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Slow start. Cool morning. Goodbye to Ron and Julie, Ken and Marion then finish pack up, top up TVan water, head in to town for shopping, fuel, Coffee and for me returned to the caravan park to pick up my left behind chock.
Left Ceduna about midday. Headed towards Port Augusta on the black/brown top with threatening grey clouds to the South.
We tootled along through showery rain and quite a bit of traffic specially going west. Stef called a break at Poochera, which turned out to be a very interesting little stop. There was a museum of old farm machinery – well set out and labelled, sculpture of the dinosaur ant which had been discovered here and attracted scientists from all over the world. There was also a humpy made from kerosene tins that belonged to Peter Sheridan really well restored and cared for. Then there was an art gallery with open signs which we checked out with a tour through with the artist, Dusty, who had some pretty cool paintings.
Turned out he was a chef by trade and had spent time in Echuca having worked at the American, Hopwood Inn, Echuca Hotel and opened The Beef Masters at the Cock ‘n Bull. It sure is a small world.
Quick stop at Kimba – 1/2 way across Australia.
Travelled on the Eyre Highway all day. We passed by Iron Knob which looked good in the afternoon light (despite the rain.)
Sleeping tonight at Nuttbush Retreat – a station stay owned by Bruce and Julie Nutt. The caretakers Vanessa and Paul were lovely, very hospitable and went out of their way to take our late orders for dinner. We all enjoyed beef or chicken snitz and chips with gravy of some description and a couple of drinks that went down well.
After tea we retired to my van with heater on for a game of cards. Very cosy it was too.
After the game I showered before bed – it doesn’t feel too cold yet.
SOME MORE INFO FROM POOVHERA.
Peter Sheridan
As recalled by Marion Francey
Peter Sheridan was born, the 8th child of Michael and Mary Sheridan, on the 28th July 1870 at Port Lincoln. He was a bachelor and at times in later life, a recluse. In his youth he was a stockman and worked on stations around the state of SA, as well as helping around shearing shed, later he worked as “Boots” for Belle Mudge at the Criterion Hotel in Streaky Bay. Apparently he would only stay at that job for a few months at a time, however he was always welcomed back as he was such a good worker. He spent many years in this way.
At Poochera he lived with Paddy and Marion Francey for 12 months while he built his own home in a patch of scrub. The house was built out of flattened kerosene tins and poles made from the local pine trees. He constructed a bunk, cupboards and a table and chair from kerosene boxes. The floor was compacted hard dirt with mats made from wheat bags. The house and garden around it were always kept very spic and span. Peter was always very clean and neat himself. When we were kids Mum used to often send us up with tasty parcels of food she would, from time to time, cook for him. He used to trap rabbits and harvest wild peaches (quondongs) in season. Some times we wouldn’t see him for weeks then we would find a bag of wild peaches or a couple of rabbits in a sack by the back door.
When as kids we were playing over in the back paddock, we would sometimes catch sight of him heading off into the bush with his sack over his shoulder. He seemed to me a very shy and solitary man though always kind to us children. He used to visit his brother Tom (Grandad) and they would sit on the front verandah and yarn of times gone by when they were stockmen and such, and I can recall them mentioning working for Kidman. One story I remember was about when they were sinking wells and how one of them cracked open a stone and found a frog inside of it! Grandad used to smoke his pipe and Peter used to chew tobacco. Peter later died from cancer of the lip, no doubt due to this habit. The tobacco was in a solid wad of which he would pare a bit off with his pocket knife and chew it. He suffered badly with Asthma and was admitted to Wudinna Hospital before going to Adelaide. He passed away at Parkside in Adelaide on the 11th April 1954 at the age of 83 years and is buried at Centennial Park.
DINOSAUR ANT.
Ants First Evolved When Solitary Wasp Ancestors Began To Live In Groups About
100 Million Years Ago In The Age Of Dinosaurs.
Of All Known Living Ants The “Dinosaur Ant” Nothomyrmecia Macrops Most Closely
Resembles What The First Ants Would Have Been Like.
Nothomyrmecia Was Found In The Mallee Scrub At Poochera In 1977
Colonies Live Deep In The Soil. Each Has A Tiny, Obscured Entrance Hole.
Nests Contain A Single Queen And Up To 100 Workers, All Daughters Of The Queen.
Seasonally There May Also Be Eggs, Larvae (equivalent To Caterpillars In Butterflies) Or Pupae (Equivalent The Chrysalis), Winged Virgin Queens And Winged,
Wasp-Like Males.
Once A Year, In The Early Summer The Winged Virgin Queens And Males Leave The Nests To Mate. The Males Then Soon Die, And The Mated Queens Come To The Ground, Shed Their Wings, Dig Small Starter Nests And Begin To Lay Eggs. After About A Year The Colony Will Grow To Include The Mother Queen And Perhaps 15 Workers. It Continues To Grow To Full Size Over A Couple Of Years. Colonies Last Perhaps 8-10 Years
Until The Queen Dies.
Just After Dusk Each Night The Workers Leave The Nest To Forage For Food For Themselves And The Larvae. This Activity Is Strictly Nocturnal. They Each Forage Alone, Without Forming Columns Or Co-Operating In Any Way. Each Crosses The Ground From The Nest To A Nearby Tree Which It Ascends. Prey Consists Of Small Insects Which Are Found In The Trees, Stung To Death And Immediately Carried Back To The Nest.
Nothomyrmecia Stings Are Very Painful To Humans, And The Venom Causes A Strong Reaction. We Know Of Only 3 People Who Have Been Stung. All Experienced Considerable Swelling At The Site Stung. The Ants Are Not Aggressive Like Bulldog Ants, So Scientists Studying Them Are Seldom Stung
Workers Which Do Not Catch Prey, Stay Out All Night And Return To Their Nests At Dawn.
During The Day, With The Nest Entrances Obscured And The Ants Inactive It Is Almost Impossible To Tell If The Ants Are Present At Any Site.
Travel adventures with Nicola & co. 