Breaking out of New South Wales

OK we got out without using a hacksaw.

Here is our second Broken Hill dawn.
Fairly soon after that we had packed up and headed off on the Barrier Highway (named after the Range around the Hill) towards Adelaide.  Shortly after crossing the border we come across this: hopefully an art installation rather than an informal settlement.
The countryside was basically MAMAN: miles and miles of absolutely nothing.  After a very annoying delay 200km into SA while a quarantine inspector checked the van in front of us and ourselves for fruit and veg (he probably had the only job in Oodla Wirra and, given the number of roads with no inspectors, his was only marginally better than painting rocks white) we turned South towards Burra.  A train started to come by ....
.. and continued on for some fair time
A little North of Burra we turned off to check Mokata Conservation Conservation Park.  It was naturally barren but is apparently covered with flowers in Spring.
A long way to go!
We didn't stop in Burra, but headed to Clare, our planned stop for the night.  A couple of wineries had been noted here including Kirrihill which had a 96 point wine rated by James Halliday.  It was very good, but they were rationing this a 2 bottles a head as they had sold out, but found some lurking stock.  We got our couple plus some very complex Cab.Sauv.

This image shows the sales room, plus some of a group of small kids who had descended on Tammy, to great mutual enjoyment.
Some vineyards in the valley.
We also visited Pikes Brewery (6 pack of 3 styles)and Knappstein brewery (4 pack of lager).  Watch this blog for reviews. Just behind Knappstein was an excellent wetland which we walked around.
The SA Blue Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon I think) was in both:

  • flower and 
  • favour with the Musk Lorikeets.

The site was marked by a large slab of Mintaro slate
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