PORT AUGUSTA - Amazing Arid Gardens Centre

Years back when we would visit Port Augusta, never in our wildest dreams did I think that it would develop into a very visitable city.

Spencers Gulf and the lower end of the Flinders Rangers including, Willmington, Quorn and other wonderful historic towns give Port Augusta a wonderful backdrop.

Alligator Gorge in the Mt Remarkable National Park is an amazing feature of the lower Flinders Ranges.  It is just as good at the Carnarvon Gorge in its own way.  Well worth the two hour walk and getting your feet wet. (I couldn't jump from stepping stone to stone as well as Ian). 

The volunteers and council are to be congratulated on the wonderful Australian Arid Gardens Botanic Gardens.  Wonderful native plants and of course it was spring!!  Someone has set up seven gardens to show us what we can do in our back yards to grow Australian Arid plants.  Beautiful (see below)

Love my backyard to look like this!!

Guess what we will be building in the next few years!

How's this for an idea for a backyard

Isn't nature just gorgeous.

Top of Spencers Gulf where Matthew Flinders walked.

Beautiful wattle

Ceduna, Fowlers Bay (Great Southern Right Whale), Streaky Bay, Elliston, Coffin Bay

Rain, rain.  Wow, how much we need this stuff, but it can dampen a holiday.  We will just have to go back to South Australia and do Ceduna, Streaky Bay, Elliston, Coffin Bay (like Sydney without the people), Port Gibbon etc again.

A breath of fresh Eyre is the ad slogan!!  Sure is.  Eyre Peninsular has wonderful coastal views and towns.

Mr Sealion on the beach at Port Gibbon, he allowed Ian to get very close.

South Australia's Eyre Penninsula - really a breath of fresh Eyre!

ANDAMOOKA AGAIN: So interesting, I had to add these photos

Andamooka is an amazing town.  Don't miss it.  The history and vista's are fascinating.  I don't think building codes really apply here. Imaginative housing structures.

Opal mining is still the main interest here.

Historic Cottage so well preserved.  Jack Absolom's (the artist) father lived in one of these.  How would you like to live in a cottage this size nowadays.  Compare with those whopping huge houses in Sydney.  Do we really need this much living space?

Love the rustic fencing

Our wildflowers are outstanding.

Building built out of beer bottles, lovely light when you stand inside.  How inventive is this?

You can see the huge moutains of dirt shifted in the pursuit of opals.  Look at the following photos to see more of the results of opal mining.

Kenny should have added this Dunny to his doco on the subject.  These were up the hill behind the historic cottages - wow!!

Driving from Roxby Downs to Andamooka - this is the first glimpse of Andamooka, it is quite startling.

Another view of these amazing cottages.

Gawler Ranges National Park - right through the Eyre Highway to Ceduna and Fowlers Bay

Viewed from a map, the Gawler Ranges are very distant and isolated.  Yet, they are not difficult to visit and showcase some wonderful country and quiet camping areas.  The birdlife was so prolific and unique.

Wouldn't it be lovely to fly.

Looking back at the Gawler Ranges in the distance, we hit hundreds of kms of beautiful crops - canola, wheat, lentils, peas, broadbeans, lupins.  We just hope the weather holds and our farmers get justified rewards this year.

Ian spent a lot of time tracking down birds for photos.  A lovely one of a red-capped robin. 

We drove the Eyre Highway to Ceduna.  The port of Thebanard - graced by the cormorants on the rocks.

Flowers, what else can I say.  Such colour and texture.

What can showcase beauty more than flowers.

Pildappa Rock - free Camping area north of Winnipa on the Eyre Highway

We planned to camp here at the Pildappa Rock, however it was a little too windy, so we drove on to Ceduna.  Spectacular views and easy to climb to the top of the rock.

Pildappa Rock - great free camping area - the rock is amazing.

Easy to climb the Pildappa Rock, interesting views.

Great views on top of Pildappa Rock

The distance views feature the Gawler Rangers - see next blog.