WALKERS ROCKS and A WAR OF BEES

  My next destination for a couple of days was Walkers Rocks, a wild and isolated 600 metre long beach situated in the Lake Newland Conservation Park. I stayed here around the same time last year and was again impressed with the unspoilt peacefulness of the area. There is a small campsite with basic facilities at the end of an excellently maintained gravel road. However, its isolated situation means that only a few seem to visit. This time, I was also treated to a sight that may remain unique to me anyway. Whilst exploring the rock formations just above the waterline, I stumbled on a hive of Bees that appeared to be under attack from another species of Bee or possibly a swarm of wasps. It looked as though it was a fight to the death with the victor's spoil being the hive. From what I observed the original inhabitants ( the striped ones) were losing the battle with the marauding black species. This war lasted for the two days that I was in residence and was not quite over when I left.

The Hive under the rock ledge

The Combatants

A fight to the death

Casualties

EYRE PENINSULA SA - MURPHY'S HAYSTACKS

  When travelling east after crossing The Nullarbor,  there are two options available to cross the SW part of South Australia both leading to Port Augusta at the head of the Spencer Gulf. One is a relatively direct inland route using the Eyre Highway and the other, which I have chosen, is to follow the SW coast at least part of the way. Although I travelled this way during my first visit to the area last year, I am keen to revisit some familiar campsites and investigate some new spots.
  After a couple of nights at the tiny Oyster farming village of Haslam, I ventured to one such previously missed place, a free camp situated on private property off the Flinders,  just to the SE,  known as Murphy's Haystacks. The name describes unusual rock formations that lie within wheat fields just within the property boundaries. A selection of strangely shaped monuments known as Inselbergs are scattered over an area of about 500 sq mtrs.
  Local information reveals:  "The origin of the granite rocks, or inselbergs is fascinating. Made up of pink (some call it red) Hiltaba granite, so named after a sheep station situated some way north-east, the haystacks have stood on top of the earth in their present form for nearly 34,000 years. "Murphys Haystacks" were named after Denis Murphy, who was born at Inchor, Ballyagran, County,  Limerick, Ireland on March 25, 1858. He arrived in South Australia on the ship "Nebo" in 1882 and spent several years working at Peterborough and Yongala before taking up land here at Calca."
    Local legend says that Murphys Haystacks acquired its name from an agricultural expert who saw this landmark in the distance whilst travelling on the mail coach driven by Charlie Mudge. Apparently the gentleman was very impressed and informed his fellow passengers that the farmer must have harrowed his land to produce such a great abundance of hay!

The Haystacks at Sunset

A Technical Description of how they formed