Apr 20, Yorke Peninsula

It was a leisurely day, driving around Yorke Peninsula. Most of the towns were very small, populations ranged from 350 to 1200.

At Price, we drove out on a causeway through samphire tidal flats. Not sure what samphire is, but the area was covered in low shrubs with the tide filling up between them. Further out there were mangroves. The causeway ended at mysterious Wells Creek. Not sure why it was mysterious, but it was tropical looking with the mangroves on the banks. There was a salt works outside of town with several evaporation ponds and mountains of salt. All of it, plus the brine is exported to Japan.

Ardrossan was the home of the Stump Jump Plough. It was developed there to enable the farmers to plow the land without clearing the low scrub that has deep roots. There were several variations, but the display did not explain how they worked. Some had hinges, some has springs. These towns are on the Gulf of St Vincent across from Adelaide. The area produces wheat and barley and ships it from the ports here.
Ardrossan had 2 jetties, one for fishing and crabbing and the other for shipping grain. Huge grain silos stood at the end of the jetty. We stopped at the bakery for coffee with donut and nut slice. The chocolate covered donut was huge and the nut slice was dough covered with a layer of chocolate and chopped nuts covered with a glaze. We then drove to a lookout that had views of a dolomite mine and the gulf.

At Port Vincent, we walked around the waterfront, then drove to the wharf and walked to see some erratics. These were glacial rocks that were carried from Victor Harbor on the southern coast to this area during the last ice age before the continents split.

At Stansbury, we walked along the top of the cliffs for views of the gulf and the shore. Yorketown was inland, but was surrounded by salt lakes. There is no salt production now, but the lakes remain.

Minlaton is the home of the Red Devil, the plane that took mail from Minlaton to Adelaide in 1919. It was the first air mail across the sea in th Southern Hemisphere. The plane has been restored and is on display. Minlaton is also the barley capital of the world!

Now we're on the other side of the peninsula in Port Victoria on Spencer Gulf.

Pictures - Samson at Wells Creek, Stump Jumper Plough, House in Ardrossan, Jeanne and Port Vincent, The Red Devil