Murray Bridge, SA

Fri 6 Mar 1998

Having stayed overnight in Adelaide, we drove to Bridgewater and then followed the off-the-beaten-track tour of the Adelaide Hills.

Mount Lofty provides a good view of Adelaide. It suffered horribly in the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983. The crew of the fire spotting tower had 10 minutes to find shelter in the car park as the fire swept the site. They were back in the tower withinn 30 minutes, providing reports for the crews still fighting the fire. Photographs of the mountain taken after the fire reveal total devastation of the whole of the top of the mountain. The only site spared was the native animal reserve a couple of kilometres from the summit.

The drive through the hills was a little hard on Jean as the road was narrow, winding, sometimes unsealed, and often with precipitous drops on the near side.

We stopped by the upper Torrens River for lunch and respite.

On past the Kangaroo Reservoir, now nearly empty, to Gumeracha (pronounced Goo'mer-ack'a) and the Big Rocking Horse Toy Factory. Very impressive product quality and really good prices.

On to Murray Bridge to sleep.