Port Parham

"Camps" book showed a rest area at Port Parham, 10 km off the northern highway. It's a great spot, the local council has done a lot of work here,top dressing the site, erecting fences, toilets, shelter shed, electric barbqs with water laid on and ample garbage disposal bins. Decided to stay over Easter.

Passing out easter eggs on Easter Sunday

This is on the shore of the Gulf of St Vincent. There is no sand on the beach, just a deep layer of dead seaweed and the edge is very shallow out to about 200 metres,  so the water recedes right back at low tide.
Many of the locals have built machines they call a "jinker".( it is a local invention) This is a chassis that have a front and rear suspension attached. On top of it there are four uprights about 2m. high  and another chassis  with a motor and gearbox, seat, steering wheel and controls. Behind and below the driver is a tailshaft connected to a diff with the axles positioned vertically.  On the top end there is a disc brake to stop the vehicle and the bottom side has another tailshaft which feeds another upward looking diff driving the wheels. These are used for towing and launching  the runabout fishing boats. 
The bus ran great up the highway and  it was a real novelty not having to fill it with oil.
The only commercial venture  in this village is a social and sporting club which is completely staffed by local volunteer labour. A lot of the campers including Maureen and I went there for dinner last night. All had a great time and the food was sensational. They offer $2.00 schooners at happy hour on Wednesdays
Tomorrow we will go to the dawn service held there, followed by a community breakfast.

Mt.Barker

On arrival at Dry Creek, Bruce the mechanic surveyed the engine and declared that we could probably do all the travelling we wanted without intervention and that I could buy a lot of oil for the price of a reco job. When I remarked that if I once forgot to check it I could have a cooked engine, he countered with "thats what the oil light is for". But it was eventually decided  to go ahead with the job so he replaced rings, bearings, pistons, liners, some hoses  and various other things.
It was found that the rings were seized, worn to witness marks and ring ends were in alignment ( all allowing oil through) also electrolysis had eaten halfway through the walls of the cylinder liners plus the big end bearings were worn out as well as other minor things like leaky hoses and adjustment of tappets and fuel rack
The standard of knowledge, workmanship, ethics and kindly treatment was unsurpassable and a breath of fresh air after previous treatment and if anyone is interested in having  Bruce do work for them, I would be only too happy to put them in touch with him.
We were there for a total of 10 days while he worked between mine and other jobs.
We were advised to take a trip to Murray Bridge and back, about 75 km south/southeast of Adelaide as it included a gradient climb of 1 in 9 rise for 27 km and other sharp pulls through the Adelaide Hills, to bed the engine in. But we only got half way at Mt. Barker when we liked the look of the countryside, found a bus parking area beside a park and  and decided to camp here.
Today we took a close look at Hahndorf, a neighbouring town about 8 km away.
It has a single main street about 1km long and is filled with the yuppiest stuff you could cram into it. Everything from german sausage to Lladro.
In 1839 a group of religously persecuted  german refugees arrived here with the help of the Captain Hahn a dane, and master of the ship in which they travelled Wtih his assistance they set up a community in what would become the Adelaide Hills and in gratitude they named it after him -hence Hahndorf

Adelaide#2

I guess the highlight for our time in Adelaide was the "Obahn". This is a set of concrete tracks on which buses run out to the suburb of Tee Tree Junction. The driver doesn't need to hold the steering wheel and buses travel at 100k/h!! It only stops at a couple of interchanges where feeder buses radiate out to various destinations
I am sure that we could do with something like this in Sydney.

On the Obahn

were told about a place called DeVili's cafe which adjoins Vili's pie and cake factory in an Adelaide suburb so we drove over there for dinner. Their produce was excellent though some a bit on the small side and none too cheap.

The factory runs 20 hours a day with around 40 staff on duty at any one time turning out cakes and pastries  for the city.
The cafe never closes and serves simple quick meals and the locals love it.

Adelaide #1

Left "the Hill" on Sunday down the Barrier Highway and stayed at the small town of Yunta.
morning teatime on Tuesday saw us in Jamestown so we called into the local  bakery where they had vanilla slices that you couldn't jump over. I remarked on the size, but chose an apple scroll which was beautiful. We were halfway through it when the proprietess presented us with a vanilla slice in a container. WHAT A SPIRIT!!
Then onto Peterborough, a nice little town which is really RV friendly.
In the afternoon we went on a guided tour of  Steamtown, which has grown out of former major railway facility. We returned that evening for a sound and light show which was really excellent
On Tuesday we pressed on to our destination which was Dry Creek, an inner northern industrial suburb of  Adelaide where the mechanic is situated. Just opposite is a former transport co. yard where we are now camped. It's really convenient having the railway 2 minutes walk away and this afternoon we took the 20 minute ride into the city and rode round on a free sightseeing bus
Can't believe all the parks, gardens and layout of Adelaide and we are looking forward to beginning to look more closely
But first tomorrow, Bruce, (the mechanic) will assess the bus and decide whether to do something with it or leave well enough alone.

Broken Hill

Whilst on our motorhome trip to Alaska just on 2 years ago it was decide among our fellow travellers that we should have a reunion in 2 years time. After some bandying around it eventually fell to me to organise said event. Silverton, a mining ghost town some 20km west of Broken Hill  was chosen as the venue in a camp ground named Penrose Park.
We arrived on 16th March after a 3 day trip from Goulburn.

Alone at Penrose Park

Although the country was very flat, I was still amazed that we that recorded fuel economy of 4 km /litre!!( thanks to a new turbo and removing the muffler)
Were on our own for nearly 2 weeks organising a bit and looking at things we knew we wouldn't get a chance to see once the others got there. Also we wanted to take pix of the full moon at it's largest but that didn't happen thanks to a continouos layer of cloud for 4 days.

Bruce's moon

I eventually got a pic at 3.30am 3 days later!
The mob arrived in dribs and drabs.
First to show was Ken and Wendy followed by Pam and Milton. The next day it was Merv and Maureen, Jill and Keith, Bob and Louise. The following day it was Rudy and Leslie, Jim Glenda and Jeannie and on Sunday Rod and Trudy arrived. Finally, Bob and Alidia got there on Tuesday morning.
 A couple of strays,  Russell and Kerry joined us for most of the duration.

Sunset over the Mundi Mundi plains

The first night's happy hour was a veeerrry long event with most of the participants finally falling into bed without dinner. After that a tea break was called followed by nightly sessions round the fire.

On Sunday we all retired to the Silverton Hotel to listen to Kerry who had a singing gig there.

"Alaska Mob" outside Silverton pub

Night out at Silverton Cafe

I had booked the local cafe for a dinner on Monday night and we began the evening with hors-d'oeuvres and drinkies. The meal was the krack and then we had a fine session conducted by Ken and assisted by B1 which saw everyone in stitches. The balance of the fines was presented to Royal Flying Doctor Service. That was a night to remember!!!!

Russell and Maureen's Pantomime

Little did we realise that that we would be spending it just a couple of days later when Merv was admitted to hospital with stomach pains from a gallstone in his bile duct. He was flown to Adelaide hospital where he had a gastoscopy to remove it.
We were joined by a million mice and everyone had their share of little visitors, but the prize went to Maureen who caught 2 simultaneously.

Maureen's Mice

The "mob" dissipated much as they had arrived and by April fools day only Keith and Jill, Milton and Pam, Maureen and us were left.
Spent most of Wednesday fitting a double water filter to  a new tap on the kitchen sink. What a bloody headache! everything that could go wrong did go wrong. But I got it done. After my recent experience with tank water it sure is a load off our mind given that we pick up water from all over the place
Keith drove Merv's bus into Broken Hill racecourse where we are staying this weekend and Maureen has just left to pick him up from the airport.
Whilst in town we took some time to look at the local scenery, architecture etc.
The Trades Hall was typical of the beautiful constructions peppered round town. Built around 1910 by volunteer labour, it stands as a reminder to the determination and purpose of the people who laboured at "the Hill" at that time.

Broken Hill Trades Hall

Oak Staircase

Union Mail Boxes

Trades Hall Ballroom

There are many abandoned mines in the area, some filled in and forgotten, some left as a permanent reminder of a bygone era.

Head frame of The "Brown shaft" Mine

Sitting atop the slagheap there is a restaurant and also a memorial to the nearly 1,000 workers who have died in the mines

Slag heap

Memorial

Reckon we will move off on Saturday morning to S.A.
Thanks to Merv suggesting Air scoops into each side of the engine bay. I found a sheet metal shop (Boltons) in Broken Hill where prices were very reasonable and the service was good.
I had been long thinking about locks for both fuel openings and Tim (at Boltons was able to supply locks and fittings quickly and cheaply.