Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Monday 17 March 2014

South Australia trip Part 7 - Brachina Gorge in the Flinders Ranges

For those of you who are regular visitors to my blog you may recall that last year I was writing posts about our South Australian trip last year. 

If you remember we were heading from north to south following the Oodnadatta Track and the old Ghan railway line. I just realised that I left you all at Marree at the end of the Oodnadatta Track in South’s Australia’s outback in December!   Sorry! You wouldn’t want to spend summer out there with the heat, wind, dust and flys, so we had better move on!

 If you missed the last part - you can click here to catch up - South Australia Part 6 - Outback on the Oodnadatta Track

After having morning tea in a shady park in Maree we continued south.  We stopped in Lyndhurst to have lunch on the verandah of the community hall and discovered that we had a flat tyre on the camper trailer – it possibly happened at that one last railway siding ruin at Farina that I wanted to stop and look at! 

 
Please click on "read more" to keep reading and see more pics! see you there!
 


 We found out there was a 7-day-a-week tyre repair business around the corner, so we went around there. However I think the proprietor was having lunch, as he told us to come back in an hour! We really didn’t feel like sitting in Lyndhurst for an hour, so we pulled over under the shade of a small scrubby tree, and changed the tyre ourselves. Well my husband changed the tyre, and I fetched and carried, and took pics!



And so, tyre replaced, we continued on south to Leigh Creek, where they have a massive coal field that supplies much of South Australia’s electricity needs. Leigh Creek is a pretty town with lots of trees lining the roads. They however don’t have Sunday trading, so we were unable to get the tyre fixed.  I tried to get onto the internet, but something was still wrong with our internet connection thingy – very frustrating. So I called home on the mobile and let everyone know we had got off the end of the Oodnadatta Track safely. 

We were back on the bitumen  - and heading towards the Flinders Ranges which where beckoning in the distance.

South of Leigh Creek we turned east into the Flinders Ranges to where there are a number of bush campsites in Brachina Gorge.  You can camp here if you have a South Australian Parks Pass. There are six 2WD sites, and seven 4WD sites. The Brachina East and Teamsters campgrounds have toilets and a self-registration station.

 We found a lovely campsite in a lovely shaded setting by the dry river bed, and after we had set up camp we went for a walk along the river bed, and looked at some other campsites further up the river. We had the place to ourselves – lovely. 

Back at camp we had a resident emu pair grazing in the grass near our campsite, seemingly undisturbed by our presence. 


During the evening the bugs drove me crazy as I tried to download the days photos and write my diary, so I packed up and went and sat by the fire with the others. We toasted marshmallows and enjoyed our solitude in Brachina Gorge. 

The 8km long Brachina Gorge cuts a wandering course through the Heysen Range. Over thousands of years the creek has cut through a huge bed of shale, quartzite and limestone that was once the bed of an inland sea. Torn and twised by the cataclysmic events, eroded and weather beaten, the ranges in the gorge are quite spectaucular. They reminded us a lot of gorges in Karajini National Park in Western Australia.

The track follows and crosses the creek bed in places, so a 4WD is recommended. I think it would be wise to check with the South Australia National Parks authority before going into the gorge in winter.




Next morning the emus were up before we were and we saw them strolling along the track when we emerged from our camper. We packed up after breakfast and trundled slowly out of the gorge looking at the various rock features and taking photos on the way out. 

 The 20 kilometre self-guided Brachina Gorge Geological Trail passes through 130 million years of earth history. Trail signage provides an insight into past climates, the formation of the ranges and the evolution of early life forms. The trail is best travelled from east to west, commencing at the Brachina Gorge/Blinman Road junction. A geological map and more detailed information on the Brachina Gorge Geological Trail are available from the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre.


 We saw quite a few emus and a family of distinctive and colourful Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies which have been brought back from near extinction by the Bounceback project. Their population numbers had dropped dramatically due to hunters, foxes, and the abundance of rabbits. 
They really are a pretty wallaby with lovely markings. Can you see in the pic below how he is sitting on his tail which is draping down over the rock in front, and how he is holding it in his from paws?

 In South Australia, colonies persist in the Gawler Ranges, Flinders Ranges and Olary Hills. At least 24 colonies are known to have become extinct in South Australia. Most of these represent at least half of the known colonies in the Olary Hills and Gawler Ranges regions. - Australian Dept of Environment


 We would have liked to have camped in Brachina Gorge longer, but had to move on. Our next stop south was Hawker where we had our trailer tyre fixed, did some grocery shopping, managed to fix our internet “thingy”, and downloaded heaps of emails while we had lunch in the cafĂ© at the Hawker General Store. The steak burgers have to been seen to be believed. When they say "with the lot" they mean it! Enough for two people at least! You certainly can't picked it up in your hands and eat it like that.
There is 3 pieces of steak in there, as well as bacon, eggs, cheese and lots of salad.  


 From Hawker we turned back north to Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges and the next part of our trip. I will return pics of Hawker in another post.

Brachina Gorge is 62.39kms north of Hawker.

For more information on the Flinders Ranges, please click here - Flinders Ranges National Park

 If you missed any of my previous posts about our South Australia trip you can catch up by clicking on the links below -


Thanks for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to Mosaic Monday, Travel Photos Monday, Our World Tuesday, Wednesday Around the World, Travel Photo Thursday, What's It Wednesday, and Oh the Places I've Been. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
Travel Photo Mondays
Our World Tuesday
Wednesday Around the World  
What's It Wednesday
Travel Photo Thursday
 Oh The Places I've Been


34 comments:

  1. Hello Jill, fabulous photos from your road trip.. The gorge scenery is beautiful.. And I love the emu and wallabies! Great post and photos! Enjoy your week ahead!

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  2. A great photo diary Jill! Wonderful shots! I love that part of SA, and toured around there for a month. I also had one of those "burgers" in Hawker. LOL, I saved half of it for the next day!

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    1. We would have liked to have stayed around this area longer. You certainly could save some of that burger for next day - or share with a friend. They really are amazing.

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  3. That area is stunning..what a fun road trip, i love all the wildlife there!

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  4. When I saw your thumbnail I thought, oh goody, Jill is traveling again, and I was correct. How amazing to see the wallabies and emus in the wild, and such gorgeous scenery. Beautiful photos, and beautiful memories for you, I am sure.

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    1. I would travel more if I could! And yes, it is lovely to see our native animals so close in the wild.

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  5. That is a great trip. Love the collages you have created with the sights captured.

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  6. Anything served in the county and described as being "with the lot" tends to be huge and or wonderful! This is a part of Australia that I have yet to explore at all. So many places!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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    1. yes - so many places to explore in Australia. You are in Melbourne you would be much closer than us in WA!

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  7. Not sure where you would start with that burger. Quite an adventurous tour you are on and what spectacular sights you must be experiencing as you move through the country.

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  8. We are currently in South Australia travelling around before we head west and enjoying it immensely. We have been contemplating Wilpena Pound and after seeing your wonderful photos will definitely consider it more seriously. Love the photo of the wallaby - great shot!

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    1. You definitely should go to Wipena Pound Kathy. There are lots of good walks and drives. Beautiful country.

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  9. Oh My to be able to travel like that and then to see Emus and Kangaroos out in the wilds, rather than like her in zoos...and it looks so much like some of our Southwestern scenes, just so beautiful. The tall sandwich sure looks full of goodness. Jill have a marvelous week~

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  10. Such pioneers, i admire your camping spirit so much. The camping spot looked remote and beautiful, despite the bugs, and I love the photo of the car dwarfed by the trees and surrounding countrysideie. Put into perspective how small and fragile we are as humans in the big wide outdoors!

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  11. So much wonderful material to share, so pleased you returned to South Australia to complete your posts.

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  12. Emus freely strolling around on a camping place would cause some consternation here, since we see them on this side of the globe only in animal parks:) I see to travel there, you need a good sturdy vehicle! Thanks for visiting my blog yesterday!

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    1. Emus always seem to have such fearsome stares in animal parks. And there beaks and feet are weapons not to be messed with. You certainly wouldn't want to run towards one shouting and waving your arms over your head to shoo it away. This pair just quietly wandered along pecking at the grass. They kept a wide berth of us, and we did of them.

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  13. Hi Jill,

    So much to enjoy here in your adventure around the Brachina Gorge in the Flinders Ranges! The emus alone, are reason for suspense and the landscape photos are spectacular; love the layers of limestone and the history surrounding its existence. The pictures of the truck driving toward the tree lined landscape is gorgeous!! Thanks for sharing the excitement and those huge Australian savoury specialties!

    Poppy

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  14. Fantastic captures. Seems like a nice place to visit and camp. I enjoyed reading about your journey and a huge steak burger at the end. :)

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  15. Great shots!

    http://pienilintu.blogspot.fi

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  16. What an adventure! That sandwich is huge!

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  17. As an American, I enjoyed how Australian your post is. I've never had a burger with "the lot;" you use the word "bitumen" instead of "asphalt," and of course, there's the great photos of the emus and wallaby. I'm wondering about something. In all those photos where the truck is driving away, do they come back and get your or just stop and wait for you to run up to them?

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    1. Hi Michele, interesting isn't it how English speaking countries have different words for things. As for the driving away pics, it all depends on the distance he drives away, and what the terrain is like and whether he can turn around. In this instance he just stopped and waited for me to walk up. I have sometimes wondered as I have stood on the side of the track in the middle of no-where if he is going to keep driving and leave me there! LOL!!

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  18. How fun this all must have been. Glad you got the tire fixed.
    And that sandwich....amazing...
    Here from Ivy....

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  19. hi jill, what great photos from your road trip. i do admire your adventurous spirit.
    what an adventure! thanks for taking us along with you.

    happy wednesday~

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  20. That is some serious sandwich there.

    Mollyxxx

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  21. Oh Jill as always I love to head out with you two on your road trips. And that sandwich, oh my, it makes my mouth-water and it isn't even the breakfast hour here yet!

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  22. I am always amazed at the remoteness of Australia. Your photos are lovely. Lunch looked fantastic! Thanks for linking up this week.

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  23. Hi Jill, thanks for taking us in another incredible road trip. Ahh..nice to have a very handy husband to fix the tire:) ! Ohh. love those adorable emus. I'll be delighted to camp with them around. My husband would like you to send him an order of that steak burger:)

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  24. The campsite was gorgeous. Beautiful photos of the Australian Bush. It is lovely to get a place to yourselves, but do you ever get scared when you are by yourselves in an isolated position?

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    1. no never - scared of what? There is nothing to be scared of. We don't have dangerous animals in Australia, and dingos usually give you a wide berth unless they have been encouraged into popular camping areas. Yes, something could go wrong. If you have watched "Australian Story" things can happen. Best to just be careful and not think of the what-ifs, otherwise you might never go and experience the amazing feeling of peace out in the outback. We don't go really isolated...so all good.

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  25. I used to spell it tyre, now when I see my first thought is the place in the Bible.
    I love this trip, Jill. Despite the internet "thingy" and the tyre problems, it sounds like a great trip. If you hadn't mentioned the emu's tail, I wouldn't have realized what it was. Pretty adorable-looking animals, aren't they?
    Thanks for the tour!

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  26. What an amazing trip!

    Great to have you be a part of "Oh, the PLACES I've been!"

    - Alma, The Tablescaper

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