The unique Gawler Ranges provided a wonderfull out door experience. This range is now at my back door so expect more visits. Throw in a few "Friends of the Park" and an ordinary weekend becomes an extraordinary one.

Target was the restored Pondanna Outstation part of the Old Paney run. This cottage has been meticulously restored by a dedicated band of friends of the Park.

On the way out I called into Yandinga Waterfall visited many many years ago. The memory of gigantic red granite structures standing like guns overlooking the terraced waterfall has stayed with me for many years or was it the much celebrated organ pipes feature in the Park. Yep they were still there but being a grey winters morning I had to wait for the morning  sun to bring out the colours.

Pondanna was noted for a farmed section which grew excellent hay even in a marginal rainfall area, often for other stations like Yardea and Thurlga. The old hay binder, ploughs and rakes have been secured as part of a historical display. No longer farmed and part of the Park it is good grazing for Kangeroo’s, mostly Western Greys and a few Reds and bluey’s and Euro’s.  A recent find of the Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby is showing the annual fox baiting is paying dividends.

Wild Goats have been a problem in the past and a few wild stories floated around the campfire like one of the legends of this area taking his Tojo where angels fear to tread, you couldn’t see the vehicle only the trees moving. The accurate story of two of the story tellers that shot 285 goats at Death hill one week end including  one mob of 35 being taken using Magnums would have sounded like WW III. Admittedly 15 were brought back into the area after they had fled. No mercy on these goats as they devastate the young re-growth and ring bark so many trees and shrubs when numbers grow. Hmm perhaps we do have hunters in Australia after all.

Swinging back past Conical Hill we went into Pine Lodge another small “farm” that was part of Yardea and Scubby Peak. Here were the remains of an old house and surrounds plus a 12 valve car (in 30’s) was way outside of our car knowledge but the seeder, plung dip and remaining farm relics created much discussion. Pete’s Totem pole, by what we think was his campsite validated his campfire stories, that where he camps he sticks in  a post with hooks or nails to keep his cooking tools within reach. Bring on the innovative Aussie bush camper. A BBQ out of a hot water heater tank.  Home made sausce in a Turkey bourbon bottle. Camping with backs of utes tailor made by Cookies Welding of Minnipa, neat, inventive and quality made.

The legendary outback dunny where you must leave the door open to view the uninterrupted view is so much better than the Enviro friendly unisex toilet! Or even the inside modern septic type. The Donkey hot water system reminded me of showering at Old Paney when we were shearing there in the mid 70's. Definitely saw a knob of Blue O which if thrown into a stew; colours it blue. I am told one of the shearers was sure the cook never changed the stew, just kept adding to it. When the blue stew was served up the cook was evicted! (Not at Paney but at another location!)

 Local knowledge led past a wedge tail eagles nest and a relatively recent Mallee Fowl nest, amazing birds that use eucalyptus leaves for compost and their beaks to test the temperature. Hiking back into the canyons was a treat to see country not normally visited except by the Euro's and hardy locals. Enjoy the pictures.

The much photographed Organ Pipes made me wonder if I had joined the picture in my mind of Yandinga and The organ pipes, oh well it won’t be 25 years before I visit again.

Greetings for those looking for an update on the 5 week trip back to New Mexico and beyond. This is coming; Innitially staying in the Jamez Valley and visiting the Valae Caldera off to Newcomb in the For Corners to be the guest redaer at the Library.surfice to say did 4,000 miles well 3,995 miles in one trip across Kansas to Chigago and back to Wyoming down through the Rocky Mountains national monument and White Sands  back to New Mexico. Today went via the steam train Durango to Siverton and back and wonderful time in the high country of the Colorado Rocky mountains. Pictures to come.

Winter has arrived; well it is June so right on cue,

On the eastern Eyre Peninsula we have a very mild winter, cold weather only lasting a few weeks. Opening rains of around an inch or 25mm of rain falls over a 2-4 day period. Traditionally farmers look to the Anzac weekend at the end of April to begin sowing pulse, Canola and cereal crops. If we miss rain on this moon phase on it may be Easter or the June long weekend before significant rains come again.  Early sowing in this 12” rainfall gives the greatest crop potential, but still very dependent on the Spring rainfall to maximise yield potential. Climatic conditions with more extreme weather events seem to be occurring, posing the question “Is it climate change?” or as the scriptures talk of “in the last days the earth groans before the coming again of (the son of  man) Jesus”. Post script. Writing this blog last night, interesting this next morning 6/06/10 at 7.15am I was woken by the rumblings of the strongest earthquake in this area for 100yrs, 1911; I am told as I watch the evening news! We rarely have quakes in this area although Cleve to Arno bay are on a fault line and get 1-2 readings which we never feel. The epic centre was only 25 km from Utunyah with a scale of over 5 on the Rictal-scale and felt up to 200km away. Thank fully it was estimated at being 15km underground. It lasted for enough time to awake, wonder why a stock truck/ semi trailer was driving around the house, get up and go outside, to realise it was the continuing noise of an earthquake. It was very strong with a smaller one following soon after. http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/earthquake.pl?title=E+of+Cleve%2C+SA.&xy=136.604%2C-33.671&date=05%2C06%2C2010&time=21%2C46%2C59&magnitude=5.0&comments=&station=BBOO&bg1=eqrisk_lm&zoom=100

Today I shifted sheep into a fresh paddock of young grass and medic and picked a bucket of mushrooms. These reminded me as a kid being invited 45 years ago to a paddock directly opposite near Hope Smith’s mailbox where the mushrooms were that thick it looked like stones in a paddock. The whole district came in and took home many feeds for each family. It is many years since I have cropped this paddock and maybe that is why there are so many this year. We would often find a feed in the native grassland amongst the trees near the homestead and remember my Grandmother  Whittaker combing the Cleve airport and surrounding hills for a feed of “Mushies”. Picturs of sheep in front road paddock, Mt priscilla and the Utunyah rock holes.

The open fire place is in use with mallee roots and logs keeping the house warm. Maybe not really efficient but has a wonderful touch with the flames and warmth penetrating the room. Yes there is a fire screen with bronze horse and foal, similar to the one that I remember in the Masters' house bought from a Hawker’s caravan cum truck that visited the farm back in the ‘50’s. The hawkers van contained every conceivable item need by a household. This traveller along with the Rawleigh’s man (medical supplies) and Lincott Linen (winter socks) gave my mother a chance to buy supplies usually only found in catalogues or from the bigger towns. Today we can order on the internet, recently a camera from Alabama in the USA as quickly delivered as if in Australia.

Since writing this,  the area I am working in near Minnipa has had huge mice plauge problems with farmers having to resow crops. They have been eating interiors of cars,  in airconditioning  vents you name it, huge hay stacks reduced to crawling hay, blocking augers, drowning in sheep troughs, invading houses. When they are bad they are very bad. I have taken my 4WD vehicle that I don't drive reguarly to Port Lincoln (no mice) to get  it away from  the stinking filthy little critters. Emptying 3 bodies from the fan in the ute as a pulpy slush did it!!  particually when you have to hang your head out of the window for fresh air. Visit ABC/ Landline for  a video view of the problem. A record wheat season last year and plauges this year is interesting and with no govt assitance to help aireal bait also stinks.

Eyre Peninsula Easter Camping 2010

The four day break is one many Australians look towards to “get away”.

Keeping the thread of reports on Easter in this diary is as follows.

In 2007 I was still finding my place at Newcomb in New Mexico and the most vivid memory of that time was a sunrise service on Coyote hill or Blue Mesa.  2008 was in Carolina visiting the Congaree Swamp National Monument and attended a “Sunrise Easter service” in a Southern Baptist black Afro American church; we being the only whites in the congregation. An unforgettable experience. 2009 back at the farm at Utunyah (my daughter and fiance visited) and then to Pt Lincoln fishing. 

The 2010 "get away" was special also with a choice of heading to the beach if hot or the Gawler Ranges if cooler. With idyllic weather proved the beach was the destination and a new area for me was explored between Venus Bay and Pt Labatt the home of the famous seal colony near Baird’s Bay. To keep the fishing spot in tact we will use the term Tyringa beach loosely. I will post pictures as they will tell the best story and highlight some unique differences of this West coast to the gentler gulf waters of the East coast of the Eyre Peninsula. Where we camped had totally different rock structures jutting into the sea of red granite that you can find inland towards Minnipa and Wudinna. This provided a huge colour contrast to the white sandy beaches and the limestone cliffs with their calcareous capstone. Camp was set looking across the sea to Point Wayland being one of the headlands into Venus bay. This high cliffed area picked up the different sun light of yellows and oranges to the blue and purple shadows of the coastal indents.

The beaches had very course granite type sand which as the waves broke and moved up the beach disappeared into the sand rather than retreat. I also tried to capture the clarity of the water as you could see right through as the waves broke. Along this coast  are many rock pools and one the non fisherman used was shaped like a huge saucer where the mums sat and the kids used a creative watering system to add interest to the day. An Osprey or sea eagle came in for a brief look then glided away for better prey. As twilight settled six pelicans made their flight across our location as did shags to their own special rock. 

It was great to relax with a good book and hear the laughter of the children of two local families and extended family I camped with. The camp formed a base with several other 4WD loads of visitors having lunch or staying on for dinner, typical west coast hospitality. Fresh fish for breakfast over the camp fire, tomatoes, bacon and eggs and even Nan’s  chocolate fudge with  a good coffee was nearly as good as Easter eggs an Australian chocolate Bilby on Sunday morning. Lunch, BBQ and salads, or cold meat washed down with whatever was in the esky or from the kettle being kept on the boil. At night a camp oven roast chicken, curry and rice, apricot crumble or apples with sultanas and honey baked in foil, red and white wine beer, coffee, tea (Lady Earl Grey), soft drinks or water “city dining eat your heart out”. Beach Volley ball or squidding at night added to a fantastic weekend. Sunday the families gathered to read from the Missal, prayers, the gospel readings, about Jesus rising from the dead, what a natural way to enrich the Easter camping week end.

Coming home I drove past Murphy’s Haystacks again some interesting granite formation in the middle of a farmers paddock. These large boulders would be 30-40 ft in height, obviously over time the surrounding land has been eroded way, quite unique.

Arno Bay Beach n Shack, down memory lane.

Arno bay is a beachside town, the beach with 120 shacks the jetty, store and hotel is connected  to the main town with a population of about 300 people by a causeway across a tidal  swamp. This sleepy coastal town has seen an enormous activity of growth in housing and upgrades. A fledgling fish hatchery was sold to Clean Seas where it has become the major hatchery in South Australia with King fish, mulloway  and now Southern Blue Fin Tuna. Many fish growing rings can be seen out to sea, The town created a strategic plan in 2003 and an amazing change took place led by the progress Association and its many volunteers.  The main street upgrade, paving lights, at last lights across the causeway connecting the town and beach. A mangrove board walk has won numerous awards. A boat ramp with a boat marina, lookout, new play ground and toilet facilities all within ten years. A can do town that welcomes people and has still retained its country feel.

                The shacks have been traditionally owned by inland farmers, which would have their annual pilgrimage after harvest for several weeks where the local “learn to swim campaign” saw all children learn water safety. The tidal creek was another attraction to swim, fish or learn to boat and snorkel in. It now boast a fantastic Mangrove board walk, watch out for kingfishers breeding, even a rare water rat and lots of small sand crabs. The reef at the end of the bay near the boat ramp was a children’s paradise and many periwinkles were collected or around the corner was Turnbull’s beach where you could body surf if game. Continuing past Red Banks the Masters boys would go surfing at Sandies or Stingers when the swell from the Southern ocean would push up the Gulf. Swimming in the bay was very safe, no rips just a gradual depth increase with a sandy bottom as you waded out into the Gulf. Memories of making sand castles and jumping over large heaps of sea weed, playing beach cricket and throwing Frisbees.  The Jetty provide not only fishing but diving from a spring board (now removed OH&S) and a pontoon to swim out to, As A kid I would do a lot of fishing graduating from creek fishing to the jetty (my mother was fearful of me being near deep water). My Uncle Hope taught me to fish using a green cord line with a burley basket made from thin wire wound in such a method it could hold bread, yes a bread basket to attract Tommies (fish like mackeral)! I could feel the leather jackets (fish)grating on the line and this helped me win a trophy at the annual News Years Day carnival. Next year is the 100 year celebration. Sand castle building, treasure hunts, bowling at  a single stump, The swim through Arno, diving for plates, thong throwing, and races on the running track. This track has now been planted with lawn but it was a feature of the Arno Bay Sports the 100 metre handicapped sprint, The Bay (Glenelg) Sheff has nothing on this. In the early years the Trigg’s from Cummins, Deer’s from Cowell, competed with the local Whittaker’s, Smith’s, Walton’s and Stringer’s in running and the high jump. The track was lined with Tamarisk trees and I remember at a youth camp a little Morris Minor car belonging to female school teacher was picked up by some lads and sandwiched in-between the trunks of two trees. Our shack was at the top end of the running track so every day would walk it going down to the play ground which has now been modernised. The monkey bars, roundabout, sea saws, slippery dips and swings were the best. Now it has been sanitised and less risks! I would lay awake at night listening to the squeaks of the playground swings as the bigger kids or those with a later curfew continued playing. We were allowed 6 pence (5c) a day to spend at a little beach shop. I remember saving to buy condensed milk or liquorice nigger blocks. Sometimes we would walk across the swamp to Mason’s general store or the Bakery for a Torpedo Bun.

I remember when the jetty was twice the length and wind sailed ketches would tie up to take grain to Port Adelaide and bring in fencing supplies for the local area. We would tell our visitors that the quarry in the Adelaide hills would cut out post holes so farmers could drop these in the  sand and have good fences. Huge bagged wheat stacks would grow during December and these were then taken by a small train and carriages up the jetty and bags then slipped onto the ketches. These were each named and remember the Milford Crouch and the Nelshabie.

However I want to go back to the Masters shack No 9 the second one built at Arno Bay. 

Read more 

  view the first few pictures, yes it does have a garden seat on the roof. The boys ddecided they could see the jetty and the fireworks one New Year's Eve and it has remained!

        Another story or another chapter is about to unfold as I take up residence and work at (MAC) the Minnipa Agricultural Research Centre. After 10 years working with Rural Solutions I will transfer to another section of PIRSA the SARDI Sth Australian Reaserch Institute. MAC is located in the middle, top end of the Eyre Peninsula and there is a sense of rightness and joy of being here it sits sweetly in my spirit. I am truly blessed. I don’t mind what people would call the isolation from Adelaide.

      The work will be largely with 14 farmer groups from Cowell to Penong about 600km in distance. These are Farming Systems groups supported by dryland farming research at Minnipa and then transferred to key sites and individual farms. My involvement is part of  a nationally funded  (WUE) water use efficiency project that may allow farmers to increase production by 10% with same inputs or use10% less inputs but maintain production. Half of my time is funded by the (EPNRM board), Eyre Peninsula Natural Resource Management Board www.epnrm.sa.gov.au   which has an interest in sustainable farming practices that care for the land, in fact I believe funding comes from the Land Care bucket of DAFF. This fits well with me as I value the land and the people and sensible production. For extra info try about MAC it has served the Eyre Peninsula farmers since 1915 first as a seed  wheat farm then into research. http://www.sardi.sa.gov.au/about_us_2/facilities/minnipa_agricultural_centre

       Minnipa also sits as a gateway to the Gawler Ranges with some outstanding rock formations which I will share in detail as I explore in detail next year. It is an interesting location as it sits in farm land with wheat Barley and sheep. An hour to the south is the wild west coast and southern ocean with great beaches and good fishing or to the North in 30 minutes the station country of Blue bush and 10 inch rainfall. I remember once a prophetic word spoken about this land and its people. Tough and hardy is the vegetation which has adapted to the dry environment as has the people. There is what we call a pioneering spirit where there is a generosity and openness of caring that permeates the community.  More will be added later.

      The Pictures of Pildappa are typical of many granite outcrops that this area is noted for and pioneers used these rocks to catch water in a very unique way. Read more

Sharing some food experiences while in New Mexico. The mutton stew and Navajo Taco's must rate highly with eating out at Si Seniors mexican food and Serious Texas BBQ. I found I was soon reaching for the Chilli sauce to add to the fresh home made burgers made from ground beef. Ground Beef is our mince meat and pulled meat is cooked and either raked off the bone or from a roast in strands. Very good but what a waste of effort; tell me why shred good meat?. Talking of beef I never experienced a tough steak in the US, they were all outstanding. non more so than the experience in Kansas City for my birthday party or the Outback restaurant chain where you could buy a Coopers pale ale to wash it down. Go left field with Navjo blue corn cakes, or to the West with memories of mesquite smoked brisket and corn salad from the Texas border. Maybe even snails in France, sausage in Germany or Black Forrest cake in the Black forest. Oh anything for a meat pie or a Cornish pastie followed by a Kitchener bun.

Home cooked meals started when I first arrived on Super Bowl Friday, to face the cook up for the big game. Yes Larry you did it well. Thanksgiving with more Turkey and veggies that any man can eat, this occasion being at a Mum and Pops cafe in the middle of no-where, the locals all arrived and made a very memorable meal. Many eating houses, one in Colorado with humming birds dashing around the bird feeders, many with themes from Western/ranch setting to hunting lodges. Eating out for weekend breakfast was a real treat with grits, pancakes, sausage, eggs, hickory smoked bacon, tea, coffee, water, maple syrup, coked apples the list keeps getting bigger. Cracker Barrel was a real hit and a little joint up at Cortez in Colorado was visited often. What a way to start the weekend. I gave the take-away a miss but it was interesting watching the popularity. They tell me Kentucky Fry at Shiprock has the greatest turn over any where in America.

The major towns outside of the Navajo Reservation had huge shopping complexes, like Wallmart and Smiths to name two. I remember clearly two shopping times. One going to Cortez first time off the Rez and being amazed at all these American white skinned women with a variety of dressing from suits to hippy skirts a real contrast from where I was living. Another time of wanting a tin of Hienz baked beans and being inundated with the number of different ways you can buy tinned beans. I also wanted gravy powder and milk. The milk had so many variations of 2% ,4%,Ca+ ect I left the store with none. I found the American food and drink very sweet, bread and pop in particular. My house-mate was amazed that I could cook up  a storm. tomatoes zuccini, onions, mince meat. He would come for the week with frozen TV dinners . He also introduced me to the Coney Island NY hot dogs with Nathan brand hot dog, saukraut, mustard n beans, thanks Kieth. The Schwans freezer van visited the teachers compound once a month and they have the best icecream and frozen food packs that gave a solid base to add other tinned stuff; we lived well. Oh, never leave cans of soft drink in the vehicles when it is snowing they expand and explode, huh so that is why they are called Pop!. Water had to be purchased as the pollution from the coal powered power station even in melting snow off the roof was putrid in 3 days. No wonder there were no rain water tanks or cisterns as they are called in the US. Interesting food, a quick 10 day trip through Europe on the way home tantilised the tase buds but not as much as the Tex-mex food in NM.

 A section of European treats in pics from the return leg home  adds contrast to the menu  Read more explains lots more.