Arno Bay, Lipson Cove and Lipson Island Sanctuary

Thursday 29^th March 2012:

We have now been on our wonderful adventure for two weeks. Every day brings a new excitement and sense of appreciation for the wonderful land we live in.

Continuing south along the eastern side of the Eyre Peninsula in SA, we found ourselves at Arno Bay for morning tea and then Lipson Cove and Lipson Island Sanctuary. What a magical spot......we had only travelled 118klms and it was only lunch time but we had to stay and savour the ambience, serenity and pure pleasure of this spot. Here we are camped on top of the cliff with rolling hills behind us and 240⁰ of water alongside and in front of us. We strolled along the white sandy beach and the hill behind and Chris enjoyed a swim in the pristine water.

Arno Bay and Lipson Cove on the western shores of Eyre Peninsula SA

Thursday 29th March 2012:- Arno Bay, Lipson Cove and Lipson Island Sanctuary

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lipson Island Sanctuary..........so much bird life!

Looking down into the pristine waters at Lipson Cove

A room with a view.........and what a view!

From our perch on the cliff edge we looked over

other campers also enjoying this wonderful location

Looking over to Lipson Island Sanctuary

Chris having a swim.......he tried to convince me that the water was warm!

Lipson Cove

Sunrise from our camp spot....... 7.30am DST March 30th.

The plane was heading in the direct line for Adelaide.

The beautiful sunrise over Lipson Cove 30th March 2012

Travelling south down The Eyre Peninsula SA

Wednesday 28^th March 2012:

Continuing south from Lowly Point we came to Whyalla on the western shore of the Upper Spencer Gulf. One Steel Whyalla Steelworks operations produce a range of steel products including railway line and steel sleepers. This operation has more than 100 years of significant iron and steel making history. The Hummock Hill lookout offers 360⁰ views including the Whyalla Marina. Fishing is a popular sport around this region. The Australian Giant Cuttlefish migrate annually to the waters of the Spencer Gulf. The migration is for the sole purpose of spawning. The HMAS Whyalla was the first ship built in the Whyalla shipyards in 1941 and is on permanent display on the roadside near the Tourist Information Centre. Whyalla's other industries include Santos (producing crude oil and LPG), industrial fabrication, commercial salt production, and Cognis (producing beta-carotene for domestic and export markets - used as pro-vitamin A and providing colouring for foodstuffs such as margarine, cheese, sauce and soft drinks).

We travelled onto Cowell, a quaint town on the shores of the Spencer Gulf. The local pub was cooking, on a spit, a pig in preparation for the evening dinner.

Whylla and Cowell SA

Wednesday 28th March 2012:
Here we are in Whyalla then onto Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.

A view of part of Whyalla from Hummock Hill Lookout
Looking over the Whyalla One Steel steel making plant
The HMAS Whyalla was the first ship built in the Whyalla shipyards in 1941. In is now permanently positioned next to the Whyalla Tourist Information centre.

...............................................................................................................................................

Sunrise looking across to the Spencer Gulf shoreline

Port Augusta S.A.

Sunday 25^th March, Monday 26^th March and Tuesday 27^th March 2012:

We left Hawker and travelled onto Quorn then to Port Augusta where we stayed the night. Next day we travelled onto Port Bonython and stayed at Point Lowly in a very picturesque camp area looking across the Spencer Gulf towards Point Prairie. We intend to spend a few days around this area just relaxing and enjoying the quiet and peace of travelling this vast country.

FROM HAWKER to QUORN, PORT AUGUSTA and onto PORT BONYTHON SA

Sunday 25th March to Tuesday 27th March 2012:

Ruins dot the countryside.

Map showing where we travelled......

Hawker, Quorn, Port Augusta and now down around the Eyre Peninsula S.A.
It seems a number of movies have been made here around Quorn S.A.

The wharf precinct in Port Augusta

The Historic water tank in Port Augusta.....we stopped for lunch!

Our one day (6 hour) excursion “Flight to Lake Eyre”

Saturday 24^th March 2012:

We boarded a single engine, six seater plane with another couple and two pilots to fly with 'The Bush Pilots' from Hawker, a small town known as 'The Hub of the Flinders Ranges'. A spectacular bird's eye view was enjoyed looking down over our wonderful bush landscapes. The flight took us over the timeless landscape of one of the world's oldest mountain ranges, The Flinders Ranges, through and over the middle of Wilpena Pound (a large crater formed by erosion, millions of years ago, of the soft stone within the walls of the range). Flying around a height of 4,500 feet we followed the Heysen Range north flying over Leigh Creek open-cut coal mine, onto the Historic township of Maree at the junction of The Birdsville and The Oodnadatta Tracks, continued north over Muloorina Station and The Dingo Fence, Lake Eyre South before entering Lake Eyre North at Madigan's Gulf at the southern end of the main lake itself.

The flight gives one a full appreciation of the geography and remoteness of this vast and unique landscape.

Around the middle of the lake the flight turned west and descended to take a closer look at the islands and shoreline as we crossed out of the western shoreline the flight was towards our lunch stop at the historic William Creek Pub on Anna Creek Station, the largest operating cattle leasehold in the world. A legendary burger was a must and enjoyed!

After lunch the flight tracked south into the Woomera region to see the absolutely spectacular PAINTED HILLS, by any account a vision splendid of this timeless land. Homeward bound, back to Hawker, over Roxby Downs (BHP's Olympic Dam project-site of the largest Uranium deposit in the world and shortly to be the biggest hole in the world) the flight crossed diagonally over Lake Torrens, at 214klms long Lake Torrens is Australia's longest salt lake, then we continued on, landing safely back in Hawker.

The other couple with us on our flight were from the Brisbane area and unbeknown to us until we got chatting, were friends with friends of ours in Newcastle and had visited Newcastle prior to making their way to SA. As the saying goes there is only three degrees of separation!

 

 

 

SCENIC FLIGHT TO LAKE EYRE from Hawker S.A.

Saturday 24th March 2012:

Flying over the Flinders Ranges SA -

across the range to Wilpena Pound

Looking down into the pound -
the bare patches are from unsuccessful attempts at agriculture

The small township of Leigh Creek

Looking down into the open cut Leigh Creek coal mine

Crossing over the shoreline into Lake Eyre North

Lake Eyre North with water -

it is rare for this salt water lake to have water,

but from the extreme rains over the past few years, has seen the lake with water

In the distance - William Creek on Anna Creek Station

Our small plane coming into land at William Creek

Here we are at William Creek

William Creek Pub is on the Oonadatta Track

The decorative William Creek Pub

Check out the cost of diesel!

Anyone for golf? Thank God you can hire clubs!

The Painted Hills

The very beautiful and amazing Painted Hills

Olympic Dam Project

Lake Torrens