Marree & Farina Homestead.

And the Rains Came:

The Historical Town of Marree & Our Stay at the Farina Homestead.

 That night Leigh Creek had some light rain and it really made everything smell fresh and it washed away a lot of the dust. The next morning we thought we had been lucky and missed the worst of the heavy rain. We decided to do the drive with the caravan the 120 klms to Marree - about half would be on bitumen the rest was unmade and we really didn’t know what to expect. Little did we know, when we set off, that there was another major storm front coming in from the west.

Trucks at the end of the unmade road at Lyndhurst. They had been through quite a lot of mud over night.

As we went off the bitumen, just after Lyndhurst, a car stopped us and the driver said that he had lost control and had skidded in mud just out of Marree, they also said that there was a dead sheep on the road. We thought that they were over reacting a bit so we continued - knowing that if it got too difficult we would turn around. Just as we hit the last 12 klms of road before Marree - which as luck would have it, was bitumen, it started to rain again and there was a lot of lightning in the distance. We got to the very salubrious Oasis Caravan Park (that is another story for another time) - the manager said he would not put us in the normal part of the park because “the rains are coming” and he did not want to have to pull us out of the mud. He very kindly set us up in the most sheltered spot he had, between his 1930’s vintage motel cabins. Thank goodness he did because it started bucketing down, plenty of thunder and lightening and it didn’t stop till next morning. We were the only caravan in his park.


The Oasis Caravan Park - it did have palm trees and bougainvillea - but that was about all. Oh... We did have power & water.

We awoke next morning to find that the thunderstorms right across the State had caused major flooding and we had actually faired reasonably well. We were however stuck in Marree – the roads in and out of Marree were all closed.

Now Marree is not the greatest holiday resort area but it does have a very colourful and interesting history and seeing we were stuck here we had no excuse not to discover the history of the place.

In the great droving era of our pastoral history (1867 to 1960) drovers walked sheep and cattle down the Birdsville Track and the Strzelecki Track from Queensland to Marree to meet the railways, bound for markets in Adelaide and Melbourne. This was a major transport hub for supplies, stock, wool and mail which were transported by camel, donkey and bullock teams out along the tracks to the stations and towns of Outback Australia.

Marree is a town where three cultures have grown together bound by transport and travel. It had the most multi-cultural heritage of all outback towns. Aboriginal, Muslim Afghan Camel Herders and European settlers all lived in harmony to develop and open up the Outback. The remains still stand of the Marree Mosque and it is a reminder that 60 cameleers, their families and 1500 camels once called Marree home.


The Old Ghana Railway Line & Station.

The Old Locomotives & Station at Marree.



The Truck Used to Deliver The Mail.

 Marree, also played a big part in the development of the Overland Telegraph Line in 1872 and the Old Ghan Railway in 1884-1891. There are many reminders of what a major place this once was scattered around the town. There are several small museums and the pub has an interesting display on the legendary adventures of the Birdsville Mailman – Tom Kruse.



A Camel Train bring Supplies.

Today there is very little in Marree – a Hotel, a General Store and Petrol station. We explore the Old Ghan Station, the mail truck of Tom Kruse, we visit the Pub and chat to the Manager and by mid-morning we have seen the lot. No TV, no internet and very poor radio reception – we just have to wait till the tracks are declared open again.



The Grand Old Pub at Marree.

(Our adventures up the Birdsville Track and the Oodnadatta Track were posted earlier.)

Bush Camping - Farina Homestead.

After 5 nights in Marree (and with a certain amount of good luck) we have accomplished what we have come here for and we are ready to do our return journey back to Hawker - the Hub of the Flinders Ranges - and then to continue south to Port Augusta. We have had very hot weather (above 35 degrees) all the time we have been in the Flinders Ranges and the Outback.

We decide to have one more overnight stop on the way, at the ruins of the Old Homestead and Ghost Town of Farina which is about 53 klms south of Marree. Farina was a major stop on the old Ghana Railway and the remains of the old siding still remain. In its heyday it was a very large town with two pubs, churches, shops and school. Over 300 people called Farina home and it was a major base for shearers and the transportation of wool. It is being restored by a volunteer-run restoration group and there are several well preserved stone ruins and many interesting information boards.





 Information About The History of Farina.

The Main Street Of Farina.

The Remains of One of the Hotels in Farina.



The Post Office.

The Under Ground Bakery.

The Hospital.



Inside the  Hospital & Doctors Rooms.

The bush camping area is in a very pleasant well treed area with very large beautiful gum trees and is next to the Farina Creek. There is no power and you bring your own water. Dinner was out in the open under the tree with candle light. It must be the end of the tourist season as there is only us and one other family spending the night here.  Up on the hill overlooking the campsites is a very moving World War 1 & 2 monument to the residents from Farina who lost their lives during the wars.



Our Camp Site - under this Grand Old Gum Tree.



The Monument to the fallen soldiers in WW1 & 11 who came from Farina.

Sunset and sunrise here is quite special and the bird life is unbelievable. There are so many corellas and they are just so noisy especially as the sun sets and then rises again in the morning. Just as the sun hits the horizon in the morning all the birds in unison set to flight and the noise is deafening. It is just so special.

The Sun is about to set.

 Sunset at Farina Camping Ground.

Sunrise and all the Birds are there - what a noise.



 Ochre Pits - Lyndhurst.

Just out of Lyndhurst we stop and walk about 1klm to view the spectacular red, brown and white ochre cliffs. These were used for thousands of years by the Aboriginal people who traded this ochre with other groups. It is just a fantastic place and is especially beautiful after the recent rains as the colours are dark and strong in colour.





 

This Sign Explains How the Aboriginals used to Trade with the Ochre.

Views of the Vast Ochre Pits.



All the Different Colours are Amazing.

The Strong Red Colours.

Me Standing at the edge of the Ochre Pits.

The Walk back - Our caravan is parked on the main road.

We are now heading south to Port Augusta, the Yorke Peninsula and then Adelaide and home. This will be the last of my blogs for this wonderful holiday. We have had a great time and enjoyed everything that we have seen and every adventure we have been on. Australia has many beautiful places for us all to enjoy. I hope these blogs have given you a bit of a taste of what is out there and might entice you to go and explore yourself. 

As we approach Lyndhurst we have to stop this time for a Mother Emu & two of the smallest chicks we have seen all trip.

Arkaroola & Strzelecki Track.

Arkaroola & the Strzelecki Track.

(This also includes Leigh Creek.)

Here were lots of Australian Animals to be seen on this day trip.

After a week and a bit we leave the Central and Southern Flinders Ranges and head for the mining town of Leigh Creek. We are going to spend four nights in Leigh Creek and will use it as a base for two long day trips – one to Arkaroola, the remote heart of the Northern Flinders Ranges and the second to Montecollina Bore 212 klms along the Strzelecki Track. The gravel tracks we will be driving on are very isolated and rough and are crossed by many floodplains and dry creek beds. We really do not know what we will encounter but we are very well equipped and keen to see and explore the South Australian Outback.

This is our camp site at Leigh Creek

The view from our campsite. Great sunrises.

 Leigh Creek is a fairly large coal mining town and we are really impressed by this clean well-kept town with all its facilities. At the height of coal mining in this area 3000 people lived in this town, but unfortunately the large coal mine - after over 100 years in operation - will cease operation on the 16/11/2015 and the future of the town is unknown. No longer will 10,000 tonnes of coal be transported by train daily to the Port Augusta Power Station, as the SA Government has decided to cease production of coal power.

The train line via duct at Leigh Creek.

I think the best thing about Leigh Creek was their water. It was the softest water I have ever used - it is just so beautifully refreshing, feels so pure and tastes so good as well.  Leigh Creek has its own water supply by means of its own dam. So we just have to take a trip to the dam to check it out. The Aroona dam was built back in the 1950’s and it was a great place to visit. The dam is full to capacity with a slow gentle amount of water flowing over the spill way.  We really enjoy our time here and again we have it all to ourselves.

The Entrance to the Dam.

The Dam Wall.

Allan on a walk at the dam.

The next day we are off to Arkaroola, the most ancient part of the Flinders Ranges. This is a multi-award-winning Wilderness Sanctuary and about 220klms from Leigh Creek. It has been privately operated by the Sprigg family for 45 years with a focus on environmental conservation and ecotourism. It is 610 square klms and has beautiful water holes, deep gorges and breathtaking mountain-top views of the surrounding ranges, vast desert plains and huge salt lakes. The unique geological features of this remarkable area are just stunning and the different coloured rocks are just beautiful.

The road we travelled on to Arkaroola.

 

Gum trees in a dry creek bed.

The ranges around Arkaroola.

This is a very isolated area and during our whole journey (over 440 klms) we see only 3 other cars. When we get to Arkaroola it is virtually deserted. It is the end of the tourist season and everything including the general store are cutting back their service. I think that most of the visitors to Arkaroola are on conducted tours or they have come especially to explore the geology of the area.

We travel through two aboriginal communities.

Rock Carvings.

 

The Ranges around Arkaroola.

We conduct our own tour around the town and then we venture out through one of the gorges - where we spend some time walking along a dry creek bed looking at and admiring all the wonderful coloured rocks that have been washed down from the ranges over many years.





The Different Rocks from around Arkaroola.

Ruins at an old farm on the way.

Old Farm Equipment.

The Ruins of an Old Camel Yard.

The next day we decide to venture 212 klms along the Strzelecki Track to Montecollina Bore. The Strzelecki Track is the main track to Innamincka but we are only venturing about half way along the track. The track starts at Lyndhurst which is an interesting town with a lot of pastoral and mining history and an interesting local called Talc Alf, who is noted for his talc carvings about politics and religion and also his unusual theories about the evolution of language and an Australian Republic.

The Country we travel through is very arid in most places.



Dry creek Bed - Marker shows that it can get to 2mts deep.

At the start of the track we stop to talk to a young woman, who we think might need some help, but she had only stopped to take photos. She told us she was working, helping her parents who were managing the Mt. Lyndhurst Sheep Station about 30klms down the track. After chatting for over 15 mins she said “You should call into the Homestead and say Hi to Mum and Dad.” We decided to take her up on her offer and instead of just driving past we gave Andrew and Carolyn a surprise visit.



At Mt Lyndhurst Station with Carolyn and Alf.

One of the fostered kangaroos.

The old relics of a time gone by collected on the property by Carolyn

They made us most welcome and to our surprise Talc Alf was there delivering the mail. It was great to meet him in person. Another wonderful surprise was that Carolyn was foster mum to 4 gorgeous baby kangaroos. I really enjoyed a little cuddle and seeing how she manages their care. Carolyn had so many interesting stories to tell.

They both told us a lot about the 3,500 sq. klms Station and its history which dated back to the 1860’s. At the station they had shawn over 8000 sheep since March and Andrew suggested that on our way out we might like to visit the old shearing shed. We had a wonderful time exploring the old shed and trying to imagine what it would have been like back when it was working at full capacity.



The Old Shearing Shed at Mt. Lyndhurst.



Inside the Shearing Shed.

 The Names of the Shearers on the wall

We were so glad we took the time to stop as this was a real highlight. I do however find it hard to believe that this property could support over 8000 sheep, as it really did look so arid and barren and we hardly saw a sheep except for those around the homestead.

When we were at the Station there was a lot of talk about the possibility of rain and for the rest of the day the skies were very dark and rain was threatening.



The Dark Skies Appear.

We come Across Many Cattle on this Trip..



The Sandy Country Just Before The Bore.

 The Montecollina Bore is located on the Lindon Station and it was sunk in 1903. It is the only flowing artesian bore drilled along the route and is home to many flocks of birds. We spend some time walking around the water ponds, looking at the bore and watching all the birds enjoying a drink. I must admit it was a long drive just to see a water hole.

One of the Water Holes at Montecollina Bore.

The Main Water Hole.



Small Finches in their thousands.



Allan Inspects The Bore.



Birds having a Drink at the bore.

On our way back we saw several emus and their baby chicks. One time we came over a small crest and there in front of us was a stack of baby emus, spread out all over the track. We stopped and out of the scrub came Daddy Emu – he rounded all of the young ones up and off they went – I counted at least 26 babies. I don’t think he was doing a very good job of babysitting – fancy letting all your charges play on the track.



Daddy Emu and all his chicks.

The closer we got to Lyndhurst and the main bitumen road the darker the skies got. The 38 klm drive from Lyndhurst back to Leigh Creek was a bit scary but also quite beautiful. There was plenty of thunder and lightning and the dark skies with the sunlight shining on the fields and the coloured hills was just fantastic. We had had a very eventful day but we were very pleased to be off the roads and back in our nice little caravan. We knew it was going to rain and really did not want to get stuck or cut off because of water or mud.



 The  Late Afternoon Sun Makes The Country side the Most Wonderful Colours.

 

 

The Dark Clouds Roll In - The Thunderstorms are on Their Way.

 

  
 

 

 
 

 

The Storm Gets Closer.