Moonta

 Moonta.   Such a wonderful discovery.  But we asked ourselves why had we not visited Moonta and Port Hughes when we lived here.    Such a pity.

We always drove down the east coast of York Peninsula, to Edithburgh, around the foot to Pondalowie Bay, Innes National Park, and Browns Beach.   Spectacular scenery, but also plenty of snakes, huge spiders and march flies.   Not great for camping trips.   But we never ventured across the York Peninsula, at the top, to Moonta.

Moonta is a beautiful town, with an interesting history.   The Moonta area was occupied by an indigenuous community known as the Narungga.     In the 1840's pastoralists settled there but the scrub was difficult to penetrate and there was a lack of water.    Copper was discovered in the area in 1861 by shepherds working on a sheep farm.

The original mine, called Wheal Hughes, after the owner of the sheep farm, was prosperous, and other mines soon followed.   A town called Moonta was laid out in 1863.     Cornish miners were recruited and the mines became the richest mines in South Australia.   The mines closed in 1923.

First stop on the Saturday morning, was for coffee, and milkshakes for the girls.

 A view of the cafe, in the sunlight, under the verandahs.

 More verandahs.    The buildings in Moonta are solid, made of  sandstone and stone ballast from the ships that called into Port Hughes to collect the copper.

 A very tiny building wedged between two large solid buildings.

 Moonta is full of picturesque buildings.

 And also some very grand buildings.    The Moonta School of Mines.

 Also very large solid churches.

 The tower on the town hall.    Feels like Europe, except for the tin roofs on the other buildings.

 More grand buildings.

 The typical country pub, advertising Indian food, the latter being an addition to the menu, I think.

 Home made cornish pasties, which were very tasty.    Good pastry filled with vegetables, and heated in a pie warmer.    The best I have eaten in a long time.

 This store was full of bric-a-brac.   Where did it all come from?

 The Moonta mine building, now a museum, but closed when we were there.

 The old railway station at the mine, now used by a little model train.

 On the last day we called into a very popular cafe, out in the bush, for our final coffee and ice cream.  

And then off home to Adelaide, feeling very tired but happy.   It was exciting to discover a new place, after all those years of living in Adelaide.    And we will be back, nothing is surer.