Gawler to Streaky Bay

 I left Gawler around 7am after spending a lovely night with friends from way back, Michael and Sandra Jacob.  It's special when you reconnect after a long gap.  

It's nobody's fault, but both families dealt with every-day priorities and didn't make the time to get together.  Next minute, or more accurately next decade, we get together and realise that we let a valuable bond wilt due to neglect.

That won't be continuing, and I look forward to sharing our common interests.

So off I drove... first stop, The Java Hut.  Yep... they make a great coffee and banana bread.  

After 780km yesterday, I was wondering how I was going to handle the planned 700Km for today.

Driving through SA's wheat country seemed vast.

But I enjoyed seeing the freshly reaped fields as I sped down the highways at 110Km/hr.  I suppose I've never enjoyed gardening myself; I've often regarded home gardens as another type of land tax.  But when I see the huge properties that grow grains for our consumption, I am blown away by what must be a huge workload.  These pastures are huge. 

And there is beauty in what the farmers create.

But how do they go when the weather isn't kind, or when the market price dives.  It seems to me there are a lot of things that can go wrong, many are out of the control of the farm operators.  I didn't see much evidence of farm failures, but I think this farm house needs some urgent renovation.  

There are huge silos everywhere.  This one made me stop to take a snap. 

Don't worry, I made sure there wasn't a train coming.

Soon I arrived at Port Augusta.  I googled "10 best things to do in Port Augusta" and climbing the water tower was right up there.  Here are a couple of photos from this top of the table tourist attraction.

Moving right along... for another 160km actually... one arrives at a town called Kimba.

This place made me ask the question, who's the bigger galah?

Well at least I could drive out of there.

The Big Galah tourist attraction is situated "Halfway Across Australia". 

If you look at a map, you'll see that this place is half way between Sydney and Perth as the crow, sorry, galah flies.  I had lunch at Kimba, and the lovely couple on the next table told me that on the other side of the railway line I'd find the cemetery and that's the dead centre of Australia.  

"Ha ha", I replied.  Its not only me with the lame jokes.

Actually, on the other side of the railway line was a beautifully decorated silo.

More driving.  The temperature was about 40 degrees. But I noticed in the distance a smoke stack... The smoke was going straight up highlighting that there was no wind whatsoever.

I planned to travel to Ceduna today, but the guy with the lame jokes in Kimba told me I just need to go to Streaky Bay.  He saved me about 100km I think.  I only did 680km today!.

Streaky Bay certainly is a nice spot - I was very lucky to get a room for the night.  I probably got the last bed - I tried two other places before ending up at the Streaky Bay Hotel Motel. 

Call me a softie, but I found the stony foreshore a bit too sharp for my feet.  

This was more my idea of a nice way to finish the day... King George Whiting and chips.

Tomorrow I'm off to start my round of golf on the longest golf course in the world.

Till then, keep well.  Maybe call some old friends you've lost touch with?