Which Child Sniggered When I Said Iron Knob? All Of Us Sir.

Largely due to it's mirth inducing name, one thing that's fixed in my memory of primary school social studies, is the role Iron Knob played in the development of Australia's iron ore industry. It would be tempting to say that Iron Knob has seen better days, but I got the sense that perhaps it hasn't. It doesn't have any of the magnificent but run down public buildings that you see in other old mining towns. I suspect it has always been a little tired, dusty and faded. Perhaps iron never had the glamour of gold?

Never-the-less, the Iron Knob Visitor Centre, located in the dusty old former single men's mess, will also remain in my memory because it was the first we visited that invited us to make a cuppa and sample the contents of a traditional  bikkie tin while we sat down to enjoy a 6 minute DVD on the town's history. Our hosts were two sweet old beanie wearing souls who were furiously knitting the next beanie, presumably as a replacement in case the current one wore out from over use. It seemed churlish to refuse such a generous offer. The DVD was well made and perhaps it's most memorable fact was that in the days when iron ore was loaded by shovel, the daily record was 70 tons! Tough in them days.

It's interesting to note that in South Australia, they refer to Ceduna and parts west of there as "the Far West". Not sure what they think West Australia is then. The Far West is similar to our "Up North" with dry, flat landscapes and occasional worn down ranges. Original Australians still sit under the trees and talk to each other in their own language and galahs and correllas flock around everywhere.

Old Paney Homestead in the Gawler Ranges.

Policman's Point in the Gawler Ranges.

Matilda at Uluhru - Sorry Pildappa Rock.

After Ceduna, our first nights stop was at Pildappa Rock, a campsite in the foothills of the Gawler Ranges. It's a slightly smaller version of Wave Rock and from some angles could be a miniature Uluhru. It's a credit to the Wudina Shire Progress Association who keep it immaculately clean. It's got a toilet and a free BBQ too. We left the van there while we took a day trip up into the Gawler Ranges which is just like the Pilbara but without the heat (although I guess the Pilbara can be cool in winter too).

From there we went on to Kimba which bills itself as the halfway point across Australia. It also has a Big Galah! Other towns looking for tourists could learn a lesson from Kimba which positively welcomes you, There is a free (donations invited & impossible to refuse in the circumstances) camp area behind the footy club with a lovely $1 shower. Each evening by 5pm it is full of vans. They also have a well signposted town heritage walk and a bushwalk up to Whites Knob (the South Australian's are very keen on knobs) where there is an impressive modernist sculpture of Eyre and his "native tracker". We spent 2 nights there and at the pub were accosted by a frugal lady from Warnbro who had an onion in her handbag that she was determined to give away, rather than have it go to waste in the quarantine bin. We accommodated her.

Matilda  meets The Big Galah

At Kimba too, in the dirt in front of the Halfway Across Australia sign, Trish picked up a 1950 thruppence. We googled its value to see if it would pay for our holiday. Apparently in mint uncirculated condition it could be worth up to $22. A circulated specimen might fetch from $1-5. Ours had clearly been circulated, recirculated, buried, dug up, walked on, pissed on and circulated again so I suspect it will be at the lower end of the range.

Trish & Matilda at the site of their 1950 thruppence find.