McLaren Vale to Port Augusta

The rain continued so we drove to a Kathmandu shop to add to our winter wardrobes for the cold outback nights. It was still raining the next day so we defrosted the caravan fridge! Fortunately it stopped raining by lunchtime and we met up with an old friend who recently moved back to Adelaide. We ate in the restaurant at the Coriole Vineyards in McLaren Vale. The food was excellent especially the Belgian chocolate bombe which was served as an intact sphere of chocolate which collapsed when a hot chocolate sauce was poured over it.

We packed up in the afternoon while it was dry and headed off to Port Augusta in the morning. At the information office we learned that all roads to and around Lake Eyre are closed due to the rain, but ironically the water level in the lakes is falling because no more flood waters are flowing from Queensland. So we are activating Plan B and turning left to cross the Nullarbor. We will stay here two nights so that we can explore Port Augusta.

Our first discovery has been a wonderful old building that operates as a hotel/motel, function centre and restaurant. The restaurant is surprisingly large and the menu offers "Australian" meals such as steaks and hamburgers, or Indian food. On the recommendation of our waitress we opted for Indian and it was all so delicious we will probably go back tomorrow night. There were about 50 people eating in the restaurant which shows how popular it is. The Standpipe Motel is a sandstone building that was originally built in 1883 as a watering hole for teamsters and Afghan cameleers, but it ceased trading as a hotel in 1901 after the demise of the camel and bullock trains . For years it was used as a private residence, flats and a nursing home before it was renovated and the new accommodation suites were built.

Port Augusta is at the head of Spencer Gulf and can have tides varying by up to 4.5m. The "beaches" are nothing like east coast beaches as the sand is course and reddish in colour. The local council has published one of the most informative tourist booklets I have ever read so we have a good guide to the places of interest in and around the town. I am particularly looking forward to seeing the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden. 

Another Caravanning Dog

This labrador can't seem to get the message through to her owners. On top of starvation she has a bandaged leg so is confined.

Foodie Outings

The Jeep was still saturated on the passenger side floor but we couldn't leave it with the dealer all weekend to dry out so had them refit the sunroof linings but leave the lower panels off for us to reattach later. The problem was caused by leaves blocking the drain and not dust as we had feared. We were very happy with the service provided by that Jeep dealership, particularly as it cost less than $100.

Our first foodie outing was to Maggie Beer's Farm Shop where most of her products can be sampled before purchasing. The setting encourages visitors to buy picnic packs and enjoy the surroundings. There is a lovely lake with geese and ducks but it definitely was not a day for picnics as it poured all the time we were there. The dining area was warm and overlooks the lake so we were able to enjoy the view.

For dinner we drove to the next village called Tanunda and had a fabulous meal at FermentAsian. The chef owner bases the dishes on her Vietnamese heritage and uses herbs and vegetables grown by her parents in a large garden which they established. We shared these delights:

Fresh betel leaves with sticky caramelised Barossa Hampshire pork and incendiary componen

Grilled SA prawns with pomelo salad

Grilled spiced Barossa Chicken with fresh coconut salad

Barossa Hampshire pork belly with ginger and orange sauce

Lime brulee

The weather was pretty wild most of the day and night. We stopped under cover at a service station to refuel the Jeep but just as I was filling up wind blasted hail at the back of my legs. The dogs' tent suffered a malfunction and had water on the floor in the morning. Fortunately they stayed dry and warm. As we have had the tent for at least 16 years I tossed it and we bought a new one which should deal with a combination of wind and rain much better. The windout awning on the van is also playing up and we may need to find a caravan repair shop to deal with that.

Fortunately the rain passed during Friday night and we were able to dry out gear as we packed. We had planned to have breakfast at a local market but it took so long to wind up the damaged awning we were toolate. We headed for McLaren Vale and that drive was not exactly uneventful. We were travelling on a four lane highway where the speed limit is 110kph but we were only doing 100kph. The Navman dashcam captured a 4WD towing a large caravan that turned right in front of us. We braked certain we were going to have a collision but the Jeep brakes did a great job and kept our rig steady and straight. The video shows we slowed to 48kph in less than 5 seconds and just missed the back of the other caravan. When I manage to edit the clip I will post it on the blog.

We set up at the McLaren Vale Lakeside Tourist Park which is within walking distance of the main road. After a drive around Port Noarlunga we had a lovely dinner at the Barn Bistro just up the road. We are enjoying dining out in these foodie areas before we return to the limited roadhouse options in the outback.

Leak in the Jeep

We had a very ordinary dinner last night at the local pub in Nuriootpa (try saying that after a couple of sherbets). When we got in the Jeep to drive home water was pouring down from the roof. First thing this morning we looked up the nearest Jeep dealer only to find it is within walking distance of our caravan park. How lucky was that? The Jeep is still with the dealer drying out after they discovered a drain from the sunroof was blocked.
The rain eased off by lunchtime so we walked around Nuriootpa and found a German butcher who makes all of his gluten free smallgoods. The local supermarket and hardware store are operated by a cooperative which puts a lot of money back into the community.
Tomorrow we are going to Maggie Beer's Farm Shop for lunch. The weather forecast is not what you want when living in a caravan - possible flooding rains, strong winds and hail. So far the rain has been minimal up near Lake Eyre so the roads are still not affected.

Rain

For the second time this trip the rain started as we hit the road. We managed to pack everything up before it started. It rained virtually all the way to the Barossa and we had to set up in light rain. The temperature struggled to get above 9 degrees before we drove into pasture county.
We have come to one of the cosy old pubs for dinner because it is now raining solidly. This weather is predicted to last the three days we will be here so our wet weather gear will get a workout.

Broken Hill to Barossa Valley

We have enjoyed five days in Broken Hill and have been spoilt by my sister Marian and her partner Robert cooking us lovely dinners every night. We especially enjoyed spending time with two of our nephews, their partners and two great nieces. Broken Hill is an easy place to visit - there's lots to see, plenty of parking, good facilities, and at this time of the year there is good weather for travelers. Thanks to Robert for modifying a couple of lengths of pipe to make it easier for us to pull on the handbrake on the van.

I went to the Line of Lode Miners Memorial which is high above the town on the mullock heap. The names of each of the more than 800 miners who lost their lives working in the mines are etched on individual glass plaques. Our caravan park is next to the Broken Hill cemetery so I have spent time wandering among the graves and have seen the headstones for some of these men. Life in the 1800s and early 1900s was very hard in this part of the world and many people lost their lives to accidents and epidemics.

There is a striking monument in the cemetery over the grave of Percy John Brookfield who was a militant trade unionist subsequently elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly. He was shot in 1921 while trying to disarm a deranged Russian immigrant who had already shot two other people. Brookfield died from his wounds so he was the first sitting member of parliament to have been murdered in Australia, the second being John Newman who was killed in 1994.

Our final outing was a drive to the sculpture garden a few kilometres out of town to view the sandstone structures and the landscape at sunset.

Tomorrow we are driving to the Barossa Valley where we have booked for three nights before moving onto Maclaren Vale for another three nights. We are then planning to go to Lake Eyre but that will depend on the rain which has been forecast for the next few days in South Australia.

Wilcannia to Broken Hill

We headed down the Darling River Run on the eastern side of the river but after about 10km realised it was not worth risking our vehicle over the 150km journey. A truck must have driven on the road when it was wet and left gouges that were at least a foot deep. This caused water to fill the tracks which overflowed and created gouges across the road that were anything up to 2 feet deep and 3 feet wide.

Instead of going to Menindee Lakes we drove on sealed roads to Broken Hill and will be here for five days. Unfortunately my sister and her partner had the great idea they would surprise us by meeting us at Menindee Lakes! They got the surprise when they checked their phone messages and learned of our change of plans. At least their drive was shorter and on a sealed road.

On Saturday 21 May the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Broken Hill celebrated its 80th birthday so we went to the open day. Current planes and equipment were on display along with some of the earlier planes and original equipment.

The following day we drove the 25km out to Silverton which is where Mad Max 2 was filmed along with many other films, TV shows and advertisements. Fury Road was to have been filmed here but there had been rain and the script did not call for a green landscape and that is why the movie was shot in Namibia.

This evening we had dinner with the Broken Hill contingent of the family at the Palace Hotel which featured in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The hotel was closed for a couple of years but new owners have done some renovations and reopened the hotel with the original murals intact. The film Priscilla runs constantly on a big screen at the hotel. In September the Palace Hotel features in the Broken Heel Festival which sounds like a lot of fun (and a lot of Abba music and dressing up). The Priscilla bus will even be in town for the festival.