Marree to Ceduna

The 910km drive took us 10 days longer than it should have.. From Marree we headed toward the Nullabor. Problems with the car meant several days in Hawker, then several more in Whyalla waiting for parts and having it repaired.

Hawker

Quorn

Quondong Festival – The normally sleepy town of Quorn was abuzz with all things Quondong for the annual Quorn Quandong Festival. So many cars, tour buses, the caravan parks were full as was other accomodation. We just stopped in to visit the festival street market.

Tim had a meat pie from The Messy Kitchen’s stall for lunch. It was tasty but true to name was the messiest pie he could remember.

Port Augusta

We went to a science fair, put on by ‘The Science Collective’ It had robots, dinosaurs, fire and an inflatable planetarium.

The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens – Port Augusta

Did I mention that they also have bush food ice-creams?

Whyalla

The last time we were in Whyalla was to swim with the giant cuttle fish, check out that blog here. This time we stopped a few nights to get the car’s rear springs and shock absorbers replaced.

Cowell

We did a day trip to Cowell from Whyalla. Cowell is a small town on Franklin Harbour in Spencer Gulf. Its old buildings have been restored and it has an elaborate public water park near the jetty, which includes water slides.

Kimba

Kimba is a small town with a Big Galah. The most common farming in the area is wheat and Marino sheep.

The Big Galah was erected in 1993 and ‘Thanks to grant funding from National Radioactive Waste Management Facility New Community Benefit Program, in 2021 The Big Galah enjoyed a spruce up including freshly painted feathers, mosaic perch and a new digital experience to flap her into the 21st century.’

Some interesting facts about Australias Radioactive Waste Management–

Australia does not currently have a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility because the government has abandoned its plans to use the Napandee site near Kimba, South Australia.
Australia stores radioactive waste in many locations around the country, including hospitals, science facilities and universities.
The vast majority of Australia’s radioactive waste is from nuclear medicine.
The government has been working to build a single, purpose-built facility to permanently dispose of low-level radioactive waste and temporarily store intermediate-level radioactive waste.
The Australian Radioactive Waste Agency has started work on alternative proposals for the storage and disposal of the Commonwealth’s civilian low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste.
The government intends to honour existing contracts for Community Benefit Program round 3 grants, which fund Kimba community projects that increase social cohesion and economic diversity.

Ceduna

We stayed overnight at the Old Perlubie School Site, a free camp not far from Ceduna, and bought fresh seafood at Baldy’s Fresh and Frozen Seafood on our way through Ceduna.