Leaving next morning we head on through Tailem Bend (on the banks of the Murray) where we checked out the old railway station (information centre and historical display) before then driving on towards Murray Bridge and then on up to Mt Pleasant. We had decided we didn’t want to go into Adelaide but being in the hills to the east was close enough. This enabled us to call and see family easily after a drive through the hills along the Torrens Valley Scenic Route. What magic autumn trees were on display as we passed through Birdwood (great auto museum), Gumeracha (Toy Museum) and then Tea Tree Gully. Wow I could have stopped a dozen times for photos but enough is enough of tree photos. Doesn’t mean I won’t take more though.
We decided to stay a week in Mt Pleasant (and only visited the bakery twice) as the park was quite spacious and open with lots of birdlife and not many vans. The weather however had a lot to say for that week and we spent quite a few days keeping warm in the van as the wind, rain and cold played havoc outside. Adelaide (just 50km away) had severe wind and rain squalls so I did quite a bit of spinning and finished up one of the batches of fleece I had brought with me from home. Lawrie did get a chance to wash both the vehicles and also check Destiny’s wheel bearings on two of the half decent days but other than that we stayed put. There were lots of lovely autumn trees in the village and also old stone cottages that looked inviting. Talking about visits to the bakery, I had the nicest cheesecake I have ever tasted. Fresh raspberries in raspberry jelly topped a plain cheesecake and wow was it nice! Now we have to see if any other bakery can better that (well sounds a good reason to me).
Our week was up and it was still very cold, overcast and showers blowing through every so often however it was time to move on. Our first stop was the Barossa Reservoir and the Whispering Wall along the road to Gawler (shopping and fuel).
The reservoir was completed in 1902 and was one of the first concrete arch dam walls built in the world. It is 144m long and 36m high and has amazing acoustic properties. Standing on one side of the dam wall simply whisper a message and it can be heard by someone standing on the other side. We had visited here back in the early 1990’s when our son was in the Air Force and had tested the theory out then with success. Today however with showers of rain still blowing through we didn’t do it again.
Leaving Gawler we then into the Barossa Valley, one of South Australia’s wine regions. Tanunda, what a gorgeous town. Old stone buildings, autumn trees, grapevines wearing their autumn colours and wineries galore. A wine lover’s idea of heaven. We plan to stop here another time (maybe on our return trip) to explore more fully the lovely streets and buildings. Having the van behind today meant that we simply drove the main road and kept heading out of town. Jacobs Creek (named after the creek running near town), Wolf Blass, Lyndoch Estate, just to name a few of the well-known wine producers and then in Nuriootpa there was the Penfolds winery. More beautiful old stone buildings, this one like a castle. You don’t have to be a wine lover to appreciate the buildings and surrounding countryside as you drive through this area.
Our destination for today is Burra, another town rich in heritage and old buildings. We decided to stay a couple of nights ($10 / night at the showground with power) so that we can head out and explore tomorrow. At least the rain has stopped however it is still overcast and rather cold with the wind blowing off what surely must be ice somewhere.
Burra became famous in 1845 when copper was discovered by a shepherd in the area. By 1850 there were over 5000 people in town and the mine was one of the world’s largest. The original claim area was 8miles long by 4miles wide and was registered to two consortiums. They decided to divide the area in half and each consortium would work their half independently. By 1871 one half had produced very little copper and the mine closed and the consortium folded after selling off the land for township blocks. The other consortium on the other hand had struck it rich and went on to become very successful. The mining was originally underground until 1871 when the method became open cut. This was only to a depth of 37m. The mine was closed in the late 1870’s and not reopened till mid 1900’s. By 1961 the open cut mine was deepened to 100m and continued to produce until it finally closed in 1977. The old building ruins around the mine have been preserved and a couple of the buildings have been restored. Visitors are encouraged to take the time to walk around the site to admire the handiwork of those early Cornish miners. The water at the bottom of the mine has now reclaimed it’s level and is approximately 30m deep. The colour of the water changes throughout the year due to the various mineral deposits.
the Burra copper open cut mine ruins
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