Today we did a run down the top end of the Eyre Peninsula to Whyalla, known as the “Steel City” due to its integrated steelworks and shipbuilding heritage. The port of Whyalla has been exporting iron ore since 1903.

The Lincoln Highway from Port Augusta to Whyalla

Point Lowly Lighthouse – another highlight of our trip.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1883. Point Lowly was named by Matthew Flinders in 1802.

Black-headed and Pied cormorants at Point Lowly

Crested terns at Point Lowly

Female Pacific Gulls

Orange pigface growing at Point Lowly

Another common succulent plant at Point Lowly

The LPG works at Port Bonython processes liquid hydrocarbons from the Cooper/Eromanga basins. The mixture of crude oil and natural gas liquids is pumped through a 659km pipeline from Moomba.

Red kangaroo inside the secure LPG compound.

Bound-ary security for the LPG works

Cuttlefish Boardwalk where a high concentration of cuttlefish come here to breed every winter.

Western Grey kangaroo near the Port Bonython road

A lone emu at Port Bonython

Whyalla from Port Bonython

Whyalla Conservation Park is north and inland from Whyalla.

The road runs west from the highway for 7km then approaches Wild Dog Hill from the south.

Wild Dog Hill hike – we did the graded hiking trail to the top of Wild Dog Hill with expansive views over the semi-arid plains of Western myall trees and saltbush.

The escarpment from the top

Eremophila (Emu bush)

Ptilotus on the hiking trail

The view south from Wild Dog Hill

Red native hopbush, yellow Sida and Saltbush add a lot of colour

Sida

Singing honeyeater at Wild Dog Hill

Spiny-cheeked honeyeaters

Western Myall on Wild Dog Hill hike

Wildflowers on the escarpment ledges

Sida and Saltbush on the drive out of the park

The Whyalla Steelworks. There was a worker here once who wasn’t very popular. His fellow workers told him he smelt badly.

Whyalla Marina from Hummock Hill – our second visit here (last one in 2017) to see the dolphins that are regularly seen here – again no luck; they must be avoiding us on porpoise.

Whyalla Wetlands – in search of the hoary grebe. Success!

Pied stilt at Whyalla Wetlands

Loaded Dog art at the Whyalla Vet – commemorates “The Loaded Dog”, a humorous short story by Henry Lawson.

The plot concerns three gold miners and their black retriever dog, and the farcical consequences of leaving a bomb cartridge unattended. The story was first published in 1901. Look it up.

A late drive back to Port Augusta from Whyalla.