4 Sept 2011 - Happy Father's Day and.... A lesson learned

Last night was the first night away that we hadn't had our little fan heater on, but it did cool off to a fresh morning. The temperature stayed milder than yesterday's but was still warm and sunny, perfect for taking even more photos.

After I'd called Dad to wish him a happy Father's Day, I slipped on my runners and walked over to say goodmorning to the others. I noticed what I thought to be a stone in the tip of my shoe, so I took it off to remove the offending item. I tipped my runner up, but nothing came out so I stuck my hand in, got my fingers on something that strangely enough didn't feel like a stone, and extracted my hand to find I'd latched onto a Huntsman spider. Wikipedia cites: "They do bite if provoked..." but luckily this one didn't. I learned a valuable lesson, don't leave your footwear outside overnight!

Before leaving Wilpena, we'd jumped on the internet and pre-booked our tickets for today's trip on the Pichi Richi Railroad. This narrow-gauge, steam-powered loco pulls four wooden carriages 32km from Quorn to Woolshed Flat and return, travelling through some narrow cuttings, across open plains and over a variety of wooden, steel and stone bridges.

The pace is slow and steady, and gives everyone time to relax and appreciate the countryside and surroundings.

Railway Station at Quorn

On our return to Quorn Station, everyone decided it was time for lunch. A short walk brought us to a most curious eatery housed in an old Emporium (a store selling a wide variety of goods). Dave popped his head inside the door for a look and commented that the "house was full" so we figured this might be a good sign. We had to wait 'til a table came free, which gave us a chance to take in the decor. All of the original shelving, cabinets and counters were still in place, many of them containing items of clothing and wares that would have been sold there in the day. Something really different, and the food wasn't bad either.