Goolwa

Train trip 1/2 hour & we arrived in Goolwa, home to the Mouth of the Mighty Murray river.

 

 

PS Oscar W one of the few remaining paddle steamers left on the river.

 

This is the famous Hindmarsh bridge that created news headlines in the 1980's when local Aboriginal women said the land on the island side of the bridge was sacred "Secret womens business" !!!! & caused the delay in the new bridge being built to replace the ferry. The whole thing was a HOAX!!!!

 

All the towns have wonderful old pubs & the Corio is another cute one

 

War memorial

 

 

Main street of Goolwa

 

Goolwa hotel

 

Next day we drove back to Goolwa to see a few more sights. There are 5 barrages built around the islands near the mouth of Murray river. This is to keep the salt water from Great Southern ocean going too far up stream, causing extreme salinity.

 

 

There is a loch in this barrage to allow large vessels move up & down the river. We were lucky enough to see a yacht come through,while we were out on the barrage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob @ Coorong

 

 

Jan admiring the view in the Coorong National park. It's like big long sand dune that separates the ocean from the river

 

Walk way through the Coorong dunes to Great Southern ocean

 

Goolwa paddle steamer is now a B & B accommodation

 

The Mouth Of Murray

 

The Mighty Murray meets the Great Southern ocean

 

 

 

 

We decided to camp out at the boat ramp out past the barrage & were treated to this lovely sunset

 

Cockle train run - Goolwa to Victor harbour & return

Caught the Cockle train to Goolwa this morning @ 11am. This line was the first built in SA to transport goods brought down the Murray river by paddle steamers to Goolwa & then by train to the port @ Victor harbour. It is called the Cockle train because passengers use to collect the cockle shells on the beach & then catch train back home. The rail runs along the coastline & is very scenic. Unfortunately no whales loafing in the bay

 

Here comes the train

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely old carriages

 

 

Shunting the loco back to front of train for ride into Goolwa

The Bluff

 

Bob taking a walk around the Bluff which overlooks Encounter bay

 

This is our view from where we are camping the night, tucked away from view

 

Whale centre in Victor harbour

We have been blessed with the weather for last couple days, great for doing the touristy things around town.

Snap shots inside the whale centre

Whale shark. Bob swam with the whale sharks when we were in Exmouth WA in 2009

Glad I'm not going swimming around here, loads of White pointer sharks in the SA waters