Day 118 - Streaky Bay to Elliston (3 Jan)

After 2 weeks in Streaky Bay we left for Elliston (120km east).  We had an interesting drive with a few stops along the way.   Our first stop was Murphy's Haystacks, a natural landform in the middle of nowhere. Here is something I pinched from the website about them.  "The haystacks are formed from ancient granite inselbergs dating back 1,500 million years. [The name inselberg comes from German insel, meaning island and berg, mountain.] The pillars and boulders in their present day form only go back as far as 100,000 years and have been formed by the uneven weathering of crystalline rock as densely fractured compartments break down through weathering more quickly than massive unfractured compartments. The distinction between the two forms is that pillars merge unknown with the underlying bedrock, but boulders are clearly detached. The haystacks are of a pink granite named Hiltaba granite after the homestead of the same name in the Gawler Ranges. It is extensive over the north-western Eyre Peninsula. The mottled colours on the surface of the haystacks are caused by growth of lichen, a tough plant organism which thrives on exposed granite.  The granite hills of the district, including the haystacks, were buried by calcareous dune sand about 30,000 years ago. Subsequent erosion of the surrounding land surface has gradually revealed the forms we see today."  The website on the haystacks is really interesting.

Our next stop was at Talia Caves.  The first one was called the Woolshed. The Woolshed is a large cave, or cavity, in the cliff face which has been formed by the erosion of the cliff face by wind and water.  The next one was called the tub which is is a collapsed limestone crater. You can climb into the Tub. The ocean accesses the Tub through a tunnel in the rocks.  Pretty spectacular to see  in the middle of nowhere. 

Closer to Elliston we came across the Colton Bakery, literally a roadside stall that sells home made wood fired bread on an honour system, naturally we had to buy some and it was delicious, sorry no photos as we ate it for lunch.  The caravan park at Elliston has grassed sites, so nice after the dust at Streaky and the amenites are spotless, albeit 70s style with red loos' and the small square mustard tiles.  There seems to be a fair bit to do here so will post more when we have time to explore.