. The town was very busy and full of bikies as well as grey nomads and tourists.  Coffee shops galore! And good  coffee too. The approach to the town centre is lined with elegant old villas and the street-scape is manicured with precision.

But the jewel in the crown has to be the lush and manicured gardens beside the river. Surprisingly roses were still fully in bloom. The park has many walkways, a band rotunda, tables and chairs for picnics and wonderful views to the many old world buildings in the nearby streets. There are many nooks and crannies with some heritage features carefully curated to show them to their best advantage. There is a grey stone water trough for horses, commissioned by the ladies of the town to commemorate the horses of WW1 - a lovely gesture. Everywhere I have traveled there has been recognition of the men, women and animals who have made sacrifices for Australia in many conflicts. This is a town which really takes pride in caring for itself.

 

The imposing St Andrew's Uniting church 

From here I moved on to Wellington and had my first river crossing on a ferry.  This ferry is free and runs 24 hours per day. The crossing only takes a few minutes and the operator moves cars on and off very efficiently. Two young men told me they had taken the ferry from Wellington at 11.45 last night and came back at 4.00 AM! I didn't ask what they were up to!

 Traffic was very light as I turned onto highway B1 - the Princes Highway and headed East. The road parallels the Coorong but there is very little of it to see as the land is very flat and covered with low growing wattles and tea-tree. The Pink Lake near Meningie is not pink today: the best time to see it in all it's glory is early summer when the water is retreating.

 

 The Pink Lake - very low and only a faint tinge of colour in the middle!

 I stopped at Meningie on Lake Albert for lunch but didn't linger very long. The old Counci Chambers is full of local craft-work, antiques and odds and ends. There was a very pretty light catcher which would look very good in my garden but at $165.00 I left it for someone else's garden!

The Coorong isn't what I expected!The National Park runs for many kilometres: I had in mind vast expanses of sand dunes and beaches but perhaps these are only visible from the sea side. The waters nearest to the road are only accessible in a few places and often lead to small communities of holiday homes.  Closer to the end of the Coorong NP there is more accessibility and a number of camping sites but I think the best part was visible to me on my cruise around Goolwa on Thursday. 

 

The ocean is on the other side of these sand dunes but I couldn't find a track to enable me to see the other side. Obviously local knowledge is key! I did follow the Old Coorong Road for some distance which had a number of tracks leading to camp sites but saw no wildlife with the exception of pelicans.

There are a number of small communities along the road but winter seems to be when operators take a break and very little was open - actually nothing in several spots. 

Grape vines and pine plantations eventually take over farmland around Cape Jaffa and recreational pursuits such as fishing, sailing, water sports and golf are the attractions as access to the water is easier here. It's easy to see why this is such a popular summer place!

 We love "big" in Australia and this gigantic lobster welcomes you to Kingston where the B1 splits and B101 takes over. As befits the Winter Solstice dusk came quite early and it was almost dark when I drove into Robe where I am staying for the night.

I forgot that this Limestone Coast is vast with many attractions so I will probably stay another day and backtrack a little tomorrow to go inland to Naracoote before heading to Mt Gambier.

A seafood dinner seemed a great option tonight as I am in a seaside town but sadly not open in the winter so I settled for flake and chips from the take-away. Robe looks interesting - I'll explore in the morning!

I have now done over 3000K on my trip! The weather is looking good and there's a lot more to see. I have had some emails and comments coming through - thank you - it's fun putting this together at the end of my day. 

Horses, Penguins and Pelicans

 Victor Harbor is a vibrant seaside town on the south coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, a favoured holiday destination and bursting with historical charm. It is the traditional home of the Ramindjeri and Ngarrindjeri people whose culture is celebrated in and around the town. 

It was discovered by the British Explorer Matthew Flinders. His encounter with the French Explorer Nicolas Baudin here in 1802 in these waters resulted in the bay being named Encounter Bay. In 1837 HMS Victor anchored off Granite Island and its captain named the sheltered waters Victor Harbor after his ship.

Around this time two whaling stations were established in the area one of which was managed by Captain John Hart who later became Premier of South Australia. In 1863 the town of Port Victor was laid out following the extension of the horse drawn tramway from Goolwa.The name was changed to Victor Harbor in 1921 retaining the original spelling.

The town architecture tells a story of how the town evolved and the Town Centre Heritage Trail is great way to enjoy this lovely town.

One of Victor Harbor's premier attractions is the Horse Drawn Tram and this was my first stop when I arrived on this lovely sunny, warmish day. It was a special day as a film was being made to attract sponsors.

 This is Barney getting a shampoo and set before filming starts. He is only 7 years old, a very handsome Clydesdale who is one of 9 heavy horses who pull the tram along the causeway from the town to Granite Island. The double-decker tram runs on rails and operates all year round. 

Barney is new to the crew and is only doing one return trip today - he is still learning. I was so impressed with Barney - he follows voice commands and moves at a stately pace as he takes up the slack and begins pulling the tram along the new causeway. In 2019 the old causeway was replaced and the road surface is much kinder to the horses' feet. One horse can pull a fully laden tram which seems like a tremendous task.

The horses continue working with the tramway into their twenties generally doing 4 return journeys in a day before another horse takes over. They return at night to their pastures where they live a much loved, pampered and family life with their friends.  Horses are very social animals who thrive as part of a herd.

 

 Most of the human crew are female - and there is never a shortage of girls who apply when job vacancies come up.

Apart from the Horse drawn tram Granite Island has a small colony of Little Penguins, a walking track and stunning views out to sea. It's a great place to watch for whales which are now beginning to migrate to warmer waters for calving and mating after spending the summer in the cold of Antarctica.

 Granite Island

 

 

The old and the new causeway. The first railway track was laid on the newly erected pier in 1867 and originally operated for transporting railway goods however by 1894 increasing numbers of visitors and holiday makers were turning the causeway into an attraction and the South Australian Railway to offer a tram service using a surplus double-deck horse drawn tram. It's been very much loved by thousands of people since then.

When I was in the Flinders Ranges I was disappointed to miss out on a guided tour but today there was  no such problem.  

Being winter, cruises of the Coorong operate on limited days and sometimes are cancelled due to lack of demand. I was lucky and managed to go on the Thursday Lunch tour departing Goolwa Wharf - yet another gorgeous historic wharf. 

 The Spirit of the Coorong berthed near the bridge to Hindmarsh Island - a somewhat controversial build back in the late 1990s.

The port area extends for some distance up and downstream from the wharf but soon we arrive at the first barrage structure in the channel separating the sea water from the fresh water.

Prior to construction of the barrages , during periods of low river flow, tidal effects and the intrusion of sea water were felt up to 250k upstream from the mouth of the Murray River. The barrages, 5 in all, were erected in the thirties principally to reduce salinity levers in the lower reaches of the River Murray, Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert, stabilise the river level and as a means of regulating the river flow. Whether it is a solution continues to attract vigorous debate.

 Our boat entered the loch, waited until the gate closes and the water level lowers then exits at the lower level and continues on.

 The mouth of the River Murray.

 It's estimated that in 5000 years the mouth of the River Murray has only been completely closed once - in 1981. Salinity continues to be a huge issue as water levels rise and fall over periods of time. Water purchases is currently ensuring the flow through the barrages; essential for the migration of fish up river.

 A dredge operates near the mouth and continually pumping sand out of the opening and distributing it on the beaches.

 The lumps on the pipe behind the dredge are seals!

I had expected some bird life in the waterways but the numbers and variety was huge. This waterway is the largest breeding ground for pelicans in Australia except when Lake Eyre is flooding. They were here today in their hundreds as were Sooty Oyster Catchers and many others. We even saw an emu walking over the sand dunes and sea eagles flying overhead. The other surprise was the number of seals basking on the sandbanks!

 

 

 

 

 Halfway through the cruise we landed quite near the mouth of the river and walked through the dunes to the beach. The wind was quite benign today and the sea relatively calm. If you wanted you could walk for 170k before reaching another town of any size,

 This beach is a popular area for harvesting pippis: only commercial fishers may fish here. The fisherman digs in the sand with his feet, locates the pippis and then digs them out with his/her hands. No mechanical means are allowed. There is another beach for recreational fishers who may remove up to 300 pippis per day.

As we walked through the dunes we noticed a number of "balls" in varying sizes which had washed up. These are formed from the roots of sea grass which in winter is torn from the plant and rolled around in the water forming these balls. The indigenous people used these as fire starters and met here to feast on the pippis harvested nearby. They are everywhere along this coast line as well as huge piles of the sea grass which washes up. Shell middens in the dunes show this has always been a popular place.

 

 The tour ends here and we returned to Goolwa via the barrage and past the pelicans, seals and their companions whilst having coffee and slice made from one of the local indigenous fruits - some people enjoyed a complimentary port. The wind really picked up and everyone scrambled for puffers and jackets.

 Resting up on the barrage.

 

 What a life! Fish, sun and safe!

It was a really great day! 

Moving again!

 Picked up my car at 10.15 - it was so good to hear that engine tick over immediately! I can't thank Clare Valley Auto Electrical enough - they were very busy when I appeared hoping for help and kindly looked at the car immediately, diagnosed and ordered the part promising ready Tuesday morning and it was - every one of the staff from receptionist to the boss was kind, professional and really helpful recommending motels and ordering taxis and giving suggestions for restaurants.

First stop was the Information Centre (really well set up, cosy wood fire, friendly local lady golfers playing cards and good coffee) where the local historian happened to be on duty so I got an enthusiastic snapshot of the history of SA.  

The architecture of SA is really interesting - a great number of buildings are constructed of local stone and slate, some mined but often in past times simply picked up off the paddocks.  There are many abandoned ruins especially in the more remote areas. They remain as testament to the determination and resilience of the early settlers. Unfortunately I left it too late to get a good photo in sunshine - it was raining!

 Despite being armed with brochures and maps to local towns I didn't stop but drove past on the Horrocks Highway. The rain was just too heavy to make exploration enjoyable. 

The highway is named for John Horrocks an early explorer. John was one of the first to use camels in his explorations and a camel was his undoing. He was accidentally wounded when his camel moved as he was unpacking a loaded gun and he died of his wounds aged 28 in 1846. His cottage at Penwortham which he named for his village back in England is one of the oldest buildings in SA. He is buried in land that he had given to the Church of England.

So I didn't stop anywhere but drove on to the Fleurieu Peninsula bypassing Adelaide on an excellent freeway. My accommodation is comfortable and overlooking a links golf course well occupied by resident kangaroos. It was good to stop and relax after 4 days of thinking about starter motors!

 Today was fine! No rain!

I headed out towards Cape Jervis the jumping off point for Kangaroo Island thinking the weather was quite mild however my first stop at the Hobart Lookout quickly changed my mind. 

 

 

This is the anchor of the HMAS Hobart which was scuttled in Yankalilla Bay to form an artificial dive reef. The anchor points to the Hobart's final resting place four nautical miles off Marina St Vincent.

 The road travels through many small communities down hidden valleys and roads - obviously very popular for holiday makers. There are many really old cottages as well as new builds and I even saw an  old weatherboard cottage today - pretty unusual here.

Cape Jervis wasn't what I expected! The main interest is the Sealink Ferry Terminal connecting Kangaroo Island to the mainland.  It is a very busy port - cars, trucks and vehicles of all shapes and sizes are lined up waiting to embark. There were a number of transporters loaded with hay waiting to board. It's dry everywhere.

Cape Jervis is also the beginning of the Heysen Trail and here it clings closely to the coast with fantastic views. The biting wind and chill in the air changed my mind about walking a bit of the track! 

 

 Today the sea is dark and pewter grey clouds are hanging low over the island - it's not very inviting!

There are a number of wind farms along the coast and today the turbines were spinning merrily in the stiff breeze. Around SA there are many substantial wind farms and many locals have welcomed them crediting them with attracting tourists. There are a number of viewing points along the way. 

My next stop was Deep Creek National Park which is the largest portion of remaining natural vegetation on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Western grey kangaroos were very evident and many birds. There are four camping grounds offering bush camping, one of which is "hike in". The Heysen Trail traverses the park and there are 15 hiking trails of varying difficulty. 

Today I have it all to myself! I feel a bit guilty because there is a daily entrance fee payable on line but my phone won't co-operate with the bar code on the sign at the entrance and so I am illegally here.

The roads are wide and mostly well maintained and the camping grounds are hidden away as is the closed and locked Park Headquaters - even the toilet is locked!

 

 These huge grass "trees" are a strong presence in the bush -  unlike the Xanthorrhoea trees in Tidbinbilla  they have no trunk. It is the most common species known as Xanthorrhoea Australis or the Southern Grass tree but it's known as "Yakka" here, a word probably borrowed from its local indigenous name.

 Views of the coast are really spectacular but today's grey skies do not do it justice.

 

 

At Tapanappa Lockout a wonderfully curated exhibit tells of one of the Creation Stories with stations along telling the story of how Fire came. The Aboriginal people of the southern Fleurieu Peninsula continue to play an active role in caring for their Country.

 

 

 

 At the beginning of the walk:

     Nguldi Arndu Ramindjeri Yarluwar Ruw-abgk. Welcome to Ramindjeri Sea Country.

In the time of Creation ke:ni (fire) was controlled by a powerful man named Kondoli - Keeper of the Fire. Unfortunately 2 men were jealous of Kondoli's gift and they conspired to take it from him.

His attackers were punished: one Ritjaruuki became the willy wagtail and Kribali was turned into the skylark. As Kribali took flight, flames flew from his wings setting fires across Country and the ground was left scattered with flints. The fire ran up into the Kinyari (yakka) where it stayed hidden.. 

From that time onward, Ramindjeri people had the tools to make ke:ni!

As I walked around the "story" I was accompanied by quite a few willy wagtails - they were flitting everywhere!

 Another Creation story tells of an ancient ancestor of the Ngarrindjeri palak people.

 

 

These two small islands are known as The Pages. They are the runaway wives of Ngurunderi, petrified in stone. Ngurunderi had been pursuing the women for many days before catching up with them as they tried to cross to Karta (Kangaroo Island). As the women waded through the channel connecting the mainland to the island Ngurunderi called for the sea to rise and drive them from their path. As the waves crashed over them, their bodies became these islands.

The Creation stories impart wisdom about the natural environment and how to live in harmony with Ruwi (Country) and with each other. 

Leaving Deep Creek the road winds through beautiful farm land with rolling hills and sloping down to the coast. Sheep and cattle are grazing on really green pasture but there is no water in the paddock dams and farmer are feeding hay.  The small amount of rain has created a false sense of well being - what my uncle used to call "a green drought". It's prosperous looking farmland.

There's a small Bric-a-Brac shop in Yankalila which I can't resist  - 3 small items are calling my name.  All three for $14.0!  Everything seems really cheap : there's pretty china, gleaming crystal and heaps of books. 

One on the shelf catches my eye - it was a classroom reader  "The Blue Book" companion of "The Green Book" which was used in Tasmanian schools back in the 70s. How plain and simple it looks now.

Dinner at the local pub tonight!