Introduction

I was on my way up to the Flinders Ranges when I came across the town of Burra in regional South Australia. I had been on the road for a couple of days, I had a bit of time and it looked cool, so I decided to stay a couple of nights.

There was a lot more to Burra than I was expecting. I had just picked a route that covered territory I hadn't really visited before. So coming across the major historical centre came as quite a pleasant surprise.

"Monster Mine"

First opened in 1848, this mine was once the biggest metal mine in Australia, supplying 5% of the worlds copper. The buildings shown below housed a Cornish beam engine which was the first erected in Australia.

Midnight Oil House

A few kilometres north of Burra is this abandoned cottage which is famous for being on the cover of the Midnight Oil album Diesel & Dust.

When you approach you can see why its such an iconic scene. The cottage is sited perfectly in relation to the surrounding hillsides. These pictures just really don't give it justice.

Further along, the track drops down to sea level - stairs cut into the cliff, salt spray drifting up from the rocks.

Ruins & Windmills

In the surrounding country side the theme of abandoned cottage ruins and rolling hillsides gets enhanced by the addition of wind turbines. Lots of wind turbines.

South Australia routinely meets 100% of its energy demands using renewable energy. In the country side around Burra you can see why.

Outback next door

The ranges on which Burra sits form a distinct barrier between the farm land in the South-East of South Australia and the flat arid plains of Outback Australia. Within a handful of kilometres the grass lands give way to salt bush, the sealed roads become gravel, the towns cease and the farms start stretching out into the vast stations.