February 28 Chainmans Well

 Before I go on I just want to explain the name, or rather the ending, SE on Kingston - Kingston South East. The SE was added to distinguish it from Kingston on the Murray. To get back to today, however, we drove north-west along the Coorong – a wonderful place if you ever get a chance to visit.  

Approaching the Coorong

People are invited to drive along the beach except from 24 October to 24 December when the Hooded Plovers are nesting; we chose not to anyway. The roads into the lagoon were extremely extremely rough but the views were wonderful.

What looked like a little field of flowers was in fact grasses hosting wee snails

What look like breakers are sand dunes across the water on Younghusband Peninsula

Chinaman’s Well?  In 1852 Hong Kong was abuzz with stories of Australia where it was said that the hills shone with gold and people could pick up lumps of gold off the ground.  I’m not sure Hong Kong was the only place where the gold rush in Victoria was promoted! But in China 1000s of Chinese left home and hearth to make their fortunes in the goldfields of Victoria.  At that time the State government had imposed a 10 pound tax on Chinese entering the State; that was a small fortune in those days. So these brave hardy souls landed in Port Adelaide and travelled, many on foot, 800+ km over 5-6 weeks through extremely challenging countryside to the ‘Big Gold Mountain’ in Victoria. It is thought that the local aboriginal people helped the Chinese locate drinking water and these industrious people soon built wells along the way. A few people stayed on at the well and planted market gardens irrigated with water from the well - the one called Chinaman’s Well. We found it tucked in amongst the coastal bush along a fairly well-signed path.

Wonderful scrubland

Plenty of berries to eat

Great expanses of salt lakes

L: the spot where the lid for the well was cut. R:The well

The Coorong NP  is comprised of two long narrow lagoons over 100 km long and is home to the Pelican Islands where the Australian Pelicans nest between August and March - it is one of eight pelican species worldwide. Of course we headed further along the coast into Coorong National Park to Jacks Point Observatory which overlooking the Pelican Islands.  We out across the water and skyward trying to spot pelicans flying to Pelican islands where they breed from June to March.

Overlooking the Pelican Islands

And there they were the magnificent birds (my favourites). They flew in squadrons towards the islands. All I could do was point the phone and hope because I could see nothing on the screen.  I reckon we saw 100s but often at a distance. These flew right over our heads!

Magnificent

Great walk out to Jacks Point viewing spot through coastal vegetation rich with purple berries and other coastal delights.

Myoporum insulare - of course I tasted the berries.

The sky was filled with ‘mist’ which at first we thought was smoke but as we got closer it was simply the wild wind whipping the sand and salt up into the air. It was quite dense in places. What a sight it was. The wind was kicking up and it was getting late so we turned back.  It had been an amazing day; we both love the Coorong there is so much to explore. 

Kingston SE 26 February - 2 March

 We escaped south the following day and ended up ‘camped’ at Kingston SE on the shores of Lacepede Bay which is not far from or perhaps is part of the amazing Coorong . Aboriginal Australian people lived in this area for tens of thousands of years before the colonisation of South Australia. The place, known to the Tanganekald and Meintangk peoples as Tangalun, was at the border of the traditional lands of these two peoples. We just gate crashed and plonked ourselves there for almost a week to be wrapped in quietness, quite delicious – and the temperature was pleasant. Here we spend many days exploring along the coast including east to Robes and further northwest along the Coorong, places we hadn’t visited for about 15 years.

Great location just a hop skip and jump from the beach

Cape Jaffa Lighthouse was close by. This dates back to 1872

The caravan park was right across the road from the beach and at this time of year it was wonderfully uncrowded. So we were able to enjoy quiet sunsets over the sea, a novelty for me. Something which seemed quite naughty was being able to drive on the beach. We are so used to beaches being protected as bird breeding sites but it is the norm here it seems.

In the bottom photo is a flurry of Red Capped Plovers quite fearless of us intruding on their site.

We had expected/hoped to gather or buy pipis. The Coorong, after all is THE place for pipis (cockles, vongole). But twist and dance as we might along the shore nary a one floated to the surface and all I got was stones and empty shells. And weirdly we couldn’t buy them anywhere. They are used as bait! What a terrible waste. 

March 25 Pinnaroo

Late afternoon we arrived at Pinnaroo, a small border town set of the edge of the Big Desert. Next morning we headed out to explore the countryside, no direction in mind other than the desert. We happened upon a little rail siding Peebinga. It’s pretty much a ghost town now but it was once the terminus of the Peebinga railway line, built in 1914 as part of a major state government project to open up the Murray Mallee for grazing and cropping.

The Post Office (the stone building above) opened in 1926 but closed in 1986 and the railway stopped a couple of years later. The silos however look fully operational.
From there we kept driving over densely vegetated dunes passing signs for bores until we reached a point where a sign said 4WD only. Of course our mighty beast could handle that very well but we decided that we didn't want to risk getting bogged in the heat. So taking turns right and left with no true feel for where we were and hoping we were heading south we aim our wheels back to the highway - and eventually got there!

I wanted to check out the Pink Lakes further east. What a fascinating place, lakes of pure salt formed millennia ago. Each winter the underground water rises and seeps out at the edges of the lakes covering them with new layers of salt; the underground water is 800 more salty than the sea. Between 1916 and 1979 a small township grew up around the harvesting of the salt. The salt was carried to the railway at Underbool for many decade but it was a quite brutal life and not sustainable. 

Only plants that have adapted to high levels of salt can survive on the edges of the lakes, such things as grey glasswort, salt paperbacks and various species of saltbush.

Saltbush cluster around this salt paperbark

The only living thing that can survive in these harsh salt lakes is a single-cell algae which produces Beta-carotene hence the pink colouration of the lakes. In spite of the seeming harshness of the environment, here is a surprising number of creatures that live here - geckos and lizards, native mice, bats, birds. And along the higher sandy dunes grow native cypress-pine and bulokes and even a small orchid emerges in spring. Many of the cypress-pine were cleared for buildings and fencing but now are protected. An intriguing place.

The vastness, the flatness of this desert region creates amazing cloud formations. Huge wispy bands stretched across the sky above us. Breathtaking desert skies.  

February 19 – 23 Beaufort to Rainbow

 

We had a day-dash back to Melbourne to collect our USA Visa (another story) and then, after one last beautiful sunrise, we said goodbye to Beaufort for the time being and headed for Wimmera and Mallee country first stop Rainbow. The weather forecast wasn’t looking too promising with extreme temperatures and high winds expected so we stayed just 2 nights. Rainbow is an interesting little place and growing. The Hindmarsh Council has done a lot to promote tourism and also improve local appreciation of the area. We spent a day driving around the countryside looking for lakes. The biggest is of course Lake Hindmarsh which had a fair bit of water in it. But the other lakes we explored – Albacutya which, like Lake Buloke also in the Wimmera region which we visited a few months earlier, is an ephemeral lake, and a rather surprising hidden delight near Yaapeet, Turkey Bottom lake. (Sorry but i can't find any pix - can you believe it?!)

Close to the caravan park a heritage trail has been created. It’s a little neglected and could benefit from more signage but is interesting in spite of that. 

After looking at the forecast for the coming week, we decided to head southwest into South Australia close to the coast and cooler conditions.  First stop Pinnaroo.

Beaufort Koori Art trail around Beaufort Lake

 The art trail is an impressive and imaginative initiative of HM Prison Lang Kal Kal; the artwork was done by indigenous prisoners and depict the traditional flora and fauna of the area and pays homage to the traditions, customs and stewardship of the local lands. It’s quite wonderful and perfect in that setting. Each installation has a story beside it (I have written them under each photo).

The trail around the lake. We walked it a number of times

So come with me as I walk the Koori Art Trail ….. “if you are uncertain Bunjil, the eagle, will direct you. If you are lost Bunjil will find you.”

Kangaroo Dreaming 

Aboriginal Dreamtime is strongly linked to the kangaroo in particular the story of Bookamurra. Aboriginal warriors tracked Bookamurra for days and finally caught and killed the giant kangaroo

Traditional fishing watched by spiritual pelican  

The pelican is a caretaker of the water and skies. The snake represents a caretaker of the land. 

Echidna hunting

Traditional Tucker, the echidna was enjoyed by the local Koori tribes and the spines were used to make jewellery. The echidna was identified as being a totem for some people in the region. Totems are plants or animals that have a relationship and direct link with beings from the dreaming. 

Mirram the kangaroo and Warreen the wombat

Mirram the kangaroo and warreen the wombat had a fight. Mirram hit warreem with a flat rock and warreem threw a spear at Miriam which stuck in his tailbone. This is how the wombat got the flat head and the kangaroo got his tail. 

Goanna and Serpent Dreaming

The goanna and snake are totemic spirit and the aboriginal artists paint their goanna and serpent dreaming to honour their ancestral spirits. 

Bunjil Dreaming

This artwork depicts Bunjil. Bunjil the eagle is a creator deity. A very special spiritual ancestral being in the Kulin nations of Victoria. He is one of two moiety ancestors. The other being Waa the crow. If you are uncertain Nunjil will direct you. If you are lost Bunjil will find you.

Dancing brolgas

The Dreaming story of the Brolga is about a Girook, a young girl who loved to dance but became the obsession of the evil spirit man Milum. This story holds great cultural significance for many aboriginal groups who embrace dance as an essential ingredient in their cultural identity. 

Yabbies Dreaming

Aboriginal travels would allow for a wide range of foods such as fresh water fish, tabbies, echidnas, emu, ducks, goanna, swans, wild lilies that would be eaten. Women caught crayfish and tabbies and spent much of their diving for mussels. They carried the food back to the camp in net bags and baskets.

Return to Country

Brewarrina is the traditional meeting place for many tribes in NSW. The fish traps in the river are estimated to be over 40,000 years old making them one of the oldest man made structures on earth. This is our country. 

Platypus Dreaming

The platypus symbolises wisdom and individuality and that it is OK to be different or not belong to just one group. The Platypus was often linked to the medicine man as he was considered special. This is evidenced today by the platypus being the main symbol on the Ballarat & District register of Aboriginal cooperation. 

Turtle waterways

For the river people the presence of the Long Neck  Turtles along the waterways and around river holes was a sure sign that the water was clean and safe.  

Murray Cod Dreaming

The Murray COD is the creator of the Murray and Darling rivers. Pondi, a huge Murray cod created the rivers by digging with its head making the rivers deep and by swinging its powerful tail caused all the bends in the rivers.

February 16-18 Beaufort Lake is a delight

 Beaufort Lake is a delight – its history is something I want to explore because it is in fact a reservoir rather than a lake. I have a postcard with a monochrome photo of the lake dating back to the turn of the C19th – family links! 

Looping around the lake is a fitness track 

Centre image is Snake Island - we didn't see any!

The narrow channel beside Snake Island is lined with Goodenia 

Hop Goodenia (Goodenia ovata) native to this region.

Many tracks wind around its shores, tracks which take you passed many species of eucalypts and acacias as well as native grasses and aquatic plants. Around the lake there are areas of swamp which are home to a huge diversity of species – frogs and their tadpoles, insects and their larvae, invertebrates of many kinds – and that of course brings the birds in to feast. 

At water's edge hardy aquatic plants force their way through cracks in the mud 

Numerous species of birds feasted in this marshy place.

It’s a veritable smorgasbord particularly as it dries out leaving eggs buried in mud and plants becoming food for a range of wildlife.  It is a place I’d be happy to wander for hours and days.  

Birds galore to watch

A board walk cuts through the reeds giving views of many water birds

The vegetation is marvellous particularly that which grows along the water’s edge. And then there are the fungi and slime moulds – it all provided a perfect challenge for me. 

Among the bullrushes this weird deformity jumped out 

The butterflies were gorgeous

Sunlight through reeds

Lichens of many varieties. Bottom left shows the slow path of a slime mould 

Nature provides many beautiful patterns