Page 14 - Stuart Exposure - July '20

Page 14, Stuart Exposure

travEl

South Australia … Wakefield’s theory, which was also employed
in New Zealand.
A Beautiful Blend Nine ships carrying some 636 people
destined to “christen” the colony had to make
By Don Kiselewski, MCC, an unscheduled stop at Kingscote on Kangaroo
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens Island until the powers to be decided just where
Travel Leaders to locate the city. Adelaide was finally chosen as
I could not have said the site. From this tiny beginning, Adelaide has
it better: “the potpourri of grown to the state capital as well as containing
South Australia will keep the the majority of the state’s population; the balance
traveling visitor experiencing of which has settled in the fertile southeast
a myriad of life styles, portion of the state, along the coast and the
cultures, sights and sounds.” Murray River.
The Australian state of Adelaide is one of the key ingredients in
South Australia is about one the “beautiful blend” of South Australia; a truly
and a half times larger than laid back city that enjoys the simpler things of
our state of Texas; however, it has only about one-tenth of the life. Oh, there is plenty of nightlife, sports and
population, which ranks it fifth among the other divisions of other high energy activities, but it is the simpler
the country. Located on the central south side of the continent, way of life that sets it apart. Recognized as
its southern border is the coastline on the Great Australian Australia’s Festival City, it hosts the country’s Cape du Couedic Lighthouse
Bight portion of the Indian Ocean. South Australia shares its premier art festival every March. This is but
land borders with the four other mainland Australian states one of what seems to be never ending festivals
and the Northern Territory. and entertainment. There are numerous venues
In 1627, Europeans made their first sighting of South throughout the city that can be reached in no more
Australia when the Gulden Zeepaert, a Dutch ship commanded than a 15-minute walk. The city itself is circled
by Francois Thijssen, cruised the coast and named the area, by parks so it’s green and open in any direction
Pieter Nuyts land. However, it was Matthew Flinders and just a few blocks away.
Nicolas Baudin who first mapped the coast in 1802. They When the city was designed, the requirement
changed the name to Terre Napoleon. for the street width was determined by the radius
Thirty-two years later, the South Australian Act was passed required to do a “U” turn with a double team of
that established the state’s area, and more importantly that horses pulling a wagon. This resulted in extra
the colony was to be the embodiment of British society and wide streets and as a bonus today, there is no
“convict-free.” In this regard, South Australia’s origin was such thing as gridlock or a traffic jam. You can
unique. Unlike the other provinces whose origins were based get almost everywhere in the city in 15 minutes.
upon convict settlements, South Australia was planned by The center of the city houses a wonderful market
the British to be a center of civilization for free immigrants, with fresh meat and produce and, it’s just a short
promising civil liberties and religious tolerance. streetcar ride from the center to the beach on the
Governor Gulf of St. Vincent.
Hindmarsh Just across the Gulf to the south lies Kangaroo
proclaimed the Island, still another blend to the character
province on of South Australia. The island was sparsely
December 28, populated with little productive use until the
1836. The British end of WWII. Returning servicemen were given
decided to do it homesteads to work the land. In addition, the
by the numbers island was stocked with native animals, except
in populating the dingos, to serve as a natural breeding ground.
colony, establishing Today, it is the animals that are the drawing card
what was known for the island. Included in the plethora of animal Admirals Arch in Flinders National Park
as systematic life seen in their natural habitat are kangaroo,
colonizat ion. wallaby, echidna, koala, little (Fairy) penguins, sea lions and stories came out of our California Gold rush. The people who
This was even Ligurian bees, the only pure strain left on earth. The live there are hearty. They have to be to exist! They deal in
Edward Gibbon queen bees are shipped all over the world to beekeepers in opals and cash with their own particular blend of life.
little matchboxes. Embellishing the blend of the great outback wouldn’t be
Grapes further add to the blends of South Australia, for it complete without the mention of the camels. Yes, camels were
is the Barossa Valley that produces the major portion of the left over from the building of The Ghan. When the world
Australian wines we drink. They are world famous for the famous railroad line from Adelaide to Stuart (today’s Alice
Shiraz, and it’s a good bet that next time you look at the label Springs) was constructed, there were no roads to transport the
When it comes to your to-do of Australian wine that indicates a product of South Australia wooden sleepers (or ties as they are often called) to the middle
list, put your future fi rst. that it came from the Barossa Valley. Food and wine produce of the desert. So, with typical Aussie ingenuity camels were
imported from Afghanistan to become the ships of the sand
the blend that makes this an excellent location to enjoy.
If you are ready for rough and tumble, nothing in this world to move the freight. After the initial construction, many were
could match the unique blend of Coober Pedy. Five hundred turned loose and still roam freely throughout the outback. The
To fi nd out how to get your fi nancial or so miles northwest of the urban city of Adelaide lies this Ghan got its name from the shortened version of Afghan.
goals on track, contact your Edward truly outback desert town. For those of you who have seen The Ghan made its first departure north on August 4, 1929.
Jones fi nancial advisor today. the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, you can relate to my The line was narrow gauge traversed by steam engines. Today,
the line has had all of the old ties removed and replaced with
comments. It gets to 120 degrees in the summer at daytime and
close to freezing in the winter nights. To protect themselves ones made of concrete, termite-resistant members. Until
from the elements, the locals live underground in homes 2006 the line ran only north to the center of Australia, where
drilled into the earth. Not only homes, but churches and other land trains then carried the freight north to Darwin and other
types of occupancies protect themselves in this manor. Why, destinations in the Northern Territory. Since the land north
you may ask? Because, it’s the Opal Capital of the World, of Alice Springs is flat and the road is straight, land trains
where the precious stones are mined and processed. made up of king-size rigs that towed three to four full length
The extraction and capturing of the raw opals is done in trailers, transported the goods and merchandise to the north.
two ways. First an auger drills a four-foot diameter hole in In 2006 this last portion of the railroad was completed, and
the ground, brings up the sand, rock and (hopefully) some the 3,000-kilometer run between Darwin an Adelaide is made
Bryce R Buchanan opals. The hole can be 30- to 40-feet deep. If they hit a vein, twice a week.
Financial Advisor
edwardjones.com they drop a man into the hole to the level of the vein where he South Australia’s diverse lifestyles, wine, culinary
2900 S W Town Center Member SIPC
Way chips out the opal. This is how the area got the name Coober offerings, wildlife and festivals are set within a colorful and
Palm City, FL 34990 Pedy. When the aborigines saw the operation they proclaimed, easy going atmosphere, which truly make it “a beautiful
IRT-1948H-A 772-463-7189 Bryce Buchanan “Coober Pedy,” which means, “white man in a hole.” blend.”
Bryce R Buchanan
Financial Advisor
Financial Advisor The second and less glamorous way to get opals is by Don Kiselewski writes from his personal experiences,
edwardjones.com
2900 SW Town Center Way noodling. The material that is brought up from the hole having traveled in 122 countries and cruised the oceans, seas
Palm City, FL 34990
Jamie L Chapogas, 2900 S W Town Center Member SIPC contains opal. That’s how they knew to stop drilling. This and rivers of the world. Palm Beach Gardens Travel Leaders,
AAMS® Way 772-463-7189 loose material from the hole is hauled to a central location, his family owned and operated agency, is located at Mirasol
www.edwardjones.com
Financial Advisor Palm City, FL 34990 where it is fed by conveyor into a small (air-conditioned) Town Square, 11360 North Jog Road, Building A, Suite 102-6,
IRT-1948H-A
Member SIPC
772-463-7189
. 2900 S W Town Center Way shed that is completely dark, except for black light. Opals Palm Beach Gardens. The agency has been serving the travel
FAP-1966C-A Palm City, FL 34990 will glisten in black light, so when the stones roll by they are needs of the South Florida area for over a quarter of a century.
Contact him at (561) 694-9696 or Aussie@PBGTravel.com.
picked off the conveyor.
www.edwardjones.com
772-463-7189
Everyone in Coober Pedy has a story of how they made

Member SIPC
Photos by Don Kiselewski
it and lost it. Much the same as I would imagine the kind of