ditions of this road are so good that it rivals many bitumen roads although , there are the occasional corrugations and sand drifts . The Old Coorong continues north for around 50 kilometres and eventually re-joins the Princes Highway , several tracks detour into the dunes to camping areas , the occasional beach access allowing for a ride all the way to the mouth of the Murray River . At the right time of the day the beach sand is quite hard and forgiving but caution needs to be given as the occasional soft patch will suck you and bike in with disastrous affect .
Foregoing the beach route allowed for a circumnavigation of Lakes Albert and Alexandrina , the northern end of the Coorong and the mouth of Murray . Keeping the coast on our left and Lake Albert on the right we found ourselves in an area rich in Aboriginal culture , the town of Point Macleay . Known as Raukkan to the local inhabitants it holds great cultural significance as being a sort of parliament for the Ngarrindjeri people , a place where ‘ clan ’ leaders would converge and elect the Rupulle , or leader .
Riding around Raukkan felt as if we were intruding , treating the 100 or so residents as museum pieces in their beautiful community . Rather than voyeuristically looking on as an outsider , spending time with the community and learning about
the traditions and culture of the Ngarrindjeri would be a much better option . I added this to the list of places to return to .
Amongst the lakes and dunes there ’ s a number of water crossings that have a throwback to earlier times , none more so than the two punts and the many barrages . On this occasion the barrages were closed due to the high levels of water flowing from the Murray , the punts were in full operation and surprisingly both ( Narrung & Wellington ) are in operation 24 hours per day . It must cost the state government a fortune to keep them running although , it does add a nice touch to ride .
Following the eastern shore of Lake Alexandrina , the land gives way to rich farmland and impressive wineries . The dunes and ruggedness of the Coorong behind , in the distance the low rolling hills that form the boundary to the South Australian capital city , Adelaide , could be seen . The areas buildings are unique to the limestone coast , built from giant blocks of the said stone . It gives the landscape a distinct South Australian frontier feeling , as if being back in time , none more so than the towns of Strathalbyn and Goolwa . The latter forming a hub for the next few days before heading back home .
Seen as a major shipping port for both river and sea transport , Goolwa was originally planned as the state capital . With the advent of the railways , the town quickly struggled to maintain its position of importance and faded into obscurity . It now sits as a beautiful reminder of the past , and is a town of historical importance ; natural , aboriginal and European . We quickly discovered it was a great place to spend a few days , Motel Goolwa being the ideal place for a shower and decent bed after days of camping .
Exploring Goolwa was a perfect fit to what had been seen further upriver on the Murray , it connected with the riverboat history of Swan Hill and Echuca . The buildings are beautiful , a blend of modern and old . The town relies heavily on tourism yet hadn ’ t
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