Burra 5-7 May 2006

Drove south through the farming land through partially deserted villages. The hills are really rolling and looked like parts of Scotland but not very green. Instead, lots of soft long white grasses that really gave a distant snowy look. In a relatively short time we went from the arid plains of Broken Hill to a more hospitable environment. It is becoming more obvious that Broken Hill belongs to South Australia by nature!!!!
After a lovely afternoon drive we arrived in Burra, an old copper mining town, which (while reduced in size since its heyday), still has about 1000 people. We found the recommended camp spot at the local showground and marvelled at the space and openness after seeing the cramped conditions of the caravan park. We had a lovely view of a large part of the town and hills. Toured around the town enjoying the old buildings - most are made of local stone, a reflection of the mining background of the occupants. They were extremely like an English scene. Burra has outstanding public buildings, as well as many mining remnants and ruins.
Saturday morning and off to the Burra Antique Show, where unfortunately we made a bit of a dint in the wallet. It got colder during the day (16deg) and by afternoon there was the promising look of a cold change to make the feel of Scotland or Wales complete. Visited a number of historical sites, including an old shop, a gaol (used in the film Breaker Marant) and a deserted village. It was strange to think of all the people who had lived there in what is now a mound of stones. It was very cold and threatening by the time we left. The air conditioner was very welcome and we set it for the night. Really toughing it out! Around midnight a big storm hit with the cold change and we just felt warm and snug.On Sunday, we awoke to a windy freezing day, with the temperature at 7deg. It alternated between 7-9 deg all day, but we still managed to have a good time. Visited an old miner’s cottage and had a fascinating tour. While this was a small 3 room house, it was ‘luxury’ compared to the underground dug-outs we saw later. As many of the miners were poorly paid, up to 1800 people lived in holes dug along the creek. We then had a tour of the Burra Mine and the Morphett’s Engine sites, which were very well preserved. Many of the miners came from Cornwell and brought their building techniques with them. All of the houses and public buildings were built with local stone and give it a very English feel. .