July 26th

Flowers and buds on Wood Wardie

Nuts on Eucalypt Wood Wardie

We have travelled 350 km today.. definitely on the home run of bitumen!

First hour or two was taken getting to Port Augusta. A busy road for traffic going to Perth and anything in between. Also the rail line and water pipe line from our generous Murray River...maybe going to Ceduna?

The Wadlata Information Centre in Port Augusta provided us with our first cup of coffee for 4 weeks..not many coffee shops in the desert!

Through the Southern Flinders Ranges on Horrocks Pass.. a very pretty drive with red gums close to the road. In fact I have admired the trees all day. Perhaps the sprinkling of rain they have received has brightened them.

Willmington was our stop over for a Take Away lunch. We both enjoyed a 'Kangaroo Yuri' with Chilli sauce. Wood Wardie trees in  bloom gave a wonderful background to the flock of Scarlet Breasted Parrots. They were delightful to see so closely, eating from the yellow blooms or fresh nuts.

What a spectacle the man made wind turbines provided between Jamestown and Burra...a rough count and then an estimation of at least 200 huge wind turbines all feeding into the South Australian grid which receives 20% of its power from the wind.

A little trivia...Jamestown is the Birthplace of R.M. Williams.

Tonight we are camped in the tiny Redbanks Conservation Park which is north east of Burra. It is a very pretty park with White Mallee trees dominating the bush. We hope to explore some of the walking tracks in the morning..that is if these cold showers don't persist. It feels like snow here tonight.