Eagle Foundry B & B - Gawler

Last weekend we stayed at the Eagle Foundry Bed and Breakfast in the nearby town of Gawler.

We loved it!

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A neat operation, run by Gary, Lorraine and their daughter, we found ourselves captivated by the surrounds and accomodation. We have no problems recommending it.

Dawn View

This is one of my favorite photos from our recent weekend stay at Eagle Foundry. It is a detail looking through the trees in the front yard at dawn. Sadly, it's extracted from a larger photo, so the pixelation makes it a bit distorted on a full size viewing. Left click on the picture to see what I mean.

As you'll see, there's lots of pleasant little surprises at Eagle Foundry. Amongst the trees overlooking the driveway entrance, for example, was this chain.

This is also one of my favorite photos from our weekend stay.

I don't know why.

Bark

I love the colours in this detail of the large gum tree that overlooks the entire yard from its central island.

Front Yard

Eagle Foundry's cottages are set in amongst the trees on a 3/4 acre block, perched on a rocky outcrop over a valley.

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Swing and Arbour

This is view at dawn through the leafy bower in Eagle Foundry's front yard.

... The ever popular swing is adult sized (probably designed for romantic portraits in wedding photos) and looks out across the Gawler River valley to gently sloping hills. The grandkids loved it!

Happy Wanderer

The Happy Wanderer is a fast growing flowering creeper commonly used to grow over fences etc in suburban landscapes. In Eagle Foundry's front yard it covers the winter wedding arbour with its small purple flowers.

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Macro...

Cactus

Cactuses are an introduced species in South Australia. In a field, this would be a noxious pest. In the front yard at Eagle Foundry, however, it is an interesting ornament.

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Golden Wattle

The wattle is our national flower. There are many varieties, collectively known as 'Golden Wattle'. At all times of year there's some variety or other of it in flower. Here's some in the front yard at Eagle Foundry in mid winter.

... Macro

Old Truck

In the corner of the front yard of the Eagle Foundry cottages is an old red truck. It predates indicator lights, notice the manually operated 'artifial hand' used to indicate for turning. The grandkids were fascinated. Here it is at dawn.

... And another view of it...

Plough

The Australian farmscape is still littered with relics from our colonial past - I took for granted the rusted old machinery on the family farm. Here is an old plough, located at the entry to the driveway to the Eagle Foundry.

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Plough - detail

The sturdy engineering of old farm machinery is amazing. Here's a detail of the rear axle assembly.

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Here's the fine adjustment controls for the tines of the plough...

And the front wheel assembly...

You get the feeling this plough would still be being used if the advance of technology hadn't accelerated so much over the twentieth century.

Thomson Cottage - Eagle Foundry

Here's the cottage we stayed in at Eagle Foundry, Thomson Cottage.

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Don't let it's simple lines deceive you ...

Thomson Cottage Interior

From the front you enter into the very comfortable and spacious main room.

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The Eagle Foundry Leadlight overlooks the main room.

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Although there's reverse cycle air conditioning, nothing beat the slow combustion wood fire for making you feel cosy and warm.

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Roo on verandah.

The cottage is tastefully decorated with memorabilia. We particularly liked this little picture near the kitchen.

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Rear Alcove

Past the kitchen (sorry, no photo) lies an alcove with a welcoming bottle of port for the guest. To the left is the bedroom, to the right is the bathroom and rear exit.

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Bedhead and spread

Even the bedroom contained surprises, like a bedspread who's threads seemed to glow

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With an old gate as a fantastically solid bedhead ...

A broader shot of the bedspread in low light conditions ...

Bedroom Light

Above our outside bedroom door was a bottle display in a window that caught the dawn light. This picture, taken through a mirror above our bed, shows something of the actual colour.

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While this (direct) shot shows the intensity. I couldn't get both colour and intensity in the same shot.

Foundry Courtyard

Out the back of the cottages is a shared courtyard. Nancy enjoyed this back corner by the spa.

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In the centre of the courtyard is a fountain feeding a pond of fish. It adds a tinkle to this peaceful space.

Here's a view from our back door towards the foundry.

Inside the foundry

The original foundry is still standing, a large old room where you could hold quite a party. It's been decorated with various items of the ironmonger and associated tools. Here's a few of them (not all made at the foundry - the wrought iron fenscework, however, was and examples can be seen around the old town even now)...

... At dawn my eye was drawn to the play of light and shadow in the corner, you can sense the fires of this old building even now ...

Freckled Duck

Actually, this guy is a Maned (Wood) Duck. I have had to leave the inaccurate title to this post, however, because if I change it in the interest of accuracy I can't link directly to the post anymore. I think this is only a problem in blogger in the archives, because the problem fixed up when I changed post title to the inaccurate 'freckled duck'. Anyway, I'm sure you'll agree he's worth a look!

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The sound of this duck I saw at Gawler was really weird, something like the percussive cough a kookaburra makes as a prelude to laughing. He wasn't happy that I hung around at 12 zoom.

I think he's a Maned (Wood) Duck - although the listed sound for the species doesn't quite gel.

Shadow Man

Dawn Horse...

Gawler Train

Gawler is a town not far from Adelaide. 48 min from central Adelaide in peak hour, to be exact, if you go by train. I went there by train after work on Friday. Gawler has three railway stations. Gawler Cental is the end of the line. Here's the Sunday morning train arriving at Gawler Central ...

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What was the point of the 'No Right Turn' sign?

Gawler Dawn

I grabbed these shots on Saturday morning during our weekend trip to Gawler. Make of them what you will.

Winter Display

Winter is not necessarily a time of colourlessness ...

Pink Flower' Winter Display

Pink Flowers

Macros

(These flowers have recently bloomed in the Barossa Valley)

Crystal Plant

Believe it or not, this is a detail of a plant I saw growing at Brisbane's Roma Parklands ...

Here's another detail ...

And here's the original to place it all in context...

I think the plant was to the side of me when I saw the light filled 'blossom tree'.