Week_2 South Australia

Continuing on the Barrier Highway we crossed into SA a few Kls west of BH, travelling most of the day through flat un-interesting country parallel to the rail line eventually stopping for the night at a free camp one kl before the town of Peterborough well know for it enthusiasm about trains a result of its history with trains being the key intersection between all of the major SA towns. Apparently in its prime a total of 105 trains travelled the Broken Hill to Port Pirie line in one day mammoth effort (250 Explore Australia).
While we camped a goods train passed slowly by loaded with containers some refrigerated and as the three engines pulling it entered Peterborough the last truck past us, we were one kilometre from town.
After Peterborough the landscape gradually improved and we started cruising through sheep and wheat country with rolling hills and distant ranges, what a pleasant change to the monotonous flatland desert region we had traversed for days, Nancy even stayed awake.
Arriving at Port Augusta for the first time since we had left Brisbane we could see blue water, the Spencer Gulf. At the Port we took on board fuel and filled up with water, where we are going is only bore water and not recommended for drinking, rain water is at a premium and only for drinking not for topping up caravans, shopping at woolies for fresh groceries was also necessary. You double back from Port Augusta a few kilometres and then head north toward Lake Eyre through interesting towns like Quorn (corn), where we will spend some time on the way back down, Hawker where we spent the night, Leigh Creek a working coalmine town and Lyndhurst end of the bitumen. We have a flight booked for Tuesday pm from Maree 80 kls to the north on a dirt road.
This is a scenic road with great views of the western side of Flinders Range, old stone ruins presumably once farm houses can often be be seen and magnificent river gums lining dry creek beds. - more later.