Friday 29 May 2020

Where are we going?


Old Farina



I probably should say "When are we going?"

We are not going anytime soon, but we have been to Farina a few times and I will show some of my photos from the ghost town of Farina in South Australia.  As you have probably noticed, I love anything old, even my husband although he is not much older than me, and I'm not saying how old I am, but I think I qualify as "old" and I actually quite like being old apart from the aches and pains and a few other unmentionables 😉😂

I have previously shown photos from our trips to other States in Australia, so thought I would showcase a very interesting place in my home State.  We have been here a few times and always enjoy our stay in Farina, approximately 600 km from Adelaide.  It was an old railway town and was settled in 1878,  In the 1880's it was felt that it would be a good area for growing barley and wheat, but it was soon discovered that the rainfall was not sufficient to grow these crops.  The name Farina means flour, because this area was  originally thought would be the granary of the north.  The narrow gauge railway was important to Farina and was the railhead  for the towns of Birdsville and Oodnadatta.

Farina is a Ghost Town but in 2008 a Restoration Group was started up and volunteers work for about 8 weeks a year restoring the site and maintaining it.



When we first visited Farina there were no facilities and we had to be self contained but over the years the Restoration Group have installed toilets and showers and now there is an Underground Bakery which operates for a few weeks every year and sells fresh baked items for the campers which is very popular.  The downside for us is that it might become too popular, and for me it will lose some of the very essence of why we loved it - the remoteness, the adventure getting there and exploring the  area. To keep the town from being destroyed by the elements and some tourists, it is necessary to keep improving and controlling what is left of the town and the Restoration Group have definitely made some major improvements and it is good to see the old town come to life again.

An old Ford Consul Mk 1

Cattle/sheep wagon


Relaxing

Relaxing while dinner cooks
Flock of Galahs





A Bustard


 We originally thought this bird was an eagle but once we got closer it was a bustard.  Eagles are more handsome!






 







The Marquee was for the Bakery shop and has now been replaced with a permanent building 


Patterson House almost completed

The Marquee was set up as a temporary shop for the Bakery


View of our van from the Anzac Memorial

Anzac Memorial
 The War Memorial was erected in 2015 to commemorate 70 service personnel from Farina who served in World War 1 & 2.

The old Railway Bridge


















Monday 25 May 2020

Mosaic Monday BC

2012 BC

(Before Coronavirus)     Our World Tuesday Graphic

Enjoy these "before" photos!


Riverboats at Mildura



Paddle Steamer Melbourne

PS Melbourne and PS Marion

Paddle Boat Mundoo


 In 2012 we did a trip to Mildura for the Riverboat Festival.  It was a great weekend and there were dozens of Riverboats of all shapes and sizes going up and down the river.  On one of the days we were able to go for a ride on the boats and it was a lot of fun.

Broken Hill


After our weekend at Mildura we headed off to Mungo National Park which is part of the Willandra Region World Heritage Site.  There are ancient aboriginal cultural and archaeological treasures which can be viewed either by foot or by a guided tour.  It is a huge area of about 1,000 square kilometres.




 We walked around the Walls of China believed to be over 36,000 years old.  It was amazing to see and to imagine what it would have been like back then!

Walls of China from Red Tank Lookout

Walls of China, Mungo NP

Walls of China, Mungo NP


The Mungo Woolshed was built in 1869 as part of Gol Gol Station.






There is something beautiful about old shearing sheds and  we love them.


Next stop was Broken Hill  and a trip out to the old town of Silverton, an old silver mining town about 26 km from Broken Hill
Town Hall in Broken Hill

Silverton, New South Wales
.

Some wildlife along the roadside






Linking up with Mosaic Monday

https://tentoesinthewater.blogspot.com/

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