Wildflowers at Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia

Over recent days I have been sharing some photos of Australian native flowers taken at one of our favourite places to visit. Pangarinda Arboretum near Wellington is about a half hour drive from home in Murray Bridge and just over an hour SE of Adelaide.

The arboretum is a large collection of native plants from all over Australia. In my many visits there I have always found a good variety of plants flowering, so my camera always gets a good workout.

It is always open to the public for free. All we ask is that you make sure the gate is closed after you drive through. This is to keep the rabbits out.

Wildflowers at Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia

Wildflowers at Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia

Our lunch spot at Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia

One of our favourite places to visit near our home is the Pangarinda Arboretum at Wellington near the Murray River in South Australia. It is about a half hour drive from home. The arboretum is a vast collection of Australian native plants, many of them displaying spectacular flowers. Over the coming days I will be showcasing some of those plants and flowers on this site.

Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia

Pangarinda Arboretum, Wellington, South Australia

Murray River, Mannum, South Australia

Mannum is a small river town less than a half hour drive from my home. It is on the banks of the Murray River and has a long history dating back to the paddle steamer era in the late 1800s when Mannum was an important river trade port. The local museum bears testimony to this important element of South Australia’s history.

We enjoy our visits and love relaxing in Mary Ann Reserve where these photos were taken.

Silver Gull and the Murray River, Mannum, South Australia

Murray River, Mannum, South Australia

Murray River, Mannum, South Australia

The river town of Mannum is less than a half hour drive from our home in Murray Bridge. This popular tourist town is quiet with a good range of facilities including an excellent caravan park and several hotels. The picnic area at Mary Ann Reserve on the banks of the river is a popular spot. It is also where several touring boats moor, including those which provide meals, short trips of the river and longer week long cruises.

An excellent Tourist Information Centre which features the historic nature of the old Mannum River Port which was in its heyday in the paddle steamer era of the late 1800s.

Murray River, Mannum, South Australia

Silver Gulls and the Murray River, Mannum, South Australia

Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia

Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia

Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia

Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, has been deliberately planned with parks and gardens surrounding the CBD. Botanic Park is one such park and is located between Adelaide Zoo and Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The Bicentennial Conservatory is just a five minute walk from where I took these photos.

Links:

• Adelaide Botanic Gardens
• Bicentennial Conservatory
• Adelaide Zoo

Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia

Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia

At the end of August we took our daughter to Adelaide Airport. She was on her way to teach for the rest of the year in Ethiopia. After seeing her off we drove to Botanic Park near the CBD of Adelaide. Here we had a picnic lunch before driving back home.

Adelaide’s park-lands are a feature of this beautifully planned city. The main park-lands, of which this is just one section, surround the CBD and separate it from the suburbs. It’s certainly a wonderful place to picnic and spend some time relaxing.

Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia

Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia

Farm ruins near Palmer, South Australia

For a good proportion of the nearly 175 year history of the state of South Australia, agriculture has been predominant. In the last few decades manufacturing and mining have taken over as our leading economic arenas.

Because of this history of settlement on the land in the early days, farms were established in many parts of the state, including many which didn’t last all that long. Travelling in the rural areas of our state reveals many formerly fine homes and farm sheds now in a poor state; most are buildings slowly becoming ruins, mere shadows of the dreams of their optimistic builders.

The buildings shown on this post can be found near the road from Palmer to Tungkillo, east of Adelaide.

Farm ruins near Palmer, South Australia

Rock formations near Palmer, South Australia

Creek bed at sunset along the Riesling Trail near Clare, South Australia

The Riesling Trail runs from Auburn to just north of Clare in the mid north of South Australia. This popular walking/cycling trail follows the old railway line which serviced this region in the early days of settlement.

My family and I walked a good part of this trail over the Easter weekend earlier this year. On the last day we walked just on sunset and this accentuated the colours in the surrounding hills and paddocks and lit up the many gum trees lining the many creeks meandering through the landscape. Most of these creeks are ephemeral, only flowing after good rains.

Along the Riesling Trail near Clare, South Australia

Over recent days I’ve been featuring photos taken along the Riesling Trail in the Clare Valley, South Australia. This part of my home state features many beautiful scenes, most of them highlighting either the many vineyards or the iconic red gum trees, like those shown above.

During Easter this year my family and I walked along this trail, tackling it in easy stages. I had a hard time concentrating on the walking; everywhere I looked I saw another photographic opportunity. I’ll be sharing more of these shots in coming days.

The Riesling Trail follows the old railway line through the valley. The rails and sleepers were removed some years ago and replaced with compacted gravel making walking and cycling a wonderful delight. An added bonus for wine lovers are the many wineries within a few minutes walk of the trail.