Pildappa Rock – Tcharkuldu Rock

Continuing my travels around Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, I made a point to stop at Pildappa Rock.   which is an easy drive out of Minnipa. On previous trips to the Peninsula, I’ve explored some of the other granite outcrops and was keen to see more.

As a side note, this Wiki entry states “The Nauo were the indigenous people of the area of Minnipa before they became extinct. ”   To me, that’s a different way of saying until they were massacred by the white settlers. …….

The dirt road was in fairly good condition, otherwise I’d not have put my old van on it due to often rough corrugations.  In the distance can be seen the Gawler Ranges, a place I’d love to visit, however, pets are not allowed and an off-road vehicle is required.  One day perhaps….. You can read more about the Ranges on this traveller’s account. 

An enticing view of what was to come.  Due to my longer than anticipated stopover in Kyancutta, I didn’t arrive here until about midday.

Don’t be fooled, I took this shot later in the afternoon 🙂

So in we went…..

We were grateful for the shade to take the sting out of the midday temperatures.

We took the track around the rock to a quiet camp site on the other side.

Then we rested until late afternoon when it was time for a little walk.

Others visiting climbed onto the top, but I respect these sites too much to do that.

Early next morning, the moon added to the atmosphere.

It was quite chilly overnight and we watched for the first rays of the sun to appear.

After a quick cuppa, I was off exploring.

This is a view of farmland opposite the Rock and you can see how flat it is.

The track around made for easy walking.  It was soooo peaceful 🙂

Those hollows collect water, and then overflow down the sides.  Love to see that!

Always interesting to see who else is about.

The sun was slowly warming up the area.

Very very old lichen on the surfaces.  I’m still working on finding out more about them.

I became fanciful, and thought this was like a turtle.

And here’s a platypus:-)

Another cutie.

The water would pour down this groove, during rain, what a sight to see!

At the base of the rock, a small fence has been built, to trap and divert the water for use by the settlers.

By this stage, I’m almost finished circling it, back to the point where I entered the day before.  The campers I heard but never sighted.

This one at the end reminded me of a scone….. perhaps I was getting hungry by this stage.

It was back to the van for a quick breakfast, and then off to explore further.  It is certainly an area I’ll be wanting to come back to in different seasons, to see more of the wildflowers, and the rock in different light.  It was peaceful and not crowded with too many other campers, just my sort of place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special K – not the cereal

During my recent travels in Eyre Peninsula, I visited two towns starting with K.  First one was Kimba, which I passed through late in the afternoon.  I’ve stayed in Kimba in the past, and did check out their camping area on the outskirts of town, but it was a little too crowded for my liking.  It was interesting to see that it has expanded it’s capacity to cater for visitors, no doubt through some recent funds the community has received from those who intend to use Kimba as a repository for a nuclear waste dump.  I call it bribe money. And it’s an issue that has divided the town.  There’s been a vote, in the affirmative, but the issue is still not settled.

For those who are into “big” things, there is a giant galah in Kimba, and it also has silo art right in the centre of town.

That night we camped further along the highway, west of the town, in a little pull off the road, just down from a formal sealed area.  We prefer being in our own undisturbed space.  🙂

There was some noise from large trucks, but not too bad.

There was a little patch of native scrub on the edge of the farmed paddock, and Pixel enjoyed checking it out in the early morning light.

As always, nice to see the sunrise.

This little native plant was flowering nearby.  It’s a type of fan flower (scaevola) but I’ve not checked which one specifically.  I just like it.  Mind you, at first glance at the bush, you could miss the small flowers….. as it can be with many Australian natives, you need to look closer to see their beauty.

Our next stop was Kyancutta. The sign on the highway on the outskirts is what drew me in – it advertised good quality coffee!  It was still fairly early in the morning and I was looking forward to a boost 🙂

Kyancutta is predominately cereal growing country, and the early settlers certainly had a hard time opening up the land to farming.  While I think the time has come to change the thinking on farming in this manner, I do commend them on their efforts.

The only store in town.   But what a great place to stop!

Clean albeit small and basic toilets.

Distances…..

Inside the shop, the interior view is quite appealing.

A vital service in these little communities is the local postal agency.

I proceeded to order a coffee, and had a wander around while waiting.

The menu was interesting, and a nice change from the basic fryups often seen in these stopovers.

Quirky light fittings added to the charm of the place.

I ended up sitting in the booth by the window.  Love those old booths.

Along one wall is a small but interesting section on local history.

An early “smart ” phone system 🙂

Sean and his wife Vanessa run this place, and we had a great connection.

They have moved from Melbourne city to the back blocks of South Australia, with their three children, to experience a slower life than the city pace.

Here’s a bit of the story. 

Truly, the coffee lived up to it’s advertising of barista quality, it was superb! I also took away lunch of baked pumpkin and goodies, which was delicious.  Good food is not always easy to find in these areas, and it was a delight and surprise to find it here.

I definitely highly recommend stopping here when travelling across the region.

 

Beached!

We’ve been off traveling around parts of Eyre Peninsula, having a great time with some cooler weather.  Back at base again now hiding out during an extreme hot spell.

Fred had a great time down the beach, so he leads with his impressions of the travels.

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The cats have their own stories, which will follow later 🙂

Dreams

There is hope in dreams, imagination, and in the courage of those who wish to make those dreams a reality.
Jonas Salk