Caravanning Diary

Monument in Melrose town centre.

Tag - Along -Tour

2009

(1)

Point Lowly Lighthouse near Whyalla,SA.

WEEK 1 - WEEK 2 - WEEK 3 - WEEK 4 - WEEK 5

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Thursday 3rd Sept 2009 - Day 1 - Melrose
Today we are heading off to a little village in the mid north of South Australia in the Southern Flinders Ranges called Melrose. The reason is that we are joining other Australian Caravan Club members at the CP in Melrose for our weekend muster before commencing a Tag-A-Long Tour of the Eyre Peninsula and Flinders Ranges.
We left home about 1030am and we followed the route along the Main North Road past Gawler and on to Clare where we stopped for lunch in the local Bakery. After savoring the local meat pies and coffee we continued our journey through Gladstone, Laura, Wirrabara and Murraytown to Melrose. The village of Melrose is nestled under the eastern side of Mt Remarkable (named by Eyre). When we arrived there were already some members parked up. We were met by Geoff Stewart (our tour host) who showed us our site. We set up our van and joined the others renewing old friendships and being introduced to new members. More vanners would arrive during the afternoon and the next day.

Friday 4th Sept 2009 - Day 2 - Melrose
More ACC members continued to arrive during the day. A group of us lead by Geoff took a walk to the RSL Monument on the hill across the creek from the Caravan Park in the morning. It is situated part way up the mountain and from its location can be seen the surrounding farmland around Melrose and as far as Booleroo Centre. After lunch we walked around the village looking at the historical buildings. Melrose is the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges. A Police outpost was established in 1848 to protect early pastoralists. The township was surveyed in 1853. It has a historical museum in the old Courthouse. In the evening we all went to the NorthStar Hotel (one of 2 in the town) and had dinner. Yumma! Returned to the van later in the evening and watched the CROWS defeat the BOMBERS in the AFL on tv.

Geraldine on the Swing Bridge

The Northstar Hotel in Melrose.

RSL Monument, Melrose.

Saturday 5th Sept 2009 - Day 3 Melrose
This morning Geoff & Nancy ( his lovely wife) led a tag a long tour of Germein Gorge, Port Germein, Telowie Gorge and Booleroo Centre. We stopped at some historical sites including the town of Bangor (surveyed in 1853) . Only some small building ruins now exist where once a Hotel, blacksmith, school, post office and store stood. The Bangor township was one of many surveyed that just did not develop. We had morning coffee at the Port Germein jetty, once the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere from which grain was shipped to the ports of Europe. Port Germein is now a sleepy fishing village where people retire to and go crabbing. We walked the length of the jetty ,1532m now but originally 1680m long before the end was washed away in a storm.
On to Telowie Gorge where we had lunch in the car park before bush walking into the Gorge. After the ubiquitous photos were taken we drove back through Germein Gorge and on to Booleroo Centre where we looked for a deli that was open so that we could buy an ice cream. The towns people that saw all the vehicles driving around the town must have thought there was a
Charity Bash on. Alas, all the shops other then the Pub were closed, it being Saturday afternoon , so we decided to drive back to Melrose and invade the General Store there instead. In the evening we all went to the local Bowling Clubrooms where we had a BBQ and Trivia night.

A tranquil pool in Telowie Gorge	ACC members in Telowie Gorge
Geraldine and Lorna on the track in Telowie Gorge	Father's Day morning coffee in the CP with Geoff giving the morning briefing.

Sunday 6th Sept 2009 - Day 4 - Melrose
Today was Father's Day so we had a morning coffee 'Happy Hour' where scones were served. Some of the ACC members were leaving today to return home. The 12 couples that were on the Tag a Long including us farewelled them and then we drove in convoy to Alligator Gorge National Park where we bush walked the Gorge , to the terraces and then along alligator creek for about a kilometer to the lower car park, crossing over the rocky creek bed in several places, rock hopping in other places with steep cliffs on either side. The walk back to the top car park was steep and tiring. Some of the participants were worn out and needed to be ferried back to the top by vehicle. Back to the CP for the 5pm briefing and another'Happy Hour', a daily event for the next month as we make our way around the Peninsula. The evening was spent watching tv.

Monday 7th Sept 2009 - Day 5 - Whyalla
The plan for today was for the 12 vans to leave Melrose and head for Wilmington for m/t (morning tea) and a look at the 4WD museum before going on to Whyalla and the Foreshore CP. Lunch was at Horrocks Pass. One couple (Baldeagle) pulled out of the tour at Melrose due to illness and headed back to Adelaide instead. Hopefully they may be able to rejoin us later in the month. So that left 11 vans in convoy. Another couple from Victoria will join us later. We topped up with fuel in 'The Gutta' and then headed to Whyalla. Head wind and rain showers greeted us along the way. The convoy was spread out over several kilometers so that passing vehicles would not be delayed but we kept in touch via uhf cb channel 18. By mid afternoon we all arrived safely at the CP where we were directed to our sites and left to organise payment of fees. Some went to town for some shopping while others sat around till the 'Briefing' and drinks. Dinner tonight was a byo bbq at the camp kitchen. Afterwards we all adjourned to our vans for the evening.

Lunch at Horrocks Pass

Unique Tug and boat trailer

Lighthouse through the shed door

Walking the jetty at Pt Germein.

Tuesday 8th Sept 2009 - Day 6 - Whyalla
Early this morning some of the members walked up to the Flinders and Freycinet Lookout behind the CP. Others are still recovering from the Alligator Gorge walk. We went into the Westland Shopping Centre to buy another memory card reader as the one I have no longer works. We then met up with the rest of the group at the 'Whyalla Maritime Museum' where we looked at the HMAS Whyalla and learned of the history of the warship building industry in Whyalla during WWII. We had lunch in the museum gardens before continuing on to the Port Bonython LPG plant and the Point Lowly Lighthouse near Fitzgerald Bay Conservation Park. Spencer Gulf and the coastline around Whyalla was explored by Matthew Flinders in January 1803. He of course, named all the points, bays and other points of interest in the area. Ten months later along came French explorer, Louis Claude de Freycinet who also explored this region on behalf of the French Government. Both these gentleman seafarers as well as another French mariner, Baudin explored the southern coastline of Australia with gusto giving names to all the new points of interest they came upon. This is the reason so many coastal features of southern Australia have both French and English names. And on top of all that, it was at a time when France and England were at war with each other. The story of how the coast of Australia was charted by these men is a fascinating one.
On return to the CP we all mustered for the 5pm briefing and another trivia night courtesey of Ron & Beverly. The wind came up and the temperature dropped markedly so come dinner time we all headed back to the comfort of our van while others braved the weather and had a bbq dinner.

'The Whyalla' at the Maritime Museum.

Point Lowly Lighthouse.

Panorama Point Lowly Lighthouse.

Wednesday 9th Sept 2009 - Day 7 - Cowell
Today we had a short journey to Cowell. All the vans departed by 10am and made their own way down the Lincoln Highway in their own time. The distance to Cowell was 107kms so we decided to have a coffee break about half way there at a rest area on the side of the road. A couple of other vans joined us for the short break. On arrival in Cowell we all set up our sites and then went for a walk into town. We had lunch at the local bakery and then Geraldine amused herself with friends in the local craft shop. I set around waiting with the rest of the men. We then walked back to the CP and rested till the 'briefing' and happy hour in the camp kitchen at 4pm. We did some more trivia Q&As and won a couple of chocolates as prizes thanks to Dennis & Therese. Then as the wind got colder we made our way to our vans and organised dinner. I had a plate of fresh oysters but Geraldine wasn't keen on them. I have the sat dish set up but can only get Imparja, ABC NT , SBS, and Aljazeera. Couldn't pick up 7Central which is weird as they are all on the same satellite. Tomorrow we head for Tumby Bay for three days.

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