Wednesday 17 February 2016

Kimba to Iron Knob South Australia.

Here in Tasmania Australia the bush-fires are still burning.  Fireman from various areas in Australia are here helping.  Most of the fires are being fought from the air. 
Airforce/Army are bringing a Base Camp reportedly to house up to 300 fire crew and SES workers at Stanley on our North West Coast. On the map, to the left of Devonport.
It's still holiday time in Tasmania and accommodation is tight. 
Tasmanian World Heritage listed forests, a small area has been on fire for about 1 month.  It's this forest in particular which the firefighters and SES are trying to save.
No loss of life or homes thus far.
Smoke comes and goes over my small city, depends on which way the breeze/wind blows.

The blue area is 'Alert', the white, no 'Alert Level'.

 



Back to last years holiday.

'Kimba is a rural service town on the Eyre Highway at the top of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. , Kimba has a population of about 636.
There is a 7 metre (abt. 23 feet) tall statue of a big galah beside the highway marking halfway between the east and west coasts of Australia. 
The word "Kimba" is derived from the local Aboriginal word for "bushfire", and the District Council of Kimba's emblem reflects this in the form of a burning bush.'
Wikipedia.


A short stop at Kimba and we came across the Iron Knob along the highway back to Pt. Augusta in SA.
'Iron Knob is a town in South Australia on the Eyre Peninsula immediately south of the Eyre Highway. Iron Knob and the surrounding area had a population of about 199.
The town obtained its name from its proximity to large deposits of iron ore, most notably Iron Monarch which outcropped prominently from the relatively flat, surrounding landscape.'
Wikipedia


Ore trains. 


The mine


The Iron Knob in the distance.


A map from Streaky Bay on the left, Kimba in the middle, Iron Know to the right of that about where the A1 is, then you see Port August where we were headed.

47 comments:

  1. Beautiful holidays photos. Love the view of the mine.

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  2. Replies
    1. Filip and Kristel it's a Galaha which is a parrot. We have big things in many places in Australia..

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  3. Margaret ore trains are amazing and I have seen tchem before. Your mine is similar to ours.

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    Replies
    1. I didn't know what I was seeing when I saw the ore trains.

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  4. I didn't know that we had a Big Galah to add to our list of Big things. Thank you.
    I really, really hope the fires can be contained. Soon.

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    Replies
    1. I think we have know doubt many more large 'things' that we don't know about in Australia.
      I believe things are getting under control with the fires..thanks.

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  5. Shocking to think that those "wilderness" fires have not yet been contained
    or been put out. "Huey" certainly is turning a blind eye in the direction of "Tassie". Must be getting serious when the military are called in.

    Australia sure has a "thing" about "Big" statues of things - Big Prawn, Big Bull, Big Pineapple - the list seems never ending.
    Of course in Aussie slang - "Big Galah" can be interpreted two ways, I am sure the residents of "Kimba" would prefer the parrot (galah/bird) meaning - ha ha1
    There are two many featherless, nonsensical, ignorami "galahs" flapping around at the moment!!!!!! I prefer the feathered species.
    Cheers
    Colin

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    1. Fires, well there is help now from other States based at Stanley on the North West Coast.
      Fires still burning, I looked on the Tas. Fire website tonight.
      A link...
      http://www.fire.tas.gov.au/Show?pageId=colCurrentBushfires&filter=ALL

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  6. Enjoyed this thank you for sharing

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  7. Oh goodness, that galah is bringing back a flood of childhood memories.

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    Replies
    1. I thought it might, and I hope they are all wonderful memories..

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  8. Hmmm, the galah. Well.

    I guess the iron ore goes by train to Whyalla.

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  9. And thanks for the fire update.

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    Replies
    1. Lots of trees and grasses along with native animals have been burnt. Firefighters are trying to stop fires from burning the rare native trees in the old growth forests.

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  10. The fires in Tasmania have been burning for so long now. Terrible situation. Our local brigade sent a truck and fire fighters down yesterday, crossing the Bass overnight. It is great that when the call out came that so many brigades from southern mainland Australia where able to assist.

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    Replies
    1. That is wonderful. I saw many firemen from NSW on the ABC news this evening. It's wonderful that when something like this happens all States lend a helping hand, as Tasmania does when they are needed for fires on the 'big' island :)

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  11. The ore train looks like a series of batteries laid end to end.
    The area is a little more scenic than the Nullabor with the big Galah and the Iron deposits and mine.
    I got out my map to see where Kimba is, then after I'd found it, scrolled down a bit and saw that you'd supplied a map. I should have remembered.

    So sorry to hear the fires are still burning, a 3 day torrential downpour in those areas would be welcomed for sure. I'll do a rain dance and speak to Thor, okay?

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad you had a description for them. When I first saw them didn't have a clue to what they were. Very different and rather a distance away from the road.
      Glad you found the map, it makes it easier for all that visit to know where the places are that I'm writing about and have taken some photos of.

      The fires are dreadful - no rain only today there was on the far south west, no fires there!
      Yes, love a rain dance - no rain forecast yet.

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  12. With relation to "CountryMum" above, this fire business as just shown - 2.40pm on the ABC news, is no longer a problem, it is a catastrophic calamity.
    What Tasmania needs is a modern Major General Stretton of "Cyclone Tracy" fame to take control. That was one good thing Gough Whitlam did as PM, let the experts take control and bugger the government bureaucratic, politically correct "ning nongs".
    Of course we all know that after Gough and Margie flew back from touring Greek monuments, he to his soon demise as PM, returned to his World Tour!
    But as for Deputy PM Jim Cairns - Stretton quickly put that idiot in his place.
    The news showed C-17 Globemasters flying into some city with equipment - Launceston??. A tent city is being set up for the fire-fighter crews - 1,000 extra ones.
    So many toilets, tents, food to supply 1,000 fighters and God forbid an entertainment group. I am sure Maj-General Stretton would have that lot vetoed - I think after a day or night of fire fighting in a wilderness - the last thing on earth the fighters would need is an Aussie version of Lady Ga Ga - I would think FOOD, a SHOWER and SLEEP!
    Let's hope that the military, the SES and the fire fighters take control and tell the government and overpaid bureaucrats to ( naughty word)
    off. For those with bible reading inclinations - the naughty word starts with "F" and rhymes with DUCK.
    Margaret and Shanks - start praying for heaps of "Huey's juice" ie RAIN.
    Colin

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    1. Need rain, the dams are rather low.
      Saw the tents on ABC news this evening and heaps of Firemen at Stanley.
      Lot of where the fires are people can't get to those areas, too rocky, no roads. Firemen can back burn and hopefully that will help.

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  13. Replies
    1. It's sad, but lucky no one has lost their home or been killed, so that is one blessing.

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  14. Bad news about the fires, but, they pictures are beautiful.

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  15. Bom dia, excelente fotorreportagem com maravilhosas fotos, todos anos anos acontece enorme incêndios na Austrália causado pelas queimas e pelo clima.
    AG

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    Replies
    1. Australia in the summer always has fires somewhere.
      Thanks regarding the photos :)

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  16. If ever I make it back to Australia a visit to Tasmania would be number one on my list.

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    Replies
    1. I will post some photos of Tasmania in the near future, there are some on the blog.

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  17. Second comment - It seems that forest fires in North America and in Australia occur more frequently and with greater intensity. Scary stuff.

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  18. I hate hearing about those fires. It seems like they last forever.
    Stay safe.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, we are safe where we are.
      Apparently the fires will burn for some time yet.

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  19. We have fires in many western states, and even in Texas on occasion when there is drought. It's really scary the amount of damage that is done by these fires. Thanks for the map and pictures. That is one big bird!

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    Replies
    1. Sure is a big bird Linda Kay.
      We doubt need a drought to start a bush fire, they just happen here in Australia. Often lightening will start a fire, however we have had little rain.
      Tonight there are about 85 fires burning.

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  20. Serious problem are the fires , the trees which destroy are irreparable , it takes a long time to regenerate the area .

    Kisses

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    Replies
    1. Many years to regenerate the forest, and in those areas where species are rare there is not certainly of those plant growing again.

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