Pildappa Rock to the Clare Valley


Tuesday 3 October 

Well, some people should stay in caravan parks where fires are generally not allowed!  We drove into a 24 hour free roadside camp, set up and started to make a small fire.  Two women, who came in AFTER us and the conversation went something like this:

 Woman:  "Oh, you can't make a fire - I've got cracked ribs and I can't afford to cough due to the smoke!" 

 John:  "What smoke?!  Maybe you'd like to move your van back a bit so you're behind the wind."

 He then assisted her in reversing her car and van back a few metres but she objected to John telling her, "Right hand down ... left hand down ... right hand down."

 Woman:  "I know how to reverse I don't need you to tell me" and John watched as she jack-knifed her car and van into the bushes.  Karma!!!

 So we lit the fire only to have some old bloke come out and say, "You can't have a fire, the smoke will go into our van!"

So we moved the fire down to the other end of the free camp area - far away from every caravan or camper and John enjoyed a half a dozen oysters with a beer.  Bliss.

"You can't have a fire here" said a farmer who'd driven up in his Yakka shorts and "wife-basher" top.

"Yes we can, it's not 31st October yet" said Lorraine.

"Are you going to come and fight the fire when it jumps the road and sets fire to my paddock and crops?!"

"Is it a full moon or something tonight, John?!!!"

Anyone would have thought we'd have had a Guy Fawkes-style bonfire raging!

John enjoying his oysters by our offensive fire!
Chatting with another bloke - a sane one - we heard a huge commotion from down the other end of the parking area.  "The light - turn off the light!"  The offending light we thought was the blazing white light over the "Concrete Crappa" ...

... but it wasn't - it was our dimly lit amber light on the side of Q+.

"You have to turn your light off - I'm trying to relax outside my van and it's blazing right into my eyes!"

I was ready to pack up and leave right then and there.  Nowhere have we ever had any issues with anybody when camping like this.  Nowhere!


An early 7 am departure allowed us time to see Pildappa Rock - "It's better than Wave Rock" according to last night's farmer - but it isn't.

 "The large granite outcrop/dome is an exposed part of a granite pluton which intruded the crustal rocks at a great depth - 5 kms - about 1,500 million years ago".

Pildappa Rock.
Pildappa Rock.
Climbing the rock we saw its various features: pits, amazing wild flowers growing out of the most unlikely places and gnammas (rock basins). 
A gnamma on top of Pildappa Rock.
The small township of Kimba, attracts visitors with its claim to fame, "Halfway Across Australia" sign...  
Halfway Across Australia!
... the "big galah" 
The Big Pink Galah!
... and the magnificent artwork that has been painted on the grain silo (hopefully just the beginning of a project.)
The grain silo artwork.

Port Germein was established as a port in 1841 and "was the largest grain shipping port in Australia".  The shed at the entrance to the jetty has been restored ... 
Port Germein jetty entrance.
... and sculptures line the jetty. Several amazing maritime relics have also been restored and have been relocated to a prominent place. 
Sculptures adorning the jetty.
A sign tells us that this, "rare Maritime object was an Illuminated Clock-Faced Tidal Gauge circa 1800. The stand, known as a "Dolphin", was made from Sugar Gum, a local timber.  The platform is Red River Gum.
Tidal Gauge circa 1800.
The original perspex clock face was back-lit by oil or gas lamps, enabling it to be visible at night and in poor weather.

A series of levers and pulleys, on the outside of the stand, rose and fell with the tide.  A chain and wheel mechanism inside the main structure directed the "clock's hand" to the appropriate channel depth measurement.  The gauge was invaluable to ships navigating the channels and shoals into Port Germein."

New technology made the Tidal Gauge obsolete in 1989 and it was restored and relocated to the jetty in 2013.
The now defunct lighthouse.

The Clare Valley called and as we couldn't catch up with family in Adelaide we called in to Jim Barry's for a tasting and Mad Bastard (Mark Barry) winery - son of Jim Barry. Great wines - and a great sense of humour!


Mad Bastard Cellar Door
It's a long drive up to the house and winery and there are various signs such as, "Watch out for Wurtle's & Wock's".


Mark's sense of humour is well evident in his signs:


"Nude volleyball next w/end on the front lawn."
We certainly enjoyed tasting a few of the Mad Bastard's wines and headed off to cross over the border into Victoria.


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