Our Doorway To Camping OZ

Well after leaving the old town of Ballara we wanted to travel onto Fountain Springs as this was the place miners and Thier families would go for a picnic in the early day after working at the Wee MacGregor Mine. From the Barley Hwy it is about 27klm heading south, not that far from the township of Ballara. Beautiful Vista views of mountains and the volcanic peaks of how the Fountain Range is shaped and the quartzite colours make the Fountain Range standout. The Fountain Range has a large V split in the range and this marks the entrance to the big waterhole one when raining also creates a waterfall effect flowing into the waterhole. The waterhole is quite deep and cold because it is in like a rainforest effect. Fountain Springs was the water supply for the nearby town of Ballara from 1913 through to 1927, and is one of the only permanent water sources in the area. Well the rest area very primitive no facilities but you can camp there. I have lots of pictures. The entrance to the area r...

After traveling down from Hightville to the main road which is gravel the township of Ballara was across the road. The town came into existence after the government surveyed the area where the new railway could be built but the town of Hightville was not a good location as the terrain to hilly and hard to get to.  Information board has some history of this place. The below text is a exert from this information board to make easier reading. BALLARA Ballara was surveyed in 1913, after it was realized that Hightville was unsuitable for a rail teminus. The Cosmopolitan Hotel, renamed "The Macgregor" was the first building to make the move, followed by the establishment of smaller shops.  Paday Walsh and Ted Norton provided a general store and bakery, Percy House and Dan Parker a butchery, and Mrs Pat Sweeny built the first boarding house.  The company store and post office was locared at nearby Higntville. Ihe town of thirty familes and an equal number or single miners, Swell...

Well we made it down the track from the Hightville Tunnel. It was a slow drive which was not over yet. From the other side of the tunnel the track up to the mine looked reasonable, but I could not have been more wrong. Graeme driving the mighty Ford Ranger up the hill I was sure he had gone the wrong way as this track was deplorable, bad washouts of the track, protruding rocks and ruts across the road a good 600 to 800 mm high. I was thinking that the Ford Ranger was going to get hung up. The Ranger has very good approach and departure angles, plus the person at the wheel is a very good 4wd driver, lots of experience.  As we approach the mine the track did get alot better, it was an adventure just getting up the mountain. Now we are here there are lots of concrete structures and water tanks maybe settling tanks not that sure.  This is Avery big copper mine that was in operation 1915. It's amazing that so much is still standing after 100yrs.    The old smelter has fal...