Saturday 14th February 2026
St Valentine's Day
I inadvertently came 5th in a 5k run this morning. Well, it was a little awkward really. From our balcony overlooking the water frontage, I couldn't help but be aware of a 'gathering' occurring, and people with clipboards. At first I thought they were the sort that on a Saturday morning, might have a penchant for tai-chi or something. But as numbers increased, it became clear that for an activity such as that, there would be far too many arms and legs everywhere. It had to be a run, and the only run track I could think of, was the one I was about to plod down for my constitutional exercise. So, I thought I'd better set off quick. Assuming the dogs would be behind me along the same route, I was away. Along the route were offerings of encouragement chalked into the red tarmac; keep going, head up, breathe, nearly half way, turn here..... So I turned at the 2.5k point, just as two runners legitimately in poll position came thumping up, and looked a little perplexed to see me; something made even more pertinent seeing as I was an old git, and they were half my age, and yet there I was, and there they were. Anyway I soon slipped to third position, but by now I was slipping into competition mode. As I was now on the return leg, others were passing still on the outward leg. Well done they were accolading. Keep going, head up, nearly there! The organiser came past and took a photo of me. Two more overtook, so I think I slipped into 5th position. When I reached the finish line I just kept going to avoid any awkward questioning vis-a-vis registration.
Against our better judgement, we were being drawn almost magnetically in the KHub; a sort of mini KMart. Now I know what we said, and we resolved never, ever to set forth into one again, but I am increasingly more anxious about the dress code required on this train in India. And even though fellow travellers will undoubtedly have views about KMart clothes in their midst, the importance of at least attempting to look smart..ish is all pervading. So, as in a trance we gave up on our principles and passed the portals once again into KMart to make our purchases.
Our trip today was to the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden just a short distance up the famous Stuart Highway, the highway that will eventually take you to the topend at Darwin, 1700 miles away. Now, more than two thirds of Australia is considered to be arid, or semi-arid, and yet few know which plants will flourish in those conditions. This centre attempts to explore the plants that will. We saw magnificent examples of plants and fauna which against all odds succeed. The cynic in me looked first at the wilderness and shrub surrounding this place, and looked back at the gardens and wondered what the difference was. However, there was a difference, a huge difference as we saw plants that flowered, had height, thrived. We were pleased to see the goolabah tree, and couldn't help humming some of Banjo Patterson's Waltzing Matilda. The plant of the month was Eremophila Subangustifolia. Oh that old one! Top 5 plants:
Eucalyptus Youngiana
Eremophila Miniata
Accacia Peuce
Eucalyptus Kruseana
Accacia Papyrocarpa
I shall nip down to B&Q on our return and see if they have them. Arid plants or not, they had a watering system! In the meantime we took advantage of the cafe for a coffee and cake.
Our old mate Matthew Flinders of course featured here big time. The garden is situated at the top of the Spencer Gulf. Now we know it is the top, but early explorers such as Flinders did not. So they took a cutter and carried on up the Gulf, which narrowed at an alarming rate. The hope was that the waterway might eventually reach Darwin. Well you never know do you. It might, we've never been here before so we'd better find out. They just about got around the corner from where we were standing, and the cutter stuck in the mud, with just 1699 miles left to go. We stood on Flinder's Lookout and it was quite a thrill to think the great man also stood there 225 years ago. However, we saw something he would never see, a train horn sounded and a diesel pulling a very long goods train came around the bend from the direction his cutter ran aground, and proceeded across the span of bridge, heading towards Port Augusta. Well he may not have seen a train, but he did circumnavigate the whole of Australia and Tasmania.
We filled with petrol in preparation for our last drive tomorrow, to Adelaide. 75 pence a litre seemed good to us. On entering the town, police were stopping drivers on a quiet road, and we all had to play the breatherliser game. As a free gift we were presented with the tube!
Great day out. 34 degrees, but with a pleasant breeze.
ps. Taking an evening stroll along the old wharf area, the sun setting across the Spencer Gulf, it is not difficult to imagine standing on that very spot in the late 1890s, tall ships in dock, the noise and bustle of the unloading onto carts and trolleys and the sound of horses on cobbled streets. And all this where Woolworths and BigW now stand.
The Goolabah Tree
He isn't real
Unbeknownst by me, the train was coming behind me
Flinder's Routes around Australia.
