This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Tag Archives: Peterborough


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2010 Travels May 18

TUESDAY MAY 18     PORT LINCOLN TO PETERBOROUGH     475kms

The alarm went off at 7am. There was a heavy fog outside – a real pea-souper. M’s tent was very wet. We did not hurry breakfast and our pack up, knowing that she’d be delayed. Left the park at 9am.

It was a pretty drive, along the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula. As we’d told ourselves on earlier trips, some day soon we must return and really take our time down this section, exploring the small places.

We had a coffee break at Cowell, and a lunch stop at Whyalla, in a sort of park, overlooking a wetlands development. That was a pleasant place for the break.

Fuelled up at Port Augusta, as we had done so many times before, over the years since 1993.

John was feeling fit enough to continue on to Peterborough, rather than stay a night here.

We suggested that M lead the way through the uphill, winding Horrocks Pass. Usually she preferred to follow – at a good distance – but we knew our rig would be slower than the Troopy through here.

Just after reaching the top of the Pass, a whooshing noise was to be heard. It was immediately obvious that a tyre on Truck was going down. John thought it was maybe a valve issue – related to having let down the tyres at Coffin Bay. Fortunately, there was adequate room to pull over and change the wheel. In one sense the fates were on our side – it could have been quite tricky if we’d had to change the wheel part way up the Horrocks Pass climb.

Meanwhile, M was waiting for us in Wilmington….. and waiting….. Our CB’s wouldn’t connect, due to hills and distance. Eventually, we were able to exchange text messages, and we caught up to her in Wilmington.

Then, about 30kms short of Peterborough, M radioed us, from behind, that it was her turn for a flat tyre! The passenger side rear one, just like ours had been. We managed a U-turn and went back to help her change the wheel.

So, we were considerably later than intended when we reached Peterborough. It was almost dark.

We got adjacent sites, for $26, and did a basic set up only. M put up the roof tarp that would give her a bit of shelter while she cooked her tea at the back of the Troopy.

Peterborough camp the next morning

Tea was Mongolian lamb – with help from a packet mix – and rice.

All were tired after the long and eventful day, and went early to bed. It was a freezing cold night.


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2010 Travels April 22

THURSDAY 22 APRIL     MILDURA TO PETERBOROUGH     425kms

Another hot day – got into the 30’s.

A routine drive again today. I worked out that this was the fourth time we had travelled west, via this route. And we’d come east across it, five times. That was nine. Probably, by the end of this trip it would be ten. No wonder it seemed less than interesting.

There was the usual inspection at the SA border quarantine point. We had passed through this too many times to be even slightly tempted to carry something we shouldn’t. The van fridge and some cupboards were checked, and the Chescold fridge in the back of Truck as well. My greatest fear was that, one time, the inspector would ask to check the storage area under the bed. Not because of any contraband hidden there, but because everything loose in the van traveled  on that bed: TV, electric frypan, books, empty fruit bowls, toiletries bags, radio, washing basket, and so on. The extra storage on top of the cupboards in a poptop was great when parked up, but everything that normally lived up there had to come off for travel. Clearing off the bed, to lift it up for inspection, would be a real pain.

Interstate again….for a while this year it looked like that would be an impossibility in 2010.

We stopped at a supermarket in Renmark to get some vegetables for tonight’s meal, and fruit for lunches.

There was another stop at Morgan, in the large parking area by the punt that took vehicles across the Murray River.

Vehicle punt across the Murray River at Morgan

We had morning smoko there and watched the punt travel back and forth across the river.

Smoko. Thermos and mugs on the Defender’s front “table”.

Obviously, we didn’t know it at this time, but the slope behind the vehicles, in the photo above, was where – a few years later – M would slip, sit down on her ankle and injure same. Despite the injury and pain, she managed to drive Bessie to Mildura, where she was found to have broken the ankle!

Although there had been fewer locusts since Mildura, we still needed to clean the windscreen again.

On the gradual uphill stretches to Burra, the engine temperature seemed to be a bit higher than usual. This might just have been an effect of all the replaced bits of the engine. It might not behave quite as it used to. We certainly hoped that was the explanation, anyway!

Lunch was had parked by the creek in Burra, watching the ducks on the water. It was a pleasant spot for a break, with its heritage buildings. As usual we said we must actually stay here for few days, sometime.

We pressed on, to Peterborough, arriving there mid-afternoon. Again, this was quite a long enough drive for John.

The Peterborough Caravan Park was a really pleasant little one. We paid $24 for our powered site, and had adjacent drive through sites, not intending to unhitch. Just passing through on the way to elsewhere.

Peterborough Caravan Park. Vehicle cleaning needed a supervisor!

After the minimal set up, we walked to the town centre. Had a bit of a wander around town. Posted a couple of birthday cards, timed to arrive at destinations early next week.

The Information Centre was shut – a pity, because a browse would have been interesting.

The way back to the caravan park was uphill, which made it all a rather hefty walk for John, but he managed.

Old-timer

Another clean of the vehicles was required. The insect carcasses made it look as if  someone had thrown eggs at them!

Some cloud had built up through the day, and it helped make for some interesting dusk photos.

After happy hour, our dinner was potatoes cooked in foil in the electric frypan, bacon, eggs, tomatoes. M did her own catering, mostly, on such trips.

The night was warm.


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2006 Travels December 9

SATURDAY 9 DECEMBER   NUNDROO TO PETERBOROUGH   790kms

My watch and the little van clock were set on SA time, but our body clocks were not. So it felt like an unreasonably early start, even though it wasn’t.

The day was a little cooler – just a little.

Went through the quarantine checkpoint west of Ceduna. I had calculated the fruit and veg stocks bought back in Newman, so we did not have anything to throw out.

Topped up fuel at Ceduna – $1.27cpl; Kimba – $1.30 cpl; and Port Augusta – $1.20 cpl.

This was the fourth time we had driven across the Nullarbor, so it all did feel a bit routine.

At Port Augusta, parked near the Woolworths store and bought some fresh supplies, and newspapers. We were appreciative of the large parking area beside the waterfront, where it was easy enough to park a vehicle and van.

The idea of staying in Port Augusta – yet again – was not appealing – given some not so pleasant memories of being stranded there for nearly a week in 1993 with a broken axle on our Hilux of the time. So we pushed on, through the winding Horrocks Pass route, to the rolling plains beyond. I always enjoyed the drive through the Horrocks Pass – bendy  though it was. Just found it interesting. In places, one could see that the road foundation edging, beside steep little roadside gutters, was of brick.

12-09-2006 in hp

In Horrocks Pass

At the top of the pass, the vista was of the rolling sheep and grain country of the mid north west of SA.

12-09-2006 hp plains

Peterborough beckoned – like normal civilization again. We took a powered site at the very pleasant caravan park there. $20 for the night. We were able to stay hitched up.

Trees! Shade! TV!

I enjoyed reading the weekend papers. Could feel myself transitioning back to something like our real world.

Resize of 12-10-2006 to p