THE COPPER COAST

19^th April, 2015

We had intended to move across to the north west coast of Yorke Peninsula two days ago but a storm front galloped in from the south forcing us to rethink our travel plans. Sitting out the rain squalls and howling wind at Edithburgh seemed a better option than trying to pack up and battle our way up the peninsula only to still have to set up camp and ride out the storm at another place. Hence here we are – two days later checking into North Beach Tourist Park at Wallaroo. It is still school holidays in South Australia and the park is full of families enjoying the break. The caravan park is located right on the beach and well suited for families with a large playground, humongous jumping pillow and a range of trikes, bikes (even segways) and watercraft for hire. After setting up we go for a drive and as the beach is open for traffic Wok couldn't resist in giving the Jeep a spin on the sand.

On the beach
Wallaroo grain storage facility (left background) -
Fishing trawlers moored in bay (right background)

Wallaroo is the largest seaside town on the Copper Coast and the shipping terminal caters for international grain needs.

Wallaroo grain loading facility and jetty

There are many old buildings dating back to the late eighteen hundreds when the town had a large copper smelting facility. In 1861 a shepherd (Paddy Ryan) discovered copper in the mouth of a wombat burrow. The land was owned by Walter Watson Hughes as part of his Wallaroo sheep run and within a short time he had formed the Moonta Mining Company. Other mines were opened in the area with the Moonta Mine and the Wallaroo Mine being the largest. These two mines were amalgamated in 1889 and ran until 1923 when the company went into liquidation. Several smaller leases have been worked since the 1930's and some still operate today. The district became known as 'Australia's Little Cornwall' because the early miners who emigrated to the district were of Cornish descent. The mechanical workshops of the Moonta and Wallaroo Mines were the largest in the southern hemisphere. We take a drive to the nearby township of Moonta and do a self guided tour of the mines heritage area. Our first stop is at the site of Paddy Ryan's discovery.

The first mine shaft was dug here but others soon followed. A few hundred metres away is Dominick's Shaft which went much deeper than Ryan's Shaft.

The remains of Dominick's Shaft

Dominick's Shaft had a flat rod pumping system which operated from 1864 until 1900.

The shafts have been filled in and most of the buildings are in ruins or have been dismantled and taken away. A few miners cottages, the school (now a museum), churches and the restored Railway Station are all that remain. Of course the tailing heaps are still here and can be seen towering above the scrubby trees.

Tunnel through the tailings at Ryan's Shaft

There is still indications of copper around the site with the green colour of copper very evident in the floor of the ore storage area.

Wok stands on the stone floor of the ore storage area

At Richmans Engine House (built in 1869) part of the structure still stands

Remains of Richmans Engine House

and a photo shows us the massive smoke stack being erected beside the engine house.

Smoke stack being raised by hand

One piece of information that really intrigued us was that of the mine manager (Captain Hancock) who was in charge of mine operations from the time it opened until he retired (around 1899) when his son then became mine manager until the mine closed in 1923. For over 60 years the mine was managed by two members from one family – now that is an employee history to be proud of ! We'd spent quite a few hours wandering around the mine site and thought that we would treat ourselves to a fish and chips dinner. We had noticed a seafood place beside the Wallaroo Jetty and figured that the fish should be fresh as all the trawlers unloaded their catch not too far away.

Seafood café at Wallaroo Jetty

So suitably armed with crumbed whiting fillets, a bucket load of chips, a bottle of tomato sauce and a suitable beverage we settled down on the beach in front of the caravan park to watch the sun set over Spencer Gulf. Yep ! It's all good !

Sunset at North Beach Wallaroo

 

SOUTH YORKE PENINSULA

27^th March, 2015

We leave Burra and the highway to Adelaide behind and head west through the Clare Valley passing lots of vineyards along the way. Then at the top of the Gulf of St Vincent we turn south and head down the east coast of the Yorke Peninsula. We pull into a caravan park in Port Vincent and check in for a few nights. With Easter fast approaching we need to find somewhere to hunker down for about a week. All the caravan parks on the peninsula are booked out as are the camp sites in the National Park. We find that there are some bush camping areas run by the local council that are on a first come first served basis, so on the Tuesday before Easter we hightail it over to the western side of the peninsula to Burners Beach and snaffle up a vacant campsite. No power or water of course, but the sites were quite large and there were two drop toilets.

Burners Beach campground

With a large sand dune affording some wind protection and the beach adjacent the campground is a great place to weather out the Easter madness. The campground has only a few campers when we arrive on the Tuesday but by Easter Friday space is at a premium with many vehicles driving through trying to find a spot only to drive away disappointed. Of course the main reason everyone comes here is to fish and at any time of the day (and night) you will find people out in boats or casting a line from the shore.

Getting ready to go fishing at Burners Beach

Wok does try his hand at trying to catch a fish while we are camped here and gets a few bites but no luck in catching anything. On Easter Sunday we do some exploring with Jeffery (the Jeep) further down the coast. The bays along this side of Spencer Gulf are quite shallow and at the small fishing hamlet of The Pines the locals have solved the problem of getting their boats out into deeper water by using tractors.

Tractor pull at The Pines

At Corny Point we take a drive out to the lighthouse.

Driving to Corny Point Lighthouse

Yorke Peninsula can be a dangerous place for ships navigating their way along its rugged coastline. There are lots of rocky islands off shore and many ships have come to grief over the years. Lighthouses have been built on some of the headlands and on islands to help ships navigate the hazardous waters.

Wok is feeling a tad cold at Corny Point

Further along the coast at Daly Head we find a plaque embedded in a rock which recognises the significance of the area to the surfing culture of South Australia.

We haven't seen a memorial of this type before. Guess there's a first time for everything and there well may be others out there that we haven't run across yet. A long staircase leads down from the memorial to the water

It's a long way down to the water at Daly Head

and about two kilometres along the beach we can see a group of surfboard riders out in the water. You have to be really keen to surf here as the only way to get to the surf break is by walking. This means you would have to lug your board all that way before finally being able to catch a wave. Definitely not for the faint hearted!

We make our way back to camp and on Easter Monday most of the holiday makers pack up and head back to whence they came. By Tuesday we figure it is okay to leave our little hideaway and get back to the land of the living. We pack up and drive back across the peninsula to the east coast and check into the caravan park at Edithburgh. This small coastal village was once a thriving port and the location of a large salt works for over 100 years. Salt was scraped from salt lakes in the area and processed at the salt works before being shipped all over the world. The jetty closed to commercial use in 1973 and is now only used by people trying to catch that elusive fish or squid. Squid fishing is a popular pastime in this part of the world. We decide to base ourselves here while we explore the south eastern part of the coast and Innes National Park. Dominating the skyline at Edithburgh is a plethora of wind turbines.

Wattle Point Wind Farm

Wattle Point Wind Farm is definitely situated in the right place. There always seems to be some sort of wind blowing across the peninsula and even on the day we visited a light breeze had the blades turning in an impressive display. It is not until you stand beside one of these giant structures can you appreciate how humongous they are. Over 60 metres tall with blades 40 metres in length!

Wattle Point Wind Farm

We go for a drive north of Edithburgh – through the small town of Coobowie (fresh oysters on sale here) – and then to the smaller hamlet of Wool Bay. A couple of kilometres outside of Wool Bay we pass by a massive grain storage facility (wheat and barley) with an equally impressive grain loading terminal and jetty.

Grain Silos

Besides having a plethora of silos, grain is also being stored at ground level under three ring circus size blue tarps. Our main purpose today is to see the Lime Kiln built into the coastal cliff at Wool Bay We stop at the car park overlooking the bay where we can see the top of the lime kiln.

View of Wool Bay near the top of the lime kiln.  The distinct line you can see in the water is where the weed starts to grow in the deeper water.  The water nearer the shore is crystal clear.

Back in the late 1800's and early 1900's there were six kilns here and lime was hauled along the jetty to be loaded onto ships which took the cargo across the gulf to Adelaide. We drive down the access road to the jetty and get a good view of the jetty a lime kiln with the grain loading terminal and silos in the distance.

Driving down to the jetty at Wool Bay

We pull into the jetty car park opposite the sole surviving lime kiln which has had a partial restoration.

Wok (on the left) is dwarfed by the lime kiln

A walk out onto the jetty affords us a good view of the kiln and cliff face. It must have been an impressive sight when all six kilns were in full swing. There are a few people fishing off the jetty with squid being the 'catch of the day'. Obviously squid is the predominant marine life caught around these areas as the black ink stains along the jetties kind of give that away.

Looking at the lime kiln from the jetty - note the squid ink stains on the jetty

On Saturday the weather report is for a calm sunny day so we take the opportunity to explore the southern coast. The shore is rugged with limestone cliffs precariously poised above sheer drops and little sandy beaches with crystal clear water.

Yep!  It's a long way down Wok ...

As we drive along the coastal track we can see Troubridge Hill with its lighthouse framed against the sky.

Troubridge Hill Lighthouse

In the waters off this point in 1909 the ship 'Clan Ranald' was shipwrecked. Forty of the 64 people on board drowned and are buried in Edithburgh Cemetery. It was one of the worst maritime disasters in South Australia and prompted the building of more lighthouses. Today the sea is calm but one wouldn't want to try to get ashore here in stormy seas. Those rocks are razor sharp!

Rocky shoreline at Troubridge Hill

We continue along the coast until we reach the entrance to Innes National Park. The local wildlife slows us down somewhat.

Jaywalking emu!

There is an information centre at the entrance but it is closed and looks like it has been closed for quite some time. In the forecourt a heavily fortified computer allows us to purchase an entry permit. It appears that many National Parks are going over to an on-line booking system for their camping and entry fees. This works OK for people who know what dates they want to visit the parks but doesn't work for 'on the spur of the moment' visitors like us who still require someone to be at the 'toll booth'. Oh well! We were in and had done the right thing and purchased an entry permit. Our first stop is at Stenhouse Bay where a substantial jetty is still standing.

Stenhouse Bay Jetty

In the early 1900's gypsum was hauled to the jetty from mining operations further inland and loaded onto ships. We drive further into the National Park towards Cable Bay.

Cable Bay Lookout

A track off the main road takes us to Cape Spencer and we walk to the lighthouse.

Cape Spencer Lighthouse
The island you can see is Althorpe Island - In the haze is Kangaroo Island

Although hazy, in the far distance across the water we can see the coastline of Kangaroo Island. We've picked a perfect day to visit the National Park. It's sunny with just a light breeze. So we find a nice bench to sit on and eat our picnic lunch. The view isn't half bad either.

View from our picnic bench near the lighthouse

Back on track we stop at the historic township of Inneston.

Some restoration work has been undertaken on the buildings but the majority are in ruin.

Inneston ruins

We wander around the buildings and down near the lake where the gypsum was mined. We just couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a photo (for our son Trent) of the cricket ground which hopefully would have been in much better condition when matches were being played.

Pitch seemed in reasonable condition but the outfield could do with some TLC.

We continued our drive through the National Park checking out the campgrounds along the way. There are seven campgrounds in the park and we were surprised to see that for the most part they were virtually empty. With school holidays underway we are scratching our heads as to why these campgrounds are not being utilised. It's a shame but we think the on line booking system has a lot to do with that. One of our last stops for the day is at Ethel Beach. The beach gets its name from the three masted iron barque 'Ethel' which was wrecked in a storm in 1904 and sixteen years later the iron screw steamship 'Ferret' also came to grief.

Remains of the 'Ethel' lie in the sand. 
The black shape in the water isn't a shark - it is part of the wreck of the 'Ferret'

It's late afternoon and we have a long drive back to camp. We take one last walk along the beach before making our way back to Jeffery.

Ethel Beach

We've had a great day exploring the rugged coastline of South Yorke Peninsula and are looking forward to putting our feet up and taking it easy.  Ahhh!  Life is tough for us retirees ...

TEROWIE and BURRA

24^th March, 2015

We're heading west once more and soon leaving New South Wales and crossing into South Australia. The land is dry and rocky with low scrub. With no large trees to cut down to make cottages and shelters the early pioneers used what was at hand. Although there are long distances between the farms here they all have one thing in common – stone built cottages and barns. Many have been abandoned and are all but gone but some buildings are still in use today. Just before the main turnoff to the Flinders Ranges we roll up to the Quarantine Inspection Station. If you haven't already eaten or disposed of all fresh fruit and vegetables then you must hand them over to the Quarantine Guy. As we have already been this way before we knew the routine and had eaten all our fruit and cooked all our leftover veggies. Bubble and Squeak on toast will be our breakfast for a couple of days. We bypass the Flinders Range turnoff and head south towards Adelaide. By early afternoon we are pulling into the near deserted town of Terowie where we can freecamp at the old railway station.

What a nice sign!  Great to know we are wanted ...

There are no other rigs here so we have the whole place to ourselves.

All set up beside the old railway station at Terowie

After getting set up we take a walk around the railway yards where information panels have been set up displaying photos and stories of what Terowie was like back in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Once the main staging yards for where the two different gauge railway lines from North to South met, the yards were a hive of activity as all freight (and passengers) had to be unloaded and reloaded to continue their journey. The town around the railway yards also grew and was one of the largest inland towns in the state. A plaque at the railway station marks the spot where General Douglas MacArthur and his family alighted from his southbound train after fleeing from the Philippines when the Japanese invaded in the Second World War. 

A small square stone memorial with a plaque stands on the abandoned railway platform at Terowie to mark the spot where General MacArthur gave his 'I will return' speech.

Much to our surprise we find that it was on this railway platform that General MacArthur gave his famous 'I Will Return' speech. We always thought that he gave this speech somewhere much further north – like on a beach in New Guinea or Indonesia. Nope ... it was here in little old Terowie! If this was the USA there would be a massive monument, flags flying all over the place and an interactive pavilion set up with footage being repeatedly screened of the General giving his speech along with a display of all facets of his life and career. At least the townsfolk in Terowie have managed to set up a plaque and an information panel for us wondering travellers. This is obviously no mean feat for the residents as Terowie once had a population of over 2,000, but when the railways finally came to their senses and changed the two gauges to one gauge, the town virtually died overnight. With no need for the trains to unload and reload, the railway workers and their families had to leave to find employment elsewhere. Hotels, guest houses and restaurants lost their customers as trains now chugged through without stopping. In 1989 the railways finally left Terowie with the line being ripped up. We take a walk to the main street just a couple of hundred metres from the railway station. Except for one car at the information centre and another car parked near the corner store the place is deserted.

War Memorial stands in front of old stone building and abandoned hotel in Terowie

We call in at the Information Centre where two women are busy closing up – it is 3pm. They are quite chatty and happy to talk to us. We guess that we may be the only people they have seen all day. It appears that there are only about 150 residents in the town now and although there were grand ideas a few years ago of trying to restore some of the heritage buildings, lack of people and funds has put a stop to these ambitions. After leaving the centre we walked along the street looking at the old shops and businesses. All the buildings were deserted except for the corner store which looked like it was also on its last legs.

Abandoned commercial premises in main street at Terowie

It would be a shame to see this historic town lost to the elements of time and neglect but we can see no way that it will survive without a healthy injection of funds and manpower from outside resources.

Main Street, Terowie - abandoned buildings - it's 3pm - no people - no traffic

The following morning we do not have a long way to go before our next stop. By 10am we are pulling into the heritage town of Burra. Like many of the towns along this journey Burra is a mining town. Copper has played a big role in this town's history and unlike the railway town of Terowie the heritage buildings in Burra have been preserved and the town is active in promoting it for tourism. We check into the council run caravan park which is a short walk away from the centre of town and the Information Centre.

Information Centre is located in this lovely old two storey building in Burra

We purchase a self guided tour of the heritage trail and are given a key which will unlock gates and doors on the heritage trail. We can keep the key for as long as we want and when we leave just hand it in to get back our key deposit. We do a bit of a circuit walk back to the caravan park and pass by a row of cottages near the caravan park. 

Paxton Square cottages

Paxton Square cottages were built by the South Australian Mining Association in 1849 in an attempt to encourage miners to leave their dugouts in the Burra Creek. There were 33 cottages built in rows around a large square. In 1914 the cottages were bought and used as low rent housing for the town. They are now owned by the council and are used as visitor accommodation. Opposite the caravan park we find one of the sites on the Heritage Trail. The key unlocks the gate and behind the high stone fence we find what is left of the Unicorn Brewery Cellars built in 1873. The brewery once boasted a tall malting tower, a cooperage, a steam driven system of pumps and extensive cellars. The brewery was closed in 1902 when new licensing laws would have made the plant obsolete. It was demolished for its stone in 1911 and all that is left is the maze of underground cellars.

Just one of the large underground rooms of the Unicorn Brewery

We spend quite some time wandering around underground – amazed at how many passages and storage space there was. Some of the underground passageways squirrelled off under nearby cottages. Wonder if the occupants of those cottages realise what is directly beneath them? In the morning we hopped in Jeffery and started on our self guided Heritage Trail tour. We passed by the elegant stone built Town Hall and Telegraph Station and the Catholic and Anglican churches before making our way to the road leading to the Burra Mine. From 1845 to 1867 the mine was underground but later worked as an open cut.

Burra Mine open cut - now flooded

The open cut closed in 1981 and the groundwater has returned to its natural level of 50 metres deep in the mine pit. We use our key to unlock a series of gates to gain access to the heritage area of the remains of the mining operations. The Ore Dressing Tower was erected in 1870 to treat ore from the open-cut workings.

Remains of the Ore Dressing Tower

Nearby are the remains of the crusher engine-house that provided power to the Dressing Tower and haulage engine. We drive past the Pumping Engine House and the ruins of mine offices and winding house and arrive at the top of a hill where the powder magazine was situated.

Powder Magazine built in 1847

Erected in 1847 this building is one of the oldest remaining mine buildings in Australia. It was used to store gunpowder for blasting of the ore from the rock faces of the mine. It was constructed well away from the mine workings. 

The actual powder magazine built inside the walled enclosure

With an outside perimeter wall and an arched stone roof to help contain an explosion it certainly was built for strength. Our Heritage Trail tour then guided us through the northern end of Burra past the old railway station, hotels and places of business. Then it was across the creek to the Police Station, Lockup and stables, more hotels, cottages and churches until we arrived at the ruins of the township of Hampton.

Not much left of the township of Hampton

The township was founded in 1857 and was modelled on an English village. It was the home to 30 miners' cottages and a chapel. It was also the site of stone quarries that supplied stone for many of Burra's buildings. The town was virtually abandoned in the 1920's with its last inhabitant leaving in the 1960's.

Back down the hill again we pass more cottages and then the large site which once housed the smelter. Two smelting houses operated on this site – one with 16 furnaces and one with 9 furnaces. In 1851 more than 1,000 men were employed here. After 1861 most of the smelting was carried out in Port Adelaide. All of the buildings have been removed from the site leaving only stone foundations and rubble. Then we were down by the creek again and unlocking a gate gave us access to the Miners' Dugouts. With a rapid influx of miners to the mine in the mid 1840's there was an acute shortage of housing in the newly laid out company township. The miners provided their own housing by digging into the soft clay banks of Burra Creek. The first of these creek dwellings being dug in 1846. They were favoured by the miners, being rent free and close to water. In 1851 about 1,800 people in a total population of 4,400 lived in nearly 600 dugouts. In 1851, three floods devastated 'Creek Street' driving the inhabitants from their homes. By 1860 the dugouts were virtually deserted. When we were here over 30 years ago there was no fence keeping these dugouts free from vandalism and there were quite a few dugouts that could be accessed along the creek bed. Today there are only two dugouts left in the creek bank and even these have been restored to some extent.

Wok outside one of the dugouts in Burra Creek

It is amazing to think that whole families lived in these cramped (mainly two roomed) caves.

As you can see the dugouts were not made to stand upright in

It is even more mind boggling to try and envisage 600 of these dwellings burrowed into the creek bank. Our last stop on the Heritage Trail is at the Redruth Gaol where our key gives us entry into the interior.

Redruth Gaol

Erected in 1856 it was the first gaol in South Australia outside of Adelaide. It provided for thirty prisoners, male and female. When it closed in 1897, the prisoners were transferred and the gaol was renovated and opened as a Girls' Reformatory.

Gaol cells were also used by the reformatory girls as bedrooms

The reformatory was closed in 1922 and the two residences either side of the front entry which once housed the Gaolkeeper and his family and the Overseer and his family were used as homes by various families for some years. The gaol has been used in various commercials and movies. The one movie most recognised being Breaker Morant. We wonder as we leave the gaol, how many people have walked through this small courtyard and out the large wooden doors.

The only entry and exit for inmates at Redruth Gaol

Our time in Burra is over but we have enjoyed our tour along the Heritage Trail. We return our key to the Information Centre and make our way back to camp. We will be on our way again in the morning so it is early to bed ready for a quick getaway … not likely!