A day trip in my own backyard.
Sometimes we miss the very beauty and interesting places that our own back yards afford us all.
It was with this thought in mind that last Sunday some of my family and I took a day out to discover as tourists a popular town in South Australia on the south coast Called Victor Harbor.
It was a cool start to the day with overcast conditions for this a summers day. However the rain that had presented itself previously was welcomed and well needed. As the garden took on that wonderful wet earth smell and everything got a good wash down.
We arrived at our destination a thirty minute drive from here and went straight to the railway station to book a Steam Ranger ride for the early afternoon.
Started in 1978 the Steam Ranger is a volunteer operated. Original steam engine called the Cockle Train. It shuttles between Victor Harbor and Goolwa during holidays and weekends and this day it had five carriages of Ye Olden Days attached to the bogie which was a classic old girl maintained in beautiful original condition.
After purchasing our tickets we then walked the short distance to the Causeway and old jetty that takes us to the next part of our Back yard visit.
We walked past many other interesting places such as the Whale Centre as these are the waters of the Great Southern Right Whale. With many sightings observed in the Whale Season.
A very large and interesting playground is also close with an old train engine in the park for children to climb upon and much other wonderful play ground equipment also supplied. The kids can spend hours here for free.
There is so much to see and do in this lovely ocean side town that you can spend more than one day here easily and still miss seeing it all. That means many tourists like to stay for a few days at least to get the feel of this historic area.
As you have seen from my photos and previous posts the next part of the day is spent exploring Granite Island.
We made the beginning of the causeway as Bill was being loaded up and even though we can walk over the jetty to the island it is such a fun ride to take the old and I mean antique tram, pulled by Bill the Clydesdale and his friends. There are three of these trams running on busy days at intervals across to the island and our driver assured me that the horses just love their day tripping.
The Island is a sanctuary for native species and has its own Fairy Penguin Colonies and an interpretive centre for visitors to attend and learn about these cute little creatures. At the moment there are only 500 of these dear little birds and it is thought that this is a minimum as the total a few years ago was fifteen hundred. There are many theories abounding but no sure fire reason why.
Something of interest little Nicky is the latest arrival at the centre. A little orphan found on a beach she is now thriving and is the big hit of the Interpretive Centre.
The island is made of granite rock hence its name Granite Island and it has the hallmarks all over in the form of huge Granite boulders. Nature knows and has been kind to the town of Victor Harbor because this island takes the brunt on its southern side of the howling winds that come up from the South Pole. There is a copper plaque up top on the island in memory of a local and that shows you the distances to places nearby and afar and yes it shows you how far to the South Pole.
A lovely restaurant provides much needed refreshments out on the terrace over looking the breakwater and the bay a perfect venue for a sit and a wonderful view.
After a bit of exploration it is back on Bills tram and back to catch the Cockle Train.
We make it in time as the coaches are filling fast. The old coaches with their wooden embellishments, sprung leather seats, thick glass push up and down windows and luggage racks. Those well sprung old carriages that are a thing of the past. Pulled by the proud black engine with its unique whistle and curls of light grey smoke curling up above and under the Great Iron Horse.
We were in time to watch the engine shunt back into the first carriage and then as it was coupled the excitement started to creep through the carriages, children taking their positions near the windows and adults also moving their luggage into the racks above before settling into small compartments of 2x2 seats facing each other.
The engine drivers know their track and their engine and the ride was just so scenic and wonderful. Lots of people waving to the train as she sounds her whistle along the way. A scene not played out in many places today this is truly unique. Very soon the Station at Goolwa approaches where we have a 30 min stopover before the ride back. Goolwa itself deserves another post another time but you know you have reached it when you look out the window into the port, as this is a port and station side by side here and on two poles you see two huge pelicans sitting and watching the Cockle Train arrive. I would have loved to have taken a picture but alas my camera had seen too much action for the battery.
We looked around a market on the common and all too soon it was back on board our train. Still excited as we cruised along smoke curling and people waving, the whistle blowing along a track that at times is next to the sea or going through a field of wheat. Part rural, part holiday villages with historic old towns along the way. The train offers scenes even of peoples back gardens, not the usual scenes from the road.
Back in Victor as we call it and it was across the road to a bistro for coffee before heading home. The bistro is along side the railway track so once again we had a great big view of our train and the rail crossing with its big wooden gates, physically moved by the volunteers for the train to once again move on down the tracks to the turnstile where it then comes back for its last ride back to Goolwa.
Such an interesting day spent in our Own Backyard.
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