The Grampians and South Coast

Well it came time to leave Quomby and the call was to head to the Grampian Rangers, it was an easy scenic drive.On getting our camping pass at the rangers office ($14 per night) it was of to find a suitable camp, as some the roads where still closed due to real heavy rain in January we decided to stay close to the town of Halls Gap and the next day tour in the Ute. Not long after we arrived we had the most incredible thunder storm with one bolt of lighting right over the top of us it was a bit scary but things got better and it just poured for about one hour then all was good.That evening we met two ladies Gail & Anne and it turned out that Gail had been a midwife at our local hospital in Geraldton and also lived around the corner from us.The next day was nice and sunny so we where of to do the tourist thing.

                                                  Mackenzie Falls

                                                  Boroka lookout

                                                  somewhere to sit on one of the walks

                                                     where we camped

It was a very exhausting day doing all the walks but well rewarding.The area has a most interesting history in that they dammed the water and tunneled it though the mountains to all the near by towns and to think that this was in 1875. The next day brought more rain so the decision was to move on to SA and the coast the first stop was a little place called Southend and a stay in one of the SA parks so we could use our parks pass. Kotgee was the name of the camp very small and pretty and being the only ones there it was very quite. The coastal vegetation is very dense with lots of wrens and wombats.

                                               just one of many carvings at Millicent a town we passed through

                                              one of the walk tracks to the beach

                                                     Superb wren

                                            Southend fishing boats most ex  WA.
Two days catching up with things and exploring it was time to move, checking out all the coastal towns as we headed for Coorong and a night at Longpoint.Just before Robe we checked out the Woakwine Cutting it was the brain wave of an old farmer who along with a mate spent 3years with one D7 bulldozer making this cut to drain the wet lands and turn it into good farm land this was in 1957 imagine trying that to day with all the red tape.

Woakwine Cutting     length 1km= 276,000m of dirt removed = 28m deep =5,000hrs with a D7.

                                              Robe just like a little Geraldton

Swan Hill ,Echuca &Quombatook

Deciding to only have one night at lock 9 we headed for Mildura to catch up with the shopping and to buy Vickie a new bike seat as the old one was a bit hard on the backside. After Mildura we went into NSW and headed for Robinvale, on the way  looking for an over night camp and decided on Bottle Bend Forest Reserve. On the way in we past a van coming out and then as we pulled up to choose a spot beside the river two more pulled out which left us all alone and wondering want we had done to scare them off, but with rain forecast that could have made it interesting getting out and decided that was why they had left. It was a reasonable camp and with no rain in the morning caught up with the washing.

                                            moonlight on the river

Next day its on to Robinvale and then to camp at Nyah Forrest ,we drove into one section and after about 1k in was blocked by a big patch of mud, finding no way around, and no where to turn ,meant only one thing reverse up . A little further on we found another track which lead us to the rivers edge and what so far we rate as the best spot yet.

                                           cant get much better than this

                                              Vick's camp stir fry with fresh asparagus from the rivers edge

Nyha is a great friendly little town and as well as the forest camps you can camp in town at the back of the trotting club where the lions club provides dump point, toilet and showers all for no cost. After two nights we where of to Quombatook home of John Williamson but more importantly also home of Meryl and Ken, school teachers from Little Rat Island which we have become very close friends.
Before Quomby is was a look at Swan Hill where they have a pioneer village with some old  paddle steamers.

 the Gem one of the oldest but it was ashame you could not see more of it

 

some of the things to see at Swan Hill.

                                                the first bushtracker caravan


after taking the long way arrived at Quomby ,It was great to see Meryl & Ken looking no different despite not catching up for more than two years. We set up the van at the back in amongst Kens veggie patch which came in very handy.The next day it was of to the Avoca river which was over the road
for a cruse in Kens punt.

Heading up river with Quombys best fisherman.

                                            The Avoca river at its best

Wanting to go to Echuca Ken volunteered Meryl to drive us all in which meant a 250k return trip,it was a fantastic day getting  a history talk by one of the oldest residents of the area.We all went for a trip on the Emmylou which is a steam driven paddle boat this being one of the high lights of the trip for me so far I think it is an amazing part of our history something we don't get to hear of in the west.

the Emmylou only built in 1982 but the engine is from 1906 it was also in the TV show all the rivers run.

the Pevensey buit in 1910 and also in the TV show all the rivers run as the Philadelphia

                               the steam engine on Emmyluo they are all so quite compared to today's .

The next day it was of to the river again as Ken was going to show me how to river fish as I had never fished in rivers before. It was a great day being taught by Qumbatooks best. Ken has won Qumbys fishing compotion every year he has been there and he tells me he even comes second when he is not in town.

                                           The Qumby champ and his pupil

A flash back from the past Ken at the Abrolhos Islands W.A. I had to help him fillet this one as it was that big.

 One of Ken and Meryl's visitors he was so cute


Ken and Meryl were such incredible hosts giving us all the history of their home town and about their life as children growing up in Quomby with people such as John Williamson and Ian (molly) Meldrum. It makes me wonder how many other small towns are filled with such history that we just drive through.

Morgan to Renmark along the river

We have just been taking a lazy drive along the river staying for 3 day in most spots and having picked up the flu we have been vegging out most afternoons. I think the best way to do this post is to comment on each photo as we go.

The old shipping agents and now a museum of the days gone by manly the river boats.

An old river paddle steamer slowly being restored you can see the paddle wheels on the deck. It was original built in 1907.

two of the original hotels restored to all there glory in the lovely old town of Morgan which was once the largest wharfs in south Australia.

This pumping station in Morgan supplies most of the water for S.A. including Port Augusta and as far up as Woomara,and believe it or not  the Murray river  is S.A. main water supply.

This is our camp spot across the river from Morgan not bad hey.

This is the car ferry to cross the river at Waikeri where we did a bit of shopping and topped up the alcohol supply.

Another nice camp spot at Moorook national park. We are very surprised at how quiet these camps are considering it is school holidays

The tree of knowledge at Loxton gives all the flood levels,check out the 1956 level at the top its hard to imagine that amount of water.

This is the Renmark river front of the town a very pretty place. We walked along the river to the Renmark club and had a really nice lunch over looking the water we cant believe how cheap it is to eat at these clubs(maybe its something to do with the pokies). Then we walked down to the visitors center to go aboard the paddle steamer the Industry.

The Industry built in 1911 in Goolwa for the S.A. government as a work boat and was in constant use until 1970 and was then given to Renmark as a tourist vessel and floating museum.

This is the wood fired steam boiler on the Industry which drives a piston each side which is connected to the paddle wheels

One of the pistons quit simple but very effective engineering.the wood they use today are all the old props from the vineyards.

Another river camp just out of Renmark Murtho Forrest. The night before we camped at Lurup Flats also just as pretty.Now we are camped at lock 9 which is spectacular with lots of trees and fairy wrens.

Quorn to Morgan

On waking Saturday morning we packed up and moved on .We had promised Vickie brother Brain (stubby) that we would meet him at his daughters (Connie) farm for her surprise birthday .On the way we past Wilmington a small town with the most interesting shop of puppets.The owner was so proud and gave us all the stories of where he obtained almost 1000 of them and some back as far as the 1700s.Then it was lunch stop at the Stone Hut which comes highly recommended by Mick & Vickie (niknoff) definitely some of the best pies & pasties we have had. Connies place is in the farming district of Kyubunga and with the directions given to us we managed to get lost for awhile we managed to go though Clare not once but twice any way we got there in the end. The party was a surprise for Connie and was held in a farm shed across the road it was a great night meeting all the their friends and what lovely friends they where.

                                                some of the puppets

                                      Kybunga post office have to be one of the smallest around

                                           Stubbies leaning barn
It was great catching up with Connie as we have not seen her and her family in some years and boy haven't the kids grown we have promised to call in on the way to Adelaide.While we were there Brian took us sightseeing around Clare and outlying areas quit a pretty place.We left Connie's to catch up with some friends but plans were changed so we headed for Burra to camp at red bank conservation park but took a wrong turn and ended up at Burra creek what a lovely mistake it was a really pretty place and the bird life was amazing to many to mention. One night while we were sitting out side by the fire we were blessed with the company of a mother possum and her baby the cutest little things she was so patient and just sat there while we took her photo.

                                              

                                          Geoff's first but scones look out camp oven cook off

We left Burra creek and headed for the Murry River. Got to Morgan and caught the ferry across the river and have set up camp right at the waters edge, have stocked up the fire and are now sitting back with a beer watching all the birds, what a wonderful life we have in this great country of ours.
OH No Geoff's chopping wood he is dangerous with an axe just ask Mick(nik n off) he has the wounds to prove it.

                                                  on the Murry