Thursday, 8 October 2015

Scenery to Coober Pedy SA

Continued on our way through several towns after Burra SA.
Went via Peterborough and down through some wonderful hills called Horrocoks Pass to Port Augusta.
If you wish to click on the link [ Here ] it takes you to the previous post regarding Port Augusta.
Then onward to Glendambo SA to buy Diesel.
After leaving Port August you get the feel of the isolation, remoteness and to see the flat land of which more was to come.
I must tell you that we were on our way up the middle of Australia.


Not that far from Burra we came across a Wind farm. 


 The above two photos were taken out the window as we moved along.


Behind those hills is Horrocks Pass.  Taken as we moved along.


Came to a Rest Stop with a View.

Near the above photo is The Island Lagoon Tracking Station was the first deep space station to be established outside of the United States, near Woomera, South Australia in November 1960. The land is fairly flat, being hard to imagine unless seen for yourself.

This area was chosen as the Australian government was working with the government of the United Kingdom on rocket and satellite research close by.
The tracking station began as a trailer installation, and was operational in time for the International Geophysical Year of 1957. By the 1960s, the station consisted of permanent buildings and was a major unit in the network. During the American Project Mercury program, it served as station No. 9 in NASA's Manned Space Flight Network.
The station was operated by the Australian Department of Supply and provided support for deep space missions until 22 December 1972.
Subsequent tracking stations built by NASA in Australia were:
  • Carnarvon, Western Australia
  • Muchea, Western Australia
  • Cooby Creek, Queensland
  • Honeysuckle Creek, ACT
  • Orroral Valley, ACT
  • Tidbinbilla, ACT
  • (Information via Wikipedia)
There is a Rest Area.  Island Lagoon is about 155km north from Port Augusta
 

This is Glendambo a town of about 77 to 80 people.


Salt Bush which grows in parts of the desert.

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

At Burra SA, Historic Town.

Burra SA.
It's a well kept historic town with the Burra Creek flowing through it.
A pastoral centre and an old mining town.  Once Burra mines supplied 89% of South Australia's and 5% of the world's copper for 15 years.  Copper was discovered here in 1845 and mining began in 1848.  Miners and townspeople migrated to Burra mainly from Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Germany.  The mine first closed in 1877, opened again early in the 20th century and for the last time from 1970 to 1981.
Of course the populations shrank and today it's a sweet little town.




The footbridge across the Burra Creek to the little caravan park and the miner's cottages.


Miners Cottages now accommodation places.




The Catholic Church. St. Joseph's






One of the Hotels.


Something different outside one of the shops.