Welcome To Our Excursions Page! Here you will find detailed information on our upcoming excursions. If you require more information about a particular excursion please email the trip co-ordinator whose details are provided.
This excursion will be in two parts:
Morning visit to Christies Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant.
We will be taken on a walking tour around the plant to learn how sewage is treated and recycled in South Australia, to be used for irrigation and toilet flushing. Together, Adelaide’s wastewater treatment plants at Christies Beach and at Bolivar recycle about 27,000 million litres of sewage every year. The process is complicated (and expensive!) but vital for the good health of our community and for protecting our environment. We will be taken behind the scenes to explore the treatment process.
The tour will take 1 hour, from 10.30 – 11.30 am.
Afternoon visit to Adelaide Desalination Plant at Lonsdale.
This visit will consist of a short presentation to explain the desalination process (a procedure known as reverse osmosis), a tour of the Kawri Interpretive Centre and a guided bus tour of the desalination facility (bus courtesy of SA Water). Finally, you will have a chance to taste the desalinated water.
This visit will take 1.5 hours, from 1.30 to 3.00 pm
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INSTRUCTIONS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: READ CAREFULLY!!!!!
We will use our own vehicles for this excursion, apart from the SA Water bus tour of the Desalination Plant. If you do not have a vehicle please note this on the sign-up sheet or notify the excursion coordinator who will endeavour to arrange a lift for you. Note that you must arrive by vehicle – it is not possible to enter the Wastewater Treatment Plant by foot.
Meet at 10.15 am at the Christies Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant on Gilbert Road, Christies Beach. Proceed to the security gate, push the red button and inform security that you have arrived for a community tour. Drive to the meeting place, and park outside the grassed area. After touring the plant we will have lunch (either bring a picnic lunch or plan to buy lunch between here and Lonsdale), then drive to Lonsdale to visit the Desalination Plant. If the weather is too hot for picnicking it will be possible to eat our lunch in the Kawri Interpretive Centre at the Desalination Plant.
IMPORTANT: All visitors are required to wear flat, covered footwear (no thongs or sandals) at both facilities, and at the Wastewater Treatment Plant a long-sleeved shirt and long trousers are also mandatory. Failure to observe these requirements will result in participants being denied access. Most of the wastewater treatment tour will be out-of-doors therefore sun protection is advised. Participants must be able to walk around the site and to climb stairs.
If you would like to come on this excursion please put your name and contact details on the sign-up sheet at the February meeting, or contact Cynthia Pyle: cpy62284@bigpond.com Ph 8264 5770
The trip is in four stages. You don’t have to do all four stages although most members I expect will. Most importantly this is a self- drive trip and starts at the first location and finishes at the last location in the Flinders Ranges. How and when you travel to and from the Flinders is your choice. We haven’t planned for the bus because it would restrict where we could go and not get a lot of use once we are at locations. We would urge members to share travel arrangements so those who don’t have transport can still go. You can take your own camper/caravan/tent as well. A group might want to hire a minibus? You only need a normal car licence to drive one of these.
Here we will spend time looking at the local Geology, doing a geological field mapping exercise/ or sketching (choice), visiting Quorn, and doing the Pitchi Richi Railway trip (approx $65 pp) Accommodation - Pichi Richi Park has shared cabin accom and can also cater for us (breakfast/dinner) at a cost of $75-80 per person per day. Bring your own linen/ towels or pay extra $18. Shared Male/female Block amenties, no ensuite. If this doesn’t suit then you can organise B&B accom in Quorn (15 mins away). Campers also catered for. For more info click on this link www.pichirichipark.com.au
From here we will travel to Bunyeroo Gorge and Brachina Gorge to do some walking on the geological trails . Accommodation: Caravan Park Cabin accom, one Db bed &two sets of bunks ( sleeps 5-6) per cabin, bring your own linen, has cooking facilities but no ensuite. Male/Female block ammenties nearby, $30 per person per night. If this doesn’t suit then there are fully self contained Holiday cabins in a different location that can sleep 4-8 , depending if you want to share a double bed.. These vary in price but will cost you approx $60-$70 per person per night, BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO BOOK THESE YOURSELF. Campers in the Caravan Park. The Woolshed Restaurant can provide an evening meal package ($20 -30), but you will have to provide your own breakfast and lunch. For more info click on this link: www.rawnsleypark.com.au
In this area we will do the Blinman Mine tour ($27.50/$20 conc pp) and look at the Blinman Diapir in various locations, plus explore Parachilna Gorge. Accommodation: Bunkhouse accomm where you have to bring your own bedding! Again, Male/Female Block facilities next door, no ensuite, $25 per person, per night. If doesn’t suit then you can hire out the fully self contained cabins for about $50-$60 per person, per night, BUT YOU HAVE TO BOOK THESE YOURSELF. Or you can hire out some of the cottages in Blinman. They can also do an evening meal package at the Blinman Pub (20 mins away), but breakfast and lunch is your responsibility. Campers also included in caravan park. For more info click on this link: www.angorichinavillage.com.au
A tour of the cattle station and you can see where the Ediacra fossils were first discovered by Reg Sprigg. This costs $135 or $165 (with lunch), morning start from the Parachilna Pub and includes morning tea,( max 15 persons). If you not interested in this tour then you can make your way back to Adelaide. For more info click on this link: www.prairiehotel.com.au This ends the excursion.
Overall Approx Cost: $600 pp - cabin/bunkhouse accom + set dinners , 3 breakfasts. Doesn’t include Tours or Travel
Please download the following Flinders Expresssion of Interest file (a .doc file) and complete the details and email as an attachment to wpbriggs2@gmail.com