Page 371 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

THE Y ORKE AND EY RE PENINSULAS  369

Waterfront view of Port Augusta, with the jetty leading out into Spencer Gulf
8Port Augusta It also commands panoramic when a blast furnace was
views of the Flinders Ranges established, a harbour created
* 14,000. ~ £ @ @
n 41 Flinders Terrace 1800 633 060. to the east (see p373). and a shipyard constructed.
The shipyard closed in 1978;
Situated at the head of Spencer E Wadlata Outback Centre however, the first ship built
Gulf, Port Augusta is at the 41 Flinders Terrace. Tel (08) 8641 9193. there, the HMAS Whyalla (1941),
crossroads of Australia; here lies Open 9am–5.30pm Mon–Fri, 10am– is now a major display of the
the intersection of the Sydney– 4pm Sat & Sun. Closed 25 Dec. & 7 Whyalla Maritime Museum.
Perth and Adelaide–Alice Y Arid Lands Botanic Garden Although an industrial centre,
Springs railway lines, as well 144 Stuart Hwy. Tel (08) 8641 9116. Whyalla has a number of fine
as the major Sydney–Perth and Open 7:30am–sunset daily. - beaches and good fishing.
Adelaide–Darwin highways. ∑ aalbg.sa.gov.au In recent years, Whyalla’s fore-
Once an important port, its shore has been extensively
power stations now produce redeveloped. Today, it is
40 per cent of the state’s 9Whyalla home to a bustling marina,
electricity. The coal-fired * 22,000. ~ @ n Lincoln Hwy lush gardens and cafés.
Northern Power Station, which 1800 088 589.
dominates the city’s skyline, E Whyalla Maritime Museum
offers free conducted tours. At the gateway to the Eyre Lincoln Hwy. Tel (08) 8645 8900.
Port Augusta is also the Peninsula, Whyalla is the state’s Open 10am–4pm daily.
beginning of South Australia’s largest provincial city. Originally Closed Good Fri, 25 Dec. & 8
Outback region. The School of a shipping port for iron ore HMAS Whyalla can be accessed on
the Air and the Royal Flying mined at nearby Iron Knob, the guided tours only. 7 museum only.
Doctor Service offices, both of city was transformed in 1939 ∑ whyalla.sa.gov.au
which provide essential
services to inhabitants of
remote stations, are open to
the public (see p261). The
Wadlata Outback Centre
imaginatively tells the story of
the Far North from 15 million
years ago when rainforests
covered the area, through
Aboriginal and European
history, up to the present
day and into the future.
Australia’s first Arid Lands
Botanic Garden was opened
nearby in 1996. This 200-ha
(500-acre) site is an important
research and education facility,
as well as a recreational area. HMAS Whyalla, now part of the Whyalla Maritime Museum