Day 56: Sun 09 Apr 23 - Port Augusta

Sun 09 Apr 23 - Port Augusta (Easter Sunday) 

12 Deg with a light drizzle and a lazy SE breeze in the morning, eventually clearing and climbing to 19 Deg with 26 km/hr winds in the afternoon. It was a leisurely start to the day, as it should be on Easter Sunday, and the Easter Bunny kindly delivered (Haighs Chocolate too). After a few attempts to go for a walk before breakfast, the nuisance rain beat me. So we had breakfast then drove to the Water Tower Lookout for views across Port Augusta, and into the City Centre where I left Noel to entertain herself for a couple of hours while I visited the Wadlata Outback Centre. At the centre, I did a self paced/ self guided tour through a "Tunnel of Time" for the Flinders Ranges and the outback, covering everything from when dinosaurs roamed the land and how the ranges were formed, to people who explored and settled the land and who still live there today. It's a wonderful interactive display and very informative, but after two hours, I decided I'd had enough and retreated to the cafe' for a coffee where I met up with Noeleene again. We went back to the van for the afternoon, and Noel did some cleaning, while I went for a ride to the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden via the Matthew Flinders Red Cliff Lookout with views over the Flinders Ranges, the upper estuary and red dirt cliffs. Unlike any other Botanic Garden I've visited, this one specifically showcases a diverse collection of arid zone plants and habitat covering 250 hectares. It's a wonderful display and a pleasant garden to stroll around, but the 45minutes I had there didn't do it justice. Returning to the van, I took the ute into town to refuel, then came back and cooked a roast lamb and veggies in the Air Fryer for dinner. Our first roast since we left home and it was delicious (even if I say so myself). We're excited to be heading into the Flinders Ranges tomorrow and to meet up with long time friends (and an old ship mate) from Victoria. 

Check out The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden: https://www.aalbg.org/about.html






Easter Bunny snuck in overnight.

Water Tower Lookout

View from the Water Tower Lookout

View from the Water Tower Lookout

View from the Water Tower Lookout

Inside the Wadlata Centre

Inside the Wadlata Centre

View from the Matthew Flinders Red Cliff Lookout

View from the Matthew Flinders Red Cliff Lookout

View from the Matthew Flinders Red Cliff Lookout

View from the Matthew Flinders Red Cliff Lookout


View from the Matthew Flinders Red Cliff Lookout


The Arid Landscape


Sculpture at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden

Sculpture at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden


Sculpture at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden


Sculpture at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden


Sculpture at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden


The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden


The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden

Caravan Park with Flinders Ranges in the background


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