Tuesday 22nd March 2022
We left Port Augusta and travelled west along the Eyre Highway.
We were overtaken by a pilot car and a wide load carrying mining equipment. They were presumably heading for Iron Knob, a town named for its massive Iron Ore deposit at Iron Monarch a prominent mound surrounded by flat landscapes.
While trailing behind we keep hearing the pilot tell oncoming trucks “4.1m coming, head over the fog line.” We presumed the fog line was the outer line on the road to make way for said wide load. the fog line helps drivers stay on the road during foggy conditions…who knew it had a name!
The past 24 hr was the first time we saw sheep again! No sheep since southern Queensland really. Absolutely none in the NT we could see.
We stopped at Kimba for lunch and to feed Charlotte.
We headed off for another 100km trip and arrived at Wudinna Showground. We set up the caravan and headed to the playground.
Madeline had more fun on the exercise equipment then the playground.
Charlotte just enjoyed the stroll in her pram.
Wudinna
The first European into the area was the explorer John Charles Darke who, in 1844, passed through the area looking for good pastoral lands. He was subsequently fatally speared between Kyancutta and Kimba.
Wudinna is a town in South Australia situated in granite country. The area was first settled by Europeans in 1861 when Robert George Standley lodged a claim for 10 square miles (26 km2) of land surrounding Weedna Hill. It was proclaimed a town in 1916.
The region is known as The granite country for its deposits of granite in the area, with tourists able to travel the granite trail to explore local landmarks.
Quarrying of granite has occurred in the local area since the 1990s. Some granite blocks quarried at the Desert Rose Quarry near Mount Wudinna can be up to 8 cubic metres in volume and weigh 20 tonnes, before being cut into smaller blocks for shipping around Australia, or for export to Asian and European markets.
Mount Wudinna is thought to be Australia’s second largest monolith after Uluru in the Northern Territory. It is located 12 kilometres (7 mi) north-east of the township.
Wudinna is part of the Barngarla Aboriginal country and its Barngarla name is Woodina.
Tomorrow
We head to Ceduna to travel along the Eyre peninsula.
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