First Saturday and we were up before 8.00am and packing our camp up to head up the highway.

Leaving Renmark we passed through Berri with all it's vineyards and orchards. Oranges everywhere. On further and the country side turns into scrubby Mallee country for quite a while until the scrub clears and we pass through flat salt bush plains.

The salt bush then clears as we get clost to Burra and we are in undulating green sheep country.

On the way we pass through several small settlements of old houses very similar to what you find in central Victoria. The weather has been overcast with an odd shower and not all that interesting scenery as we go.

Our Navman was lucky the windows were shut this afternoon as he suddenly decided we should haved turned right when the turnoff was to the left and then had us do two U-turns one after the other to get back on track. Must be something to do with switching satellites or something.

He has one more chance or out the window he goes.

The Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash CD's we have with us are good travelling music to keep me awake.

We arrived in Burra and had a late lunch of soup and Cottage pie.

Had a look at the showgrounds for a camp site but switched to the town park as it looked better under rain threatening skies.

Set up camp just as a couple of showers came down and finished the afternoon reading.

Looks like another early night to.night.

An Early night it was and a wet night. Rained nearly all night and luckly we had a break the next morning to pack and hit the road North to Melrose.

Melrose is located at the bottom of the Flinders Ranges and is signposted as the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges. Just about all the buildings in the main street are national trust listed .

SERVING BEER HERE SINCE 1854.

ONE OF THE HERITAGE LISTED BUILDINGS

The park here is one street off the main street and is a very nice grassed camp site on a creek with the other side of the creek for campers. This side of the creek is abutting the Mount Remarkable National park.

The afternoon we arrived we went for a look around and went through the police museum which is an old court building , cells and what was a police station until only about 10 years ago.

I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THIS “ROOM WITH A VIEW

“HOW BIG WAS THE HORSE THAT PULLED THIS??”

Having spoken to the manager, we decided to stay here for two nights so that we could go the next day to the “Aligator Gorge” which is 20 min, up the road.

The gorge is a pretty place to hike but we are only doing an hour or so at the bottom end as this was suggested as the best part to look at.

THE HANGING GARDENS.

The track through the gorge narrows and a lot of the time stepping stones through the creek/ river are the only way through.

NO ROOM FOR SLIPPING HERE

Entry to the gorge starts on a ridge and soon drops into the gorge and rocky creek bed. It is wide to start with and narrows to only about 3 metres at the narrowest part. It soon deepens to about 20 to 30 metres deep and a little cool when out of the sun .

After about an hour we stopped for a bite to eat and rest and as the sun was disappearing ,we decided to return to the car as it will be really cool without the sun coming down into the gorge.

That night the wind came up and raced through the trees at the camp just about all night. Sounded like a train passing.

Next day we left for the main Flinders National Park.

Stopping at Quorn for a bite for lunch plus a absolutely yummy orange almond cake Iced with cream cheese and choclate and sprinkled with slivered almonds. Yummy, yummy,yummy.

The ongoing saga with Navman has been decided. We now are back with paper maps as the navman device is a pain in the neck. Telling you to turn when there is no road and if you do turn you get told to “DO A U TURN IN 100 METRES” to get back on track.

I think there is some serious problem with the referencing with the satellites or something so we now rely on maps.

2 hours later.

Another recommended camp site we have arrived at is Rawnsley Park Station. One of the farm stations who can see the tourist Dollar.

Not a bad camp, a couple of hours walk from the Wilpena pound and surrounding hills. After talking to the lady in the shop we are staying 3 nights in order to see a large portion of the surrounding hills and gorges.