The Wonders of South Australia – Camberwell Probus Tour of 9-22 September 2017 21 eager Club members and 5 guests departed for Adelaide, and after a tour around the city a visit to Haig's Chocolates, dinner and rest before the next day starting our 18k journey to Clare visiting The Cedars, Hans Heysen's home built in 1908 – the National Motor Museum in Birdwood – the Barrosa Chateau, home to one of the largest collections of porcelain in the World on route to the Clare Country Club Resort, our overnight stay. Next mornbing we travelled the 530k to Port Lincoln stopping at the Wadiata Outback Centre–Turners Oysters and Seafood for a tasting, then on to the Port Lincoln Hotel for 3 nights. Port Lincoln is the home of the famous horse, Makybe Diva, the only ever winner of three Melbourne Cups. That morning we headed for the Marina for a cruise of Boston Bay to view the King Fish tuna and mussel farms followed by a tassting of tuna, prawns and mussels on board, and then on to Boston Bay Winery for a tasting and excellent Mediterranean style lunch followed by a visit to the Axel Stenross Maritime Museum. Wednesday we visited the historic West Coast town of Elliston for a tour of the town stopping at the local kindergarten. Five students greeted us with flowsers and the mums and dads treated us to a fabulous BBQ after which we travelled on to Coffin Bay to learn about oyster farming along with a tasting of their famous oysters. Thursday, Day 6, we tackled the 600k drive to Roxby Downs, home of the Olympic Dam mine. En route we stopped at Port Augusta for lunch and then on to Woomera during which we listened to a talk by Les Bedell the famous surveyor who spent a large part of his life developing the Woomera Rocket range. After this it was on to Roxby Downs for dinner and a well earned rest and a two day stay. On Friday we had a morning tour of the town and a visit to the Roxby Downs Cultural Precinct for a mine tour presentation and a light lunch at our Motel. Then it was on to Andamooka for a tour of this opal mining town and the opportunity to buy some opals. After a restful day, we drove the 490k to Wilpena Pound for two nights, stopping on the way at the Marree Hotel, the start of the Oodnadatta and Birdsville Tracks, After lunch at Marree we continued east past the famous dog fence for a visit to the stone ruins of Farina before pressing on to Wilpena. Sunday morning saw us at the Branchina Gorge (where the above picture was taken) and the Razorback Lookout for a morning tea stop, after which we drove on to Gumcreek Station for lunch. In the afternoon seven of our group took a flight over Wilpena Pound. Monday we drove the 280k rough track to the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Gammon Ranges for two nights, stopping ono the way to Blinman for a picnic lunch dinner at the Lodge. Tuesday morning we joined the 4WD ridgetop tour for five hours in this spectacular part of Australia, the scenery uneblievably beautiful and the highlight of our tour. As we said farewell to the wonderful Gammon Ranges and started the 480k drive to Quorn we passed the famed Goyders Line that delineated drough affected country. We made a visit to Kanyaka, the twice failed sheep station homestead and then picked up the Afghan Express, a diesel driven train from Quorn to Port Augusta along the Pichi Richi Railway (the old Ghan line) to find our bus waiting to drive us to the Clare Holiday Resort for the night. On Thursday we travelled to Adelaide, stopping at the copper town of Burra and then to Seppeltsfield for a surprise cellar door Barossa style lunch before concluding ouor tour at the Comfort Inn in Adelaide ready for our flight home Friday morning after a first class tour. | 
