Safari 2019 August 29th

'The White Trees'--a painting by Hans Heyson

 Thursday, August 29th, 2019

Last night we bid Cynthia & David farewell as they planned to leave Wilpena  very early this morning.Then this morning we walked across the park to say farewell to Helen & Neil. The six of us had.enjoyed nearly a week together around this area.

John & I set off on a long drive to visit a few areas that we had missed. We drove through both Bunyeroo and Brachina Gorges. Both gorges are beautiful with Red Gum trees with huge trunks. These red gums are a little different from those which grow near our home. They grow in the inland areas of Australia.. Eucalyptus Cameldulosis Obtusa.

Red Hop Bush

We ate our lunch at the Cambrian Camping Ground. In 2007 we camped here  with the ZigZag Art group. It has lovely redgum trees and causerina trees along the banks of the dry creek bed.
 Eventually we returned to Wilpena via Moralana Scenic Drive. This was very pretty as well. It took us through Private Property so we did not see so many campers. However the paddocks and trees looked much greener than we had seen. We saw many more wild flowers today including the beautiful Hop bushes which were showing their very bright blooms from red through to yellow.

Yellow/orange hope bush

We were pleased to visit the Aroona Hut which is actually on the Heyson Trail. This pug and pine hut outstation was also a base for the artist Sir Hans Heyson, on many of his painting trips to this area. The ruins now provide a place of quiet, but in the 1850s the noise of 10,000 sheep rang through the valley. Traces of the early pastoralists who tried to tame Aroora can be still seen today. The Aroona Homestead relics are still visable and the wonderful brick work, which is being kept in reasonable condition, can be appreciated by those who visit today.

Aroona Hut where Hans Heyson took shelter duirng painting trips.

Birds were part of our day once again. Firstly, the Lincoln ringneck parrots were seen flashing green through the bushes. While in Wilpena we  saw the very bright Red Capped Robin..he is such a plump and lively little bird. When coming into the Wilpena Resort this evening there was a large flock of corellas feeding alongside the road. Keeping them company was the ever present Galahs.  Hawks also 'float' above and today we saw the Black Kite.