LEIGH CREEK, COPLEY AND LYNDHURST SA

  I continued north from Beltana towards Farina for another 60 kms, through Leigh Creek, Copley and Lyndhurst to reach the end of the bitumen.
 Leigh Creek is a NRG Flinders Company Coal town of around 500 people servicing the residents who mostly work at the nearby Coalfields that seem to stretch for ever. On the edge of the desert, to the west of the northern Flinders Ranges, the current town is 13 km further south than the original town at Copley. It was moved in 1982 to allow the expansion of the mine. Today 2.5 million tonnes of Brown Coal is mined here  and is transported 250 kms south to power stations at Port Augusta that produce about 40% of the electricity needs of SA. Leigh creek has a planned appearance with a substantial Roadhouse , a Primary School, a Police Station that seems bigger than one would think is necessary, a Supermarket, Bar and Cafe. To me it felt a bit sterile and boring.

 The Open Cut Coal Mine stretches for 10 kms or more

I wonder if this Farmer knew what was in his backyard before he left

Large building ruins beside the road to Leigh Creek

  Copley was indeed just hanging on, with few businesses open and only a couple of people on the street. Finally, Lyndhurst with its 30 people, Pub, Roadhouse and a very basic, dirt, Caravan Park was the last stop before the dirt roads and tracks of the desert that extends north. I needed to experience at least some of this as Farina is another 25 kms  further on.

Copley Pub

"Talc Alf" seems to have left town

The dirt to Farina looked challenging

BELTANA SA

  A rough 15 of gravel led from the Hwy to Beltana Station and Beltana Heritage Town situated thereon. The Adnyamathanha (meaning hills or Rock People). are recognised as the first inhabitants of Beltana and the surrounding region. The first European pastoralists arrived in the mid 1850s. The land subsequently became the central holdings of the Beltana pastoral Co, a South Australia grazing empire. The town dates from 1870 with the arrival of the Overland Telegraph and the discovery of Copper 20 kms to the east. Beltana's heyday came in the 1880s with the arrival of the Transcontinental Railway in 1881. Railway buildings,shops, a Police Station and a Brewery were established. The town's most famous resident was Reverend John Flynn who established the Royal Flying Doctor's Service and the Australian Inland Mission. He was based here in 1911, living in the manse.
  Beltana began to decline in 1941 when nearby Leigh Creek was built. The last businesses closed in 1983. The Town is still occupied with the buildings in different states of disrepair or in the process of restoration. In 1987, Beltana was declared a State Heritage Area in recognition of it's link with South Australia's history.

Beltana Station

Police Station c1881

The Cell Block c1881

The Schoolhouse c1893

Presbyterian Manse c1894

I wish that I could read German

The Bakery has been reconstructed from photographs

The remains of the Bakery Chimneys with  a new entrance to the Underground Oven in the distance

Doigs's coach building  shop became Smith of Dunesk Mission 1919 - 30

Royal Victoria Hotel c1878

An old Afghan Well

PARACHILNA SA

 Parachilna IS the Prairie Hotel along with an abandoned school and a couple of run down houses. It is  located on a straight stretch of the road to Lyndhurst on a desolate plain, 90 kms north of Hawker. The little Pub is dominated by the dining room which is famous for the excellent food served and of course the "Road Kill Platter" a combination of a fillet of Kangaroo, one of Emu and a Camel sausage for $35. Other menu offerings where Roo, Emu or Camel Burgers and an excellent BEEF steak sandwich that I had for $20. The Camel sausage turned me off the "Platter".The Prairie is very popular and the place was full. It is school holidays in SA and there were many families with heaps of kids.
  I had to stay the night since it was too late to drive on. The only place to stay, other than in the Pub, was in the old School grounds that had toilets and cold showers for $10 per night. This turned out to be an experience. A dust storm developed soon after dark with winds of 60 Kms or more that rocked the Hiace until I expected it to roll over. I didn't get much sleep.
  My plan tomorrow, is to continue north, stopping at Beltana Station, and its heritage town and then on to Lyndhurst and eventually to the ruins of Farina.

The Prairie Hotel

The Old Abandoned School and mow Camping Area

HAWKER SA

  Hawker is the next town on the trek north from Quorn. Once an old railway town, it retains much of its 1800s charm.  A small yet busy place, being a popular spot for day trippers and a staging point for venturing further into the Flinders. From here there are two possible routes that one can take. One continues on the main B83 through Parachilna, the iron ore company town of Leigh Creek, then on to Lyndhurst and the end of the bitumen. Then there is dirt all the way to Maree before either taking the Birdsville or the Oodnadatta tracks which are out of my league. The alternative route travels on a minor bitumen road via Wilpena Pound to Blinman. After that your on your own in real 4x4 desert country.
I wanted to visit Beltana Station and Farina both heritage ghost towns so my initial route will be to take the first option via Parachilna up to Lyndhurst from where I intend to brave the 25 km Maree Road, dirt, trip to Farina. I will then back track to Parachilna and its Gorge before cutting across to Blinman on a 35 km gravel road. From there it will be south to Wilpena Pound and finally back to Hawker. Phew did you get all that?
  I forgot to mention that the country from Quorn to Hawker had many examples of beautiful old deserted Homesteads of 1800s vintage that I mentioned in a previous post. I suspect that I will find many more in around Beltana and Farina.