Outback - Part 2

So we turned round and headed back towards Port Augusta, where we would camp before heading up the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs, the red centre. Next morning dawned drizzly, so we called in to the Arid Lands Botanical Garden in the hope that the weather would clear for our long drive North. The birds were keeping their heads down, but we did see this Pallid Cuckoo, and on the way out a nice group of Sturt's Desert Pea, South Australia's national flower. As we continued north, the skies cleared and the desert was blooming. The drive to Alice Springs takes two days to complete comfortably (allowing for birding along the way)and the highway is long, straight and can be very boring. We saw lots of raptors along the way, with more Wedge-tailed Eagles and some Brown Falcons posing nicely in trees along the verge. We were soon in new territory, which comes with the added benefit of new birds. We stopped at a few spots, including one just short of the Northern Territory border where I saw a Bourke's Parrot, a real icon of the red centre. In the drier areas, our common Superb Fairywren is replaced by White-winged Fairywren. I didn't manage a shot of the stunning male, but this is the first time I have photographed the female. Carrying on to "the Alice", the weather deteriorated again, and we finally arrived after dark, in persistent drizzle, looking forward to new birds in the morning!!

Shipwrecked in Port Augusta

Each time I come to Whyalla, I have to cross the top of the Spencer Gulf at Port Augusta. The bridge is a concrete monstrosity, but running alongside is an old wooden bridge, and alongside that is an old shipwreck. On the way home on Sunday, I needed a break, so I stretched my legs by the old bridge. The old bridge is still intact, and is still used by pedestrians. As you can see, the lighting is solar powered. I googled the shipwreck, and found out that it is the remains of Old Jany, a barge used to carry traffic across the gulf to Port Augusta West before the Great Western Bridge was completed in 1927. There were also a few flowers out, proving that spring is well and truly on the way. I have not managed to identify any of them.........any budding botanists out there?? Update: 23/09/09 - I am very impressed!! With your help I have managed to identify all three flowers. The top one is Echium fastuosum "Pride of Madeira", The middle one is Osteospermum sp. "Cape Marigold" and the bottom one Convolvulus cheorum "Silver Bush". The sad thing is that none of them are native to Australia!!. Well done to Jenny and Frank, and also to Carmela a colleague at work.