Today we say goodbye to the Flinders Ranges (for now) - we are certain that this place will draw us back again in our future visits to SA.
The last of my Flinders Ranges photos - taken during the last few days at Rawnsley Park Station.
These were taken one afternoon when I took a walk up to point called Alison's Saddle.
From this point I looked back to Rawnsley Bluff over where the Eco Villas are hidden away at the station.
The view from this point is pretty much a sweep of 360 degrees.
Here I am looking back over the campground
And we say goodbye to Rawnsley as we look out to the bluff from our camp site
This morning (Sunday) we head off back through Hawker and down southwards to the Clare Valley.
We arrive in the little township of Clare at about 1.30pm and head straight for a little family owned vineyard, Stone Bridge, that I have read about in a magazine.
At weekends they do wood fired pizza and it's apparently a popular little spot with the locals.
Well what a lovely find this was. Very friendly owners who run the place themselves - he cooks, she waitresses and the the teenage daughters waitress as well.
It's quite a small concern and small area outside where you eat in the garden - the pizzas are cooked in the outdoor wood fired pizza oven - and they were superb!!
After this late lunch we head back into Clare and find ourselves at the local caravan park full of Red River Gums.
It's the usual scenario - end up chatting with some other campers and then happy hour - then dinner and bed.
We hitch up and head out in the morning (Monday) to explore Clare --
-- and some of the Clare Valley vineyards and quaint towns.
We checked out a few cellar doors and I by some wines at the Knappstein cellar door. I wonder if any of it will make it home to Brissie!
The Clare a valley vineyards are all quite close together and you could visit many of them in a day without travelling very far at all.
We move on to visit Mintaro in the heart of the Clare Valley. This little hamlet was established in1849 and the entire town is now heritage listed.
It is a very picturesque little village set amongst wheat fields and vineyards and surrounded by a broad band of rolling hills. Unfortunately on this week day most of the town seemed to be shut. Nothing was open. I guess they do all their trade at the weekends. But we could walk around the town to see the lovely old buildings.
The Magpie and Stump hotel
The old Flour Mill
Just out of the town is Martindale Hall - a magnificent Georgian style mansion built in 1879.
This building was open for viewing - but we unfortunately elected not to do the tour wanted to move on to see Burra before heading on to get to Broken Hill for tonight.
We loved what we have seen of the Clare valley and we plan to try and come back for a 4 day weekend when we can get some cheap flights to Adelaide. It's only 90 minute drive and we could see the Clare and the Barossa Valleys easily in 4 days.
Our next stop is the town of Burra - just east of the Clare Valley. What a lovely little gem of a place this is!!!
We have lunch at a cute little cafe - I have the fantastic pumpkin soup.
Burra is an old copper mining town and was once South Australia's copper central. Miners and townspeople migrated to Burra primarily from Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Germany.
It is one of the best preserved towns of the Victorian era and is declared a State Heritage area.
The town is also now publicly claimed to be the "Merino capital of the world"
After leaving Burra we start the remainder of our journey back to Broken Hill where we plan to stay for for the next couple of nights.
And say goodbye to South Australia for now!!
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