Mount Lofty Summit is the highest peak closest to Adelaide and is in the Mount Lofty Ranges. At 710.1 metres above sea level it has spectacular panoramic views over Adelaide to the sea. Definitely worth the drive.
McLaren Vale is one of Australia’s renowned wine regions, famous for producing some the best wines in the world – a few of which were sampled by us. With some beautiful country side to see and some excellent wineries to visit, a day in the region is a must when visiting Adelaide.
Cape Bauer forms part of the Great Australian Bight and is around 15 klm from Streaky Bay. The scenery along this section of the ‘Bight’ is simply stunning with 60 metre cliffs towering above the Southern Ocean, which presents some amazing photo opportunities.
The Great Australian Bight stretches 200 km west of Ceduna in South Australia and follows the coast to the Western Australian border. It is said to be the longest line of towering sea cliffs in the world. Simply spectacular scenery.
Nullarbor Links is the longest golf course in the world. It covers 1365 kilometres and crosses two states. It begins and ends in the goldmining town of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia and the coastal town of Ceduna in South Australia. The course is a rugged outback-style natural terrain fairway.
90 Mile Straight is reportedly the longest straight road in the world and is situated on the Eyre Highway, which runs across the Nullarbor Plain in Australia’s south west. While you get the occasional breathtaking view of the coast line and the Great Australian Bight, there are many kilometres of nothing but flat and relatively uninteresting terrain. Fuel planning is important as the towns/road houses are over two hundred kilometres apart and you can pay up to $1.80 per litre.
An example of the hardship and appalling living conditions those early miners endured chasing their fortunes in the gold fever days.
The site of the Mining Hall of Fame is the site of Kalgoorlie’s first gold mine. You can take two guided mine tours; the first takes you 36 metres underground, the second mine tour takes you 72 metres underground climbing down the original timber-lined mine shaft via the ladders and portals with only a miner’s cap light to guide you. On that tour, you even get to use an air-leg rock drill. Other interesting things to see are a 1920’s gold pouring demonstration and new and old mining equipment and see how miners lived in years gone-by. Rani is holding onto a $70,000 gold bar.
Kalgoorlie is a large goldfields town, famed for its fascinating gold rush history and old gold miners' ghost towns. There are many historic grand old buildings dotted around the town. These include many lively pubs, brothels, and of course, the Town Hall building.
The Super Pit produces up to 850,000 ounces of gold every year and is the biggest gold open pit mine in Australia and the 3rd largest gold producer in the world. The current dimensions of the pit are approximately 3.5 kilometres long, 1.5 kilometres wide and 370 metres deep...approximately the sane dimensions as Ayers Rock. Quite and extraordinary sight – particularly when you see the very large mining trucks, which have a load capacity of 218 tonnes, are dwarfed by the overall size of the pit.
The face of Wave Rock appears ready to crash onto a beach...a very interesting rock formation. Another interesting rock formation is Hippo’s Yawn. The colours of the Wave are caused by the rain washing chemical deposits down the face, forming vertical stripes of greys reds and yellows. Wave Rock is around 14 metres high and 110m long.
The Princess Royal Fortress was opened in 1893 as the first federal defence of Australia. In 1956, coastal defences like the Princess Royal Fortress were decommissioned. The fort now has restored shore batteries, armouries, barracks, the 10th Light Horse display, trails and a collection of naval guns and torpedoes. The fort is also home to the SE Asia Memorial, US Submariners Memorial and Merchant Navy Memorial. A fascinating place to visit with historical significance.
King George Sound is a spectacular harbour. This large bay has beautiful white sandy beaches, cliffs and granite outcrops and offers excellent whale watching during the months of May through early October. King George Sound is also a popular dive location. There are several interesting shipwrecks to explore including the former Australian navy warship HMAS Perth, former guided missile destroyer, which was scuttled and now sits on the bottom of King George Sound. Unfortunately I did not get time to do this activity.
