NAIDOC week this year is November 8-15 and it’s a week to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with this year’s theme being:
Always Was, Always Will Be.
These words recognise that First Nations people have lived and cared for this continent for more than 65,000 years. It acknowledges their spiritual and cultural connection to the country and celebrates that Australia’s story didn’t begin with European arrivals and contact.
Around an hour’s drive south of Adelaide on the Fleurieu Peninsula is the Myponga Reservoir which has recently been opened up for families to enjoy its scenic outlook and recreation options. A visit makes for an interesting day out in nature to go bushwalking, ride a bike, have a picnic, see plenty of kangaroos in the wild and get wide scenic views. After a healthy day out there’s also a way you can reward yourself at the end.
There are a number of station stays you can try when travelling in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia and Rawnsley Park Station is one I would recommend. Continue reading
A sign that greets you as enter the town of Parachilna in the Flinders Ranges, gives you the Adnyamathanha peoples original name for the location as Varratyalinha. The word means Dead Finish Splinter – dead finish is the plant species Acacia Tetragonophylla. Another theory is that the Nukunu people lived in this area and referred to it as ‘patajilnda’ meaning peppermint gum trees, but little is known of the traditional owners who were dispossessed of their country from 1849, and much of their language has been lost. Sadly this is all that is recorded for this particular area as any other connections to traditional or dreaming stories has been lost over time.
While we were checking out the magnificent silo art in Wirrabara it gave us the perfect reason to try some free camping in the area, a town I had never stayed in before. This is just another reason why I think the idea of silo art is so important, it draws people to a town that might otherwise have been bypassed and we are happy to spend time and money while we are there.
Following the Murray River downstream in South Australia gives you lots of opportunities to free camp along its length. For the most part when they say free camps, they are exactly that. Here are a couple to try in Walkers Flat that are completely free, give you on river camping and have other facilities close by.
