There and Back Again 2022 – Day 4 – The Land of the Croweater

Broken Hill Solar Plant – Watt a great view! Powering 22000 homes.

Also powering up with some morning solar energy.

The Pinnacles outside Broken Hill where family ancestor Joe Matthews explored for minerals in his younger days.

The South Australian Border Gate – South Australians are known by the slang term “croweaters” – early settlers in South Australia were alleged to have eaten the breast meat of crows, parrots and cockatoos when there was a shortage of red meat. Eating crows is caws for concern especially if they have CORVID-19.

Galahs at Cockburn on the South Australian / New South Wales border.

The endless plains just across the border

Water tank at Mingary that serviced the trains when they were steam powered. The train engineers were reluctant to share the water from the tanks – they had selfish steam issues.

Patterns in the saltbushs under a big sky

Wildflowers beside the Barrier Highway near Olary

Olary Hotel

Grey Nomad wisdom: Grey Nomad Will Extract – “Being of sound mind, I spent all my money.”

Manna Hill Railway Station

The Big Dice outside Manna Hill – a beautiful place – its paradice x3.

Landscapes near the Barrier Highway near Yunta

Dry outback creek near Manna Hill

“Not all those who wander are lost” – JRR Tolkien – thanks to PC for the maps.

On the Indian Pacific train tracks at Yunta

Oodla Wirra Fruit fly inspection station – gnatural born killers

Terowie – stepping back in time but beneath the heritage lined streets are concerns – For the last 40 years the town has been littered with broken asbestos pieces and has been referred to as an ‘asbestos wasteland’. The town also has a significant problem with water quality, with the towns from Terowie to Cockburn on the Barrier Highway receiving water containing “unacceptable levels of lead” in the tap water along with water tests commonly showing high levels of e-coli. The water itself is pumped through asbestos pipes from a local dam. A short visit.

Rolling green hills near Hallett

The hills around Hallett and Mount Bryan have a string of wind farms.

The Mount Bryan Big Blade – the technology behind these is cutting edge. This blade is from one of the wind turbines. There is a book being written about the wind turbines but currently it is only a draft.

Sheep near Hallett – recently a ram from this area was sold for the highest price for a merino since 1989 ($115 000) – the buyers were fleeced!

Firewood Creek Midnight Oil home (featured on the cover of the Diesel and Dust album) – our third visit.

Burra is a family history site of ours with Henry and Eliza Mill settling here from Cornwall in 1854 during the massed migration of copper miners when the Cornish mines were becoming depleted. Out of work Cornishmen took their expertise with them (and their Cornish pasties) and effectively populated the world’s mines.

Burra bakery treats – Italians don’t like these much. Their tastes are antipasti.

Copper ore from Burra

Birds of Burra …. an Adelaide rosella…

…a White plumed honeyeater…

…and a Red wattle bird in a Eucalyptus tree. We were disappointed we didn’t see the kookaburra around the eateries precinct of town.

The grass is always greener… around the van site next to ours – old Grey Nomad saying.

Farrell Flat Silo Art. A former railway line passed through the town in late 1800s and early-mid 1900s.
The 900m² artwork depicts the last train to pass through this historic township. Many locals were upset at the rail closure and went to find and confront the bureaucrat. They didn’t find him – he was good at covering his tracks.