Day 192 - Cowell to Whyalla and Whyalla city sights

Cowell to Whyalla was a mere 102km jaunt and we had a beautiful day in which to do it. We travelled through wheat fields most of the way and the countryside was generally flat to undulating.  Then all of a sudden, as we neared Whyalla, a mountain appeared which we found later to be Mount Young.  To add to our surprise the mountain is being mined, so we are back in mining country again.  It appears that there are several BHP iron ore mines the whole way along the Razorback Range behind Whyalla.

151014 Mt Young at the southern end of the Razorback Range

151014 Mining Mt Young for iron ore

The Foreshore Caravan Park was most welcoming so we booked in there, had lunch and headed off to make a booking for One Steel's steel mill tour and take a general look at the city.

The tour booking station was alongside the Maritime Museum and there before our eyes was HMAS Whyalla, the first ship built at the Whyalla Shipyards, in 1940.  It was a sub chaser and mine sweeper.

151014 HMAS Whyalla. The first ship built at the Whyalla Shipyards

Shipbuilding in Whyalla ceased in 1978 and in the intervening period 66 vessels were built including steamships, ore and bulk carriers, tankers, container vessels, ferries, barges and an oil drilling rig.

We were able to see only distant views of the steel mill.  The buildings look red and, to be honest, grotty, but that should not be a surprise.

151014 More of the Whyalla steelworks

151014 More of the Whyalla steelworks

Needless to say, Whyalla is filled with history and much is made of Louis-Claude de Saulces de Freycinet and Matthew Flinders who both chartered Spencer Gulf in 1803 and 1802 respectively. A hilltop lookout bears their names.

151014 Flinders-Freycinet Lookout in Whyalla

151014 Map of north Spencer Gulf and the names given
to the various features by Freycinet and Flinders 

151014 The caravan park on the shoreline in the trees in Whyalla

There is another lookout at Hummock Hill which provided good, although distant views of the steel mill, the power station, the iron ore wharf, the marina, the foreshore to the south over False Bay and west, looking over the city.

151014 Part of the steelworks from Hummock Hill in Whyalla

151014 Quenching in the steel factory???

151014 Ore loading wharf at Whyalla.  Southern Flinders
Ranges in the distance

151014 Whyalla's False Bay - and yes, it was low tide.
Start of marina on LHS

151014 Looking west over Whyalla towards Mt Laura(?)

151014 Quaint miners' cottages in Whyalla