South Australia 23 May 2023

Ok it is cold! -1.4C with ice on the table and car. It had 'warmed up' to 0C by the time I took the photo of the thermometer.

Luckily it warmed up pretty quickly. We were enchanted to see beautiful green parrots eating the Ruby Saltbush berries growing close to our campsite. I think the parrots might be Mallee Ringnecks.

Ruby (Barrier) Saltbush Enchylaena tomentosa

And then the emus came in to feast on the Ruby Saltbush too.

After morning tea we tidied up of our camp before Darryl went for a walk. In the afternoon we walked up Yuluna Creek. 

Solanum petrophilum - Rock Nightshade

This gorge through the ABC Range has quartzite visible in the rock walls. Sandy sediments forming the quartzite were deposited in shallow seas between 620-610 million years ago. Some boulders display beach-like ripple marks.

The ANC Range displayed amazing quartzite. We say plenty of  ripple rock (which was once under shallow water and the Brachina formation. 

This rock was once under the ocean

Grass tree flower

Native hops - Dodonea spp

Casuarina spp

A couple from Adelaide came in with a caravan. Dinner consisted of leftovers and damper. I made sure I put on my woollen thermals before retiring for the night.

South Australia 22 May 2023

I guess as we were beside the ocean the temperature wasn't too bad at 12.7C. We went over to the house where Doug was feeding the Western Grey Kangaroos.

Condensation on the Sheoaks

A huge windfarm on the way

Spencer Gulf at Port Augusta

It wasn't long before we were at the start of the Flinders Ranges.

Our first stop was at Death Rock and Kanyaka historical site homestead.

Death Rock

Death rock with crested pigeons.

Culvert used by the former Ghan railway line.

Kanyaka Homestead

Kanyaka Homestead

We stopped at Hawker for lunch. The mountains of the Flinders Ranges were amazing.

We were not sure where we were going to camp and drove into Wilpeba Pound to visit the National park office and pay camping fees. After studying their map of the Flinders Ranges, we chose Koolamon campsite 7 (for two nights) which was close to a gorge.

Koolaman campsite 7

We were completely alone, apart from wallabies. There are two camping areas at Koolaman. Ours was by 4WD access (slightly more expensive) and the other, further upstream of Aroona Creek, was suitable for caravans and tour busses.