Australian 'Bits & Pieces'
When I first joined Tinto in Australia...I did 'take to this country like a duck to water.' Personally, I don't see how anyone couldn't fall in love. Yes, it gets hot. Yes, it gets dry. The cost of living is high, too. Houses and cars cost far more than they do in the States. But...the Australian way of living and its people make it a 'jolly good place to thrive.'
Upon arriving to Kapunda I had great interest in this old mining town...I still do. (A lot has happened and changed since I've been away ~ and they have been really good changes!)
I was told, once upon a time, that Kapunda was originally known as Kapiunda (I am spelling this phonetically because a cannot find a proper reference) and the Aboriginal meaning was: water down under. Well, there are quite a few creeks and a river in and around this town. When the rains finally do come tumbling down - the water beds flow with gusto. I enjoy referring to Kapunda as Kapiunda. It is very intriguing to me to learn and attempt to pronounce Aboriginal names and words. They have been here on Mother Earth longer than any of us and they still have an enormous amount to teach us ~ if we would only listen.
For example: Canberra, Australia's capital and THE largest city named by the Aborigines means 'meeting place' in the Ngunnawal language. Perfectly named!
Marlu - Aboriginal word for kangaroo; derived from the Warlpiri language and from Central Australia.
There are many wonderful Aborigines words and I would ask you to look up their dictionary any time you have a moment with a nice glass of blanco or tinto in your hand. The slang words are quite interesting and enjoyable!
Kapunda's copper was found in 1842 by 2 local men originally from different families AND the copper was kept a secret for over two years because it was discovered while the land was only being leased. I don't know how these two men kept quiet, but they did UNTIL the were able to buy their property for only 2.00 dollars per hectare (approximately 2.2 acres, IF I remember correctly!) Today a lot in Kapunda will cost you a cool $75,000 to $100,000 and that's only Kapunda - no doubt, the surrounding towns, especially Tanunda, would cost far more than that. But, these men were smart and patient. Once they owned the land...copper mining began in about 1844. The English whom were already here (the Cornish) were outstanding miners, the Welsh had the best reputation for smelting and engineering, the Irish were labourers and became very good farmers, The English controlled the mines...the Germans were coming over in droves, too, in order to attain religious freedom.
A couple of FIRSTS (I love FIRSTS!) for Kapunda:
At least ten (10) hotels/pubs are listed in the original town records during the mining era of this thriving town - TEN PUBS - the men were obviously thirsty. In one of the hotels...you can actually see the tunnels the miners used when it was time to 'knock off' and walk up and through the tunnel to get a cold brew without having to change from their dusty, worn clothes. How novel! I think the total population during this time was around 2,000 ~ that was quite a lot.
Kapunda's copper mine built Port Adelaide and in turn, help to build every major city standing today.
When the mine closed in 1877, Kapunda became home to the WORLD's LARGEST private landowner: Sir Sidney Kidman, Cattle King. Kidman himself put Kapunda on the map due to his annual horse sale. People came from every corner of this country to buy.
FOR MORE HISTORY of this wonderful town, please visit:
https://wwww.southaustralianhistory.com.au/kapunda.htm
Today, I'm simply sharing the Australian tidbits that have always intrigued me or piqued my interest. I mean we all KNOW that camels are not indigenous to this country. How did they get here? WHY are there so many now? IF you really do the research and/or watch some of the videos - your mind will be boggled! Ha! Tinto gets tired of me asking how or if I can help - he SENDS ME OFF and this is what I do. The smell of paint is doing a number on my head anyway...
The Brits brought the first tiny group of camels over from the Canary Islands in 1840 - one story states 1 camel, another story says 7 - I don't know; but it was a teeny amount. Twenty years later, in 1860, 24 camels were brought to Australia. The breeding program commenced. Apparently, the farmers really liked/preferred the camels that were bred on Australian soil. Two of the original camels are the reason there are millions on this land at present. They were used for pulling loads, packing loads, in teams, in trains, pulling pipes and prospecting - almost any job that required great muscle strength. The camels could actually begin pulling work at the age of 3 years, but camels can work up to 40 years of age and adult camels can carry 600 kilos worth of weight - OH MY, get your brain wrapped around that figure. Gheeeeez. No wonder they were wanted, needed, and treated well.
Camels could eat over 90% of the Australian foliage and plants, too. Horses had previously died from eating the plants and many of the items proved to be poisonous to horses. The camels may not have been native, but they were perfect beings for this harsh and vast land. The bigger the being...the more space it needs!
You will get conflicting figures, but no matter what you read or research - there is an abundance of camels thriving - OVER-thriving in the wide, open spaces of Australia. Anywhere from 750,000 to a million to 1.2 million camels are in this great land today. Plus, AND...they supposedly double every 8 - 9 years. How can that be? There certainly won't be enough vegetation for this grand amount. And...there is a real difference between a working camel and a feral camel - ask any station owner.
Feral camels and wild, feral donkeys are giving some people in the outback - owners of massive amounts of land, serious problems.
Donkeys have killer hooves; sharp as a lethal, deadly blade. They cut through much used and needed water tanks, the obliterate the soil and erode the earth.
The donkeys were shipped to Australia from Africa in 1866 by the Brits, too. Today tens of thousands are living and donkeys can have a foal every year - every single year. What will the number be in 5 years...in 10 years?
Culling takes place from helicopters - up close and personal culling is used from time to time, too.
Many landowners have shared with Tinto and me that a .303 calibre bullet cannot put one of these donkeys down - they are tough as nails from the inside to their outside hide.
The donkeys trample vegetation, impact and increase the erosion of soil, again - destroy water tanks (disastrous!) and compete with the native species and domestic cattle. You do not want to run up on a feral donkey. It would not be a good day. I cannot fathom coming across feral camels.
Fortunately, I have experienced the stunning outback in a swag peering up to the marvelous stars in the sky. Yes, I heard noises. What noises? No clue, but they sent chills up and down my spine. We drove with the emus; we encountered heaps of kangaroos and they are even very scary...especially when there is a MOB of them. The mob changes direction in an instant and it does not matter how close a vehicle is when they panic. Wooooo! WOOOO-WHOAAAA! Not planned and invigorating. Many of my Australian mates have shared with me that they have lived in Adelaide all their lives and they have never ventured into the outback.
ADD THE OUTBACK to YOUR BUCKET LIST. You won't be disappointed. I hope your guide is as wonderful as Tinto was for our trip. There is not a place I won't go without him...hmmmmm...I may have to think about this statement a bit longer; I'll let you know IF I change my mind.
PERSONAL NOTE: Now the proud owner of the new Google Pixel 2 XL phone. Yes, yes, yes, I like it very much. Extremely impressive camera, too. For ages I have been addicted to Samsung. I suppose because I have Gmail and I use Google to search for any subject matter...the Google phone feels/seems familiar to me. IF you are looking for a change and do not want to go to an IPhone for whatever reason I would quickly and easily recommend the Google XL. It's fun learning to 'drive' this new gadget!
Cheers from Blanco - the NON-PAINTER of The Maxwell House.
The Roaming Stevens - hurriedly and excitedly transforming OUR PAD.
RING FIRST - you never know WHOM may be painting in a birthday suit; but...you can imagine! PLEASE let there be PEACE on this planet...in our day???
Upon arriving to Kapunda I had great interest in this old mining town...I still do. (A lot has happened and changed since I've been away ~ and they have been really good changes!)
I was told, once upon a time, that Kapunda was originally known as Kapiunda (I am spelling this phonetically because a cannot find a proper reference) and the Aboriginal meaning was: water down under. Well, there are quite a few creeks and a river in and around this town. When the rains finally do come tumbling down - the water beds flow with gusto. I enjoy referring to Kapunda as Kapiunda. It is very intriguing to me to learn and attempt to pronounce Aboriginal names and words. They have been here on Mother Earth longer than any of us and they still have an enormous amount to teach us ~ if we would only listen.
For example: Canberra, Australia's capital and THE largest city named by the Aborigines means 'meeting place' in the Ngunnawal language. Perfectly named!
Marlu - Aboriginal word for kangaroo; derived from the Warlpiri language and from Central Australia.
There are many wonderful Aborigines words and I would ask you to look up their dictionary any time you have a moment with a nice glass of blanco or tinto in your hand. The slang words are quite interesting and enjoyable!
Kapunda's copper was found in 1842 by 2 local men originally from different families AND the copper was kept a secret for over two years because it was discovered while the land was only being leased. I don't know how these two men kept quiet, but they did UNTIL the were able to buy their property for only 2.00 dollars per hectare (approximately 2.2 acres, IF I remember correctly!) Today a lot in Kapunda will cost you a cool $75,000 to $100,000 and that's only Kapunda - no doubt, the surrounding towns, especially Tanunda, would cost far more than that. But, these men were smart and patient. Once they owned the land...copper mining began in about 1844. The English whom were already here (the Cornish) were outstanding miners, the Welsh had the best reputation for smelting and engineering, the Irish were labourers and became very good farmers, The English controlled the mines...the Germans were coming over in droves, too, in order to attain religious freedom.
A couple of FIRSTS (I love FIRSTS!) for Kapunda:
- First open mine in all of Australia
- First mining company to ever build houses for its workforce; believe it or not...some of these miners' cottages still exist today - one being for sale as I type~!
At least ten (10) hotels/pubs are listed in the original town records during the mining era of this thriving town - TEN PUBS - the men were obviously thirsty. In one of the hotels...you can actually see the tunnels the miners used when it was time to 'knock off' and walk up and through the tunnel to get a cold brew without having to change from their dusty, worn clothes. How novel! I think the total population during this time was around 2,000 ~ that was quite a lot.
Kapunda's copper mine built Port Adelaide and in turn, help to build every major city standing today.
When the mine closed in 1877, Kapunda became home to the WORLD's LARGEST private landowner: Sir Sidney Kidman, Cattle King. Kidman himself put Kapunda on the map due to his annual horse sale. People came from every corner of this country to buy.
FOR MORE HISTORY of this wonderful town, please visit:
https://wwww.southaustralianhistory.com.au/kapunda.htm
Today, I'm simply sharing the Australian tidbits that have always intrigued me or piqued my interest. I mean we all KNOW that camels are not indigenous to this country. How did they get here? WHY are there so many now? IF you really do the research and/or watch some of the videos - your mind will be boggled! Ha! Tinto gets tired of me asking how or if I can help - he SENDS ME OFF and this is what I do. The smell of paint is doing a number on my head anyway...
The Brits brought the first tiny group of camels over from the Canary Islands in 1840 - one story states 1 camel, another story says 7 - I don't know; but it was a teeny amount. Twenty years later, in 1860, 24 camels were brought to Australia. The breeding program commenced. Apparently, the farmers really liked/preferred the camels that were bred on Australian soil. Two of the original camels are the reason there are millions on this land at present. They were used for pulling loads, packing loads, in teams, in trains, pulling pipes and prospecting - almost any job that required great muscle strength. The camels could actually begin pulling work at the age of 3 years, but camels can work up to 40 years of age and adult camels can carry 600 kilos worth of weight - OH MY, get your brain wrapped around that figure. Gheeeeez. No wonder they were wanted, needed, and treated well.
Camels could eat over 90% of the Australian foliage and plants, too. Horses had previously died from eating the plants and many of the items proved to be poisonous to horses. The camels may not have been native, but they were perfect beings for this harsh and vast land. The bigger the being...the more space it needs!
You will get conflicting figures, but no matter what you read or research - there is an abundance of camels thriving - OVER-thriving in the wide, open spaces of Australia. Anywhere from 750,000 to a million to 1.2 million camels are in this great land today. Plus, AND...they supposedly double every 8 - 9 years. How can that be? There certainly won't be enough vegetation for this grand amount. And...there is a real difference between a working camel and a feral camel - ask any station owner.
Feral camels and wild, feral donkeys are giving some people in the outback - owners of massive amounts of land, serious problems.
Donkeys have killer hooves; sharp as a lethal, deadly blade. They cut through much used and needed water tanks, the obliterate the soil and erode the earth.
The donkeys were shipped to Australia from Africa in 1866 by the Brits, too. Today tens of thousands are living and donkeys can have a foal every year - every single year. What will the number be in 5 years...in 10 years?
Culling takes place from helicopters - up close and personal culling is used from time to time, too.
Many landowners have shared with Tinto and me that a .303 calibre bullet cannot put one of these donkeys down - they are tough as nails from the inside to their outside hide.
The donkeys trample vegetation, impact and increase the erosion of soil, again - destroy water tanks (disastrous!) and compete with the native species and domestic cattle. You do not want to run up on a feral donkey. It would not be a good day. I cannot fathom coming across feral camels.
Fortunately, I have experienced the stunning outback in a swag peering up to the marvelous stars in the sky. Yes, I heard noises. What noises? No clue, but they sent chills up and down my spine. We drove with the emus; we encountered heaps of kangaroos and they are even very scary...especially when there is a MOB of them. The mob changes direction in an instant and it does not matter how close a vehicle is when they panic. Wooooo! WOOOO-WHOAAAA! Not planned and invigorating. Many of my Australian mates have shared with me that they have lived in Adelaide all their lives and they have never ventured into the outback.
ADD THE OUTBACK to YOUR BUCKET LIST. You won't be disappointed. I hope your guide is as wonderful as Tinto was for our trip. There is not a place I won't go without him...hmmmmm...I may have to think about this statement a bit longer; I'll let you know IF I change my mind.
PERSONAL NOTE: Now the proud owner of the new Google Pixel 2 XL phone. Yes, yes, yes, I like it very much. Extremely impressive camera, too. For ages I have been addicted to Samsung. I suppose because I have Gmail and I use Google to search for any subject matter...the Google phone feels/seems familiar to me. IF you are looking for a change and do not want to go to an IPhone for whatever reason I would quickly and easily recommend the Google XL. It's fun learning to 'drive' this new gadget!
Cheers from Blanco - the NON-PAINTER of The Maxwell House.
The Roaming Stevens - hurriedly and excitedly transforming OUR PAD.
RING FIRST - you never know WHOM may be painting in a birthday suit; but...you can imagine! PLEASE let there be PEACE on this planet...in our day???
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