Port Augusta

26 – 29 August 2023

After 5 fabulous nights at Gluepot Reserve we drove out through Morgan, where we had lunch. From there we drove on towards Burra so we could stop in to the Red Banks Conservation Park. It would have been nice to camp there but after 5 nights in the bush without a shower we really needed to get to a caravan park. We stopped in the day use area “the oval” and Mick spent a bit of time looking for birds. Reluctantly we moved on, still not sure where we would end up. We decided to drive through Laura, looking for suitable caravan parks along the way. We didn’t find anything that appealed so while we were at Laura we phoned ahead to book into the park in Port Augusta where we always stay.

As usual, we spent a day washing, shopping and doing general maintenance at camp, and on the other day we headed out early to Arid Lands Botanic Gardens. The gardens were looking particularly lush and there were so many plants blossoming. We wandered around for a couple of hours before having a delicious morning tea at the onsite café. We then finished our “town” chores and repacked ready to travel into a more remote location.

Mick had heard about the birding at Mount Ive Station and had been keen for some time to get there so we added it to the itinerary for this leg of the trip. We had arranged to meet birding friend, Paula, on the Birdsville Track in a couple of weeks’ time so were able to fit in a visit to this spot in the Gawler Ranges.

We left Port Augusta and drove to Iron Knob where we had a quick look around what was left of the town and then turned off the highway for the two hour drive on the unsealed road to Mt Ive. The road condition wasn’t great to start with but improved as we went along. 

We knew we wouldn’t make it in time for lunch and, as luck would have it, we reached the only picnic spot along the road just on noon. The marker indicated it as “Edward John Eyre Camp 6 Site” and consisted of a small drive through parking bay and a picnic table. Not much, and given the wind was howling, it was sufficient for a quick chicken and salad wrap, then back on our way.

Port Augusta

21 – 23 November 2022

After our two nights in a cabin in Ceduna we headed eastward off across the top of the Eyre Peninsula with no firm destination in sight. As we drove we checked the weather forecasts and decided that we would probably return to Port Augusta, which is becoming one of our regular stops.

We had lunch in the park at Minnipa and arrived at Port Augusta mid-afternoon. We booked into an ensuite site at the caravan park we always stay at and were pleased that it wasn’t too crowded. It was still quite windy but manageable, and forecast to be lighter overnight and into the next few days.

As always we went to Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens for a walk amongst the beautiful and varied vegetation, and to look for birds to photograph. The gardens look like they have a had a lot of work carried out lately, but the birdlife wasn’t as abundant as usual.

Later in the day we went into town to do some shopping, picking up supplies for the next few days. We have always found Port Augusta to be a good base to restock and the caravan park we choose is very well looked after and has all the required amenities. Being close to the Arid Lands Gardens has made it almost a compulsory stop for us.

We had been in contact with friends who were also travelling through South Australia and arranged to meet them in Mount Compass, so that was where we headed when we left Port Augusta.

Port Augusta

 10 – 13 April 2022

We were unsure about where to go next and were considering Gawler Ranges, then north on the Stuart Highway but there were also some good bird spots on the Oodnadatta Track. We decided to go and spend a few days in Port Augusta while we made up our minds.  On our way from Cradock we stopped for a cuppa in Quorn and realised that the Pichi Richi railway was running and would leave Quorn sometime that morning. The Pichi Richi is a heritage railway journey running between Quorn and Port Augusta. The original line was commenced in 1878 and formed part of the famous Ghan journey. After our somewhat early morning tea we went for a walk around the town and returned to the picnic area in time to see the engine getting up a good head of steam ready to set off. We joined many others taking photos of this seldom-seen sight.

From there we made our way to Port Augusta and found a small park on the foreshore for lunch before checking in at the caravan park. It was very hot, and the forecast was for more hot weather so we were glad to be able to spend some time in the camp kitchen and recreation room.

As always, we visited the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens – three times! The first morning we rose early and were there for 7:30am opening time. We spent some time in each of the two bird hides and also along the tracks where Mick had spied some flowering Xanthoreas. We also checked out the Eremophila gardens in the hope of finding some birds there.

On the second morning we arrived even earlier and found, as Mick had suspected, that the gates were already open, or perhaps they had never been closed. This time we visited one of the bird hides and spent the rest of the time on the tracks. There is a huge network of well-marked and signposted tracks that meander all over the property through various sections highlighting regional plants. It’s a great place to photograph plants, birds, animals, as well as the stunning landscape.

On our final morning in Port Augusta we made one last visit to the Gardens on our way out of town. This time we also treated ourselves to morning tea at the excellent café. We had finally settled on a route that would take us along the Stuart Highway then across to the Oodnadatta Track, and back to the Stuart Highway.

Port Augusta

 9 - 13 November 2021

While we were having lunch in Quorn we booked an ensuite site in Port Augusta. The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens is a 5 minute drive from the caravan park, so it would give us plenty of time to visit. Unfortunately the weather forecast was for some rain, but we hoped we would get some clear skies.

Once we arrived and settled in, we saw that the forecast had been updated to rain throughout most of South Australia until the weekend. With that in mind, and seeing we were in an ensuite site, we extended for another two nights. For our first night the wind whipped up and blew hard for most of the night, with some rain as well. We were warm and dry inside the trailer but the noise meant little sleep.

In the morning there was mostly cloud, but a little bit of blue sky so we headed over to the Arid Lands and enjoyed an hour in the gardens. We also treated ourselves to a delicious morning tea in the on-site cafe as well as a look around the gift shop. From there we headed into town to do some shopping. Back at home and having lunch we noticed that a severe weather warning had been issued that included Port Augusta. Reading the details we decided it might not be sensible to stay in the camper (thunderstorm with gale force winds, hail, flooding). The staff at the caravan park were fantastic converting our booking to a budget cabin - the only cabin left for three nights.

We packed up the trailer in the rain and moved to the other side of the caravan park. The budget cabin was quite adequate although it had seen better days. It was clean, everything worked, including TV and air conditioner. We unpacked and made ourselves comfortable as the storm drew closer. We were certainly glad to have a roof over our heads as lightning struck very close, several times. The rain and wind continued throughout the night, and intermittently through the next day.

The storm continued through the night although not as ferocious as it had been in the afternoon. We ended up staying in for the whole day as it rained constantly, sometimes quite heavily.

On the Friday morning there were glimpses of blue sky so we set off for the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens again. We didn't last too long this time due to the cold and windy conditions. At least we weren't getting rained on this time. We retreated to the cafe - this time for a very nice piece of quandong slice with our coffee. From there we went into town to get bread from the bakery we had discovered earlier in the week, fuel up and get a replacement headlight bulb for the Prado.

When we arrived home it looked like the rain might hold off long enough to get some washing done. It turned out that the caravan park was providing washing machines for free due to some maintenance issues. This worked out very well as I had two loads to do, and we were able to put most of it through the dryer for free too! We spent the rest of our time sorting our gear and checking the weather forecast to determine our next stop. In the end we decided to put Gluepot on hold and head for the Yorke Peninsula.

The sky was grey when we left Port Augusta, but we started to see some blue as we drove along. We were hoping for better weather ahead.

Back Across the Nullarbor

Fraser Range

28 - 29 November 2018

Leaving Esperance just after lunch we began what we knew would be a few long days on the road. We weren't sure where we would stop but with the temperature well over 30, we figured we might as well go as far as we could. In the end Fraser Range was our choice. We had stayed there on the way west three months ago and we were happy to stay again.

This was just an overnight stop, but in a lovely spot. We were up early - we never did get used to the (approximately) 4:15am sunrises! 

Nullarbor Roadhouse

29 - 30 November 2018

We had a bit of an idea about staying at Madura Roadhouse because when we saw it on the way west we thought it looked nice. The day was again hot, and stopping at a roadhouse early to camp isn't all that appealing so we kept going. We worked out that we could get to Nullarbor before dark.

Crossing over the border into South Australia meant we lost 2 hours, but it also meant an end to the very early mornings. We kept on driving and arrived at Nullarbor Roadhouse after 7:00pm, but the sun was still up. We picked a spot in the camping area and went into the bar for a burger and drink. The meal was good and the drink welcome after such a long day.

The reason Mick had wanted to stay at Nullarbor was the Nullarbor Quail-thrush so we headed out along a dirt track in the morning. The guide book Mick uses gave instructions for driving along the fenceline so that's what we did. We found the spot - but no Quail-thrush so eventually turned around and headed back for the main road. Part way along the track a bird sat a little way in front of us - yes, it was the Nullarbor Quail-thrush. Unfortunately it flew away before Mick could get a photo. We spotted another one flying off into the bush a little further along.

A truck hits the road heading towards a spectacular sunrise.

Sun's up, time to go hunting birds.

Slender-billed Thornbill. A second new bird for the morning and a decent photo as well.

Slender-billed Thornbill

We returned to the campground, packed up and headed off towards Streaky Bay.

Streaky Bay 

30 November 2018 - 1 December 2018

Again it was a very hot day so it was more comfortable in the car than outside. We chose the caravan park at Streaky Bay that had ensuite sites and a view of the bay. It was still really hot when we arrived after 3:00pm so we were glad to be able to spend some time in the cool of the well-appointed recreation room.

The forecast was for strong winds through the night so once again we had to attach extra ropes to the awning. Rain was also forecast for the morning. With the rain clouds looming we packed quickly and managed to avoid getting wet canvas. 

There were storms around and high winds forecast for most of the state so we weren't sure what to do. We decided to drive towards Port Augusta and make up our minds along the way.

Port Augusta

1 - 2 November 2018

We drove through a couple of showers but the further east we drove, the nastier the weather became. The wind was very strong and there were some very ominous looking clouds ahead. Then we saw lightning! We stopped at Kimba for lunch in a cafe just ahead of the storm. As we were leaving there was a huge clap of thunder.

Approaching storm.

We drove on and kept checking the weather radar. It looked like the storms would impact any of our proposed overnight stops. We had hoped to go down onto the Yorke Peninsular but in the end we decided a cabin in Port Augusta would be our best option. 

We arrived mid-afternoon and checked into a near-new cabin at the caravan park where we had stayed on the way to WA. The rain and thunder continued, and the wind blew throughout the afternoon while we enjoyed air-conditioning and television. After 100 days on the road we figured we deserved this treat.

After a lazy start to the morning we set off for yet another visit to the Australian Arid  Lands Botanic Gardens. The weather was kind and there were a few birds about. From there we headed to Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills.

Not many birds about but I managed a few shots. White-browed Babbler.

White-fronted Honeyeater

Male Superb Fairywren

Quorn - South Australia

24 - 26 September 2014

After lunch at the pub in Hawker - which we would recommend - we drove on the 60 km to Quorn and Endilloe Lodge which was to be our home for two nights. This "cottage" is a three bedroom house with an orchard, creek bed and more fantastic views.

The massive living area of the "cottage".

A visit to the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens in Port Augusta was next on the agenda so we left fairly early for the 40 minute drive, arriving just after 9.00am. Stopped for coffee in the visitor centre while we decided which of the walks we would tackle first.

We chose the 4.5km Red Cliff Walk. My map reading skills are obviously appalling and I had us completely bamboozled within the first fifteen minutes. Thankfully Mick was able to decipher the map - which was actually very easy to read - and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the grounds. This walk is very easy, but water and hats were essential. Even though the morning started out quite overcast, the sun emerged and it became a beautiful, and quite warm, day.

View of the gulf from Red Cliff Walk

Red Cliff Walk

There were plenty of wildflowers in bloom, and birds around. Bird hides, seats and interpretive information are provided.

We had lunch in the cafe, choosing from an interesting, well priced menu with lots of local flavours. Then it was back out onto the walks. We criss-crossed around the various paths trying to find the best spots to photograph birds, and generally enjoying the beautiful weather.

Mulga Parrot

This was a full-day excursion and we didn't leave until after 3.00pm. We will certainly be back here again one day.

This is another great spot to find some interesting birds. Singing Honeyeaters and Red Wattle Birds are plentiful and I saw a couple of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters as well. Out on the salt bush plain, White-winged Fairy Wrens were frequently encountered. One of the highlights for me was the Black-eared Cuckoo I spotted on arrival. It was the first of two (possibly three) 'lifers' for this great place. The other was this Mulga Parrot that ate wattle seeds happily, unconcerned by the clicking of my camera only a few metres away.

The other possible lifer is the Chirruping Wedgebill we were able to see but not photograph. I can't remember if I've seen this bird before. A fellow visitor was nice enough to point out the hiding place of a Boobook Owl. It was quite high in a Gum tree but I managed a reasonable photo. 

We returned the next day to have another crack at the Chirruping Wedgebill but dipped. We did manage to see a couple of goannas flat out like themselves drinking.

Gould's Goanna at the Visitor Centre

Southern Boobook Owl