Loxton -Day 3

Driving between Loxton Town Centre and the Caravan Park we passed an interesting median strip, we’ve stopped at the carved tree sculptures before but we decided to check out the Conservation and Heritage Park this time. Just about anywhere you go along the river there are reminders of the flood of 1956. I remember Dad collecting up hessian chook food bags to be sent to Mannum for sandbags that year. Loxton has an interesting way of illustrating the various flood levels. Paths wove between lovely garden beds and past the many cairns in the Heritage Park.

Click on any image for a larger photo.

The lowest cairn.

The highest cairn.

Early settlers had plenty of stone available for buildings.

Beautiful Gum blossoms

Taplan is a town about 33kms from Loxton.

Something interesting across the road.

When I lived in the area in the late 1960s there were thriving Drive-in Theatres at Waikerie, Barmera, Berri, Renmark and Loxton but in the 1980s most closed.  The Loxton, Riverline Drive-In opened on 26th December 1959, and closed on 29th March 1986. The area where cars parked is now bare ground but there are lovely gardens around the cottage which can be hired for functions.

Old Riverline Drive-in

Riverline Cottage

“Bedrock” not open at the time.

Gabion fence

“Bedrock”

Another place we thought was worth checking out was Thiele’s Sandbar because free camping is available there.

Track to Thiele’s Sandbar – some tracks needed a high clearance vehicle

Loxton water tower

Truly and old tinnie.

Murray River crocodile

Houseboat moored upriver

Plenty of campsites for self sufficient campers.

Back at camp everything was peaceful.

Vines and fruit trees are all around the area.

Mallard Drake at our campsite

Adelaide Rosellas loved the Caravan Park grasses.