Flinders & Outback Water Cruises and the Aquatic & Outdoor Adventure Centre: Ron does some exploring in the Outback region of South Australia
Port Augusta has long been one of Australia's great transport hubs with Highway One taking motorists onto Adelaide or into the interior of the continent. And its 19th century wharf precinct has played its role in opening the outback. The first camels - so pivotal to inland exploration were eased onto this piece of Port August history back in the late 1800s.
We caught up with a group of students doing a course at the Port Augusta Aquatic and Outdoor Adventure Centre. Instructor Steve Ellis took his charges through the basics of kayaking before they tackled an aquatic environment surrounded by the hills at the tip of Eyre Peninsula.
Soon they were paddling their way through waters charted by the great explorer Matthew Flinders on his circumnavigation of the Australian continent. A good 83 years after his voyage of discovery the Port Augusta Wharf was under construction. It was here that ketches brought in supplies to this remote South Australian settlement and took back ore and other products from mines and stations further north.
The sheltered harbour near the top of Spencer Gulf is perfect for safe boating but the glimpse of the Flinders further north only whets the appetite for more. The Port Augusta Aquatic Club offers a range of kayaking tours into the shallow mangroves and upper reaches of a Gulf, which finally forced Matthew Flinders to turn back.
Meanwhile, we climb onboard Aaron Morgan’s vessel the "Dekyzayne" and head under the rail and road bridges of this transport town into a waterway framed by some of Australia's finest outback scenery.
Even for many South Australians this is a hidden gem but for local boy Aaron it's a place he and his mates have explored in detail. The "Dekyzayne" got us here in double quick time but with a couple of kayaks on board it’s time to explore all this at a more leisurely pace.
Aaron Morgan, Flinders & Outback Water Cruises: “We're up in the real tidal reaches now. At the end of the day this could be totally dry. The tidal movement is between 3.7 and 4 metres each day. That's between 6 and 10 billion litres of water that goes underneath the bridge on any one day.”
You could be forgiven for thinking you'd stumbled across some long lost civilisation – but the remains of a bridge and an abandoned tower and stone structures are the remnants of an old salt mining operation.
Aaron Morgan: “The salt work only operated from about 1924 to 1934. There were up to 1.100 men here at any one time. They used to have single men’s quarters. I’ve also seen some big fish up here – king fish up to 45 five kilos swimming around here.”
Aaron's video library taken on various Spencer Gulf tours shows just how amazing this South Australian waterway can be for more exotic marine creatures. A dolphin fish took a wrong turn in search of tropical waters further north only to be stranded here. On other trips Aaron's encountered Southern Right and Humpback whales and all these amazing experiences are framed by a setting in which the desert meets the sea.
Port Augusta is really undersold. It's often spoken of as the 'gateway to the outback' but it's the gateway to it's own delights. You just need to know where to look. The mangroves provide a wonderful marine environment with the upturned roots acting as both a filter for the tidal flow and the lungs for the amazingly salt tolerant trees. It all combines to create a kaleidoscope of colour, which becomes even more eye catching as we approach a phenomenon carved over millennia. Red Banks is an ancient embankment caused by tidal flows and massive run-offs from the Flinders Ranges.
Those majestic ranges accompany us all the way home as we head back to town. Port Augusta and the northern reaches of Spencer Gulf in South Australia are accessible by kayak or apart of Aaron's tour. The Aquatic and Outdoor Adventure Centre has kayaks for hire on 8645 2699. Aaron runs tours daily. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
The Aquatic & Outdoor Adventure Centre Canoe hire
Ph 8645 2699Flinders & Outback Water Cruises
Aaron Morgan
Ph 0438 857 001Published 28th February 2010
