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| OUR BIG TRIP MARY & OLI GOING AROUND AUSTRALIA |
GOING HOME - Page 1
28 October 2007, Sunday
During the morning we wanted to have a look at the Peterborough train museum called Steamtown. We thought that the
steam trains would still run but were told during a very personalised tour that it stopped about 4 years ago when the
insurance money was raised from a few thousands to almost $100,000. The guy doing the tour for just us two was a little bit
sour - he was complaining a lot about the economy, aborigines and other things including Johnny Howard. Here was the first
time we realised that Outback Towns - and Peterborough is one for sure - are in a difficult situation. The main income - trains -
is gone and the population has gone from over 6,000 to about 2,000 people. The drought has also played a role in this area
and the town is slowly dying. The town itself has lots of potential with its nice Main Street and the museum which needs just
some money. A Marketing Manager has been hired and is arriving tomorrow to hopefully, turn around this beautiful area.
During the next few days driving we would find more of those villages which are on the brink of dying out. A shame and the
Government should be doing something about it. After Steamtown we went on towards the Barossa Valley which would be
our next stop. Here was the choose again - trailer, cabin, cottage or? We went to the Information Centre first in Tanunda and
realised that only a couple of unpowered Sites were available in the Caravan Park. This weekend was a HOG Party - Harley
Davidson meeting - over 2000 Harleys and 3000 people - and some of them are still here. After calling a few cottages we
finally found one which had a cancellation and we booked in for three nights. We stayed at Lucy's Cottage at the Heritage
Winery which was named after their dog which died about 3 years ago. The cottage is based on the old homestead build
around 1850's - great place !!! Below are the pictures from today.
28 October 2007, Sunday
During the morning we wanted to have a look at the Peterborough train museum called Steamtown. We thought that the
steam trains would still run but were told during a very personalised tour that it stopped about 4 years ago when the
insurance money was raised from a few thousands to almost $100,000. The guy doing the tour for just us two was a little bit
sour - he was complaining a lot about the economy, aborigines and other things including Johnny Howard. Here was the first
time we realised that Outback Towns - and Peterborough is one for sure - are in a difficult situation. The main income - trains -
is gone and the population has gone from over 6,000 to about 2,000 people. The drought has also played a role in this area
and the town is slowly dying. The town itself has lots of potential with its nice Main Street and the museum which needs just
some money. A Marketing Manager has been hired and is arriving tomorrow to hopefully, turn around this beautiful area.
During the next few days driving we would find more of those villages which are on the brink of dying out. A shame and the
Government should be doing something about it. After Steamtown we went on towards the Barossa Valley which would be
our next stop. Here was the choose again - trailer, cabin, cottage or? We went to the Information Centre first in Tanunda and
realised that only a couple of unpowered Sites were available in the Caravan Park. This weekend was a HOG Party - Harley
Davidson meeting - over 2000 Harleys and 3000 people - and some of them are still here. After calling a few cottages we
finally found one which had a cancellation and we booked in for three nights. We stayed at Lucy's Cottage at the Heritage
Winery which was named after their dog which died about 3 years ago. The cottage is based on the old homestead build
around 1850's - great place !!! Below are the pictures from today.
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| An old Ghan locomotive - which was taken from Maree and restored here at Steamtown. |
| A nice basing in each sleeping cabin in the old Ghan wagons. |
| The bar wagon - nice and authentic. Below an old locomotive which had not yet been restored. |
| On top - This one was still running about 4 years ago before the insurance issues. Right: The only turntable with three gauges on it in the World. Below the entrance to the museum. |
| Above right - Main Street with old Hotels - looks like a real nice Outback town - potential which needs money. Left and Right - an old train again and War Memorial including the Monster Truck and Trailer. |
| At each entrance to the town those trains are located. The local blacksmith made them and they all have certain stories attached to them - we did not do the town tour - so can't tell you. The town has potential, but needs some money injected... |