When we arrived in South Australia, the first thing that we did was look for somewhere reasonably priced to stay during the Easter weekend. There was pretty much nowhere left except in Port Augusta – so we booked eight nights there in the Augusta Courtyard Motel.

It turned out to be a great base for exploring the Flinders Ranges and we went on day trips to Mount Remarkable National Park (Mambray Creek and Alligator Gorge), Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park, and Warren Gorge.

We also spent a day in the nearby Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden and saw our first ever zebra finches.

Short walks from our motel included a coastal trail along the Spencer Gulf, a few trips over the bridge to the main shopping area, and a quick visit to Water Tower Lookout – an old water tower converted into a lookout platform.