Tuesday, 29 April 2014

Coward Springs camp – Oodnadatta track - South Australia 19-04-2014

P1430013

P1430065

Sadly no Station remains, however the old Engine Drivers ‘cabin’ and Station Masters house have been beautifully restored by the present owners of Coward Springs campsite. The Old Ghan railway track and sleepers have been recycled to construct toilet and shower huts and rails used as kerbing to protect native flora.

P1430027

Old Engine Drivers ‘cabin’ restored in accordance with original plan.P1430029  P1430032

Coward Springs Siding track was opened in 1888.  The stonework for the Station Masters and Engine Drivers ‘cabin’ is believed to be influenced by Cornish miners who came to South Australia during this period. 

To the Arabunna people, who had lived here for thousands of years, this Mound Spring is known as Pitha Kalti Kalti.

P1430047

P1430068

Athel Pines (Tamarix aphylla) an exotic, similar to the Drooping Sheoak in structure though light grey green foliage. The ‘leaves’ like that of the sheoak are tiny scales wrapped tightly around branchlets. They thrive in sandy arid regions and have a high salt tolerance providing much needed shade where few other trees will grow. This is the tree that I could not identify at Port Pirie.

P1430076

Toilet hut constructed from the the Old Ghan railway sleepers.

P1430075 P1430077

Welcome Swallow nest and the male taking a rest.IMG_0893

Crested Pigeon at Coward Springs.

P1430080

P1430089

Paintings inside the loos – zebra finches here.

IMG_0896

Walking around the campsite, here water and thermal pool is fed from the bore sunk in 1887.

No comments: