Another very cool morning but with a difference – the sky was clear and the sun actually shone. Actually, it wasn’t just cool, it was bitterly cold until after lunch, then is was just plain cold! Cat was a bit out of sorts this morning, too. Bit of a headache, perhaps?
We had a long drive today of 120 kms from Nuriootpa to Burra, where we are staying in the Burra Caravan Park. It was a rather nice drive – discounting the bumps – with the vineyards left behind and replaced by wheat, sheep and wind farms. Not to mention the many hills! We climbed steadily the whole way, but did have a bit of a tail wind, which helped.
Burra is an old copper mining town, settled by Cornish miners in the mid 1840s. After checking in to the caravan park and listening to the welcoming/instructing speech from the nice lady in reception (I think she knows her speech off by heart and mustn’t be interrupted!!!), we walked across the little creek (would be full of snakes in summer) to the information centre. The town is nearly all National Trust, who have a self-guided tour of the area, complete with key for admission to various sites.
We set off for the old mine site and engine house museum tour, as this closed at 12.30 pm, before continuing with our self guided tour. Our first stop was at the crushing house, with a walk straight up the very steep hill to a big chimney and lookout. I’m sure it was closer to 2 km than the signposted 200 metres! We continued to various other lookouts and old mine buildings, with another guided tour through another mine’s building. These included an old blacksmith’s shop and a look down the actual mine shaft – a long way down on a ladder with just a candle for illumination.
This is a lovely little town (or village), well worth an overnight stop. The caravan park is very good, but we have been warned not to use the showers between 7.00 and 9.00 tonight as there is a school group staying overnight.
1 comment:
Hope the school group isn't as noisy as the one in Hawaii!!!
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