Strickly speaking we have already made South Australia, but this is my favourite sea shanty from the era of the square-rigged sailing ships.
We crossed in to South Australia passing Nelson on the Victorian border and followed the coast north through the Southern Ports precinct of Beachport, Robe and Kingston - all founded in the early 1800's, peaked in the age of coastal shipping then faded away with rail and road transportation. Most continue as tourist curiosities and fishing ports.
Beachport's 700m jetty
We ran along the Cooyong wetlands, formed as a huge brackish lake network formed from the outflow of the Murray River. Great flocks of pelicans in V formations whirled over the lake shore as if preparing for winter migration. Overnighting in Meningee on the shore of Lake Albert, we upped camp and crossed South Australia to the Yorke Peninsula to Wallaroo in a day. Coastal salt marsh transformed into wheat belt and long straight roads took us through harvested fields and the occasional stubble burnoff on the horizon.
Paddlewheeler on the Murray River - Murray Bridge
Harvest in at Kadina SA
Overnighting in Wallaroo for the Sealink Ferry to Cowell in the morning and then a short hop to Port Augusta. This will be our stepping off point for the Red Centre and last chance for last minute purchases and final checks. Distance at end of Day 3 - 1,249km.
The Antipodean Mariners
Wallaroo SA
4th April 2017
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