Flinders Ranges Trip 2018

Carrieton is a small town about 300 km from Adelaide on the RM Williams Highway in the Flinders Ranges.

Our first night away was at the caravan park in Carrieton.  The caravan park is in the old school grounds and has all the amenities needed as well as lovely views of the countryside.  The best camp kitchen/lounge/tv area we have seen in all our travels, especially on a very cold night as the wood burner heater was particularly welcome.  Simon & Mel did a great job stoking the fire with plenty of wood for us and we had a great night with the other campers there.

Carrieton Caravan Park

An old pump outside the Carrieton Hotel

Carrieton Hotel - now closed

Ron and  an old tractor in Carrieton

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Mosaics on another wall in Carrieton

Galahs settle for the night

Mosaics on wall in Carrieton

We travelled on after our stopover at Carrieton, through Cradock, Leigh Creek, Lyndhurst and then to Farina.

Farina is located within the Lake Eyre Basin and is about 600 km from Adelaide.  The town is no longer inhabited but the Farina Restoration Group is doing a great job of restoring some of the old buildings including the underground bakery.  The volunteers have put up signs and notice boards explaining the work and the descriptions of many of the remaining buildings.

Ron standing under the Standard Gauge railway bridge in Farina

Farina ruins

Farina ruins

The Farina Bakery is very popular

The Transcontinental Hotel is being restored

Patterson's House - reproduction building to be used as an Information Centre

The road into Farina

Relaxing at Farina campsite after a long drive

We saw a large number of emus along the road

Almerta Farm Stay between Carrieton & Cradock

View from the car as we travelled to Farina

Corellas at dusk at Farina

Sundown and an early night

Enjoying our camp fire

Our campsite at Farina was great, at the far end of the camping ground near the fence to the Station.  As the camp ground was quite full when we arrived we didn't have many choices, but it was very quiet with no immediate neighbours.  Each day we had emus come very close, just on the other side of the fence, to drink from the water pipe.  We also had 2 buzzards come in on 2 days as well as many finches, and kangaroos so sitting outside we were entertained by the visitors.

One of the visitors

Another kangaroo

When we first saw this bird we thought it was an eagle but checked our bird book and fairly sure it is a buzzard

The buzzard came in a few times but was very cautious & didn't drink straight away

Just taking off

Up up and away

Farina campground from the War Memorial Hill.  Our site is on the far left.

A great sunset from the Hill

Another view of our campsite

A lovely sunset at Farina

We drove from Farina to Marree for lunch at the hotel and to have another look around.  The road was a fairly good dirt road but if anyone passed us we were concerned about getting windscreen damage, but luckily we were ok.  We had a good meal at the pub and then looked around the Tom Kruse Museum which is part of the hotel.  Although we knew a lot of his story this Museum had more information and heaps of old photos as well as memorabilia and the video was showing of his life.

The Marree Hotel

The platform at Marree

View one way from the middle of the platform

The Lake Eyre Yacht Club- another interesting place to look around.

Emu drinking - interesting pose!