World's End self-drive Tour Preview

Welcome to your drive through the Goyder Region, from Burra to Eudunda along the World's End Drive. The total length of the tour is 237 kilometres.

The trail visits Booborowie, Farrell Flat, Hampden, Eudunda, Point Pass, Sutherlands and Robertstown. See magnificent rural views, from rolling hills and valleys, to breathtaking gorges and lagoons.

When you arrive at Market Square in Burra, activate your guided journey.

Use a car charger while the app is running as your mobile device will use a large amount of battery power.

Half of the drive is on unsealed roads between Booborowie and Eudunda, and will take you past sheep stations that have become the heart of this rural district. There are no facilities for petrol and other supplies and possibly no mobile phone coverage on this section of the drive - a distance of approximately 100kms. Fuel is available on the return trip in Eudunda, and in Robertstown.

Whilst the route can be negotiated in a conventional vehicle, because of the road conditions, it is not advisable to attempt the journey whilst towing a caravan or in a vehicle with inadequate ground clearance. Caution is also advised after heavy rains.Take food, drinking water and suitable clothing for the journey.

Allow a minimum of 8 hours to complete the circuit. You may like to have an overnight stopover in Eudunda.

Bushwalking during days of Total Fire Ban is not advised. However, if you do plan to do some bushwalking in the region on other days, please take note of the following safety messages:

• Allow plenty of time to complete your walk
• Always carry plenty of drinking water
• Know your route and keep to the tracks
• Wear sensible shoes
• Be prepared for changing weather conditions
• Take your rubbish with you
• Be sun smart

We trust you will enjoy the tour, and don't forget to pack your camera!

In 1845 with the discovery of copper near the Burra Burra Creek, the first company owned mining town in Australia, Kooringa rapidly grew to be Australia’s largest inland town by 1851. The ‘Monster Mine’, as this mine became known, was the largest metal producing mine in Australia up until 1860. It had a large influence on the economy of the struggling colony of South Australia, producing about 50,000 tonnes of copper metal between 1845 and 1877, when the South Australian Mining Association’s operations ceased.

Burra has survived as one of Australia's significant historic towns because of its magnificent collection of historic buildings that give an insight into the life and times of Australia's early settlement.

Whilst Burra's story starts with a mine, and this is part of its history, you will see that it is more than that. Like most country towns it has suffered from adversity as well as enjoying good times. Over time it has evolved into an important rural centre servicing the surrounding agricultural and pastoral holdings and more recently a tourist attraction because of its rich history.

In 1993 the township of Burra was placed on the National Heritage Register as a significant historical site, being one of the best preserved mining towns in the state.

Reset your odometer at the rotunda in Market Square, Burra.

Travel north from the Rotunda out of town along Market Street to the Barrier Highway A32.

Pass Peacock’s Chimney and the Burra Mine entrance on your left.

Travel through Burra North township to the T-junction ahead.

At the T-junction turn left onto the Barrier Highway A32 and head north towards Mount Bryan.

Pass the entry point of the Burra by-pass in the vicinity of the open yards on the left.

The old stone building was the Drew and Crewe’s store dating from the 1870’s.

Pass the Burra Golf Course on both sides of the highway.

The ruined farm house on the right was known as Cobb & Co's Corner, and was made famous on the cover of Midnight Oil's Album Diesel and Dust. Locally, the house is known as 'The Midnight Oil House'. This is typical of many of the rural homesteads seen throughout this tour.

The Bald Hill Range is also on your right.

Take the left turn to Spalding, Highway B64. On your right you could not miss the Hallett No.2 Power Station. This wind farm generates power for the National Electricity grid.

Turn right into Windy Brae Road and head for Booborowie.

At the Y-junction, take the road to the right, which will take you into Booborowie.

The name Booborowie comes from the Ngadjuri people’s name meaning ‘round water hole’. In 1843, Dr. William James Browne and his brother Dr. John Harris Browne took up the Booborowie run as squatters. In 1851 they purchased a 14 year crown lease with a rental of 15 shillings per square mile. In 1863 the land was surveyed and subdivided and the brothers purchased 46,978 acres at the average price of one pound four shillings per acre.

In the 1860s an eating house and stables were built to attend to the needs of the Cobb and Co coaches travelling from Adelaide to Burra and to places as far north as Blinman in the Flinders Ranges.

1875 saw the formation of the Booborowie District Council, with meetings held at the eating house. In the 1880s the East Bungaree shearing shed was built and the original 28 stand shed still stands today.

Booborowie Hotel is on your left. From here, you can make a tour of the town. Return to this point to continue on.

Reset your odometer opposite the Primary School entrance. Resuming the tour, head west from the hotel past Fifth Street on your right. At the Y-junction veer left.

At the Crossroad, turn briefly onto the Burra to Spalding Road, before turning left into Road 137.

At the T-junction of Hanson and Gum Creek Roads, veer right and head to Farrell Flat.

At the T-junction turn right onto the Burra to Clare Road.

At the intersection, turn left into South Terrace. You are entering Farrell Flat.

Turn right into Cameron Terrace. Duncan Park is on the right.

Turn left into Napier Street and drive to the end of the road.

When you arrive at the intersection where the Farrell Flat Hotel is on the left-hand corner, turn left into Patterson Street.

Originally named Hanson in 1870, it was renamed Farrell Flat in 1940. The name seems to have come from Farrell’s Creek which was shown on an early map of teh pastoral lease of 1851. James Farrell was a shepherd employed by Joseph Gilbert of Mount Bryan at the time. Farrell Flat was originally a stopover for bullock and later mule teams that hauled smelted copper on the Gulf Road from the Burra Copper Mine to Port Wakefield on St Vincents Gulf between 1849 and 1869. It became a railway siding in 1870 when the rail line reached Burra.

Take some time to explore the town of Farrell Flat. Visit the Interpretive Centre and Mosaic Wall in the median strip of Paterson Street.

Reset your odometer at the Farrell Flat Hotel.

At the T-junction, turn right at the road post to Black Springs into South Terrace and cross over the railway line.

Follow The Gap Road to Black Springs. This road changes from bitumen to an unsealed road.

At the crest of the hill, Porter's Lagoon can be seen on the left. The Tothill Ranges are ahead and to the right, and the Waterloo windfarm is also on the right. Follow this road until you reach the bitumen road which is the Barrier Highway.

At the T-junction of the Barrier Highway, turn left onto the Barrier Highway. You will pass an old ruined farmhouse high up on the hill on your left. Travel for about 4.5km along the Highway to the next right turn.

To your right are views of Porter's Lagoon, the scene of water sports like swimming, rowing and yachting in the 1920s. In 1928, over 3000 people attended the annual Aquatic and Athletics Sports Carnival with photos of the event showing cars packed around the lagoon’s edge.

Watch out for oncoming traffic. Turn right into Porter's Lagoon Road at the sign for Koonoona and Koomooloo Stations. From this point the road is unsealed for the next 60km.

In winter with good rains, Porter's Lagoon fills, but rarely to the depth of the past. It is still a refuge for water birds like the banded stilts, avocets, water fowl and other waders that can be seen feeding along the edges of the lagoon. In summer it dries up to become a saltpan and at other times it becomes a pink lake.

The Morgan-Whyalla Pipeline runs along this section of the road for some distance.

The Tothill Ranges can be seen on the right.

Ignore Springbank Road on the left, and continue straight ahead.

Ignore Koonoona Road to the right.

At the Y-junction, take the right-hand fork marked to Robertstown, 30km.

At the T-junction, turn right at the road marked to Robertstown.

At 28.2km, you will notice that the Heysen Trail crosses the road here.

At the crossroad, veer left to continue along the drive.

At the crossroad, continue straight ahead at the Black Springs to Robertstown Road crossing. Emu Downs is on the left.

The old Lutheran Church and post office are among the trees on the left and the Brady Creek tennis courts are on the right. The Tothill Ranges, on the right, extend south for the next 30kms. This remnant bushland is quite significant and has been heritage listed in many sections.

At the crossroad marking the boundary between Anlaby and Koonoona Stations, continue straight ahead. To the right is the site of the old Emu Downs Telephone Exchange. In the trees to the right is the site of the old Koonoona Methodist Church of 1911, which also served as the Brady Creek School.

At the crossroad, continue straight on for 6.3km until you reach Brady Creek. The site of the Brady Creek Lutheran Church and the remains of the North Anlaby Cemetery are on the right. The old Brady Creek School was relocated here in 1934. There are few remains to be seen.

Anlaby, owned by the Dutton family, was a large and prosperous holding in 1891. At 74,261 acres it was only marginally smaller than Princess Royal. It has since been subdivided. At this point you are entering the Brady Valley.

On the left is Brady Road that follows the Brady Creek to Robertstown. Along this creek are the only remnant Red Gums in the area.

Turn left onto Garden Hill Road to visit Inspiration Point. A 2.5km drive to this vantage point on our tour gives views of Robertstown, Louann Park, Eudunda and the Barossa Valley. At the top of the range, there is a breathtaking view overlooking the whole landscape including Point Pass. Stay a while and take in the magnificent view. This is a treat not to be missed.

At the T-junction, veer left to avoid Scenic Road on the right.

Welcome to Inspiration Point. Enjoy the view! The track ahead of you leads to Robertstown via a steep descent; its condition varies significantly with weather conditions.

Reset your odometer at Inspiration Point and return back the way you came to continue the circuit tour.

Turn left at the T-junction onto Ngpala Road and continue southward.

At the T-junction turn left onto Dunstone Road to follow the sign post to Eudunda.

Turn right at the intersection and head for Hampden and ultimately Eudunda.

At 8.7km, to the left is the entrance to 'Gwynganna', a sixth generation farming property, given a direct land grant in 1870, which sold timber to the Burra Mines.

Go straight ahead at the Julia and Mosey Road crossing. The old Ngapala Methodist Church is on the right and the school which operated from 1906 to 1945. In 1905, this area was subdivied into Soldier Settler blocks, and taken up by men returnin from the Boer War.

Continue straight ahead at the Julia and Schulz crossroads.

The township of Julia was established in 1905.

The original tennis courts of Julia, the existing Julia Hall which opened in 1958 and the old garage are on the right side of the road. Just past the next turnoff, Tarnma Road, on the right is the old Julia School which operated from 1905-1952.

On the right is the old Lutheran Church (1911-1995) and the cemetery. The church is now a private residence.

At 14.9km from Inspiration Point, the ruins of the childhood home of author, Colin Thiele (where he lived from 1920-1936) can be seen in the paddock on the left.

Continue straight on ahead at the intersection of Julia, Scenic and Prior Roads. The Louann Park entrance, named after Lou and Ann Rahder, is on the left surrounded by pine trees. It is marked by the Uncle Gustav and his dog sign that represents the characters from Thiele's novels.

Continue on for 3.9km until you reach Hampden.

Hampden was a town on the Adelaide-Morgan railway line that opened in 1878. Passenger services ceased in 1968 and the last grain train left in 1994.

The Hampden Hall opened in 1920 and was used as the Julia District Council Chambers until 1932. From 1925 to 1951 it served as the public school. It was handed over to the community as a District Hall in 1954, for which it is used today.

At 23.3km since you reset your odometer, Eudundacowie Springs, after which Eudunda was originally named, is close by to the left of here. In the mid 1800s, stock from Queensland and northern New South Wales were watered here en-route to southern markets.

Turn left 500m on. The road to the right goes to Marrabel.

Turn left onto the Eudunda-Kapunda road B81. Travel down the steep hill into Eudunda.

The Gustav and his dog sign indicates the entrance into the township of Eudunda. Turn left into the town centre.

Eudunda, the home town of the Author Colin Thiele, features in his novels Sun on the Stubble, Uncle Gustav’s Ghost and The Valley Between that recall his childhood. He is remembered with a bronze statue in the town’s picturesque Centenary Gardens. Midway through the 19th Century, Eudunda grew as a Lutheran settlement, as displayed in the towns German street names and architecture. Take a walk along the charming main street with its historic buildings and vine draped verandahs. It is home to the Heritage Gallery complete with a reconstructed settler’s cottage, Kathleen’s Art Gallery, a 100 year old bakery serving 100-year old German pastries and two grand old hotels. Take a walk on the wild side with one of Eudunda’s Hidden Treasure Tours featuring forty six interesting historical sites, or take a self drive tour of the locality with maps available from the Eudunda Visitor Centre in Bruce Street.

After taking in the attractions of the town, return to the Eudunda Hotel Motel (on the corner of Morgan Road and Gunn Street) and reset your odometer before continuing your drive.

Depart the town of Eudunda heading out towards Morgan on the B81 Thiele Highway.

Continue along the highway to Sutherlands.

9.8km on from Eudunda, there is a stock route to your right. It was along these stock routes in the 1850s that sheep and cattle were brought to the railhead at Kapunda from Queensland and Northern New South Wales to water at Eudundacowie Springs.

Immediately after crossing Deep Creek, there is a monument to Goyder's Line with a car park and picnic area on the right.

11.7km from Eudunda, you will notice that the highway continues over the old Morgan railway line, which runs parallel to the road on the right-hand side for a short distance.

Travel along the highway for another 2.1km until you reach Sutherlands.

Founded around 1860 by William Sutherland, a woodcutter who supplied mallee firewood and railway sleepers, this town grew to have three schools, a post office, Town Institute, butcher, general store, blacksmith’s, a hotel and recreation areas.

The Sutherlands Hotel is the Visitor Information Outlet. Built in 1892 it is a fine example of colonial architecture. Alongside is a lock up for miscreants in transit whilst the constables enjoyed the comforts of the hotel.

Turn left off the bitumen highway onto Sutherland Road. Note the open land here with views stretching to the horizon of the Murray River Basin. Out here this country lies outside of Goyder's Line and is defined by the remnants of mallee scrub that once graced this plain.

Ignore the first two intersections you come to.

Turn left onto Bower Road at the signpost to Robertstown. The road follows a deep creek crossing it several times. Here there is undulating country with stands of mallee along both sides of the road.

Continue straight ahead at this intersection. Travel to the 31.4km point where you will reach the Australia Plains township.

The feature of this town is the old stone buildings. Once there was a post office, a school with adjoining teacher's house, a saddler's, a general store, and a farmhouse.

At this road junction, on the left there is a commemorative stone with a plaque erected in 1983 to celebrate 100 years of the naming of Australia Plains.

Ensure you continue straight along Emmaus Road. Along the road to the right are the former St. Johannes Lutheran Church and manse, Lutheran School and a private residence.

Continue straight ahead through this intersection.

Continue straight on the Emmaus Road where you will find good views of the ridge showing the pines of Louann Park, and close by ruined homesteads of some of the early German settlers. On the right are the ruins of cottages and thatched-roofed barns of the early settlers with names like Keyens, Lindner, Niemz and Orrock.

As you continue on the Emmaus Road, you will cross the old Eudunda-Robertstown railway line.

You will pass the site of the Emmaus Church with its manse and school which was built in 1872 and closed in 1941. All that remains are the graves in the Emmaus Cemetery.

When you reach the World’s End Highway, turn right onto the bitumen to go to Point Pass.

You will pass a monument on the right to the Schulz and Schutz families who were early settlers in the area.

On the right is the Immanuel Lutheran Church that was built in 1890. To the right of the church is the school and the cemetery is behind the church. To the left of the church is the former Immanuel College which operated from 1896 to1922. It is now a private residence.

In its heyday, the town boasted a saddler, carpenter, blacksmith, watchmaker, an upholsterer, and a cheese and butter factory. Most of these buildings still remain. A hotel that hopened in 1876 with its original stone stables on display is still open today. Perhaps the most outstanding feature in the town is the golden spire of Immanuel Lutheran Church which can be seen shining in the sunlight well before reaching the town. Close by is the rather stately former Lutheran College which is furnished with antiques. Also worth a look are the old Council chambers and the Anglican Church.

To the west of the road, the Tothill Range which rises up to 520 metres above sea level, dominates the scene. To the east are the mallee flats that extend all the way to the River Murray. It was the distinct change in vegetation that enabled the surveyor, George W. Goyder to draw his line across the countryside, divinding arable land from these arid plains.

Leaving Point Pass the drive continues along the bitumen highway to Robertstown. 48.7km since you reset your odometer at Eudunda, you will find the original Schild homestead on the left.

Further on, the Robertstown Lagoon is to the left. Also on the left is the Bluff Range, and the Robertstown silos can be seen ahead.

The first settlers in this locality were shepherds and overlanders driving stock along the stock routes from New South Wales. In 1842, Anlaby Station was listed as the largest sheep holding in South Australia. From 1850 onwards the area was surveyed and split up into smaller holdings.

Being on the road between Kapunda and Burra, Robertstown became a supply town for the stock owners. The fist shop in the town was a wine shanty run by a Mr. O’Dea. John Roberts who had run a travelling shop settled in this location opening a shop and post office that ranked mail ‘Robert’s Town’. It must have been profitable as his son continued the business building a new store. It became Lehmann’s Store when one of their long serving employees took over, trading from these premises ever since.

A place to see is the Goyder Interpretive Gardens, which showcases the local flora. The information shelter located at the Visitor Information Outlet features the story of Goyder's Line.

Reset your odometer at the Robertstown Hotel.The drive now heads northeast out of the town towards Burra along the World's End Highway. Turn right at the hotel and follow the bitumen road.

Continue along the highway for 20.4km to the Burra Creek Gorge turnoff.

Take the next left turn to the World's End, or Burra Creek Gorge.

The Hallelujah Hills are to your left. The hills of the World's End Gorge are ahead in the far distance. This is an area rich in biodiversity, comprising River Red Gums along the creeks, mallee scrubland, peppermint grassy woodland and tussock grassland communities.

The World's End Homestead ruins are on the right. Continue on to the well used camping ground. This is an ideal spot for a picnic. Feel free to explore this delightful spot.

Leaving the gorge, return the way you came to the World's End Highway and reset your odometer.

Turn left onto the highway and head north towards Burra.

On the left are the ruins of the World's End Wesleyan Church which was open from 1889 to 1975, and World's End School from 1860 to 1944 that at one stage attracted as many as 70 students.

At the road junction with the Goyder Highway (B64) turn left and head for Burra. This is one of the highways that link the region with the eastern states.

On your right is the turnoff onto Eastern Road, which takes you to Redbanks Conservation Park and Mongolata. Continue straight ahead to Burra.

The Thomas Pickett commemorative cairn is on the right. Thomas Pickett was the shepherd who discovered the copper outcrop in 1845 that led to the famous Burra Burra Mine.

At Kooringa Road, take the next left turn off the highway into Burra. Diprose Creek runs parallel with the road here.

The Paxton Square Cottages are on the right as you head down the hill into the township. These rows of miners’ cottages, built between 1849 and 1850 are heritage listed and have been refurbished to provide tourist accommodation for visitors to Burra.

Cross over the Kooringa Bridge into Market Square. Immediately after the bridge on the right is the former Farmers’ Union building, which is now the office of the Regional Council of Goyder. The Diprotodon fossil can be viewed here during office hours on weekdays.

Your driving tour finishes at Market Square, Burra. Whilst the drive ends here, there are many things to do and see in the town.

Visit the friendly staff at the Visitor Information Centre, and enquire about the many activities provided.