27/5/2022 – Friday – ?km

The Ardrossan Museum is in the former power house for the C.H. Smith Plough Factory, the inventor & maker of the stump-jump plough, the invention that made farming the Yorke Peninsula possible. The museum has all the factory designs for all the farming equipment made there as well as examples of some of the farm machinery, very innovative. There is a whole host of various farm machinery on display, all in working order.

The museum has many items displaying the local history of the area, including exquisite wedding & christening gowns, crockery & all manner of household items. It is all very interesting. There is a display from the shipwreck “Zanoni”, lost in 1867, with the recovered ship’s bell & many other artefacts. Fortunately no lives were lost. The grounding of sperm whales nearby is also another interesting, though sad, exhibit.

We spent a few hours in the museum & when we came out it had just finished raining so down to the Ardrossan Bakery for coffee & some pastries, it is very good. Next was a walk around town, it is a very interesting town with a nice array of shops & we feel very comfortable looking at the old buildings & supporting the local hospital charity.

Down to the Ardrossan wharf for a walk out along it & again a chat to some of the fishermen. One had done well with some blue swimmer crabs & some squid, he was fairly happy with that. We saw a huge Pacific gull, it was a giant next to the normal silver gull. It had grabbed a large piece of bait from the water & was trying to swallow it whole. The public toilet at the wharf even had a nice sea-theme mural covering the walls.

We took a drive out of town to the dolomite mine & there is a lookout on top of the tailings heap with fabulous views up & down the coast. The mine is a huge tiered hole in the ground. A few photos then back to town & camp. Another great day.