1500ks, 3 States, 2 Camels, 3 VW Beetles, and a swarm of locusts From Hahndorf, we headed north east to Murray Bridge and then followed the river northwards to Waikerie and Moorook where we camped overnight by the river, then through Loxton and to complete the Murray River run, to Wentworth. Interestingly, in two days we travelled through three states, starting in South Australia, crossing into Victoria and then into New South Wales. But where this gets confusing is that the fruit fly exclusion zone does not follow the state borders, so it is very easy to have banned fruit and vegies on board that require dumping in the quarantine bins. (or pay a $600.00 fine) As they don't check stomach content, we ate up our contraband and should we have been stopped, all offending fruit ... read more

The Fleurieu Peninsular played a very important role in the development not only of South Australia, but also Victoria and NSW, and to some extent the south west of Queensland. The Peninsular, and specifically from Cape Jervis through to Goolwa was close to very fertile and productive agricultural land. So there was much produce grown here requiring shipment. In the 1850's, the roads we enjoy today didn't exist or were slow rough bullock tracks. So things were initially moved by small steam ships around the coast. Goolwa was a very important port during that era. There was always people and produce and supplies being moved through Goolwa, across Lake Alexandrina and up the Murray Darling River system. The Murray was the life blood of western NSW and Victoria, not only as a water source, but the ... read more

This journey takes us across some of South Australia's most productive agricultural and horticultural land. Late last year we crossed the top of the Eyre Peninsular where we saw the grain harvest underway in October. Now the granaries are absolutely bulging with the harvested crops. Ceduna had built a huge temporary grain bunker as big as I have ever seen, and it was bulging. The same is true as we crossed the whole region, grain stored everywhere. Road trains and rail trains moving thousands of tonnes daily, and ships at the various ports loading as fast as the produce arrived. This region has had little or no summer rain, bearing in mind that it is naturally a low rainfall region, so everything looked dry and dusty. Some harvested pastures had sheep eating the stubble, but when ... read more

When it came time to leave Hopetoun I couldn't resist a last beach photo and also checking out the train timetable to catch the train to Ravensthorpe. Judging by the fares and time table, we must have missed the train by over 60 years! Oh well, you can do the walking trail and dream of the clickity clack and sooty air left behind by the old steamer. Apparently the train took 3 to 3 ½ hours to travel between towns, whereas we drove the roads in 45 minutes. I was having a quick look through Marg's Fitzgerald River National Park photos and she had a very nice set of images of the wild flowers. I have included these with this blog. I hope you like them. From Hopetoun we travelled to Esperance and found that most ... read more

One hundred years have passed since this harbour, So quiet today, but then primed for war; Soldiers, Officers, horses and supplies, Separated from all they knew of home, Squashed into the ships of war time convoy, Black smoke billowing, ready to set sail. These men of conflict, known now as ANZACS, Thirty thousand, sailed into the unknown. Letters were sent back home from the trenches, But alas, the flowing line of ink, paper, Was replaced with the horror of blood, sand, Long before mail ever reached Mum, home. The agony of war! Hearts torn apart, Men mangled beyond all recognition, Some died but no one held their quivering hand, Others gone, but no one knows where or wh... read more