[benbsb29]

I love visiting new places, and more so, never one to shirk from a road trip. A good friend and ex-colleague decided to tie the knot and I was invited as part of a small gathering to witness and join in the celebrations. My family decided to join in too, as they share the same thoughts about new places and road trips. The wedding was to be in a regional Australian town called Quorn, located in the far away state of South Australia. With the limited time on hand, a l-o-o-o-o-o-o-n-g drive (2100 kms one way) was out of the question, being school season and also the need to take atleast a week off (if not more), knowing how big a country Australia is.

Tickets were booked for air travel via Qantas for the onward trip to Adelaide, and budget carrier Jetstar for the return. From Adelaide, we had a rental car booked for the 4 hour journey from Adelaide to Quorn. All of this travel would be done and completed over a weekend.

Drive from Adelaide to Quorn in regional South Australia

[benbsb29]

Brisbane Airport on a Saturday morning is busy and business as usual. You really do wonder how much people travel despite the exorbitant flight costs.





I can't remember the last time I travelled domestic on a non-budget carrier, so Qantas truly felt luxurious.



Infact, we didn’t even realise we would be served snacks onboard and so had breakfast at the airport before we boarded (expensive for what was on offer). Despite the older feel of the aircraft, service from the staff was really good and must say it was a good experience over the 2 hours and 40 mins of journey time.

We arrive at Adelaide airport and as was told to me by others, it really is a small airport with just one terminal which serves both domestic and international travel.

Adelaide Airport


We had our rental booked with Apex Car Rentals, located about 10 minutes from the airport and we were to be picked up by the shuttle service. A quick call to the agency to inform of our arrival and we were told where we need to wait to be collected by the shuttle service. We collect our bag and make our way towards the pickup point, only to see the shuttle service pull away. I quickly call them to be informed the next pickup would be in 15 mins. Grudgingly, we wait. By now, we are way past the 15 mins timeline, having waited for 30 mins, and still no sign of the van. I call up again, make clear my displeasure and was asked to take a cab from the airport to their office; this would be deducted from my payable. We did, as asked.

I booked a car in what rentals call “Outlander or similar” category. Not the first time, the car I got was not a Mitsubishi Outlander. This time it was a Hyundai Tucson, relatively new but with over 40k kms on the odo. Having opted for the comprehensive insurance package with no excess payable, I really didn’t need to bother with doing spot checks, but as is a habit I did and documented it with video evidence.





I really enjoy the sheer convenience of Apple CarPlay enabled units, more so when you need to change cars or even when you are using a rental. Everything is just as predictable and as you want it – no more fiddling around with Bluetooth connections and trying to find where various options are on the new car. Plug in, put aside the phone and you are off!

Our route was fairly straightforward and timebound as well, as we were a bit late to begin with. We had a 4 hour drive ahead of us and then getting ready for the wedding which was at 5PM. The M2 motorway and National Highway A1 was to be our route to the Flinders Ranges, and the route to Quorn off the main highway.


On the Motorway out of Adelaide limits


As a fellow Pajero owner it was quote pleasing to see the number of Mitsubishi Pajeros on the roads and highways of South Australia. Infact, they are as common here as Land Cruisers are in Queensland and other states. Mitsubishi having their Australian Head Office in this state may also be a reason?



As we left behind the urban regions, the surroundings began to open up, to reveal the beauty of the countryside.





Farms spread far and wide as far as the horizon, these were a Segway to discussions on farming and Clarkson’s Farm – the latest season which we watched together as a family.





A fellow Team-BHPian based in Adelaide who isn’t as active these days, gave me a quick guide on places to check out during our drive, one of which was Lake Bumbunga – a salt lake that turns pink based on alkalinity and environmental factors. We passed this along the way, making a quick note to stop on our return as we were hard pressed for time. However, we just couldn’t resist the urge and quickly pulled into one of the rest-stops beside, despite the drizzle we had for company. At this point, the lake wasn’t as pink as it does at times, but it was definitely fascinating.

Quick stop by the pink lake, despite the drizzle


Next stop was food – a bit hard to choose as there weren’t too many shops along the way now. Servos to the rescue and we pulled in to one, which was co-located with a Shell fuel bunk. Interestingly this was run by Punjabis, and they had fresh takeaway food on offer. Rice and chicken tikka masala was a great choice, and the place was definitely quite popular with folks travelling. It had a sign that said, “Curry in a Hurry”.

[benbsb29]

Lunch done, we continued making our way towards the turn off to Quorn.







From here, the landscape began to look really interesting.



Winding roads meandering their way across the slopes, with the odd railway crossing cutting across. The shrubs you see by the side were quite different and it felt arid, so to say.







From the main highway, the distance to the town of Quorn was about 30 mins, based on what I remember. This was dealt with quickly enough and we were soon in Quorn.

[benbsb29]

Hello, Quorn. Glad to meet you.





What strikes you the most about regional Australian towns is how quiet they tend to be. You barely find people outside, save for the odd car or so. You see cars parked outside some places such as the local pub, which indicates the presence of people.

Roads are wide and mostly straight, older style homes and have character unlike the modern day cookie cutter variety.



The place we would be staying at is a heritage property called The Mill, or so we thought seeing the pics.





However, the actual rooms were in a motel setup behind this heritage structure. All pics seemed to give the impression of rooms being within the hertitage structure, however the reception itself was within this.







Being a Saturday evening by the time we got to Quorn, the reception was closed, and so I had to call the number printed on the door and the owner came around in about 5-10 minutes. He was very cordial and friendly, and informed that unlike other places, there would not be a security deposit placed on our account. Also, doors even when left unlocked are quite safe. Welcome to life in the country, he said. ��

I informed him of our early checkout the next morning and he just asked me to leave the keys in the room, and the door unlocked and bade us a safe journey ahead.











We made our way to the rooms, and then I decided to do a quick drive around the town to take in the sights. Located the church we’d be going to, which was located further down the same street.

Quorn Railway Station


Quorn Town Hall


The Silo




So quiet you'd be wondering where everyone was!


Probably the social hangout of the town



Bring a private function for close family and friends, I don’t really have pics to share on a public forum. The reception was at my friend’s farmhouse, which is a pistachio farm, with the house in the centre.

Pistacchio Farm




Some pics I clicked of pistachios, a sight I had never seen before as I have only seen the ready to eat product.



My friend also took us on a quick 4WD tour of the farm in his Ranger Raptor (some of you folks may remember this one from my Bribie Island trip travelogue).

Dinner and party done, we made our way back to the motel, but not before stopping by the silo which had a laser show projected onto it every night as part of local tourism activities. The images range from local flora and fauna, as well as history of the region.

Free Silo Art show








After spending some time here, we made our way back to the room. The next morning we had an early start to make our way back to Adelaide.

[benbsb29]

We checked out of the motel by about a quarter past 7, and made our way towards the highway. The town looked as quiet and serene as ever, symbolic of life in the regional areas.

The Tucson now driven by wifey allowed me a chance to try some pics from the DSLR on the move.













Windmills fascinate me, and so they inevitably became my subjects.



The large wind and solar farm in this region which I believe is called the Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park had windmills on either side of the highway. Spinning away lazily, they were a sight to behold.









Harnessing renewable energy



Our plan was to check out the pink lake or Lake Bumbunga on the return trip, and so set aside some time for that. Once in Adelaide, plan was to catch up with Team-BHPian rojanjf with whom I have been in contact with for years, even as colleagues across locations, but never met since the time we moved to Australia.


Unlike the previous day where we had rain for company for much of the drive, today was sunny and consequently hot. Our rental car didn’t have tinted windows as is the norm, which meant the sun was literally piercing its way through. The air-conditioning in the car kept temperatures under check, however there was no escaping from the heat beating down on us from the windows.

Quite warm, despite it being relatively early in the morning

[benbsb29]

We reached Lake Bumbunga and went about checking out the place. Like us, if you have never been on a salt lake before, it's quite the experience.



Jesus wasn't the only one who walked on water


Picnic area beside the lake - good spot to take a break during your journey. We stopped here on our drive to Quorn.






The lake wasn’t as pink as it was in some if the pics we had seen previously, but you could make out a slight tinge of pink. Stepping into the lake, I expected it to be mushy, but the ground was hard.







A local attraction at the lake is the Loch-Eel Monster, possibly related to the well-known Loch Nes monster. Unlike its counterpart, this one's rather cheerful, and happy to pose for pics and some cuddling.









Even monsters like some company


I got the drone up, hoping to get some good pics, but after a point it was quite windy, and the drone kept complaining and nagging to bring it down.











Some trivia on why the lake looks different colors at times:

Associate Professor John Tibby, the head of geography, environment and population at the University of Adelaide, said the lake's saltiness explained its colour.

"Pink lakes are almost always very salty, often much saltier than the sea, and they might be five times more salty than the sea," Mr Tibby said.

"Once you increase the salt content in water then very few things can grow in that water, and what gets left is a particular type of algae.
"It [the algae] produces a pigment or a colour that helps it to take energy … that is why it's pink."

Link : Why is the lake pink?

The surrounding locales were really beautiful and I wished we had more time to take it easy and just spend more time driving around. However, that wasn’t the case today and we had a friend to catchup with, followed by the car return and a plane to catch.







It was good to catch up with rohanjf, however got a bit delayed with the car drop as our food order took its own sweet time coming out.

Drive back to Adelaide


Jetstar for the return


Overall a great trip, with some unique experiences to remember. Till the next trip.

Thanks for reading.

[SmartCat]

Moving thread from Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Hondaboy]

Fantastic travelogue... Funnily enough.. I live in Adelaide and did a trip to Quorn and Hawker (SA) around the same time you did. Do it every year in my Outback, this year though it was the Kia Carnivals turn. Handled the terrain with ease.

If your travels ever bring you to the festival state please feel free to get in touch. Would be great to meet a fellow BHPian. :-) jestkest@gmail.com

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Hondaboy

Fantastic travelogue... Funnily enough.. I live in Adelaide and did a trip to Quorn and Hawker (SA) around the same time you did. Do it every year in my Outback, this year though it was the Kia Carnivals turn. Handled the terrain with ease.

Thanks Hondayboy. What takes you travelling to these places - just leisure drives, or any places to visit?

Originally Posted by Hondaboy

If your travels ever bring you to the festival state please feel free to get in touch. Would be great to meet a fellow BHPian. :-) jestkest@gmail.com

Shall surely keep that in mind. Thanks for reading and reaching out. This has been our first visit to South Australia, hopefully we head down again sometime. Do holler if you come across to the Sunshine State.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

...Lake Bumbunga – a salt lake that turns pink...

Quick stop by the pink lake, despite the drizzle

There are a number of pink lakes scattered across Australia, and here are a couple of pics from our trip to Lochiel and Lake Bumbunga in November 2018. It certainly is an amazing sight in clear weather!





Pink salt / sand from the lake bed

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by Hondaboy

Fantastic travelogue... Funnily enough.. I live in Adelaide and did a trip to Quorn and Hawker (SA) around the same time you did. Do it every year in my Outback, this year though it was the Kia Carnivals turn. Handled the terrain with ease.

If your travels ever bring you to the festival state please feel free to get in touch. Would be great to meet a fellow BHPian. :-) jestkest@gmail.com

Hey, I am in Adelaide as well, and from your profile it seems you ride.
I have a Ninja 1000 here, let's ride to the Hills Someday

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Shall surely keep that in mind. Thanks for reading and reaching out. This has been our first visit to South Australia, hopefully we head down again sometime. Do holler if you come across to the Sunshine State.

Good to see a travelogue of my own State.
After living good 5 years in Melbourne, I have been in Adelaide since 2022
Been to the Flinder Ranges last year. The terrain here is quite different as compared to Victoria; give me shout, if you're here anytime soon.
Did you visit Adelaide Hills?

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

There are a number of pink lakes scattered across Australia, and here are a couple of pics from our trip to Lochiel and Lake Bumbunga in November 2018. It certainly is an amazing sight in clear weather!

Thanks for sharing these, SS-Traveller. The lake looks a lot more pink in these pics!

I remember seeing pics of another pink lake somewhere in Western Australia on Instagram, which look quite enticing.

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Good to see a travelogue of my own State.
After living good 5 years in Melbourne, I have been in Adelaide since 2022
Been to the Flinder Ranges last year. The terrain here is quite different as compared to Victoria; give me shout, if you're here anytime soon.
Did you visit Adelaide Hills?

Thanks Akshay. Our trip was quite hurried, so as not to miss school days for my daughter and work for both wifey and myself. We literally landed in Adelaide at 10:30 am on Saturday, picked up the rental and dashed off to Quorn to be there in time for the wedding at 5pm. Next morning left Quorn at 7:30am, met rohanjf for lunch in Adelaide and return flight at 3pm or so.

Thanks to this crazy schedule didnt get time to plan anything else on this trip. Will definitely get in touch if we head down that way.

[Hondaboy]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Thanks Hondayboy. What takes you travelling to these places - just leisure drives, or any places to visit?



Shall surely keep that in mind. Thanks for reading and reaching out. This has been our first visit to South Australia, hopefully we head down again sometime. Do holler if you come across to the Sunshine State.

Thanks BenBsb - usually just leisure drives with the Fam. Aus has so much to offer doesnt it.

Usually travel to Brissy every 2 months as my Head Office is based there. Will be there early june for a couple of days might hit you up if you free for a coffee.

Cheers

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Hondaboy

Thanks BenBsb - usually just leisure drives with the Fam. Aus has so much to offer doesnt it

Lots to see, lots to do and places to go. All you need is a sense of adventure. This does hold true for most places, just that it would take longer to get to places.

Originally Posted by Hondaboy

Usually travel to Brissy every 2 months as my Head Office is based there. Will be there early june for a couple of days might hit you up if you free for a coffee.

Cheers

I reckon you wont be able to PM owing to your newbie status, so I’ll send you an email to stay connected and possibly meet when you come by.