Burra Creek to Wilpena Pound

Burra Creek Gorge 26^th & 27^th November 2012

Now starting to head north towards Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges. Stopped in at Burra Creek Gorge Campground 26 Klm SE of Burra just off the Goyder Highway also known as Worlds End. Huge hollow trees dominated the area with only 1 other van in a huge campground. We are amazed by the lack of grey nomads on the road at the moment. John and I went for a walk or climb up the local hill to get a bit of an outlook and later walked up to a deserted sheep property. The climb let me know how unfit I really am and the sheep property was very sad because this beautiful property was now a ruin.

The next day we called into Burra which was a large mining town established in 1845 and is now doing a great job with tourism. A complete town block is known as Paxton Square which is comprised of 30 workers cottages built in the late 1800s and now used as tourist accommodation. This is the first time I have seen pepper trees, they are everywhere, where the hell did pepper come from, I had never thought about it.
 
There are wind turbines all through here, Trice counted over 70 along one ridge, got a feeling that they are used to a bit of wind around here.

It is very barren with many abandoned late 1800 and early 1900 houses, many have been vandalised or are just falling down from years of neglect.

Peterborough , the train town to see the biggest thing that has happened in town for many years. The town was originally the crossroad for all interstate national trains. The train known as the 907 has caused a lot of grief with the committee as they had taken a lot of interest in this train. The original driver was dying of cancer and had always thought that the train had been scrapped. He got to see it and was very emotional. The unloading of a historical train by the members of the train society at the train museum. It was a great sight and great to see the small town out in force to witness the big event. A 3 bedroom house with 30 x 40 shed here is all yours for $80,000.

 
Orroroo, this is where the Giant Gum Tree is situated. The Giant Gum is estimated to be over 500 years in age, has a trunk over 10 metres in circumference and is known as the Widow Maker for its habit of dropping large limbs on unsuspecting visitors over the years. This is our first time to drag out the fly hats. We stayed in a free stay this night just out of town. On our way to Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges we drove through several small towns. Croddock has 2 churches, 1 hotel and not 1 house. Hawker, we stopped for coffee and cake and met George, the shop owner. Originally 1881, the shop not George.

Wilpena Pound 28^th – 30^th November 2012 We have now travelled somewhat north and if you drew a line sideways we are level with Grafton. This is the Flinders Ranges and even though it is very windy making the sky quite hazy, the mountain range is spectacular. It is HOT mid 40’s making the wind very hot as well, this is coming from the desert, you can feel it but it is not humid, you hardly get a sweat up. The pound itself looks like a meteorite has blasted into the earth and pushed up the rocks to form this long elongated dish. The pound was used as a cattle property as the mountains were a natural fence for the cattle and the only way in is a small break in the towering range. The park is beautiful with numerous walks, a pool, which we used, a bar, which we also used. John and I went for one of the longer walks which included a climb to a lookout, it was not the biggest but again I realized that I have to do something about my fitness. I am sure that a better way to see this is by plane, which we ended booking the next day. They have done a great job in preserving this as a heritage site which allows you to see what it was like by seeing the old homestead and surrounding buildings. As we walked we came across beautiful ponds in an area which was very dry and arid. Emus surprised us by demonstrating their rock climbing abilities avoiding us but then seemed to have pleasure in allowing us to get closer to their chicks. Rock climbing goats, huge kangaroos and the occasional lizard but no snakes.

We went to book our flight and we were told that it is too windy to get up but he would ring us the next morning for a flight at 9.00am. The next morning it is blowing and overcast and assumed that as we were leaving that day we would miss out. Next thing a phone call asking where we were and we said that nobody had rung us, besides today is worse than yesterday. Off we go, it is blowing hard we look at this little 4 seater Cesna. Trice and I pile in with the pilot Kane and we taxi down the dirt runway before we turn around.

At the other end of the runway is a ramp of dirt right across. I asked Kane what that was for and he said to help with lift off. I don’t think we will need this today the wind is blowing so hard that we are having trouble keeping the plane on the ground. Off we go and moments later we are in the air bouncing up and now and sideways, reminded me of the exhibition rides, Trice was hanging on. Kane is saying something and I don’t know what is going on and I can’t make out what he is saying. In the bumping around I had knocked the volume control but we sorted it out. The view from here showed the enormity of the place, the height of the ranges and the massive change in geological structure in such short distances.

You really start to get a bit of an insight into the stress this tiny continent was under when the plates separated all those millions of years ago. You can see where massive rock has just been flipped up onto its side to form mountains. Kane shows us many gorges but all they are now,  are strips of sand winding through the rock, there is very little water here. It is such a shame the haze is so thick but at least the bumping around has stopped. After approximately 45 minutes we circle back to the airstrip and have to drop back into the wind. Coming into land Kane lined up as best he could and then tried to get the plane down but the wind was blowing so hard that as he got closer to the ground the plane wanted to lift again, although a little bit bumpy it was nice to get back onto the ground in one piece.



We are leaving here and heading south again to “Port Agutta”