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Sunday Wilpena PoundThe revellers returned at 1pm and it wasn't too bad just a bit of loud talking.A number of them have packed up and gone today.Having still not worked the walks map out we decided to go for a ride to Blinman which is an ex copper town about 60k north of the Pound.I hope after tomorrow's flight we can get some video shots on the blog to explain what this Pound is because it is very difficult to describe.About 4k out on our way to Blinman we saw a sign to a Sacred Canyon site and 13k down an unsealed road was a 500m walk to some Aboriginal art work. We had been told we could only either walk to or catch the resort bus, but could not go in our own transport. This information was not correct, they were simply pushing you to pay and use their transport.It was interesting because we have only seen rock paintings and this was rock carvings.Forty seven ks of unsealed road later we arrived at Blinman another God forsaken place miles from anywhere.Joe said I hadn't to say that but I can't think of a better description.He suggested beautiful.It consists of a café which only opens March to October, a general store which the guide book says sells fuel but hasn't any pumps, a cemetery and a hotel which incongruously has a brand new indoor swimming pool built on the side with a sign saying you must shower before using the pool and a sign pointing 20yds down a cinder track.We could have swum in the pool for $2 but didn't have our bathers with us we really must put them in the car for when these beautiful opportunities come along.The population is 20 and we spotted 5 of them.It was like being a twitcher (bird spotter) looking for rare birds. I shall close my bit and see if Joe wants to add a kinder description. What a privileged position we are in, to be able to see how the first Europeans settled this county. At Blinman remains only the fireplaces and chimney stacks as the rest of the houses were built of low grade timber or a timber frame with Hessian to form the walls. At the height of the cooper mining (in the late 1800s) there was a population of 1500. We had lunch in the old school. This is owned and operated by a couple in there 50's (since 2003) they moved from the Dandenongs, to escape the rat race. To supplement their income they make silver jewellery and the man had recently returned from a stint of sheep shearing.
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