Moorook to Crystal Brook

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Leaving Moorook at 9:30 the Stuart Highway took us to Waikerie. The landscape was a patchwork of colour: broadacre farmland lush green from irrigation, vineyards drab brown in their winter dormancy, beige coloured stubble fields after harvesting and of course the citrus groves groaning under the weight of their juicy fruit. The one thing in common was their size as it all stretched far beyond our view.







From Waikerie we took the road to Morgan where we boarded the ferry to cross the Murray River. It is such a busy ferry – there is no fee to cross so it must be cheaper to run than to build a bridge.







On to Burra for lunch and from there the landscape took on the lime green hue of cropping fields – some gently undulating and others downright hilly. The paddocks were occasionally scarred by the large aboveground concrete water pipes synonymous with rural Sth Australia.







Crystal Brook, on the Yorke Peninsula, is a pretty town not too far south east of Port Pirie. We set up for the night in Jubilee Park – a free camp right next to the railway line ….. and I mean RIGHT next to the railway line. Oh well, hopefully there won’t be too many trains rattling through.







Took ourselves for a wander through the town centre and we came across a map which pointed us in the direction of the brook. We walked quite a way around town to find it, but unfortunately we didn’t and feeling footsore we just made our way back to Jubilee Park. Following a walking path alongside the railway line we were excited to see The Ghan pass through on its way to Alice Springs, which brought back happy memories of a holiday many years ago when we shared the amazing train journey with friends.







The abovementioned town map had advised us that more trains pass through Crystal Brook than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. I fear we may be in for a disturbed night!







One might ask “How’s the serenity?” I’ll let you know in the morning – ha ha!

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