Holiday time means train time!

During school holidays in the cooler months, the Pichi Richi Steam Train runs extra services.  It’s a delight to all.

The children from a nearby homestead ride their bikes down to the crossing to watch it pass each time.

A trip back in time…….

Steam trains have a charm all of their own.

Children of all ages gain much enjoyment from the journey – so if you have a chance to ride the rail, grab it! There’s a wonderful team of passionate volunteers who’ll do their best to make it an unforgettable experience.

Light across the valley

Richman’s Valley, Quorn, Flinders Ranges.

We’re back!

Two weeks tomorrow ago, we arrived back in Quorn, in the Flinders Ranges.  I tell people it’s a boomerang town for me, as I simply keep coming back 🙂

I was here for three months during the summer, in a house where we could take shelter from the heat.  Then we were off for a couple months, touring various places in South Australia and Victoria.  It felt good to be on the road again.  It felt good to visit the coast.  It feels good to be back in my beloved Ranges again.

This time we’re in a different house, one offered to us by friends whose work has taken them elsewhere.  Even though it’s still in the throes of renovation, resulting in some inconveniences, it suits us nicely.  There’s a better outlook, and I don’t – so far – feel the cabin fever I experienced during the summer.  Basically, it’s a base point for now, as I’ll still be roaming about as weather permits.  It’s nice to know I’ll have a warm fire to return to when the season finally changes down the track.  Last winter living in the van was tough….. ice on the windscreen more mornings than I could count, with it barely any warmer inside the van.  And my body doesn’t do cold well, never has.  So we’ll see how it goes this time.  Just having an option helps.

In the short term, I still have hopes of adapting the current van better to suit my (our) requirements.  Longer term, would love to acquire a slightly larger vehicle, better suited to our needs.  Fairy godmother please 🙂

Quorn is the home of the Pichi Richi railway.  Last week I took time out from setting up a new home, to go chasing trains.  This coming week I’ll probably do it again, as there are extra services running to cater for the current school holidays.  Oh I do love trains!

And as I mentioned a boomerang earlier, here’s a little humour for you to sing along with.  Politically incorrect – yes!

Taking the rough with the smooth

Sometimes in life, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

I took these images last month on Australia Day.  It was a day that didn’t begin well…… the power supply failed in the early hours of the morning… and the expectation was it wouldn’t be restored until at least 8pm that night.  Temperatures even early in the morning were quite high and by midday it was very sticky.  The mobile phone service was also disrupted, as were land lines and only some people were able to receive text message updates on the situation.  The cause of the outage was a bushfire several kilometers from town, and while a temporary power station was being erected it would take time before it was operational.

I had just stocked my house fridge up with meat for the animals, and didn’t want to lose it, so I loaded it into the van fridge, but as the temps were high, I needed to drive the van with the airconditioning on so it was cool enough for the fridge to operate.  So Fred and I putt-putted down the road, heading for Warren gorge, where at least there were large trees for shade.  Mind you, it’s dangerous to park close to gum trees on very hot days, as they can suddenly drop a large limb.  The first warning is a large crack sound and then a split second later, whoosh!  as the limb falls downward, taking anything in its path with it.  So we needed to be careful.

It was a slow trip to the Gorge, but fortunately there was little other traffic so I wasn’t causing anyone inconvenience by driving so slowly…….. it was a matter of getting the van as cool as possible before parking.

We found a suitable spot, and settled down for a while after opening all windows and doors to allow some air to circulate.  There were some kangaroos sheltering in the shade of a large bush nearby, and only one of them decided to make the effort to go elsewhere. It was simply too much effort for the others…… I read some poetry… snoozed a little…. took Fred for a very short walk,  nibbled on supplies, and then the warning beep on the van fridge informed me conditions were too hot and I needed to move on again.

So the images on this page, are the result of a day quietly putt-putting about the back roads of Quorn, including exploring a road I hadn’t taken before, with the bonus of meeting a mob of very friendly and well-mannered ponies and horses.

By the time we arrived back home, the worst of the heat had receded and a while after  the power resumed, and all was well with the world.  Especially good news was that the bushfire had been controlled.

It was certainly a day that tested my resources, but  I comforted myself with,  “this too shall pass” 🙂

I was looked with admiration at Valerie Jardin’s blog today and the wintry conditions she’s dealing with, and yet managing to take absolutely gorgeous images!